Title: Doors of Friendship
Author: StormieNight
Rating: PG-13
Code: R/S
Category: Angst
Spoilers: Affliction
Summary: Hoshi visits Malcolm in the brig
Disclaimer: If I owned Enterprise, then it wouldn't be cancelled.
Author's Note: During Affliction when Malcolm is in the brig.

Doubling back on her steps, Hoshi changed from her civilian clothes back into her Starfleet uniform. She needed to make sure that Malcolm knew that she was a Starfleet officer as well as a friend.

"Captain Archer has to authorise all visits to the prisoners," the MACO politely told her as she approached the brig door. On cue, she produced the PADD with her orders from Archer and the door slid open.

"If there are any problems," the MACO told her, "Just call out. We'll be right in."

She gave him a sympathetic smile, grateful that he was going to remain outside of the brig if she needed him. Why she would need him she couldn't imagine, but she had now learned not to assume with Malcolm Reed.

She walked softly over to the left cell, observing the steady rise and fall of his chest. He's asleep, she concluded, better to come back later. Turning around to leave, she let out the breath that she had been unconsciously holding. Malcolm's breathing changed.

Shit.

"Leaving so soon?" she heard his muffled voice from behind. Turning back to face him, she clenched her fist.

"Oh, I didn't realise that you were awake," she replied evenly, forcing her voice still as she held her thumb on communications button.

"Not much to do here than sleep and think," he answered bluntly, accusation in his voice. But it wasn't directed at her.

The conversation fell silent, before she remembered why she was there. At least one of the reasons she was there. Malcolm punctured the pause first.

"Did the Captain send you?" he asked with a sense of hope in his eyes that was quickly extinguished. "Of course he did, otherwise you wouldn't be here. I suppose he thought that a friendly face would pry out the information that he knows I can't disclose." The sarcasm dripping from his voice reminded Hoshi of the Malcolm she used to know, the one with the dry wit and subtle sense of humour.

The Malcolm Reed that she had known was a lie, she told herself again.

"I'm sorry Malcolm," she said before being able to stop herself. Shocked at her admission, she looked back at him for a reply.

He gave a small chuckle, and then smiled at her.

"I knew that you would find out. I've always told you that you are an amazing communication officer. So I am the one who should be sorry for putting you in that situation." He glanced over that the sleeping Klingon in the cell next to him.

Hoshi tried to smile, but felt it was impossible. She had lost a friend, and she had been the one to betray him.

My thoughts to your thoughts…

Hoshi felt herself feel unusually mundane waiting for the mind meld to start.

"Nothing's happening."

Then, it came. A voice. She was back at the restaurant.

But she was distracted as she went through the motions. She kept on remembering the communication that Malcolm had received in the Armoury.

"There," she told T'Pol, pointing towards the spot where they were attacked.

She wouldn't have noticed it if it wasn't re-routed so unusually. For a message from Starfleet Command, it was going through a lot of jumps to get to a recipient. Having a few spare minutes, she sent a quick information request to Starfleet Command.

Her message went through directly. No jumps at all.

Curious, she began following Malcolm's message.

T'Pol's voice came back. She recognised the language immediately.

"Come with us. It's Rygellian," she told the Captain, before looking at back at T'Pol. T'Pol was giving her an unreadable look.

Hoshi knew that she was the reason that T'Pol had been so quick to accuse Malcolm, and to have Archer order her to double check her work. If she hadn't noticed that small communications discrepancy, then no-one would be any wiser of Malcolm's deception.

"Why did you do it?" she asked. "You can at least tell me that." Barely audible, she added, "I trusted you."

He looked pained and strangely vulnerable.

"I suppose you want some noble answer, that I was protecting my family or had an old girlfriend being held hostage. I did it because I am a cowardly bastard who was stupid enough to think that my obligations could ever end. I did it because otherwise my friends might find out who I really am. And in my deluded mind, I thought I was helping people." Shaking his head, he concluded, "A load of good that did."

Hoshi wanted to say something comforting, but was conflicted by an urge to slap him. Because of him, she had lost two of her friends, one deep inside Klingon territory and the other replaced by another man right in front of her.

She turned to leave.

"Hoshi!" he called out behind her. It was a desperate plea. She kept walking, determined to recover her friends. She just wasn't sure how.