The pain's almost unbearable. The phaser blast hit me in my left leg. I fell hard for there was no chance for me to get a grip to anything. It all happened so damned fast.

Now I'm lying here, helpless. I can hear the intruders coming nearer, and there is no way I can defend myself. I lost my phaser pistol in the falling.

I try to hide behind the next corner. But the pain makes me gasp and fall back.

Suddenly she's there. I don't know where she came from or how she found me. I don't care. She's here. That's all that matters. She towers over me, shielding me, and protecting me.

When my pursuers catch up with me, they don't expect her. Within a few seconds everything is over.

She pulls her communicator out.

"T'Pol to Phlox. Ensign Sato is injured. We're on Deck C, section 5."

She closes the comm and bends down to me. Her eyes are unreadable as always. But her voice is as soft as I've never heard her before.

"Stay calm. He will be here any minute."

She gently lifts me up, to rest me in her arms.

And I feel safe.