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"Chocophoria"
Rating: PG-13 Hoshi and Liz are revived using an unorthodox medicine and they must find a way for the crew and “Star” to meet without harm to either side. Italian: “Dannazione!” (Darn/Damn it!), “Signore Dottore (Doctor), Commandante (Commander, referring to T’Pol and Trip), Capitano (Captain)”, “Non sono pazzo! (I’m not crazy!)”, zucchero (sugar), “Basta, giovantu! (Enough, children!)”,”E amore pura” (lit. It’s pure—or true—love”), “Scusi (Excuse/pardon me), Elizabetta (Elizabeth)”. Please read and review! Thanks! Nine Of course, trying to convince Malcolm was easier said than done. When Hoshi reappeared on the Enterprise, she found herself in Sickbay, looking at her prone body on the biobed. Next to her, in the next biobed, was the unconscious form of Liz Cutler, and Chef occupied the third bed. Chef’s face was still flushed, but he was insisting on something at the top of his lungs, and gesturing wildly at Phlox. Hoshi couldn’t hear what he was saying; it was as if she was watching a movie with the sound turned off. The Sickbay doors opened and Captain Archer came in, with Malcolm and T’Pol in tow. Worry creased Jon’s face, his mouth in a tight line. While the captain’s emotions were plain to see, the other two were more subdued. T’Pol’s eyes were dark in concern and Malcolm...he seemed as impassive as ever, but Hoshi knew better. A sharp pang went through her heart. Then, the sound came back with a screech, like someone dragged a needle across an old vinyl record. “The scans show they are both hypoglycemic, Captain. Both of their pancreas have slowed production of complex sugars necessary for chemical balance—“ “You mean they’re suffering from low blood sugar?” “I believe I just said that, Captain,” Phlox snapped. T’Pol stared at him; he took a deep breath and amended, “Forgive me, I’ve been under a lot of stress in the past few days—“ “‘The cause is sufficient’,” T’Pol reassured him, quoting Surak. “I assume you have attempted to correct the imbalance with standard medical procedures?” From anyone else, Hoshi would have thought T’Pol’s question condescending in the extreme. Yet Phlox seemed to take it at face value. “Of course, Sub-Commander, and I also tried some rather...unorthodox methods, but—“ “Dannazione!” Chef burst out, finally attracting Phlox’s attention. “Am I only shouting to myself here? Signor Dottore, Capitano, Commandante, are you all deaf and well as blind?” Phlox started, then stared at Chef as if seeing him for the first time. “Chef, you’re awake! How do you feel? Please, lie back, you’ve been sick with a high fever—“ Chef allowed him and Captain Archer to help him lean back among the pillows. “Non sono pazzo! I am not crazy! Let me speak!” “I believe we should hear what he has to say,” T’Pol said. “It will calm him.” Hoshi saw Liz Cutler come over to Chef’s side, but she realized, as Hoshi had, that no one in the room could see or hear her. Hoshi caught Liz’s look of frustration and sorrow as Chef didn’t react to her gentle touch. “Antonio?” Captain Archer asked. “You say they need zucchero, sugar. Then why not give them something with sugar in it? Like the mokka?” T’Pol shook her head. “It is not that simple, Antonio. It must be controlled, for too much at once is as detrimental as too little—“ Phlox frowned as he regarded his patients. A smile played on Liz’s lips. “Hoshi, he’s got an idea, one that’ll annoy T’Pol. I can see it.” “Does he do this a lot?” Hoshi asked with a wicked smile. “Not as much as he’d like. The crew’s kinda used to his ‘unorthodox’ Denobulan cures anyway, so it’s a bit harder to shock them anymore.” Chef and T’Pol launched into a mini-argument: the calm, collected T’Pol relying on logic and the emotional, agitated Antonio relying on sweeping hand gestures and an impassioned mix of Italian and English. It was a sight to behold...for it was rare to have T’Pol and Chef in the same room, much less debating with each other. Eventually, Antonio’s English completely gave way to musical Italian; although T’Pol couldn’t understand a word he was saying, Hoshi did, and she laughed aloud. Poor Captain Archer tried to get a word in edgewise, but was unsuccessful. And as the two combatants’ voices rose in pitch, Phlox only crossed to the intercom on the wall and activated it. “Sickbay to Galley...ah, Crewman Figlioni, good morning. No, I do not require sustenance at this moment, but if you would be kind to wake up Crewman Cunningham—“ The Sickbay doors opened and Trip Tucker walked in. He immediately heard the argument, saw Jon’s look of complete frustration, and finally shouted at the top of his lungs, “Okay, that’s enough! Basta, giovantu!” T’Pol and Chef stopped and stared at Trip, who only glared at both of them. Jon gave him a look of gratitude, and opened his mouth to thank him, but Trip barged ahead with a good, old-fashioned Southern dressing-down and didn’t give his captain a chance to say anything. Jon rolled his eyes and closed his mouth with a click. “For God’s sake, you two, cut the crap!” He glared at T’Pol first. “Can you put aside your Vulcan superiority complex for once, and can you—“ he glanced at Chef, “—calm down a minute? Look at Malcolm...he’s doin’ more for Hoshi than you are, and Phlox’s actually actin’ instead of reactin’!” Everyone had completely forgotten about the silent Armory Officer. Malcolm Reed stood at Hoshi’s side, stroking her hair with a gentle hand and murmuring endearments to her in a low voice. The indicators above her head seemed to climb ever so slowly in response. Phlox had moved to Liz’s side and copied Malcolm’s actions, whispering some words in Denobulan. Liz’s spirit-self looked over at Hoshi’s spirit-self with eyes brimming with tears. Although Liz didn’t understand Phlox’s words, the emotion showed itself loud and clear. “Their actions seem to be effective,” T’Pol said, her voice hushed. “Si. E amore