DISCLAIMER: The Star Trek characters are the property of Paramount Studios, Inc and Viacom. The story contents are the creation and property of Djinn and are copyright (c) 2001 by Djinn. This story is Rated G.
Damage Control
by Djinn
The Pyrrithian
bat stirred slightly as Phlox and Sato walked into sickbay.
"Hello, old friend. Getting hungry?" the doctor asked.
The bat didn't answer. Phlox was used to that.
Sato leaned in and tried to
see through the darkened material of its container. "He's not very big. I don't think he could have eaten
Sluggo."
"Perhaps not."
"You were just trying to
get my goat." She chuckled. "And teach me a lesson."
He began to mix up a batch of
food for the osmotic eel.
"I really appreciate
what you did, Doctor. Before...I
mean. And on the planet."
"It was nice of the
Captain to let us go down there just to give Sluggo a new home."
"He's a nice
man." She smiled sheepishly. "He'll do a lot for his people."
"Yes, I think he
will." He dumped the bits of food
into the eel's container.
Sato tapped on the bat's
container. "So what does this one
eat?"
Phlox shook his head
ruefully. "Nothing dead,
Ensign. I wasn't joking."
"Guess you've got your
hands full with problem cases," she straightened up. "I'll leave you to them."
He smiled fondly at her. "With one less."
"Two. If you count me."
He laughed softly. His smile died as she left the room. "I wish it were two less." He pulled a pouch out from under his shirt,
reached into it and drew out the slug.
"I really, really wish I could just let you go free, little
one."
Turning the lights down, he
walked over to the bat's container and opened the lid. The bat slowly emerged, its violet-colored
fur and leathery skin glowing slightly.
It extended its wings, the leather hung in tatters. As it moved, one of its rear feet dragged
behind.
"Somehow, and I know you
might not see it this way, Sluggo, there's a sort of cosmic justice at play
here. This bat had a run-in with a Condolian night gull.
That's why it can't fly, can't even properly hang the way its kind is
supposed to. Night gulls aren't native
to Pyrrithia.
Some tourist brought a pair of chicks back with her. No doubt thought they were adorable. They're cute all right. And about all you see in the evening skies on
that planet now." He made some
high-pitched noises and the bat looked around in interest. Phlox tossed Sluggo gently into the air. The bat jumped up and caught it, landing
awkwardly as the lame leg gave out a bit.
With a little cry, it devoured the slug.
Phlox reached out and ran a
gentle finger down the bat's neck.
"I know this is between us, my friend, and you won't go telling
Ensign Sato what just happened." He
watched the creature as it walked around the counter, occasionally trying to
flap its useless wings. Finally he
gently herded it back in its container and returned the lights to their
original setting.
Turning back to the medical
report on the Axanar that he was preparing for
Archer, Phlox mused, "I have so many more roles on this ship than I
expected when I agreed to sign on. Let's
see, I'm doctor, coroner, safety officer, veterinarian, counselor, and now
environmental officer. I wonder what
will be next?"
FIN