Hoshi walked down the quiet corridors of Enterprise yawning and rubbing sleep out of her eyes. Just past two in the morning, the only sound was the hum of the engines. She had the hallways to herself, which was just as well, seeing as how she couldn't keep from smiling and doing silly little bounces on her toes. Who would've thought just WALKING would feel so nice?

Opening the door to the mess hall, she squinted into the dimness, trying to see if anybody else was around.

"Well hi, you're up!"

Hoshi looked around, smiling wider when she saw Trip sitting at the table nearest the door. She clasped her hands behind her back, feeling suddenly shy.

"Hi yourself," she said as she walked over. "Been waiting long?"

"Little bit. I tried to hang around for a while after I woke up, but Phlox kicked me out for bein' in the way and told me to go eat something or else he'd put me under again."

"Yeah, he said you'd be here."

Hoshi thought 'He watched me sleep,' and Trip thought 'She asked where I was.' And they knew what the other knew, and smiled, and didn't need to say it.

"Need any help with that?" Trip asked as she picked up a small bowl of sliced fruit from the dispenser.

"I think I'm okay." Balancing a fork on top of the bowl, she gingerly walked over to where Trip sat, and slid gratefully into a chair next to him. "What're you eating?" she asked. And then blinked at him. "Wait a minute, HOW are you eating? What about.."

Grinning, Trip held up a hand with a dramatic flourish. When Hoshi looked closely, she could see a transparent sheen covering it.

"Pretty neat, huh?" He banged his hand on the table, and at her surprised laugh said "They're shockproof, waterproof, practically indestructible."

"Is it.."

"Uncomfortable as all get out? You bet. But Phlox says I'll only need to wear 'em two days and the bones'll be all set. Beats the hell out of wearin a cast for months on end."

Curious, Hoshi reached out and touched his hand. The surface was smooth and cool, more like metal than plastic. She slid her palm down to where it ended at his wrist. Holding her fingers on the warmth of his skin for a moment, she risked a glance up at his face. He was looking at her so intently she blushed and looked down.

"So how DO you eat with that on?"

Trip shook his head as if to clear it, and laughed. "Here, check this out.." He carefully set one hand close to the plate, and used the other hand to nudge a grape on top of it. Grinning, he lifted it to his mouth and ate it just before it could fall. Hoshi applauded.

"Pretty impressive," she said, grinning back as she lifted her fork. And then almost dropped it. "Sorry," she said with a lopsided smile. "Dr. Phlox said there'd be some lingering effects. My fingers are all weird. I have to sort of stare at them and think hard about what I want them to do." She shook her head as she concentrated on spearing some pears with the fork. "It's like trying eat with puppets."

Puppet. He paused, looking at her, a half smile on his face, watching her eat. She looked up and caught him watching.

"What?" she said.

He started, looked sheepish for a second, and smiled as he reached for the glass. "Nuthin. Just..no, nuthin." He nudged the glass over to himself, but couldn't quite figure out how to pick it up, it kept sliding through his fingers.

"Here," she said, plucking a straw from beside her plate. She put it in his glass, and held it so he could reach it.

Closing his lips on it, he smiled around the straw, and she smiled back, leaning her chin on her hand while she watched him.

End (To be continued.)