Squeaky

She was really beginning to hate him.

She hadn't known Lieutenant Malcolm Reed long, but already she knew they would never be friends. He was arrogant, self-righteous, uptight and formal to the point of ridiculousness. He had almost no social skills and certainly no sense of humour. The first time she had complained about his attitude to Captain Archer—right after he had told her that, with aim like hers, she should never be allowed off the ship—Jonathan had told her that Reed was the best and brightest security officer Starfleet had ever produced, and that once she got to know him, she'd be able to appreciate his charm. Well, at least three months had passed since then, and she still couldn't tell if there was any charm for her to appreciate. Thanks to him, she was even beginning to hate English accents, and blue- grey eyes, and probably men in general.

They had been slogging through the jungle for what seemed like hours. The sample case she was carrying was getting heavy, and she was sure the strap was rubbing a hole through her shoulder. She was hot and sweaty and covered in grime and dying to go back to the ship for a cold shower and a colder drink. She hadn't dared suggested to Reed that they turn back though. Thanks to his gazillion 'Eagle Scout' badges, he felt right at home acting like a modern-day Dr. Livingstone searching for the end of the Nile. He was bound and determined to find the most interesting and icky things that this jungle produced to bring back to the overly-excitable exobiologists. If she were being charitable, she would have said it was because he had a crush on Ensign Cutler, and wanted to impress her. She frowned and slapped at a buzzing thing hovering by her ear. He was probably just showing off.

It was too bad that he was such an uptight jerk, she mused to herself as she watched him walking ahead of her. He had a nice, tight body on him and a great ass and, if she was being honest with herself, he really wasn't bad looking either. She frowned immediately at that thought. There were a lot of great-looking guys on Enterprise. A ton of them. Like Travis, for instance. The helmsman was built like a tank, and cute to boot. Plus he was charming and sweet. Two traits that the lieutenant definitely lacked. She really didn't have to waste her time admiring Reed's cheekbones. Or any other part of his anatomy.

"Watch your step, Ensign," Reed called mildly over his shoulder to her. "The ground is a little soggy." Hoshi stuck her tongue out at his back. Did he think she was an idiot? She had noticed the ground getting wetter a while ago, and had been 'watching her step' since they had left their camp. What did he think she was doing back here, staring at his ass? Okay, she amended, she had been staring at his ass. But still.

The ground was growing increasingly muddy, and Hoshi found her steps slowing and becoming more careful with each stride. Her boots were Starfleet issue hot-weather gear and had about an inch of corrugated sole, but the mud was thick enough to fill in the crevasses and make the bottom of the boots dangerously slippery. She found herself balancing like a tightrope walker, arms outstretched and eyes focused on the ground. Reed was getting farther and farther ahead of her, pace apparently unaffected by the treacherous ground. She took a second to glare at him, his yellow warm-weather uniform still visible through the thick foliage. Damn that man! Did he have to be so perfect in everything he did?

And then suddenly he took another step into the jungle and was gone. Immediately, Hoshi froze, heart hammering in her chest. Didn't he know that she wasn't behind him anymore? The path they had taken into the bush had curved and weaved around several obstacles as they had travelled and she had been so intent on keeping up with the lieutenant that she hadn't really been paying attention to the way they had come. She knew without a doubt that she'd never find her way back on her own.

She'd be lost in the jungle with the insects and the wild animals.

And then night would come, and she'd be all alone.

"Lieutenant!" she called, straining her ears to hear him over the pounding of her heart, "Lieutenant!" There was no answer but the caw of wild birds, far in the canopy overhead.

With a small shriek, she broke into a run, hoping against hope to catch up to him. The sample case banged painfully into her hip as she ran, and her boots skidded and slid over the muddy ground, throwing her off balance. She stumbled and braced herself against a tree trunk to keep from falling. The bark bit into the flesh of her hand, and she cried out with the sudden pain, but she didn't break her stride.

