Trials 01 Tom's Trail

by Terri Zavaleta

  "Tom, get to Sickbay and have that taken care of," Janeway ordered. She offered him a hand to help him to his feet.

  He took it to provide balance and levered himself upright, careful not to let her bear too much of his weight. He cradled his injured hand against his chest to protect it. "It can wait, Captain. It must be a flawed coupling. I can replace it---"

  "After you return from Sickbay," Janeway insisted. Despite his nonchalance, she could tell he was in pain from the burn. He was paler than usual and seemed to be clenching his back teeth.

  "After I return from Sickbay," Paris echoed, with a faint grin. "Of course, Captain. That's just what I was thinking."

  After spending a few bright and lively minutes with the doctor, Paris hit his commbadge. "Lieutenant Paris to Lieutenant Torres."

  "Go ahead." B'Elanna sounded exasperated. He must have interrupted something.

  "Lieutenant, I need some replacement power couplings for the navigation---"

  "I don't have anyone to send," she said abruptly.

  Paris wondered if she was trying to pick a fight. He thought about answering just as rudely, but thought of a better tactic. He made an effort and sounded extremely, excessively, *overbearingly* polite---as if talking to a total stranger. "Thank you so much for your concern, Lieutenant Torres, but I can do the work myself---if I

  have the parts. Could you possibly tell me where to locate them?"

  There was a pause. A longer than necessary pause. He could almost see her hitting something and counting to ten before answering. "Yes, Lieutenant Paris," she said just as formally. "The power coupling replacements are in Cargo Bay 1. There's a Maintenance team working there. They should be able to help you locate the couplings you require. Torres out."

  Though she couldn't see it, Paris couldn't resist a self-satisfied smirk. He'd pushed her button that time! She wasn't totally indifferent to him---no matter what she said! He made his way to Cargo Bay 1.

  ***********************

  A shrill alarm shattered the quiet, sounding from Harry Kim's board. All eyes on the bridge turned toward his station. "Captain! We've got a hull breach! Cargo Bay 1. The automatic force fields aren't engaging!"

  "Is anyone in there?" Janeway snapped.

  "Reading four commbadges! Someone in the bay just triggered the manual controls. The breach is sealing."

  "Beam them directly to Sickbay," Chakotay said.

  "Aye, sir." He carried out the order almost before it was spoken. "Oh, no!" Kim closed his eyes momentarily, not wanting to look at the data.

  "Report, Mr. Kim!"

  "Someone was---one of the signals was coming from outside the ship. The vacuum---" the ensign couldn't finish the sentence.

  "Can you identify---" Janeway asked.

  "It's Dishon. The survivors are---" Kim double-checked the readouts. "Gerron, Shadow and---" He almost choked. "Tom Paris!"

  ***********************

  Actually Tom's call had not interrupted anything except the argument that B'Elanna was having with herself. Part of her wanted to be direct and apologize to Tom for hurting him. Another part of her wanted to try pretending the whole incident had never occurred and attempting to resume their friendship without having to verbalize an

  apology. Yet another part---probably the Klingon---wanted to stalk him, capture him, and kiss him into submission. No, that might have been the human half. The Klingon wouldn't be satisfied with kissing.

  When he made the call to Engineering using their ranks as a formality, B'Elanna was annoyed. He seemed to be distancing himself from her more each day. Some part of her had hoped that he would approach her again. So she answered rudely out of disappointment and sent him running errands. She returned to work with multiple verbal explosions as she made adjustments.

  The hull breach alarm sounded simultaneously in Main

  Engineering, signaling for a repair crew. At her console, Torres identified the location. "Carey, take Alpha team and get to Cargo Bay 1 and seal the breach while the forcefield is still holding! Then get tractors or transporters working on recovering the cargo that's blown out and find out what caused it!" She quickly scanned the readouts sent down from Ops. "Cargo Bay 1? Oh, Kahless! I sent Paris down there!" She took off for Sickbay like a launched photon torpedo.

