Marooned - Christie Golden [79]
Neelix blinked rapidly. Wordlessly he held out his arms and Wind-Over-Water came to him at once. "Good little Furball," Neelix whispered. "Thank you so much!"
Hrrrl reached out a mammoth paw and, tentatively, stroked the kakkik. It glanced up at him and blinked solemnly.
Neelix cleared his throat. "Captain, what's wrong with Tom?"
"He was bitten by a native insect," replied Janeway grimly. "The poison seems to have spread throughout his system. I don't think we can dally here too much longer." She glanced over at the prone lieutenant. "He's been running a high fever and having delusions. We've got to get into New Hann soon."
"May I make a suggestion?" said Tuvok. "Before Mr. Neelix and his companion arrived, I had taken some tricorder readings of the surrounding area. We are directly above the outermost limits of the ancient mines. It is possible that we might be able to use our phasers to penetrate the earth and rock. It would be cooler below ground, and it would also be more difficult for Aren Yashar's scout ships to discover us."
"I don't know about that. We'll be making an announcement that we went underground if they notice the hole we've dug. It may be leaping from the frying pan into the fire. Hrrrl, your people worked in these mines once. What do you know about them?"
Hrrrl shrugged his massive frame. "That was many years ago, Janeway. No one living has ever ventured near these mines. However, I do know that there were once tunnels that led from the mines to New Hann."
"Tunnels that probably collapsed long ago," replied Janeway. She glanced up at the sky. "But even a place to hide during the day would make it worth our while. Neelix, I want you to monitor the tricorder. Don't take your eyes off it. The minute we know there are any scout ships in the area, we stop digging, put on those cloaks, and become Sshoush-shin. Understood?"
"Aye, Captain!" He snapped rigidly to attention.
"We'll take one more set of readings to determine the best spot to begin digging, then-"
"No!" shrieked Paris. He stumbled to his feet, wildly attacking an invisible enemy. "Get away from me. No, no, God, no, stop it!"
Torres raced to him. Tom's eyes widened in horror, as if she, too, were something dreadful and dangerous, and he took a wild swing at her. She caught his arm and pushed him down. "Tom! Tom, it's me!"
He struggled beneath her, finally exhausting what little strength he had left, then blinked and focused. "B'Elanna?" he whispered. "Is it you? The Xiansthey had tentacles and poison-"
"Tom, it was a hallucination. You're sick. You're seeing things that aren't there."
He was silent for a moment, and she eased off him, catching her breath. "B'Elanna." The word was barely audible. "Yes, Tom?"
"I don't want to die." His eyes were closed, and when he opened them, there was a dreadful fear in their blue depths.
Torres's gut clenched. "You're not going to die,"' she told him firmly, hoping even as she spoke them that the words were true.
"I've-I've been there. I've been dead before. I know what it's like. I don't want to go there again, not yet, not like this. You can't imagine how-" He turned away, his throat working.
Torres couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, she reached out and touched his cheek gently. It was as hot as fire. Biting her lip, she rose.
"Got that fix yet, Tuvok?" she asked, covering her concern with brusqueness. At his answering nod, she adjusted her phaser to setting eleven and stepped forward.
"We should keep a safe distance," advised Tuvok.