Please Tell My Wife
Chapter One
Spock knelt on the ground next to his captain and touched his bare skin. The message his skin to skin contact gave him shook him to his very core. After all this was his captain, his friend, his 'drinking buddy', poker playing partner and the husband of the one woman he had secretly desired from the time he had first laid eyes on her those many years ago. His Vulcan control had allowed him close association with Kirk and Nyota for many, many years, through the Academy days, on up through assignment together on The Enterprise. His friend's eyes filled with tears as he gripped Spock's hand, and spoke,
"Spock, do not let any harm come to Nyota, take care of her for me."
Breathing heavily he continued,
"Please tell my wife…tell Nyota that I have loved her with my entire being. Tell her to live her life to the fullest extent possible for her and to give this final wish for her and our children and grandchildren, as expressed by your people, I wish for her to 'Live Long and Prosper'."
James T. Kirk started coughing as he was breathing his last and Spock responded to his instructions,
"Jim, I shall convey that information to her and guard her even to the loss of my own life. Rest assured, this I will do."
Vulcan logic and honesty would not permit him to offer empty ideas of recovery, a long life ahead and his friend knew this.
"Spock, help me through this last voyage," was James T. Kirk's whispered final instruction to his friend and first mate as he took his last shuddering breath with his friend sending him calm and peace through their clasped hands.
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The irony of this situation was that the rank of Admiral usually entailed a desk, a situation that bored James T. Kirk to no end. So it was that he was perhaps one of the few persons that had reached his rank and refused a 'desk job'.
Spock continued next to his friend and awaited the response from The Enterprise to his instructions, 'Two to beam up'. He effortlessly picked up his captain and awaited the familiar prickly feeling engendered by the ships transporter beam and then found himself standing on the pod with the limp body of the ship's captain in his arms. McCoy was there with a stretcher and a quick nod of Spock's head confirmed the worse—their captain was dead.
As Spock stepped down his eyes met Nyota Kirk's. She was attempting to not lose her composure as she followed the gurney, transporting her husband's body to sick bay. Before the door fully closed Spock heard her piecing scream and was certain that at that point she had collapsed. Spock then heard McCoy's strained voice,
"Please Nyota, please, let me clean him up and then you can spend as much time as you need with him."
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Spock was fully aware of the horrendous wounds on his friend's body, gaping holes and one arm missing a hand. It was to have been an exploratory mission, no humanoid life forms detected. This, however, should not have minimized the danger from other life forms on the planet. It was just such a life form that appeared out of nowhere and attacked his captain, ripping flesh and removing a hand with its' gapping jaws before it was subdued by a phaser blast. Spock was powerless to prevent the attack because he was not near his captain, who was known to attempt to satisfy his insatiable curiosity by wandering off on his own. This turned out to be his last foray in that area of exploration.
Spock decided not to invade that area of private mourning and returned to his quarters, showered, and sank to his knees for a short period of meditation even though he was unable to erase the sound of Nyota Kirk's scream from his mind.
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The senior members of the crew were allowed to have their families onboard. For that reason he was certain that the crew and the wives and children were also grieving. He knew he would have to file the official report of the incident and then report to the bridge and relieve Sula within a few hours. He did not intend to verbally explain any of the events surrounding their captain's demise on the planet. All curiosity could be addressed by reading the official report.
Now, before him was the unwelcome task of captaining the ship. A position he had avoided like 'the plague'. The ship would return home for the official funeral service for their fallen leader. He could imagine how much of a strain that would be for Kirk's family. There was no doubt in his mind that if left to the family there would be a private service with just certain crew members invited and an even quieter burial or cremation. The captain certainly would have approved of his crew's presence but not all the admiralty, Star Fleet big bosses, with their speeches and plaudit for although James T. Kirk knew well how to 'toot' his own horn, he usually felt uncomfortable, even embarrassed when others verbally did so.
Spock determined his effort at meditation were futile so he arose from his meditation rug and crossed the floor to his desk and turned on his unit and started…
To: Star Fleet Command
From: Acting Captain, S'chn T'gai Spock
Star Date: (He would add that information once the official information and autopsy report was received from Dr. McKoy)
Re: The death of Admiral James T. Kirk on Moras IV
Attachments: Death certificate and autopsy report issued by Chief Medical Office Lieutenant Commander Leonard McCoy.
Spock narration presented the fact succinctly:
'Our away mission appeared to be non-threatening allowing members of the team to separate to explore different areas of the planet. Our scans had detected no humanoid life forms on the surface and the animal life appeared to be creatures that were small and non-threatening. Of course, our scans were unable to detect any subterranean life forms that had access to the surface. The Admiral and I were together in an area that housed a cave entrance. Without warning an animal with large jaws and fangs at least ten centimeters long, attacked our captain and virtually disemboweled him. His defensive move caused the severing of his left hand. I was with him as we awaited transport to our ship. Before our ship could retrieve us, Admiral James T. Kirk succumbed to his injuries and when we were transported to our ship he was pronounced DOA by our chief medical officer.. Buoys and alerts have been placed on the planet's surface and in orbit around it, as a warning to all ships within the quadrant.
We, the crew of The Enterprise join with you at Star Fleet in the Vulcan expression,
'We grieve with thee.'
As acting captain, I wish to recommend Admiral James T. Kirk for a meritorious award for his valor that was evidence in so many more dangerous away missions. My deepest regret is that I know that this is not the way, Admiral Kirk, my friend would have liked to end his service to Star Fleet.
Submitted for your information,
Acting Captain S'chn T'gai Spock.