"Sono" Part Fourteen

Disclaimers in part one.

Doctor Phlox had disappeared to wherever he went when occupants of his sickbay needed some time alone. Malcolm was grateful for the quiet, despite the terrible empty feeling of loneliness that coiled deep within him. If he just pretended Hoshi was sleeping, he could almost forget she wasn't just sleeping. He wasn't alone. He kept telling himself that.

He looked down at her, sighed and closed his eyes. He let his head fall down, resting it in the palm of his hand. Alone.

The doors to Sickbay hissed open and Malcolm looked up, past the partially drawn privacy curtain. Travis had come in but had stopped just inside the door. He looked across, meeting Malcolm's eyes.

"Hey, Malcolm," he said.

Malcolm answered, "Travis," then looked back down to Hoshi, only looking up when Travis stopped on the other side of Hoshi's bed.

"How is she doing?"

"The same."

Travis nodded.

"I thought you might be here, so I came down to tell you, we'll be arriving soon."

Malcolm gave a stiff nod. "Good."

Travis' gaze drifted to Hoshi, and he watched her for a few moments before he said, "Do you think that she dreams?"

"I don't think I would want to know."

There was a bitter note in Malcolm's voice, acrid enough to cause Travis to look at him with concern.

"We'll get her back, Malcolm," he said, trying to offer as much comfort as possible.

"I hope so." The bitterness was still there.

"You know," Travis started, his voice thoughtful. Malcolm looked up at him, to see an expression of hesitance. Travis caught the look, and continued, with the same thoughtful tone, "Both you and Commander Tucker look as if you haven't slept in days. You should get some sleep."

Malcolm looked back down at Hoshi, as he said, "Don't tell me you said the same thing to him." This time, under the bitter tone, was a faint sound of wry amusement.

"No, but I'm sure T'Pol has that well in hand."

Malcolm looked up, a spark of interest in his eyes.

"And how would you know that?"

"The smaller the ship, the larger the rumor mill."

"I should have known. Find most of that gossip to be true?"

Travis didn't bridle at the tone of sarcasm, just stated, "There's always a grain of truth. Besides, when it comes to my friends, it's good to know all I can. For instance, that you and Trip have both visited Hoshi, but only when the other's not around."

Malcolm did bridle. "That's not true."

"If you say so, sir."

"I would think if you had something to say, Travis, you wouldn't dance around it so with such circumspection. Just spit it out, would you?"

"Well, I would, but I do have a concern. Depends on whether or not I'm talking to my commanding officer or my friend."

"For the sake of argument, the latter."

"Well, then. When are you going to stop treating each other like strangers?"

"When he gets his head out of the sand."

"Says one ostrich. In case you didn't notice he's been trying to."

"There's no rivalry there, Travis, no ill feelings."

"And no communication. Hoshi's noticed that. She mentioned it to me and I couldn't tell her the real reason behind your avoidance of each other. That wouldn't stop her. If it hadn't been for this, you would have heard something from her by now."

"Nothing much does gets by her...or you, apparently. So you took it upon yourself--"

"All I'm saying is you have a good friendship that you're letting go to waste."

"Get back up to the bridge, Ensign."

Travis looked as if he had something else to say, but instead, he said, "Yes, sir."

"Travis."

"Yes?"

"Rest assured--I heard."

Travis nodded.