Part Eleven
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Some days later
Trip reached for a spanner and started tightening the washer.
"Ya know, this feels kinda weak," he called out. "You might end up- "
Crack! The washer broke and water started shooting out of the pipe. Trip grabbed a rag and stuffed it into the gap.
"-Havin' more problems with it," he finished, glancing up at Hoshi.
She handed him a towel and peered into the cavity behind her sink.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" she asked doubtfully.
Trip dried himself off with one hand, the other still stopping the gap in the water pipe. "Well, if you think I'm doin' such a bad job you could always call Maintenance."
"Why should I? You broke it!"
"I did not break it," Trip argued. "It broke itself while I was usin' it."
"Well that's a lot different,"
Trip wagged a finger at her. "Don't get cheeky with me, Ensign or I might just take my hand away from this pipe here. You know the Cap'n always wanted a swimming pool on board."
Hoshi just smiled at him and stood up. "How exactly are you going to fix the leak if you can't move your hand away?"
Trip looked from himself to the pipe to his tool box.
"Maybe I should get one of the boys from engineerin' down here."
"Uh huh," Hoshi agreed. "But don't you think they might wonder what you're doing here, in my quarters, in civvies, at this time of night?"
"It's none 'a their damn business!" Trip told her. "Can you hold this while I call 'em?"
"Yes, Commander," she said smoothly.
"Don't start with me, Hoshi," he grinned at her, making his way to her communicator. "Tucker to Engineerin'," he spoke into it.
"Go ahead, sir," he heard Hess reply.
"We've got a small problem up on E deck, Lieutenant, can you send someone up right away? Ensign Sato's quarters."
"I'm sorry – where, sir?"
"Hoshi Sato's quarters. E Deck."
There was a noticeable pause.
"Er, yes, sir – Ballard's on his way."
"Thank you," Trip cut her off. He stared at Hoshi. "Well, I think we made her night."
Hoshi didn't respond straight away.
"My hands going numb," she said at last.
Trip moved over to help her.
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"I think I've patched things up okay, Ensign, Commander," Crewman Ballard announced. "But I'd get on to Maintenance first thing in the morning. Plumbing's not really my strong suit," he smiled.
"Well, it seems you and the Commander have something in common," Hoshi smiled back. Trip rolled his eyes.
Ballard went to pack up his things.
"Strange how these things always seem to happen at the worst times," he chattered. "My shower went last week when I was on early shift. And here you are, Ensign, late at night, with guests round and all –"
"Ah, that's enough, Crewman," Trip cut him off. "I think you should be getting' back to Engineerin', don't you?"
"Yes, sir," Ballard replied, trying to hide a smile.
"And, Robert?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Just 'cos you're on the night shift doesn't mean I want you guys slackin' off down there. There's no time for gossipin', you hear me? I want all of those system relays replaced by 0900."
"Yes, sir," Ballard replied, less jovially. "Goodnight, Ensign."
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"Trip? You dried off a little since last night?" Archer asked, handing Trip a cup of coffee.
"Oh, you heard about that?"
Archer smiled. "Ensign Ballard came to my quarters too last night."
"Did he? I take it he didn't keep his mouth shut? S'pect the whole crew's gossipin' about us by now."
"I suggested that he kept certain things to himself, a small amount of discretion not being too harmful to a Star Fleet officer, but all the same, I think it might be better if you were to stay out of Hoshi's quarters when you're off duty."
"Well, with all due respect, Cap'n, I don't think that's any of your business," Trip said, surprised.
Archer looked up. "Are we going to have a problem here, Trip?" he asked.
"Well, I guess that depends on what you're askin' me to do," Trip answered carefully.
"And that really depends on what you're already doing," Archer said curiously. "This is more serious that I thought, isn't it?"
Trip looked at his captain carefully. "I think so," he admitted.
"Well," Jonathan let out a deep breath. "Well!"
"You already said that," Trip told him.
"You think this thing with Hoshi is going somewhere?" Jon asked seriously.
"I don't know, Cap'n, not for sure. But right now I can't see any reason why not."
"Can't you? I can think of a couple," Archer said, almost under his breath. But he looked up at Trip and smiled. "But, if you can keep things… discreet, then I'm happy to let you keep your business… your business. Is that okay with you?"
"I can live with that," Trip nodded. "Thank you, Cap'n,"
"You're welcome, Trip."
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"Hoshi! Come join us," Travis Mayweather called out across the Mess Hall. Hoshi, seeing Travis and Ensign Suzie Green sitting together, smiled at the pair and went to join them.
"Hi, guys, good lunch today?"
"Good as ever," Travis smiled. "You're late though."
Hoshi rolled her eyes. "Oh, T'Pol had me doing endless diagnostics on the translator this morning. She felt there must have been a malfunction after she insulted that customs officer at the conference last week."
"But she really insulted him, right?" Suzie asked eagerly. "Please tell me she made a mistake!"
"Sorry," Hoshi smiled. "You can't blame T'Pol – or the translator as it happens. Turns out he was from a very patriarchal race - he didn't really care for any female treating him as an equal. Luckily the captain decided to fill us in on that fact after the third diagnostic. You know, if I didn't know better, I'd say the captain was teasing the sub-commander."
Travis looked up at Hoshi. "Well, we've both spent enough time on the bridge to know that wouldn't happen," he drawled. Hoshi smiled.
"You know, I reckon that custom's guy would've done okay here on Enterprise," Suzie mused. "I mean, we're not a million miles away from a patriarchal society ourselves here."
"Hey! Enterprise isn't all that bad!" Travis appealed.
"Isn't it?" Hoshi asked.
"Take today for example," Suzie explained. "I spent the whole morning checking all the night shift work, while Ben Samson, who, I might add has six months less seniority than me, spent the morning helping and joking with Commander Tucker – and it's not the first time. Just because I can't understand some stupid football game anyway, I get relegated to all the boring stuff."
"Wait a minute, Suzie, that's not a great example. Trip wouldn't do something like that just because you were a woman, I'm sure." Hoshi protested, before she thought.
"Trip? Since when do you call Commander Tucker 'Trip'?" Travis asked, surprised.
Hoshi paused a minute. Oh crap.
"Doesn't everybody?" she asked lightly.
"And since when have you started defending any of them anyway?" Suzie said accusingly. "We've always complained to each other about all the stuff Ensign's get lumbered with, why've you suddenly changed your tune?"
"Look, guys, I'm just… I just had a bad morning, okay? I'm sorry. I've really got to be somewhere now – I'll see you guys later."
Hoshi made a hasty exit, leaving a surprised pair of ensigns behind in the mess hall.
"I wonder…" Suzie began.
"Wonder what?" Travis asked.
"There was a rumour going round engineering today. Apparently Commander Tucker was in Hoshi's quarters late last night. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but now…" she trailed off.
Travis just stared at her.
"What? Hoshi and the commander? No, somehow, I don't think so."
"Why not? She's always had a crush on him!"
"Since when?"
"Jeez, men are blind! Since always!"
"Nah, I still don't believe it."
"Well – we'll see, won't we?"
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