Chapter 5

"Computer: Sato, personal log.

"Well, I finally cornered Commander Tucker in engineering and got him to agree to let me ask him the damn questions. I'm beginning to get a complex with how many men run away when they see me coming.

"He was acting kind of weird, though. Refused to meet me anywhere private and insisted on a public space. We settled on the dining room after his shift. Should be quiet at that time of the night, anyway.

"End personal log."

Hoshi finished getting ready for her shift, still caught up with worrying about the engineer's continued odd behavior.

"Oh, well. Guess I'll find out a little more tonight," she mumbled to herself as she left her cabin for the bridge, hoping that in those several hours, something interesting would happen.

***

Hoshi's target had already secured a table and two cups of coffee by the time she arrived. While he had a smile on his face, that familiar twinkle in Trip Tucker's eyes was missing.

"Thanks for the coffee," she said as she sat down opposite him. "Sorry I'm a little late."

"S'okay, Hoshi," Trip said as he shrugged his shoulders. "Ya sure the cap'n wants me to be part of this?"

Hoshi blinked a few times in surprise. Now where did that come from, she wondered to herself.

"He said the entire senior staff, Trip," she said out loud. "Why wouldn't he want his chief engineer to be included?"

Trip looked down at his still-steaming cup of coffee.

"Maybe because I'm a freak o' medical history, an intergalactic whore and a murderer to boot," he said bitterly.

Hoshi immediately splattered her coffee across the table, choking furiously.

"Ya okay, Hoshi?" Trip asked with a concerned frown on his face.

Hoshi waved her hand, coughed a few more times and nodded.

"I'm fine, Trip. But next time warn me when you're about to say something so idiotic," she said a bit angrily.

Sponging off the table and herself, Hoshi continued before Trip could get a word in, edgewise.

"I understand being the first human male to get pregnant is embarrassing. I even understand the teasing you get for your friendly ways with aliens of the opposite sex," she ticked off. "But where in the hell do you get that you are a murderer?"

Trip let go of his coffee cup and looked at his hands.

"Just cause ya can't see blood don't mean I didn't cause someone's death," he whispered.

The commander was more than just scaring Hoshi now, he was pissing her off.

"Knock. It. Off." she hissed, slapping her palm against the table with each word. "Yes, you screwed up. Yes, it's awful the congenitor killed itself. Yes, you were a bonehead to interfere and not listen to T'Pol and Phlox's advice.

"But for god sake, Trip. You didn't kill it. It could have fought but chose not to," Hoshi said, lowering her voice as heads started to turn in their direction. "Wallowing isn't going to bring it back. You want to do something? Learn from this. Make damn sure you don't think you know it all."

Taking a deep breath before continuing, Hoshi couldn't help but smile a bit at the shocked commander.

"You're a man, Trip. You make mistakes and learn from them. That's why we're out here."

Trip shook his head and gave Hoshi a small smile. He covered one of her hands with his own and looked her deep in the eyes.

"Coming from someone as special as you, that is quite a compliment," he said, suddenly snatching his hand away when she looked down at it. "But then, maybe you think everyone is a special as you. They aren't, Hoshi. But thanks just the same."

She changed the subject and got back to the task at hand, hoping she wasn't blushing from the commander's comments.

***

Hoshi slowly walked back to her cabin, confusion and worry vying for prominence in her mind.

"Computer: Sato personal log," she said as soon as the door slid shut behind her.

"I found out what was bothering Commander Tucker and managed to get him to answer the questions.

"Never would have guessed the nickname he gave me. He said that Trip didn't count because it's what everyone calls him. So he shared one from his childhood," she chuckled. "Upchuck, in honor of the time he took part in a pie eating contest and won only to throw up everything into the lap of his then-girlfriend.

"I should have known that pecan pie would be involved somehow," Hoshi added, and then sobered a bit. "But I am still worried about how hard he is taking everything. I hope nothing else bad happens to him in the near future. I don't think he could stand it."

She shook her head as if trying to shake her bad mood with it.

"But now I can concentrate on Captain Archer. I am going to pin him down and ring out every bit of embarrassing information out of him.

"Computer: End personal log."

Hoshi flopped down on her bunk, gazing up at the ceiling. She was also worried about herself. When Trip had covered her hand with his, it had felt so...good. At that moment, all she wanted to do was kiss his frown away.

"Now where in the hell did that come from?" she asked herself. "And why do I get the feeling that I'm not the only one thinking these thoughts."

Jumping up from the bed, she grabbed her workout clothes from the nearby dresser.

When in doubt, sweat it out. And think of evil questions to ask a certain captain.