Missing Scenes from Season Three - Hatchery

SPOILERS: "Hatchery" and prior episodes in Season 3, and it will probably make little sense without them.

DISCLAIMER: All things Star Trek belong to CBS/Paramount.  "Hatchery" was written by André Bormanis and Michael Sussman.

Author's Note:  I've got to set up poor T'Pol for the meltdown that begins in "Azati Prime," so many of you will find this entry less pleasant than the last one.  It has its moments, though.  Thanks as always to beta JustTripn and to you kind and generous souls who leave feedback and keep my muse happy and  well-fed.  You are definitely among the many people I am grateful for as we celebrate Thanksgiving here.

Way-Too-Geeky Additional Author's Note for Continuity Mavens Only:  I really enjoy the episode "Hatchery," but it has a serious continuity screw-up.  After Tucker retrieves the captain from the planet, we get the usual shot of the ship at warp and a voice over of T'Pol saying they've resumed their course to Azati Prime.  THEN we get a sickbay scene where they discuss what went wrong with the captain and she reinstates the MACOs, and Reed and Hayes discuss what just went down.  Then we get a scene between Trip and Archer in which Trip reports they just got back the last of their antimatter reserves, Trip refuses to let Archer get up and return to duty without the rest the doctor ordered, and Archer orders him to tell Travis to head to Azati Prime, maximum warp.  Come again?  Archer need only look out his window to realize they are already at warp, if T'Pol's V/O was to be believed.  I can only assume that during editing these scenes were switched around from their original order.  And that is a very longwinded explanation why what I wrote here deviates a bit from the order you see on screen. 

Trip stared back at T'Pol.  She was accusing him of letting personal feelings for Jon affect his decision to attempt what amounted to a mutiny?   "I think I should probably be a little more worried about letting my personal feelings about you affect me.  I've never slept with the captain."

Her brow furrowed.  "You haven't ...  Ah.  You mean you haven't had sexual relations with the captain."

"Right," Trip said, a little bemused, if only because he knew there were at least a few people back at Starfleet who'd theorized that was how he made commander so young. 

She frowned.  "It's hardly logical to allow fear of influence from a single sexual encounter to prevent you from taking the appropriate measures to protect our mission."

Could she get any closer to him without actually climbing into his uniform?  Worse, she was pinning him with her most earnest gaze.  He was a total sucker for her earnest gaze.  "Yeah, I know," he said, and sighed, capitulating.  Maybe he'd never really had a chance, but he also knew she was right.  They couldn't afford his usual pigheaded sense of loyalty right now.  "I'll talk to Phlox.  We'll get the captain to go for a physical."

"Thank you," she said, with a tone of finality. 

Dismissed, he thought, a little irritated.  "T'Pol, if I leave right now, Chang's got to notice this was the shortest neuro-pressure session in history."

"Corporal Chang is not likely to be well-versed in Vulcan neuro-pressure."

"Are you kidding me?  The whole damned crew thinks it's well-versed in neuro-pressure."

She looked confused.  "You believe we should use this time for a neuro-pressure session?"

"No.  But I also don't think I should just run back out too quickly.  It might raise suspicion."

"The captain has interrupted our sessions before.  You could simply note that he has requested your presence."

Trip scowled.  "I thought Vulcans never lied. We can't afford to get caught over something stupid.  Let's just ... I don't know.  Put the time to use." 

Her eyes darkened perceptibly.  Oh God.  Did she think that had been a come-on? 

Maybe she did.  Although she'd gone along with his suggestion that they put off any physical relationship for now, her fingers on his back during neuro-pressure sang to him in a language all their own, a kind of wordless thrumming longing.  And his body tended to respond despite his best efforts at distracting himself. 

She had even mentioned it during their last session.  She said, "You appear to be somewhat aroused."

"Sorry.  Sometimes I can't really help it.  My body has learned to associate you with a good time."

"I would not be averse to further exploration if you were so inclined."

