CHAPTER 6
**************
The entire next day, Trip hid in his office. His outburst was now the topic of many conversations on board. He hoped that despite his ears burning from the gossip, that the crew had been able to keep the sorted details away from the Captain's ears. That was all he needed. . . to have to explain to Jon why he nearly instigated a fight with Malcolm.
His staff, who were all aware that he was in a foul mood, had opted to not bother him, unless it was something serious. Occasionally, one of them would stand at his door, listening for movement and hoping that he was going to be alright. Even Cher, on 2 occasions, had attempted to look in on the commander, but was met with a resounding "Go away!"
Cher had lingered around his office in anticipation of a confrontation between Trip and T'pol. She was surprised when, at the end of the day, T'pol had not come to speak to Trip. Maybe she still had some work to do to convince T'pol that the Commander was indeed jealous and therefore was harboring deep feelings for her.
That evening, she nonchalantly wandered around Enterprise in search of the Vulcan. She was not in the messhall. She was not in her quarters. She was not in the gym. She eventually used the comm to locate T'pol.
It was Doctor Phlox who had responded to the call. "Yes. Are you looking for the Subcommander?"
"Ah. . . Doctor, is T'pol there?"
"Yes, but we are quite busy right now. If it is not urgent, could you wait to speak to her in the morning? She is helping me with a science project at the moment."
Cher could not think up a good reason for going to Sickbay to talk to her. "Sure, it can wait."
Breathing a sigh of relief, she realized that this was why T'pol had not presented herself earlier in the day. Since she would not be able to accomplish her next task until the next day, she returned to her quarters and promptly went to bed. She would be able to get a good night sleep for the first time in days.
"If that's okay with you? . . ."
***************
T'pol had finished in Sickbay, a few hours earlier than expected, so was now walking around Enterprise, trying to make sense of the events of the previous few days. She now found herself standing in front of the doors of Commander Tucker's quarters. It took her 10 minutes before she finally decided to push the doorbell. She needed to confront him, or else suffer the consequences of yet another night of ineffective meditation and vivid dreams.
A gruff "Come in," was heard. T'pol keyed in the entrance code, and stepped in seconds after the doors slid open.
The room was lit only with a low voltage bedside lamp. He was lying on top of his sheets, wearing the same clothes as he did that evening in the gym - however, this time they were clean. His hands were behind his head and his eyes were focused on the ceiling.
"So, what do you want?" he asked impatiently.
"Commander, we must discuss your behavior over the last few days. I am concerned that you are not well." T'pol spoke cautiously, cognizant of the fact that he may have another outburst if provoked.
He propped himself up on his elbows, and furrowed his eyebrows. "Me? Well, what about you? I just thought that you would be able to control yourself better."
T'pol remained bewildered. "Mr. Tucker, I am behaving normally." Exasperation could be detected in her voice.
Trip now sat up, and swung his legs around the side of his bunk, such that he was facing T'pol. "Guess my definition of 'normal' differs from yours."
The conversation was not progressing as she had hoped, just a lot of rhetoric but no concrete answers. She resolved to ask the question that had been ruminating in her head. "Mr. Tucker, are you envious of my relationship with some of the members of this crew?"
Trip's eyes lit up, and a smirk formed on his lips. "So, there is more than one? Didn't think that Mal would appreciate that all that much. Although he is the love 'em and leave 'em type, I didn't think he would be attracted to the same."
"More than one what? And, what does Lieutenant Reed have to do with this?"
"Ah, gawd, T'pol. I'm no fool. And, I'm definitely not blind."
"I would appreciate it if you would clearly express what you mean!" Her voice was now slightly raised, as her impatience was beginning to surface.
"You're sleepin' with him, and god knows who else! And, you're flauntin' it all over this ship! Does Jon know, or is he also part of the package?"
T'pol was taken aback by his assertion. She considered slapping him, but maintained her control, at least physically. Emotionally, she was starting to wear thin. "What business is it of yours?"
"You're not denying it, then?"
"For your information, Mr. Tucker, I am not engaged, nor have I ever been engaged, in sexual relations with members of this crew!"
"Yeah, right. That's not what I've heard, or seen. They're even talking about it at Starfleet Academy! Ensign Woodhouse was kind enough to tell me all about it."
T'pol paused for a moment. "Commander, I can not believe that you would take any stock in rumors."