She pushed a heavy branch out of her way, and it recoiled sharply, slashing against her face. Her foot came down on a patch of uneven ground and she fell, twisting her ankle. She landed hard on one knee and ripped a hole through the cloth of her warm-weather uniform. Forcing herself to her feet, she continued on, finally breaking through the thick greenery to a small clearing.

The lieutenant was nowhere in sight.

She took a deep breath, then another, trying to calm her heartbeat. Her chest was sore from her hard run, her ankle throbbing. The cuts on her face and hand stung, and she could feel a trickle of moisture make its way from her knee down her shin underneath her pant leg. She hoped it was only sweat. Her hair had come out from its ponytail and was falling in her face, and angrily she swiped it back, realizing too late that her hands were covered in mud. She was hot, tired, angry, scared and in pain, all at the same time.

"Lieutenant!" she bellowed, "Where the hell are you?"

"Down here, Ensign," came the calm reply. Hoshi yelped.

She was standing at the edge of a hole. A very large hole, filled with mud. Reed hadn't stepped further into the bush and disappeared, he had fallen into a hole. A hole that Hoshi had missed falling into by pure, blind luck. Instantly, she took a step back and dropped to her hands and knees, wincing slightly as her scraped flesh contacted the ground. She had a fleeting hope that there was no interesting bacteria there, just waiting to infect her cuts.

The lieutenant was up to his armpits in thick, brown mud. There was mud in his hair; his formerly impeccable uniform was covered in it. He was holding his hands out from his sides, she guessed to keep himself from sinking any lower. He looked furious and frustrated and totally out of his element. Rather like a wet hen. Hoshi found herself smiling at the thought, then grinning, and before she knew it, she was laughing out loud.

"This is neither the time nor place, Ensign!" Reed shouted at her, "The mud is thick—"

"And you can't get out!" Hoshi crowed, shaking with mirth. She knew she wasn't being professional, but she was hot and tired and had been scared out of her mind a moment before when he had just left her there in the jungle. It was about time that Lieutenant Reed was brought down a peg, and if it meant she'd be busted to crewman for the rest of their tour, so be it. At least that meant she wouldn't have to look at his smug face on the bridge any more. "Serves you right!" she continued, smiling wickedly, "Always so high-and-mighty Mister Perfect! Well, how does it feel now that the shoe's on the other foot, huh? Bet you're not so superior now!"

"Hoshi—" Reed began. His voice sounded strained, like he was trying to remain calm, which only made Hoshi angrier. Did the man never lose his cool?

"You hate this, don't you? Having to rely on a lowly, 'ill-trained' ensign to get you out of this mess." she taunted, using the phrase he had used during their first session of target practise. "How will you ever be able to look yourself in the mirror, knowing it was me who had too pull your sorry —"

"Hoshi!" Reed shouted. His voice sounded even more constricted than before. His face had gone an unhealthy shade of red, and Hoshi realized with a start that the reason why Reed sounded like that wasn't because he was angry, but because he couldn't breathe.

"Oh my God!" she squeaked, immediately lying herself flat on the ground and stretching her hand out towards him. He grasped her hand tightly, and with obvious effort, began using their connection as leverage to help himself out of the thick mud. She braced herself against the edge of the pit, eyes squeezed shut, gritting her teeth as she pulled him towards her with all her strength. As he progressed, she opened her eyes and slowly moved onto her knees, helping him move up the shallow side. After what seemed like an eternity, she heard a loud sucking sound, and he suddenly cleared the mud, his momentum carrying him up and over the edge of the pit, and he landed heavily on top of her as she fell backwards. They lay like that for a minute, panting, and Hoshi was surprised to realize that she actually didn't mind his weight on her, and was even a bit disappointed when he finally rolled off onto his back.

"Well, that was unpleasant," he said finally, breathing heavily and staring up at the sky, barely visible through the thick treetops. "Thank you for getting me out of there."