"Mmmm ... better not," he'd said, voice all gravely because his mouth had suddenly gone dry.  "Exploration isn't really a good enough reason to risk ship's discipline right now, is it?  Don't worry, if you ignore it, it will go away."

"As you wish," she'd said, her tone distinctly frosty.

There was a method to his madness, though it was frustrating as hell to stick to it.  It helped that he was absolutely certain she wanted him, though he sometimes wondered just where that confidence was coming from and whether he might be deluding himself.  But his gut told him she just didn't want to admit any feelings to him.  Hell, she probably didn't even want to admit them to herself. 

And he wasn't going to let her get away with that. 

Of course, the risk was she'd never ever admit to a damned thing, and that would be all she wrote.

But at least he'd still have his dignity.  Charles Tucker III was not going to be anybody's boy toy.  Not this time around.

So even as she stared hungrily at him now, he took out his communicator. "Tucker to Phlox."

"Phlox here."

"Can I ask you something in confidence, doc?"  He looked at T'Pol, who frowned and walked away to the window.  Oh yeah.  He was frustrating the hell out of her.

There was a pause.  "Of course, Commander.  Sickbay is currently unoccupied, if you'd like to come see me."

"Don't really have time for that right now, Doc.  It's about the captain."

"Ah."

"T'Pol and I are concerned that his behavior has become irrational.  We want you to order him in for a full medical exam." 

"I see," Phlox said.  It was clear he was uncomfortable.  "Commander Tucker, getting the Captain to sickbay for an exam can be a challenge at the best of times."

T'Pol spoke up.  "Doctor, Starfleet order 104 section C requires you to relieve the captain of command if he is exhibiting signs of mental instability.  You can employ that as a lever to get him to cooperate with you, or to relieve him if he does not."

There was silence for a moment, before Phlox said, "I suspect the captain may not be nearly as impressed by that regulation as you are, T'Pol.  But I can certainly try."

"That's all we can ask," Trip said.  "If you need my help, just let me know."  He put away his communicator and shook his head.  He was committed now, wasn't he?  He looked back at T'Pol, who was standing there with her arms folded, watching him.

Was he letting his hormones lead him astray?

"You're doing the right thing," she said.

The ship rocked suddenly.  He said, "That felt like--"

"--weapons fire," T'Pol finished.

But by then he was running out the door without even a thought for what Corporal Chang might think.

x x x

The tactical alert ended almost as soon as it had started, so Trip left engineering for the bridge in the hope of finding out what the hell was going on.  Reed hadn't responded to his attempts on the comm. When he arrived, there was a noticeable absence of personnel.  "Where's Malcolm?" he asked Hoshi, who looked a little dazed.

"Hoshi?"

Her eyes went to the ready room door.  "The captain relieved Lieutenant Reed and confined him to quarters."

"What?  Why?" Trip said.

She traded a hooded glance with Mayweather, then peered back towards the situation room, where there were two other crewman working.

Trip moved closer, and she lowered her voice.  "The insectoid ship that fired on us was about to open a vortex.  The lieutenant ordered it destroyed.  But the captain was upset ... he said those insectoids might have been able to take care of the hatchery."  She dropped her voice even further.  "Commander, he's asked me to send out a distress call in Insectoid on all frequencies."

"Did you?" Trip asked, horrified.

"No, not yet, but ... he's just in there with Major Hayes.  When he comes out he's probably going to ask me why it's taking so long."

"Stall him, Hoshi.  You have to stall him.  Have an equipment breakdown, whatever it takes."

"Sir?" she said, her eyes wide.  She exchanged another worried look with Travis.

"Look, call me or signal me or whatever if you get any more insane orders," Trip said, just loud enough for Travis to hear too.  "Stall them as best you can.  Something's obviously wrong with the captain.  We're working on a solution right now."

They stared back at him, clearly rattled, but neither protested.   Trip headed to sickbay.  He'd get Phlox and bring him up here himself if he had to.

