Log with Jon

[keepurshirtonlt]

There was one thing Trip didn't count on when getting Jon to move into his hut: his nightmares that still lingered from Halloween. After waking him up in the middle of the night, Jon wants to help.

Thanks to the Xindi, Jon had had to spend his first few nights on the island in the New Resident Crash Room in the Compound while they cleaned up, repaired and found new furniture for the second room in Trip's hut, because there was no way Jon was living anywhere else on the island. After the last few months, Trip wanted his best friend close by. It might but a damper on his over night-visits but there were plenty of empty huts for that.

Finally, the hut was set up and ready for the two Starfleet officers to live in. They each had a bed room connected to the living area, with a third empty room. Porthos' bed was moved out of Trip's room and into the living room so he could choose whose bed he was going to share that particular night.

But in all his excitement about having Jon there and living with him, Trip forgot one thing: He was still suffering from nightmares brought on by the hallucinations. Nightmares that now had added content thanks to the Xindi attacking the island on Halloween and threatening more of the people Trip cared about.It didn't happen the first few nights, but it did happen eventually. He turned and tossed, making noises and shouting that could be heard through the thin walls.

The new people place hadn't been too bad, but Archer was definitely looking forward to staying with Trip. It was good to have a project, good to have the second room in Trip's hut as something to *do*. Kept his mind from worrying quite so much about what was happening on Enterprise.

And about what had happened to Trip.

He'd told him a few things, and Archer had inferred a few. But even that was worrying enough.

Still, now he was here, he could at least keep Trip company, while the two of them figured out how to get out of this place. And with good hard physical labour, he was sleeping well enough at night, too.

...until that night. Until he found himself waking up as he sprinted through the hut towards Trip's room. Trip was shouting. What the hell?!

It was an old favorite. The Xindi were stalking him through the corridors of Enterprise. At every turn, instead of finding help, Trip found the tortured bodies of the crew, especially his friends and family. But now, it included the people who'd become near and dear to him on the island: Lily, Kate, Phoebe, Lilo and Trixa. It was as if no matter where he went, the Xindi would take everything from him.

Finally, the aliens found him and he had to fight, even when he knew it was hopeless.

"No! Get away from me! Fucking bastards!"

Archer knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He tried the handle.

"No! Get away from me! Fucking bastards!"

...shit. No idea if it was a nightmare or if he was actually being attacked. "Trip! Trip, I'm coming in!"

Door was locked, or just particularly stiff, and right now Archer didn't care. He leaned back and kicked it, hard, and it flew open. Archer charged in. No enemies, okay, good.

What wasn't so good was the way Trip was thrashing in the bed, face pale, sweaty, incredibly distressed. Archer took him by the shoulders, gently but firmly. "Trip. Hey, Trip, can you hear me? It's a nightmare. C'mon, buddy, wake up!"

Trip woke with a violent start and he couldn't breathe for a moment. He gasped for breath in a panic before he looked up into Jon's concerned face and was honestly confused on where he was. But as he took in the wooden vice metal walls, he placed them on the island and finally he could start breathing normally.

"Cap'n?" He asked with a gasp as he reached up to wipe his face with one hand, as if trying to wipe away the dream. "What happened?"

Archer exhaled in relief as he realised that Trip at least knew him, knew where he was.

He sat on the edge of the bed, still gripping Trip, but more gently. "Nightmare," he said calmly, with a supportive smile. "You're on the island, Trip. I won't say this is the best place ever, but you're safe, okay? Just a nightmare. Do you... get 'em often?"

At Jon's question, Trip got a pained look in his eyes before closing them to hide it. Did he dare lie, like he had for the longest time in the Expanse before Phlox had tricked him into neuropressure with T'Pol? But then, if Jon was going to live in the same hut and get woken up by this, he had a right to know.

He took a deep breath before opening his eyes and sitting up, not wanting to have this conversation on his back. "They uh...came back after I started seeing the visions of Xindi. I guess they're takin' a little longer ta go away. Sorry I woke ya, Jon."

"Visions of Xindi," Archer repeated flatly. He sighed, and ran a hand through his hair. "That'd give me nightmares, too."

He took in the rest of what Trip had said, and reached out to amiably swat his shoulder. "You don't need to apologise for that. How often do you get them?"

Maybe he should pull his mattress into the corridor and sleep there, so he could be closer.

