Reed's Armory -- A Malcolm Reed Fanfiction Archive ..

Title: Confusion

Author: Taryn Eve

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Fandom: Enterprise

Rating: PG-13

Category: Het

Pairing: Reed/Sato

Summary: Hoshi has a headache. Reed stops dreaming. T'Pol is not irritated. Not at all. The Vulcans had Fusion, meres humans get Confusion.

Beta: Thanks to Down in New York for the beta.

Archived to Reed's Armory on 10/15/2003.

Tap... taptap...

Hoshi Sato's fingers stopped over her keyboard and she winced at the interruption. She rubbed the bridge of her nose and tried to focus on her work. The translation matrix beeped at her.

Tap... tap... taptap...

"Damn," she said under her breath.

Sub-commander T'Pol looked up from the captain's chair. "What is the problem, Ensign?"

Hoshi glared at her screen before turning to T'Pol. She said, "I'm having trouble with the translation of the Merian database we found yesterday. The bulk of the data is about their weapons systems."

The sound that had been driving Hoshi to distraction all day stopped.

"Weapons systems?" Malcolm Reed leaned over his console. "May I take a look?"

Hoshi narrowed her eyes and glared at him. Reed seemed taken aback at the animosity.

"Fine," Hoshi said curtly as she tapped a few commands into her console. "I'll transmit the story so far to your station."

T'Pol arched an eyebrow, but did not speak.

Hoshi sent the translated data to Reed. A few moments later, the tactical officer's eyes lit up as he read the weapons specs Hoshi had waded through for hours. She watched his expression as he mumbled aloud.

"This is remarkable," Reed said. He glanced upwards, looking slightly flushed. "Their phase cannons are massive."

She rubbed her the bridge of her nose, straining inwardly to find the tolerance she needed to get through the day. "I guess size does matter, doesn't it, Lieutenant?"

Mayweather started coughing hard, clearly struggling to maintain his composure at the unexpected remark. Hoshi realized that her words had betrayed her and quickly buried her face in her hands. Seemingly preoccupied with the Merian weaponry, Reed ignored both of them.

T'Pol looked from Mayweather to Hoshi to Reed with a quizzical look. Then she sniffed and returned her attention to her data padd.

A few moments of quiet repose passed. Then Reed started drumming his fingers on his console again. Hoshi turned her head quickly toward the tactical station. Reed snatched his hand from the console as though it were on fire and stifled a yawn.

T'Pol looked up once again. "Ensign Mayweather, please calculate how long it would take for us to reach these coordinates."

She took the data padd to Mayweather, then returned to the Captain's chair.

Mayweather asked, "Risa?" He shook his head slightly, then began working on the calculations.

"Is something bothering you, Ensign?"

Mayweather straightened up in his seat. "No, Sub-commander. I was just wondering how Vulcans handle workplace tension. Do they even have any?"

T'Pol's eyes glinted fiercely for a moment, but her voice remained placid. "It is my experience that Vulcans have academic discussions and points of debate over items that are open to interpretation. I do not believe we experience tension as you know it, Ensign." She paused and turned to Hoshi, raising an eyebrow at her. "I believe what you are referring to is the sort of tension I am detecting here, but it is nothing rational discussion and meditation could not alleviate."

Hoshi stared back at her for a few seconds before riveting her eyes on the tactical officer's drumming fingers.

Reed smothered another yawn with his free hand. "Whatever do you mean, Sub-commander? I daresay this is the tightest crew in Starfleet."

Hoshi cleared her throat. "Actually, we all have habits that can be pretty irritating."

She looked at the sub-commander for affirmation, but the Vulcan woman did not look at her.

Reed looked startled. "Oh, you mean the yawning. I'm sorry, Sub-commander. I had trouble sleeping last night."

Hoshi rolled her eyes and tapped her own fingers. Mayweather grinned at her.

T'Pol walked over to the tactical station. "You accompanied Captain Archer and Commander Tucker to the Merian ruins yesterday. The captain also reported trouble sleeping last night. I recall your account of the mission, Lieutenant. Do you have anything to add that might indicate why you both had trouble sleeping?"

Reed shrugged. "Not really. It seemed rather innocuous. Dead ruins and a live computer system. Oh, and a jar." His sentence was interrupted by yet another yawn. Hoshi and T'Pol noticed that his face was still flushed. He glanced over at Hoshi with his piercing blue eyes.