"Oh, there's more. I did see you cozying up to Malcolm in the messhall, and then -"
"Lieutenant Reed and I were discussing a proposed self-defense course, which was suggested by Miss Woodhouse. If you had arrived a few moments earlier in the messhall, you would have seen that she had been sitting at our table as well. Actually, it was she who was with the Lieutenant."
Trip looked at her in disbelief. He got up and crossed the room to get to his personal computer. He quickly found what he was looking for, and motioned to T'pol to read what it now displayed.
As she read, T'pol became progressively more confused, and almost even angered by the letter. The explicit nature of its content would have made most humans blush. If Trip didn't know better, he would have sworn that her cheeks now shone with a copper patina.
"Commander, someone has perpetrated a falsehood. Not only have I never seen this correspondence, but the situations that are described have never occurred." She stepped backwards, until she was next to his bed. Then, she sat down as if she were physically exhausted. "Do you believe that the Lieutenant would have orchestrated such a malicious lie?"
Given the sincerity of her disavowal, Trip was overwhelmed by feelings of relief, confusion, anger, and guilt. "I'm so sorry T'pol. I can't believe that I let myself believe all of this." He took a seat next to her. "When I first heard the rumors, I was shocked. But Ensign Woodhouse pointed out things that made me believe her in the end."
"And, where did you get this letter?"
"I'm not too sure. I thought that Malcolm had forwarded it to me, just to show that he was the one to get the girl in the end." Trip lowered his eyes, hoping that T'pol would not read more into his statement.
"I am suspicious that there is more to this than just a prank. Was there anyone present when you happened upon this?"
"Come to think of it, I did look up to find the Ensign grinning at me. It was almost as if she knew what I was thinking at that moment." Trip gave T'pol a big smile. "I wonder what she's really up to."
"Well, Mr. Tucker, we will just have to watch her attentively."
Trip nodded in agreement. "So, what do we do now?"
"I must meditate, so that I may devise a plan. I will contact you in the morning." T'pol stood up and walked towards the exit. She paused to say, "Maybe we should continue to behave as we have these last few days, so as to not arouse suspicion," before the doors slid shut.
Trip felt a wave of relief swell up inside him. Was it because he and T'pol were now 'friends' again? Was it because they were going to work together to figure out just what Cher was up to? Was it because Malcolm was not involved with T'pol? Or, was it because T'pol seemed to have missed the fact that he indeed had been jealous?
TBC . . . .
**************
The entire next day, Trip hid in his office. His outburst was now the topic of many conversations on board. He hoped that despite his ears burning from the gossip, that the crew had been able to keep the sorted details away from the Captain's ears. That was all he needed. . . to have to explain to Jon why he nearly instigated a fight with Malcolm.
His staff, who were all aware that he was in a foul mood, had opted to not bother him, unless it was something serious. Occasionally, one of them would stand at his door, listening for movement and hoping that he was going to be alright. Even Cher, on 2 occasions, had attempted to look in on the commander, but was met with a resounding "Go away!"
Cher had lingered around his office in anticipation of a confrontation between Trip and T'pol. She was surprised when, at the end of the day, T'pol had not come to speak to Trip. Maybe she still had some work to do to convince T'pol that the Commander was indeed jealous and therefore was harboring deep feelings for her.
That evening, she nonchalantly wandered around Enterprise in search of the Vulcan. She was not in the messhall. She was not in her quarters. She was not in the gym. She eventually used the comm to locate T'pol.
It was Doctor Phlox who had responded to the call. "Yes. Are you looking for the Subcommander?"
"Ah. . . Doctor, is T'pol there?"
"Yes, but we are quite busy right now. If it is not urgent, could you wait to speak to her in the morning? She is helping me with a science project at the moment."
Cher could not think up a good reason for going to Sickbay to talk to her. "Sure, it can wait."
Breathing a sigh of relief, she realized that this was why T'pol had not presented herself earlier in the day. Since she would not be able to accomplish her next task until the next day, she returned to her quarters and promptly went to bed. She would be able to get a good night sleep for the first time in days.
"If that's okay with you? . . ."
***************
T'pol had finished in Sickbay, a few hours earlier than expected, so was now walking around Enterprise, trying to make sense of the events of the previous few days. She now found herself standing in front of the doors of Commander Tucker's quarters. It took her 10 minutes before she finally decided to push the doorbell. She needed to confront him, or else suffer the consequences of yet another night of ineffective meditation and vivid dreams.
A gruff "Come in," was heard. T'pol keyed in the entrance code, and stepped in seconds after the doors slid open.
