The frizzling noise of the transporter sounded and three forms appeared. Archer braced, he wasn't sure of what was happening.
The three men on the platform stepped forward and Kirk extended his hand. Archer grabbed it and they shook hands. Kirk wanted to make introductions, but Spock spoke first;
" Commander Reed, please withdraw your weapon. As you can see, we are not armed."
The NX-01 crew looked stunned at this statement, except for T'Pol, Malcolm turned bright red. He tugged his phaser away, but didn't really brought it out of reach.
Spock followed his movements but didn't comment, after all, this was a strange incident. The man couldn't know who they were.
"How did you know his name?" Trip spitted out as impulsive as always.
Spock looked at his captain who answered the question. " We believe we're from your future and brought here by some sort of energy draining wormhole, we don't know why and how and we don't know how to get back either. You were all part of the mandatory courses on the academy."
After this statement there was a silence. It was ended by another remark from Trip. "I would like to know your names, though it seems unnecessary to state ours."
"Off course, I am sorry. My name is captain Kirk and these are my science and first officer Spock and dr. McCoy the ship's physician."
"Shall we continue this conversation in the conference room?" Archer said. He was still trying to digest this new information. After a confirmation he led the others down the hall.
When they were almost near the turbolift, they heard a loud thumb behind them, followed by a loud "Spock!" from McCoy. Kirk spun round and saw that his first officer had fallen to the floor and hit his head against one of the bulkheads. McCoy kneeled next to him and started scanning while Archer called Phlox through the com.
Kirk kneeled next to Spock. He looked very worried. "What's happened?" He asked McCoy who was still scanning. "We have to get him to sickbay." Was the only thing McCoy answered. The explanation has to wait.
The others stood motionless next to them, there wasn't anything they could do. Trip saw a green substance leak to the floor. He wondered what it was until he heard a voice in his mind through the bond. "Blood" and after that word he couldn't look at it anymore, though he'd seen blood countless times. Maybe it's the color. He thought.
In the meantime, Phlox had arrived. The denobulan doctor didn't smile this time. He sat down next to McCoy who asked: "Are you the doctor?" when Phlox confirmed it they fell into a medical dialogue from which the others couldn't understand a word.
Kirk backed up, but before he could signal to Scotty to get a transporter lock, he was already being hailed. "Kirk here." He said unsure.
"Chapel here sir, is Spock okay?" came the voice from the communicator.
How did she... Kirk thought, but again his answer was interrupted, now by McCoy.
"You'd better come here, Chris." The Doctor answered to her. "He needs your help."
"Right away Len." She said and gone she was.
"I'll explain later." McCoy said to Kirk who was watching with a puzzled expression. He wasn't in control anymore.
They managed to get Spock to sickbay which was fortunately not far. He was placed on one of the beds and both doctors monitored his brainwaves until Christine arrived.
"What happened?" Trip send through the bond. He wasn't quite skilled in sending words through the bond, but this time he had to know.
"I am not certain, but I believe it has something to do with his bond." T'Pol sent back. It didn't satisfy Trip's curiosity or settle his worry, but it did tell him that T'Pol too was worried, which meant it was quite serious.
Archer watched them from the other side of the bed. He knew something was going on between his officers. It looks like they have a conversation. He thought, although he didn't knew how. He dismissed it when a young woman entered the room, led by one of his crewmen.
Everyone watched as she looked at all of them. She nodded and a blush appeared when she walked towards the doctor and Spock. "What happened?" She said to McCoy, but her stare stayed fixed at Spock. Her voice trembled a bit.
"We'll explain later." The doctor replied. "try to reach him."
Christime placed her hand gently on his face and concentrated. The room was holding his breath.
--
"Spock, where are you?" Christine said when she entered his mind. He had learned her to do that in case something happened. And this qualified for the category. She walked through the dessert, which was obviously somewhere on Vulcan. "Spock!" There were no replies, but she did here sobs coming from behind a great rock. She walked around it and found a small vulcan boy crying. "Spock, what happened?" She said gentle when she went to sit besides him, her arm around his shoulders.
The boy crawled onto her lap and after some time: "It is so quiet, my parents are gone." The words were very soft, but Christine could here them very clear. She understood his problems now.
"I will be with you until they return, but you have to come back with me." She said gentle and took his hand. Together they walked back.