pura, Commandante,” Chef agreed. He glanced at Trip. “I had no idea you knew Italian, Signor Trip.” Trip chuckled, his face turning a shade of scarlet. “My great-grandmomma on my mom’s side was Italian, and she didn’t tolerate a lot of fuss. Don’t get too excited, Chef, ‘cause that’s the extent of my language ability.” The Sickbay doors opened again, this time to admit Crewmen Cunningham and Figlioni. They wheeled in a dessert cart between them, piled high with mokka treats and several huge glass jars of liquid mokka. Cunningham glanced at Phlox, his eyes widening at seeing the doctor at Liz’s bedside, but his voice was as professional as usual. “Doctor, here’s all the mokka we could find, except the huge solid blocks we put aside for future use. Where do you want this?” Phlox finally looked up and nodded. “Position the cart in between the women’s biobeds, gentlemen. Lieutenant Commander Reed, Captain Archer, will you both assist me? We are going to do something quite unorthodox with Chef Antonio’s mokka—“ Hoshi opened her eyes to see both Jon Archer and Malcolm Reed gazing down at her, their eyes both concerned and hopeful. She felt a pleasurable buzz going through her veins and she responded with a brilliant smile. Hoshi glanced at the intravenous line that snaked out of her arm and was attached to...an IV bag filled with liquid mokka? “Now that’s a sight,” she said aloud. “I know I joke about being attached to an IV line of chocolate, but I didn’t think it was actually possible.” Jon laughed in relief and said, “Medically, it shouldn’t be, but apparently the Dnayuns administer it in...some interesting ways. Phlox learned some medical techniques from them while we were there.” “The liquified form acts as a medical drug,” T’Pol added, “and thus makes it possible.” Her grin widened and she threw her unattached arm around Malcolm, who returned the hug with enthusiasm. “I heard your words, Malcolm,” she whispered. “Thank you for bringing me back.” “Yeah, I knew you were a romantic at heart, Phlox,” Liz echoed as she squeezed the doctor’s arm. The Denobulan blushed, both at her words and at the physical contact. “Good to see ya both up and awake,” Trip said with a grin. “I hope we didn’t disturb your nap too much.” “No, but it was worth seeing you read T’Pol the riot act,” Liz replied with a wicked smile. T’Pol flushed bronze-green, but she didn’t move from Trip’s side. Chef blushed and said, “Ah, scusi, Hoshi, Elizabetta.” “No need to apologize, Antonio,” Hoshi assured him. Her happiness faded as she remembered that she had a request to make. “Malcolm—“ “What is it, love?” Malcolm asked, suddenly unnerved by her change of mood. “I think you’d better sit down for this. I need your help for something important.” Silence came over Sickbay as Liz and Hoshi finished their story. T’Pol’s eyebrows looked like they were about to fly off her face, Captain Archer and Trip looked somewhat skeptical, Chef and Phlox looked interested, and Malcolm... Well, stunned was an understatement. “She just wanted to contact us,” Trip repeated, his voice filled with wonder, “but how are we gonna talk to her, if just bein’ around us causes problems?” “I supposed EVA suits in a shuttlepod isn’t going to work,” Jon added, “if this lifeform can disrupt both people and electronics.” “And she’s afraid of me,” Malcolm said in a quiet voice. “She called me a ‘Dark Soul’.” Hoshi slipped her hand into his. “She wants to be sure you aren’t going to consider her a threat, Malcolm. I know that’s your job, to protect the ship and crew, but she’s afraid you’re going to hurt her.” “Is that what she thinks of me? That all I will do is hurt her?” he asked, with a touch of bitterness in his voice. Phlox’s tone was gentle. “Commander, we Denobulans have a saying, ‘The most bitter darkness can be illuminated by the softest light’. If her name is indeed ‘Star’, just like your Hoshi, then will you allow them to help you?” He nodded and said, “Yes.” I have always wanted to meet you, came Star’s voice, and they all started as they heard it, but to meet, it requires faith and trust in what may seem strange to you. You might feel fear, but I assure you, there is nothing to be afraid of. You are not trusting, Dark One, but will you do so, just this once? Malcolm took a deep breath and tried to relax. “Yes.” Will you accept the aid of your friends? “Yes.” Then you must trust and let go. Although Star was invisible, they all “felt” her turn towards Captain Archer. Captain, forgive me for all the chaos I have caused. It was not my intent to damage your people or your Flying Bird. I have never met your kind before and had no idea that I could hurt so much just by my presence. “That’s all right. It was all a misunderstanding. Though I’m at a loss at how we could actually meet you, since we have this problem.” Captain Archer’s brow wrinkled in thought. “How were you able to talk to Hoshi and Liz in the first place?” They thought of helping others and then they just...came to me. I cannot explain it better than that. “A kind of meditation, perhaps?” T’Pol inquired. “Focusing your attention on a single goal. In Lieutenant Sato’s case, the translation on the Bridge and in Crewman Cutler’s case, easing Chef’s pain.” Perhaps. We might be able to make an attempt. I cannot accommodate you all, but perhaps if you all try, at least two or three of you may be able to bridge the Gap.” Phlox shook his head. “I would prefer to stay here and monitor you all. If one of you go into some kind of distress, it would ease my mind greatly if I was here to help you.” Trip smiled and asked, “Can I keep ya company, Doc? I’m lousy at meditatin’, even now.” “I would appreciate your help, Commander.” Archer nodded. “I need you here in case something else goes wrong with the ship, Trip. So, shall we go meet our new friend?” Hoshi smiled and squeezed Malcolm’s hand. “Yes. Let’s do it.” |
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