Not On Your Life

Not On Your Life

"Well, this sucks." Trip Tucker was not happy. And the reason wasn't as apparent as it usually was, which caused his friend and Captain to wonder why he was so angry.

"What 'sucks'?"

"Everything."

Well, that's specific, Archer thought. "Could you be a little more vague?" he asked as they turned around the corridor.

"I…ne'er mind."

"Okay."

An awkward silence followed. Archer knew Trip, and he knew what was coming. In true Tucker form, his friend snapped after a few seconds.

"It's just so darn irritating. It's driving me crazy."

"Who's irritating?"

"Who do ya think?"

"So it is a person." Trip had nothing to say about his quite obvious slip. "What did T'Pol do now?"

"T'Pol? Who said anythin' 'bout T'Pol?"

"She's not the irritating one?"

"Not at the moment, no. Although she can be a real…"

"Let's not go there. So who's bothering you so much?"

"I don't think I'm gonna tell ya. I shouldn't have said anythin'."

"Probably not. Too late now, though…wait a minute."

"What?" It took Trip a second to realize Archer had stopped walking, but he stopped too, a step ahead of his friend in the corridor.

"I know who it is."

"Oh, yeah?" Archer folded his arms and gave Trip a look.

"Trip, Trip, Trip. I knew this was going to happen."

Trip was caught and he knew it. You an' yer big mouth, he thought, kicking himself for saying it out loud.

"I can't believe it, you actually...ugh." Archer stopped as his communicator beeped. He pulled it out and responded. "Archer here, go ahead." A British accented voice replied,

"Would you mind coming to the bridge for a moment, Captain? It's rather important."

"I'll be right there, Malcolm." He had been headed to Engineering with Trip, but now took the lift a few steps ahead of the pair. He walked quickly to the lift, Trip half-following him but knowing he had to keep going down the corridor. Archer turned as he stepped into the lift.

"You know what you're problem is?"

"What's my problem, Cap'n?"

"You have a crush on Hoshi." He smiled smugly as the door closed on Trip, who could do nothing but deny the somewhat truthful accusation.

"I do not!" he shouted absurdly at the closing door.

"Do not what?" a sweet feminine voice asked a few feet away.

"Gah! Hoshi." He tried to make the rest of his greeting normal. "How are you?"

"I'm alright, Commander."

"Ya know, I have a name."

"I know, Trip." She smiled sweetly at him and he thought he would die right then and there. She's an Ensign, stupid! But she's so beau…whoa! Don't even go there, buddy.

"Um…" his voice seemed to catch in his throat. "Did you…did you hear what the Cap'n said?"

"No, I only heard you say you…didn't…something."

"Oh…well, in that case, it's nothin'. Nothin'at all…" An awkward silence followed. The expression on Trip's face could have meant anything, and he knew it.

You look like an idiot. Stop standin' around an' get to work. He ended the silence before it could get any more awkward.

"I…have to go." He turned and walked away quickly, leaving a very puzzled Hoshi by herself.

That is one strange man, she mused. A very strange, very attractive man. Oh, come on, Hoshi, he's a Commander. She shook her head and continued in the opposite direction down the corridor.

Several hours after the uncomfortable event in the corridor, Hoshi came onto the bridge for her shift. Everything seemed mostly normal – Archer was pacing, T'Pol was inscrutably Vulcan as usual, Travis was happy, and Malcolm seemed nervous.

In fact, Malcolm seemed unusually nervous. Archer noticed at the same time Hoshi did, and commented on it.

"Malcolm, what's got you so nervous? Even for a tactical officer."

"I'm not a hundred percent certain the alien ship has stopped following us."

"What alien ship?" Hoshi queried.

"Escorted us out of their star system a few hours ago." Archer responded. "It seems we intruded on restricted territory. They had enough firepower to destroy us without a fight. Malcolm's agitation is understandable, but we've scanned for them repeatedly."

"That cloaking device of theirs…" Malcolm reminded.

Hoshi had a sudden idea. "Is that why Commander Tucker was so…nervous in the corridor?"

A look similar to Trip's look of consternation leapt to the captain's face. Uh oh. How much did she hear? This could be embarrassing.

"You saw Trip in the corridor?"

"Right after he yelled at you in the turbolift."

"Oh…did you…hear what I said?"

"No. Should I have?"

"No. You shouldn't have."

"Alright. Sir."

Archer looked incredibly relieved, and Hoshi could only wonder why. He shook it off, though, and had T'Pol scan for the ship again.

"There is no sign of any vessel within sensor range, Captain." T'Pol announced when she was finished the scan. With impeccable timing, the turbolift doors opened and Charles Tucker the Third strode in.

"Cap'n, T'Pol." He greeted them simply as he walked to his console. "Malcolm, Hoshi." He added as an afterthought.

Hoshi smiled and looked at him. He seemed to avoid her glance purposefully, but it could have been a coincidence.

"Any sign of our scaly friends?" Trip asked casually, and addressed to no one in particular. T'Pol took the question as directed towards her and answered negatively.

"Well ain't that a relief."

"Yes, yes it is." Archer said.