Too Much

another short tag for Minefield

by Setcheti

 

Disclaimer:  Paramount owns them.  They don’t deserve them, but they own them just the same, more’s the pity.

Author’s Note:  in answer to a Five Minute Challenge by Lt. BlackFire.  This is actually a tag of a tag, a very small prequel to Waking Up.  The first line belongs to the challenge.

 

The pain was getting worse by the second, and Malcolm did not know how long he would be able to stand it without giving in.  He wished for the hundredth time that the captain wouldn't have lifted him up into a sitting position, even though the warm strength at his back was somewhat comforting.

 

He wasn't too sure what he thought about that.  And right now he was in too much pain to care; every time someone jostled him the piece of metal piercing his leg knocked against the deck plating and sent a spike of sheer agony shooting up through the bone Archer swore wasn't involved in his impalement.  He knew Trip was trying to be careful, using the tools he'd brought to cut Malcolm out of his damaged EV suit, he knew Phlox wasn't deliberately jostling him while trying to gauge the amount of damage the anchor strut had done and stop the bleeding that had made an unholy mess inside the leg of his suit...but not trying wasn't the same as not doing, and they were causing him an incredible amount of pain.

 

Malcolm set his jaw and let his head fall back against the captain's chest as Phlox once again shifted his leg, and he squeezed his eyes shut against the tears of pain that threatened to unman him in front of half the ship's command crew.  To his surprise, the strong arms holding him stiffened and Archer's voice suddenly barked, "Phlox, Trip, stop!  Malcolm, are they hurting you that much?"

 

The armory officer couldn't prevent himself from nodding, although he didn't open his eyes.  What they all must think...the warm hand that patted his cheek startled him deeply, and he couldn’t hold back a moan when the slight jump jostled his leg again. "Oh God," he panted.  "I...I don't think I can take much more, sir."

 

"I think maybe you've taken too much already."  The captain's voice was suddenly soft, soothing.  "Doctor, is there some reason in particular you're torturing my armory officer like this?"

 

"It was not my intention to do so," Phlox replied.  He sounded guilty, which secretly pleased Malcolm quite a bit - almost as much as the hand still stroking his cheek. And that was the last thought he had before a cold hiss against the side of his neck sent him into comfortable blackness and a warm voice murmured in his ear, "It's okay, Malcolm, I've got you."