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Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...
Malcolm winced as the act of sitting up made his back twinge, the pain was enough to bring tears to his eyes, but that wasn’t the reason he was unhappy. He should have been on Enterprise, seeing with his own eyes the nebula made up entirely of red dwarfs instead of merely staring at the images on a padd one of the nurses had brought him. As he twisted, (yet more pain), to fling the padd across the room he couldn’t help but wish that the nurse hadn’t bothered. Although if he were making wishes, perhaps wishing that he had never injured his back in the first place would be a better wish to make.
Malcolm had been back on Earth for three weeks now, Enterprise hadn’t even had the time to bring him back and instead he’d been forced to rely on a coolly polite vessel of Vulcans to ferry him back, although to look on the bright side the Vulcans had had a more than adequate supply of painkillers. Stronger than any Starfleet would have provided Malcolm had spent most of the short trip lying on a bunk wondering why a herd of pink elephants wearing Starfleet uniforms were so intent on painting the ceiling purple.
He didn’t even have any clue as to when Enterprise would come back for him. The first couple of times he’d asked the question the doctors had made shushing noises at him and told him not to worry, which he hadn’t been doing until that point. For the last week he had been asking everyone he could find and the shushing noises were no longer being made but his question was still being neatly deflected. This wouldn’t in itself have been a problem except that Malcolm had overheard the doctors discussing whether or not he should be removed from active duty permanently.
His breakfast was sitting on a tray by the door, a trick the nurses had lately begun to indulge in to try and get him to move about a little more. They seemed to think the exercise would do him good. Mainly he just didn’t eat but this morning Malcolm was actually hungry. Very, very slowly he swung his legs off the bed, holding his breath against the pain, not that it made any real difference of course. He was about to push himself onto his feet when he realised he could hear raised voices in the corridor outside his room.
“No I’ve told you already Lieutenant Reed needs complete rest.” A pause. “I don’t care if you do outrank me I’m not going to let you in.”
“Do I have to threaten you or bribe you?”
Those insolent tones could only belong to one man and suddenly the pain in Malcolm’s back was forgotten.
Somehow he made it to the door and pressed the release. Outside the nurse, the one that Malcolm quietly referred to as Little Hitler, was actually trying to wrestle Trip away from the door.
“Commander Tucker.” The sound of Malcolm’s voice made the engineer spin round, a triumphant grin on his face.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding. I’ve been looking for you for days.”
“Days?” Malcolm was confused. “Enterprise is here?” He’d been led to believe that Enterprise was light years away, continuing her mission of exploration.
“We’ve been on Earth a couple of weeks now. Only thing is no one wants to let me see you. Had to get Jon to pull a few strings in the end. But I’m here now, finally.” Trip ended the sentence by simultaneously grinning at Malcolm and scowling at the nurse who had finally given up his attempts to bodily remove Trip from the corridor. “Gonna invite me in?”
“Of course,” still feeling confused Malcolm shuffled aside to allow Trip in through the door, wincing as he made his way over to one of two armchairs that the room contained, although up to this moment Malcolm had had no visitors to speak of.
“It hurts pretty bad?” Trip said as he watched Malcolm’s oh-so-careful descent into the chair.
Malcolm bit back the first sarcastic response that leapt to his lips; it really wouldn’t do to antagonise his first real visitor.
“Only on days that end in y.” Malcolm answered, with a smile to take the edge off his words.
“They won’t give you anything to dull the pain?” Trip looked upset.
“They seem to think it’s good for me,” Malcolm shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I never got the chance to apologise.” Trip avoided Malcolm’s gaze. “If I’d have listened to you in the first place.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” Malcolm pointed out. “It was pulling Travis out of that cave-in that destroyed my back.”
“It was the away mission from hell,” Trip commented, relaxing a little.
Malcolm smiled at his friend. “Why are you here Trip?”
“I’m bloody-minded that’s why. Did you realise how isolated you are Mal? The docs don’t want you seeing anyone from Enterprise in case you have a relapse.”
“A relapse?”
Trip rested his head on his hands for a moment and then looked up at Malcolm, some indefinable sadness in his eyes. “You almost died Malcolm. That’s why the Vulcans took you, not us. Apparently the doctors don’t think you’ll ever make a full recovery.”
“Enterprise..”
“She’ll have to manage without you.” Trip could have kicked himself seeing the sudden look of desolation on Malcolm’s face. “I’m sorry you had to hear this from me.”
“Rather you than some identikit doctor who doesn’t know how much being on Enterprise meant to me.” Malcolm had to struggle to get the words out, it was funny but he’d have expected news like this to have hurt more. “I appreciate you coming to tell me. It’s what I expected.”
Trip clenched his fists and let out a remarkable caveman-like exhalation of breath. “That’s not why I came.”
Trip closed his eyes momentarily as though drawing strength for what he wanted to say, which left Malcolm wondering what Trip could possibly have to say to him that was any worse than the news he had already been given.
When Trip spoke again he was clearly not directing his words at Malcolm. “I knew I should have walked in and just kissed Mal straight off but no I had to listen to Jon. ‘Don’t you think the subtle approach might work better’.”
Trip’s flawless imitation of Captain Archer’s voice went unnoticed as Malcolm struggled to speak. Finally he forced out the words, “you spoke to Captain Archer about kissing me?”
“There was no one else.” Trip shrugged.
“Why would you want to kiss me?” The pain in his back forgotten Malcolm leaned forward in his chair.
“You don’t remember?” Trip looked taken aback.
“Remember what?”
“What day is it?”
“Sunday.”
“Don’t be facetious Mal, what date?”
“The fifth of November.” Malcolm rolled his eyes.
