Naked Apology
By SpockLikesCats
[TOS, set right after "The Naked Time"]
If I don't talk to him about it now, I'll regret it, thought Christine Chapel. She'd just walked into Lab #7, adjacent to Sickbay, to pursue some ideas she had about the virus they'd all escaped at Exo - yesterday. Her exobiology training usually led her to examine this sort of thing; unfortunately she didn't always manage to get in on the process of solving such problems in the event. Her analysis afterward, however, often led to better resolutions for similar infections or outbreaks that might occur.
LCDR Spock stood at the nearest lab station, undoubtedly analyzing the virus samples and seeking a solution himself.
The Enterprise had gone back in time one day. Too bad we couldn't have wiped out the memories of the last twenty-four hours. Christine was still blushing at the thought when Spock looked up at her. "Good day, Ms. Chapel," he said politely, returning his attention to the tricorder he held.
"Good day, Mr. Spock," she returned. "Will it … disturb you if I begin running some tests?"
"This laboratory is large enough to accommodate several scientists," he said, frowning a bit. "And being 'disturbed' would be a human reaction."
Oh. Well, far be it from me to excite a human reaction in you. Embarrassed at her own snippy thought, she stammered, "Of—of course," and went to the station farthest from Spock to begin punching up the data.
They worked silently for at least an hour, occasional clicks of styluses on screens or electronic whirs from Spock's tricorder the only sounds. Eventually Chapel climbed onto a lab chair. Her back still hurt. She didn't know what had happened; she may have passed out after they did the cold start of the warp engines. The ship hadn't exactly been stable.
Even Scotty, best engineer in the Fleet, hadn't been able to run those complicated calculations in his head. Spock had basically taken a theory and implemented it in the emergency, and everyone aboard was so impressed they had talked of little else since. "A new procedure! An amazing accomplishment! Vulcans are so smart!"
That's why I passed out. I must have been completely overcome by Spock's intellectual prowess.
God, I'm feeling like such a bitch! It was so … humiliating. It was awful to think about her little thirteen-year-old "inner self" peeking out in such a way, wanting so desperately to love, so desirous of being loved in return. She wondered if Spock had thought for a single moment about the embarrassments building upon one another yesterday, or if his inner self wanted to crawl away and die, too.
Briefly Christine wondered if there was even a point to continuing her analysis; Spock probably had all the scientific challenges whipped already … but it was such a relief to lose her self in the work, and the first officer might not exercise the same intuition and experience that she herself was. She smiled slightly and went on with her research, making notes occasionally, and after another hour had gathered enough information that a result was coalescing. A small one, but still. She leaned back and sighed with a satisfied smile.
"Something amusing, Ms. Chapel?" Spock said.
Vulcans are smart, but they are also nosy. Oh, sure, 'inquisitive' was the polite term for it, but Christine was reminded of the Maine Coon cat she'd adopted after Roger went missing. She'd cook – Acadia would be there, sniffing about. She'd read – Acadia would jump on her lap, as if to read along, or he'd block the screen with his big, rangy, thickly-furred body, staring at her with his intelligent golden eyes. Oh, yes, he could bring attention to himself. And he was infinitely more charming than Spock was being today.
"That was a smile of accomplishment," she said, still feeling confident, and he acknowledged her words with that little descending Hmm.
It's time I got it over with. Her confidence wavered a bit as she began running possible words through her mind. She hoped for something besides, 'I'm sorry,' 'I know I made an ass of myself,' 'Oops, I didn't mean to paint your planet's marriage customs with a broad brush of rumors and cultural misunderstandings' …
Sheesh, Christine – 'I've heard your people treat their women strangely'? Ugh! God, what thing of actual intelligence can I say now? It's all so embarrassing. Should I say anything at all, or will I make it worse? The last thing I want to do is mortify him or myself any further.
She entered her result on the Padd beside her station, chewed the end of the stylus contemplatively, wrote a little more, and sent her conclusion to the library computer. Time for a meal break and a nap. My shift starts in three hours – I can make my apology and have a valid reason to zip out of here.
The quicker done, the better. She stood, straightened her posture to Cadet standards, and stepped smartly over to Spock.
"Mr. Spock, I … it's about yesterday."
He turned to her and raised his eyebrows expectantly.
"I'm very emba—actually I'm mortified about what I said to you, about grabbing your hand … all of it."
One eyebrow raised, Spock seemed to have almost a gleam in his eye. "All of it?"
She moved her head impatiently. Oh, for God's sake, Mr. Smarty-pa—Mr. Spock, give me a break here, would you? "Yes. All of it. Especially that business about being in love with you."
"I see," Spock said. "You are attempting to apologize for what you said, and did."
"Yes of course I am," she snapped. Good for you! He is being a butt of – a bit of a … She rushed the words out to have it over with. "I'm sorry Mr. Spock."
He inclined his head. "There is no need for you to be 'mortified' or sorry, Ms. Chapel. We were all overcome with the virus. Your apology is accepted."
"Well …" she said, and stopped. She'd been ready to snap again, 'isn't that nice' or something. Embarrassment continues to work its wonders upon my personality. Just let me get out of here without another –
"The fact that most of the human females and homosexual males on this ship are 'in love' with me is not a novel one," he murmured, looking as modest as he could with that contrary glimmer of humor in his gaze.
"I see," Chapel returned civilly. "Well, good day to you." And she strode out of the lab.
Vulcans….
Exiting Sickbay, Christine turned the corner of the passageway and paused mid-stride.
Vulcans are infuriating!