April 19 2024

TrekToday

An archive of Star Trek News

Doctor's Orders

By Colin 'Zeke' Hayman
Posted at June 5, 2004 - 8:35 PM GMT

Porthos: Ruff!
Phlox: All right, I'll let you see him. But he's asleep. He won't be able to pet you or walk you or cheese you.
Porthos: Ruff! Ruff!
Archer: ZZZZZZZZZZ
Porthos: (whimper)
Phlox: Awwww. Poor little guy. At least someone likes Archer better conscious.

Dear Dr. Lucas: I've checked the restraining order and it doesn't apply in the Expanse, so I'm resuming our correspondence. Isn't that good news? I have lots of time to write because -- one moment.
Phlox: Here you go.
Porthos: Ruff!
I don't think Porthos knows the difference between cheese and leeches. Anyway, here's what happened....

T'Pol: We've detected another transdimensional anomaly like the one last week. It's huge and right in our way.
Archer: Deliberate interference from the sphere-builders or writer fiat? Hmmm....
T'Pol: Either way, we can't afford to waste time going around it. Fortunately, Dr. Phlox has a plan.
Phlox: As you know, these anomalies are deadly to humans. But you could survive if I rendered you all comatose. Because a mindless physical phenomenon cares whether you're awake or not.
Archer: Could you handle being the One running the ship for a while?
Phlox: Please, Captain. We all know I really run the ship anyway.

I had been working on a way to knock the crew unconscious already, so that part was easy. My training was a little trickier.
Mayweather: This readout here shows our position.
Phlox: No problem. I've studied positions.
Mayweather: These buttons control the vertical. These control the horizontal.
Phlox: Spooky.
Mayweather: Now, pay very close attention. See the flashing red light here?
Phlox: Yes?
Mayweather: I want you to figure out what it means and tell me when I wake up.

Tucker: Pressure gauge is here. You gotta check it twice a day and once before you turn in. (ominously) She creeps.
Phlox: I'll keep that in mind.
Tucker: Listen, Doc... if somethin' goes wrong and you think you need my help....
Phlox: I know. Wake you.
Tucker: No, don't wake me! For Krod's sake, I'd die!
Phlox: I'll wake you.

Archer: I'm trusting you with my ship, Doctor. I know you can handle it. Especially since I activated your Emergency Command Phloxogram subroutine.
Phlox: You can count on me, sir. Now lie back and relax. Don't worry -- I'm an expert on anesthaesia.
Archer: AAAAAA! SPIDERS! SPIDERS EVERYWHERE!
Phlox: Whoops, that was arachnophobia.

Eventually I found my chloroform and hit him with it. I now have the ship to myself, and I'm enjoying the peace and quiet for my research.
Phlox: ...fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty! Sixty-one....
The situation also allows me to go skipping rope down the corridors whenever I please without fear of discovery.

Danny Kaye: The chalice with the palace holds the brew that is true Blue -- Labatt. Out Of The Blue.
Porthos: Ruff.
Phlox: I agree, the retro-commercialization of old movies was a bad idea. But I love this scene anyway. I'm a sucker for a good poisoning.
Mysterious Sound: THUMP
Phlox: Uh oh. That sounded mysterious. Let's pause the film and check it out.
Knight: The candidate pauses.
Phlox: Retro-interactivization was a bad idea too.

(THUMP)
Phlox: Hello? Anyone in here?
(THUMP)
Phlox: Is that you, Bessie? Did you get out of your rhino pen?
T'Pol: THUMP
Phlox: Whew! It's just you. I'd forgotten you were awake too.
T'Pol: Yes, you have been unclear on the subject. Your dialogue earlier never specified whether Vulcans are affected.
Phlox: Well, here you are in the flesh -- I'd say that settles it.

T'Pol: Mmmm... meaty. Your recipe for Vulcan plomeek tofu is highly nonstandard.
Phlox: How are you finding the quiet? Do you miss any of the crew? Such as Commander Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge?
T'Pol: If I did miss him, at least I would have your illegal surveillance tapes to remind me.
Phlox: Change of subject request noted. How have you been passing the time?
T'Pol: I find I have no interest in doing anything except when I am in your presence. It is unsettling.
Phlox: Well, you're an unsettling person. Just look how the amount of tofu on your plate stays the same no matter how much you eat.

