“Doctor’s Orders” is episode sixteen of season three of Star Trek: Enterprise.
Enterprise is travelling through a nebula-like region, but it appears to be deserted. Then Porthos runs through the corridors, pursued by Dr Phlox. Porthos wants to go into the captain’s quarters, and jumps on the captain, who is unconscious on his bed with a device on his forehead.
Phlox is reading about dogs and commenting to Porthos. Phlox decides he needs a walk and dictates a letter to his friend, Dr Lucas, again. Lucas has returned home following the Xindi attack in which he lost colleagues. Phlox says that they have unsettling circumstances.
They encountered the phenomenon two days ago. T’Pol is talking to the captain, Reed, Trip and Phlox. She tells them it’s directly on their route to Azati Prime and sensors didn’t pick it up before because it wasn’t there before now. It’s similar to the phenomenon encountered in the previous episode, “Harbinger”. A transdimensional disturbance where space is being reconfigured and it will take at least two weeks to go around. They should still be able to cross safely.
Trip says that T’Pol said nothing from this universe could survive. T’Pol hands over to Phlox; the effects on the crew’s brains can be counteracted by putting them in a comatose state until they pass through. It will take less than an hour at warp 4. Trip is uncertain what will happen to warp, a reality bending drive in a region of bent reality, and would prefer impulse. It will take at least four days, which is faster than two weeks.
In the present, Phlox is narrating that he is immune to the effects of the crew, and is checking on them. Just in case, Travis and then Trip gave him some quick tutorials. Trip would prefer Phlox wake him if anything really goes wrong. If it’s him or the ship, choose the ship.
Captain Archer is the last one to be put under and he starts to say something. Phlox assumes that he will be giving the same argument as virtually every other senior officer, that he needs to stay awake. When the captain gets a word in, he says he knows that. What he wanted to say is there aren’t many people he’d turn responsibility for his people over to. Phlox is one of them.
After two days, Phlox states that things are still running well. There’s immediately a strange sound. He is looking forward to waking the crew.
Phlox is continuing with his activities when, whilst watching a film, he hears more sounds. He tells Porthos they don’t sound normal and he supposes he should investigate. He wants Porthos to come with. Phlox wonders if it’s just his imagination; he should never have let Mr Tucker talk him into watching The Exorcist last weeks.
Phlox tracks the sounds to the shuttlepod bay. It turns out to be a pipe and some chains. Then T’Pol scares the life out of him. She asks what he’s doing there; it’s movie night. Phlox says he could hear the sound from the mess hall. T’Pol asks Phlox if he’s alright. Well, T’Pol nearly gave him cardiac shock but that’s all apart from a slight headache since they entered the region. Maybe Vulcans and Earth canines are more adaptable. He invites T’Pol to join him for a movie. Or a meal.
Later, Phlox hears more sounds in engineering and sees a shape run off. He contacts T’Pol. It wasn’t her.
They dine in the galley; the mess hall is rather empty. T’Pol confirms she wasn’t in engineering and asks the doctor what he was doing there. It’s her responsibility. Phlox says it’s a large ship for two people to maintain and they’re supposed to be assisting. He could have sworn he saw someone in the room.
The ship is empty and creepy enough without taking other factors into consideration. Denobulans like crowds and two people isn’t even enough for a proper marriage according to Phlox. Being almost alone on a ship in a region of space where reality is being messed with does not help.