Unknown
Chapter Two
Records
The next day after his instructional period at the Academy, Spock arrived at Lo'vaak's office. His stay at the medical facilities would be short because the two families would come for dinner this evening. He was very anxious that Nyota be able to question Rachel in private.
When Lo'vaak returned to Spock after running the test, he simply nodded his head. It had already been determined what was in the future, now the readings were just giving Spock some guidelines that would enable him to determine when would be the opportune time for his departure to New Vulcan.
Spock asked Lo'vaak to sit and started,
"I have a request. Please document all your findings. They will become part of a research project that will be a record of my experience. It has occurred to me that there is no documentation of a hybrid's Pon Farr, since for many years, I was the only one. Already we see a marked increase in Vulcan/Terran pairings. The children who come from these bondings will also be like us, hybrids. They must not be kept in the dark about Pon Farr. We cannot follow the example of secrecy that our people have maintained for centuries.
Lo'vaak agreed and immediately retrieved an empty PADD and documented the previous day's visit and readings and then entered the information gathered today and forwarded them to Spock's home. He then composed a note 'verifying' Spock's medical leave request. Spock read and approved and then Lo'vaak sent it to the head of the Xenoliquistic Department at the Academy.
Spock and Lo'vaak knew that any Terran reading the note would look away mystified by the ambiguous words, diagnosis and remedy suggested by the forwarded document signed by the Vulcan healer. The Terran conclusion would be, 'It is a Vulcan matter.' This mindset would serve as a reason not to pursue gaining an understanding about anything contained in that missive.
Lo'vaak questioned Spock,
"Have you been able to determine any physical manifestation of your hormonal imbalance?"
"My powers of concentration have decreased by 20.5%…I have also noticed very slight hand tremors and my required sleep period has increased from three to five hours. I now require that amount of sleep every night to meet my optimum performance level."
Lo'vaak nodded and then smiled,
"It appears that now would be an excellent time for me to win a chess game from you."
As Spock put on his jacket, he mentioned,
This evening "T'Paal will care for the children. I am sure that their stay with her will prove beneficial for all. We will see you at 'Last Meal'."
`0`0`0`0`0`0`0`
As he exited his vehicle his psyche picked up on a particularly distressed wife. Spock entered the house and walked toward their bedroom, he appeared at the door and said,
"My wife, why are you are troubled?"
She looked up at him with tear rimmed eyes and answered,
"I am Just a little bit melancholy... Soon the boys won't need me anymore, to nurse, I mean."
He went to her and as he cupped his wife's chin in his hand and used his thumb to remove the remnants of her tears, he said,
"K'diwa, they will never cease to need you, but what you supply them will change."
Spock raised his eyebrow in an effort to elicit a response from Nyota. She nodded and smiled sadly.
What Nyota did not know is that same feeling would surface again when she sent her sons off on their first day of school, and when they finally left their parental home.
Spock lifted Kov from his wife's arms and placed him in his youth bed and took Nyota into a close embrace and placed his forehead against her's. He surrounded her thoughts with comfort and love. And then with a start she remembered,
"We have company coming."
As if she had been summoned, T'Paal discreetly knocked on the door and said,
"I have prepared last meal with enough to accommodate non-family members. I will bring the other children in here and that will allow adults to take care of matters of importance."
It did not amaze Nyota that T'Paal was able to anticipate needs and address them with efficiency. Of course, that should be expected of one who was part of the familiar bond.
Nyota went to her and bowed her head,
"Thank you Mother of Us All.
Spock simply nodded.
They left T'Paal in the rocking chair, to continue her knitting, awaiting the arrival of her 'guests'.
`0`0`0`0`0`0`0`
Just as Spock and Nyota reached the family room the door chimed, Christine still had her key and she and Lo'vaak, who was carrying their half sleep daughter, NyTu, entered. Voices were heard from the back and Sirin, Rachel, Jason and Alexander came through the garden door. All eventually made their way into the family room.
The women hugged and kissed, like they didn't live right next door to each other. T'Paal made her entrance and signaled for the children to follow her. She had set up a table and had already brought their meal, plates and silverwear to that area. The children followed like little soldiers and disappeared down the hallway, attune to her mental commands.
T'Paal had made a vegetable curry and flat bread and the meal was eaten in silence. Once finished the men cleared up the table and instructed the ladies to enjoy each other's company. Christine started up the starts to her 'sometime room' and the others followed.
Once the doors were closed Christine said,
"Lo'vaak told me."
Rachel nodded,
"I am also aware."
Nyota bowed her head and with great effort said,
"Spock is terrified, and Vulcans are basically the most fearless of races. His fear is that he might injure me. Christine, perhaps you will not have to go through this experience, but Rachel, I know you have. Are his fears grounded?"
