Disclaimer: Nothing here is mine, I'm just playing with it for a while.

Author's Note: This is dialog heavy, but just an idea I had. Originally this story was The Price of Friendship. But I erased that one and am reworking it, piece by piece. I really like comments. Compliments are always good, but true critique in a constructive tone is even better. I welcome character analysis as well as issues of plausibility. So far, while there have been some changes to the story, it still runs pretty congruent to the original. Now, on the whole I had to throw everything out, except for some chunks of dialog. I ended up changing a lot and rewriting a lot. Bu one of the first rules of revision is "Kill all your darlings." Happy Reading.

ABOVE AND BEYOND FRIENDSHIP

By Beeswax

Chapter 8: Cure

"So you can help her?"

"Yes, I believe there is still time to sever the link and restore T'Pol's sanity."

"Great, then let's do it!"

The Vulcan mystic looked up at Trip from the meditation pallet. He squinted slightly in what almost seemed and emotional response to the human's plea. He held out his hand, indicating the pallet before him where T'Pol already rested, nearly comatose, but upright. She leaned toward Trip in an automatic response to his proximity and Trip reached his arm around her shoulder pulling her closer.

The mystic took in all of this with out speaking. But at Trip's gesture he raised an eyebrow and Trip immediately dropped his arm.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course I'm sure. What kinda stupid question is that? This is killing her!"

"Yet she lives."

"This is not the T'Pol I know. She can't handle my humanity, my emotions and repress her own too. You said you can fix this, cut the tie."

"I said I could sever the link, but there is no way of knowing if that will, as you say, fix the problem. The damage may be too severe."

Trip felt the panic creeping into his heart, but he forced it back down. This had to work.

"So let's quit yappin' and do it already. Can't be any worse than it is now."

"If you are certain."

"Damn straight."

"Close your eyes and relax." The mystic raised his hands and placed one on Trip's face and then T'Pol's. T'Pol began to mumble softly in Vulcan and Trip felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand erect. In his mind he saw a flowing purple cable with himself and T'Pol on either end. The mystic stood in the gap between with a knife in his hand. Trip heard his raspy voice speaking in Vulcan, though he understood it all as if it was in English.

What is done shall be undone

What is one shall be two

What is joined shall be separated

Two minds, two souls

With the knife, the mystic began to saw at the cable. Trip felt a searing pain in his mind, like nothing he had ever felt before. As the pain built he began to shout, scream for it to stop. The over his own pain, he heard T'Pol's pleading, both in Vulcan and English.

"Please stop. Please Stop! No, I need him, please stop!"

Trip tried to open his eyes and get away, but the mystic held him. T'Pol's pleas grew louder as the cord slowly began to fray under the serrated edge of the knife. When Trip could stand it no longer he reached out with his mind, giving a mighty pull. The mystic was thrown back, disappearing into nothingness. T'Pol came flying toward him, arms outstretched and as Trip grabbed her and pulled her close, he felt the cord wrapping around them, binding them together. The cord began to glow until soon both he and T'Pol were completely engulfed in a bright purple light.

"Open your eyes." The mystic commanded from somewhere far away. Trip fought to open his eyes. He felt T'Pol's head resting on his shoulder and as his eyes finally began to obey his mind he saw that he was embracing her and that while her eyes were closed, her face was peaceful for the first time since this whole mess had started.

He looked over at the mystic.

"We are still connected?"

"Yes."

"But she is better?"

"Yes."

"I don't get it."

For s split second Trip could have sworn the old man smiled. But then that perception passed.

"You both needed to embrace the link in order for her to be able to control her emotions. The cure was not separation but acceptance of oneness."

"But we are too different. This won't work."

"You fought to hard to keep her to believe that." He paused. "So did she."

Trip hugged T'Pol closer.

"What happens now?"

"That is for you both to decide. Now that your mate is balanced again, she will have the strength to separate herself from you, if that is what you both choose to do. Or you could stay bonded."

"But she can't handle my emotions."

"She could not accept the connection, nor could you. That has been remedied."

"Why isn't she awake?"

"Both of you need to rest. She may sleep for several days. But the fever has left her."

Trip bent forward and brushed his lips over her forehead. Her skin was cool to the touch and had lost the greenish tinge that had been with her constantly for the last week. At his touch T'Pol burrowed deeper into his arms. Trip sighed.

This hadn't been the cure he had in mind.