  ***********************

  Janeway, Chakotay, Kim, and Torres arrived in Sickbay at almost the same moment. The doctor and Kes were working on someone on the surgical table---Gerron. Malista Shadow and Tom Paris were on biobeds, unconscious but alive.

  They looked terrible. The exposure to the cold vacuum of space had bruised their eyes, and burst capillaries created a purplish spiderweb effect under their skin. Blood was trickling from their noses and ears. Frozen vapor had frosted their hair and skin with ice crystals and caused their uniforms to crack and tear as if they were made of paper.

  Without warning Paris' body suddenly convulsed as he drew in a deep, labored breath that lifted his body off the bed. His eyes started open, his arms flailing for something to hold onto as he regained consciousness, still unaware of his surroundings and in a state of panic. Harry was beside him in an instant. He caught his friend's left hand and held on tightly. "Tom!"

  The blue eyes focused on him. His breathing, still labored, began to slow as he realized there was air and he could breathe again. "Harry? What---?" His voice sounded hoarse, as if his throat had been scraped raw when the air had been forced from his lungs by the lack of atmosphere. He put his right hand on his chest as if it reassured him to feel himself breathing. There was a rattle in each

  inhalation.

  "I'm here, Tom," Harry put his other hand on Paris' shoulder, pushing him back down on the bed. "You'll be okay. You're in Sickbay. Relax. Try to take slow deep breaths."

  Torres was hovering on the other side of Paris' bed, trying not to draw his attention. She had to be there, to see for herself he was alive, but she wasn't sure he'd want to see her. She blamed herself. It was her fault he'd been in the cargo bay instead of safely on the bridge.

  Those beautiful cerulean eyes found her. "Hi!" he croaked, trying to smile reassuringly. He seemed relieved and glad to see her there. He raised his free hand as if he were going to wave at her, but it dropped bonelessly back onto his chest. She took his hand between her own and rubbed it, trying to warm him. Reaching for a tissue, she tenderly wiped away the blood on his face.

  Janeway and Chakotay were doing the same for Malista. She'd regained consciousness, but was staring listlessly at the ceiling. Kes brought blankets for each patient. "Gerron is going to be all right, too," she said.

  The captain turned to take the doctor's report. The EMH ran a tricorder over Malista's body as he spoke. "These two are less seriously injured than Crewman Gerron. The Bajoran circulatory system is not as efficient as the human system in dealing with exposure to a vacuum. They will recover. But they all need rest. You may talk to them in an hour or so." His tone was dismissive.

  "Dishon?" Malista rasped.

  Chakotay looked down at her. "I'm sorry."

  She followed his look to the fourth biobed with the draped figure lying on it. She closed her eyes. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks.

  ***********************

  "A plasma conduit ruptured," Joe Carey stated, looking around the briefing room at the senior staff the next morning.

  "That wouldn't be enough to cause a hull breach," Torres interrupted. At a look from the captain, she subsided to let her assistant finish his report.

  "In addition," Carey said, "there was a problem with a power converter in the same section. From what we've been able to piece together, the power converter was overheating due to a short caused by an overload. When the plasma came in contact with the electric current in that bulkhead, it created a breach approximately three feet across. The automatic force fields didn't activate because the

  location of the explosion destroyed the circuit relay in that section. It was a domino effect."

  Ja
neway took a deep breath. Everyone in the room had the same stunned, dismayed expression. "So what you're telling me is---that because of three separate ---minor---malfunctions in one section of a bulkhead, we lost one crewman and almost lost three others?"

  "Yes, Captain," Carey replied.

  "Why didn't the diagnostics routine report the overload?" Kim asked. "Shouldn't it have shown up on the maintenance report?"

  "There was no report of a problem. The diagnostics routine was apparently affected by the short. In fact, the computer insists there was no problem. Routine maintenance checks might have caught it if we'd been scanning there at that time. On the other hand, the whole problem may have developed within a five minute window of opportunity." Carey was a thorough engineer by nature and by choice.

  He hated to admit there were problems he couldn't solve and things he couldn't fix. These findings left a bitter taste in his mouth.

