Engine Trouble… In More Ways Than One!

By: Moonlit Sea

Disclaimer: I don't own Enterprise or the characters all I own is this fic and the character Lt. Karyn Kelly.

A/N: okay I know this chapter's kinda crappy but there was no way I could really change it (and believe me I've tried!)

Conversation being remembered
================ Start of POV
################## End of POV

CHAPTER 6 - Jealousy Can Be A Bad Thing.

"So what we gonna do?" Trip asked.

"First we find where Karyn is." Jon replied.

"Then?"

"I haven't thought that far yet."

Trip laughed.
"Well how 'bout I go and talk to Karyn and you go and talk to Malcolm."

"Do you really think that's a good idea Trip?" Jon asked.

"What do ya mean?"

"If Malcolm's starting to behave the way you were a week ago…" Jon started to say.

"I see what ya mean, don't worry I won't say anythin' that might upset Karyn." Trip answered while heading towards the door before Jon could say anything else.

Jon sighed and looked out of the window before getting up and leaving the mess hall himself. He needed time to think; he knew there would be trouble between those three now he just needed a way to solve it.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/
(Sickbay.)

When Trip entered sickbay he saw Hoshi talking to Karyn who was trying to keep still while Phlox was performing some kind of test.

"So here ya are." Trip said

Hoshi and Phlox turned round while Karyn just turned her head.

"I was talkin' to Karyn." Answering their unasked questions. "I stopped by ya quarters but ya weren't there."

"Well now you've found me." Karyn smiled, with a tinge of annoyance.

"Ya do remember that you were s'pose to meet with Malcolm." Trip asked.

The expression on Karyn's face showed that she did know.
"Well if the doctor would hurry up with these damn tests, then maybe I might be able to salvage what's left of our 'meeting'." She said this time her annoyance was clear in her voice.

Trip walked towards Karyn then looked at Hoshi.

"Perhaps I better get going. I'll see you later okay Karyn." Hoshi said after understanding the look she got.

"Okay I'll see you later Hoshi." Karyn replied as Hoshi headed for the door.

"There you are Lieutenant, all done." Phlox said to impatient Karyn.

"Finally!" she said as she got up.

She was about to leave when Trip said.
"He's gone."

Karyn stopped and asked.
"What do you mean he's gone?" a little more sarcastic than she intended.

Trip turned round to face her only to find that she was still facing the door.
"He left a couple of minutes ago." He said.

"I see. Did he say anything before he left?"

"Only that he had some things to do. He waited an hour for ya but ya never showed." Trip answered

Karyn sighed.
"I knew I should have told Hoshi to tell him I was going to be late." She says quietly to herself.

Trip could see she was upset and was about to put his hand on her shoulder when she suddenly went off. He sighed that didn't exactly go the way he wanted it to, he decided to go after her to make sure she was all right.

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

================
(Malcolm's POV)

When I reached my quarters I locked the door. I wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone. I went and sat on my bed as the same question kept going round in my mind. Why didn't she turn up?
Then the conversation I had with the Captain and Commander came in my mind.
"I'm sure she hasn't forgotten Malcolm." Archer said.

"Yeah she's probably held up somewhere talkin' to someone." Trip added.

"Have you ever known Karyn to be late?" Malcolm suddenly asked.

"Now that you mention it, I haven't." Archer replied thinking. "Unless you count the time she locked herself in her quarters."

"I don't really think that counts Cap'n." Trip said then added, "She's never been late for her shifts in engineerin' "

"So why is she late now?" Malcolm asked.

Just then my door chimed, I shouted out "Yes?" but didn't hear any reply for a few seconds.

Then I hear "I came to see if you're alright." It's the Captain.

Now I don't know which to do to let him in or tell him to go away. I sigh and go to open the door; he is the Captain after all. After the door slides back I answer his question "I'm fine thank you sir." He looks at me with a worried look on his face I can tell what he's about to ask.

