Never Realized Malcolm

  Summary: Rated PG. R/S. A challenge from Saturn's Orbit, where the first line of the story is: 'I never realized that you were capable of doing something that stupid.'

  Disclaimer: Enterprise is Paramount's.

  By Josephine

  =/\=

       "I never realized that ya were capable of doing something that stupid. Yer a hazard to everyone around ya! I don’t care one bit if ya blow yourself up, ya git, but I’ll be dammed if I let ya take us along! You’ve crashed through a window, shattered the mirror, and broke yer Mum’s favorite bottle of perfume! Christ, Malcolm! Use yer loaf for once!"
       Malcolm stood in his parent’s bedroom, listening to his father’s tirade. The sickly stench of Honeysuckle enveloped him. The slight breeze from the broken window wasn’t, unfortunately, clearing the room of the smell.
       “What on Earth made ya think ya could go shooting off rockets near the house? What if yer Mum was in here when it hit? What is with ya, boy? Yer the biggest cack-handed prat I've ever seen!”
       The rocket worked fine, it was an unexpected gust of wind that had caused it to go off course. The day was supposed to have been still, with no wind. Just Malcolm's luck an errant breeze had blown up.
       "This time ya went too far Malcolm! I've tried ta beat it out o' ya, but apparently that 's not working! No food, Malcolm! Two weeks this go 'round! Now clean this mess up!"
       Malcolm watched his father storm out of the room. He could faintly hear his mother's voice through the door, and his father answer her.
       "No, Mary, I mean it this time! The boy has got t' learn discipline. Fine, fine, apple juice only! Nothing else! Now leave me be, woman."
       Malcolm bent down and started picking up glass.

~*~

       "Malcolm? Malcolm? Are you there?"
       With a start, Malcolm found himself in a turbo lift with Hoshi, the smell of Honeysuckle still in the air. "I'm sorry, what?"
       "Where'd you go? You were off someplace else."
       "It's not important." He looked her over. "You look … nice."
       "Thanks. 'Some Like It Hot' is playing tonight. You going?"
       "No, I don't think so."
       The doors slid open. "It's a great movie, Malcolm. Come on." Hoshi grabbed Malcolm's hand, pulling him out of the lift. She looked back as she tugged him down the corridor, giving him a wide smile. "It'll be fun."
       The sweet scent of Honeysuckle drifted past him.

  =/\=

  FINIS