Some people would think that finding a comatose girl in the wreckage of a downed spacecraft a bad thing. But Spock wasn't some people.
After being sent to scout the remains of a crashed Vulcan vessel, the last thing he had on his mind was what parenting was like.
But when he saw the five or so year old girl laying on a fallen tree, her mahogany hair a matted mess around her pointed ears, something changed in him.
He scanned her for injuries, then contacted the captain. "Sir, I found a survivor!" He said, and onboard the majestic Enterprise, Jim Kirk froze.
A survivr. That was something he didn't expect. Just looking at the video feed of the wreckage, he found it hard to believe they'd even find a body, let alone a survivor. "Spock, are they injured?"
"She does not appear to be fatally injured, though she has suffered some head trauma, as well as some serious burns on her arm. She looks to be around five or six years old." He replied, the young Vulcan moved her head slightly, then moaned.
Spock walked up to her, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" He asked, his voice calm and smooth, he was trying to seem nonthreatening.
"Where's Mucha?" She mumbled, not even opening her eyes. "I need my Mucha."
A member of the away team had joined them without Spock noticing. "What's a Mucha?"
"It is like a comfort object. Different children name them different things. I'd assume she named hers Mucha. Search around, and let me know if you find anything resembling a stuffed animal, or blanket."
"Aye sir." He said, then walked away. Spock carefully picked up the young girl, her head relaxed against his chest as he carried her to the beam up area.
Everyone else had gathered, ready to leave the sad wreckage. The man from before held up a stuffed spaceship triumphantly.
Some areas here and there on the stuffed object were burned, but just like the child in Spock's arms, it somehow made it.
"Okay Mr. Scott. Beam us up Spock said. And just like that, they were on the Enterprise.
T'Prel heard voices, but they were echo-y and distant. Her mind felt like syrup, thick and foggy. Every thought floated away as if she'd never thought of it.
"But what about when she wakes up? Who's going to take care of her?" An accented voice rang through her mind. It sounded earthen.
"I can assure you doctor, that she will be taken care of." An emotionless voice replied. Something about the way he talked made T'Prel feel less worried. Something about his voice reminded her of home.
"Who's going to do it? You?" A laugh rang out, making her shutter slightly, it was really loud.
"I am fully capable of taking care of her. I'm sure she will need a fellow Vulcan to lead her through the strong amounts of grief she will experience." The monotone voice said. So he was Vulcan. That's why he sounded familiar.
What did he mean by grief? "Dammit man, this is a child! She's going to need a person who will care about her!"
"What makes you think I won't care about her? I have went through what she will go through when she wakes up. She needs someone who will understand. Someone who will raise her as her parents would, in the Vulcan way."
"What ever. I'll make sure to notify you if anything happens, or changes."
"Thank you doctor."
She suddenly became aware of beeping. A heart monitor. Her mind was racing, but before T'Prel could get to any solid thought, she drifted further into unconsciousness.
Three days later
T'Prel opened her eyes, her head hurt immediately from the bright lights. The sound of the heart monitor was still faintly beeping in the background.
She looked around, and a man with dark hair looked at her from across the room. "Ah! She awakens!" He said. She instantly recognized his voice, but couldn't think of where.
T'Prel looked down at her hands. One of them was wrapped in gauze and a bandage. The other hand had an IV in the vein. She shuddered slightly. She hated needles, even if it was illogical.
Her stuffed starship Mucha sat next to her leg, it had some singe marks on the wings.
"Where am I?"
"You, little lady, are on the Enterprise." He said, pulling out a communicator. "Just let me make a call, and you can talk to the captain." She nodded, and he walked out.
About five minutes later, the man came back, along with two other people. One in blue, and one in yellow. Her ears perked a little bit when she noticed the one in blue was a Vulcan.
"Hi. My name is Jim Kirk. I'm the captain." The man in yellow said, smiling. T'Prel nodded, and Kirk looked at the Vulcan man. "This is my first officer Spock."
"Why am I here captain Kirk?" She asked, and his smile dropped from his face.
"What is your name?"
"T'Prel. You still have not answered my question. Where are my parents?" He sighed, and put his chin in his hand.
"There was an explosion. On your parents vessel. It crashed on a nearby planet. We were the closest, so we came to help. You... Uh... Were the only survivor."
She felt her stomach drop. Tears stung at her eyes, but she held them in. Crying was illogical. T'Prel had to be strong. For them.
"Mr.Spock here, has volunteered to take care of you until we can find a more permanent home for you."
She nodded, and looked up at Spock. "Thank you Mr. Spock." He tilted his head in acknowledgement.
"Well, uh...we'll let rest." Kirk said, and he and Dr. McCoy walked out, leaving her and Spock alone.
"I apologize for your loss."
"Thank you. It will be hard without them." She replied, trying her hardest not to break down in front her new guardian, and failing.
The tears she'd been holding in, suddenly slipped down her face. T'Prel's shoulders shook as the sobs escaped her lips.
Spock crossed the room in two large strides. He sat down, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Not thinking, she enveloped him in a hug, crying into his shoulder.
"There there, things will get better."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've been through the same thing. I lost my mother, the day we lost our planet."
"Do you promise?"
"I promise. Now rest. You need to recover." Spock got the blanket from the end of the bed, and put it over het. Slowly she fell asleep, comforted by the presence of the older Vulcan, and clutching Mucha like a lifeline.