Insomnia - Part 2

It was physically impossible for him to go to the gym that evening, or so the doctor had told him. Malcolm thought he was quite capable of sparring one handed, but for some reason the doctor had seemed horrified by the suggestion. Consequently, he was walking the corridors of the ships at 0300; exhausted but unable to sleep.

Just before he turned down the corridor that led to the turbolift on his deck, he heard voices from round the corner, he peered round to see the captain and Trip standing by the lift and talking.

"So you didn't find out?" Archer asked Trip, who shook his head with a smile.

"Nope, he evaded the issue spectacularly."

"It just seems a little odd," Archer shrugged. "I wasn't particularly worried until Phlox came to me saying that the injuries were consistent with someone who'd been in a barroom brawl." Malcolm narrowed his eyes, Phlox was in for some harsh field training.

"Malcolm fighting with someone?" Trip asked incredulously.

"It's happened before," Archer pointed out.

"Yeah but Malcolm gets on well with all his staff and the rest of the crew."

"I can think of one or two exceptions," Archer said wryly.

"If you're talking about Angela Robertson . . ." Trip trailed off.

"They certainly have their differences."

"They're not that bad that it'd descend into physical violence. And they've been getting much better recently," Trip pointed out.

"Maybe this is why," Archer shrugged.

"You think they've been settling their differences by beating the crap out of each other in their off hours?" Trip asked with a raised eyebrow and a grin.

"It's possibl-"

"Malcolm!" a voice said from behind him and he span round.

"Ssshh!" he hissed at her.

"What?" Robertson asked just before he put a hand over her mouth to shut her up.

"Malcolm?" Too late.

"Captain. Commander," he acknowledged with a nod, releasing Robertson from his good arm.

"What are you doing?" Archer asked, glancing between them.

"I was on my way to the mess hall sir," Robertson smiled. "And you? Burning the midnight oil?"

"Something like that," he said glancing between Malcolm and her again. He raised an enquiring eyebrow at Malcolm.

"Just out for a stroll," he responded, stuffing his hand into his pocket.

"At three in the morning?" Trip asked.

"Couldn't sleep," Malcolm shrugged.

"Still?" Robertson enquired, he glared at her. "Sorry," she muttered before taking a step towards the turbo lift. "Night sirs," she smiled as she entered and the door closed behind her.

"Still?" Archer enquired. "You've been having trouble sleeping?"

"A little," he shrugged. "But I keep bumping into Robertson, I don't think she's human sir, she doesn't seem to sleep at all." Archer and Trip laughed.

"Well I'm gonna' hit the hay," Archer said, opening the lift door. "Get some sleep Malcolm," he said before the doors closed on him.

"So how bad is it really?" Trip asked as he they walked towards his quarters. "And don't even try it because I can tell when you're lying," he warned. Malcolm sighed.

"It's not good. The only time I seem to be able to get any sleep is if I'm dead on my feet and can't physically stay awake any longer, even though that's how I'm feeling most of the time anyway," he said running a hand through his hair.

"You should go and talk to Phlox," Trip suggested.

"I suppose," Malcolm capitulated grudgingly. "I'll give it another week, if it doesn't get any better . . ." he shrugged.

"I'll hold you to that," Trip said as he opened the door to his quarters.

"Yes sir," Malcolm replied sourly, Trip laughed.

"Night Malcolm."

"Goodnight."

Malcolm made his way to the mess unhappily. He had nothing personally against Enterprise hosting gala events for alien dignitaries, just as long as he didn't have to attend. With a sigh he opened the door to the mess and entered.

Archer appeared to be regaling a group of the Pentrillans with some story or another, whilst Hoshi appeared deep in conversation with a couple of others. Travis was sitting at a table accompanied by four of the aliens and looked to be introducing them to human food.

"Malcolm!" He turned round to face Trip who was walking towards him.

"Commander," he acknowledged. "How goes the mingling?"

"Not too bad," Trip grinned. "They're nice enough. A little dull though," he added, pitching his voice quieter.

"That makes a welcome change then," he responded before stifling a yawn.

"See, you haven't even spoken to one of them yet and you've practically fallen asleep," Tucker grinned. Malcolm rolled his eyes and mustered up a small smile.

"It must be airborne."

"We'll have to tell Phlox to be more careful when he screens new arrivals."

Malcolm smiled at their interplay as he leaned back against the wall tiredly, before stifling another yawn. Trip looked at him closely.

"You're still not sleeping are you?" he asked. Malcolm ran a hand through his hair and shrugged, looking away.

"I'm fine."

"Okay, but you're not sleepin' are you?"

Malcolm sighed, "No," he said.

"You need to go and see Phlox," Trip said sternly.

"Yes, I know."

"Come on then," he said expectantly.

"Now!"

"Yes now, I don't trust you to go by yourself," he said. "And they don't need us here at the moment, the Cap'n will call us over the comm. if he does."

"But-"

"No arguing with me on this Malcolm. I'll make it an order if I have to," he said sternly.

"Yes sir," Malcolm replied, picking himself up from against the wall and turning to the door.

"Well I'm not sure what I can recommend," Phlox said with a frown. "Unless… I've just read the excretions of-"

"No!" Malcolm exclaimed. "No thank you, Doctor."

"T'Pol helped Commander Tucker when he was losing sleep with neuropressure," Out of the corner of his eye Malcolm saw Trip's eyes widen and he stood up from the wall he'd been leaning against. "But that had a clearly defined cause, and I doubt she'd be willing to do that again anyway…" Malcolm swore he heard Trip exhale.

"Well, thanks anyway," Malcolm said, standing up from the bio-bed.

