Phantasms

"Captain! And Ensign Sato." A smile almost split Phlox's face, the wide one that Jon wasn't sure he would ever get used to. "What can I do for you?"

Jon jumped in before Hoshi could speak. "Hoshi can't remember anything that happened yesterday afternoon, or anything that happened that would have caused it."

"Hmmm." Picking up a scanner, Phlox ran it over an amused Hoshi. "I don't see any evidence of trauma…"

"Maybe a more detailed scan would turn something up."

"Perhaps, but I don't think we—" Phlox broke off as he glanced up over Hoshi's shoulder to see Jon staring at him.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Hoshi sighed. "Really Jon."

"Hoshi." His quiet but insistent tone made her throw up her hands in defeat.

"Fine!" She stomped over to the door of the imaging scanner, missing the puzzled look Phlox gave Jon.

"Just do it," Jon whispered.

Setting aside the hand scanner, Phlox settled Hoshi on the gurney and slid it into the chamber, activating the device. "I assume you'll tell me what this is all about?" he asked Jon.

Not trusting Hoshi's miracle ear not to hear them, even in the imaging chamber, Jon lead Phlox over to the other side of Sickbay where the doctor could still see the display screens.

"I woke up this morning to find Hoshi in bed with me. She seems to be under the impression we're married," he explained in a low voice, his back turned to the chamber. "When I … resisted, she became agitated. The moment I went along with it, she returned to normal. She was fine the last time I saw her. What could make her think we're married? Why would she think we're married? It makes no sense." Glancing over his shoulder, Jon frowned at the screen hiding Hoshi from him.

"Intriguing. Did she say how long you had been married? Give you any history between you two?" Phlox crossed his arms over his chest, pulling at his lower lip as he thought.

"None. She explain her being in her own cabin by us having a huge fight, but she couldn't remember what the fight was about."

The imaging chamber beeped its completion, interrupting whatever Phlox was going to say. He walked over to the monitors, flipping through the various data charts. "No physical trauma…" he muttered to himself. "Now that's interesting…"

"What?" Easily looking around the shorter man, Jon tried to make sense of the colorful displays streaming in front of them.

"The ensign has what looks like an organic hallucinogen in her system. It's concentrated around her neck, spreading into her system from there." Pressing a spot on the screen, Phlox brought up an image of Hoshi with a glowing red mantle over her shoulders.

"How?" Jon wondered aloud. "When? Why now?"

Phlox wisely didn't try to answer. "There shouldn't be any problems counteracting it, it's rather simple in its makeup. I'll test it on a blood sample first though." He turned to Jon, satisfied at at least knowing how to fix the problem, if not why it happened.

"May I remove Ensign Sato now?

"We can't let her interact with the rest of the crew." Jon's words stopped Phlox as he saved Hoshi's readings. "Can you… put her on medical leave until this is over with?"

Nodding, Phlox cleared the screen. "I can."

"She can work in her—my cabin. Will you know by the end of the day if you can counteract this drug?"

"Certainly. It won't be instantaneous though. It will take a few hours for the drug to dissipate."

"All right."

The gurney slid out as easily as it slid in; hauling herself upright Hoshi looked back and for the at the two men. "Well?"

"I still need to run more tests, Ensign," Phlox answered her. "But you needn't be here for them. I do want you to take it easy for the rest of the day. You can work on that Shelian dialect you've been complaining about, but in your cabin."

"I feel fine!" Hoshi's protest fell on deaf ears, and she finally gave in, ungracious about it, however.

"Just think of it as an excuse to be lazy," Jon said as they left Sickbay on their way to his wardroom. Figuring most of the Alpha shift would be on duty by now, Jon hadn't objected when Hoshi said she was hungry.

He thankfully was right, only a handful of people were in the mess hall. Jon cringed somewhat leading Hoshi into his dining room, while she had been there before it was for dinners, and always with the rest of the Bridge crew.

He ate in silence while Hoshi chattered away; Jon wasn't sure if she had always been like this or if it was another side effect of the hallucinogen. Nodding in the right place, remembering to add a 'yes, dear' or 'no, dear' every so often got them through the meal and with a sigh of relief Jon dropped Hoshi of at his cabin.

Nothing is ever easy though; before Jon could stop her Hoshi pulled him down for a kiss goodbye. It was a soft assault on his senses, her warm mouth under his, her slim body in his arms—most of Jon's mind was protesting that it was Hoshi, for God's sake, but the other part, the part that daily complained at how long it had been since they had sex, reveled in the feel of her and deepened the kiss, meeting her enthusiasm measure for measure before Jon finally took back control.

Chest heaving at the surge of lust that ran through him, Jon looked down at Hoshi, the self-satisfied smile back on her face. "I have to get to the bridge," he managed to get out.

"Come back for lunch?"

"I'll try. I—have a busy day."

Hoshi laughed. "You have to eat, Jon."

"I'll try," he repeated, knowing he couldn't come see her. Unwinding her arms from around his neck, Jon opened the cabin door and slipped out