Chapter Twenty –
Two years later –
There are moments in your life you never forget.
Telling Malcolm she hadn't loved him had been the most difficult thing she ever done. From the moment he had entered her life, her life had shattered. Concepts had been warped and she had started to fear the unknown.
To her, time travel had been fantasy – until he came along. During the lapses of contact with him, her first three years on Enterprise, she had studied everything she could regarding time travel. She told no one, not even Phlox.
Only those directly related to Malcolm's mission retained any knowledge of it.
The Xindi weapon had been destroyed before it could discharge its fatal ray of destruction. The paradoxical wave that Malcolm had been sent back to prevent had turned into a minor ripple, negating the thread he had originated from.
With the different theories of temporal mechanics Hoshi had studied, she had come across one constant theme – do not interfere. It was clear to her that she and Malcolm had never "happened" in the time he had left for the past. It would be unfair to him to change his future and actively pursue a relationship with him.
She had told him too much already. He needed to be able to make his own decisions. She really should have left Enterprise. In fact, she had planned on leaving. But, Captain Archer had persuaded her to stay.
Malcolm had remained on board too, treating her with a professional decorum that had bordered on annoying.
Last year he had received a promotion to lieutenant commander. She had tried to hug him, but he had stepped back and held out his hand.
Two weeks ago, Hoshi had received a promotion to lieutenant. The party had been loud yet hollow for her. Malcolm hadn't been there, and she had mourned his absence. That was the night everything had changed.
The party was nearing its end and she had made her excuses to retire. Hoshi had walked past several skeleton crews on her way to the armory, not really caring if anyone saw her or what she was about to do. She had entered the armory as though it were her domain, walking up to stand before a startled Malcolm.
"Is there something I can help you with, Ensign…er…Lieutenant?" he had asked softly as his eyes ran up and down her body, staring at her with a hunger that rivaled her own.
She had pressed her body against his and had kissed him, pulling away and whispering an invitation to him that she had hoped he wouldn't refuse.
As Hoshi had walked away, she had realized her error. Malcolm wouldn't get off duty for several more hours.
She had felt foolish, hoping he didn't think she was teasing him. Worrying about what she had just done, Hoshi had taken the long way to her quarters. When she had arrived, she had found Malcolm leaning against her cabin door.
No words had been exchanged as they stripped one another of clothing.
That had been the night everything had come crashing down around her.
She had thought he had been having a bad dream, but that wasn't the case. He had writhed in pain, moaning and twisting as if some eternal force had tormented him. Hoshi had clicked the lights on, gasping.
Hoshi had always wondered if Malcolm had made it back to his time. Now she knew.
She leaned over his supine form and brushed an errant lock of hair off Malcolm's forehead.
Phlox was at a loss to explain Malcolm's arrival. Daniels had arrived long enough to confiscate the PADD and give a vague explanation as to what was wrong with Enterprise's armory officer. The temporal agent had theorized that the thread Malcolm had originated from had become unstable. The temporal PADD's failsafe had dumped him into the nearest viable thread. Daniels had no idea how or why the two Malcolms had merged into one, stating it was highly unlikely that Malcolm would ever wake up.
The sickbay lights made him look older than he really was.
"I love you," she whispered against his ear.
--
Two weeks later –
Dreams were nature's way of giving you hope and crushing them at the same time. For years he had dreamt of her, some visions of her mundane, while others were horrific. Either way, there had always been one constant throughout his dreams.
He had never heard her voice.
That was why the sound of her voice now seemed so real, calling to him through the colorful haze of his dreams. Hope manifested itself in the dreamscape as vibrant colors overtook the darkness.
A soft question teased him. Was she alive?
His head hurt and he frowned, a subtle memory trying to surface. It was impossible. She had been dead for a few years now.
"That's it, Malcolm," her hopeful whispers brushed against him. "Come back to me. I need you."
--
Leaning her head against the bed, Hoshi sighed, hating the tears that threatened to fall.
"You have to give the treatment time, Hoshi," Phlox comforted. "From what I read, the lanquin treatment is extremely slow, and I've only been administering it for a week. He's already made more progress than I would have expected at this stage."
Hoshi lifted her head and smiled weakly. "I know," she sniffed. "He's dreaming now. I can see the rapid eye movement."
"It will take time for his synaptic pathways to integrate –"
"How much time?" Hoshi stood abruptly, knocking her chair over.
Having no answer for her, Phlox looked away.
"How much time do we have?" Hoshi asked, waving her hands in frustration. "You can't keep Starfleet off your back much longer."
"The facilities on board were not designed for long-term care, but I'm adamant Malcolm remain on Enterprise. If…when he wakes up, he'll need to be in a familiar environment."
"But –"
"Rest assured, Hoshi. I have Captain Archer's full support. Malcolm isn't going anywhere."
--
A few months later –
Upon opening his eyes, Malcolm immediately recognized the noises around him – the nocturnal noises of Doctor Phlox's menagerie. Disappointment coursed through him as dreams gave way to reality. At least in his dreams, he could hear her voice now. He blinked, trying to adjust to the lights.
Maybe, if he went back to sleep, he could hear her voice again. That's what he missed most about her – the sound of her voice, especially the sound of passion that would escape through her lips as they made love.
He could die in his dreams and hardly mourn his own mortality. She was gone, and he was still here.
As that last thought crossed his mind, he frowned. How had he gotten here?
Searching his memory, Malcolm tensed.
He had arrived on Enterprise per Commodore Archer's request. He had mentioned something to do with Hoshi. With a muffled groan, he tried to sit up.
The animals fluttered, alerting their caretaker that something was wrong.
Wearily, Phlox pulled the curtain open to double check on his patient. Three months of caring for Malcolm had left the physician in desperate need of an extended hibernation period.
Phlox blinked several times and rubbed his eyes in disbelief as he watched Malcolm struggling to sit up. "Careful, Lieutenant Commander!" the doctor cautioned, grasping Malcolm's arm and helping him.
Malcolm's puzzled look deepened. "Commander," he corrected softly, his voice raspy.
Phlox took his time adjusting the bed and pillows before he said more. Of all the possible scenarios he had envisioned, Phlox hadn't thought of this one. "What is the last thing you remember, Mr. Reed?"