"You didn't mention a jar yesterday," Hoshi said. "Where is it?"

Reed started drumming his fingers again. Hoshi's gaze darted to his fingers. He stopped and placed his hands behind his back.

He exhaled heavily and said, "It must still be on the shuttlepod. It had some writing on it. Pretty squiggles. I think you should take a look at it, Ensign Sato."

T'Pol paced slowly towards the comm station and said dryly, "You did not mention the artifact or the pretty squiggles last night, Lieutenant. I find this to be highly unusual behavior, as you are usually very meticulous. Also, you appear to be slightly feverish, judging by the coloring of your face. I suggest you report to Sickbay and request another exam."

Reed clenched his jaws to stop another yawn, then said, "Yes, Sub-commander." He left the bridge.

Hoshi sighed in relief. The blessed noise was gone.

T'Pol walked over to the science station and set down her data padd. She selected a tricorder, then said, "I will examine the jar. Ensign Mayweather, you have the bridge."

Hoshi watched her leave, then said, "I hope whatever is inside the jar isn't contagious. Malcolm looked kind of sick."

Mayweather shrugged. "We'll figure it out. What's up with you two, anyway? You'd think a security guy could pick up looks that kill."

Hoshi made a face. "You can tune out the universe, Travis. It's my job to hear everything. I think my head would have exploded if he'd kept tapping his console like that."

The helmsman grinned. "I bet it's worse for the Sub-commander."

Hoshi rolled her eyes. "She's Vulcan. Mere noise doesn't get her down. Well, rational discussion and meditation wouldn't have helped me with Malcolm much longer. I have a headache."

Mayweather said solicitously, "Maybe you should go to Sickbay. Doc can fix you up."

Hoshi rubbed her head. "No thanks, flyboy. Between my headache and running into Lieutenant Reed again today, I pick the headache."

Mayweather smiled at her logic.

She bent over her console and told it to search for references to the jar in the Merian database. The console beeped a few minutes later. She peered at it, then gasped at the translation before her.

"That jar's got a virus in it!"

Mayweather hit the comm. "Bridge to T'Pol."

Hoshi looked at him anxiously as he repeated the hail. Concerned that there might be a malfunction in the comm system, she ran a quick diagnostic. It came back clear. She jumped out of her seat and moved to the science station, attempting to locate the Vulcan woman's biosign. The computer showed that T'Pol was in the shuttlebay, and Hoshi called up an image of that area. She could see Shuttlepod One's open hatch, but no sign of T'Pol. She tried hailing the sub-commander again when Mayweather fell silent.

Hoshi said, "Travis, the computer says she's alone in the shuttlebay, but so far I can't see her."

Mayweather said firmly, "Go down there. I'll send Security and the Doctor after you."

The young communications officer hurried to the turbolift. She tapped her foot while it descended, and it stopped halfway. The doors slid open, revealing Captain Archer, Reed, and Dr. Phlox. All three were wearing masks and gloves. Archer wore a gown from Sickbay, and Reed was dressed in his undershirt and workpants. Hoshi moved aside as they squished into the small lift. Reed bumped into her as he made room for Phlox.

"Let's go," Archer said wearily.

Hoshi stared into Reed's tired eyes. He stared back. Hoshi looked away uncomfortably.

"Hoshi, what did you find out about this jar?" Archer asked. "I don't even remember it. Malcolm thinks Trip left it on the shuttlepod."

Hoshi shook her head. "I just found the translation. It contains a virus."

Dr. Phlox asked, "Does the jar describe the virus in detail? I did not find any foreign bodies when I scanned the gentlemen last night. Even now, the captain and Lieutenant Reed merely have low-grade fevers and weariness."

Hoshi shook her head. "I don't know yet. I only read the first reference to the jar. It's a virus the Merians deliberately created. I'll read the rest in the database and send the translation to Sickbay as soon as possible, Doctor."

Archer yawned, which prompted a responding yawn from Reed.

"Should you two even be here?" Hoshi asked gently, looking at their flushed faces.

Reed opened his eyes with an effort, then stared deep into Hoshi's eyes once again. "You called out the cavalry, Ensign. We're well qualified to do the heroic thing."

Hoshi blinked. She looked at Dr. Phlox.

The alien nodded at her. "The captain and I think that we should minimize the number of people exposed to this jar. Once we determine Sub-commander T'Pol's position, the Captain will move in to take the jar to the decontamination chamber. We will scan it again and run more tests."