Any doubts he'd had about stopping the captain were gone. 

x x x

T'Pol hoped Major Hayes and Lieutenant Reed's relationship would not revert to its previous adversarial nature as a result of recent events.  Thankfully, neither had appeared particularly hostile as Phlox explained what had affected the captain.  Still, it might be best to give them a chance to discuss the matter between themselves.  She glanced at Trip, and was gratified when he followed her out of sickbay.

"How was the captain when he awoke from the stun?" she asked.

Tucker sighed.  "Livid. He wanted me in the brig.  Phlox had to sedate him."

"He must have recovered significantly if Phlox allowed him to go to his quarters."

"I sure hope so," Tucker said grimly.

"The antimatter?"

"We're trying to get out the stuff the cap'n already got into their reactor, so it's taking a little longer.  We won't be able to get all of it back; that would take too long.  But we'll get most of it.  It should be stowed up here again in less than an hour."  He sighed again.  Clearly, he was somewhat fatigued.

"Have you eaten?" she asked.

Tucker squinted, apparently trying to remember.   "Not recently."

"Join me," she said - ordered, really - and led the way to the mess hall.  It was quiet, but not empty.  After they obtained trays of food, she led the way to the captain's mess. 

Tucker sat down quietly and ate his sandwich without any attempt at conversation.

She ate her salad and reflected that the subdued silence of this meal, so entirely in keeping with Vulcan custom, was actually somewhat disturbing to her now.  "Is something bothering you?" she asked.

Tucker chewed his food for a moment longer, then said, "When Phlox and I first approached the cap'n about the physical, he suggested you were manipulating me."

"He was in a delusional state."

"Deluded or not, if he thinks you can manipulate me, he must think there's something going on."

"Surely anyone can attempt to 'manipulate' another's behavior."

Tucker shook his head.  "Manipulation usually implies that there's an emotional component involved.  Yeah, okay, so sometimes it might just be an attempt to make the other person irrationally angry ... and, yeah, that could be from a stranger, even ... but from you?  I really don't think that's what he was implying. " He stretched a hand out towards her on the table.  "The cap'n thinks there's something going on.  It's not the first time he's mentioned it, either, but I could deny it straight-faced the last time.  This time ..."  He shook his head again, sourly.  "Even if there's not much going on, there's obviously been something ..."

She could practically feel him steeling himself for something unpleasant and could guess that she wasn't going to like it.  "Your point, Commander?"

He gave a heavy sigh.  "I think we should take a break on the neuro-pressure.  I'm sleeping okay.  And it would give the rumor-mongers a much-needed rest.  We'll be at Azati Prime soon.  We can't afford any distractions. I don't want the cap'n wondering if I'm fully focused on my job or mooning over you.  I don't want to be wondering, either."

"I see," she said, and hoped he would not notice how profoundly she was reeling inside.  Granted, he had just implied he was preoccupied with her, which might have given her some satisfaction if he wasn't also closing the door on neuro-pressure in the same breath.  Clearly he had no idea how important their sessions were to her. 

But then, Humans were also notorious for moving on from one partner to the next.  After all, she'd watched him 'dump' Corporal Cole over a breakfast buffet. 

As if he could tell exactly what she was thinking, he said, "And no, I'm not going to try to mess with Amanda, or anyone else.  If we didn't have this mission to worry about, I wouldn't be suggesting this at all.  I'd ..."  He took a shaky breath.  "... I'd probably be pestering the hell out of you.  And if we come through this mission okay, well ..."  He pinned her with a long, intense look.  "All bets are off."

She nodded, acknowledging his point.  No doubt he meant to reassure her, but in her private opinion the chances of their mutual survival were quite small.  "It is of course logical to focus on the success of our mission," she said, her tone flat.

He raised his glass of milk.  "So ... to the success of our mission."

"To success," she said, and raised her water glass in an echo of his gesture, but did not drink from it. 

Commander Tucker was being more logical about this than she was, and that was a bitter truth to swallow.