Trip rested his head against the wall. So much had changed. Jon, the ship,
everything that he had seen so far was different. Maybe coming back hadn't
been the best thing to do.
He sighed. The guards wouldn't even talk to him. Jon had said that he would come to talk to him again today.
Just as he thought that, the door opened with a swish. Trip waited as the visitor talked with the guards then approached.
"Hoshi?!" he exclaimed, rising off the bed.
She smiled at him. How he had missed her smile. Her wonderful smile lit up her eyes, her face, everything. On the planet, before he had changed the timeline, he had seen her body. Without the smile. It had killed him inside, knowing the one he loved would no longer smile.
But here she was now, alive and well.
"Hello, Trip." she said, her voice a melody to him.
He walked to the door of the cell, so that he could be closer to her. She hadn't aged a day. Her black hair was still radiant, her face unmarred by time. She looked like the one out of time, not him.
"Hoshi... I've missed you." he said, struggling to speak.
"I've missed you too." she said, lifting her hand to tuck a wayward piece of hair behind her ears.
It was then he noticed it. The ring that sat on her finger, gleaming in the light of the brig. He caught his breath and struggled to stay standing.
"Are you all right, Trip?" she asked, worry lining her voice.
"I'm fine." he replied, steadying himself.
There was a moment of silence between them, the years of separation evident in the air.
It was Trip who finally spoke. "How have you been, Hosh?" he said, for a lack of a better subject.
She smiled once again, although this time it was different, sad almost. "I've been good. Life's been kind to me, for the most part."
"That's good." Trip said, the mood once again becoming awkward.
Hoshi cleared her throat softly, as if preparing herself for what she had to say next. "Look, Trip." she started, looking him straight in the eye, "Times have changed."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She looked down at the floor. "I thought...I thought you were dead. I saw your body Trip, and I couldn't..couldn't believe it." She looked back up, and Trip saw the tears glistening in her eyes.
"Hosh-"
"No." she said, interrupting him. "I have to finish this. I loved you Trip, and you loved me. Then you died, and...and I couldn't take it. You left me Trip, left me alone." At this, the tears started to fall.
"Oh Hoshi..." He moved right to the edge of the cell and reached his hands past the tritanium bars. He touched her arm, and reached for her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said, moving away from him, "I have to go." She turned and left the brig without another word.
Trip fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes.
He sighed. The guards wouldn't even talk to him. Jon had said that he would come to talk to him again today.
Just as he thought that, the door opened with a swish. Trip waited as the visitor talked with the guards then approached.
"Hoshi?!" he exclaimed, rising off the bed.
She smiled at him. How he had missed her smile. Her wonderful smile lit up her eyes, her face, everything. On the planet, before he had changed the timeline, he had seen her body. Without the smile. It had killed him inside, knowing the one he loved would no longer smile.
But here she was now, alive and well.
"Hello, Trip." she said, her voice a melody to him.
He walked to the door of the cell, so that he could be closer to her. She hadn't aged a day. Her black hair was still radiant, her face unmarred by time. She looked like the one out of time, not him.
"Hoshi... I've missed you." he said, struggling to speak.
"I've missed you too." she said, lifting her hand to tuck a wayward piece of hair behind her ears.
It was then he noticed it. The ring that sat on her finger, gleaming in the light of the brig. He caught his breath and struggled to stay standing.
"Are you all right, Trip?" she asked, worry lining her voice.
"I'm fine." he replied, steadying himself.
There was a moment of silence between them, the years of separation evident in the air.
It was Trip who finally spoke. "How have you been, Hosh?" he said, for a lack of a better subject.
She smiled once again, although this time it was different, sad almost. "I've been good. Life's been kind to me, for the most part."
"That's good." Trip said, the mood once again becoming awkward.
Hoshi cleared her throat softly, as if preparing herself for what she had to say next. "Look, Trip." she started, looking him straight in the eye, "Times have changed."
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She looked down at the floor. "I thought...I thought you were dead. I saw your body Trip, and I couldn't..couldn't believe it." She looked back up, and Trip saw the tears glistening in her eyes.
"Hosh-"
"No." she said, interrupting him. "I have to finish this. I loved you Trip, and you loved me. Then you died, and...and I couldn't take it. You left me Trip, left me alone." At this, the tears started to fall.
"Oh Hoshi..." He moved right to the edge of the cell and reached his hands past the tritanium bars. He touched her arm, and reached for her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said, moving away from him, "I have to go." She turned and left the brig without another word.
Trip fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes.