Doctor ' s Orders ( episode ) In order to traverse a trans - dimensional disturbance safely , Phlox must put the rest of the crew in stasis and pilot " Enterprise " himself . Summary . Teaser . is moving very slowly through a pinkish - purple cloud . The warp nacelle s are inactive . On board , there is nobody on the bridge , in engineering , in the mess hall , or even in the corridor s , apart from Porthos , who is being chased by Doctor Phlox . Porthos stops , but only because he ' s got to where he wants to be ; he paws at one of the crew quarter doors . Phlox suddenly understands , and lets him in . In the cabin , Porthos jumps up onto the bed to look at Captain Archer , who is lying there unconscious , with a small silver disc on his head . Act One . Phlox and Porthos are in Phlox ' s cabin , discussing why Porthos keeps trying to go back to see the captain . Phlox discovers on his PADD that dog s are very territorial , and that a dog called " Scruffers " once traveled three thousand kilometer s to get back to see his master . Phlox tells Porthos that he has heard of a Pycan space moth that traveled half a light year , but that it probably didn ' t have a name . Phlox takes Porthos for a walk , meanwhile dictating a letter to Dr . Jeremy Lucas via the PADD . They arrive at the galley , where Phlox gets some leech es to eat , and gives one to Porthos , claiming he probably won ' t like it but that his intestinal tract will be thoroughly cleansed . Phlox then continues his letter , musing about his assignment to " Enterprise " . Two day s earlier , " Enterprise " first encountered a trans - dimensional disturbance , the " cloud " which the vessel is currently in . It is similar to another phenomenon the craft encountered . However , this one is different , because it has only just started forming . It is also on a direct path between the ship and Azati Prime . To avoid several weeks of a detour , T ' Pol suggested going through the disturbance . Dr . Phlox explained how he would need to put all the crew members into a coma , though Commander Tucker was extremely reluctant about this proposal . He suggested that they should cross the disturbance at impulse , rather than risk the unpredictable effects of warp drive in the disturbance . Despite Tucker ' s lack of enthusiasm for Phlox ' s plan , Captain Archer agreed to it . Visiting Travis Mayweather – who is also in a coma , with a metallic , disc - shaped medical monitor on his forehead – Phlox continues his letter , saying that his own physiology is sufficiently different from the Human s ' that he won ' t be affected by the disturbance , so he volunteered to oversee the wellness of the crew . Phlox then received basic training in the running of the ship , including helm and engineering operations . He also assured Captain Archer about the plan , thinking Archer was having second thoughts , though the captain clarified that he already trusted Phlox with his forthcoming supervisory role , a vote of confidence he was thankful for . In engineering , Phlox hears something odd , but finds nothing . He continues his letter , saying he ' ll be relieved when he can wake the crew , in another two days , sixteen hour s , and forty - three minute s . Phlox is jogging through the corridors of " Enterprise " , singing a song in Denobulan . ( ) He walks into sickbay , appearing naked , and apologizes to his animal s because he ' s late for their feedings . Later , in the mess hall , Phlox is watching " The Court Jester " , a 1956 movie , with some popcorn . Suddenly , he hears something odd . Phlox looks at Porthos as if to check to see if the dog heard it , then goes to see if he can find out what it was he heard , though Porthos is at first hesitant to accompany him . Walking through the deserted corridors , Phlox tells Porthos that he shouldn ' t have let Tucker talk him into watching " The Exorcist " last week . Then , he hears a sound again , and tracks it to launch bay one , where Porthos runs away from him . Phlox looks up and sees a small gas leak , which is rattling a chain . Suddenly , T ' Pol appears behind Phlox , startling him . Phlox voices a rhetorical question to T ' Pol , asking if they are on a starship or in a haunted house . Eager for some company , he invites her to dinner later , which she accepts without much enthusiasm . Back in engineering , Phlox is running one of the routine operations that Tucker showed him when he hears , and this time sees , a shadowy figure running away on one of the upper platforms . Angrily frustrated , Phlox calls T ' Pol on the intercom , presuming it must have been her , and compares her to a Draxxan cloud viper . However , she claims to be on the bridge . Act Two . Phlox and T ' Pol are in the galley , where Phlox prepares