"I told ya 'bout Halloween an' what happened before then. It...Shit Jon, I definitely was at a low. Seein' them everywhere and then nightmares at night...I'm glad ya didn't see me like that."

Trip couldn't even look at Jon as he spoke thought the swat to his shoulder did make him grin slightly. "Not as often as in the Expanse or even before Halloween. Every now and then. I was hopin' they'd go away but....obviously not."

Archer shakes his head. "I wish I'd been here to help," he says wryly. And he means it. He wouldn't've wanted to see Trip like that, sure, but it's not like he would've been angry or upset at *Trip* about it.

..............hell.

"All right. What can we do to alleviate it? I'll sleep with my door open, or I can sleep in the hall, if that's easier...?"

Trip was quiet for a moment, then shook his head. "To be honest, Cap'n, I'm glad ya weren't. I was all kinds of strung out. Worryin' 'bout you might have made things worse. But I appreciate the sentiment." He reached out and grasped Jon's forearm in thanks.

He wiped a hand down his face. "Ya don't need to go through all that trouble. I'll....I'll figure out somethin'. I"m sorry for disturbing you."

Archer screwed up his face. "Don't be stupid," he said with weary affection. "I'll sleep closer to you until we figure something out, okay? It's for my own good. If i can wake you up faster, I'll get back to sleep faster. Don't think I'm doing it for your sake."

The gruff analysis only made Trip chuckle tiredly. "Well, I usually only wake up once per night. So your good for tonight. We can work on another arrangement tomorrow."

"Got it. After you wake up, do you then actually go back to sleep again?" Archer asked suspiciously. Something in the way Trip looked was making him feel sleep was at a definite premium.

Trip rubbed a hand over his face as he debated lying. But then, he knew Jon would see right through him so he sighed and said, "Sometimes? More so after Halloween and you arrivin'." He had been more then grateful to have Jon around, just his presence put Trip's subconscious at ease.

"You don't have to soothe my ego," Archer said with a grin. He knew it was true; Trip wouldn't lie about something like this. But there were still some things that had to be teased about. "That's something, at least. Okay, well, shift over. I'm sitting up there with you till you fall back asleep again, and that's an order."

"Yes sir, Cap'n." Trip said teasingly before yawning and scooting over as requested. "If ya wanted ta get into my bed so badly, ya just had to ask."

For that, Archer poked him extra hard in the shoulder as he settled down. "Hush up and go to sleep, or I'll put you on report for impertinence to a senior officer who's in your bed," he said wryly.

"Is that a," Trip paused to yawn, "an official Starfleet regulation? If so, I must have missed it." He laid back down and settled with his eye closed, laughing slightly when he felt Porthos join them at the foot of the bed. "Gang's all here."

"I'm sure it's in the rulebook somewhere," Archer told him, blithely cheerful. "So take it easy."

He grinned at Porthos. "Don't have to tell YOU to take it easy."

"Too bad Malcolm's not here to quote it," Trip said sleepily as he attempted to go back to sleep. He had to admit to himself, having the comforting presence of his best friend and captain so close helped. Maybe he'd get back to sleep quicker then usual.

Porthos just huffed at the two men and circled a few times before curling up between their feet.

Malcolm'd probably get it tattooed on himself somewhere, though Archer was still captain enough to not actually say that to Trip.


"He's taking care of the ship," Archer said, as firmly as he could. He knew there was some weirdness happening with time, and maybe they hadn't even noticed on Enterprise that he and Trip were missing at all. He hadn't realised about Trip, after all. But he was quite, quite worried.

Nothing he could do, though. Trip was here. Trip needed company. He could do that.

Porthos was reassuringly solid against Archer's feet. Archer squirmed a little, resting his head on the corner of Trip's pillow. Never mind sitting, he needed more sleep, too. He'd wait until Trip drifted off, though.

And drift off Trip did, but not before one of his hand came up to rest against Jon's arm. They'd slept in close quarters before during training and away missions so this wasn't anything new, but just the small reassuring touch of the presence beside him was just what Trip needed to fall back asleep, nightmare free. For now.

Archer yawned, smiled a little at the touch of Trip's hand, and let his eyelids drift shut.

Mm.

He'd always been able to sleep under just about any circumstances, but he had to admit, this was easier than in his own little bed here. Having Trip next to him, feeling him breathe, feeling his heartbeat.

Mm.

He let himself start dozing.