Fic: A Shot Right Through Me (Enterprise, Hoshi/T'Pol)

[lilacsigil]

This fic was written for the Female Character Trope Fest. I certainly didn't finish it in time for Three Weeks for Dreamwidth, but I finished it!

Title: A Shot Right Through Me
Fandom: Star Trek Enterprise
Characters/Ships: Hoshi Sato/T'Pol
Rating: Mature
Trope: "Fuck Or Die"
Content Notes: No specific warnings.
Author's Notes: Thank you to rinkle, smirnoffmule and medie for making it better.

Summary: Creatures encountered on a planetary survey leave Hoshi in dire peril. Only T'Pol can save her now!



"We have eight minutes and twenty seconds to reach the rendezvous point." T'Pol's voice was as calm as ever despite the bronze flush of her face. She'd probably just say it was a side-effect of the humid climate.

"There's no way we're going to make it around that parasite nest in time."

"Ensign Sato, we could choose to remain here in relative safety and miss the transport window, necessitating an overnight stay on the planet. Alternatively, we could attempt a distraction and run for the rendezvous point. I believe your personnel file indicates that you are an excellent endurance runner."

Hoshi shrugged. "I'm a terrible sprinter." She peered out at the tiny glowing butterflies that fluttered around vines covering the cave entrance. Their proboscises glowed a pale orange. "But those things don't look built for distance." She frowned. "Look, Sub-Commander, the parasites are staying in the shadow of the hill, out of the sunlight."

T'Pol fiddled with her scanner for a moment. "That observation would be consistent with the warning not to remain on this planet after nightfall."

"It might explain the electromagnetic activity affecting the transporter, too, if other nocturnal life forms share this level of bioelectrical activity." Hoshi copied T'Pol's actions on her own scanner, setting it to emit maximum light. T'Pol's scanner could be easily held up by its long handle, but Hoshi had jammed the hinge on her scanner so that it wouldn't snap shut as they ran.

"I don't believe we have enough data to support that hypothesis. Still, it is a reasonable practical assumption for now. Ready?" T'Pol edged towards the vines at the front of the cave and turned the bright light of her scanner on the fluttering parasites outside. They made a high-pitched squeal – right around 14080 hertz – as Hoshi added her scanner's light.

"They're moving away! Let's go!"

Hoshi and T'Pol dashed out of the cave, their scanners glowing ferociously against the early evening shadows, and the shrieking creatures fluttered away. Hoshi put her head down and let her sinewy legs carry her smoothly over the rough tree-roots and leaf litter of the equatorial forest. T'Pol ran just ahead of her, breathing evenly as she ran, the brightness of her scanner flashing in all directions as her arms pumped. Hoshi held her own light high, as if it were an Olympic torch, and followed. They were less than a mile from the rendezvous point – they should make it with time to spare.



The shrieks of the parasitic butterflies changed pitch suddenly, rising just short of a semitone. Hoshi heard the change and grabbed T'Pol's arm, pulling her down to the ground. T'Pol reflexively resisted for a moment before giving in to Hoshi's tug, then they both dropped down and held their glowing scanners above themselves. The parasites had gathered into a heaving swarm and swooped towards them, still wary of the light but finding safety in numbers. They passed twice more before pulling back.

"Their song changed," Hoshi replied to T'Pol's unasked question. "I didn't know it was going to be an attack, but I knew something was happening."

T'Pol frowned. "If we need such extensive light coverage to keep them away, we will not be able to run."

"You should go. I know you were running slower so that I could keep up. Maybe you can outrun them if they're focused on me?"

T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "I was not slowing down for you. In an environment this damp, it is difficult for me to reach full oxygen saturation. No, I believe that our best option is to return to the cave and wait for the nocturnal electromagnetic fluctuations to pass. The Captain will return for us in the morning."

"The creatures didn't try to get past those vines into the cave, even though it was dark in there."
T'Pol nodded at Hoshi. "We should walk back."

