The Original Series

Season 4 Episode 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.

Note: This is a remake of Amok Time. While the beginning and ending of that episode are great, I hated the duel to the death and thought Spock should have had a more interesting illness.

Voiceover: Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, and its five year mission, to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Jim was climbing up the ladder to the ship when Dr McCoy came down the corridor and greeted him.

"Captain, can I have a word?"

Jim stopped and turned to look at Bones, waiting expectantly.

"It's about Spock. Have you noticed anything unusual about him recently?"

"No not especially, why?"

"Well it's nothing I can pinpoint without an examination but his head seems to be all over the place. He is irritable, has mood swings, and anger outbursts. It's almost as though he has lost control of his emotions".

"But he's a Vulcan. He is well practised at suppressing emotion. That's part of his culture."

"I thought so too which is why his recent behaviour makes no sense. He has also been avoiding food. I checked and he hasn't eaten at all in three days."

Nurse Chapel entered the corridor just then with a tray. She turned to leave on seeing the Doctor and the Captain but Bones stopped her.

"Vulcan soup and I expect you made it too. You never stop hoping do you?"

"Well, I noticed Mr Spock hasn't been eating lately so…" Christine stopped, embarrassed.

"Its fine nurse, carry on."

Nurse Chapel went to Spock's quarters and pressed the buzzer.

"Bones I'm a busy man" Jim turned to leave.

"Jim when I suggested to Spock he have his routine check-up your logical unemotional Vulcan turned to me and said that if I didn't cease to pry into his personal affairs then he would most certainly break my neck".

Jim looked stunned. "Spock said that?"

"What the hell is this?" The bowl of Vulcan soup was thrown against the wall and Christine ran screaming from Spock's quarters.

"If I want anything from you I'll ask for it." Spock saw Jim and Bones, closed his eyes in an effort at self-control and went back into his cabin without a word, closing the door.

Jim held up a hand. "I'll deal with this Bones". McCoy nodded and left while Jim knocked at the door of Spock's quarters and was admitted.

Spock stood with one hand behind his back, maintaining eye contact with Jim, waiting for him to speak.

"Spock, I am asking you, what's wrong?"

Spock hesitated. "It is something that Vulcans prefer not to speak of but….this condition, it requires a Vulcan to obtain help from a non-Vulcan if it is what I think it is. I am not certain."

"You can't elaborate?"

"No".

"Then I order you to report to the sickbay. Dr McCoy will be waiting."

Spock nodded and left. He reluctantly headed for sickbay.

"I'm all ready for you Spock".

Spock reluctantly walked to the examination table and lay down on it. His right hand shook violently.

"Examine me Doctor for all the good it will do either of us".

Dr McCoy hurried to find Captain Kirk.

"Jim I need to talk to you about Spock."

"What is wrong with him?"

"I cannot tell. His vitals have accelerated. His mental and emotional state is dangerously unstable. If something isn't done, he will die in eight days."

Jim was shocked. "Is there nothing you can do?"

"I believe he knows what is wrong but is reluctant to say."

Jim turned and headed straight for Spock's quarters. Spock admitted him. He began to rise from his chair but Jim waved him back down so he sat behind the desk again.

"Spock, Bones has given me his medical evaluation of your condition. He says you will die in eight days unless something is done."

Spock bowed his head. He moved his hand. Jim caught it and was shocked to feel it shaking uncontrollably in his. Spock pulled his hand away.

"Spock you are the best first officer I have ever had. If I must lose that first officer I want to know why."

"It is hard to explain to a non-Vulcan but perhaps it is best under the circumstances."

"Anything you say to me will be treated with complete confidentiality unless you say otherwise."

Spock began "Once we Vulcans adopted a logical way of thinking, while it solved many of our problems, it nevertheless has a drawback. Suppressing emotion and adopting logic indefinitely puts a strain on the mental and emotional faculties of both Vulcans and half Vulcans. Once in a lifetime the Vulcan or half Vulcan falls victim to a disease of the mind."

