Title: Nightmares

Genre: Drama

Author: soultoast

Rating: PG-13

Spoilers: "The Shipment."

Pairings: None.

Disclaimer: All I own are the crackers I eat, but not Star Trek.

Author's Note: This will be a series of what the crew's nightmares are like

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 As she walked down the cold, dark hallway, she trailed her fingers along the cool metal.  Her hair was pulled back into a braid that lay against her bare skin.  She could hear her heart beating in her ears, her feet stepping in time to its ancient rhythm.  She spun around quickly at the sound of laughter but saw no one.  Children were laughing, their high pitched voices fading in and out.

"Is anyone there?" she called. 

Her voice echoed through the empty hallway.  As she turned around, she looked down.  She was in a nightgown.  It was long and white, with capped sleeves.  It was the gown she remembered her mother wearing.  She wanted to run back to her quarters and change, but she couldn't.  They needed her.

The turbolift door in front of her opened of its own accord. She clasped her hands together and entered.  The inside was dead and grey, a weak light blinking on and off as it fought for illumination.  She didn't say her destination, it knew where she needed to go.  It took an eternity to reach the bridge.  When it did, the doors slid open noiselessly.  As she headed to her station, she looked at the screen; it was Earth, they were home.  She sat in her chair and hit a blinking light on her panel.  The face of a Xindi Reptillian appeared onscreen.

"Rictora shi nooran!" it yelled.

"What is he saying?" Captain Archer asked, turning to face her.

"I don't know Sir, the UT is down," she stammered.

"Rictora shi nooran!" the Xindi yelled again. 

She frantically tried to get the UT working, but her hands were shaking too much.

"Rictora shi nooran!" it yelled again. 

The pounding in her head and chest became louder; nothing was working.  The Xindi disappeared from the view screen, and Earth was once again visible.  As she frantically ran her fingers over the controls, the bridge was bathed in white light.  She looked up and saw the rubble of the planet swirling through space.  Her eyes filled with tears as she looked over at the Captain.  She gasped and shuddered as she saw him covered in grotesque bruising with blood running down his face.

"Why didn't you save us?" he asked. 

This was wrong, all wrong.  She stood and tried to run.  She reached the turbolift, but it opened to reveal Commander Tucker.  His face was untouched, but his eyes were cold and dead.  She slowly looked down and saw the bleeding, gaping pit in his chest where his heart should have been. 

"You let them die," he drawled, raising an arm and pointing to the shattered planet on the view screen.  "You killed them."

She turned and tried to get away, but Malcolm stood in her path.  His face was a blank mask, cuts and scars grinning angrily at her from his face.

"You let us down," he whispered.

"I'm sorry, I tried!  I'm sorry I wasn't good enough!" she screamed.  Malcolm said nothing as he raised his hand to her mouth.  She flailed against him, trying to scream against his hand.

"You killed us all," he echoed as his other hand closed around her throat.

Hoshi jerked to consciousness in her small cabin.  She lifted the blanket and relaxed as she saw her grey pajamas.  It was all a dream.  But as she tried to calm herself and go back to sleep, it echoed in her head.

 "You killed us all."