"Good plan." Hoshi shuddered at the thought of more of those creatures swarming up behind her. She altered the settings on her communicator. "Enterprise, this is Lieutenant Sato. Commander T'Pol and I are taking shelter in a cave at these co-ordinates. We are in good condition to wait out the night." She set it to repeat and glanced at T'Pol. "I've sent that across priority channels –Enterprise will pick it up even if the Captain himself won't."

"That's probably for the best – he does have a tendency to refuse to leave personnel behind. Even the dog."

Hoshi grinned slightly, feeling more positive about their chances if T'Pol was trying to make jokes.

"Actually, I wasn't planning that far ahead – it's just that the communicator array on the Enterprise is a lot more powerful. I think we should get back to the cave now."

"Agreed." T'Pol stood slowly, keeping her scanner held up and the parasites well at bay, and pulled Hoshi to her feet after her. The two women stood back to back and linked their free arms to walk crabwise back to their shelter, their two lights held steady. The mass of gleaming butterflies whirled and feinted, but the bright lights kept them at bay in the increasing gloom.

"They're avoiding the vines entirely," T'Pol reported as they drew close to their previous shelter. "I will be most interested to gather further information overnight."

"I'll be most interested in getting back to Enterprise and having a shower!" Hoshi swung her glowing scanner at a few parasites hovering too close to her face, and just as she did, she felt a searing pain in her lower back. "T'Pol!" Hoshi staggered and her foot slipped out from under her. T'Pol kept her footing, locked her elbows and heaved Hoshi the last ten steps through the veil of vines and into the cave. The moment they were safe, she lowered Hoshi to the ground and rapidly checked for parasites following them. Hoshi groaned in pain, but rolled on her side and shone her scanner directly on the parasite that had punctured through her uniform to embed its triple proboscis into her back. It flapped its wings, shrieked the pain note – which summed up just how Hoshi felt – and pulsed with light once more before going limp and shrivelling, dropping onto the stone.

"Is it dead?" T'Pol's voice was placid, as if she hadn't just saved Hoshi's life. Temporarily, anyway.

"I don't know! I think it injected me with something – my skin is on fire!" Hoshi pointed her scanner at the creature anyway. She certainly didn't want it getting up and attacked her again. "No, it's dead."

T'Pol knelt down beside Hoshi. "A pity. I'm sure Doctor Phlox would have appreciated a specimen."

"He'll probably make me his specimen!" Hoshi snapped, grabbing at her back in a futile effort to stop the burning sensation spreading out from the wound.

T'Pol turned down the brightness of her scanner and carefully scanned the injury. "This is not a medical scanner, but it appears that multiple life forms are travelling along your neural pathways."

Hoshi shrieked. "It put bugs in my nerves?"

"Yes…they're moving away from your spine."

"Good!" Hoshi took a deep breath as the burning sensation across her lower back faded away.

T'Pol frowned "If they live in or feed on neural tissue or energy, the spinal column should be ideal for their needs."

Hoshi wriggled and stretched. "That's hurting a lot less now. What did you do?"

"I did not do anything." T'Pol adjusted the scanner. "The life forms have settled in your upper abdomen."

"But not in my spine?"

"No. Are you still experiencing pain?"

Hoshi sat up. "Not really. Can you get any more detail than 'upper abdomen'? I'd like to know if my liver is about to be eaten whole."

"It appears that they are still clustered on neural pathways rather than attacking organs, or, indeed, any bodily system." She reached out her hand and Hoshi took it. She didn't really need T'Pol's help to get back on her feet, but her easy strength was certainly comforting when Hoshi felt so shaky. Holding onto T'Pol's arm, she glanced down at the Vulcan-made scanner in T'Pol's hand.

"T'Pol, I think your scanner is having problems with my anatomy. I'm a linguist, not a doctor, but I know my medical vocab. 'Pamutau-wel', 'bypass nerve', isn't right. I don't even know what that's supposed to be!"

"Your scanner is not as sophisticated as this one."

"No, but my scanner is calibrated by people who have human anatomy as a starting point."

