*****
She watched him as he absorbed the news Captain Archer was telling him. The good news was Malcolm's growing interactions with other crew besides her. The bad news was Malcolm's expression. Before, his expression was that of a lost soul, almost childlike. Now it was vacant as he looked at the PADD and saw a picture of his former self. The revelation of who he was held little meaning other than the name and rank listed. There was no substance.
"Most of the information is still classified, Lieutenant Commander, but I'm confident Starfleet will release an abridged version to us shortly so that you can start filling in the gaps." Jon straightened to leave.
Without looking up from the PADD, Malcolm stammered," Y-yes.that would be greatly appreciated."
"I'm sure once you have more information about your past, that will assist in your recovery," Dr. Phlox added optimistically and stepped away, giving the man some privacy, yet remaining on hand if he needed assistance.
Hoshi stood there silently, wanting to offer comfort but unsure as to how to go about it. She shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
Malcolm looked up from the PADD, tears brimming in his eyes," I don't remember. Maybe I don't want to for a reason," he stated and turned the PADD so that she could see. "I look . mean."
Hoshi took the PADD from his hand and looked at the picture she had already studied. Cold blue eyes stared out from the picture and a harshness furrowed his brow. She thought herself lucky no to be under his command as he looked like a real son of a bitch. "Everybody's Starfleet identification picture looks bad," she answered lightly. "You should see mine."
He smiled then and took the PADD back in his hand and clicked it off. He stared at her and resisted the urge to reach out and twist her hair through his fingers for he knew it made her uncomfortable. He didn't know who she reminded him of, but his feelings for her were strong, he couldn't deny that. She was kind, generous and tender. Visions of her handling the baby bats and feeding them last night filled his mind, noting she used the same soothing voice on the orphaned animal she used on him. He was reminded she had yet to get any sleep as she stifled a yawn before him.
The cascade effect worked on him, and he yawned too. The knowledge of his identity plagued him. Why was his record classified? Did he have a family? What had he done in the past? Was he respected? Was he despised? Questions piled on top of one another in his head and he frowned.
Hoshi saw his furrowed brow, the same one in his picture. She touched him lightly on the sleeve of his gray jumper. "Hey," she calmed, "You don't have to solve the mystery in a day."
He looked into her deep brown eyes, their depths offering something he had been without for too long - companionship, but at what cost? She yawned again. "M-maybe you should get some sleep," he suggested hesitantly.
She was about to protest the suggestion when the sickbay door opened and a crewman walked in with some food trays from the galley. Hoshi brightened and walked over to the crewman, thanking him. "And miss my chance to get something to eat?"
The aroma of the food tempted him and his mouth watered.
Hoshi lifted the lids and steam rose. She stabbed a spoon into a bowl and stirred the golden liquid. "Mmm, it looks like chef made his chicken dumpling soup, and some sandwiches." She readied the cart and prepared the trays, being careful not to spill the glasses of ice water. "Do you like chicken soup?"
A look of contemplation then vacancy crossed his face.
She regretted the words as soon as they slipped past her lips as the now familiar lost look crossed his face again. "I. I'm so sorry."
"W-well, I suppose I won't know unless I try it," he said, taking the spoon from her hand and scooping up some of the broth.
Hoshi watched him through lowered lids. He seemed self-conscious ever since this morning. He held the spoon in a fist, much like a child would and touched the broth-filled spoon to his lips to test the temperature. Deciding it was an adequate temperature he sipped it. Closing his eyes, Malcolm savored the taste.
She waited for him to say something, perhaps to mention a familiar memory associated with the food. Surely, he had eaten chicken soup before he became stranded.
Various spices assailed his senses and he swallowed the hot broth quickly. His eyes went wide and he smiled, awkwardly spooning more of the soup and bringing it to his lips for more. He swallowed. "It's delicious."
Hoshi couldn't help but smile as he set the spoon and grabbed a sandwich, taking a rather large bite out of it. She watched silently as he chewed and alternated between soup, sandwich, and a glass of cool water. He looked like a child stuffing food in his mouth before he had swallowed the previous bite and his cheeks were starting to puff out.
"Slow down, sir," she stated softly while touching his sleeve. "The food isn't going anywhere and we can get more you want it."
