Chapter Eleven

"Oh good, you're awake. How are you feeling, Lieutenant?" Phlox asked as he slipped Velcro strips around the xanographic splint he was attaching to Malcolm's right foot.

"Groggy," replied Malcolm as he tried to sit up.

"No, no, no! Lie back down. You're going to stay here overnight. You managed to get a pretty nasty bump on your head as well," Phlox said gently as he coaxed the man onto the biobed.

Malcolm looked around sickbay anxiously until his eyes located the reclining form of his charge.

"I induced a coma to help speed up her healing process. Other than a nasty headache when she wakes up, she should be back to normal."

Malcolm lay back, exhaustion overcoming him.

"There you go, eat up my prattlings."

Consciousness came to Hoshi like the pounding of waves on a beach. It ebbed and flowed, and during this cycle she was able to hear things, things she didn't understand and things she knew all to well.

She could hear the…De-no-bu-lan…the doctor. Her initial reaction was fear but was soon replaced as she realized he presented no threat to her. He had no intention of boiling her and eating her. She could feel the fondness and caring he held for his animals. In turn, she could feel the animals greedily competing for and eating their food.

"There, there, now! There is plenty to go around!" he chastised the animals as though they understood what he was saying.

She tensed as she felt him near her, but she was unable to flee or move. She felt heavy. A wave of regret and pity filled her, emanating from the doctor. The initial shock that he had felt at discovering his people had been the reason she had been orphaned still niggled at the back of his mind. He didn't wade in the guilt, but for some reason felt responsible for her difficult life; an image of his son filling his mind. Hoshi was unsure why it did.

A young woman came in through the doors, huffing heavily. "Lieutenant Reed is cranky. He wants to know when he will be cleared for duty…again!" Crewman Cutler huffed the question as though she had been asked that several times in a short span of time.

"A few more days should suffice and he should be able to walk around," Phlox answered, exasperated with the lieutenant and his attitude.

"He also wanted to know how Hoshi is doing," Liz asked, looking over at Hoshi with concern.

Hoshi started. In her mind she could see herself, as though she were Liz Cutler looking at her.

Liz approached her, wondering if she imagined Hoshi's movement.

"I can't wake up. I want to wake up, but I can't. Can you help me?" Hoshi shouted at the top of her lungs in the darkness of her mind.

"That's odd," Liz whispered and stood still, something pressing on her mind.

Phlox threw a worm into one of the cages and looked up. "What is it?

"I could swear I just heard Hoshi ask for help, that she wanted to wake up." Liz crumpled to the ground grasping her head.

"Yes! Yes! I do want to wake up! Can you help me?" Hoshi shouted in the darkness, feeling the sound reverberate around her.

Phlox rushed to Liz and immediately started taking readings. "Your hypothalamus is stimulated."

"I'm sorry! I don't want to hurt you. Please let me wake up."

Liz grabbed her head and groaned. "Wake her up, please! Give her a stimulant! Anything! Just get her out of my head!" Liz pleaded.

Phlox moved toward Hoshi with a hypospray and Hoshi braced herself, knowing the intent was to wake her up.

She felt the prick in her neck and she heard the hiss, the rush of the drug enabling her to open her eyes. The tube down her throat was very uncomfortable and she started to gag. She was finally able to control the reflex and stopped gagging. "Lieutenant Reed," she cried in her mind.

"It's the strangest thing," Phlox exclaimed excitedly. "It seems that Hoshi is telepathic. At least that is what Crewman Cutler swears by."

"What?" Malcolm questioned as he hobbled over next to Hoshi's bed.

"However, I've ran tests and there is nothing on my scanners to back up her claim.

Malcolm brushed Hoshi's dark hair off her forehead. Hoshi looked at him with wildness in her eyes. "When does she get the tube out?"

"We can take it out now, if she wants," Phlox addressed Hoshi, astonished that the young woman wasn't panicking at the sight of him.

"On the count of three, exhale as hard as you can," Phlox instructed as he wrapped his hand around the tubing.

Malcolm took an instinctive step back, ready for her to vomit, but she never did.

She coughed and sputtered, reaching a hand out for Malcolm, her voice raspy as she called his name. "Lieutenant Reed."

He reluctantly went to her side, still considering the possibility that she may throw up.

She clasped his hand like a lifeline, eyeing the Denobulan doctor. Malcolm's eyes followed her line of vision and he patted her on her shoulder. "He isn't going to hurt you. I thought we already went over this."

Instinctively she knew the doctor wouldn't hurt her, but the vision of the Denobulans who attacked her parents still haunted her. "I know," she whispered.

Hoshi could feel his questions in her mind, the concern for her well-being radiating from…Malcolm…was his first name. She could feel something else from Malcolm, but couldn't put a name to it.

In order to avoid the numerous questions, she feigned exhaustion. Malcolm stayed as she fell asleep.