Hoshi looked at Reed and caught him staring at her. Her cheeks started to turn hot. "Do you think I've been exposed, Doctor? Should I be here?"

Phlox shrugged slightly. "I don't know if anyone has been exposed yet. We'll have to see what the tests on the jar reveal."

The turbolift finally arrived. Reed shook himself. A security team advanced on them from the other end of the corridor.

Reed said, "Stay back. Wait at the other end of this corridor and seal it off. There's a Merian jar inside the shuttlebay that might be causing a problem." He turned to Hoshi. "Ensign Sato, I want you to wait with there with the Captain while I go check on T'Pol."

Archer said, "Belay that. We need to find out what the jar says before we go rushing in. Hoshi, can you use the comm system to see what's going on in the shuttlepod?"

Hoshi nodded. Reed's team left after a sharp nod from the Captain. Hoshi walked to the nearest console and tapped in a set of commands. A moment later she and the others could see T'Pol's unconscious form in a different view from the one Hoshi had seen on the bridge.

The captain leaned in to press the comm button. "Archer to T'Pol. T'Pol, wake up," Archer said loudly.

The science officer stirred, then collapsed again. Hoshi and Phlox worked over the console, and brought up the woman's biosigns. Hoshi shook her head. She knew the Vulcan language, but wasn't very familiar with Vulcan physiology.

Archer frowned and clenched his fists. "T'Pol, wake up. That's an order, Sub-commander!"

The Vulcan woman made a fist, but didn't raise her head.

Phlox said, "She has a fever and certain minerals have been depleted in her system. I don't understand why she is semi-conscious, though."

Archer looked at Hoshi pensively, then said, "You wait here. I'll position the jar so you can read it from the viewscreen inside the shuttlepod. I don't know why it knocked her out and not us, but since Malcolm and I have already been exposed, we'll go after her. Tell the bridge we're going to have to quarantine the shuttlebay for now. Phlox, give me your medical kit."

The physician handed him the medical kit and tricorder, then stepped back as Reed opened the shuttlebay door.

The tactical officer scanned the perimeter of the shuttlebay, then nodded at Archer. The captain walked inside.

Reed paused and looked at Hoshi before entering. Hoshi bit her lip at the uncertainty in his eyes. "You're going to be fine," she said.

He rubbed his eyes. "I know. Take care of yourself, Ensign."

She sealed the door after him and returned to the display showing the interior of the shuttlepod.

"Did you notice anything unusual about them last night when you examined them?" Hoshi asked, stifling a yawn.

Dr. Phlox said, "I detected an increase in their hormone levels. However, I didn't think the situation called for quarantine, as there was no other evidence of the virus. I'm surprised by T'Pol's reaction-her symptoms appear to be distinctly different from those of the gentlemen. Ensign, perhaps you should leave us now, before they bring T'Pol out of the shuttlebay. You can monitor events from another area."

Hoshi shook her head. "I need to see that jar. It might be able to tell us what the virus actually does, and the time it might take me to find another comm console could be critical."

They watched Archer approach T'Pol. He called her name a few times. He took off his gloves and checked her pulse, first in her throat, then in her wrist. Reed entered the shuttlepod and searched for the jar. He found it on under a seat and brought it closer to the shuttlepod's main viewscreen and held it up.

"What does it say?" he asked over the comm.

Hoshi stared at the curved lines on the jar and shook her head. "I need more time," she said helplessly. "I can see the word for children on it, though."

Reed set the jar down on the console. Hoshi split the screen so she could see both the jar and the Captain.

Archer took T'Pol's hand in his and her eyes fluttered open. A furious look crossed her face for a moment. Archer gasped, then collapsed on top of T'Pol.

"I will not succumb," T'Pol said through gritted teeth. "I am under control. Now is not the time of..." She fainted.

"Work on it," Reed said abruptly.

He took the tricorder out of Archer's free hand and scanned his crewmates. "Bloody hell," Reed said. "Doctor, are you picking up these tricorder readings?"

Dr. Phlox said, "Just a moment, Lieutenant."

Hoshi worked the console so Phlox could interface with Reed's tricorder. In the meantime, Reed closed his eyes.

"Wake up, Lieutenant," Hoshi said loudly. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, absently noting that her face was getting hot.

Reed sank to his knees. "I'm fine."

