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The cell was cold and damp, though clean and sterile; the blankets that had been tossed in as an afterthought too thin to make a difference to the temperature. Sitting on the mattress to stay off the freezing floor, Hoshi tried her best not to shiver, her arms wrapped around herself, hands under her armpits in a bid to stay warm, knees drawn up so she could bury her face into her legs and use her breath to warm her face just a little. She’d wrapped a blanket around her front to try and hold in the heat from her breath, but it wasn’t doing much. They’d been wearing their desert uniforms when they were taken, to stave off the heat. Now that it was night, the temperature had dropped far below the capabilities of the uniforms to retain enough warmth.
At her side, Lieutenant Reed sat stoically, in a similar position to hers except that his head was raised, body alert, face expressionless as he listened to the sounds of the prison, waiting for … Hoshi didn’t know what. But he was clearly waiting for something. Even the blanket wrapped around his shoulders didn’t detract from the impression of vigilance he displayed.
Was he waiting for someone to rescue them? Or listening for the guards to fetch them? Perhaps - separate them for interrogation? The thought made her blood run cold, and she squeezed herself tighter, a tiny whimper escaping her before she could stop it. She drew in a shuddering breath, fighting off the onset of panic at the thought of being taken away to a small room where who knew what could happen?
There was a rustle from beside her, and then a hand began rubbing up and down her spine. The simple touch eased her fear just a little, reminding her that she wasn’t alone, that she was imprisoned with the crew’s protector, and he seemed unafraid. She tried to draw strength from that, but felt her inadequacy in the face of his silent determination. She wasn’t determined. She was scared witless.
A tear leaked out from the corner of one of her tightly shut eyes. He must think her pathetic, terrified as she was. Why was she always panicking around him? The Klingons and Suliban when they had first embarked on their journey, the dead aliens hanging from hooks on that spaceship they had visited, the unfamiliar sounds her ears kept picking up that worried her.
She wasn’t built for this. She was a professor, a teacher. She shouldn’t be out here, shouldn’t be in space, shouldn’t be on Enterprise… The thought of Enterprise wrenched another clogged whimper from her. She just wanted to be back on the ship, in her own quarters, her own bed, perhaps simply dreaming, instead of here on this seemingly welcoming planet that had turned hostile.
The hand on her back stilled, and an arm went around her shoulders, tugging her closer. She allowed herself to be pulled toward Lieutenant Reed’s warmth, though it still wasn’t enough to stave off the cold. But at least she felt a little braver by proximity.
Then his hand dropped down to her waist, his other hand slid beneath her knees, and she let out an undignified squeak as he lowered his leg and half-lifted her over his thigh, turning her so that she rested against his chest, her feet going over his other thigh. Opening her eyes, she offered no resistance as he tugged the blanket from around her before bending his legs again and draping it over both of them. Without saying a word, he pulled the blanket that was around his shoulders shut over the top of her blanket, effectively trapping their combined body heat.
Her vision was a little blurry from unshed tears, and she didn’t want to look up at him and show off her weakness, but her arms loosened from their death grip on herself as his heat seeped into her from his chest and legs. She shifted carefully, hesitantly moving her arm from where it was trapped against him to curve around his waist in turn, clasping her hands together at his side as she hugged him tightly and buried the side of her face into his chest. For a moment he stiffened, then relaxed into her grip and tightened his hold on her.
His head bent down against hers, and she felt his warm breath ghosting along the back of her neck as he let out a quiet sigh.
“I know you’re afraid, Ensign,” he murmured. “I’m not exactly unconcerned, myself. But you’re not alone, thank heavens. I’ve got you, and Enterprise will get us back sooner rather than later. And I’ll do my damndest not to let anything happen to either of us until we’re safely back on board.”
She nodded, the steady thump of his heartbeat under her cheek helping calm her further. “Yes, sir,” she replied softly. Then hesitantly added, “I’m sorry, sir, that I seem to constantly need hand-holding and rescuing.” She felt him go still, and shift to look down at her. She could only surmise that he was surprised, given that she couldn’t see his face or expression. “I know I’m not as well-trained as a Starfleet officer should be, and that I’m afraid more often than not. But I promise I will try to be less of a weakling or burden. You shouldn’t have to keep watching out for me and worrying about what I’m up to.”
“You let me worry about what should and shouldn’t be my focus, Ensign,” Lieutenant Reed said, his voice a little stern, but soft. “As the security officer, it would be remiss of me not to worry about each and every member of the crew. As your senior officer, don’t ever let me hear you belittle yourself and your capabilities again. That’s an order.” He looked down again as he felt her stiffen. “You wouldn’t be on Enterprise if Captain Archer didn’t think you were capable. You’ve saved our skins more than once with your skill and your talent. So I won’t accept a competent crew member denigrating herself. Is that understood?”
For a moment Hoshi was silent, before nodding reluctantly and forcing out the words, “Yes, Lieutenant.”
