A Charming Match
Chapter Six- We All Wear Masks
Hoshi's Quarters
Malcolm woke up first thing the next day and looked at the time. When he realized it was 0700 he emphatically spoke, "Buggers."
Then, as if on impulse, he looked down at the sleeping form next to him and said, "Hoshi. Hoshi its time to wake up. We have to be on the bridge in one hour." Truth be told, he was in no rush to remove himself from his current position. She looked so beautiful while she slept.
She moved but only to mumble and snuggle closer to Malcolm. She took a deep breath and settled back down.
Malcolm shook his head. 'My thoughts exactly.' Then he began running his fingers down her face very lightly. "Wake up, come on. It's time to get up."
When that didn't wake her he leaned over and touched his lips to hers, barely brushing them together. She reached up her hand to his cheek, opening to the kiss.
When they broke she looked at him a said, "Now that was something to wake up too."
He sat up and pulled her with him, then looked at her and sighed.
"Do you have to go?" she asked. "Yes....what am I saying. Of course you do."
They got up and walked to her door and, just before he stepped out, he wrapped an arm around her waist and one in her hair and gave her one final kiss, where anyone could see.
When he let go, she looked at him and asked, "What was that for?"
"I just really wanted to do that. Tonight for dinner, my quarters?" And with that he left for his quarters to get dressed for his shift.
"Perfect, I'll be there at 1930 hours." Hoshi blindly went about getting ready, then went to the turbo lift and headed for the bridge. When she got there, the captain looked at her strangely. Then smiled.
Bridge
She was the first one there for her shift and she was a full ten minutes early. That was unusual, but he wouldn't have noticed anything strange if it hadn't been for the fact that she had forgot to put her hair back in her usual ponytail.
He left it alone since it wasn't hurting anything. He would tease her later.
When Malcolm walked in two minutes later, he smiled at Hoshi- then obviously noticed her hair because he went over to her and spoke in and low voice to her, and her expression changed from a smile to shocked amusement as she quickly pulled a tie out of her pocket and pulled her hair back.
Captain Archer watched this whole scene out of the corner of his eye, while pretending to read reports from T'pol. He was glad to see Hoshi and Malcolm happy, and they both seemed deliriously so.
At about 1100 the captain told Hoshi it was time to go. She quickly looked at Malcolm and he spoke up. "Are you sure I can't convince you to take at least one security officer with you?"
The captain looked back and said, "Malcolm, it's just lunch. What can go wrong? We'll be back in two hours."
The Freighters Mess Hall
Lunch was simple, sandwiches and juices from a number of different worlds including Earth and Vulcan. The sandwiches were nice, but the juices tasted very strange.
They were very gracious. "We really appreciate the chance to call home. Most of us haven't seen home in over ten years," Their captain began. "It was appreciated. I have missed my daughter. She is taking courses at Starfleet; she wants to be an engineer. She used to plague my engineering team day and night with questions and requests, and she learned to fix burnt relays before she turned ten years old."
The conversation was constant and interesting, but about thirty minutes into lunch Captain Archer started feeling a little queasy. After ten minutes Hoshi could easily tell. "Are you okay captain?"
"Yeah, just a little queasy. I guess the juices didn't sit too well."
"Would you like to go to the medical bay? The doctor could give you something," Captain Harrison suggested.
"I think that might be a good idea. Hoshi, will you be okay for awhile?" Archer asked on his way out.
"I'll be fine. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
"No, I'll be all right. You just stay here."
She didn't want to stay, but she would because she had no way of finding her way back to Enterprise. About ten minutes later, she heard the door open and smiled, thinking it would be the captain coming back.
What she saw she was not prepared for. She was looking right into her own face, and when the mirror image of herself began to speak she recognized the voice as that of the young woman who had raised her suspicions back on the enterprise. "Hello Hoshi, and goodnight."
The next thing she felt was like a fiery fist in her stomach. She had pulled out a weapon of some kind and shot Hoshi in the abdomen. As she fell to the floor, she thought of Malcolm, and how he was right all along.
The freighters medical bay
They reached the medical bay in no time, and their doctor helped him onto a table while he looked over some readings on his monitors. As soon as the Enterprise was notified, they sent doctor phlox to come get him. He was extremely sick by this time, so they felt it was better if he was back on Enterprise.
When Malcolm and doctor phlox arrived in the medical bay to help the captain back to enterprise, Malcolm automatically looked for Hoshi. When he didn't find her, he asked, "Where is Hoshi?"
Captain Harrison turned to him and told him, "She stayed in the mess hall. She should still be there, I'll show you where that is."
"Thank you."
Mess Hall
When Malcolm walked in he found Hoshi staring at the stars through the view port. He felt a quick flash of relief that she was found.
"Hoshi? Were going back to the ship, the captain has taken ill."
"Okay, I hope he's all right."
They followed captain Harrison to the airlock and said there goodbyes.
Somewhere on the freighter
When Hoshi awoke, she had no way to tell how much time had passed but she did know that her abdomen hurt where she had been shot. She tried to sit up, but the pain that shot through her body made her scream.
