This story is set just after season 3 and is my own version of how Reed comes to terms with a few issues from Enterprise's days in the Expanse

This story is set just after season 3 and is my own version of how Reed comes to terms with a few issues from Enterprise's days in the Expanse. Very grateful thanks once more to SitaZ and RoaringMice for their excellent beta reading.

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Reed pressed his fingers to his eyes, sighing in exhaustion. Despite his best efforts to keep the Captain awake the man was now lying on one side, unconscious. He checked Archer's wounds once again: both leg and arm were terribly swollen. He touched his forehead; he didn't need a scanner to tell that the fever was very high.

Malcolm unburdened himself of his backpack and tried to make Archer comfortable, putting a folded blanket under his head and spreading another one over him. Just a few minutes' rest, he told himself, slumping to the ground. He resisted the temptation to lie down. He wanted so desperately to collapse on his back and close his own eyes too. But he knew he could not do that. He'd be asleep in seconds. So he reached for a nutrient bar and concentrated instead on getting some energy back. "Come, Porthos," he called weakly, patting the ground near him. The beagle immediately obeyed and Reed gave him some food, which Porthos gulped down in no time. "Good boy," he said, scratching the dog on the head. "You get some rest too."

For a moment he thought he was dreaming. Perhaps he had closed his eyes after all and drifted off. But no: this was really the sound of an engine he was hearing. The blessed, wonderful sound of a familiar engine. He had almost lost hope of hearing it again. He looked up at the pale sky. The clearing must be closer than he thought, because that beautiful object up there was definitely a shuttlepod on a landing approach.

He rose to his feet tiredly and shouldered the pack. Then he grabbed Archer's unconscious form and, with the last of his strength, heaved him onto his shoulders. The effort made him dizzy, black spots dancing in front of his eyes, and as a reflex he closed them tightly and almost lost his balance. He heard his communicator chirp, but if he put down the Captain now to answer it he doubted he'd be able to pick him up again. After a moment he felt he had regained enough balance to stagger forward.

§§§ Two days earlier §§§

"The inscribed column is in a small clearing in the thick of the forest," T'Pol explained, pointing with a delicate finger to a spot on a padd and showing it to Archer. According to my calculations, it will take you approximately eight hours to reach it."

"Good," the Captain said, with barely concealed enthusiasm. "I'm looking forward to a nice hike."

Doctor Phlox had been insisting for some time that Archer badly needed a break from routine, saying that he had been under a considerable amount of pressure and for far too long, and displayed all the symptoms of stress. He was right, of course. Their mission in the Expanse had been no easy ride, especially for the person in command of it. So when they came across an M-class planet with what looked like a mysterious column in the middle of its wilderness, Archer decided it would be nice to mix business with pleasure and investigate the strange artefact. Their scans showed no other structure existed on the whole uninhabited planet, and this had piqued his interest. He would take this brief shore leave while Enterprise rendezvoused with a Denobulan ship a few light-years away. One of Phlox's countless relatives served on it and the doctor had asked if he could take advantage of the opportunity and go meet him. Archer, of course, had been delighted to grant his amiable CMO this small favour.

"Is there anything special I should know about this planet, T'Pol?" the Captain enquired politely.

"No particular dangers, that I can tell," she replied levelly. "No fauna. Temperatures are mild during the day but drop considerably at night, down to around -5 C°."

"I think I'll survive," Archer commented with a wide grin.

"I suggest that you and Lieutenant Reed bring a tent for the night, as sleeping-bags alone won't…"

"Lieutenant Reed?" Archer interrupted her. "Wait a moment, I don't remember saying anything about Malcolm accompanying me," he said charging the words with unmistakable meaning.

"Captain, I'm sure I don't need to remind you that Starfleet regulations forbid you to leave the ship alone," T'Pol calmly replied. "Commander Tucker has a full schedule of upgrades that will keep him busy for the next few days. I promised Doctor Phlox I would help him verify the compatibility of Denobulan physiology with a Vulcan technique for lowering blood pressure. I believe Lieutenant Reed, as Security Officer, is the best person to go with you on your… shore leave, Captain," she concluded arching her eyebrows.

Archer looked annoyed. "Starfleet has us all go through survival training," he replied. "Don't you think I can take care of myself for a couple of days?"

"That is hardly my concern, Captain," T'Pol answered, unfazed. "I'm simply following procedure. I would be amiss if…"

"Alright, alright," Archer interrupted her once again resignedly. "Inform Lieutenant Reed that he's about to spend two days alone with his captain and Porthos. I'm sure he'll be overjoyed. I thought this was supposed to be my R&R!" he complained under his breath.

"I wasn't aware that you would consider the presence of a crewmember with you on the planet an obstacle to your relaxation," T'Pol commented.

She had him cornered. "Oh, no, no, no 'obstacle' at all," Archer replied wryly, surprised that he'd been overheard. "Dismissed," he hastened to add, before she could say another word.

T'Pol nodded and left the ready room. Archer leaned back in his chair, his mouth shaped into a lopsided smirk. Reed was a fine officer and a friend, but Archer had never been able to make the man feel relaxed in his presence. Lately he seemed even stiffer than usual around him, and Archer could not say that he was looking forward to spending two days in his company alone.

The column was tall and round, and was made of some sort of pinkish stone, which the powerful rays of the declining sun seemed to set on fire. It was carved all around, from top to bottom, and reminded Archer of something he had seen in a book on ancient Rome. He wondered if also these carvings told some story, like those on Trajan's column. Hoshi will have fun deciphering them, he thought.

