Title: Red Jello

Author: ZensoParadox

Rating: G

Summary: RS friendship. Hoshi and Malcolm discuss Travis when they think he is dead. Missing scene from Deadstop, Season 2, mild spoilers.

Disclaimer: The characters belong to Paramount. This fiction was written solely for personal enjoyment.

RED JELLO

Malcolm Reed extinguished the lights and left only the desk lamp for illumination in the quarters. He sat in the darkened room thinking of snow, Tandaran prisons and red jello. All of these thoughts were tied to one man, their helmsman, Travis Mayweather.

Reed's heart was heavy as he considered the man's youth, the senseless death and the loss of a friend. The Lieutenant had spoken briefly with Captain Archer, but now couldn't bring himself to leave as he considered what he would say in eulogy. Perhaps he could pan that off on Hoshi; she was so much better at words than he was.

As if called by his thoughts, Hoshi entered the cabin and closed the door. Malcolm turned in his chair and saw her walking slowly toward him. She didn't say a word; she just put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it tightly.

"What were you thinking?"

"Snow, the Tandaran prison," Malcolm hesitated but couldn't prevent the light smile on his face, "and red jello."

Realization dawned on Hoshi and she lightly punched Malcolm's shoulder, "You helped Travis set that up, didn't you?"

"We were in the mess hall when Travis began describing some of the different life forms he'd encountered. He began to point to the food selections to illustrate."

"Why the red jello?" Hoshi asked.

"Travis had gotten the strawberry jello and for some reason it kept wiggling, falling off his spoon, sliding around as if it were alive. He started talking to the lump saying, 'Stop that!' and 'Come back here!'"

"That sounds just like Travis," said Hoshi with a wistful smile.

"I finally used my best command voice and ordered the jello to stay put--and it did. Travis didn't have any more trouble with it."

"I didn't realize you had such keen linguistic talents, Lieutenant."

"Neither did I, but I think intimidating foodstuff is my limit. Anyway, we began discussing how you probably could have talked the jello into cooperating with one word."

"And decided to test this on me in reality." Hoshi nodded her head; it sounded just like her boys. "Whose idea was it to put it in decon?"

"Oh, that was entirely Travis. I just distracted Doctor Phlox so he could get it into decon."

Malcolm gave her one of his full smiles and that's when they both noticed they had tears looming in their eyes. Hoshi squeezed her eyes shut and felt his arms go around her. She leaned into him, drawing comfort.

"I'm going to miss him so much, Malcolm!"

"So will I, Hoshi, so will I."

~~~~~

Hoshi and Malcolm smiled at the helmsman who had been recovered from the alien repair station. Her voice was light and joyful as she finished, "...and just to show you how happy we are to see you alive, we've brought a special surprise for your dessert."

Travis gave them his trademark grin and rubbed his hands in anticipation. "What is it?"

Malcolm brought the plate forward. It held a heart-shaped form of red jello. Travis laughed, pointed his finger at the gelatin and said, "Stay."

"Good command voice, don't you think, Ensign?" asked Malcolm of Hoshi.

"Monosyllabic, but articulate," agreed Hoshi. Then she and Malcolm made squeaky noises of "No, don't eat me!" as their friend attacked the hapless jello heart.

But words could not express their relief in having their friend back with them.

*****

Author Notes:

Mild spoilers for Deadstop. 2 pages. Written July 1, 2003, and posted at LD.

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