x-x
Malcolm heard voices coming from around the corner, and he placed a quick hand on the lift controls, holding the door open. He nodded in greeting as Commander Tucker and Ensign Sato joined him in the lift.
"Lieutenant," Sato said with a smile.
"Ensign," he replied, as formally as was possible in jumper and jeans. He still felt a bit awkward, being in civilian clothing while the others were in uniform, but at the same time he didn't feel comfortable wearing the uniform until he was officially cleared for duty. And this particular outfit was one of his favourites, and it was probably amongst his warmest. He still couldn't quite shake the chill, but that was neither here nor there. Four days had passed since his incident on the bridge, and he had been sleeping far better and, thanks to the miracle of modern pharmacopoeia, without dreams.
He'd spoken with Archer - the man had visited him in sickbay, and once again since then. They'd discussed his lack of sleep and the dreams, although Malcolm had conveniently left out their subject matter. Last thing he needed was Archer, or Phlox, or whoever making the connection between the dreams and his phobia. Probably get himself sent straight to Starfleet Mental Health, then reassigned if he was lucky. Far better to play it off as nothing, something temporary, "See? Almost cured, meds are great, thanks," and see where that took him. He knew it was only a matter of time before Phlox put in the good word for him. Now he just needed to get Tucker on his side, and he'd be right as rain.
"How you doing?" Tucker added.
"Fine," Malcolm replied quickly. At a look from Sato, he smiled slightly and rephrased. "Better." Shifting the subject purposefully, he asked, "Are you both coming off duty?"
"Sure are," Tucker said.
At Sato's answering nod, Malcolm added, "I was heading to the mess." He hadn't been, but figured it was probably a good idea, for form's sake if nothing else. "Care to join me?"
Sato nodded again, but Tucker said, "Sorry, can't." He sounded genuinely regretful. "But you two go, and eat." He turned an amused, if pointed, look to Malcolm. "That's an order, by the way, so don't jerk me around on this one or I'll get Hoshi on your ass, and believe me, you don't want that."
"Hey," Sato sputtered from beside him. She stared at Tucker with a mix of fake horror and clear amusement, obviously accustomed to such teasing from him.
"The woman is tenacious," Malcolm added wryly.
"Hey!" Sato shouted, turning surprised eyes on Malcolm.
Malcolm smiled to soften his words. He didn't normally joke with Ensigns, and he didn't want her to take him the wrong way. "Sorry," he said, trying to appear contrite. "The commander is a bad influence."
The lift doors opened in front of her and, gathering herself together, she shot a haughty, "I'll say," over her shoulder as she left.
Malcolm was just about to step out after her, when Tucker stopped him with a hand on his arm. "You don't normally do that with her."
"I know," Malcolm replied, looking down at himself. "I think it's the clothes."
Tucker raised an eyebrow, then turned his gaze to look after Sato as she moved away. "Yours or hers?" he asked, a hint of faux-lasciviousness in his tone.
Malcolm let his eyes move to Sato, and for the first time, simply watched the woman move. "Good point," he said softly as he stepped out.
He heard Tucker stammer as the doors closed, cutting him off.
Malcolm finally let himself break into a smile.
x-x
Malcolm slid into the seat across from Sato, placing his plate and utensils on the small table before them. As his companion greeted a passing crewmate, he took a quick bite from his rice. He wasn't particularly hungry, but he'd taken the food and fully intended to eat some of it, as an effort toward regaining some of the weight he'd lost would certainly look good with the powers that be. And what he didn't eat would probably go unnoticed in the bustle of the busy room.
He took another quick bite of rice and, putting his fork down, watched the people around him.
"Are you cold?"
"Sorry?" he asked, turning his attention to Sato. "Did you say something, Ensign?"
"Call me Hoshi."
He nodded at her. "Malcolm," he said in response. Normally, he might not, but he supposed, off-duty, it was fine.
"Are you cold?" she repeated. And with that, she nodded down at his hands.
When he followed her gaze, he realised that he'd tucked his hands up under his jumper's sleeves, and was holding them close to his body. He shrugged it off and grabbed his fork again. "A bit."
"But you're feeling better, right?" she asked.
"Yes," he replied, twirling his utensil in the rice. When she didn't reply, he looked up. Hoshi was staring at him with patent disbelief on her face. "No, truly. I am."
"You do look better." Reaching out, she picked at his sleeve. "You were getting kind of skinny, there."
In response, he purposefully took a big bite of the cake he'd been planning to save for dessert.
"Although looks like you'll be remedying that soon enough," she added, dark eyes sparkling in amusement.
He raised his eyebrows in reply. His earlier quip seemed to have broken the ice with her, as she was acting much freer with him than she had in the past. Maybe clothes did make the man, or at least the woman's reaction to the man. Well, casual clothing or his attempt at casual friendship, she certainly seemed more at ease with him than she had in the past.
"You seem to be back to normal, anyway," Hoshi said. "How long before they let you back on duty?"
"Soon, I think."
"Good," she said, but suddenly she didn't look like she meant it. She tugged nervously at her ponytail. Leaning in closer, she dropped her voice and said, "It was really frightening, up on the bridge."
"Sorry," he said, matching her tone. He put down his fork. "I didn't mean -"
"I know you didn't," she said, waving him away. "Just, well, I had no idea that lack of sleep could make you..." She let her voice trail off.
"Stark raving mad?" he finished frankly. He looked directly at her, but let the hint of a smile cross his lips.
"Yeah," she said awkwardly, suddenly seeming every bit as young as her twenty-three years.
"Apparently so, or at least according to Phlox it can." Malcolm pushed his dessert plate in her direction. He reached out and took another forkful for himself. "Temporarily, at least."
"But you're sleeping now?" she asked. She took a small piece of the cake on her fork, and slid it into her mouth.
Malcolm nodded around his own mouthful.
"So you won't..." Hoshi shook her hands next to her head, fork glinting in the bright light.
"No, I won't," Malcolm replied, mimicking her gestures.
"Good," she said firmly, giving him a genuine smile.
He couldn't help but return it.
x-x
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