"You didn't seem fine in the Mess Hall earlier." He says questionably.

There it is the question I was hoping he wouldn't ask. Okay so it's not quite a question but there's a question hidden within it and my answer to that question. I have none because he's right I wasn't all right in the mess hall. I felt… disappointed I guess no make that feel disappointed and something else which I can't really describe.

"You wanna talk about?" the Captain suddenly asks.

I'm a little shocked by his question then reply, "There's nothing to talk about sir." Trying to sound as normal as possible, "I'm fine really." I can't believe I'm lying to the Captain! It's something I thought I'd never do but here I am doing it. I then see Karyn with the Commander and suddenly I feel like the Commander's trying to take her away from me. That it was his fault that she didn't turn up, although I know it's not true as he was in the mess hall with me!

"If you don't mind sir I'll like to get some rest." I say trying to make some excuse as to why I want to stop the conversation. I'm not sure if he believes me or not if he doesn't, he doesn't show it.

"I'll see you on the bridge tomorrow then." He replies and walks away.

I close the door and lean up against it as I sigh. How can one person make me feel like this? I've been I tougher situation before and never felt like this.

###############################

/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/=/

After seeing the way Malcolm had looked when he saw her with Trip. Karyn decided to visit him and explain why she didn't meet with him as they arranged. But she wasn't expecting she would be talking through a door. And as if that wasn't bad enough now he wouldn't even talk to her!

"Malcolm, please we need to talk." Karyn pleaded.

But still she got no reply, then suddenly the door slid open and there stood a very unhappy Lieutenant Reed.

"We don't have anything to talk about Lieutenant." He said a little irated.

Karyn was surprised to hear her rank being used instead of her name. She was even more surprised by what happened next.

"Please call me Lieutenant Reed from now on. Now if you'll excuse me I'm due on the bridge tomorrow." And with that he closed the door on a very shocked Karyn.

"Malcolm…" Karyn says softly while still looking at his door, "I'm sorry."

She wanted to run, run back to her quarters; she could feel tears welling up inside of her. She shook them off and as calmly as she could walked back in the direction of her quarters. While thinking /-Why is Malcolm acting like this?-/

Unknown to Karyn someone had seen the little 'scene' between her and Malcolm.

================
(Trip's POV)

I was on my way back from Engineerin' when I heard "Malcolm, please we need to talk."
I was curious as to why Malcolm wasn't talkin' to this person. I cautiously approached Malcolm's quarters to find Karyn standing at his door.

/-Why on earth isn't he talking to Karyn? What's she done?-/ I wonder.
Then the Cap'ns words appear in my mind 'What's she done this time?'

I was about to go up to her and ask if she was okay when the door to Malcolm's quarters suddenly opened. There stood Malcolm and he looked… if you'll forgive the expression …pissed.

"We don't have anything to talk about Lieutenant." He said to Karyn.

I noted that he had used her rank instead of her name but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next.

"Please call me Lieutenant Reed from now on. Now if you'll excuse me I'm due on the bridge tomorrow." then he closed the door.

I don't know who was more shocked Karyn or I.
/-What's going on with ya Malcolm? If ya just listen to what Karyn had to say, I'm sure you'll find that she has a good reason for not turnin' up.-/
Karyn sayin' ever so softly interrupted my thoughts

"Malcolm…" what she said made me both sorry for her and angry at Malcolm for not listenin' to what she had to say. "I'm sorry."

A few minutes later Karyn walked off. I wanted to go up to Malcolm and yell at him or punch him or something for what he just did to Karyn. I tried to control my anger if I did do one of those things I might just be makin' it worse for Karyn.

/-They'll sort it out. Malcolm will realise what's he's done and go apologise. Then everything will be back to normal… I hope.-/ I thought.

I went towards my quarters, only briefly stoppin' to wonder if I should tell the Cap'n. I decided not to after all it would all be forgotten by tomorrow, I hoped.

################################