He set the food down and blushed, suddenly aware he wasn't alone. Decorum and etiquette flowed through his mind and he suddenly knew what he was doing was wrong. He continued chewing and forcibly swallowed the last of the food in his mouth. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered and looked up. "I haven't tasted.salt in such a long time.and the other spices. The food on the planet was practically tasteless."
"It's okay, sir," Hoshi assured with a soft smile, as she wiped some mayonnaise from the side of his mouth with her napkin. "I wouldn't last a week without chocolate," she joked.
He pulled away from her touch, his embarrassment growing and his frown increasing. "Why are you calling me sir?"
Hoshi wiped her hand on a napkin. Although he had yet to be reinstated, he did outrank her. Even retired personnel still held their titles and authority. "You are a Lieutenant Commander," she reminded him. "I'm a Lieutenant. You outrank me."
Malcolm pondered her words for a moment before he bit off another bite of his sandwich and chewed it thoughtfully. She appealed to him on a level he didn't quite understand, but knew she reminded him of someone from his past. Even if she didn't remind him of someone, he would still be attracted to her. She was attractive and treating him like a mother hen. She yawned again.
"You should go get some sleep.lieutenant," he affirmed.
"No thanks," she shrugged, picking up a sandwich and taking a bite. "If I go to sleep now, I won't get any sleep tonight."
"I insist," Malcolm stated and set his sandwich down.
Hoshi heard a strange inflection in his voice and looked up. "Are you ordering me to do so?"
"If need be," he resolved and crossed his arms over his chest.
Brown eyes met blue and she could see he meant business. What a prick! Hoshi set her sandwich down and wiped her hands on a napkin. For a brief second, she pondered what she had done to set him off then shrugged her shoulders. She had duties to attend to anyway. "Fine. Whatever floats your boat, sir," she tossed over her shoulder as she walked out of sickbay, relieved her tenure as a nursemaid was over.
He watched her leave, first her back then the sway of her hips, and finally her bum. A movement off to the side caught his attention and he noticed the doctor watching him.
*****
She watched him as he absorbed the news Captain Archer was telling him. The good news was Malcolm's growing interactions with other crew besides her. The bad news was Malcolm's expression. Before, his expression was that of a lost soul, almost childlike. Now it was vacant as he looked at the PADD and saw a picture of his former self. The revelation of who he was held little meaning other than the name and rank listed. There was no substance.
"Most of the information is still classified, Lieutenant Commander, but I'm confident Starfleet will release an abridged version to us shortly so that you can start filling in the gaps." Jon straightened to leave.
Without looking up from the PADD, Malcolm stammered," Y-yes.that would be greatly appreciated."
"I'm sure once you have more information about your past, that will assist in your recovery," Dr. Phlox added optimistically and stepped away, giving the man some privacy, yet remaining on hand if he needed assistance.
Hoshi stood there silently, wanting to offer comfort but unsure as to how to go about it. She shifted uneasily from foot to foot.
Malcolm looked up from the PADD, tears brimming in his eyes," I don't remember. Maybe I don't want to for a reason," he stated and turned the PADD so that she could see. "I look . mean."
Hoshi took the PADD from his hand and looked at the picture she had already studied. Cold blue eyes stared out from the picture and a harshness furrowed his brow. She thought herself lucky no to be under his command as he looked like a real son of a bitch. "Everybody's Starfleet identification picture looks bad," she answered lightly. "You should see mine."
He smiled then and took the PADD back in his hand and clicked it off. He stared at her and resisted the urge to reach out and twist her hair through his fingers for he knew it made her uncomfortable. He didn't know who she reminded him of, but his feelings for her were strong, he couldn't deny that. She was kind, generous and tender. Visions of her handling the baby bats and feeding them last night filled his mind, noting she used the same soothing voice on the orphaned animal she used on him. He was reminded she had yet to get any sleep as she stifled a yawn before him.
The cascade effect worked on him, and he yawned too. The knowledge of his identity plagued him. Why was his record classified? Did he have a family? What had he done in the past? Was he respected? Was he despised? Questions piled on top of one another in his head and he frowned.
