"Stop."
Siobhan spun, holding the baby tight in her arms. The corridor stood empty except for her and her little Daniel, and now, this Vulcan woman dressed like her in a hospital gown. "Stay away!" she hissed, her voice thick with her Kilkenny accent no matter how long she worked here on Vulcan.
The Vulcan nodded, eyes on her. "Why are you taking the child?"
"He's mine! Danny's mine!" Siobhan wished she could rub the tears out of her green eyes, but she worried about upsetting Daniel. He stayed quiet; lucky thing that, because he normally wailed for all to hear. "Did they send you?"
"I am here on my own."
Siobhan stepped backward and the Vulcan held out her hands, this time asking the other woman to stop without speaking.
"If the child is yours, why do you bring him here to an auxiliary corridor? It is for maintenance crews."
"That's what I do! Maintenance! I know every corridor, every machine, every system! You didn't think about that, did you?! That's how I knew you people lied that Danny died!" The tears blinded her again. "Did you really think I wouldn't know?! That I wouldn't feel it if he died! I'm his mother!"
"I understand. I would feel it if my son died or was endangered."
Siobhan eyed the extra weight around the Vulcan's waist and jumped to the conclusion. "Is that why you're here? You had a baby?"
"Yes."
"A boy or a girl?"
"A son. Like yours."
"Can you – can you understand what it feels like to have someone say he's dead? To have them – steal him?! Why?! WHY would they do that?!"
The Vulcan paused. "I do not know. However, I can understand what it would feel like, to have someone take him from me."
Siobhan's breathing came hard, but she felt she had to ask, "What's he like, your boy?"
"He looks like his father."
"My Danny is like that too." She looked down at her little boy's dark blonde hair and pale skin. "Spittin' image of Sean." She swallowed. "You've been very kind, but I got to get us out of here. Don't try to stop me." Although she had no idea what she'd do if the Vulcan tried. The other woman was smarter than her and stronger. She only knew she'd die first.
"I will not stop you. I will aide you instead. I am with Starfleet and can be of assistance at the security point."
"You'd do that?"
"If that was my son, I would let nothing keep us apart."
"That's right." Siobhan let out a huge exhale. "That's right. Thank you."
She turned and the Vulcan came up to her side. Despite modern medicine, the other woman walked with a delicateness. Hard birth then? Still, Siobhan kept her and Daniel a step or two away, just in case. "When was your boy born?" she asked to be polite.
"Yesterday at 12:43 am."
Siobhan felt the first bit of happiness in a while. "That's when Danny was born! Now isn't that somethin'?"
The Vulcan nodded. "How did you remove him from the nursery?"
"They were doin' their scans, you see. Easy enough to go in as part of the staff 'cause I am, after all. I'm allowed. I told 'em, I was there for a system check on one of the machines. But I knew they'd come lookin', so I put the gown on again." She bit her lip and gauged how close they were to the doors. "Thing is, you know, they have trackin' on the babies, so I got to hurry. It's not like addin' me signin' him out to the computers."
The door pushed in as she started to push out. She jumped back and there Sean stood, his face crumpled and looking like he got a hole in his heart. "Sean."
"Hey, girl," he said, quiet. His broad body looked like heaven. "Who's the wee one you got there?"
How could he not recognize Daniel? "It's-" She looked down again, but this baby had pointed ears and the whisps of slanted eyebrows. "This ain't Danny."
"No," the Vulcan woman said. "His name is Setik. He is mine."
"Oh! Then you must have him." Siobhan put the baby into the waiting arms. "I don't how I got him."
"It only matters that I have him again." The Vulcan checked the boy, running her fingers everywhere. Siobhan didn't take offense; she'd do the same.
"You've been awfully kind," she said.
The Vulcan nodded. "As I said, I can understand. Perhaps you wish to be with your husband now."
"Yes…" She reached back and fumbled for his hand. He put his arms tight around her as she started to shake. "Yes."
The other woman walked away and Siobhan spun to bury her face against Sean's chest as she remembered what they had just told her. "Sean… our Danny is gone."
Saavik turned the corner when she heard the wail behind her. Fortunately, Setik stayed what seemed to be his usual quiet self. Spock leaped to meet her after she had waved him and the security team back so she may confront the other woman alone. He ran his own hands over their son, checking his physical and mental health.
A small, human woman came up and waved to security. "We're so sorry. We'll take care of things from here."
Saavik said immediately, "We are not bringing charges against her. She needs help with her pain, not more of it."
"She's right. You're being very nice."
Saavik felt the weight of Setik in her arms and Spock next to her. "It is as I told her. I can understand."