Chapter 37
"I remember that..."
"Ya do?" Suddenly, he felt himself fill with anger. Why had he just told this man everything if he already knew it?
"Yeah... Well, it was hard to miss..." This didn't help at all.
"Well if ya knew already, why are ya askin' me about it?!" he asked, anger creeping into his voice, accompanying the sadness he had felt since that awful day, since she had been taken from his life, without so much as a goodbye.
"Well, no one really knew that much. Sure, we all talked about it, but everything was just speculation. We all had no idea what had been happening, and then the Captain never said anything either..." The younger man tried to calm him, knowing he would get nowhere fast with his friend in an angrily charged exasperated state.
"Oh..." Trip really didn't know what to say to that. He felt his anger being released, and he thought for a moment, trying to conceal his emotions. He figured that he should have assumed that much. He knew he hadn't told anyone, but he didn't know how much the Captain had said, especially to the junior officers. But in any case, people would now know, and he would only have to tell Travis. And telling him, Trip noticed, was beginning to ease his pain. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. He still knew that no one could truly understand. No matter how many tiny details he told or how many people he talked to, it would never be enough. Sure, they might pretend to, but they could never truly help him, nor could they ever bring her back. She was the only one that would ever truly understand him, and the only one who could relieve him of the pain in its entirety.
"So..." Clearly Travis had no idea what to say either.
Trip sighed realizing that silence was getting them nowhere. "So, Travis, was that all, or..."
Travis realized that he'd been sitting quietly for far too long, and also that he had overstayed his welcome, especially by Trip's tone of voice.
Travis shook his head and stood up, "It's okay, that's really it, unless there was something else you wanted to tell me, but I think I'd better go now..." he said almost muttering to himself. He started toward the door.
"No, wait!" Trip realized that he had no real reason to fill this man in on anything else, but he did know that he needed him for something.
Travis paused in front of the door and turned around, "I don't want to impose," He began but was stopped by Trip holding up a hand.
"What is it, sir?" Travis asked, a combination of confusion and obedience in his voice.
Trip stood up slowly and walked over to his friend and patted him on the arm. "Can, uh... can ya do something for me?" He asked sheepishly.
Slightly surprised, Travis' expression brightened. "What do you need, sir?"
For a moment, Trip stood in silence, internally debating whether he should continue. But in the end, he knew that he had to. It was for the best. "Travis, I need ya t' tell Cap'n Archer something. It's very important, do ya understand?"
Travis nodded slowly, not entirely certain why HE had to tell the Captain something of such importance, but did not argue. "Well… what is it, sir?" Travis asked, somewhat impatiently.
He knew that what he was about to say would be difficult, but he also knew how important it was that it be said. "Tell 'im that it's gonna be a while."
Travis simply nodded his head and walked out the door, leaving Trip to breathe a huge sigh of relief in the dark silence of his quarters.
The End….
Or is it??
A/N: no, no, no… don't worry, I have a sequel in the works (well in the works actually), but I REALLY had to get this story finished… sorry for the LONG wait and short chapter…. But now this one is done, and I'm off to wrack my brain thinking of a title for the next installment….. ACK….
And while you are waiting for the next story, go to our fanfic contest at:
"I remember that..."
"Ya do?" Suddenly, he felt himself fill with anger. Why had he just told this man everything if he already knew it?
"Yeah... Well, it was hard to miss..." This didn't help at all.
"Well if ya knew already, why are ya askin' me about it?!" he asked, anger creeping into his voice, accompanying the sadness he had felt since that awful day, since she had been taken from his life, without so much as a goodbye.
"Well, no one really knew that much. Sure, we all talked about it, but everything was just speculation. We all had no idea what had been happening, and then the Captain never said anything either..." The younger man tried to calm him, knowing he would get nowhere fast with his friend in an angrily charged exasperated state.
"Oh..." Trip really didn't know what to say to that. He felt his anger being released, and he thought for a moment, trying to conceal his emotions. He figured that he should have assumed that much. He knew he hadn't told anyone, but he didn't know how much the Captain had said, especially to the junior officers. But in any case, people would now know, and he would only have to tell Travis. And telling him, Trip noticed, was beginning to ease his pain. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. He still knew that no one could truly understand. No matter how many tiny details he told or how many people he talked to, it would never be enough. Sure, they might pretend to, but they could never truly help him, nor could they ever bring her back. She was the only one that would ever truly understand him, and the only one who could relieve him of the pain in its entirety.
"So..." Clearly Travis had no idea what to say either.
Trip sighed realizing that silence was getting them nowhere. "So, Travis, was that all, or..."
Travis realized that he'd been sitting quietly for far too long, and also that he had overstayed his welcome, especially by Trip's tone of voice.
Travis shook his head and stood up, "It's okay, that's really it, unless there was something else you wanted to tell me, but I think I'd better go now..." he said almost muttering to himself. He started toward the door.
"No, wait!" Trip realized that he had no real reason to fill this man in on anything else, but he did know that he needed him for something.
Travis paused in front of the door and turned around, "I don't want to impose," He began but was stopped by Trip holding up a hand.
"What is it, sir?" Travis asked, a combination of confusion and obedience in his voice.
Trip stood up slowly and walked over to his friend and patted him on the arm. "Can, uh... can ya do something for me?" He asked sheepishly.
Slightly surprised, Travis' expression brightened. "What do you need, sir?"
For a moment, Trip stood in silence, internally debating whether he should continue. But in the end, he knew that he had to. It was for the best. "Travis, I need ya t' tell Cap'n Archer something. It's very important, do ya understand?"
Travis nodded slowly, not entirely certain why HE had to tell the Captain something of such importance, but did not argue. "Well… what is it, sir?" Travis asked, somewhat impatiently.
He knew that what he was about to say would be difficult, but he also knew how important it was that it be said. "Tell 'im that it's gonna be a while."
Travis simply nodded his head and walked out the door, leaving Trip to breathe a huge sigh of relief in the dark silence of his quarters.
The End….
Or is it??
A/N: no, no, no… don't worry, I have a sequel in the works (well in the works actually), but I REALLY had to get this story finished… sorry for the LONG wait and short chapter…. But now this one is done, and I'm off to wrack my brain thinking of a title for the next installment….. ACK….
And while you are waiting for the next story, go to our fanfic contest at: