his work,"
Chakotay said, tongue firmly in cheek.
Harry and Tom grinned. Kathryn, Malista, and B'Elanna frowned at him.
Chakotay waved his hand. "It's a guy thing."
The doctor's astringent tones floated from behind the group. "If
you people could relocate this conference to another room, I would be
able to treat my patients promptly."
Janeway smiled at the fussy hologram indulgently. "Of course,
Doctor. Feel better, Harry." She departed with Chakotay and Tuvok to
have a little talk with Ensign Natwick before he was released from
the brig.
The doctor ran a scanner over Harry's injuries. "Crewman Shadow,
you are in my light. Could you please get off the biobed?"
"No," she said flatly. She leaned in closer to Harry Kim,
carefully moving out of the doctor's light as she kissed Harry's
throat.
The doctor eyed her appraisingly. "Very well, if you insist on
taking Mr. Kim's pulse with your lips, at least sit still so I can
work around you," he ordered.
He was surprised when she grinned at him. "Yes, sir. Thank you,
sir."
"She's a patient too, Doc. She bit her lip," Kim said, hoping to
appease the doctor.
"She bit her *own* lip?" The doctor eyed him skeptically.
Harry Kim reddened in embarrassment at the implied criticism.
"Yes. She did."
Malista giggled. The doctor nodded, but refrained from further
comment to Harry's relief.
A few feet away, Tom and B'Elanna watched in amusement as the
Doctor worked around Harry and Malista who were as close to each
other as if they were Siamese twins.
"I'm glad they made up," B'Elanna commented. "I hope he doesn't
hear about those rumors---"
"Oh, he heard about them, before we did," Paris said casually.
"What? How do you know?"
"Ethan Simms told me. While you were talking to Diane. He said
he and Mik heard the rumor two days ago---when someone was telling it
to Harry in the messhall."
"And Harry didn't believe it?"
"Of course not," Paris scoffed, as he'd never been concerned
about the possibility. "He said they were all nuts. As a matter of
fact, Harry is the one who made the safety net in the holodeck fifty
percent larger. He knew about the circus program---because he
snooped. Our troubles are over---I'd take bets that some day Harry
will be my brother-in-law---sort of."
B'Elanna smiled at him suggestively. "Just one more thing---"
"What?"
"You want to show me that move you made? The one that let you
pin George Natwick---though he's got at least thirty-five pounds of
solid muscle on you?" She smiled up at him proudly.
He pretended to think it over. "Naw. I don't think so."
"Why not?" she said indignantly.
He gazed down at her thoughtfully. "I wouldn't want to give away
my secret. I never know when I might need it."
"Uh-huh. And another question? Where did you learn that?"
"You'd be surprised the things you learn in prison, B'Elanna."
His blue eyes were teasing her.
She let that one go. "Why did you push me behind you when you
went after Natwick? Trying to protect me?" It didn't sound like the
idea pleased her much, but then sometimes it was hard to tell with
B'Elanna.
"I didn't want you to get hurt," he said simply. He wasn't going
to make any promises not to do it again if the situation arose. He
didn't like to make promises he had no intention of keeping.
She brought her chin up. " I don't think you should worry about
protecting me. I'm half Klingon, Paris. I'm stronger than you."
"Tough. I'll worry about you if I want to. You may be half
Klingon, but I'm bigger than you. I don't know whether you're
stronger than me or not," he noted objectively. "I don't really think
we need to test that theory."
"Are you afraid I'm going to hurt you?" she mocked.
He straightened, folded his arms across his chest and narrowed
his eyes at her. His posture and every gesture shrieked defiance and
self-confidence. "I don't think so," he said, enunciating each
syllable distinctly.
A brilliant smile burst free, illuminating her whole being.
She'd found the right man! He wasn't intrigued by her Klingon side,
but he wasn't intimidated by it either. Whether he realized it or
not, Tom Paris had just told her plainly that he trusted her---
trusted her not to hurt him. She'd been looking for him her whole
life!
Exuberantly, she threw herself at him. He wasn't sure what he'd
said right--- but he wrapped his arms around her, lifted her off her
feet, and brought her up to his level, holding her against him in a
bear hug as he kissed her. Her feet dangled six inches above the
floor.
"Excuse me!" the doctor's voice said loudly.
Paris and Torres, breathing hard, turned dazzled eyes toward
him.
The doctor gestured from them to Harry and Malista who'd been
testing how well their lips had been healed. "You are all
dismissed!" he said plaintively. "This is Sickbay, not the Tunnel of
Love!"
"Sorry, Doc," Paris said sheepishly. He set B'Elanna on her
feet, took her hand and sprinted for the exit, both of them laughing
all the way down the corridor as they argued about their destination.
Harry and Malista slipped off the biobed, both of them blushing
furiously.
"Sorry, Doctor. We---uh---"
The hologram waved an impatient, dismissive hand.
They strolled out of Sickbay, arms around each other. "What was
that you called me? Earlier? In your cabin."
"Dark Angel," she murmured. "That's---it's always been my
nickname for you. If you don't like it, I won't---"
"Angel? Me? I look angelic?" Harry's face beamed. Angelic was so
much more flattering than 'cute'.
"To me you do. Angelic and---sexy at the same time. What about
me? Do you have a pet name for me?" Malista teased.
"Hmmm. Let me think." Harry slipped one hand down her smooth
thigh.
"How about Silky?"
"Uh-uh," she rejected. She grasped his hand and put it back on
her waist.
He slipped his hand down to cup her bottom. "How about Sugar
Buns?"
She slapped his hand away, trying to keep from laughing. "No!"
He draped his hand over her shoulder and started inching it
down. "Or Peaches?" He felt joy bubbling up in him like a fountain.
She snatched his hand and replaced it on her waist, this time
holding it in place with her own. "I'm sure you'll think of
something," she said. "Gawaine."
"Gawaine? Is that another one? Who's Gawaine?"
She just smiled. "Where are we going?"
"How about the holodeck? You can start teaching me to be your
catcher."
"How do you know---"
Harry pretended to be shocked. "I'm the Operations Officer. I
know everything. Now, you've got to teach me how to fly---anything
Tom can do---I can do better." She grinned at him. "And Malista,
who's Gawaine? The name
sounds familiar---"
The ship gossips blamed George Natwick for upsetting the betting
pool by intervening as a matchmaker. The odds of Shadow and Kim
getting back together had settled at six to one. The only two
gamblers who won a great number of replicator rations by betting on a
reconciliation---were Ethan Simms and Mikel Hudson who were accused
of having inside information. The two of them just smiled---and
weren't seen in the messhall for three straight weeks.
***********************
End
Trials 03 Torres' Trial Page 20