"You can't be heroic on your knees," Hoshi said heatedly. "Now stand up, Mr. Reed."

Reed's eyes snapped open and he did as commanded "Right. I apologize for my behavior, Captain. It won't happen again."

Hoshi grinned at her sudden promotion. "Good," she said.

Dr. Phlox approached Hoshi from the side. "Well, I can do little for them behind a bulkhead, Ensign. I'm going inside." The doctor unsealed the shuttlebay door and darted inside. Hoshi stared at Reed's frowning image on the viewscreen.

"How do you feel?" Hoshi asked, blinking after another yawn.

He stretched and said wryly, "Captain Sato indeed. I feel like I've escaped from that horrid zombie movie we saw in the mess hall last month. I can't think clearly."

He backed away from the screen, and Hoshi watched him move Archer off of T'Pol. The doctor entered the shuttlepod and picked up the tricorder Reed had discarded.

The doctor scanned Reed, then walked over to the jar.

After a few minutes, Phlox said, "The jar contains a powder. There are a few grains on the outside. I'm going to put the jar into a storage container."

Reed walked over to the storage locker and brought out a container. The doctor wrapped his gloved hands around the jar and gently placed it inside the heavy metal box. Reed snapped it shut and slumped over on it.

Hoshi asked, "What about the Captain and T'Pol?"

Phlox knelt beside the two fallen officers. He shook them, then said, "We can take them to Sickbay."

Reed pulled himself up, then squatted and put his arms under T'Pol. Hoshi watched him strain to pick up the slender Vulcan woman with some amusement.

He finally gave up. "I'm tired." His voice echoed stiffly behind his mask.

Phlox said, "Ensign Sato, please call in a medical team."

Hoshi contacted Sickbay just as Reed emerged from the shuttlebay, carrying the container with the jar.

"Hello," he said lightly. "I think I'm going down." At Hoshi's flush, he said, "Up. I'm going up."

Hoshi took a step away from him. She said, "Easy, Lieutenant. Let's take it to Sickbay."

They slowly walked to the turbolift. Hoshi looked at the container nervously.

Reed groaned and almost fell over, but Hoshi caught his arm.

He stared into her eyes. She noticed how very blue his eyes were above the mask he still wore. "I'm all right."

Hoshi yawned. Reed's eyes narrowed at her. He shrugged and pulled off his mask and discarded it.

"Bloody thing. If you're exposed, I don't need it."

Hoshi's eyes widened as he continued to stare at her. She bit her lip and released his arm. For a moment, he sagged against the wall and closed his eyes. Hoshi pushed the storage container to one side and brushed her arm against Reed accidentally.

"Is that your universal translator or are you just glad to see me?" he asked mischievously.

He opened his eyes and grinned at her.

Hoshi exhaled. "We don't let you out often enough, do we?"

Reed rubbed his bare arm where she had touched him. Part of Hoshi squirmed at the hungry look in his eyes. The other part of her said, "You should put those eyes on defrost more often."

Reed shifted his weight and then stepped closer to her. "I'm not cold, Hoshi."

She lightly touched his temple. He leaned over and kissed her palm.

Hoshi drew in her breath. Her headache was gone. He slowly stripped off his gloves and stared at her mouth. Then he touched her lips with his fingers, feeling her breath hot against his skin. A growling sound came deep from his throat, and his eyelids fluttered as he bent closer to her. Hoshi suddenly realized that more than anything, she wanted him to touch her. She'd never had a clearer thought in her life.

Suddenly, he fell over her and she let out a startled scream. The turbolift stopped, the doors opening with a flourish. Hoshi could see Sickbay at the end of the corridor.

Hoshi groaned and pushed Reed off of her. She stood up and frowned at him. She dragged the unconscious man out of the turbolift. She shook his shoulder, but he wouldn't wake up. Frustrated, she laid her forehead against the wall and pounded a fist flat against the bulkhead. "Wake up! I can't carry you all the way to Sickbay by myself," she said. In one last effort, Hoshi leaned down and began pulling on his undershirt.

Thankfully, Reed opened his eyes and Hoshi quickly let go of his shirt. She helped him to his feet. They took a few halting steps and got some momentum behind them, somehow making it all the way to Sickbay.

They stopped short at the sight of all the empty beds. They stared at each other, their breath coming in short, panting gasps. Hoshi began pulling on his shirt again, this time with a different intent, and Reed grinned at her, all signs of his weariness and fever gone.

