You guys are right; Trip isn't the nicest guy in the world. But he'll get back his optimistic self, so long as you don't mind some friction for a bit.
I was looking at this fic, saw it had three chapters and almost fell over. Need to update!
Is anyone else starting to think too many of the guys on Enterprise like T'Pol and/or get all salved up by her? Psh. What about poor Hoshi?
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He was being an ass. Malcolm Reed knew it, but he just couldn't help himself. When he saw Commander Tucker leaving Hoshi's quarters, every nerve in his body was on fire. He knew he had to keep his temper from flaring up so damn often, but whenever he saw Hoshi, that thought was just thrown right out the window. Hoshi and Commander Tucker? That made it impossible to keep his temper in check. It was no wonder that Commander Tucker snapped at him every time they confronted one another, he wasn't very agreeable either.
He could only thank the heavens Hoshi hadn't seen him. He could imagine the berating he'd get if the ensign had witnessed him scolding the commander. The armory officer would be down on his knees begging her forgiveness, and he'd done that more than enough in the past few days.
He knew that he had absolutely no chance with the ensign. He'd just have to bury any feelings he thought he may have. After all, nothing had really happened. It wasn't him that fell in love; it was some poor guy that died centuries ago. The thought should have made it easier to extinguish those feelings, but it didn't. Malcolm could see that the others were having a hard time, too. Every time he got near Hoshi, she seemed uncomfortable and Trip, well, who knows what the hell went on in Trip's brain. Each time T'Pol entered the bridge, he saw Ensign Mayweather wince and occasionally touch his neck. At least Reed knew he wasn't the only one affected.
"Lieutenant?"
Malcolm nearly jerked as Captain Archer's voice shook him from his thoughts. A glance up told him the entire bridge crew was staring at him. He suddenly wondered just how much he had missed while he was lost in thought. "Yes, Captain?"
"What do your scans of the alien ship show?"
"I can't scan past the outer hull, sir. I can't tell a thing."
The Captain drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair, obviously mulling over the possibilities. "We can't see into or hail the ship. Reed, Sato, -- "
"Captain," Sub-Commander T'Pol cut in, "I strongly advise against boarding the vessel. They may not wish to have visitors."
"I'm aware of that, Sub-Commander. I still want you, Lieutenant Reed, Ensign Sato and Commander Tucker over there. Those people may need our help."
The Vulcan raised a 'brow. "Then I suggest Doctor Phlox also accompany us."
"If there are wounded, I most certainly will send him. Now, go to the shuttlebay and get this mission underway."
Lieutenant Reed caught the nervous glance that Hoshi sent him. She suddenly didn't seem to quite know what to do, and the blood appeared to be slowly draining from her face. He pushed her from his mind and focused on the task at hand -- protecting the away team from whatever hostile alien might be on that ship.
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I'm going to have a heart attack, Hoshi thought as she slowly started to enter the shuttlepod, universal translator in hand and the two men she wanted to avoid most in the galaxy standing right in front of her. If she managed to not get a nervous breakdown halfway through the away mission, it would be a complete miracle.
Now she had to get in that cramped little shuttlepod and go to some alien vessel with two warring men and a seemingly oblivious science officer. It was not, she knew, going to be a fun experience. Trip and Malcolm were already starting to eye each other and it didn't make her any more comfortable knowing that each of them had a phase pistol ready for shooting.
She knew that they were eyeing each other up, though they dare not say a thing in front of T'Pol. Hoshi's eyes shut as the shuttle left the shuttlebay, praying that everything would go fine. The aliens on the ship would be alive and healthy and she'd be so busy trying to have a conversation with them that she wouldn't even notice Trip and Malcolm. That's what would happen.
But things never went her way, did they? Instead of entering a bright, cheery environment once the shuttlepod was docked, the only lights came from sparking conduits and emergency lights. There were also, to both her relief and disappointment, no aliens around. Alive or dead.
"I'm reading no lifesigns. But the unusual composition of the ship may be interfering with my scans." T'Pol's voice cut into the eerie silence of the ship. The Ensign somehow doubted that there were any living beings other than themselves aboard the ship.
"Don't worry," a southern drawl murmured by her ear, "you'll get to talk to someone. Told ya that last night."
A weak smile was forced upon the linguist's lips. The scent of cologne invaded her senses, making her dizzy and giddy at the same the time. She could barely keep her breathing to stay regular, as shaken up as she had suddenly become. Opening her mouth, she could only muster up enough voice for a quiet, "Thanks, Trip."
She was incredibly thankful that Lieutenant Reed was busy jumping ahead of everyone, pointing his phase pistol around every corner, rather than paying the slightest bit of attention to her. If she could only say that much for Commander Tucker.
"This ship is a mess. Hoshi, can you figure out where engineerin' is?" The engineer was standing next her once again, making her feel on the verge of passing out.
"That is where we are going, Commander." The linguist didn't even have a chance to reply, T'Pol had beaten her to the punch. She heard Trip grunt and walk off as he got the response.
Minutes of walking had lead them into what seemed like a cargo bay, rather than the engineering section of the ship. T'Pol lingered behind the small away team, an eyebrow raised and reading her scanner as she tried to figure out where they had gone wrong. It was just then an explosion rocked that area of the ship. Bulkheads shot out from the walls, plating dropped from the ceiling and fires sprung up all over the corridor.
Smoke clogged the air. Hoshi couldn't see a single thing beyond a foot or two in front of her. There was debris everywhere and she had lost sight of the rest of the away team. "Sub-Commander?" She called, receiving no response in return, "Commander Tucker? Lieutenant Reed?"
"Where are you, Ensign? I can't see a bloody thing in this mess. I thought someone said this ship looked structurally sound..." Relief flooded her as she heard Lieutenant Reed's accent coming from somewhere behind her.
"Well, I'm sorry, Lieutenant. It's hard make an exact guess when someone's scans can't scan a damn thing!" The engineer's voice was tinged with agitation, and that was all Hoshi needed at the moment: two argumentative men.
She wouldn't have much time to decide whether she should cower or snap at the two, as a piece of metal flipped off the wall and came directly towards her. The linguist didn't see it coming at her until it was too late. She fell to the deck below, unconsciousness clouding her mind and pain lancing through her skull. Why can't away missions ever go as planned? was the last thing Hoshi wondered before she blacked out.