"A disease of the mind?"

"Their whole mind becomes unbalanced. They lose control over their emotions. Psychological symptoms include anger outbursts, mood swings, irritability. Some Vulcans even turn violent and lash out. Physical symptoms include acceleration of vital functions, and uncontrollable shaking of the limbs starting in the hand."

"Is there anything you can do about it?"

"It requires a mind meld, ideally with a non-Vulcan but no ordinary mind meld. While melded the non-Vulcan will instinctively know how to help the Vulcan. It is a form of mind healing that takes hours but essentially the non-Vulcan will heal the Vulcan mentally and emotionally. However there will be a permanent telepathic connection between the Vulcan and Non-Vulcan. It is different by the way from a Vulcan marriage bond. The Vulcan marriage bond is based on romantic love and partnership. This bond is based on survival. Sometimes it can occur between lovers in which case the lovers end up with a double bond; a marriage bond and a survival bond."

"And who do you bond with?"

"I must connect myself to the computer. It will scan my brain and select the most compatible non-Vulcan in the area. In most cases it turns out to be a close friend in the case of a non-Vulcan, or in the case of a Vulcan, a sibling, or even a cousin. If the Vulcan is a loner, then the most compatible mind is picked at random but inevitably a friendship will develop following the bonding. It never occurs between a parent and child because however close you are to a parent, equality in status and closeness in age are requirements for the bonding process. By the way the permanent telepathic connection is no threat. If either bondmate wants privacy over their thoughts they can shut the other bondmate out temporarily and the telepathic connection increases or decreases in intensity depending on the physical proximity of the bondmates."

"I see. Do you need to do this in sickbay?"

"No I can do this here".

"Would you prefer to be alone?"

"No Jim. Please stay. I have a feeling I know which name the computer will give me." Spock's eyes locked with the Captain's. The Captain nodded.

"And, don't worry. The computer has been programmed do this in silence".

Jim heaved a sigh of relief. He watched while Spock hooked himself up to the computer and operated the controls. Ten minutes later a piece of paper shot out of the printer nearby. Spock read it and handed it to Jim.

Jim read; the only survival bondmate possible for the Vulcan Spock is Captain James T Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. No other non-Vulcan can heal him.

Jim let out a deep breath. "Okay how do we do this?"

"The bondmates must either be sitting down or lying down. We can sit on opposite sides of the desk if you wish Captain."

Jim nodded and complied. Spock put his shuddering fingers on the appropriate meld points. "My mind to your mind. Our minds are moving closer together. Our minds are one".

Jim felt himself fall into Spock's mind. He blinked. It was usually the other way round. It was strange to have their roles reversed. Jim instinctively knew that outside the meld, Spock's head had collapsed onto the desk and his eyes were closed. For once his mind was strong while Spock's was chaotic.

Jim spread his mind out, allowing his calmness, strength and peace to flow into Spock. He absorbed the chaos of Spock's deeply suppressed emotions. He took each thought and feeling one by one, both the logical and the emotional and wrapped one of his own thoughts and feelings round it, bandaging it tightly, strengthening it, nourishing it, healing it. He worked hard and tirelessly, threading every single one of his own thoughts and feelings through one of Spock's thoughts and feelings. Twelve hours later the bond was complete and once more their roles were reversed. Spock's mind had now regained its strength and flowed into Jim's. Just as Jim felt Spock's gratitude, Spock felt Jim's exhaustion, mixed with relief that the healing had worked and that Spock was now completely recovered.

Thank you Jim

You're welcome Spock

You are exhausted Jim. You need rest.

Yes

I will take you to your quarters. You will find me on the bridge or in my quarters.

Thank you Spock.

Spock stood up. He picked the Captain up in his arms and carried him to his cabin. Spock settled Jim into his bed and tucked him in. Jim fell asleep immediately. Spock closed the cabin door and walked away.

The End.