(WHUMP)
Phlox: T'Pol, Bessie, whoever you are, knock it off. I'm trying to check this creepy pressure gauge.
(BOOM)
Phlox: What the--! Phlox to T'Pol! I'm sure I heard something this time!
T'Pol: (over the comm) My internal sensors are not detecting anything.
Phlox: I didn't say it was inside you.

Archer: ZZZZZZZZZZ
Phlox: You've been such a snoring conversationalist lately. You're all "ZZZ" this and "ZZZ" that. It's like talking to Zorro.
Archer's Window: Psst. Over here.
Phlox: What? Do you want me to look through you?
Archer's Window: Yep. Just enjoy the view. Of a SCARY MOVING SHADOW!
Phlox: AAAAAAAAAA!
Archer's Window: You're all "AAA" this and "AAA" that. It's like talking to an auto repairman.

Phlox: I'm telling you, I saw something out there on the wing!
T'Pol: It's not that I don't believe you, it's that I represent the fact that you don't believe you.
Phlox: Must you always be such a doubting T'Homas?
T'Pol: Wrong apostle. I'm T'Paul.

Ant Xindi 1:
Ant Xindi 2:
Phlox: AAAAA! Insectoids! Get away from Hoshi, or so help me, I'll flee in terror!
Ant Xindi 1:
Phlox: I warned you! (flees)

T'Pol: Doctor, you must consider the possibility that you are hallucinating.
Phlox: I saw them! I saw them and they're reeeeeal! Now if you're too Chicken Xindi to help me find them....
T'Pol: I assure you your insults go right through me.
(BUMP)
Phlox: There! I hear one now! DIE EVIL INSECTOID! (ZAP)
Porthos: RUFF!
Phlox: Um... oops?
Porthos: RUFF.
Phlox: Yes, yes, I'm sorry. But you can tell the other dogs you lost that bit of your tail in a fight. Besides, why did you make a "bump" sound?
T'Pol: It's his birthday.

Phlox: (sigh) Maybe she's right. This just keeps happening. I hear explosions. I see shiny sparks out the corner of my eye. I smell dead people.
Sato: (over the comm) Maybe you should spend less time in the morgue. Also, HELP!
Phlox: I'll be right there! You're still in Room 217, right?

Shower: RUN
Phlox: Hoshi? What are you doing in the shower? Can I --
Hoshi With Hideously Disfigured Face: HELLO!
Phlox: AAAAAAAAAAAA!
Hoshi With Hideously Disfigured Face: Geez, you scream like a girl. Anyway, you promised us we'd be fine! Look what happened! I'm Hoshi Sadako!
Phlox: Who?
Hoshi With Hideously Disfigured Face: Oh, I guess you'd have seen the American version. Samara, then.
Phlox: I've seen the Denobulan version. Seduxxxa.
Hoshi With Hideously Disfigured Face: Well, whatever. I've freaked you out, and that was the main goal. SEVEN DAYS.

Phlox: BRRRRRR. That was the scariest thing ever.
Archer: I think your feet are pretty stiff competition.
Phlox: Captain! No, this can't be real. People hallucinate about things they want.
Archer: Maybe you secretly want me.
Phlox: Ewwwwww! Oh Krod, the mental images! Out! Out!
Archer: Heheheh. I've owed you that since early Season 2.

Phlox: Gotta find T'Pol and tell her she was right. Maybe then she'll mind-meld these images out of my --
(BOOM)
Armored Figure: (stepping out of the shadows) Are you Phlox?
Phlox: AAAA! Who are you?
Armored Figure: My name is Samus Aran. I'm here to stop someone named Phlox. Is that you?
Phlox: ...No! Oh goodness no. Phlox? Never heard of him.
Samus: Then I'll keep looking. But if you lied, I'll be back.
Phlox: Lied? Ha ha! Lied! Good one! ...Um, just out of curiosity, what did this Phlox fellow do?
Samus: Word has it the damn fool cross-bred bats with Metroids.

Phlox: You were right, T'Pol. I'm hallucinating. Boy oh boy am I hallucinating. I'd better sedate myself and leave the ship to you.
T'Pol: No! I... I believe I have been affected as well. Examine my hair.
Phlox: Hey, it's going yellowish.
T'Pol: I think my intelligence is decreasing accordingly.
Phlox: Just like a dumb blonde to think hair colour affects intelligence.

So, at T'Pol's insistence, I've stayed awake. The hallucinations have continued....
Tom Paris: Help! Help! I'm on fire!
Phlox: Blow it out your ear.
....but I've gotten somewhat better at dealing with them.

