.
"Malcolm?" Hoshi softly asked Malcolm as briefly stopped kissing.
"Yes?" he murmured.
"What about the rules?"
"I'll go to that Captain and explain that if there are any problems, I might become so frustrated that I scramble the 'stun' and 'kill' settings on his phaser."
Hoshi laughed softly. She would have continued their kisses if the comm. didn't chirp.
"Reed here."
"Hey Malcolm. Thought I might warn you two to start packing up. We'll be coming in soon," Trip said on the other end of the line.
"How soon?" Malcolm asked with his eyes fixated at Hoshi.
"About 10 minutes. The Captain wants the cargo bay clean for a rendezvous with a supply ship tomorrow. And Phlox here assures me that you guys are clean. How's it been taking those pills everyday?"
"It has been . fine, Commander. Reed out."
Hoshi and Malcolm had initially been assigned pills to take everyday. Phlox had considered giving them gel to apply as well, but his bat had sidetracked him. Hoshi and Malcolm had been eternally grateful, because despite the gel's antiseptic properties, it left a sticky blue layer behind which was close to impossible to wash out.
"I guess we should pack," Hoshi said. She pulled out from under her bed a small bag with the Starfleet logo on it and started putting her things in. She pressed more and more things in, unable to fill it with everything. It always amazed her how it was possible to get more into a bag the first time, but the second time you could hardly fit anything. It was as if the items swelled from the air.
Malcolm, however, had no problems fitting his things into his bag. In fact, as Hoshi tried pressing harder on the items in her bag, he calmly zipped his up.
"Let me have those," said Malcolm and took several PADDs sticking out of her bag.
"No, it's fine," Hoshi persisted. As if she was going to let Malcolm take her stuff. She was a modern woman, albeit a modern woman who couldn't pack.
"I insist." Malcolm took the PADDs back.
"No, give me them!" she said yanking them out his hands.
"This is insubordination!"
"Oh, don't you start pulling ranks on me Malcolm!"
"Let me take them."
"No!"
Just as Malcolm was going to pull Hoshi in for another kiss, a careful tactical move designed to distract her, the doors to the cargo bay opened. There stood Trip, the Captain, Phlox and several engineers.
"I guess cabin fever reaching breaking point," Trip joked as he looked at them both grabbing at the PADDs.
Malcolm was startled.
"Captain, Commander, Doctor, crewmen." He nodded to each in turn.
"I am delighted to inform you both that this virus is gone from your systems. All items in this room will be dosed to eradicate all traces," Phlox informed them both.
Hoshi and Malcolm put the PADDs down, since the PADDs would be stuck in their own quarantine.
"What about our clothes," asked Hoshi, referring to the clothes that they were wearing.
Malcolm wouldn't have minded stripping, it had only been he and Hoshi there. Damn other people.
Phlox ran a scanner across both of their bodies.
"They appear to be acceptable. However, once we reach sickbay to run some more tests, I will need you both to change. Crewman Cutler has been so kind as to get several items of clothing for both of you."
Hoshi sighed, and both were led away to sickbay. .
"Oh shoot!" Liz said in the middle of Travis's and her dinner.
"What?" Travis asked.
"I was supposed to get some clothes for Hoshi and Malcolm. They'll be in sickbay expecting me any minute. I am so sorry Travis, I'm going to have to cut this short." She pulled out the power chord for the hotplate and got up to leave.
"I'll come with you," Travis offered.
"Oh that's sweet Travis, but you can finish eating."
"My father always taught me to help a woman in need," Travis replied.
Liz accepted his help and they hurried away to get the clothes and return Hoshi's stolen hotplate. Liz wasn't about to do anything that could be reported to the head of security now that Hoshi had spent a couple of days with him. .
Malcolm and Hoshi entered sickbay with an enterage comprising of the Captain, Phlox and two crewmen.
"Are we clean now?" Hoshi asked Phlox.
"I should think so," Phlox said.
Hoshi went forward to one of the bio-beds where some of her clothes were lying. She saw Liz and Travis standing in the back, grinning, as she lifted up her clothes. She realised that only Liz and Travis would bring her blue jeans and a green woolly jumper. Then she saw Malcolm's clothes and thank God that Liz had chosen them.
Malcolm was staring at a white t-shirt and tight jeans.
Hoshi mouthed a quick thank you to Liz.
"Now, Lieutenant, if you would be so kind as to proceed to the decontamination chamber while I run some additional tests on Ensign Sato," Phlox instructed.
Malcolm took his clothes without a word and went to the decon chamber to change.
Hoshi sat on the bed as Phlox started his tests.
"How was spending a couple of days with Malcolm?" Jon asked. He hadn't forgotten his plan.
"It was fine," Hoshi answered. She could tell that the Captain wanted more. "We did a lot of reading, and I got a chance to finish that translation you wanted."
Jon realised that Hoshi wasn't going to tell him anything personal in front of a room full of people. Then again, she probably wouldn't tell him anything personal since he was the Captain. Being a Captain was hard work. Then again, you got first dibs on female alien visitors.
Before she knew it, Hoshi's scans were done and she and Malcolm switched places, much to Hoshi's disappointment. She would happily have spent more time with Malcolm, especially when he was wearing that white t- shirt.
Jon tried asking the same question to Malcolm, but all Malcolm answered was a report on what modifications Malcolm wanted to make to the torpedo system.
Jon acknowledged to himself that he perhaps wasn't the best person to find out what had happened.
Maybe T'Pol could do one of those mind-meld thingys. Or Trip could talk to them. .
"You're joking," Malcolm said to Travis.
"No I'm not. Starfleet really has gotten rid of the fraternization rules."
The wheels in Malcolm's head started turning. He and Hoshi had decided to not persue their relationship because of professionalism, and had blamed their kisses on cabin fever.
But now. Malcolm tried to remember where Hoshi was supposed to be.
"Malcolm? You OK? You zoomed out on me," Travis said.
Malcolm looked at him for a moment.
"I have to go," Malcolm replied, picking up his tray and leaving.
Travis didn't mind. Because when the door opened to let Malcolm out, Liz walked in. .
"You're joking," Hoshi said.
Malcolm kissed her.
"Maybe you aren't joking." .