--
In real time, it took Christine 20 minutes to come back. Everyone had been worried sick, but nobody had said a word. They awoke simultaneously from their meld. Spock looked dazed. "Thank you." He said with a hoarse voice and they touched fingers.
The rest of the room looked something elsewhere. It looks like something very intimate. Trip thought. "It is."came the response from T'Pol. "I believe this gesture is similar to your kiss, but it is more spiritual."
"We could try it some time." Trip replied and a grin appeared on his face. T'Pol stayed stoically, but her eyes twinkled.
McCoy walked towards Kirk. He knew Jim was holding himself back, but was aching to know what was going on. Fortunately for him, he was entitled to.
The doctor motioned Archer and T'Pol to come closer. She might be able to add to or correct the doctors' conclusion.
"Ya all know that vulcans don't easily with the people around them." He began softly, not to disturb the others. He looked at Commander Tucker for a second and continued. "With some people they even form a bond."
Archer looked at T'Pol for a confirmation. "We are always connected to our parents and feel them in our minds. This is the same with mates and our offspring. But only with our mate is communication through the bond possible." She added to the doctor's statement.
Trip felt more uncomfortable by the second, he tried to evade Jon's gaze who was pinned at him. The others didn't notice and keep looking at the doctor.
In the meantime McCoy continued his explanation; "The abrupt disconnection of his parental bonds when we were thrown back in time made him mentally instable."
Kirk nodded. "That's why he was so dazed when we exited the wormhole."
"I believe he tried to hide it, but he couldn't handle it anymore in the corridor and slipped into a coma." The doctor added.
"I don't understand." Archer said when he had torn his gaze from Trip. "Why did he come out of it when your nurse touched him?" He looked at the doctor, waiting for an answer. The doctor had turned red and looked at his captain, not knowing if he had the right to tell.
Kirk saw his friends agony and decided to answer this one. "They… are bonded too." He had decided to say it tactical, but when Archer looked at him with a non-understanding face he had to elaborate. "They are married."
Archer's eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder to the couple near the bed. Phlox had stopped his scans and was waiting for their talk to end while staying out of the way for the couple on the examining table. Spock was sitting upwards and they were touching fingers. It was as if they were having a conversation,but they didn't use words. He turned around and after a short glance at T'Pol and Trip; "I see…" He stepped out of the group and walked to Phlox.
"Ah, Captain." The denobulan said. "Are you finished?" he said while giving one of hi s smiles.
"Yes, we are. Is he all right?"
Phlox eyed Archer who looked at the bed, genuinely concerned. "physically, he's in perfect health, but I believe he needs a lot of mental support before he is back to his old self."
In the meantime Kirk and McCoy had approached the bed. Spock turned and spoke first with his eyes evading theirs; "Captain, I believe I must apologies. I should have told the doctor about this, and…"
He was cut-off by Kirk who spoke firmly. "I don't want to hear such things, Spock! You know it was not your fault." And gently he added: "How do you feel?"
Finally Spock looked up. He met Kirks blue eyes which showed genuine concern. "Doctor Phlox says I am physically in perfect condition." He said. Christine, who didn't said a word, afraid to disturb this conversation, gave him a meaningful glance.
Kirk looked at McCoy. "And mentally?"
"He does need some attention there, although I cannot help him with that. I DO think he needs to remain in sickbay." McCoy replied.
"I do not believe so, doctor." Spock said. "I am capable of working."Kirk looked from one to another, he knew Spock hated confinement to sickbay, but with medical issues he had to listen to the doctor. "There is a lot of work to be done." Spock added to pursue McCoy.
"I think he can do something, we have to get home." Kirk added, if it came to sickbay matters, Spock and Kirk were always on one line of thoughts.
McCoy looked from one to another and his face grew grimmer. "Okay, but you have to report every 12 hours and take lots of breaks, preferably with friends." He finally said. He then turned around grumbling something like 'getting stuff to replace this old rubbish' and 'those dammed green-blooded pointy ears'. The doors of sickbay closed with a swoosh and there was a silence between the remaining members.
"Shall we continue to your conference room?" Kirk said trying to break the silence. Archer nodded and led the way.
"I thought bigotry would be extinct in your time." Archer said when they were walking in the corridor. Kirk looked at him and replied: "The doctor isn't a bigot, captain. He just hates to loose arguments from our science officer." He added a wide grin to that last statement.
--