Chapter Six
*****
Opening his eyes slowly, Malcolm registered a slight weight upon the various points of his body - his chest, arms, waist and legs. What had happened? Why was he restrained? He moved his head from side to side, the grogginess of the sedative still wearing off.
"Come down here, Nala," the familiar voice of the doctor called to the screeching bat.
Another voice interrupted the rescue attempts of the Denobulan doctor. "What happened?" it asked. This voice was vaguely familiar.
His voice held a frustrated edge as Phlox tried to coax the bat from her perch on top of the cabinets. "As far as I can discern, Mr. Reed, was sleep walking. It's not uncommon given light of recent events."
"Why did he attack the Lieutenant?" Captain Archer questioned. "Is he still a threat? Is he a danger to himself?"
Malcolm's blood ran cold, his thoughts hauntingly empty with no memory of the incident. Shaking his head from side to side, he groaned.
The sound startled both captain and doctor to his bedside.
"Mr. Reed?" the doctor asked cautiously.
There was no answer as the patient continued shaking the effects of the sedative from his consciousness. Certain words ran like ice through his veins as the events of the last few days repeated in his head. "Hoshi," he called, wincing as the captain's words of 'attacked the Lieutenant' reached him. His emotions were turbulence personified whenever he thought of her for he wanted to embrace her, yet push her away at the same time.
"Lieutenant Commander?" Jon questioned firmly, yet with compassion in his tone.
Discontinuing the struggle against the restraints, Malcolm took deep calming breaths. "Did I hurt her?"
Archer was about to answer before Phlox intervened. "The Lieutenant is fine, Mr. Reed," the Doctor assured softly, and started to unfasten the restraints.
Jon started to question the decision, but Phlox gave him a look that would broker no argument. "In fact, she has resumed her normal duties."
Malcolm sat up slowly and stared down at his bare feet, relieved that Hoshi was fine. "W-what happened?" "We were hoping that you could tell us," Jon stated tentatively.
"I d-don't remember," Malcolm stated softly.
"And that's the problem, Captain," Phlox interjected on behalf of his patient. "The sooner Starfleet releases Mr. Reed's record, the sooner he can start to recover. Surely there is something in his record that will spark some memory."
Frustrated, Jon turned away from the conversation and delivered the painful news. "They won't release his record, Doc."
"Why not!" Malcolm burst out, the fear of never knowing who he really was, ebbing into his being.
Archer looked into Malcolm's wild eyes. "Best guess?"
Malcolm nodded, his hands gripping the edge of his bed.
"My guess is that you were Starfleet Intelligence," Jon speculated.
--
Subspace static murmured in her ear and lulled her to yawn. She had better get some sleep tonight otherwise she was going to need to ask Phlox for a sedative. Hoshi had tried to go to sleep shortly after the incident in sickbay, but the venom in Malcolm's inflection kept repeating in her head.
"I hear the survivor is smitten with you," Lieutenant Travis Mayweather smiled as he leaned over the com station.
Smiling back, Hoshi scoffed, "If that's smitten, I'd hate to see him in love."
"What do you mean?" Travis puzzled.
Hoshi shook her head, yet didn't answer him. It really wasn't her place to engage in gossip especially regarding a senior officer. "N-nothing."
"I can only imagine how difficult the adjustment has been for the survivor so far," Travis continued. "Before I came along, one of my dad's favorite stories is how he rescued a castaway from a deserted planet. The man had been there for twelve years, living off of bugs and vegetation."
This drew Hoshi's attention. "What happened to him?"
Bowing his head, "He couldn't adjust and wound up killing himself one day. He left a note behind for his daughter," Travis added the last part as though he considered the note of apology some from of absolution.
Hoshi stared at the helmsman, trying to gauge his sincerity. He had played too many jokes on her and she had a problem believing anything that came out of his mouth.
"Scout's honor," Travis stated, holding two fingers up.
She smirked and hit him on the shoulder. "I didn't realize the scouts extended to boomer ships."
He had the nerve to look chagrined. "Ok, I wasn't in the scouts, but I swear the story is true."
Holding her hand over her ears she laughed, "I'm not listening to you anymore."
Travis tugged her hands away from her head. "I'm serious! It's a true story. The man's daughter was a baby when he disappeared and they never really did connect. The only person the man really got along with was a dog his doctor gave to him . part of reintegrating socialization skills."
The turbolift opened and Captain Archer stepped onto the bridge. Hoshi shooed Travis back to his post. Maybe Malcolm needed to spend some quality time with Porthos. Eight years . that's how long he had been alone. Perhaps he could benefit from a little canine TLC.