“November fifth right.”
“Now who’s being facetious? What’s this about Trip?”
“You really don’t remember.” Trip actually sounded upset. “This time last year, our first kiss.”
Suddenly Malcolm did remember. He’d invited Trip to his quarters for a celebratory drink. When Trip had asked what they were celebrating Malcolm had set about trying to explain the significance of Guy Fawkes’ Day to him. He’d become so caught up in his impromptu history lesson that he hadn’t noticed that Trip was edging closer and closer and when the engineer had finally plucked up the courage to kiss him Malcolm had been too stunned to do anything other than gape stupidly at Trip. Trip had left soon afterwards and the two friends seemed to have an unspoken pact never to mention that moment again. All too used to living with situations he regretted Malcolm had put the matter firmly out of his mind, until now.
Malcolm, his cheeks reddening from the memory, looked up at Trip to find the man smiling gently at him.
“Remember now?”
“Remember remember the fifth of November,” Malcolm grinned. “I thought it was just the drink.”
“Dutch courage.” Trip shrugged his shoulders. “When I didn’t get a response I figured I’d misread the situation and backed off.”
Malcolm shook his head ruefully. “Looks like we were both wrong.”
“That’s why I came, to celebrate our anniversary.” Trip sighed and reached out to take Malcolm’s hands. “And to tell you something.” A pause, during which Malcolm allowed himself to relish the feeling of Trip’s hands on his. “I’m leaving Enterprise.”
“Why?”
Trip smiled at the surprise in Malcolm’s voice. “Why do you think idiot? To be with you.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Well thank you,” Trip drawled, “that means a lot coming from my lover.”
Lover. Malcolm’s heart leapt, it was everything he wanted and yet not like this. “Trip..”
But Trip cut him off quickly. “I’ve thought about this Mal. Done nothing but think about us since you were injured, the year we could have had if only we’d been a little braver.” Trip released his hold on Malcolm’s hands and there was fear on his face when he spoke again. “I carried you back to the shuttlepod. You were so pale, barely breathing. When Phlox said..” tears welled as Trip relived the moment, “when Phlox said you could die I felt empty and I realised that I wanted you more than I wanted anything else, even Enterprise.” Awkwardly Trip drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. “So I’m here, if you’ll have me.”
An abrupt feeling of deja vu as Malcolm struggled to think of something to say. “I can’t..”
“I’ve got it all worked out.” Trip blithely ignored Malcolm’s words. “I’ve even found us an apartment. It’s got great views across the bay. You’re going to love it.”
“You found us an apartment?” Malcolm suddenly had the all-too-familiar sensation of being dragged along by Trip’s enthusiasm, it had happened all too often in the past and usually led to trouble. “On the basis of one kiss? A year ago?” Malcolm added, trying to make his point.
“You think I’m going too fast?” Trip pursed his lips together, deep in thought. “Okay how about this. You give me a year.”
“A year?”
“One year and if at the end of that year we can’t stand the sight of each other we’ll call it quits, no recriminations.”
“Fine,” that suggestion actually sounded sensible. “And if we still feel the same way?”
“We’ll get married.” Trip grabbed hold of Malcolm’s hands once more. “Mal I’m serious.”
“Let me get this straight,” Malcolm shifted in his chair, the pain in his back once more intruding on his consciousness, “you’re proposing to me?”
Trip for a moment looked troubled but then he grinned. “I guess I am. How about it Malcolm, make an honest man out of me.”
Malcolm laughed. “You’re mad.”
“But irresistible.”
“That too.” Malcolm shook his head. “You really want to do this?”
“I do,” Trip smiled wryly at his choice of words. “But I guess I should probably give you some time to think about it.”
Malcolm sighed. “My life has already changed beyond recognition. Leaving Enterprise,” he shrugged. “I knew I would one day but I never thought it would be so soon.” The man looked up at Trip and smiled. “What’s one more thing?”
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes. It’s totally mad of course but it feels right.” A pause. “So yes, it’s a yes.”
Trip, looking exactly like the cat that got the cream, leant forward and very gently pressed his lips against Malcolm’s. With a small sigh Malcolm allowed himself to do something he hadn’t dared to a year ago, he kissed Trip back.
“Ahem!”
The sound made the two men break apart and looking round they saw the nurse with whom Trip had been tussling earlier and a displeased looking doctor.
“Busted.” Trip didn’t sound at all repentant and in fact he grinned widely at the two newcomers. “We’d like some champagne if possible, Lieutenant Reed and I have some celebrating to do.”
“You’ll have to delay it,” the doctor replied coolly, glaring daggers at Trip. “I think it’s time you left.”
“Right.”
Malcolm was surprised by Trip’s calm acceptance of being ordered out but then his friend reached forward and pressed something into Malcolm’s hand.
“I’ll be back tomorrow Mal, I promise.” The thought of kissing Malcolm again was clearly on Trip’s mind but glancing at the doctor he thought better of it and instead reached out to caress Malcolm’s cheek. Then he turned and left, pausing at the door to grin briefly at Malcolm and blow him a kiss before disappearing from sight.
Once he was alone again and the two medical staff had no doubt gone to try to ensure that Trip would not be returning, Malcolm lowered himself back into his chair and opened his hand. Smiling he unwrapped the package that Trip had pressed upon him and then he laughed. A small communicator was nestled inside the wrapping which turned out to be a note, written in Trip’s expressive and untidy handwriting.
/No one’s ever going to be able to hide you from me again. Here’s to November fifth 2153./
Malcolm sat back with only a small wince as the pain in his back reminded him it was still there and smiled. It looked like there was now more than one reason to remember remember the fifth of November.
The end