Restrictions
Morning came, not that Trip could tell by looking out of his window. Only distant stars and the wide-ranging space filled it.
Trip got up, showered and got dressed, ready for another hard-working day at work.
The intercom buzzed with Captain Archer asking for him.
"Trip here, Capt'n." Trip replied cheerily. The thought of a new day, new possibilities, bought the happiness out of him. He had always been a morning person.
"Could you meet me in my ready room, please." Captain Archer said it more as a command than a request.
"Be there in five." Trip replied.
Making his way to the Captain's ready room, Tip pondered why the Captain wanted to see him so early in the morning. Also, T'Pol was on his mind. Of course, when was she not? He was wondering when he'd see her today.
Entering Captain Archer's room, he was drinking some coffee and Trip could sense that he was agitated.
"Mornin' Capt'n." Trip greeted. The Captain, or Jon as Trip called him when they were off-duty, was Trip's longest friend on the Enterprise and had known each other since Starfleet Academy.
"Hey Trip." Jonathon greeted, but his mind seemed somewhere else. "You want some coffee?"
"Wouldn't mind if I do." Trip accepted and went over to pour some coffee for himself. Joining his Captain to sit down opposite him, Trip could see that he was troubled.
"Is there something wrong, Capt'n?" Trip asked, concerned.
"I heard about you and T'Pol." The Captain said quietly, almost as if he was ashamed. "Actually, I saw you two having dinner in the Mess Hall yesterday."
Trip wasn't surprised, he sort of anticipated that Jon would figure it out, but he was a little confused as to why the Captain looked like Porthos had just died.
"Yeah, I guess it couldn't be a secret forever. But is there a – " Trip considered his words carefully. "Do you have a problem with it?"
The Captain looked like he was about to say something, but stopped himself. "It's just I wish you would have told me earlier."
"It only started a few days ago and T'Pol didn't want anyone knowing yet." Trip explained, but could still see that his friend was a little hurt. "I almost told you Monday morning, but I decided against it." He added.
"Still, maybe you two getting involved is not the best idea." Jonathon suggested.
"In what way?" Trip was totally lost.
"I mean, you work with T'Pol, so it will inevitably complicate and distract your work. Plus, if you two break up, you wouldn't talk to each other or even get your work done." The Captain argued.
"T'Pol and I talked about that, it won't happen. To quote T'Pol: 'It would be illogical.'" Trip laughed, but Jonathon wasn't easily swayed.
Before either of them could say anything else, a message came through the intercom.
"Captain, there's a ship approaching at Warp 2. We can't tell what type of ship, sir." Travis informed him.
"Leave it be. Probably just a trade ship." The Captain replied.
Captain Archer returned to his conversation with Trip and decided to get to the point. "I would prefer it if you didn't date her."
Trip looked at the Captain, his so-called friend, with a hint of anger in his eyes. "Are you saying that you called me here, at this hour, to tell me to stop seeing T'Pol because it upsets you?"
The Captain didn't say anything and avoided Trip's glare. Trip stood up abruptly. "You can't tell me who to see or not, you don't have the right." Trip left for the door.
"I'm your Captain." Jonathon rose from his chair authoritively.
"But apparently not my friend." Trip left quickly and angrily, leaving the Captain to his reeling thoughts.
