He is waiting down by the osier, just beside the constantly overflowing river. He can always be counted on to be there and ready to listen to me. My day, troubles at work, what happens at the end of the latest series of whatever's on. The perfect man to vent to. If there is nothing to really capture my attention I tend to just reflect. We talk about the days on the USS Enterprise and the friends we had there. The good times and the bad.
One of the most popular stories we share is the day we 'got together.' I warned him that Vulcans bond for life and he replied, asking if I had just called him a slut. At the time it was one of the least funny situations I had experienced. I, now freely admitting emotion, must say that the horror I felt when he mis-interpreted what I meant was only eclipsed by the shameless laughter that burst into the charged atmosphere of the room seconds later. He had been 'pulling my leg.'
The mission was both more difficult and much easier after that. We forged our relationship in fire and death and thin glimpses of peace. The bond grew stronger than any other attraction known. We were T'hy'la. Marriage only made us stronger and we served with our immortal crew for the next decade, still in the primes of our lives, not even forty years old yet.
The gate is rusty and creaks when I push it open, only a comfort at this point, routine settling in to stay. The sun is reflecting off the water and I know he must be appreciating the natural light and tan that accompanies it. Being on a starship for so long does very little for the complexion. Leaves crackle beneath my feet, the wind picks up slightly and only then do I realise I have put his coat on by accident, the collar large enough to cover my neck in the chill.
Sitting down next to him on the wooden bench under the osier I greet him before launching into the tales of the day. I had received word earlier that day the Lt Uhura had given birth to James McCoy. The starship was still on its travels but the family was to take extended leave on Earth. He loves the fact they named his child after the man they spent their lives cussing at, I know he does. When the sky darkens further I decide that it is time to head home. I kneel on the damp Earth and bow my head slightly. One last whisper sees me standing before the marble slab and retreating to the rusted gate. I no longer need to look at the words on the stone, they are engraved into my mind forever.
James Tiberius Kirk
Hero, Husband, Captain, Comrade.
Age 38
He waits for me at the osier, just beside the constantly overflowing river. It is where he will always be now.