Rachel sighed,
"In my particular case Sirin was deep into the fever when we finally reached our place of isolation. My most unrelenting memory is how the fever changed the person I loved and respected to a whole different individual. For a truth, they are insane and require constant assurance that you will not leave them. You have to explain every absence-'I'm going to the bathroom, I must leave you to get a drink of water'…The insistence of your constant presence, and bodily closeness is their safety net for they are truly looking into the face of death.
If they are not coupled with you, they require skin to skin contact."
Rachel started laughing and said,
"Don't bring any nightgowns, they will destroy them. They view it as competition-something else closer to you than they are.
"I had brought restraints, as I was told, to prevent him from injuring himself, not me. Pain and sex seem to be some form of release for them. That is why there should be nothing around that they might be able to use to injure themselves-it is like they are punishing themselves for being reduced to that state. So it is that the caves have only bare necessities. I did not fear Sirin, I comforted him, bathed his body with water when he had become stilled. Even when he rested which was not a long period at any given time, I lay on top of him to confirm my presence.
"I sincerely believe that my husband did everything in his power to not seriously injure me, to protect me and I came out of the experience a more compassionate, giving person. So, what is a few bruises, aches and bite marks to save your Beloved's life. Their territorial instincts are hightened to the extreme and it is shown in his marking behavior. But in the end, my respect and love for my husband grew because I knew under normal circumstances, he would defend me and willingly sacrifice himself for me with the same passion that I witnessed during Pon Farr.
"Amazingly, the onslaught of Pon Farr is gradual, but it's end sudden-unbelievingly sudden. Once new life is detected, which is from the moment of conception, it is over-your husband is back, the lover of you returns and you have seven years before he must endure it again and you must save him. It is worth it!
Don't be afraid Nyota, you will come out of this alive and more in love than ever before. Trust me on this one."
Christine had listened quietly and simply said,
"Although Lo'vaak believes he will not have this experience, there is no way at present for me to know for a certainty. Spock felt the same way and both he and Spock are hybrids. Their experience would be different, timewise. but there is still the possibility. But, of this I am sure, whatever level of consciousness houses a Vulcan's love it is not erased or disrupted by Pon Farr.
`0`0`0`0`0`0`
Meanwhile, downstairs in the library the males were engaged in conversation and chess. At this point Lo'vaak was observing every one of Spock's moves and he was able to discern that indeed, his friend's level of concentration was definitely not up to par, not in any way normal. Another indication of progressive loss of control were the hand tremors. The last one Spock experienced had been so severe that he had knocked over several of the surrounding pieces. For a fleeting second a look of consternation crossed Spock's face.
Lo'vaak looked over at Sirin who nodded. He had already experienced Pon Farr with a Terran and he was fully aware of Spock's deep seated fear. Amazingly, Spock was thirty-six years old (by Terran count) and now experiencing his very first Pon Farr. Exactly what had triggered it at this age was unknown, but all the physical tell-tale signs were now present. Sirin decided it was necessary for him to have another talk with his cousin.
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The rules in 3D chess indicated that a loss is signaled when a player laid his queen down on the board. Unexpectedly, Spock placed his queen in that prone position, and said to Lo'vaak,
"I concede."
Lo'vaak said,
"I do not accept your surrender. You have played masterfully considering your present state of health. The board set up is stored and we will resume this game once you have returned home.
Spock nodded and almost with a return to his 'old' self he said,
"Do not expect a similar outcome when we resume."
Laughing Lo'vaak replied, "My brother, I do not."
`0`0`0`0`0`0`0`
Sirin then sat down facing Spock and said,
"Cousin we must talk."
"I am desirous of that," Spock responded.
"Be aware that your highest mentality is never lost even during Pon Farr. It is in that mindset that we must place our Aduna. So while our life is saved by her, her life must be saved by us, the male Vulcan. It will require the highest level of meditation to insure her place is there, indelibly in our psyche. You are still capable of that.
"It is my understanding that in the caves there are restraints that Nyota might have to use to protect you from harm. She will not use these to protect herself but to prevent certain activities that can be damaging to you. I am sure that Rachel will bring that to Nyota's attention. At that point she is the intellect that will guide you for you cannot guide yourself.
The inception of Pon Farr is gradual, the end is as sudden as turning off a light switch. Conception turns Pon Farr off. Your skin to skin contact especially in her torso area will signal your body to cease production of yamareen and release any residue out of your body through your pores. Within seconds it is over. I remember the stunned look on Rachel face when she awoke and I was cleaned, shaved, dressed and drinking tea."*
Just a suggestion, perhaps tomorrow should be your last day of classes. Your hand tremors will become more obvious with time and it would be best to avoid questions of any nature about your condition. It has been noted that some Vulcans have become enraged when outsiders attempted to find out about a pre-Pon Farr Vulcan's state of health."**
The males heard the descending steps of their Adunas and Nyota's question,
"Who wants desert?"
*See Tuesday With Sirin by Star Quilter57 Chapter 11
**See TOS 'Amok Time'