*****
*****
Opening his eyes slowly, Malcolm registered a slight weight upon the various points of his body - his chest, arms, waist and legs. What had happened? Why was he restrained? He moved his head from side to side, the grogginess of the sedative still wearing off.
"Come down here, Nala," the familiar voice of the doctor called to the screeching bat.
Another voice interrupted the rescue attempts of the Denobulan doctor. "What happened?" it asked. This voice was vaguely familiar.
His voice held a frustrated edge as Phlox tried to coax the bat from her perch on top of the cabinets. "As far as I can discern, Mr. Reed, was sleep walking. It's not uncommon given light of recent events."
"Why did he attack the Lieutenant?" Captain Archer questioned. "Is he still a threat? Is he a danger to himself?"
Malcolm's blood ran cold, his thoughts hauntingly empty with no memory of the incident. Shaking his head from side to side, he groaned.
The sound startled both captain and doctor to his bedside.
"Mr. Reed?" the doctor asked cautiously.
There was no answer as the patient continued shaking the effects of the sedative from his consciousness. Certain words ran like ice through his veins as the events of the last few days repeated in his head. "Hoshi," he called, wincing as the captain's words of 'attacked the Lieutenant' reached him. His emotions were turbulence personified whenever he thought of her for he wanted to embrace her, yet push her away at the same time.
"Lieutenant Commander?" Jon questioned firmly, yet with compassion in his tone.
Discontinuing the struggle against the restraints, Malcolm took deep calming breaths. "Did I hurt her?"
Archer was about to answer before Phlox intervened. "The Lieutenant is fine, Mr. Reed," the Doctor assured softly, and started to unfasten the restraints.
Jon started to question the decision, but Phlox gave him a look that would broker no argument. "In fact, she has resumed her normal duties."
Malcolm sat up slowly and stared down at his bare feet, relieved that Hoshi was fine. "W-what happened?" "We were hoping that you could tell us," Jon stated tentatively.
"I d-don't remember," Malcolm stated softly.
"And that's the problem, Captain," Phlox interjected on behalf of his patient. "The sooner Starfleet releases Mr. Reed's record, the sooner he can start to recover. Surely there is something in his record that will spark some memory."
Frustrated, Jon turned away from the conversation and delivered the painful news. "They won't release his record, Doc."
"Why not!" Malcolm burst out, the fear of never knowing who he really was, ebbing into his being.
Archer looked into Malcolm's wild eyes. "Best guess?"
Malcolm nodded, his hands gripping the edge of his bed.
"My guess is that you were Starfleet Intelligence," Jon speculated.
--
Subspace static murmured in her ear and lulled her to yawn. She had better get some sleep tonight otherwise she was going to need to ask Phlox for a sedative. Hoshi had tried to go to sleep shortly after the incident in sickbay, but the venom in Malcolm's inflection kept repeating in her head.
"I hear the survivor is smitten with you," Lieutenant Travis Mayweather smiled as he leaned over the com station.
Smiling back, Hoshi scoffed, "If that's smitten, I'd hate to see him in love."
"What do you mean?" Travis puzzled.
Hoshi shook her head, yet didn't answer him. It really wasn't her place to engage in gossip especially regarding a senior officer. "N-nothing."
"I can only imagine how difficult the adjustment has been for the survivor so far," Travis continued. "Before I came along, one of my dad's favorite stories is how he rescued a castaway from a deserted planet. The man had been there for twelve years, living off of bugs and vegetation."
This drew Hoshi's attention. "What happened to him?"
Bowing his head, "He couldn't adjust and wound up killing himself one day. He left a note behind for his daughter," Travis added the last part as though he considered the note of apology some from of absolution.
Hoshi stared at the helmsman, trying to gauge his sincerity. He had played too many jokes on her and she had a problem believing anything that came out of his mouth.
"Scout's honor," Travis stated, holding two fingers up.
She smirked and hit him on the shoulder. "I didn't realize the scouts extended to boomer ships."
He had the nerve to look chagrined. "Ok, I wasn't in the scouts, but I swear the story is true."
Holding her hand over her ears she laughed, "I'm not listening to you anymore."
Travis tugged her hands away from her head. "I'm serious! It's a true story. The man's daughter was a baby when he disappeared and they never really did connect. The only person the man really got along with was a dog his doctor gave to him . part of reintegrating socialization skills."
The turbolift opened and Captain Archer stepped onto the bridge. Hoshi shooed Travis back to his post. Maybe Malcolm needed to spend some quality time with Porthos. Eight years . that's how long he had been alone. Perhaps he could benefit from a little canine TLC.
*****