  "So you're saying we were just in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Paris asked tiredly, leaning back and resting his head on the back of his chair. He closed his eyes. He didn't look a lot better. The bruising and burst capillaries would take several days to heal. He looked like he'd been in a fist fight with a Tarellian warlord---

  and lost.

  Harry and B'Elanna watched him with concern. The doctor had tried to keep Tom in Sickbay, but as always, that was a lost cause. Paris said he couldn't rest anyway until he knew what happened. Giving in, the doctor had reluctantly released him with stern admonitions to rest and report any sudden changes in his condition at once. He didn't actually expect Tom to comply. He was counting on

  Harry Kim and B'Elanna Torres to take better care of Paris than Paris would himself.

  Carey laid the padd containing his report on the briefing table. "I'm sorry, Captain. That's what I've been able to figure out. We recovered all the cargo that was expelled. The breach is permanently sealed again. We're running tricorder checks for similar problems on

  all decks as quickly as possible."

  Janeway nodded. "Thank you, Lt. Carey. Dismissed." As he left, she turned her attention to Tom. Her eyes were warm and caring as she studied her pilot. "Tom, do you feel up to making a report now?"

  With an effort, Paris opened his eyes and sat forward in his chair. He rested his arms on the table, leaning heavily on them for support. "Yes, ma'am. It all happened so fast!" He sounded amazed. His voice was still harsh and unlike his usual smooth tones. "After I left Sickbay---the first time---" Even tired and weak he couldn't resist a joke. "I went down to the cargo bay looking for a

  replacement for the power coupling in the navigational console. Malista and Gerron were repairing some antigrav lifts. Dishon---He was taking inventory of the crates of supplies. He was near the center of the bay. Malista and I were talking---I was asking her where to find the---" He stopped momentarily to cough, painfully.

  The doctor had repaired the ruptures in Tom's lungs, but only time could heal the irritation and soreness caused by exposure to vacuum and the lack of atmospheric pressure. "Malista was showing me where to find the power couplings I needed. There was an explosion---then the vacuum began to rush in, blowing the atmosphere out. Cargo boxes went flying. Everything was flying. I was flying. I tried to

  grab one of the cargo loading devices---they're anchored to the deck---but I was too far away. Things get fuzzy here. I have the impression that Malista did snag the cargo loader with one hand and me with the other. Dishon was behind me. I didn't see it, but---" Another longer coughing spell interrupted his narrative.

  Janeway patted his back gently. "Take your time. Harry, would you get him some water?"

  Harry got a glass of cool water from the replicator and placed it carefully in Tom's hand. Tom took a few sips then set the glass down carefully, trying to pretend his hand wasn't trembling. "Sorry. Dishon was standing a couple of feet behind me. He was closer to the

  breach. He must have been blown out right away."

  He paused for a moment to get his voice under control. It wouldn't do to have his voice crack or show traces of tears. It would ruin his image. He couldn't help but think it was only a matter of a split second and a helping hand that allowed him to be alive and breathing---no matter how painfully.

  "Where was Gerron?" Chakotay asked.

  Tom unconsciously shot him a look full of gratitude for the change of subject. "He was near the entrance. When the breach occurred, he was within a few feet of the control panel. He must have latched onto it and hit the manual override to enable the forcefield. He was fast. That boy was paying attention to his Starfleet training,

  Tuvok."

  "Mr. Gerron is an able student," the Vulcan remarked

  pedantically.

  Tom rolled his eyes at the understatement. "I'll tell him you said so."

  Janeway regained the attention of the group by clearing her throat. "B'Elanna, we need to look into revising our procedures for routine maintenance and repair. One or more of these malfunctions should have been caught in time to prevent this."

  "Captain---"

  Janeway stilled her with an upraised hand. "I'm not blaming anyone. I know why we've been lax in taking care of minor problems. We've had so many major problems to deal with, the minor ones have been left to sort themselves out. But we have to do better. I will not lose another crewmember because of something like this!" Her

  voice seemed a little shaky with emotion. She was angry at herself for not doing a better job of prevention. "We need everyone on this crew. We can't afford to have senseless accidents robbing us of our most valuable resource. I want all department heads to come up with suggestions for improvements in scheduling and evaluating maintenance

  and repairs."