She managed to pull herself upright, but couldn't stand. From what she could tell she was in a cargo hold, and not a very well used one if the dust was any indication.
She thought of the woman who looked like her and probably now sounded like her, and then of Malcolm. Would he be able to tell the difference?
She nearly cried when she thought of her date with Malcolm tonight, then she smiled at the thought of this mimic missing the date, that would make Malcolm suspect. She just hoped he didn't get hurt.
Enterprise: the infirmary
Three hours later, long after the ship had separated from the freighter, Doctor Phlox was re-checking his scanners and shaking his head.
The doctor had finished his examination and was beginning treatment He did not like his findings. He went over to the wall COM link. "Phlox to T'pol,"
'Yes doctor.'
"I would like to have a word with you and Lieutenant Reed."
'I will be right there, doctor.'
"Thank you sub-commander. Phlox to Lieutenant Reed."
'Yes doctor, what can I do for you?'
"Please come down to sick bay. I need to speak with you."
Five minutes later when T'pol and Malcolm walked in, Captain Archer was awake, but still slightly queasy. The doctor was studying the display on his monitor.
After a few seconds the doctor looked up at T'pol and Malcolm and said, "Please come here."
The doctor didn't have his usual beaming smile stuck on his face. He took one more scan of Archer before he began speaking to all three of them. "I found high amounts of poison in Captain Archer. it was concentrated in his stomach."
T'pol's brow furrowed, Malcolm looked frustrated and the captain asked, "You mean something was put in my food?"
"Yes, and within the last two hours."
Malcolm took that moment to break in. "We should check to see if Hoshi has been poisoned too, and then we should find the freighter immediately."
Archer wondered how much of Malcolm's anger was frustration with himself that he hadn't been a good security officer, and how much was worry over Hoshi.
T'pol spoke for the first time since entering the room. "Do you have any idea why they would want to poison you?"
"No, I don't, but I mean to find out just as soon as we find them. Get to the bridge and set a course. I'll be up there as soon as possible."
Hoshi's quarters
She sat there thinking how easy it had been to fool the humans. Any minute now, they would be calling to ask if she felt sick.
'Phlox to Ensign Sato'
She walked over to the com system. "Yes doctor, how's the captain?"
'He is resting now, we were wondering if you felt all right. It has been determined that the captain was poisoned.'
She feigned shock, "Ohhh my god. Will he be all right?"
'Yes, he will be fine in a few hours.'
"That's good, I feel fine doctor. I'll call you if I have any problems."
'Thank you Ensign.'
Like she said earlier, "All to easy."
Chapter Six- We All Wear Masks
Hoshi's Quarters
Malcolm woke up first thing the next day and looked at the time. When he realized it was 0700 he emphatically spoke, "Buggers."
Then, as if on impulse, he looked down at the sleeping form next to him and said, "Hoshi. Hoshi its time to wake up. We have to be on the bridge in one hour." Truth be told, he was in no rush to remove himself from his current position. She looked so beautiful while she slept.
She moved but only to mumble and snuggle closer to Malcolm. She took a deep breath and settled back down.
Malcolm shook his head. 'My thoughts exactly.' Then he began running his fingers down her face very lightly. "Wake up, come on. It's time to get up."
When that didn't wake her he leaned over and touched his lips to hers, barely brushing them together. She reached up her hand to his cheek, opening to the kiss.
When they broke she looked at him a said, "Now that was something to wake up too."
He sat up and pulled her with him, then looked at her and sighed.
"Do you have to go?" she asked. "Yes....what am I saying. Of course you do."
They got up and walked to her door and, just before he stepped out, he wrapped an arm around her waist and one in her hair and gave her one final kiss, where anyone could see.
When he let go, she looked at him and asked, "What was that for?"
"I just really wanted to do that. Tonight for dinner, my quarters?" And with that he left for his quarters to get dressed for his shift.
"Perfect, I'll be there at 1930 hours." Hoshi blindly went about getting ready, then went to the turbo lift and headed for the bridge. When she got there, the captain looked at her strangely. Then smiled.
Bridge
She was the first one there for her shift and she was a full ten minutes early. That was unusual, but he wouldn't have noticed anything strange if it hadn't been for the fact that she had forgot to put her hair back in her usual ponytail.
He left it alone since it wasn't hurting anything. He would tease her later.
When Malcolm walked in two minutes later, he smiled at Hoshi- then obviously noticed her hair because he went over to her and spoke in and low voice to her, and her expression changed from a smile to shocked amusement as she quickly pulled a tie out of her pocket and pulled her hair back.
Captain Archer watched this whole scene out of the corner of his eye, while pretending to read reports from T'pol. He was glad to see Hoshi and Malcolm happy, and they both seemed deliriously so.
At about 1100 the captain told Hoshi it was time to go. She quickly looked at Malcolm and he spoke up. "Are you sure I can't convince you to take at least one security officer with you?"
The captain looked back and said, "Malcolm, it's just lunch. What can go wrong? We'll be back in two hours."
