"Good night, my friend." Still he felt awkward adressing a superior like that. But somehow, in a very strange way, it felt good. Malcolm smiled one of his rare smiles and lay back on the biobed. In an instant he was fast asleep.

Cold. An icy cold that crept through his flesh, through to his bones and in the middle of his heart. He saw Trip, climbing up the ladder in his attempt to lock himself up in the airlock. A try to save at least one of them.

A heroic try. A damned stupid try concerning Malcolm.

But this time he couldn�t stop him. He was helpless, when he heard the unmistakable sound of the closing airlock. He wanted to shout, to shoot at Trip. But he simply sat there...watching in horror...frozen to the pod�s ground...

..and awoke with a startled cry. He was in sickbay. Still? Or again?

Trip!

Was he alright? He tried to sit up, when suddenly two strong hands were gently pushing him back. He turned his head. Only to look straight in the tired eyes of his captain.

"Captain Archer, I...you..." he stumbled over the words, unable to clear his foggy mind.

"Trip�s gonna be alright. It was only a dream."

Still Malcolm felt the hands on his shoulders. A pleasant feeling. He began to relax a little, but Jon still could feel the tension in his shoulders.

Jon sighed. Stubborn english man. He wouldn�t go back to sleep till he was sure, that Trip really was okay. He moved a step aside, so Malcolm could see the other biobed.

Under a blanket was Trip�s still form, breathing softly in and out. Apparently in deep slumber. He even was snoring a bit. Malcolm�s head fell relieved back on the pillow.

Only then he realized, that Jon still had one hand on his shoulder. He raised his eyes and looked him in his face. Jon looked deadly tired. Deep dark circles were under his beautiful green eyes and his shoulders hang down.

"Captain, how long have you been sitting here?" he asked.

Jon shrugged his shoulders, when Malcolms question was involuntary answered by Dr. Phlox, who choose this moment to look around the corner.

"Captain, you really should go to bed now. I can�t allow you to sit here anymore. It�s been over three hours now and I admitted only 30 > Minutes."

Malcolms eyes grew wide. Again Jon only shrugged his shoulders to him.

"It�s okay, doc. Just one more minute and I�ll be gone. Promised."

Satisfied Dr. Phlox left.

"Three hours?" Malcolm couldn�t help but feel a little glimpse of hope deep down inside of him. Why should the Captain sit three hours in the dark watching him sleep, if not...

No.

No, for heaven�s sake, this was the captain. And he was straight. Damned straight. Terrible straight. Too straight for him to even hope for.

Jon gave him a little smile. "Malcolm, I guess we need to talk."

Malcolm could feel his gut tying himself in a knot.

"No good conversation ever started with `we need to talk�, Captain." he said with a nervous smile.

Jon let out little laugh. "Then maybe we can change that. Malcolm, seeing you here, near to death, it made me..." Jon stuck in the middle of the sentence. He cleared his throat and started again.

"Malcolm, when we found you and Trip there in the shuttle, unmoving, nearly frozen to death, I suddenly knew, that I couldn�t stand loosing you."

Shyly Jon turned his head away.

And again the little glimpse of hope awoke inside of Malcolm, this time accompanied by a little butterfly fluttering around in his stomach.

"And why not,...Jon?" he whispered. He decided to go the whole hog. Hearing his name from Malcolm Jon raised his head again.

"Because then I would never have been able to do that." With these words Jon bent over to Malcolm and planted a soft kiss on the other man�s lips. Malcolm froze for a moment, certain he still was dreaming and Jon felt the tension. He flinched.

For a long moment both men were staring into the other�s eyes. Jon was the first to look away.

"I�m sorry." he mumbled and was starting to leave, when he suddenly felt Malcolms grip on his wrist. Jon turned around and looked at the man lying on the biobed.

"No, don�t leave. Please. I know, this has to be another dream. And I don�t want to wake up. Not yet. I simply know this can�t be true. But don�t go, Jon. Just for this few minutes I want to able to hold you."

Jon�s face lit up with a radiant smile. He leaned down and planted another soft kiss on the ypunger man�s lips.

"Malcolm, you ARE awake. And you�re definitely NOT dreaming."

Malcolm shook his head slightly and reciprocated the smile. He softly stroked the hand he was still holding with his thumb.

"Then I must be dead and in heaven. Did you really kiss me?"

Jon bent over him again and this time the other man kissed him back.

"Yes," Malcolm smiled sleepy "you did."

"Go back to sleep, Malcolm. We�ll talk about this later." Jon rose, this time to really leave sickbay. He saw Malcolm closing his eyes again and with a tender smile he whispered: "Good night,Malcolm."

He was already at the door when he heard the softly spoken reply: "Good night, ...love."

The doors closed behind him.

****

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