  Chakotay nodded. He would notify the department heads.

  "The memorial service for Niko Dishon is scheduled for 1100 tomorrow morning. Commander, I'd like for you to plan it. If possible, include Crewman Shadow. She was the closest he had to family," Janeway said. "How is she doing?"

  "She's very withdrawn. That's understandable. I'll try to talk to her. The doctor dismissed her from Sickbay. I believe she's

  resting in her quarters," Chakotay reported.

  "Well, if that's all---" Janeway paused. No one responded. "Dismissed."

  Before Tom could rouse himself to make the effort to move, Harry was there on one side of him and Torres on the other. Harry extended his arm, locking his hand around Tom's forearm. Paris grasped his friend's arm and carefully pulled himself to a standing position, striving to get his balance. Torres slipped an arm around his waist. On the other side, Kim put his arm around Tom's shoulders. They began to walk him from the briefing room as Chakotay and Janeway smiled and watched.

  Paris swung his head back and forth. "This is nice of you, guys, but I can walk by myself. I'm not that weak."

  "Just weak-minded," Torres said, but without her customary snap. "Shut up, Paris. We're taking you to your quarters."

  "What if I don't want to go to my quarters?" Paris inquired.

  "Shut up, Tom!" Harry Kim retorted. "The doctor said you should rest and you're going to rest! He made us promise to make you rest or drag you back to Sickbay so he could sedate you."

  The lieutenant threw a bemused glance at the captain. "I guess I'd better shut up."

  She shrugged and gestured toward the door. "We'll see you when the doctor has cleared you for active duty, Lieutenant. Have a nice rest."

  The trio left the briefing room slowly, letting Paris set the pace so he wouldn't start coughing again.

  Chakotay raised an eyebrow at Janeway. "Together again?"

  She smiled. "All for one and one for all? Possibly. I'm sure they still have some issues to work out, but it's possible."

  "You know," Chakotay said frowning thoughtfully, "if Paris keeps showing this kind of growth and improvement for much longer---I might actually have to start liking him."

  Janeway gave him a mock sympathetic look. "I'm sure it would be a hardship for you." T
urning serious, she asked, "What's changed your mind?"

  "Let's just say I've started sorting fact from fiction."

  "That does make a difference," Janeway agreed.

  ***********************

  Paris felt a little embarrassed being seen in the hallways under escort, as it were, but he was gathering a great deal of solace from the warm, supportive embrace of his two best friends. The soreness and bruising along with the traumatic stress had left him feeling very shaky, both physically and emotionally. The comfort derived was a mutual benefit. Torres and Kim both had a need to touch Tom and reassure themselves that their friend was really still alive and would recover from the senseless threat to his life.

  Upon reaching his quarters, they marched him straight into the sleeping area and sat him down on his bed. Torres knelt and pulled on his left boot. "Hey! Wait a minute!"

  "You're going to rest if I have to get a phaser and stun you," Torres threatened tartly. "So shut up, let us undress you, and lie down!"

  Taken aback by her vehemence, Paris complained, "Geez, Torres! It took me forty-five minutes to get my uniform on this morning! Can't I rest with my clothes on? Or is this just a sneaky plan to get my clothes off so you can have your way with me?"

  Torres dropped his left boot and tugged his right one off without meeting his eyes. "Don't make jokes, Tom. I'm not in the mood," she said quietly.

  Peering down at her, Paris would have sworn he saw tears filling her eyes. And had she called him Tom? Not Paris? "B'Elanna?" he asked uncertainly. She wouldn't look at him.

  Harry Kim glanced from one to the other. "Tom, why don't you just lie down? If it's an effort for you to get dressed, it might hurt you worse to get you undressed." He put his hand behind his friend's shoulder and helped him lower himself gently to the bed.

  Torres stood up, took Tom's boots and put them out of the way, then returned to his bedside. "Do you want something to read? Some music? It might help you relax." The tears, if they'd really been there, were gone.