 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Author: Nautika
Series: ENT
Pairing: A/Tu implied
SPOILERS: None
Rating: G
Parts: 1/1,
Date: January 2008
Feedback: Yes, please.
Archive: Trekiverse, my site, Warp 5, and anyone else, just let me know.
Disclaimer: Star Trek is owned by Paramount. Fan fiction is for fun.
Notes: For Qzee, who wanted a bug fic.
Summary: Something’s bugging Archer.
by Nautika
There it was again. A strange crunching noise was coming from the corner of the room.
Jonathan Archer swiveled in his chair and looked over at his dog’s bed. Nothing. Porthos was the picture of innocence. Archer watched his dog for a minute – it wouldn’t be the first time the beagle had taken a PADD and munched on it. Seeing nothing, he turned back and continued catching up on the never-ending paperwork a starship captain was responsible for.
Archer’s ankle itched and he rubbed it with his foot.
Crunch, crunch.
This time, the crunching was followed by a soft scratching noise. Archer saved his document and turned very slowly towards his dog.
Porthos looked up at the movement, a long wiggly leg dangling from his lips.
“Porthos!” Archer was on his feet in an instant. “Drop it!”
Porthos only swallowed and licked his chops. He stood on his bed and wagged his tail.
Something brown flashed through the corner of Archer’s vision and Porthos hopped down and began scratching at the floor plating under his bed.
Archer shuddered and moved cautiously towards Porthos’ bed. “What is it, boy?”
The beagle whined and continued pawing the floor.
Taking deep breaths, Archer lifted the corner of the dog bed…and let it fall back down, as a dozen big brown bugs scurried from the light. Porthos barked and tried to get at them. Archer grabbed his dog and pulled him out of the room, making sure the door was shut tight.
****
“Uhn, uh, no way. There’s no way I’m going in there,” the ship’s engineer Trip Tucker shook his head. He stood with Archer just outside the door. “I don’t do bugs.”
“Trip, I need those bugs taken care of before they infest the whole ship!”
“Sorry, Captain. Why don’t you get Malcolm to do it? Might be good target practice.”
Archer glared at his lover, “If you’re not going to help, get back to work!”
“Yes, sir,” said Tucker, chuckling as he left Archer to deal with this problem on his own.
Archer sighed and commed Malcolm Reed, his head of security.
****
Reed stepped back from the dog bed, pocketed his scanner and stroked his chin. “As far as I can tell, captain, they seem to be contained to this room. You say Porthos ate one?”
“At least one,” the captain watched as Reed thought about something. Archer did not like feeling this helpless, but he was terrified of bugs. It was one of the things he’d liked about space travel - a nice, clean, contained atmosphere. No spiders, no bugs. Ha!
“I recommend we get Phlox involved. You’ll want to have him take a look at your dog and make sure they won’t cause Porthos any harm. I’ll try to capture one.”
Reed pulled a small container from a pocket on his pants leg and squatted down by the dog bed. “Sir, if you could give me a hand? I need you to get behind there and pull up the bed.”
Archer scratched his ankle again and sighed. He’d rather face down an entire Xindi army, but he knew what needed to be done. Archer took his position behind the dog bed. “Ready?”
“On three, Captain. One…two…three!”
Archer lifted the bed and Reed slammed down the container trapping one of the bugs. Reed slid the lid on and stood. “I’ll take this to the doctor, sir.”
Reed left and Archer jumped towards the door as one of the bugs made a beeline for him.
****
In sickbay, Phlox was eyeing the container Reed had brought. “Ah! Of course! This is one of my Krembonian cockroaches.”
Archer blinked slowly. “You keep these things on board?” He made a mental note to carefully go over the exact list of Phlox’s “inventory”.
“Yes, captain, they are good for many things. Some must have escaped, I do apologize.” Phlox dumped the captured cockroach into a tank crawling with its brethren.
“And what about Porthos? Are they toxic to him?”
“Oh, no, captain. Just protein. Porthos will be fine. Their bite may cause mild irritation, however.” Phlox gave him a deep grin that Archer found a bit disconcerting.
“Well, please come and round them up. I don’t want them getting into the systems and running about the ship.” Archer turned, tried to regain some dignity and left.
****
Later that night, after the room had been cleared and the ship declared free of roaming vermin, Archer was settling in for bed. As he sat and removed his socks, he noticed a red bump on his ankle. He scratched it and tried to put out of his mind that it looked like a bug bite. He’d visit the doctor tomorrow for a cream; he had had his fill of Kremobian cockroaches for this day.
Archer laid down in bed and Porthos jumped up with him. He stroked the dog for a few minutes before drifting off into a light sleep. He didn’t notice when Porthos abandoned the bed for his own doggy bed on the floor.
Just as he was about to drift into a dream Archer heard a noise from the direction of Porthos’ bed.
Crunch, crunch.
The End!