Hugh walked into engineering then came down the stairs. He ignored the sights of everyone else the room except for Paul. Paul was humming to himself tapping on the desk while on the screen was playing a old form of Earth entertainment. He walked over toward the desk. Paul looked over, then waved back at Hugh, "My dear doctor!" like an excited golden retriever had seen its playmate.
"Why did you lock me in our room, again?" Hugh asked, once Tilly exited engineering.
Paul looked up from the holographic screen toward his partner.
"Oh, right," Paul said. "I forgot about that." Hugh put both hands on the desk leaning forward raising an eyebrow.
"Humor me," Hugh said.
"I am used to being required to lock the the door," Paul said, his hands clasped together onto the table. "For your safety."
"You didn't have to lock me in our room yesterday," Hugh said.
"In the previous time loops," Paul said. "we were stuck in a thirty minute time loop. We spent more than a day in it," Hugh moved his way toward his partner's side. His left hand reached out for the scientists shoulder. "I saw you killed by Mudd. I saw Michael, Tyler, and Lorca die."
"Are you sure Saru did not die?" Hugh asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If he did, I never saw it," Paul said. "Sometimes, you died in sick bay. And the captain was there. So I decided to lock you up while in the mean time look for other ways to save you and everyone else. Just finding someone who could listen was difficult," he clenched his hands. "and do something about it."
"I am alive now," Hugh said, gently squeezing the man's shoulder.
"Every thirty minutes, I expect for time to restart itself and it doesn't," Paul said. "which is why I locked you in the bathroom accidentally."
Hugh looked down, fondly, affectionately toward Paul in a bemused manner.
"Well now," Hugh said. "it makes sense why you wanted to spoon me rather than me spoon you. And you didn't sleep last night."
"I did sleep last night," Paul protested.
"Your eyes say otherwise," Hugh said. "sleep it off," he sat on the edge of the table. "or else I am going to sit right here until you go."
"You would make great decoration for engineering," Paul said.
"You are on medical leave, and I am going to remind you every minute during that medical leave that I am here and not going to leave anytime soon," Hugh added, as a playful smile grew on the blonde's face. Paul took the doctor's hand below the line of sight as the desk blocked the sight and squeezed it.
"Lieutenant Rapp, you are in charge of engineering," Paul said, as he stood up from the chair.
"Yes, sir," Rapp said.
"Let's go," Hugh said.
"Where would you like to go first, my dear doctor?" Paul asked.
"I was thinking of a nice morning stroll down the hall," Hugh said, as they came up the stairs leading toward the doors.
The doors close behind the two husbands. Hugh had one hand on the center of Paul's back. They walked past Lorca and Tyler who were deep in discussion standing very close to each other shoulder to shoulder. Hugh and Culber made their direction in the direction of a closed doors. The doors opened then closed behind them. Ahead of them was a large bed set at the side of the room that took most of the room in the quarters. Culber unzipped his uniform walking right past Paul peeling his jacket away. He dumped it on to the chair in front of the computer. When he turned in the direction of Paul, Hugh saw the scientist laying in bed fast asleep on his side with part of his body on the floor. Hugh smiled at Paul. Hugh came to his husbands side then lifted him up into bed where he unzipped the man's jacket and put it to the floor. He scooted himself onto the bed with Paul and placed his hand on the man's waist.
The End.