The room was lit only with a low voltage bedside lamp. He was lying on top of his sheets, wearing the same clothes as he did that evening in the gym - however, this time they were clean. His hands were behind his head and his eyes were focused on the ceiling.
"So, what do you want?" he asked impatiently.
"Commander, we must discuss your behavior over the last few days. I am concerned that you are not well." T'pol spoke cautiously, cognizant of the fact that he may have another outburst if provoked.
He propped himself up on his elbows, and furrowed his eyebrows. "Me? Well, what about you? I just thought that you would be able to control yourself better."
T'pol remained bewildered. "Mr. Tucker, I am behaving normally." Exasperation could be detected in her voice.
Trip now sat up, and swung his legs around the side of his bunk, such that he was facing T'pol. "Guess my definition of 'normal' differs from yours."
The conversation was not progressing as she had hoped, just a lot of rhetoric but no concrete answers. She resolved to ask the question that had been ruminating in her head. "Mr. Tucker, are you envious of my relationship with some of the members of this crew?"
Trip's eyes lit up, and a smirk formed on his lips. "So, there is more than one? Didn't think that Mal would appreciate that all that much. Although he is the love 'em and leave 'em type, I didn't think he would be attracted to the same."
"More than one what? And, what does Lieutenant Reed have to do with this?"
"Ah, gawd, T'pol. I'm no fool. And, I'm definitely not blind."
"I would appreciate it if you would clearly express what you mean!" Her voice was now slightly raised, as her impatience was beginning to surface.
"You're sleepin' with him, and god knows who else! And, you're flauntin' it all over this ship! Does Jon know, or is he also part of the package?"
T'pol was taken aback by his assertion. She considered slapping him, but maintained her control, at least physically. Emotionally, she was starting to wear thin. "What business is it of yours?"
"You're not denying it, then?"
"For your information, Mr. Tucker, I am not engaged, nor have I ever been engaged, in sexual relations with members of this crew!"
"Yeah, right. That's not what I've heard, or seen. They're even talking about it at Starfleet Academy! Ensign Woodhouse was kind enough to tell me all about it."
T'pol paused for a moment. "Commander, I can not believe that you would take any stock in rumors."
"Oh, there's more. I did see you cozying up to Malcolm in the messhall, and then -"
"Lieutenant Reed and I were discussing a proposed self-defense course, which was suggested by Miss Woodhouse. If you had arrived a few moments earlier in the messhall, you would have seen that she had been sitting at our table as well. Actually, it was she who was with the Lieutenant."
Trip looked at her in disbelief. He got up and crossed the room to get to his personal computer. He quickly found what he was looking for, and motioned to T'pol to read what it now displayed.
As she read, T'pol became progressively more confused, and almost even angered by the letter. The explicit nature of its content would have made most humans blush. If Trip didn't know better, he would have sworn that her cheeks now shone with a copper patina.
"Commander, someone has perpetrated a falsehood. Not only have I never seen this correspondence, but the situations that are described have never occurred." She stepped backwards, until she was next to his bed. Then, she sat down as if she were physically exhausted. "Do you believe that the Lieutenant would have orchestrated such a malicious lie?"
Given the sincerity of her disavowal, Trip was overwhelmed by feelings of relief, confusion, anger, and guilt. "I'm so sorry T'pol. I can't believe that I let myself believe all of this." He took a seat next to her. "When I first heard the rumors, I was shocked. But Ensign Woodhouse pointed out things that made me believe her in the end."
"And, where did you get this letter?"
"I'm not too sure. I thought that Malcolm had forwarded it to me, just to show that he was the one to get the girl in the end." Trip lowered his eyes, hoping that T'pol would not read more into his statement.
"I am suspicious that there is more to this than just a prank. Was there anyone present when you happened upon this?"
"Come to think of it, I did look up to find the Ensign grinning at me. It was almost as if she knew what I was thinking at that moment." Trip gave T'pol a big smile. "I wonder what she's really up to."
"Well, Mr. Tucker, we will just have to watch her attentively."
Trip nodded in agreement. "So, what do we do now?"
"I must meditate, so that I may devise a plan. I will contact you in the morning." T'pol stood up and walked towards the exit. She paused to say, "Maybe we should continue to behave as we have these last few days, so as to not arouse suspicion," before the doors slid shut.
Trip felt a wave of relief swell up inside him. Was it because he and T'pol were now 'friends' again? Was it because they were going to work together to figure out just what Cher was up to? Was it because Malcolm was not involved with T'pol? Or, was it because T'pol seemed to have missed the fact that he indeed had been jealous?
TBC . . . .