Episode Report Card Keckler: B- | Grade It Now! YOU GRADE IT It Takes A Lot to Laugh, It Takes A Trip to Die
By Keckler | Season 4 | Episode 11 | Aired on 01.20.2005
Song.
Hoshi and Trip fly back to the ship in a sh'pod. They've been sifting through a Klingon garbage dump and Hoshi, well, Hoshi's not real happy about it. Trip coughs a bit and comms the ship that they're on their way in. Trip has a coughing fit and falls to the floor. He gasps for Hoshi to take over. Hoshi comms Enterprise and tells them they've got a medical emergency. Quantum asks if Hoshi can bring the sh'pod in. "Yes, sir," Hoshi responds, "at least in simulations." "Slow and steady," Quantum advises. Shut up, Quantum. With Trip hacking up various alveoli on the floor, I don't think that's helpful advice. Quantum orders T'Pol to call Phlox to decon and takes off. Orga-Reed and Orga-Mayweather trade looks.
Decon. Hoshi carries Trip to a bed and asks Phlox if they should start with the bio-gel. Look at her -- she's all eager to get nekkid with Trip! She wants to ease him through his recent breakup. Ew -- I just grossed myself out for no good reason. To Hoshi's libidinal disappointment, Phlox doesn't want them to smear down until they know what they're dealing with. He passes some kits in through a banker's chute and tells them to take blood samples. Hoshi starts coughing and then stares at Trip. She explains, "Before Commander Tucker passed out, he started coughing." Phlox asks if she has any other symptoms. Hoshi coughs some more and runs to the bathroom to vomit. Loudly. Phlox says he'll get them some anti-nausea medicine and leaves with Quantum, confessing that whatever they have isn't showing up on standard scans and that's not good.
Orga-Mayweather and Orga-Reed discuss their observations. According to Orga-Reed, the humans are acting just like the Klingons did when faced with the same situation, and he thinks they might as well stop their observations immediately because the humans as so ho-hum predictable. Orga-Mayweather points out that the humans are showing concern for their crew, just as the Cardassians did. "Ah, but in the end, they killed their infected crew -- just as the Klingons did," Orga-Reed points out. Orga-Mayweather still believes the humans could surprise them. "I've been observing aliens for eight hundred years and I have yet to be surprised," Orga-Reed says, but decides they should follow "protocol" and go on with their observations. And a good thing too, otherwise we wouldn't have this DELIGHTFUL episode. Orga-Reed directs Orga-Mayweather to question the infected ones while he gets info from Phlox.
Decon. Trip primes a Nighttime Sniffling Sneezing Coughing Aching Stuffy Head Fever So You Can Rest Hypo. Orga-Mayweather knocks on the window and says he just wanted to say hi. He wants to know what's in the hypo and how their illness compares to other times they've been sick. Hoshi and Trip give each other "what the fuck is up with Chatterbox?" looks. Trip asks, "Aren't you supposed to be on duty?" Orga-Mayweather's still full of questions. Trip tells him they need to get some sleep, thanks him for stopping by, and firmly pulls the window shade across. Orga-Mayweather is all, "But...aw!" It's kind of a funny scene. Don't get excited, I said "kind of." I still haven't forgiven the show for last week. Right here Trip should've been thinking to himself, "Travis never has that many lines -- that's NOT THE REAL TRAVIS MAYWEATHER!"
Sickbay. Orga-Reed fakes a headache, and then asks Phlox about Trip and Hoshi's blood tests and how Phlox intends to approach his research. Phlox shoos Orga-Reed out without telling him anything.