*****
Not even bothering to go back to his quarters, Malcolm made his way to sickbay. The glimpse into his past held such strong emotions behind it, emotions, which overwhelmed him.
"We could try hypnosis," Dr. Phlox offered, knowing good and well the man in front of him would decline.
He cringed as the doctor mentioned hypnosis.
Sighing, Phlox handed Malcolm's canine companion a treat. "Well, there is no other treatment available. Even hypnosis isn't a guarantee..." Phlox's voice trailed off as he noticed the dejected set of the man's shoulders.
"Perhaps time will assist in your recovery," the doctor stated optimistically. "A week ago, you underwent a major surgery, not accounting for the trauma before that. You must give your recovery time, Mr. Reed. In under a week, you've already recovered one memory. Surely, others will follow."
Clenching the leash in his hand, Malcolm scoffed. "You call it a memory? I'm on the floor with a sleep-deprived, hysterical woman and I remember that I love her hair! Are you going to tell me I knew her in a previous life next?"
"The Banals believe in reincarnation and have substantial proof that it does exist..."
Malcolm rolled his eyes and stood up. "I don't have time for this."
Suddenly, Phlox stopped surmising the Banal death ritual. "Sleep deprived?"
Malcolm waved his hand irritably. "I overheard Lieutenant Sato talking to the bats...and she's always yawning," he added. "Isn't there some surgery or medication you can give me to speed up the process? My records are never going to see the light of day. That much is obvious. The information that was released consisted of three names - my father, mother, and sister. All of who are dead, by the way. My..." his thought was cut short as he jumped off the table. "Never mind."
For some odd reason a sense of urgency consumed him regarding his recovery.
--
"Forget it, Hoshi! I'm not going to force myself on the man," Travis stated emphatically. "He made it abundantly clear he wished to be left alone."
"H...ow do you know?" Hoshi asked on the edge of a yawn. "Did he say he wanted to be left alone?" Swallowing a bite of penne pasta, Travis nodded his head furiously. "Yes, he did."
"Fine! Be that way!" huffed Hoshi, not at all surprised Travis had refused her attempt to enlist his help in befriending Malcolm ... the Lieutenant Commander. Sure, the man wasn't reinstated yet, but he would be eventually. So she was a coward and didn't want to approach him by herself. Perhaps the other day had something to do with her hesitation toward him.
Either way Hoshi thought about it, she was going to force him to accept her. Something drove her to carry out this course of action. Maybe it was the hint of mystery and danger that surrounded him. Maybe it was the lost look. Perhaps it was the fact that the man was drop dead gorgeous. "I guess I'll just have to ask Commander Tucker to come along with me."
Travis choked on his tea and started laughing. "Oh yes! Please do! This I've got to see."
--
They were both cowards! Neither Travis nor Trip would 'invade the man's space,' but she wasn't about to be dissuaded from her present course of action. Hoshi held her breath and waited for Malcolm to answer his door, books in hand [signified] her pretense for crashing his solitude. Shifting uneasily from foot to foot, she stifled an ever-present yawn.
"Can I help you with something, Lieutenant?"
Hoshi jumped at the sound of his voice behind her. "I-I ..." she yawned again.
Malcolm waited patiently for her reply, Porthos wagging his talk enthusiastically.
Her thoughts becoming mud in her mind at the sight of him, it occurred to her that he had actually snuck up on her. "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?" Malcolm replied quickly.
"Sneak up on me," she stated, her voice trailing off at the end as Hoshi noticed the scowl forming on his face.
Seeing how nervous he made her, he purposely crowded her and tried to intimidate her. "And why would that be so difficult?" he questioned.
His face was mere centimeters away from hers and his masculine scent filled her nostrils. "B- because I-I have sensitive hearing." She clutched the books to her chest as though they would protect her.
Malcolm pressed the code to his quarters and brushed past her, surprised when she followed him in. "And the stuttering?" he countered, bending down and unhooking the dog's leash.
Admiring the view of his backside as he administered to the lucky dog, Hoshi didn't answer.
Finally Malcolm straightened. "Well?"