"Not so fast Lieutenant," Phlox said, placing a firm hand on his shoulder and pushing him back down. "We still need to find a solution. If you were married perhaps…" Phlox trailed off and Malcolm rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes. Sex is a cure for insomnia, so I've heard," he said and heard Trip chuckle. "But seeing as I'm not willing to break the anti-frat. reg's, the only people that leaves open to me are Lieutenant Hess, you and Porthos."

"And you and Lieutenant Hess don't get on?" Phlox enquired.

"Oh for Pete's sake!" Malcolm exclaimed, standing up again and managing to step away before Phlox could stop him.

"Malcolm," Trip said warningly from the door.

"Perhaps a simple massage would help? Rather than neuoropressure or sexual intercourse," Phlox suggested. Malcolm smirked and almost turned round to say to Trip that he thought they were the same thing.

"Right, I'll just go and make an appointment with the onboard masseuse," Malcolm snarked.

"I'll ask around, I'm sure there's somebody suitably qualified," Phlox smiled.

"Ask around?" Malcolm asked incredulously. "You intend to inform the entire crew that I haven't had more than three hours of sleep for a couple of months?" he asked angrily. "And like they'll be anyone 'suitably qualified' onboard anyway-"

"Angela Robertson used to work in her cousins beauty parlour," Trip interrupted Malcolm's tirade.

"Perfect!" Phloz exclaimed.

"What?" Malcolm looked between the two. "Oh no no no no…"

"Come on Malcolm what's the big deal?" Trip asked as they headed back to the mess hall. Malcolm glared at him. "Seriously, I don't see the problem! Bedtime massages from an attractive woman, where's the problem?" he asked with a grin.

Malcolm stayed silent and picked up the pace. Trip matched it.

"Or is that the problem?" Trip asked with a devious grin. "Does Malcolm have a thing for Angela?"

"What?" How could he possibly….? "She's the most irritating woman I've ever met!" he exclaimed.

"Oohhh, I'm seeing all that arguing in a different light now!" Trip continued, completely ignoring him. "Oh, and back a few months ago when you were supervising target practice sessions and she said you'd been looking at her legs!" Trip said excitedly.

"Oh for- She was wearing a mini skirt!" he exclaimed.

"And back when the Larackians commandeered the ship, Travis said you two were getting pretty cosy!" he exclaimed happily.

"She leant on me in her sleep!" Malcolm defended.

"Oh it all fits together," Trip grinned.

Malcolm was getting slightly worried at the manic expression on his friends face and decided that he was never going to bring up the time she kissed him in order to shock him into consciousness. He doubted it would matter to Trip that he had recoiled so much in his horror that he had fallen off his chair.

"Oh look, the mess hall," he said with relief as they approached the door. "Time to mingle," he said, before practically sprinted his way in and promptly hiding inconspicuously behind Travis until Trip was pulled aside by the Captain to join in his conversation with the Pentrillans.

Malcolm watched the stars streak pass the windows as he drank his tea.

"Hiya Malcom," Trip greeted. "Mind if we join you?" he said indicating himself and Travis. Nalcoln shrugged and waved at two empty chairs at the table.

"Bit late for dinner isn't it?" he asked referring to their trays.

"We just finished running some pretty endless simulations," Trip replied before taking a bite of his dinner. "So," he said threw a mouthful of food. "Isn't tonight the big da-"

"Say it and die," Malcolm interrupted. Travis' eyebrow shot up.

"You wouldn't be so touchy about it if there weren't somethin' to it," Trip insisted. Travis looked curiously between the two of them, but seemed to know better than to ask.

"I'm not touchy-" Malcolm objected.

"Maybe you should be, she might like it," Trip grinned. Malcolm growled angrily and made to stand up, Trip stuck out a hand and pulled him back down. "I don't get it. She's gorgeous, has great legs, curves in all the right places…."

"Maybe you should ask her out," Malcolm suggested venomously. "I've got to go," he said, shaking off Trip's hand and standing up.

"Wouldn't want to keep Angela waiting now," Trip sing-songed as he left.

When he got to his quarters Robertson was leaning against the wall outside them. She grinned at him.

"So I haven't quite decided what you'll be doing for my as repayment yet, but I'm working on it. I want it to be perfect you know, so I don't want to rush it," she said happily.

"Are you quite done?" he asked as he opened the door and let them inside.

"For now," she said smugly. "I still can't believe you agreed to this," she commented as the door slid shut behind them.

"Desperation and sleep deprivation does horrible things to a person," he said dryly.

"Evidently," she agreed. "All right then get your kit off," she ordered, he raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Please sir, would you remove your shirt so I can cure you of your insomnia? Oh pretty please?"

"Yes, yes, that's enough thank you," Malcolm grimaced before pulling his shirt over his head

"Not bad," she said after letting out a low whistle. He glared at her. "Sorry, sorry. Okay then Mister Reed, face down on the bed I think." He shook his head but followed her instructions.

"Sleep well?" Robertson asked the next morning as she sat down next to him in the mess hall.

"Better than usual," he told her. "Thank you," he added reluctantly.

"No problem. I guess I haven't lost my touch then," she grinned.

"I guess not," he agreed.

"So…. Will you be requiring my services on a regular basis?" she asked with a smirk.

"We'll leave it for tonight, see if I can sleep any better on my own."

"Sure," she shrugged. "If you can't sleep, let me know, I'll probably be about," she smiled.

"Thanks," he said genuinely.

"Right, that's enough of this 'friendly' conversation," she said with a grin as she stood up, Malcolm laughed.

"Definitely."

Thanks to Joy and Begoogled for reviewing part 1! Hope you enjoyed Part 2, please REVIEW and let me know what you think!