A moment later, Dr. Phlox entered the room, assisting T'Pol. They looked at Reed and Hoshi quizzically.

Hoshi hastily lifted her hand away from Reed and waved, flailing at the Doctor. "I think I've got the virus, too."

Dr. Phlox said, "Let's find out. Now that I have the jar, I can run another scan on you. Where is the jar?"

Hoshi and Reed both gave him guilty looks.

"I don't know," Hoshi said, covering her hot face with her hands.

T'Pol said shortly, "The container is in the turbolift, Doctor. You were too preoccupied with my condition to see it."

"Yes, I believe I fainted," Reed said hastily, twisting the end of his shirt. "Ensign Sato very kindly brought me here posthaste."

Phlox nodded and indicated a bed for Reed. Hoshi reluctantly took charge of the lieutenant once again. T'Pol looked back at them with an almost amused flash in her eyes.

Reed asked, "What is it?"

T'Pol tucked her face into blankness and said, "Pheromones. Many pheromones."

Hoshi's face turned bright red. Reed squeezed her arm. T'Pol looked away.

Dr. Phlox directed Hoshi and T'Pol to other beds. He examined T'Pol first, then Reed. The medical team brought in Captain Archer on a stretcher.

"I'm fine," Archer said in an irritated voice. "Even my headache from this morning is gone. T'Pol, tell them I'm fine." He paused a moment. "Are you okay, T'Pol?"

T'Pol smoothed the blanket covering her. "I scanned the powder in the jar. I require further analysis, but I think my physiology provided an incompatible host for the virus. That did not prevent me from falling ill until my body fought it off, however"

Archer looked at Phlox. "Why didn't you detect this earlier?"

The physician paused before Hoshi. "We have very useful tools, and I have a lot of experience. However, you must expect that some of our encounters will be beyond both tools and experience, Captain. I can reconfigure my instruments for this particular virus. However it is very likely something similar might happen again someday."

Hoshi cast a lingering glance at Reed. The tactical officer smiled at her. She closed her eyes.

"Wake up, Ensign."

She came to slowly, then sat up in the bed and stared at Dr. Phlox.

He asked, "How do you feel?"

She stretched languidly. "I feel like I overslept. What's going on?"

Dr. Phlox handed her a robe. "I created an antibiotic for the virus. The others have returned to duty, but I let you sleep in. You're now free to go now."

Hoshi grinned and escaped from the bed. "Great. I'm going to my quarters. Thanks, Doctor."

She paused at the sight of the Merian jar sitting on a lab table. She walked over to it, fascinated by the sinuous lines of the script, curved like a woman's body. The doctor brought her a chair and she started working on a translation.

A long time later a food tray landed on the table. She looked up at Reed.

He nodded at her. "I thought you'd be hungry. Roast beef sandwich?"

She set the padd down and said, "Thanks. Um...how are you?"

He shrugged. "I'm safe, Hoshi. Thank you for putting up with me. It must have been awful for you."

She nodded and smiled lightly at him. "Apology accepted. Listen to this, the Merians knew they were fighting a civil war of mass destruction. The ones that built the database you found engineered the virus to make the survivors forget their differences and mate with each other. They thought someone would make it through that inferno."

Reed shook his head. "There were no survivors in those ruins. I'm glad you didn't see it, Hoshi." He paused and studied the jar. "It's pure luck that T'Pol's Vulcan genes reacted badly to the virus. Dr. Phlox was able to create an antibiotic last night. The rest of the crew is safe. As for us, I suppose we're safely over it. I've caught up on most of my lost sleep. No dreams, thank god. We were lucky."

Hoshi smiled ruefully. "Yes, we were." She wondered what would have happened to the fair lieutenant's honor if Phlox and T'Pol hadn't caught up with them.

Reed folded his arms. "I'm glad it was you, Hoshi."

She looked at him quizzically. Did he remember the turbolift? "Why did you choose me?"

He shrugged. "You kept staring at me during our bridge shift. And you were there."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "If you drum you fingers on your console ever again, I'm going to force-feed you your own phase cannons."

Reed winced. "The virus was supposed to make its victims forget their differences, remember?" He looked around. "Speaking of forgetting...have you seen Commander Tucker in here lately? He missed his appointment to look over those very same phase cannons this morning."

Hoshi lowered her head to the lab table. Her headache was back.

~the end~