Blushing slightly, Hoshi held the books out. "I brought some books. I'm sure you can pull any book you want up and download it onto a PADD, but there's just something about the weight of the book and turning the pages that has always intrigued me. I ..." Hoshi took a calming breath and attempted to calm down. She couldn't figure out the reason, but he made her nervous. "I took the liberty and picked out some mysteries for you since I didn't know what you would like to read."
He looked at the books in her hands like they were poisonous snakes ready to strike at him. Did he even remember how to read? What did he like to read? Did he read for pleasure? Snatching one of the books from her hands, Malcolm flipped it over and quickly read the title. "Murder on the Orient Express."
Looking at him hopefully, Hoshi smiled. He was smirking and flipping through the pages.
"Thank you," he whispered solemnly. "I wasn't sure I could read."
Her smile fell. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it," she stammered, as she started to back away. "I just figured you would like a diversion while you recuperated."
Touching her sleeve, Malcolm stopped Hoshi. Part of him screamed to push her away, yet another part begged him to embrace her. He didn't trust himself with her; afraid he would harm her again. "Thank you," he repeated, at a sudden loss for words.
Handing him the other books, Hoshi brightened. "You're welcome."
He held the other volumes in his hand and feigned interest, the scent of her distracting him into lengthening the awkward silence.
Always one to abhor silence, Hoshi cleared her throat. "They're having movie night tonight, nineteen hundred hours, if you'd like to get out," her voice trailing off at the last part of the invitation, as she watched his expression change.
Malcolm concealed his shock as best he could, but an invitation was the last thing he expected from her. "I..."
"I don't know what I was thinking. You're probably very busy and it was highly inappropriate of me to ask you to movie night. You ..." Hoshi stammered, a slow blush rising up her neck and tingeing her cheeks.
"I'll meet you there," he stated before his mind could keep up with his mouth.
Not hearing his response, Hoshi kept talking. "It was very presumptuous of me and I apologize, Lieutenant Commander, and ... did you just say you'll meet me there?"
Ignoring his internal voice, Malcolm shook his head yes.
Hoshi smiled and walked toward the door. "I'll see you there." She left, her mind churning right along with her stomach. Had she just asked a senior officer out on a date?
*****
Not even bothering to go back to his quarters, Malcolm made his way to sickbay. The glimpse into his past held such strong emotions behind it, emotions, which overwhelmed him.
"We could try hypnosis," Dr. Phlox offered, knowing good and well the man in front of him would decline.
He cringed as the doctor mentioned hypnosis.
Sighing, Phlox handed Malcolm's canine companion a treat. "Well, there is no other treatment available. Even hypnosis isn't a guarantee..." Phlox's voice trailed off as he noticed the dejected set of the man's shoulders.
"Perhaps time will assist in your recovery," the doctor stated optimistically. "A week ago, you underwent a major surgery, not accounting for the trauma before that. You must give your recovery time, Mr. Reed. In under a week, you've already recovered one memory. Surely, others will follow."
Clenching the leash in his hand, Malcolm scoffed. "You call it a memory? I'm on the floor with a sleep-deprived, hysterical woman and I remember that I love her hair! Are you going to tell me I knew her in a previous life next?"
"The Banals believe in reincarnation and have substantial proof that it does exist..."
Malcolm rolled his eyes and stood up. "I don't have time for this."
Suddenly, Phlox stopped surmising the Banal death ritual. "Sleep deprived?"
Malcolm waved his hand irritably. "I overheard Lieutenant Sato talking to the bats...and she's always yawning," he added. "Isn't there some surgery or medication you can give me to speed up the process? My records are never going to see the light of day. That much is obvious. The information that was released consisted of three names - my father, mother, and sister. All of who are dead, by the way. My..." his thought was cut short as he jumped off the table. "Never mind."
For some odd reason a sense of urgency consumed him regarding his recovery.
--
"Forget it, Hoshi! I'm not going to force myself on the man," Travis stated emphatically. "He made it abundantly clear he wished to be left alone."
"H...ow do you know?" Hoshi asked on the edge of a yawn. "Did he say he wanted to be left alone?" Swallowing a bite of penne pasta, Travis nodded his head furiously. "Yes, he did."
