*****
"Thank you, Sub-Commander," Hoshi stated professionally and took the PADD from T'Pol. It had the codes she would need today.
"You're welcome," replied the Vulcan, unaware to Hoshi's growing discomfort. By now, everybody should know what she had done and what her 'punishment' was. Having spent the entire day before relieved of duty and restricted to her quarters, she felt that she was a child being sent to her room. Kids should be sent to their room. Her brothers enjoyed it. After all, that's where all of their toys were.
She was never sent to her room for reprimand. Instead, her parents would make her study another language or translate something from an alien news document. Sure, Hoshi was glad to be back on duty even though her duties were restricted, but she could hardly wait to get back to her quarters now. Malcolm was there, waiting for her.
For a man with little memories, he certainly remembered how to please a woman. What sleep she did get last night was deep and relaxing. She didn't mind the times he woke her with a stroke or a kiss. They only had two days left. After that, their relationship was done. As much as she wanted to believe his whispered promises last night, she knew the long distance thing would never work. She made no promises to him last night.
Her career was definitely down the toilet due to the hacking incident. She owed Captain Archer. She could have very well wound up in front of a court martial tribunal if it hadn't been for his intervention. In the wee hours of the morning, Malcolm had finally turned the light off to get some sleep. His eyes had remained wide open, his blue eyes penetrating her brown ones as surely as his body penetrated hers. When the lights went out, she woke, her worries over the next two days and the eventual goodbye, which was soon to come.
She needed to remain emotionally detached. She could do that right? If any lesson had been passed down from her parents it had been that, right? To remain detached. That way it wouldn't hurt as much when Malcolm left.
A small chirp sounded in her ear, signaling an incoming transmission. It was garbled and Hoshi was barely able to make out the words, but she welcomed the distraction. Was it the Vulcan ship early? Her heart sank. Checking the transponder signal, Hoshi frowned. It didn't match a ship of Vulcan registry.
"Sir, I have an incoming transmission," Hoshi stated, pushing the earpiece to her ear.
Archer rose from his chair and stood over her in silence.
"I can't make anything out, sir. They're still too far away." Hoshi looked back and forth from her console to the PADD, quickly entering the code she needed to boost the communication's array signal. The computer continued searching for the mystery ship's identity.
An uneasy filling settled in the pit of her stomach.
--
Stretching the kinks out, Malcolm padded across Hoshi's cabin to the shower. He opened the door and her scent assailed him -- a scent that he knew he could get used to. Hardly getting any sleep last night, Malcolm looked at his rough appearance in the mirror. If he closed his eyes, he could picture her and feel her hands move over his body and his desire for her grow.
It was time for a cold shower now. She was on duty and he was left to...do nothing. Maybe it was a good thing that the Vulcans were coming for him. Perhaps it was best for him to go back to Earth. Maybe there was something there, which could spark his memory and make him whole again. Last night had changed his outlook on his past...He loved Hoshi, but he had nothing to offer her.
Guilt settled over his sated mood, and Malcolm scratched the stubbled- growth of his beard. He didn't know why he hadn't told her how he felt last night, only letting snippets of his feelings toward her slip as they made love last night.
There were no responses, but only passionate sighs and soft encouragements as they explored one another.
He stepped under the shower, gasping as the cold water hit his back. He would talk to her later tonight.
--
"It's a hauler, ECS registry, The Kami," Hoshi announced. "They are still out of range, but it's not a distress signal."
"Travis, move to intercept," Archer commanded. Obviously, they wanted or needed something. "When will we be in range?"
"Five minutes," informed Travis.
--
He sat on his bunk and sighed, watching the time as it ticked by. Maybe he could speak with her at lunch.
--
"—Enterprise come in--," a desperate voice broke through the static."
"This is Enterprise. Do you require assistance?" Hoshi replied.
A static-fill pause was Hoshi's only response and Hoshi routed the external com system to the speakers at her station. Frustrated, she pulled the earpiece from her ear.
"This is Enterprise. Do you require assistance?" Hoshi repeated.
"Yes...looking...olm Reed," a voice called out. "...in danger."
Hoshi heard the female voice and her lover's name mentioned and the dread in the pit of her stomach grew.
"Repeat...He's in danger."
"This is Captain Archer. Can you repeat your message? You're still breaking apart."
"Do you hear me?" the voice grew clearer.
"Sir, I've got a visual," Hoshi called out.
"Put it on screen, Lieutenant."
A female figure appeared on the screen, static marring her features, but her voice rang out clear. "This is Captain Mako. I have an urgent message for Lieutenant Commander Malcolm Reed."
"Go ahead," Archer encouraged, wondering how anybody knew Reed was on Enterprise. According to Forrest, nobody knew he was on board. It wasn't public knowledge.
"I have reason to believe Lieutenant Commander Reed's life is in danger."
As Enterprise drew closer to the Kami, the figure cleared.
Hoshi recognized the woman immediately, the sinking feeling in her stomach turning to stone. The hair was cut shorter, pageboy style, and the older woman had aged well. Lita Mukai.
Feeling light headed, Hoshi stood up. "Lita Mukai."
Hearing her name spoken after all these years, Mukai stared at Hoshi. "What did you say?"
