Trip lay on Malcolms bed and watched Malcolm pace, back and forth back and forth muttering angrily to himself. Trip sighed, Malcolm demanded perfection from himself and beat himself up when he couldn't achieve it. Currently he was blaming himself for T'pol's injury. Trip silently damned Malcolm's parents for the hundredth no thousandth time for making Malcolm believe he had to be perfect to be loved.

Trip stood and intercepted Malcolm in the middle of one of his passes, holding the twitching body close and running a soothing hand up and down his back.

"Malcolm it's ok" Trip pressed a comforting kiss to Malcolm's temple

"No it's not, T'pol could have been killed and it's my responsibility to.."

"Shhh Malcolm" Trip lay gentle kisses across Malcolm's face "It's over you can't do anythin about it now and T'pol will be fine. You gotta stop beaten yourself up over it."

"But Trip" Malcolm started again and again Trip kissed him his hands never stopping their caresses.

Finally Malcolm relaxed and lay his head against Trips shoulder. Only then did Trip draw Malcolm over to the bed and lay him down. Continuing with the gentle caresses and comforting kisses until Malcolm finally fell into sleep that Trip knew he would not have achieved otherwise. Looking down on his sleeping lover he swore to himself, not for the first time, that he would convince Malcolm he deserved to be loved even if it took the rest of his life.