The captain told me about Trip's interference with the Vissian's Congenitor and how he had to send the Congenitor back to them. He also told me about how the Congenitor committed suicide and the riot act that he read to Trip. It must have been one hell of a riot act because Trip has been avoiding the captain for the past several days, sticking to engineering, looking rather pained when he has to speak to the captain. I know; I've seen it.He really needs some cheering up, so when I get the chance, I slip away from my post and head down to engineering. I get a few odd looks, since I'm usually never down here this time of day. But I ignore them and look around for Trip, finally spotting him sitting at his worktable. He's staring at the surface of the table, not really seeing it. His eyes are haunted.
I join him, waiting patiently for him to notice me. After a while, when he hasn't realized I'm there, I jump into his lap and lick his face. It startles him.
"Hey, Porthos," he says, placing his hands on my hand and rubbing behind my ears. "What are you doing here?"
I bark and lick his face again, wagging my tail. I just want to see him happy. He smiles at me. "Thanks, boy."
I rub against him, reminding him that even if the captain isn't acting like his friend right now, I still love him