a meal that his fifth grandmother made for each of his weddings . Apparently , can never get it right and was lacking in his Plomeek broth skills as well , an opinion Phlox and T ' Pol agree on . Phlox talks to T ' Pol about how crowded his homeworld is , not by necessity but by choice , because Denobulan s enjoy living in large groups . For him , being alone on the " Enterprise " has been unsettling , but T ' Pol has found it to be a welcome respite . T ' Pol doesn ' t eat or drink anything during the meeting . While back in sickbay again and then wandering through the corridors , Phlox continues his letter to Dr . Lucas , talking about how much he misses Denobula . He visits Captain Archer to give him a check - up , and is startled by a shadowy form that he sees on the hull , directly outside the window in the captain ' s quarters . Frightened , he calls T ' Pol . In the situation room , they discuss " Enterprise " s sensor s , which have found no unaccounted lifeform s aboard " Enterprise " nor any alien ships nearby . Phlox is unconvinced but T ' Pol simply advises him to catch up on his sleep . Phlox continues with his rounds , only to find a Xindi - Insectoid in Ensign Sato ' s quarters . He is chased by the Xindi through the corridors and sees the silhouette of a second Insectoid that pursues him until he gets to an airlock , in which he traps himself until the Xindi move away , having apparently given up . From inside the airlock , Phlox contacts T ' Pol , reporting that the Xindi are on board " Enterprise " . In the ship ' s armory , Phlox relays news of the incident to T ' Pol , who is very skeptical of his account . He meanwhile arms himself with a phase - pistol that he , after loading , offers to T ' Pol . Although she doesn ' t take the weapon , he insists on searching the entire ship , with or without her help . Act Three . Phlox is conducting the shipwide search , T ' Pol with him . The areas they search include a set of crew quarters and a cargo bay . By the time they have searched four decks and are walking through a corridor together , T ' Pol has become very vocal about her doubts that they will find anything out of the ordinary . Despite using a scanner to look for other lifeforms , Phlox almost shoots Porthos by mistake . This leads to an argument between Phlox and T ' Pol , who starts to get uncharacteristically angry with him . Adamant that he will prove he is not hallucinating , Phlox leaves her . In an adjoining corridor , he hears Ensign Sato calling him over the com system . When Phlox reaches Sato ' s quarters , she is in a steaming shower . He sees , as she emerges from the shower , that she is grossly disfigured . Sato blames him for her condition and reminds him that the crew were under his care . Stumbling from her bathroom , Phlox looks back and then sees Sato lying peacefully on her bed . No - one is actually in the bathroom and the shower is turned off . Phlox calls T ' Pol with a request for her to meet him in sickbay . En route , Phlox opens a turbolift door but is shocked to find Archer apparently standing inside the turbolift . As the captain seems unconcerned about Phlox having claimed to have witnessed Xindi outside the ship , Phlox realizes " Archer " is actually another illusion . This belief is proven when T ' Pol meets Phlox in the corridor , momentarily distracting him , and he looks back to see there is no - one else there . Back in sickbay , Phlox – having scan ned his own brain – notifies T ' Pol that the scan shows he ' s been subtly affected by the disturbance as well , and has in fact been hallucinating . Phlox considers handing over control of the ship to T ' Pol , but she refuses after she admits she ' s been having trouble controlling her emotions due to the trans - dimensional disturbance and could become irrational . On the bridge , they discover that they ' re still over a quarter of a light year from the edge of the disturbance , although they should have been out of it by now . If they continue at impulse , it will take them another ten weeks to get out of the phenomenon . Act Four . In the situation room , Phlox struggles to understand why the ship is still in the trans - dimensional disturbance . T ' Pol concludes that the phenomenon must be expanding at an accelerated rate . She insists they engage the warp drive . In engineering , T ' Pol is exceptionally unhelpful , because she is finding it too difficult to concentrate on anything . Although Phlox has a dozen scientific degrees , none of them are in warp field propulsion . Since T ' Pol can ' t help , she essentially advises Phlox to instead " read the manual " about how to engage the warp drive . Phlox is momentarily distracted by another hallucination , this time of Tucker reminding him