The Freighters Mess Hall
Lunch was simple, sandwiches and juices from a number of different worlds including Earth and Vulcan. The sandwiches were nice, but the juices tasted very strange.
They were very gracious. "We really appreciate the chance to call home. Most of us haven't seen home in over ten years," Their captain began. "It was appreciated. I have missed my daughter. She is taking courses at Starfleet; she wants to be an engineer. She used to plague my engineering team day and night with questions and requests, and she learned to fix burnt relays before she turned ten years old."
The conversation was constant and interesting, but about thirty minutes into lunch Captain Archer started feeling a little queasy. After ten minutes Hoshi could easily tell. "Are you okay captain?"
"Yeah, just a little queasy. I guess the juices didn't sit too well."
"Would you like to go to the medical bay? The doctor could give you something," Captain Harrison suggested.
"I think that might be a good idea. Hoshi, will you be okay for awhile?" Archer asked on his way out.
"I'll be fine. Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?"
"No, I'll be all right. You just stay here."
She didn't want to stay, but she would because she had no way of finding her way back to Enterprise. About ten minutes later, she heard the door open and smiled, thinking it would be the captain coming back.
What she saw she was not prepared for. She was looking right into her own face, and when the mirror image of herself began to speak she recognized the voice as that of the young woman who had raised her suspicions back on the enterprise. "Hello Hoshi, and goodnight."
The next thing she felt was like a fiery fist in her stomach. She had pulled out a weapon of some kind and shot Hoshi in the abdomen. As she fell to the floor, she thought of Malcolm, and how he was right all along.
The freighters medical bay
They reached the medical bay in no time, and their doctor helped him onto a table while he looked over some readings on his monitors. As soon as the Enterprise was notified, they sent doctor phlox to come get him. He was extremely sick by this time, so they felt it was better if he was back on Enterprise.
When Malcolm and doctor phlox arrived in the medical bay to help the captain back to enterprise, Malcolm automatically looked for Hoshi. When he didn't find her, he asked, "Where is Hoshi?"
Captain Harrison turned to him and told him, "She stayed in the mess hall. She should still be there, I'll show you where that is."
"Thank you."
Mess Hall
When Malcolm walked in he found Hoshi staring at the stars through the view port. He felt a quick flash of relief that she was found.
"Hoshi? Were going back to the ship, the captain has taken ill."
"Okay, I hope he's all right."
They followed captain Harrison to the airlock and said there goodbyes.
Somewhere on the freighter
When Hoshi awoke, she had no way to tell how much time had passed but she did know that her abdomen hurt where she had been shot. She tried to sit up, but the pain that shot through her body made her scream.
She managed to pull herself upright, but couldn't stand. From what she could tell she was in a cargo hold, and not a very well used one if the dust was any indication.
She thought of the woman who looked like her and probably now sounded like her, and then of Malcolm. Would he be able to tell the difference?
She nearly cried when she thought of her date with Malcolm tonight, then she smiled at the thought of this mimic missing the date, that would make Malcolm suspect. She just hoped he didn't get hurt.
Enterprise: the infirmary
Three hours later, long after the ship had separated from the freighter, Doctor Phlox was re-checking his scanners and shaking his head.
The doctor had finished his examination and was beginning treatment He did not like his findings. He went over to the wall COM link. "Phlox to T'pol,"
'Yes doctor.'
"I would like to have a word with you and Lieutenant Reed."
'I will be right there, doctor.'
"Thank you sub-commander. Phlox to Lieutenant Reed."
'Yes doctor, what can I do for you?'
"Please come down to sick bay. I need to speak with you."
Five minutes later when T'pol and Malcolm walked in, Captain Archer was awake, but still slightly queasy. The doctor was studying the display on his monitor.
After a few seconds the doctor looked up at T'pol and Malcolm and said, "Please come here."
The doctor didn't have his usual beaming smile stuck on his face. He took one more scan of Archer before he began speaking to all three of them. "I found high amounts of poison in Captain Archer. it was concentrated in his stomach."
T'pol's brow furrowed, Malcolm looked frustrated and the captain asked, "You mean something was put in my food?"
"Yes, and within the last two hours."
Malcolm took that moment to break in. "We should check to see if Hoshi has been poisoned too, and then we should find the freighter immediately."
Archer wondered how much of Malcolm's anger was frustration with himself that he hadn't been a good security officer, and how much was worry over Hoshi.
T'pol spoke for the first time since entering the room. "Do you have any idea why they would want to poison you?"
"No, I don't, but I mean to find out just as soon as we find them. Get to the bridge and set a course. I'll be up there as soon as possible."
Hoshi's quarters
She sat there thinking how easy it had been to fool the humans. Any minute now, they would be calling to ask if she felt sick.
'Phlox to Ensign Sato'
She walked over to the com system. "Yes doctor, how's the captain?"
'He is resting now, we were wondering if you felt all right. It has been determined that the captain was poisoned.'
She feigned shock, "Ohhh my god. Will he be all right?"
'Yes, he will be fine in a few hours.'
"That's good, I feel fine doctor. I'll call you if I have any problems."
'Thank you Ensign.'
Like she said earlier, "All to easy."