"Fine! Be that way!" huffed Hoshi, not at all surprised Travis had refused her attempt to enlist his help in befriending Malcolm ... the Lieutenant Commander. Sure, the man wasn't reinstated yet, but he would be eventually. So she was a coward and didn't want to approach him by herself. Perhaps the other day had something to do with her hesitation toward him.
Either way Hoshi thought about it, she was going to force him to accept her. Something drove her to carry out this course of action. Maybe it was the hint of mystery and danger that surrounded him. Maybe it was the lost look. Perhaps it was the fact that the man was drop dead gorgeous. "I guess I'll just have to ask Commander Tucker to come along with me."
Travis choked on his tea and started laughing. "Oh yes! Please do! This I've got to see."
--
They were both cowards! Neither Travis nor Trip would 'invade the man's space,' but she wasn't about to be dissuaded from her present course of action. Hoshi held her breath and waited for Malcolm to answer his door, books in hand [signified] her pretense for crashing his solitude. Shifting uneasily from foot to foot, she stifled an ever-present yawn.
"Can I help you with something, Lieutenant?"
Hoshi jumped at the sound of his voice behind her. "I-I ..." she yawned again.
Malcolm waited patiently for her reply, Porthos wagging his talk enthusiastically.
Her thoughts becoming mud in her mind at the sight of him, it occurred to her that he had actually snuck up on her. "How'd you do that?"
"Do what?" Malcolm replied quickly.
"Sneak up on me," she stated, her voice trailing off at the end as Hoshi noticed the scowl forming on his face.
Seeing how nervous he made her, he purposely crowded her and tried to intimidate her. "And why would that be so difficult?" he questioned.
His face was mere centimeters away from hers and his masculine scent filled her nostrils. "B- because I-I have sensitive hearing." She clutched the books to her chest as though they would protect her.
Malcolm pressed the code to his quarters and brushed past her, surprised when she followed him in. "And the stuttering?" he countered, bending down and unhooking the dog's leash.
Admiring the view of his backside as he administered to the lucky dog, Hoshi didn't answer.
Finally Malcolm straightened. "Well?"
Blushing slightly, Hoshi held the books out. "I brought some books. I'm sure you can pull any book you want up and download it onto a PADD, but there's just something about the weight of the book and turning the pages that has always intrigued me. I ..." Hoshi took a calming breath and attempted to calm down. She couldn't figure out the reason, but he made her nervous. "I took the liberty and picked out some mysteries for you since I didn't know what you would like to read."
He looked at the books in her hands like they were poisonous snakes ready to strike at him. Did he even remember how to read? What did he like to read? Did he read for pleasure? Snatching one of the books from her hands, Malcolm flipped it over and quickly read the title. "Murder on the Orient Express."
Looking at him hopefully, Hoshi smiled. He was smirking and flipping through the pages.
"Thank you," he whispered solemnly. "I wasn't sure I could read."
Her smile fell. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it," she stammered, as she started to back away. "I just figured you would like a diversion while you recuperated."
Touching her sleeve, Malcolm stopped Hoshi. Part of him screamed to push her away, yet another part begged him to embrace her. He didn't trust himself with her; afraid he would harm her again. "Thank you," he repeated, at a sudden loss for words.
Handing him the other books, Hoshi brightened. "You're welcome."
He held the other volumes in his hand and feigned interest, the scent of her distracting him into lengthening the awkward silence.
Always one to abhor silence, Hoshi cleared her throat. "They're having movie night tonight, nineteen hundred hours, if you'd like to get out," her voice trailing off at the last part of the invitation, as she watched his expression change.
Malcolm concealed his shock as best he could, but an invitation was the last thing he expected from her. "I..."
"I don't know what I was thinking. You're probably very busy and it was highly inappropriate of me to ask you to movie night. You ..." Hoshi stammered, a slow blush rising up her neck and tingeing her cheeks.
"I'll meet you there," he stated before his mind could keep up with his mouth.
Not hearing his response, Hoshi kept talking. "It was very presumptuous of me and I apologize, Lieutenant Commander, and ... did you just say you'll meet me there?"
Ignoring his internal voice, Malcolm shook his head yes.
Hoshi smiled and walked toward the door. "I'll see you there." She left, her mind churning right along with her stomach. Had she just asked a senior officer out on a date?
*****