Many of us big-time Star Trek fans have been complaining about the finale of Enterprise. I think I know what's been bugging me the most - the way Bermaga killed off one of the best characters in such an offhand, stupid manner, and then didn't even let the other characters grieve! Accordingly, I've used my (admittedly limited) scripting skills to rewrite that part, the way my head says it should have been...
(Int. Sickbay. TRIP is on biobed, with PHLOX on one side and ARCHER on the other. T’POL hovers in the background, carefully expressionless. TRIP’s breathing is labored – he’s obviously in trouble.)
TRIP
Cap’n – it wasn’t—
ARCHER
Lie still, Trip. Phlox’ll pull you through this one, too. (PHLOX grimaces uncertainly)
TRIP
Wasn’t supposed – to work – like that. Supposed to – polarize – grav plates – crush ‘em. Forgot about – phase cannon - bypass...
PHLOX (impatiently)
Commander, I would appreciate it if you could kindly quiet down and hold still!
TRIP
Sorry, Doc – didn’t want – people to think – I was stupid – or suicidal...
ARCHER
Shh, Trip – nobody’s going to think that. We all know you better.
(PHLOX leads ARCHER a short distance away, while T’POL and a nurse move to TRIP’s side.)
ARCHER
How’s he doing, Phlox?
PHLOX
Not well, Captain. The plasma in the explosion was superheated, and when he hit the wall, the air was driven from his lungs. He inhaled. His lungs have been thermalized. He’s not taking in oxygen as well as I’d like—
T’POL
Doctor!
(PHLOX and ARCHER turn, to see TRIP in convulsions. T’POL holds his hand, while assistants hurry in.)
PHLOX
Prepare the hyperbaric chamber immediately! We have to get him into it NOW!
(PHLOX and assistants bustle around TRIP’s bed. T’POL reluctantly lets go. As he is rolled into the chamber, TRIP catches ARCHER’s eye and winks. The door slides shut behind him.)
(Fade out. Fade in on int. Armory. Crew is assembled around sunglasses case.)
ARCHER
I remember when we left spacedock the first time, ten years ago. I thought we were going to be bold explorers, going out to find new companions in the stars. The stars turned out to be a lot less friendly than we thought. Over the years we’ve fought Suliban, Xindi, Klingons, Romulans, the Orion Syndicate – we’ve lost a lot of good people out there. It hurt every time. But never – never like this. (Pauses. Reaction shot of crew. Some tears. T’POL barely holding it together. ) Trip was a good engineer, a good officer – and a good friend. I don’t know if we’d have made it through the past decade without him. (pauses again) I don’t know how I’m going to make it now. (ARCHER’s voice breaks, and he turns away.)
(The case proceeds slowly toward the torpedo launch tube, as a recorded orchestra plays “Amazing Grace”. Cut to ext. ENTERPRISE, where we see the case launch. It curves toward Earth below, apparently to impact in the middle of the trench cut through Florida by the Xindi Weapon. Fade out.)