Harvest Season of 2122
T'Sukh, physically spent, lay back down, flat against the bedding. The midwife began tending to her fatigued body, moving silently with her instruments. T'Sukh felt the sting of salves applied directly to her raw flesh below. She closed her eyes, schooling herself to block the pain. Turning her head to the left with half-lidded eyes, she saw her swaddled child for the first time. T'Pau's birth came after a difficult labor. The pregnancy itself was challenging for T'Sukh. Malnutrition, dehydration and anemia had plagued T'Pau's mother for the entire gestation. Neither the mother, nor the unborn child were expected to survive through the drought. But here they were. Exhausted, hungry, alive.
"Yuk-tol rai." Do not sleep. The midwife spoke in low, even tones, rousing T'sukh from her almost-slumber. It was time for T'Pau to be fed. The midwife plucked the infant from the floor, as there was no crib or cradle to lay her in. As the child was placed in T'Sukh's arms, a strange and wholly unfamiliar feeling washed over her. She did not know how to decipher her accelerating heartbeat, and a growing sensation that threatened to bubble to the surface. Most fascinating. Tiny clenched hands, the faint beginnings of upswept brows, and newly unfurled pointed ears. In a rare moment heightened emotion, T'Sukh's chest began to rumble. The midwife respectfully cast her eyes downward and away. This was a common occurrence, she had heard this same sound coming from other new mothers many times before. But nonetheless, the midwife put up her mental shield immediately to avoid intercepting the high level of emotion. T'Sukh was completely absorbed with the child…
"T'Pau."
She whispered aloud before she had the presence of mind to stop the name from leaving her lips.
The midwife looked at T'Sukh quizzically before remolding her face back into its implacable mask. "She is too young yet to respond."
The midwife's attention turned to T'Pau, adjusting the baby's head for feeding. T'Sukh did not predict a positive outcome for this. If the midwife had her doubts, she certainly did not let it show on her face. She had not had anything to eat in over a month, and the dusty fields had poor yields this harvest. T'Pau turned her head to suckle.
The breasts held no milk.
The baby fussed in frustration. Unable to control it, T'Sukh's countenance fell.
"My task here is completed. I am in need of compensation." The midwife's voice was steady, but not unkind.
T'Sukh motioned to a folded maroon robe beside her. Very few households in this farming community could afford to part with the few bits of currency they had left. And T'Sukh had none to give. The midwife unfolded the robe, inspected it, and nodded once. Then she was gone.
T'Sukh laid alone with T'Pau… still tired, still famished, and now, she was cold.
A/N: I wanted to try something a little bit different. I always like the character of T'Pau, and I was curious about the life circumstances that shaped her. What is also a mystery is her connection to the illustrious S'chn T'gai clan (Spock's family line). I designate this story as "Alternative Universe", the same one that STXI takes place in. Somehow, I will find a way to weave in the pertinent details that might foreshadow the tragic events in the movie.
As many writers say, reviews are how we get paid. Let me know what you think.