Hoshi felt a rush of heat to her face. Totally mortified, she sat up quickly, eyes wide with horror at the memory of what she had done. "I'm so sorry, sir. I can't believe that I didn't realize that you were suffocating in the mud," she was speaking so fast all her words were running together. "I should have known you were in trouble right away. The things I said were inexcusable, especially as they prevented me from recognizing the peril of your situation—"

The lieutenant waved his hand, causing her to stop speaking abruptly. "Its okay, Hoshi," he said, turning his head to capture her gaze. His eyes were the blue-grey of a stormy ocean. She had never noticed that before. "The important thing is that you acted appropriately as soon as you did recognize that I was in danger." He sat up and leaned his forearms on his knees, smiling wryly. "Besides, I probably deserved it."

"No!" Hoshi shook her head forcefully. "No sir! You've always acted as a model officer. I was way out of line. I should never—"

"Hoshi," He was still smiling as he interrupted her, "I'm not daft. I know that my 'model officer' behaviour hasn't made the best impression with you." He ran a muddy hand through his hair, causing it to stick up in several directions, still holding her gaze. "I knew we got off on the wrong foot. I just didn't know how to fix it."

"Oh," Hoshi said, confused. "So you're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad," he replied, smile broadening, and Hoshi suddenly realized how terribly charming the man actually was, "in fact, I'm rather pleased that it's all out in the open now. Makes it much easier to deal with, doesn't it?"

Hoshi found herself smiling in return. "I guess it does."

"Well," he said, climbing to his feet, "I think that one near-miss is enough for one day. Shall we head back?" He held out his hand.

Hoshi took it, "Yes, please." His fingers brushed over the cuts on her palm and she winced.

He dropped her hand, gently turning it so the palm faced upwards and traced the scrapes with his fingertips. He looked up at her face, moving his hand to gently touch the scratches there. "You're hurt," he said, "when did this happen?"

Hoshi's breath caught as his fingertips danced lightly over her wounded skin. All too soon he took his hand away, leaving her feeling strangely bereft. "I—I fell," she found herself stammering. "When you fell in the pit and I couldn't see you anymore, I got scared and started to run. A branch hit my face, and then I fell," she repeated, finding it hard to concentrate as he looked at her with those intense blue eyes. "It's nothing, really."

He stepped back, slowly looking her up and down, and she felt herself blush under his focused scrutiny. "You've cut your knee as well," he remarked, raising one eyebrow. "Any other injuries I should be aware of?"

"No, sir." She smiled at him, taking in his dishevelled appearance. A wave of guilt washed over her as she looked at him, worrying about her tiny cuts when he had nearly died because of her anger and stupidity. "I'm really sorry, sir," she said, "I feel just terrible about all this."

"It is me who should apologize, Hoshi," he said. "I knew I had upset you weeks ago, but didn't have the courage to talk to you about it. If I had, you wouldn't have been angry enough to leave me in a pit of mud." He touched her cheek gently for a moment, a small smile playing on his lips. "I would very much like us to be friends."

"I'd like that too," she said. Their gazes held. "Malcolm."

"Excellent!" He grinned at her and took her hand and started to lead her back the way they came. "I really am sorry for being so annoying and officious to you, Hoshi," he said. "I hope you can forgive me for it." He stopped walking and turned back towards her, looking slightly embarrassed. "It's just that, well, I wanted to impress you, but ended up making you hate me instead."

"I wanted to impress you! "Hoshi cried, "but then you told me that my aim was so—"

"—Bad that you shouldn't be let off the ship." Malcolm finished for her. "I'm sorry I said that." he continued. "It's just that I had this awful vision of some hostile alien attacking you, and you not being able to defend yourself."

"Really?" she said, surprised, "but that's so sweet!"

He smiled sheepishly. "I do have my moments." They began walking again. He still hadn't let go of her hand. "You don't—" he started, not looking at her, "you don't still hate me, do you?"

She couldn't help but smile. "No Malcolm," she said, squeezing his hand, "I don't hate you. In fact," she continued, realizing it was true, "I think I'm beginning to like you." She smiled mischievously. "Well, at least a little."

"Oh good," he said, grinning at her over his shoulder, "because I rather like you, too."

"Good," she replied, holding tightly to his hand.