It stood in the centre of a small, circular clearing, and was surrounded on one side by tall stalks surmounted by blue cones, arranged in a semicircle. Archer looked at it in awe from the edge of the forest where he had come to a halt. Malcolm had joined him and was standing at his side, while Porthos had run a few metres ahead and was lying in the tall grass, tired after the day-long hike.

"It's quite something," the Captain said after a moment, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight. "It doesn't look very old. I'm curious to scan it, to confirm its exact age."

"I wonder who erected it and why," Reed commented, his hand unconsciously going to the phase pistol strapped onto his leg. "Hopefully they are no longer around," he added. "I don't like surprises."

Archer shot him a side glance. "For all you know, Malcolm, they may be very friendly people."

"It could be, Sir. But in these past three years that's not often been the case," Reed replied flatly. Before Archer could comment he added, "Perhaps I ought to pitch our tent, Captain. I've calculated that we have about one hour of light left, and the temperature is dropping fast."

"Good of you to offer, Lieutenant, thank you. I'll use that time to take a few scans and pictures."

They put down their backpacks. Reed busied himself with his self-inflicted task while Archer got his scanner out.

"Those… flowers are really quite odd," Malcolm grumbled, eying the cones suspiciously while, down on his haunches, he got ready to begin his job. "They almost look like sentinels, standing watch in a semicircle around the column."

"Yeah," Archer replied with a soft laugh, slightly amused by the military man's metaphor. "Although I'm not sure 'flowers' is the right word for them. I've never encountered flowers that were taller than I am; and these cones have no petals that I can see. If it weren't for their vivid blue colour they'd be outright ugly, if you ask me. But it is strange the way they are placed around the artefact. It's as if someone put them there."

"It certainly appears that way, Captain," Reed agreed, frowning. "I didn't notice any others in the forest."

Archer got his camera from the pack and strutted towards the monument, bending down to pat Porthos on his head as he passed by. As he approached the column he began to walk slowly around it, admiring the intricate carvings. Porthos raised his head and whimpered, and Archer glanced at him briefly.

"Hey boy, had enough of running for one day?" he asked. "Just give me a few minutes, while Malcolm pitches our tent. Then I'll feed you and you can go to sleep."

Reed turned to the beagle which, having recognised his name, was trotting towards him. Suddenly the corner of his eye caught movement in the distance and he immediately re-focused his gaze, his hand going automatically to the phase pistol. The Captain was standing before the column, lifting his scanner to it, and Reed allowed his tense muscles to relax, shaking his head at his ingrained propensity to over-react. He was about to divert his attention again when he saw them: the flower-cones closer to Archer had turned towards the Captain as if they were looking at him or… could it be that…

Malcolm felt a rush of adrenaline. "Captain!" he cried out in warning as he jumped to his feet, phase pistol drawn. Too late. There was a soft rattling sound and Archer fell to his knees with a groan.

Reed saw Porthos took off like a bullet towards his master. "Porthos, stay!" he ordered, and his voice must have carried the urgency he felt because the beagle suddenly stopped and sat down obediently. In a couple of nimble strides Malcolm was beside the dog. He put one knee down and grabbed Porthos's collar, his eyes and aim never leaving the treacherous plants. His mind was racing, debating whether he should fire. But there were at least a dozen of those cones, and he'd never be fast enough to take them all down before they could inflict more damage. If he fired and the plants reacted of one accord the Captain would be in serious trouble.

"Captain?" he called tensely.

"What the hell happened?" Archer replied with a grunt, cradling his left arm.

"The flowers, Sir," Reed warned him. "Be careful. Can you move away?" As Archer began to shift, Malcolm added, "Slowly, Sir."

Archer didn't reply and turned his head up to look at the blue cones. He slowly rose to his feet, and Reed saw another cone unhurriedly follow the Captain's movement. He trained his pistol on it, ready to shoot but still not wanting to trigger a reaction.

Porthos began to whimper and become agitated, tugging against Malcolm's restraining hand, and the lieutenant clenched his teeth against another rush of adrenaline. "Captain?" he called again in a strained voice.

"Yes," Archer replied quietly this time, starting to back away inch by inch.

"Stay, Porthos!" Malcolm ordered once more under his breath, and the dog obeyed.

Archer had backed a few steps when he suddenly stumbled on something and lost his footing. Reed saw the plants quiver and heard the rattling sound again, and knew in a flash that he could waste no time. He fired in rapid succession and the cones began to fall. One, two, three - he heard another grunt of pain and saw the Captain sway and struggle to regain his balance as he scrambled back clumsily. Four, five - in a few strides he was at Archer's side and had grabbed hold of him. Six, seven - Reed lowered the pistol and a moment later, with Porthos running wildly around their legs and threatening to make them fall, they had put a safe distance between them and their enemy.

Archer collapsed onto the ground with a grimace. "Enough, Porthos," he muttered through gritted teeth, as he tried to curb his dog's show of affection. Reed took a close look at the Captain's wounded arm, a worried frown on his face. A round cluster of blue thorns was embedded in it and Archer hissed in pain when Reed touched the limb.

"Damn!" the Captain cursed. Reed glanced at the man's left leg, where he had received a second similar injury, and jumped to his feet. Soon he was back at his side with the med kit. He cut the uniform around the arm wound; the skin appeared red and swollen.

"You're reacting rapidly to these thorns, Sir." His voice was tense but remained calm. "Do you think you can remove the ones in your leg while I take care of these in your arm?"

"I'll do my best," Archer groaned, taking a pair of tweezers Reed was handing him.

Some time later Malcolm had cleaned and disinfected the wounds, and applied bandages. He tried to hail Enterprise but the ship was out of range. They were on their own.

TBC