In Between Days {Star Trek Enterprise fan fiction}

Shell Shock (Chapter 1)

"It's good to see your face," Malcolm said, peering into the viewer. "It's been a few long, lonely months, my love." 

"It's good to see you, too. I've missed you," Lili replied, from her home far away, on Lafa II. "Everyone here is so thrilled that the Romulan War is finally over." 

"Yes," he smiled a little, "we're heading to Earth. It's a pity; I won't be swinging by your neck of the galaxy this time 'round." 

"Maybe you could get away, or something," she said, "I have missed you in my dreams." 

"Maybe." His eyes were far away as he briefly touched a metallic cuff on his left wrist – a conduit for shared dreaming that he had neglected for quite a while. An escape into fantasy had just seemed to be inappropriate when there had been so much suffering, his own included. 

"Malcolm?" 

"I, uh, I've been having my own dreams, actually. My regular, standard human dreams, unshared. And they have been far from pleasant. But I feel I somehow must have them. I don't know if that makes sense to you, Lili, but I cannot be escaping when so many others don't have such a luxury." 

"What kinds of nightmares have you been having?" 

"Oh, fires and such." He couldn't tell her what his nocturnal visions really were. It was a detailed replay of a true event, when he'd seen a crewman split in half by an explosion near the Armory. Over and over again, night after night, he heard the scream and saw the split and, perhaps, the worst part was that the scream had gone for a while after the split, as that crewman had been unlucky enough to not die immediately that day. 

"I just asked you if you were you all right." 

"It's just – this one felt a lot tougher than the Xindi War. I'm not so sure I can quite explain why. At the end of the Xindi War, I recall feeling rather triumphant." 

"I remember. I was there, yanno," she reminded him. 

"Right. But this time," he sighed, "it's just fatigue. I'm only pleased that the whole bloody business is over with." 

"Well, Earth should be good for you. You could see your parents and your sister, or something." 

"Perhaps. Lili, I –" 

There was the sound of a door slamming on her end of the connection. "Joss!" she called out to her son. "Try not to slam the door all the time! Please!" 

"Mo-om!" 

"Just, please." There was the sound of a baby crying. "That just woke up Marie Patrice." She sighed. "I'm so sorry. Can I get a rain check, and have a nice long call with you soon?" 

"By all means," Malcolm said, trying not to let her see just how disappointed he truly was. He needed her, but he didn't want to appear overly needy. "Some, some other time. I suppose this is what happens when you are in love with a mother." 

"I guess so." The baby got louder. "Gotta go! I love you!" She cut the connection just as her son yelled out, "Mackum!" at the screen. 

=/\= 

The two shuttlepods touched down near Starfleet Headquarters. The entire senior staff emerged. This wasn't just Captain Jonathan Archer and his Bridge crew. It was also acting MACO CO Julie McKenzie, and three people who were the heads of their respective departments, even though two of them were the only people in those departments. They were Botanist Shelby Pike, Quartermaster Chandrasekar Khan – they both held a Crewman's rank – and Lili's former boss, Chef William Slocum, a Lieutenant Commander.