Kamea had been staring at the beverage dispenser for five full minutes, but still had no idea how to work it. She needed caffeine; water just wasn't cutting it any more. I don't believe this, she thought as she fingered the mug she was holding. I just rebuilt a warp engine in less than an hour and I can't get a damn mug of tea. Okay, so she'd had help with her engine, but the idea was still the same. She wished she'd thought to ask Commander Tucker – Trip – how to use it, but she'd been afraid he would tease her. They'd spent nearly an hour working on her engine and had completely reconstructed it. They then spent the next hour just talking, and Kamea realized how much she'd missed the company of humans.

She had just about given up on her tea, resigning to return to her quarters for yet another glass of water, when she smelled pineapples. Her mouth watered involuntarily, and she turned to find Lieutenant Reed walking over to her.

"Having some trouble, are we?" he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

She did her best not to look angry, but it was difficult. She'd allowed herself to become frustrated by a machine. That hadn't happened since college, when she'd accidentally electrocuted herself attempting to soup up her space heater. "What gave you that impression?"

As he reached past her to grab a mug from the shelf, his hand brushed against hers, and she felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her body. Her heartbeat accelerated, and her breathing became shallow. When she regained control, she chanced a glance at Lieutenant Reed and noticed that he appeared to have had the same reaction. But he didn't acknowledge it and neither did she. Instead, he placed his mug under the dispenser.

"Coffee," he said to the machine. "Two sugars."

A red light confirmed his order, and a stream of coffee poured into the mug, which he then removed. He sipped the coffee and smiled at her over the rim of the mug.

She raised an eyebrow and followed his lead, sticking her mug under the dispenser. "Tea," she said. "Earl Grey." When the mug was full, she took her tea and sipped it happily, looking at the lieutenant with a newfound sense of respect. In three days, no one else had cared to teach her how to use the machine. "Thank you. I was getting tired of water."

"My pleasure," he said with a nod.

She meandered through the mess hall and took a seat at her usual table, hidden back in the corner. She was surprised when Lieutenant Reed followed her and sat down across from her. "You don't have to join me, Lieutenant," she said. "I'm quite accustomed to being alone."

He shrugged. "Doesn't mean you should have to be." He paused, taking another drink of coffee. "And you may call me Malcolm."

She gave him a small smile. "Very well."

They drank their respective beverages in silence. Malcolm – she let her mind savor the name – seemed to be engrossed with his coffee, as his eyes never left it. Kamea, however, allowed her gaze to roam about the mess hall, observing the other crewmembers. She liked to watch people; it helped her hone her reading skills, which was the only thing she could do in accordance with her promise to the captain. She'd gotten very good at reading others, but since she hadn't been among humans with her abilities, she'd never had the opportunity to practice on them. She took that opportunity now.

"How are you doing?" he asked. She looked at him, but he was still fixated on his coffee. His next words were spoken to the table. "How are your first days going?"

She studied him. There was no mocking in his tone, but a genuine interest. He seemed to actually care. It was mirrored in his eyes. She remembered those eyes, locked on her own, when she had come to, briefly, during her hunger-induced slumber. She felt as though she had seen directly into his soul.

"I am," she paused, contemplating her word choice, "adjusting."

He met her gaze. "Adjusting?"

She nodded and took another sip of her tea. "It will take some time for the crew to adapt to my presence."

"What do you mean?" Malcolm asked, a sharp edge in his voice that had not been there a second ago. "Are you being mistreated?"

She looked at him, unsure of how to respond to that question."Mistreated" was perhaps a bit of anoverstatement, though she really wasn't being treated all that well.But it would be unwise to make accusations about the crew, especially to a senior officer. She would have to proceed with caution if she did not want to anger the lieutenant. Though she sensed, from the ire in his voice, that he would not have been angry with her. "There have been no outright hostilities. However, I feel that most of the crew are…uncomfortable around me."

He lowered his eyes, staring at the table once again. "I'm sorry."

She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "It is of no consequence. I am used to it." Why had she lied? She drained the rest of her tea and stood. Malcolm scrambled to his feet. "If you'll excuse me," she said, smiling inwardly at his gesture, "I'd like to return to my ship. I'm making progress."

Malcolm nodded. "Of course."

She turned away.

"Kamea?"

The way he said her name made it sound like the most beautiful word in the world. She glanced at him over her shoulder. "Yes?"

"If you need anything – anything at all – please don't hesitate to ask."

She felt the corners of her lips tug upwards and stifled the smile before it could come to fruition. "Thank you. I'll do that."