Title: Shaken
Characters: Uhura and Chapel
Verse: TOS
Warnings: assault, angst, unbeta'd
Summary: Written for hc_bingo prompt: assault. The aftermath of The Gamesters of Triskelion.
When Uhura beamed back aboard the Enterprise, Kirk tried to talk her into going to medical. She wanted to decline and just go back to her quarters. She never wanted to tell another soul what happened, but Kirk cared about his crew and walked her to med bay himself.
Uhura hesitated in front of the door. "Captain, I am fine."
Kirk lightly touched her shoulders. Uhura flinched at the touch, but allowed it. "Uhura, I want you to do this for me. I just want to make sure you are alright."
Uhura nodded. "Ok."
She stepped into Med Bay where Nurse Chapel was waiting for her. She gave her a smile. "Kirk said that you might want a women to examine you rather than Doctor McCoy."
"Yes, that would be fine. Thank you."
Uhura sat down on one of the bio-beds. She didn't realize how bad she was shaking until Chapel began running a tricorder over her. Chapel set it aside and placed her hands on Uhura's shoulders. "You know I'm here for you, if you need someone to talk to."
"I just-I just want to forget it even happened at all."
Chapel nodded before stepping back. "Well, there's no permanent damage, but I will recommend that you take a few sick days."
"I'll be fine, Christine."
"Uhura, listen to me, your not the first women on the ship to have this happen to them," Chapel said. "So just take my word for it and take a few days off."
"I don't want them to see me as weak."
"Who?"
"The captain," Uhura replied. "I don't want to see him me as weak. I don't want any of them to see me as weak."
"You are not weak," Chapel stated. "You are one of the strongest women I have ever met and I promise you, that if you take a few days off they will not see you as weak. They will see you as a person who needs time to recover. And you do."
Uhura looked down at the floor, tears welling up in her eyes. She had told herself that she wouldn't cry over this. She told herself that she would be strong. "The man, he was so strong and I felt so weak."
Chapel lightly touched Uhura's arm and when she wasn't pushed away, she wrapped her arms around the other women. "I bet he was, but your safe now and he will not touch you ever again." She lifted Uhura's chin so she could look her in the eye. "I promise you, that you will be safe."
"But what if it happens again? On another planet?"
"I don't think it will."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because I believe that it won't."
Uhura gave a small smile. "Thank you Christine, you're a real friend."
Chapel smiled back. "Come on, let's get you back to your quarters."
Uhura hopped of the bio-bed and allowed Chapel to walk her back to her quarters. Chapel gave her another tight hug. "Get some sleep and get better. In a few days you'll be back to work, good as new. And remember, I'm here for you."