T'Pol: Odd. We should be out of the anomaly now.
Phlox: Oh no... the sensors say we're still ten weeks away from normal space! Someone miscalculated!
T'Pol: Don't look at me, silly. I calculate good. 1.2 plus 3.5 is chimpanzee pie.

Phlox: We'll have to risk going to warp. I'll just take a minute to feed my menagerie first.
Bat-Metroids: SKREE
Phlox: Yes, you can go first. Here's your --
(BOOM)
Samus: Somebody lied.
Phlox: No! Don't shoot! They're just babies!
Samus: Baby biological weapons! Stand aside.
Phlox: (Only one chance... gotta distract her.) Look! Powerups!
Samus: WHERE? -- Dammit! Get back here, you little monsters!
Phlox: I'm definitely not going to miss these hallucinations.

T'Pol: I don't know how to start this warp drive. Maybe we'd better wake Mr. Tucker.
Phlox: No need. I'm hallucinating him as we speak.
Tucker: You'll faillll... you'll failll and everyone will dieeee....
Phlox: He's not being much help. But he's still more help than you, Miss I-Can't-Even-Push-A-Button-On-My-Own.
T'Pol: Stop making fun of me! Waaaaa!

Phlox: Why isn't this working? Is something wrong with the plasma relays?
T'Pol: Oh. Um, I kind of drank all the plasma. Sorry.
Phlox: Wonderful! Where are we going to get more?
(BOOM)
Samus: Ha! You Metroids thought you could hide in front of those relays, eh? Eat Plasma Beam! (ZAP ZAP ZAP)
Plasma Relays: (power up)
Phlox: A bit convenient, but I'll take it.

Computer: Warp drive: active. Speed: Warp 2. Current music: "Magic Carpet Ride."
Phlox: Yes! YES! I did it!
Bat-Metroids: SKREE
Phlox: And you helped.
T'Pol: Wait a minute. Doesn't this mean Samus isn't a hallucination?
Phlox: Hmm. I suppose it does.
T'Pol: Then how does she keep breaking the laws of physics? Jumping on thin air, freezing flying objects in place, morphing her entire body into a ball....
Samus: I would explain it to you, but according to my X-Ray Scope, you're not really here. Besides, I have bat-Metroids to kill.
Phlox: They just saved my crew! Doesn't that prove they mean no harm?
Samus: Hmmmmm... let me think about it. I'll gather some powerups and get back to you.

Archer: ZZZZZZZZ... huh? Oh, hi, Phlox. Are we clear?
Phlox: We are indeed.
Archer: Great. Nice work. Anything unusual happen while I was out?
Phlox: Er... not much. All work and no play, you know the drill. Anyway, here's Porthos!
Porthos: Ruff! Ruff ruff RUFF!
Archer: He did WHAT to your tail?
Phlox: Um, heh heh. Gotta go. Lots of crew to wake up.

T'Pol: I will be glad to get some rest. Perhaps my hair will return to normal.
Phlox: Well, here we are at your -- oh, look. You've been here regenerating in your alcove the whole time.
T'Pol: Shocking and unexpected.
Phlox: Yep.

Samus: I just got a call -- I'm needed on SR388. I'm going to have to take a chance on these bat-Metroids of yours.
Phlox: I assure you there's nothing to worry about.
Samus: Good. Because if I find out otherwise, you'll be coughing up Super Missiles for months.
Phlox: Well, good luck to you. Oh, before you go...
Samus: No, I'm not going to pay for the damage I caused exploding bombs all over the ship.
Phlox: Very well. It'll have to come out of my video sales.

I hope you've found this story interesting, Dr. Lucas. The rest of the crew certainly thought so.
Reed: There was a hot chick in battle armour and I SLEPT THROUGH IT?
But I for one will be glad to get back to my normal life. Hallucinations can't compare to medicine, pimpin', killing species....
Phlox's Animals: (nervous squawking)
....or, most of all, stalking you. Yours truly, Dr. Josef Torrance Phlox.
(The letter is sent at Ludicrous Speed)

THE END

Discuss this reviews at Trek BBS!
XML Add TrekToday RSS feed to your news reader or My Yahoo!
Also a Desperate Housewives fan? Then visit GetDesperate.com!

Find more episode info in the Episode Guide.


Colin 'Zeke' Hayman has been parodying Trek for nearly four years now at his website, Five-Minute Voyager, where sci-fi episodes are reduced to "fivers" of one-twelfth their original length. Gee, wonder if he's a big Metroid fan?

You may have missed