*****
"Thank you, Sub-Commander," Hoshi stated professionally and took the PADD from T'Pol. It had the codes she would need today.
"You're welcome," replied the Vulcan, unaware to Hoshi's growing discomfort. By now, everybody should know what she had done and what her 'punishment' was. Having spent the entire day before relieved of duty and restricted to her quarters, she felt that she was a child being sent to her room. Kids should be sent to their room. Her brothers enjoyed it. After all, that's where all of their toys were.
She was never sent to her room for reprimand. Instead, her parents would make her study another language or translate something from an alien news document. Sure, Hoshi was glad to be back on duty even though her duties were restricted, but she could hardly wait to get back to her quarters now. Malcolm was there, waiting for her.
For a man with little memories, he certainly remembered how to please a woman. What sleep she did get last night was deep and relaxing. She didn't mind the times he woke her with a stroke or a kiss. They only had two days left. After that, their relationship was done. As much as she wanted to believe his whispered promises last night, she knew the long distance thing would never work. She made no promises to him last night.
Her career was definitely down the toilet due to the hacking incident. She owed Captain Archer. She could have very well wound up in front of a court martial tribunal if it hadn't been for his intervention. In the wee hours of the morning, Malcolm had finally turned the light off to get some sleep. His eyes had remained wide open, his blue eyes penetrating her brown ones as surely as his body penetrated hers. When the lights went out, she woke, her worries over the next two days and the eventual goodbye, which was soon to come.
She needed to remain emotionally detached. She could do that right? If any lesson had been passed down from her parents it had been that, right? To remain detached. That way it wouldn't hurt as much when Malcolm left.
A small chirp sounded in her ear, signaling an incoming transmission. It was garbled and Hoshi was barely able to make out the words, but she welcomed the distraction. Was it the Vulcan ship early? Her heart sank. Checking the transponder signal, Hoshi frowned. It didn't match a ship of Vulcan registry.
"Sir, I have an incoming transmission," Hoshi stated, pushing the earpiece to her ear.
Archer rose from his chair and stood over her in silence.
"I can't make anything out, sir. They're still too far away." Hoshi looked back and forth from her console to the PADD, quickly entering the code she needed to boost the communication's array signal. The computer continued searching for the mystery ship's identity.
An uneasy filling settled in the pit of her stomach.
--
Stretching the kinks out, Malcolm padded across Hoshi's cabin to the shower. He opened the door and her scent assailed him -- a scent that he knew he could get used to. Hardly getting any sleep last night, Malcolm looked at his rough appearance in the mirror. If he closed his eyes, he could picture her and feel her hands move over his body and his desire for her grow.
It was time for a cold shower now. She was on duty and he was left to...do nothing. Maybe it was a good thing that the Vulcans were coming for him. Perhaps it was best for him to go back to Earth. Maybe there was something there, which could spark his memory and make him whole again. Last night had changed his outlook on his past...He loved Hoshi, but he had nothing to offer her.
Guilt settled over his sated mood, and Malcolm scratched the stubbled- growth of his beard. He didn't know why he hadn't told her how he felt last night, only letting snippets of his feelings toward her slip as they made love last night.
There were no responses, but only passionate sighs and soft encouragements as they explored one another.
He stepped under the shower, gasping as the cold water hit his back. He would talk to her later tonight.
--
"It's a hauler, ECS registry, The Kami," Hoshi announced. "They are still out of range, but it's not a distress signal."
"Travis, move to intercept," Archer commanded. Obviously, they wanted or needed something. "When will we be in range?"
"Five minutes," informed Travis.
--
He sat on his bunk and sighed, watching the time as it ticked by. Maybe he could speak with her at lunch.
--
"—Enterprise come in--," a desperate voice broke through the static."
"This is Enterprise. Do you require assistance?" Hoshi replied.
A static-fill pause was Hoshi's only response and Hoshi routed the external com system to the speakers at her station. Frustrated, she pulled the earpiece from her ear.
"This is Enterprise. Do you require assistance?" Hoshi repeated.
"Yes...looking...olm Reed," a voice called out. "...in danger."
Hoshi heard the female voice and her lover's name mentioned and the dread in the pit of her stomach grew.
"Repeat...He's in danger."
"This is Captain Archer. Can you repeat your message? You're still breaking apart."
"Do you hear me?" the voice grew clearer.
"Sir, I've got a visual," Hoshi called out.
"Put it on screen, Lieutenant."
A female figure appeared on the screen, static marring her features, but her voice rang out clear. "This is Captain Mako. I have an urgent message for Lieutenant Commander Malcolm Reed."
"Go ahead," Archer encouraged, wondering how anybody knew Reed was on Enterprise. According to Forrest, nobody knew he was on board. It wasn't public knowledge.
"I have reason to believe Lieutenant Commander Reed's life is in danger."
As Enterprise drew closer to the Kami, the figure cleared.
Hoshi recognized the woman immediately, the sinking feeling in her stomach turning to stone. The hair was cut shorter, pageboy style, and the older woman had aged well. Lita Mukai.
Feeling light headed, Hoshi stood up. "Lita Mukai."
Hearing her name spoken after all these years, Mukai stared at Hoshi. "What did you say?"
*****