Just as if she'd planned it, T'Pol elegantly lowered the two of them to the floor as Hoshi wobbled again, her legs giving way as her stomach clenched. Hoshi curled into T'Pol's side in pain, and T'Pol held her close until the spasm ended. Hoshi had dropped her scanner after shining it on the creature that stung her, but T'Pol had found it and ran it over Hoshi's hunched back.

"Your scanner tells me that the organisms are clustering on your vagus nerve."

"The stomach cramps aren't really going away," Hoshi gasped.

T'Pol rubbed Hoshi's back with a firm hand, the scanner beeping quietly as T'Pol accessed information. "It also tells me that your heart rate is increasing faster than can be explained by stress."

Hoshi pushed her face against T'Pol's hip. Now that T'Pol had mentioned it, she could feel her heart pattering. She wished T'Pol hadn't said anything, but "tactful omission" wasn't high on anyone's list of Vulcan characteristics.

"Ah!" Without warning, Hoshi felt a sharp pain in her left ear. She reached up to find T'Pol's hand there. "Ow! Did you do that?"

T'Pol nodded, and Hoshi suddenly realised that she was sitting up and the stomach cramps had subsided to a dull ache. She stretched cautiously, and T'Pol removed her hand.

"Your scanner had more detailed information on human anatomy. The vagus nerve bypasses the spinal column – it seems that the parasites have an aversion to your spine."

Hoshi breathed slowly. Her heart rate was still faster than it should be, but far less than it had been a minute ago. "The vagus nerve goes to my left ear?"

"It goes to both of your ears, but your other ear was pressed against my leg."

"Sorry." Hoshi wasn't sure why she was apologising – she certainly wasn't moving further away. "So pressing my ear helps?"

"It seems that nerve stimulation is a common treatment for tachycardia in human medicine." T'Pol looked a little downcast at having to admit she hadn't known something herself. "I accessed the information in your scanner. I doubt my attempt was as precise as it should be."

"No, this is good! So the parasites attack the nerve but stimulating it slows them down?"

"That is correct, so far as I can ascertain. The parasites are tiny, but certainly within the capacity of the bio-filter on Enterprise."

Hoshi flashed a wobbly grin up at T'Pol. "Great! So all we have to do is poke my ear all night and head back in the morning."

T'Pol looked like she was about to say something negative, but Hoshi moved in closer and slung an arm around her, keeping them close together. She didn't want to be by herself, and T'Pol didn't seem uncomfortable with the contact – besides, she'd have to stay close for the untender ear ministrations. T'Pol's hand strayed to Hoshi's hair, Hoshi rested against T'Pol's thigh, and she had to admit that, if it hadn't been for the threat of imminent death by bugs, it would have been sort of nice.



Unfortunately, T'Pol's caution proved correct. Firmly pressing inside the shells of Hoshi's ears held back the stomach pain and rapid heartbeat for a few hours, but each time the respite was shorter and the pain relief less effective. T'Pol tried other stimulation points – a sharp jab to the solar plexus was extremely effective, for as long as it lasted – but Hoshi's temperature, heart rate and blood pressure were slowly rising. Hoshi would have been thoroughly embarrassed about the tears that had stained the shoulder of T'Pol's uniform, if she had the energy left to think about it. At least T'Pol didn't seem to mind, stroking Hoshi's back as she cried.

"Our strategy is failing," T'Pol said after a particularly bad bout that responded only to a painful prod to Hoshi's solar plexus in conjunction with what T'Pol said was a val salva manoeuvre – Hoshi trying to blow air out her nose while T'Pol held her nostrils closed.

"How long until dawn?" Hoshi's voice was hoarse – another side effect of the attack on her nervous system – and tired.

T'Pol gently massaged Hoshi's aching belly where she had struck her. "One hour and forty-six minutes. It will be approximately seven minutes more before the bioelectrical field has diminished sufficiently for us to contact Enterprise."

"You can't make the scanner do this nerve stimulation thing more effectively? Maybe electrically?"

T'Pol shook her head. "No. Your scanner cannot be configured correctly, and mine cannot be calibrated to affect your vagus nerve while sparing the electrical activity of your heart." She stretched out the hand that had been stroking Hoshi's hair to pick up her scanner by the handle and stared at it for a long moment.