Lieutenant Reed smiled. “If you’re concerned about being able to fight and defend yourself, you’re with the head of security. As soon as we’re back on Enterprise, I’ll start training you on the phase pistols, as well as hand-to-hand combat training. I believe you already know aikido, but this combat training will go beyond the skills you have learned in the dojo.”
Hoshi drew a deep breath. The lieutenant must believe she had some hidden strength, if he was willing to go to this trouble, she reasoned. “Thank you, sir,” she said, striving to convey her sincerity through her tone. “I won’t let you down.”
“Just give it your best, Ensign, that’s all I ask. Keep trying, along with the rest of us. It’s not like any of us really know what awaits us on this journey, but you’re an integral part of making it a success. Now,” he hesitated infinitesimally, then continued, “my face is freezing. I’m going to stop talking and use your warmth to prevent my nose falling off. Alright?” She nodded, and he drew her a little closer, burying his face against the back of her neck, almost under her collar, drawing the blanket as close over his face as he could, only his eyes still on the alert.
His nose was cold, but his breath was warm as it flowed down the back of her neck, raising goosebumps as the fine hairs lifted. Hoshi shivered a little, but it wasn’t from the cold. Not that she’d say anything. The lieutenant needed to stay warm, after all, and at least they were able to share body heat under the blankets. She felt him sigh, and his head settled against her a little more firmly, his muscles relaxing just a bit. Leaning against him, listening to his steady heartbeat and quiet breathing, feeling his breath ghost down her neck in smooth, regular waves, she fell asleep.
---
The lights came on in their cell, stark, bright light that burned through their eyelids. Malcolm came awake instantly, and his muscles tensing roused Hoshi from her slumber even more effectively than the light that dazzled her as she cracked open her eyelids.
The cell door opened and she heard the sound of rushing feet.
“Sir?” she heard Malcolm say, and she turned her head, slitting her eyes against the light and vaguely seeing the captain and T’Pol enter the room. Captain Archer had stopped in front of them, his expression one of bemusement at finding two of his officers cuddled together under a blanket.
Hoshi sat up and withdrew her arms from around the lieutenant, under cover of the blanket. She turned herself to face the captain, still sitting within the cage of the security officer’s legs and kept warm by the blanket. Malcolm was still holding her under the blanket, his hands holding fast to the edges of the fabric so air couldn't get in. He’d kept the blankets over them, and Hoshi realised why as her face was exposed to the cold air.
“We should stand up, Ensign,” Lieutenant Reed murmured in her ear, and she moved to obey. But he didn’t let go of her, drawing her back against him as she clutched at her blanket in front and he closed the top blanket over them. Archer regarded them with a frown. “Sorry, Captain, but we’re not dressed for this cold and these blankets are the only thing keeping us semi warm,” the lieutenant explained, not sounding sorry in the least.
“Yes, well, you’ll have to find a way to stay warm on the way to the shuttle,” Captain Archer warned. “We’re being allowed to bring you back to Enterprise without a trial, as long as it’s done before sunrise. Which I believe is less than twenty minutes away. So let’s get going.”
“Our communicators and phase pistols, sir?” Malcolm asked, shifting Hoshi to one side so he could put his arm around her shoulders.
“They’ll be returned once we reach the shuttle,” the captain assured him. “Now let’s hustle. The shuttlepod is a bit of a walk away.” So saying, he moved to the door and gestured for them to follow, T'Pol bringing up the rear. They walked out past the aliens who’d imprisoned them - Lazothians, he believed they were called, tall, skinny, and with pointed faces, looking for all the world like oversized rats without tails. Malcolm and Hoshi were careful not to meet their captors’ eyes, and simply hurried after the captain as quickly as possible, falling into an easy, rhythmic cadence of steps.
They were greeted at the shuttle by more Lazothians, an unfriendly-looking bunch who grudgingly handed over two communicators and two phase pistols to the captain. The short burst through the dark, quiet streets had taken some doing, with the cold air freezing their lungs, but the two Starfleet officers had managed in a bid to get back to some form of familiarity. Captain Archer and T’Pol were wearing the cold weather jackets over their uniforms and faring much better than the two lost crew members.
Without even stopping as the captain took possession of their gear, Malcolm hurried Hoshi inside the shuttle and finally removed the blanket from his shoulders, wrapping it around her tightly as he guided her to a seat at the rear. Travis was in the pilot’s seat, turning to greet them with his trademark smile.
“Glad to have you back, sir, Hoshi,” he said, already busy with the pre-flight checks.
“Very glad to be back, Ensign,” Lieutenant Reed responded, absorbed in tucking the blanket edges under each other as first T’Pol and then Captain Archer entered the shuttle and immediately closed the hatch, moving to the two console seats flanking Travis.
“Let’s go, Travis, three minutes to go to sunrise,” ordered the captain.
“Yes, sir,” replied the young helmsman, and the shuttlepod lifted off. They were headed home.