Trip's Letter, Chapter Two
Consciousness slowly returned to the still form lying on the biobed.
Warm … alive? … antiseptic … alive. Letter!!
Jerking upright, Trip rolled off the bed, body tangling in the thermal blanket covering him enough so he fell to the floor. Getting up, he barely caught himself as his knees buckled. He stumbled out the Sickbay doors, his befuddled brain only thinking about getting to that letter before Hoshi read it.
Holding onto the bulkhead for support, Trip desperately tried to remember exactly what it was he had said. He recalled Malcolm urging him to tell her how he felt, but what did he say? Vague prayers were sent up in desperate hope. He couldn't face her if she had seen it. A pretty girl like that would just laugh at him.
"Trip!"
He spun at Archer's voice, nearly losing his balance, body and mind still not in synch. Arms reached out to steady him, strong arms … and soft hands. Looking up he saw Hoshi standing next to Jon.
"Ya read it, didn't ya? Ah'm sorry Hoshi, Ah was drunk! Ah didn't mean it."
His worse fears were confirmed as her face paled and she recoiled from him. She hates me … Trip watched as she turned and fled down the corridor.
"What just happened?" Archer slid a shoulder under Trip's arm and helped him back to Sickbay, the younger man stumbling as his legs didn't want to do the same thing his brain did.
"Where's Malcolm?!" Trip's voice was frantic.
"Phlox released him two hours ago. He'll be fine." Easing Trip onto the bed, Archer took a step back and crossed his arms, looking at him. "Now you want to tell me what that all about?"
Trip pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Malcolm and I had found that bottle of bourbon you left in there, and we were sittin' around talkin' about … well, anyway, I had mentioned how much I … admired Hoshi, and Malcolm urged me t' record a message for her, tellin' her how I felt."
Archer nodded, remembering the letters he and Hoshi had found in the shuttle's log memory. There were quite a number from Malcolm to various women, and one to Hoshi from Trip.
"So I did. But you know how I get when I'm drunk, Jon …"
Archer did. The overly sentimental engineer got rather maudlin with a few drinks under his belt.
"But for the life of me I don't remember what I said. Probably somethin' that'll get me hauled up on sexual harassment charges …"
"Let me find out what I can, Trip." Leaning over, Archer picked up the thermal blanket and spread it over the exhausted man. "Get some sleep and we'll talk in the morning."
"Ok, Jon …" followed him out the Sickbay doors.
Walking down the corridors, Archer looked for Hoshi and thought about Trip's predicament. It couldn't have been that bad … He recalled giving Hoshi some privacy on the shuttle to listen to the short message, when he had come back her cheeks were pink and she wore a small, secret smile.
He found her in the mess hall, eating a second slice of amaretto chocolate cheesecake. Uh oh, not good. Hoshi's captain and friend had learned to read her mood by what kind of cheesecake she was eating at the time: fruit if she was happy, any kind of chocolate if she was sad or upset.
"Hoshi." Sitting down, Archer watched her toy with the last few bites.
"Captain."
"You need to talk to Trip."
"I don't think so."
"I think you'd want to hear this."
"Is that an order?"
"I'd rather it be advice taken from a friend, but if it has to be, then yes, it's an order."
"Tomorrow, my cabin, after my shift. Sir." Hoshi got up, leaving the mangled remains of her cheesecake.
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"You sure 'bout this, Capt'n?" Trip stood in front of Hoshi's door, shifting from foot to foot. He was obviously nervous.
Not bothering to answer, Archer rang the chime. The door slid open instantly to show Hoshi, still in her uniform, an impassive expression on her face. She turned, walking back into the cabin. Trip just looked after her.
With an almost imperceptible sigh, Archer pushed Trip forward and shut the door. Taking a folded piece of paper from his pocket, he taped a 'Do Not Disturb' sign up on smooth metal in front of him.
Whistling, he walked down the corridor.
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Trip watched as Hoshi sat down in front of her desk. Feet together, back straight, face serene; the only hint that she was upset was how tightly her hands were clenched together.
"Hoshi, I … I'm not real sure what I said in m' letter t' you. We had gone from thinkin' you all dead, t' realizin' you were alive, t' thinkin' that we wouldn't make it back t' you. So we cracked open a bottle of bourbon and started drinkin'. I mentioned how much I … held you in esteem, and Malcolm suggested I record a letter for you."
I was pretty drunk by that time, I could have told you where m' secret still was, or given you m' mother's recipe for fried catfish for all I know. I seem t' remember spilling m' guts t' you, I'm sure I said some things that I didn't mean, and I'm sorry for it. I just wish I knew what I said."
Hoshi untwisted her hands; reaching over she put a data chip in her computer. A drunken Southern drawl filled the room.
"Hi Hoshi, it's me, Trip. I, umm … well … the thing is … Hosh, you mean the world t' me. I'm sorry I never told you, it was cowardly, but I guess I just couldn't get up the nerve. You're so beautiful, and you're getting' braver everyday …
A smile of relief spread over Trip's face as the message finished. "That wasn't as bad as I thought."
Hoshi took out the data chip, pressing her lips together. "And you didn't mean any of it?" Her voice wavered, and Trip looked aghast.
"No, Hoshi!" He fell to his knees in front of her. "I meant every word, and more. I thought I had said some stupid guy thing about the size of your … well, you know, the stuff guys say when they're drunk and lonely." A smile tugged at the corners of Hoshi's mouth and Trip gently turned her head toward him.
"Can I make it up t' you? Have dinner with me tonight and let me sweep you off your feet?"
The smile came out full force. "Ok. Wait!" she added, as Trip went to pull her out the door.
Picking up the data chip, Hoshi took out a small box from a drawer and put the chip in it.
"You saving it?"
"Mmm hmm. And I expect you to fill it with more love letters."
"Hoshi!" Trip's jaw dropped. "That chip holds at least a terabyte!"
"Then you better get started."
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Finis