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"Captain Sato’s Enterprise"
by Lady Rainbow
Rating: PG-13 This fic will sound strange because of those changes, but please bear with me. Each chapter is told from the POV of a member of the “changed” crew. This is the last chapter, but keep the reviews coming! Thank you for the reviews so far:) Chief Medical Officer Malcolm Reed Sickbay was quiet at this hour. Malcolm Reed sat at the computer with a cup of tea and a half-eaten pineapple scone. He scheduled a whole slate of crew physicals in the coming days; though he didn’t anticipate any objections from most of the crew, there were a few who might need more...convincing. Trip Tucker, for one. By hook or by crook, he will come in for that physical, even if I have to pull rank on him to do it. His mouth twitched into a slight smirk at the challenge. The Armory Officer was adept at avoiding him, but Malcolm knew a few tricks that Trip didn’t. A soft knock on his door broke into his thoughts. He glanced at the clock and prepared himself for another long night. “Enter,” he called. “I hope I’m not interrupting, Malcolm,” Hoshi said as she came into the office. “Of course not.” His sharp eyes immediately spotted the cut on her hand. “You’re injured. What happened?” “Ensign T’Pol was giving me some ahn-woon lessons,” she answered, gingerly holding her hand with the other. She told him about the Luran customs that she had learned from Jon Archer. A vision of Hoshi with a whip in her hand threatened to turn his smirk into a full-blown grin. Somehow, he managed to keep a straight face. “Let me see your hand,” he commanded in a gentle voice and took her hand within his own. Carefully, he examined every finger, the palm, the back of her hand. The clinical part of him assessed the shallow cut high on her palm, the calluses on the fingers where she’d gripped the leather of the ahn-woon too tightly. The rest of him noticed how smooth the rest of her skin was... “Mmmm. I don’t believe you’ll lose any fingers,” he murmured, “but we need to clean those scratches before they become infected. Come on, let’s take care of it.” As she sat on one of the biobed, he picked up the dermal regenerator and got to work. They slipped into their usual routine, she telling him about the day’s events while he listened. Her summaries were always precise, but she emphasized her stories with graceful hand movements. Occasionally, she would mimic the voices of the crew, making him chuckle. “I would suspect our dear Armory Officer has more than just a casual interest in our navigator,” he commented. “As much as they argue at times, they tolerate each other’s quirks.” “Like a married couple,” Hoshi agreed wryly. “I’ve invited both of them to dinner tomorrow night. A cultural exchange, if you will.” “Trip’s idea?” he asked, surprised. He hadn't expected Trip to be so...forward. A stealth operation is sometimes the best way to go, Trip has said on more than one occasion. In this case, Malcolm understood the reasons behind this "stealth operation". Trip was an officer and a gentleman and conducted himself as such. “I’d been thinking about it, but it was something Travis said that decided it for me. He described T’Pol as an ‘enigma’ and that it might be in our best interests if we got to know her better.” Malcolm nodded sagely. Travis Mayweather was a frequent visitor to Sickbay, but unlike Trip, it wasn’t always because of injury. The first officer often asked about the health and welfare of the Enterprise crew.“Travis picks up on things that most people don’t. It’s a useful skill for a first officer.” “Yes.” She wiggled her fingers and smiled at the results. “Thanks, Malcolm.” “You’re quite welcome.” He noticed that she didn’t let go of his hand and then she leaned her head against his shoulder. After a quick glance around to make sure Lieutenant Liz Cutler was safely in the lab, he wrapped an arm around her and held her, gently resting his cheek against her hair. She works too hard, he thought. As ship’s captain, Hoshi Sato was brilliant and resourceful, but it was a lonely position. Hoshi was warm and congenial, though she had to hold herself apart even as her soul wanted the contact. He vowed to himself to help her shoulder that burden. In the interest of the ship and her crew, of course. Who the bloody hell are you kidding? Open your eyes, you sodding idiot. And on the heels of that thought came Trip Tucker’s voice, Malcolm, you’re as blind as a bat on a bright summer day. He shuddered. Ugh. Let’s not think of bats. “What’s wrong?” “For some reason, I had a thought of Phlox’s bat in my mind. I’ve never been fond of that little bugger, but she does have her uses.” She looked at him with a look of mock amazement and punched him lightly on the shoulder. “I give you a hug and you think of Phlox’s bat?” “Not in that way, Hoshi!” He sounded outraged, but he caught the mischief in her eye and roared in laughter. That set her off and they both laughed so hard that their sides hurt. “Is everything all right, Doctor?” Liz Cutler asked as she stuck her head out of the lab. She smiled at the captain and the chief medical officer and answered her own question. “Yeah, I guess everything’s okay.” Then she retreated back into the lab and shut the door again. They exchanged a look, then Hoshi squeezed his hand. “I ought to get some sleep. Morning comes early.” He nodded, then reluctantly let go. “Good night, Hoshi. Pleasant dreams.” “You too. See you tomorrow.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek then left Sickbay, casting a fond look over her shoulder. He sighed and stared after her long after she had disappeared. “Sleep well, love,” he murmured.
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