"What – ugh – what are you doing? You've got an idea, I can see it!"

T'Pol pressed her finger against Hoshi's ear again, but the relief was only momentary. "There is a more direct way to stimulate the vagus nerve than this. It may be more effective and afford us more time."

"Well, do it!"

"I could…penetrate you with this scanner and stimulate the multiple nerve endings at the cervix."

Hoshi grimaced in pain, then realised T'Pol was stroking her hair again. She grabbed T'Pol's hand, damp with Hoshi's sweat. "No! Do it yourself! I'm not going to have my last time be on a cave floor with a Vulcan scanner handle!"

"Your death is not inevitable." T'Pol did not pull her hand away.

"Not if you fuck me. Come on. We don't have to tell anyone." Hoshi reached up to touch T'Pol's lips but ended up clutching at her own chest instead, trying to claw at the radiating pain. "And don't tell me Vulcans only mate every seven years."

T'Pol lowered Hoshi to the cave floor and unzipped Hoshi's uniform, sliding her arms free of the sleeves and pulling it down to her waist. "It's true that we only mate every seven years. But – " T'Pol paused, and Hoshi could have sworn she did it for effect – "that is hardly the only time we engage in sex."

"Hah! I knew it!" Hoshi lifted her hips to help T'Pol strip her uniform further, down past her knees.

Hoshi's underwear was soaked with sweat – moisture wicking had its limits – and clung uncomfortably to her skin as T'Pol peeled her shorts away. The movement turned into a stretched out rictus of pain as her heart rate sped and her abdomen flared with pain. Just as the pain was at its worst, Hoshi feeling like her chest was going to explode, T'Pol's cool fingers slipped between her legs and stroked firmly against her clitoris.

"Ah!" Hoshi collapsed in a confused and sweaty heap of pain and desire, her heart still racing. "Is that where the nerve is?"

T'Pol didn't stop, her thumb stroking Hoshi as two of her long fingers slid inside Hoshi's body. "No. The nerve endings are internal."

As the pain built inside Hoshi's body and her heart felt like it was about to explode, T'Pol's cool, hard fingers pressed deep inside Hoshi, her thumbnail just brushing against her clitoris and T'Pol's other hand spread across Hoshi's stomach. It was like T'Pol was controlling her entire body with her hands and Hoshi gave herself over to that control – all the pain and fear and heat and pleasure was in T'Pol's hands now. Suddenly, T'Pol turned her fingers – angled them – did something differently – and Hoshi's world exploded into brightness and the feeling of being lifted entirely off the ground, like zero-G training beyond the suits and nausea and electrodes, like flying through atmosphere with the inertial dampers gone. Her vision flickered and everything went light.



There was noise and then voices, and Hoshi smiled in her semi-sleep, knowing T'Pol was there beside her. It wasn't until they were in the decon chamber, the blue lights glaring down, that Hoshi woke up entirely, lying on one of the hard benches.

"I'm here." T'Pol's voice was muffled by the strange acoustics of the room, but Hoshi turned towards her anyway. She sat on the bench by Hoshi's head. "Are you well? The parasites have been removed, but Doctor Phlox activated decontamination protocols pending further study."

Hoshi stretched a little and wriggled back to put her head in T'Pol's lap. "I'm exhausted, but I think I'll be fine. There's no pain. Thank you."

T'Pol hesitated for a moment, as if to brush off Hoshi's remarks, then breathed out slowly instead, like she was letting something go. "I'm...pleased that it was you there with me."

Hoshi smiled up at her. "Me too. But next time, I'll buy you dinner first."

Comments

[senmut]

I adore this story! Very good use of the trope!

[lilacsigil]

Thank you! I haven't written for a trope challenge before, so it was an interesting experiment in planning backwards for me!

[entwashian]

:O Evil butterflies!

I love the thought & detail you put into this -- I can really picture it in my mind!

[lilacsigil]

Thank you! It was a really interesting challenge to start with the trope and work backwards to the story.