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

Title: Watchdogs

Author: Taryn Eve

Author's e-mail: [email protected]

Fandom: Enterprise

Rating: G

Category: Gen

Summary: Someone finally notices that the shortest memeber of the crew has pretty good internal sensors.

Spoilers: Broken Bow, Vox Sola

Comments: I'm saving up $ so a dog can take me for a walk someday.

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

Lt. Malcolm Reed stared at the readout on his console with a frown.

Ensign Hoshi Sato leaned over and pitched her voice to Travis Mayweather. "It's back. You owe me your dessert at dinner."

T'Pol, sitting in the captain's seat, asked, "What is back, Ensign?"

Sato straightened up in her chair and said, "Sorry, Sub-commander. I didn't mean to distract you."

Reed looked up at Sato and gave her a withering look. To T'Pol, he said, "I've been tracking down a glitch in my console that's been going on since late last night. It's rather intermittent. I thought it had resolved itself on its own."

The Vulcan woman gave him a piercing look. "Perhaps you should coordinate your efforts with Engineering."

Mayweather frowned, and Sato shot him a smug look.

Reed scowled. "I am rather competent when it comes to my own systems, Ensign Sato."

Sato looked up at him with shining eyes. "Of course, Lieutenant. I said that at breakfast this morning, right before my second helping of Chef's chocolate chip pancakes."

T'Pol raised an eyebrow. "Ensign Mayweather, malnutrition makes for inefficient helmsmen."

Reed beckoned to one of the other ensigns on the bridge to take his post.

Then he said cuttingly, "I hope to have the problem resolved before young Travis starves to death, Sub-commander."

He left the bridge, thankful that Sato and Mayweather had the self-control to repress their laughter. Still, T'Pol's comment about malnutrition made him wonder about his fellow humans' influence on the Vulcan's burgeoning sense of humor.

His own sense of humor had been out of sorts lately. He'd seen his share of wonders while journeying through space, but his research projects were behind schedule because of the lack of resources so far from Earth.

He was pleased with the recent success of the force field, and his phase rifle redesign had promise. However...

He paused to stare at the Captain's dog, now lounging across the entrance to Engineering.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, kneeling down to pet Porthos. "Do you miss Captain Archer?"

Commander Trip Tucker eased over to join them. He shook his head. "Poor little guy. He started howling last night. Don't know what's gotten into him, but he wouldn't let me leave him behind this morning."

Reed grinned up at Tucker. "Other duties as assigned, Trip? I didn't know you were babysitting."

The tall engineer shrugged. "I take orders not to feed him cheese, unlike certain communications officers around here. I sure wish Doc hadn't gone with the Captain, now. You think Crewman Cutler could take a look at him? I don't reckon T'Pol would know how to handle an Earth dog."

Reed touched the dog lightly, looking for signs of illness. Porthos gave him a mournful look, then stood up and walked away.

The armory officer shook his head. "I don't know. Our Sub-commander seems to be able to handle a pair of wild ensigns without trouble. Speak to them firmly, don't let them wander off the bridge, and feed them regularly."

Trip laughed. "In a royal mood, are we? Or are you trying to prove Hoshi's theory that men have a lunar cycle all their own?"

Reed's look wasn't set on stun. Trip's grin widened at the fierce frown.

Reed rubbed his temples and said, "The internal sensors have been shooting off odd readings for hours. I've tried everything. Can you run a diagnostic from down here? Perhaps the glitch is interfering with my getting a correct diagnostic from the bridge."

Trip sighed. "Yeah. Can do."

Porthos started barking frantically. He scratched at the door, trying to get out of Engineering.

"What the hell?" Trip asked, irritated.

Reed asked. "What is it, boy?"

He pulled his phase pistol out and opened the door. The dog ran out, with the two men following.

Trip said breathlessly, "He's probably got a whiff of a tasty young ensign he doesn't like."

Reed shook his head as he ran. "No, something's wrong. The sensor trouble started last night-just as Porthos' troubles began."

The dog stopped at the end of the corridor and barked at the turbolift.

Reed hit the comm on the wall. "Reed to Bridge. Intruder alert. Stop the turbolift by Engineering, now!"

T'Pol's even voice said, "Yes, Lieutenant."

Porthos jumped at the turbolift door, over and over again.

"Whoa," Trip said. He walked over to a passing crewman and borrowed the woman's tricorder. A security team of two men ran up to join the group.

Reed aimed his weapon at the door, then said, "Bridge, return the turbolift to this section and open the door on my mark."

Trip cleared the corridor of the gathering crewmen who had filtering in from Engineering, then moved out of the firing range.

"Come here, boy," he said to Porthos.

The dog ignored him, and whined at the turbolift door.

Reed moved off to the side and said to Porthos in a dark voice, "Move."

Porthos lowered himself onto his belly and crept off behind him.

Reed said, "Now, bridge."

The turbolift doors slid open. Porthos barked sharply.

Reed said, "We know you're in there. Don't try anything foolish. Show yourself and we'll talk."

A soft voice said, "I just want to go home. This was a stupid idea on my part. Please, make the animal go away."

A short woman suddenly came into Reed's view. He aimed his phase pistol at her midsection and nodded.

"Hey, she's Suliban," Trip said, surprised.

The woman held up her hands and sighed. "Torture me if you must, but I do not have any relevant information. I borrowed a scout ship from my uncle. I wanted to see what you humans were like for myself. I don't believe the stories."

Reed said, "That remains to be seen. Are there others of you?"

The woman said, "No. Please, the animal frightens me. My friends never told me about your animals."

"Porthos," Reed said sharply.

The dog stopped his barking, but stared at the Suliban woman eagerly.

Reed said, "Come on, then. You're for the brig. We'll talk once I verify that you're alone."

The woman cast a doubting look at Porthos, then let herself be led away by Reed's security team.

Reed looked down at Porthos, then grabbed the tricorder out of Trip's hands.

He said, "Come, Porthos. We have more work to do."

The dog whined eagerly.

Reed set the plate down in front of Porthos then eased out of the dog's way. The shortest member of the crew tore into his hard-earned prime rib with single-minded intensity.

Sato and Mayweather looked at each other doubtfully.

"Are you sure all that meat is okay for him?" Mayweather asked from the end of the table.

"Dr. Phlox, Chef, and the Captain are going to be upset if they find out," Sato said.

Reed looked down at his empty plate. "Someday, my friends, you'll learn to trust your instincts the way I should have trusted mine."

He looked down at Porthos. The dog ignored him.

Reed shrugged. Good watchdogs are always on duty.

~the end~