Hoshi saw his furrowed brow, the same one in his picture. She touched him lightly on the sleeve of his gray jumper. "Hey," she calmed, "You don't have to solve the mystery in a day."
He looked into her deep brown eyes, their depths offering something he had been without for too long - companionship, but at what cost? She yawned again. "M-maybe you should get some sleep," he suggested hesitantly.
She was about to protest the suggestion when the sickbay door opened and a crewman walked in with some food trays from the galley. Hoshi brightened and walked over to the crewman, thanking him. "And miss my chance to get something to eat?"
The aroma of the food tempted him and his mouth watered.
Hoshi lifted the lids and steam rose. She stabbed a spoon into a bowl and stirred the golden liquid. "Mmm, it looks like chef made his chicken dumpling soup, and some sandwiches." She readied the cart and prepared the trays, being careful not to spill the glasses of ice water. "Do you like chicken soup?"
A look of contemplation then vacancy crossed his face.
She regretted the words as soon as they slipped past her lips as the now familiar lost look crossed his face again. "I. I'm so sorry."
"W-well, I suppose I won't know unless I try it," he said, taking the spoon from her hand and scooping up some of the broth.
Hoshi watched him through lowered lids. He seemed self-conscious ever since this morning. He held the spoon in a fist, much like a child would and touched the broth-filled spoon to his lips to test the temperature. Deciding it was an adequate temperature he sipped it. Closing his eyes, Malcolm savored the taste.
She waited for him to say something, perhaps to mention a familiar memory associated with the food. Surely, he had eaten chicken soup before he became stranded.
Various spices assailed his senses and he swallowed the hot broth quickly. His eyes went wide and he smiled, awkwardly spooning more of the soup and bringing it to his lips for more. He swallowed. "It's delicious."
Hoshi couldn't help but smile as he set the spoon and grabbed a sandwich, taking a rather large bite out of it. She watched silently as he chewed and alternated between soup, sandwich, and a glass of cool water. He looked like a child stuffing food in his mouth before he had swallowed the previous bite and his cheeks were starting to puff out.
"Slow down, sir," she stated softly while touching his sleeve. "The food isn't going anywhere and we can get more you want it."
He set the food down and blushed, suddenly aware he wasn't alone. Decorum and etiquette flowed through his mind and he suddenly knew what he was doing was wrong. He continued chewing and forcibly swallowed the last of the food in his mouth. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered and looked up. "I haven't tasted.salt in such a long time.and the other spices. The food on the planet was practically tasteless."
"It's okay, sir," Hoshi assured with a soft smile, as she wiped some mayonnaise from the side of his mouth with her napkin. "I wouldn't last a week without chocolate," she joked.
He pulled away from her touch, his embarrassment growing and his frown increasing. "Why are you calling me sir?"
Hoshi wiped her hand on a napkin. Although he had yet to be reinstated, he did outrank her. Even retired personnel still held their titles and authority. "You are a Lieutenant Commander," she reminded him. "I'm a Lieutenant. You outrank me."
Malcolm pondered her words for a moment before he bit off another bite of his sandwich and chewed it thoughtfully. She appealed to him on a level he didn't quite understand, but knew she reminded him of someone from his past. Even if she didn't remind him of someone, he would still be attracted to her. She was attractive and treating him like a mother hen. She yawned again.
"You should go get some sleep.lieutenant," he affirmed.
"No thanks," she shrugged, picking up a sandwich and taking a bite. "If I go to sleep now, I won't get any sleep tonight."
"I insist," Malcolm stated and set his sandwich down.
Hoshi heard a strange inflection in his voice and looked up. "Are you ordering me to do so?"
"If need be," he resolved and crossed his arms over his chest.
Brown eyes met blue and she could see he meant business. What a prick! Hoshi set her sandwich down and wiped her hands on a napkin. For a brief second, she pondered what she had done to set him off then shrugged her shoulders. She had duties to attend to anyway. "Fine. Whatever floats your boat, sir," she tossed over her shoulder as she walked out of sickbay, relieved her tenure as a nursemaid was over.
He watched her leave, first her back then the sway of her hips, and finally her bum. A movement off to the side caught his attention and he noticed the doctor watching him.
*****