about his warning not to engage the warp drive inside the disturbance . A few minor problems with the warp reactor briefly cause T ' Pol to advise Phlox to awaken the real Tucker so he can help , regardless of the fact he will consequently die due to exposure to the disturbance . Finally , Phlox manages to take the ship to warp two and stabilize the vessel . Once the ship is out of the trans - dimensional disturbance , Phlox wakens Archer , commenting there were " only a few minor glitches " during the transit . Phlox additionally reunites Porthos with the captain . T ' Pol and Phlox subsequently walk through a corridor with Commander Tucker , who is feeling slightly light - headed due to having eaten no food during the past four days . After Phlox recommends Tucker to " " get to the mess hall " " , Tucker dutifully departs , having had no interaction with T ' Pol . She offers to help rouse the still - comatose officers but Phlox politely declines her assistance and instead arranges to walk her to her quarters . There , Phlox finds that T ' Pol too has been unconscious in her quarters the whole time , and realizes that he has actually hallucinated her presence during most of the journey through the disturbance . Having realized large portions of his letter to Dr . Lucas are obviously fictitious , Phlox admits in the letter that he has therefore considered deleting the document but has concluded it might nonetheless prove " entertaining " , a statement he uses to end the letter . Phlox joins T ' Pol at a table in the mess hall , bustling with officers who have since been awakened . She relays to him that Tucker has complimented the way Phlox supervised the ship . Whereas she suspects he enjoyed being alone on " Enterprise " , he mentions he was not as alone as he had expected . Meanwhile , " Enterprise " is still warping toward its Azati Prime destination . Memorable quotes . " " I ' d be better off talking to my Pyrithian bat . " " " " Bangs , squeaks , rattling chains . . . is this a starship or a haunted house ? " " " " Are you alright , Doctor ? You seem somewhat agitated . " " " " Would you mind not creeping around the ship like a Draxxan cloud viper ? " " " " My fifth grandmother made this for each of my weddings . Chef ' s tried to prepare it , but he never gets it quite right . " " " " Yes , his plomeek broth leaves something to be desired as well . " " " " I always thought so , but , uh , I was afraid to mention it . " " " " Being alone on " Enterprise " – just the two of us – has proven more stressful than I imagined . Two people aren ' t even enough for a Denobulan marriage – a proper one , anyway . " " " " I ' m sorry I haven ' t been better company . " " " " Get away from her ! " " " " I ' m not delusional ! " " " " Are you certain ? As I recall , you once told Ensign Sato that it ' s considered healthy for Denobulans to hallucinate . It ' s how you release stress . " " " " I ' m fine ! " " " " You nearly shot the captain ' s dog ! " " " " I ' m a physician , not an engineer ! " " " " The procedures for restarting the reactor are in the database . " " " " You ' re suggesting I read the manual ? ! " " " " How are you feeling ? " " " " A little woozy . " " " " I ' m not surprised , you haven ' t eaten anything in four days . Get to the mess hall ! " " " " Aye , aye , doc . " " " " I ' ll assist you in waking the others . " " " " Oh , that won ' t be necessary . I appreciate the offer , but , uh , you need some rest . Let me walk you to your quarters . " " " " Doctor ' s orders ? " " " " Commander Tucker was complaining that it will take him days to realign the warp coils . " " " " Yes , he gave me quite a talking to . " " " " He also said , and I quote , ' Phlox did one hell of a job . ' " " " " You must have enjoyed having the ship to yourself . " " " " It wasn ' t nearly as empty as I anticipated . " " Links and references . References . antimatter constrictor coil ; Beagle ; canine ; ; class C gravimetric field distortion ; coma ; ' ; Delphic Expanse ; Denobula ; deuterium ; dilithium matrix ; Draxxan cloud viper ; Earth ; ' ; galley ; Giacomo ; hand scanner ; haunted house ; horse ; hull plating ; impulse manifold ; intestinal tract ; ion storm ; Kaybin District ; kilometer ; Klingon , ancient ; leech ; ; magnetic constriction coil ; millicochrane ; movie database ; neocortex ; neurochemistry ; neuro - sedation ; parsec ; particle confinement ; pestle ; physiology ; plasma relay ; plomeek broth ; popcorn ; Pycan space moth ; Pyrithian bat ; San Francisco ; scientific degree ; Scruffers ; sir ; spatial - compression index ; Starfleet training ; theta wave s ; T ' Pol ( illusory ) ; trans - dimensional disturbance ; unnamed red giant ; Vulcan s ; warp coil ; warp field ; Xindi attack ; Xindi - Insectoid