3. Sulu

Captain Kirk's first impression on Lieutenant Sulu was of a competent, commanding personality that was more than capable of taking care of himself and those under his command. It helped that, shortly after first meeting, Kirk saved his life. Yes, the man didn't do things the way Sulu would have, but he was a fierce protector of his ship and her crew.

Captain Kirk knew what he was doing.

No one else might, but he always did. Sulu had faith in his commanding officer and never doubted that he deserved the position despite his age and lack of experience. But that faith was sorely tested when he had to rescue the man from a houseplant in a bar on Risa.

They were both sitting on stools at the window. They expected a few more of the bridge crew to join them shortly.

"Hey, Sulu, you like plants, right?" The captain was letting the orchid-like plant on the windowsill behind them wrap a light purple tendril along his pinky finger.

"I do dabble in botany, sir."

"You know what this one is?"

"No, sir. I don't." He couldn't help but feel embarrassed at admitting that. In actuality, he more than dabbled in botany. It was his lifeblood. If he didn't love flying so much, he would've applied himself to becoming the best botanist in the Federation. Sulu never applied himself halfway. The fact that he couldn't place this one, frail plant was enough to drive him to distraction. It was only made worse by the fact that the first question his captain asked him about the subject, he couldn't answer.

"Aw, don't worry about it, Sulu." Sometimes it seemed that the captain could read minds. He knew his crew and knew what they needed to hear. "I'm sure you can name a million plants from hundreds of worlds. Did I ever tell you I can't breathe through my left nostril? It's true. Colds murder me. Ask Bones. Hey look, it's curious about me."

True, the plant was steadily wrapping another tendril along the captain's wrist.

"Huh, it's surprisingly strong."

Sulu began to suspect the plant of malicious intent. "Sir, perhaps . . ."

"I think it's tasting me. It kinda tickles."

"I'm not sure that's safe, sir."

"Seriously, Sulu, this is Risa. The worst thing that can happen here is a sunburn. Even Spock said so."

Sulu really didn't think it his place to contradict a superior officer and instead studied the plant. "Actually, I believe I may have seen a plant like this before." Kirk made a listening noise but seemed to be quickly losing interest in the plant. His attention focused on the view screen across the bar that showed a recent sports game on Andoria. Or perhaps it was focused on the table that looked like it was finally going to open up in a shadowy corner of the room. He let the plant continue to entangle itself around his wrist and even petted it absently with his free hand.

"I think it was in a book I considered buying in the store next door," Sulu said.

"Didn't impress you enough to buy it, I see."

"Actually, it was rather expensive." How embarrassing to have to admit that.

Kirk grinned at him crookedly. "Yeah, none of us do this for the credits. Still, it'd be nice if it felt like Starfleet even tried, huh?" He picked up the plant and looked around them. "You know, I'm going to go claim us that table. You think you can go next door and find out what this plant is? I think I might want to send one home. Mom's birthday, you understand. I'll save you a seat."

"Of course, sir."

"Good man. See you soon."

Sulu didn't have a difficult time finding the right book but he did have a hard time finding the particular entry.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Commander Spock admiring the store's selection of collectable manuscripts. It'd been a while since he saw Uhura with him. He wondered if they broke it off. As a friend, he hoped not. As a gambling man, he had been running a ship-wide pool on it since it became common knowledge. Chekov had been the only one that had bet they'd make it over two years. Uhura just liked laughing too much. And Spock just didn't.

"Lieutenant," Spock acknowledged without turning. Caught staring. Dammit. How embarrassing. He returned to his book.

"Commander." Finally, he found the entry he needed. The plant in the picture was much larger than the specimen in the pot. It made some sense that he hadn't immediately recognized it. Still, he should've. His self-castigation came to a premature stop by what the entry actually said. "Holy shit!"

Spock was suddenly at his side. Apparently, it only took him a moment to read the entry over his shoulder. "Fascinating. Though I do not understand your alarm."

"Captain Kirk is cuddling with one of these next door."

They were both out the door three seconds later.

In the bar, he could see that the captain had secured the table in the shadowy corner. He looked unconcerned as the plant continued to writhe around his wrist and hand. "Hey, you found Spock! Great. Take a seat before they go; this place is getting packed."

"Captain, please disentangle yourself from that plant."

"Jealous, Mr. Spock?"

They didn't have time for their brand of passive-aggressive flirting. Sulu interrupted when it looked like the commander was about to be sidetracked. "Sir, that plant is eating you!"

"What?"

"The lieutenant is correct, captain." Spock sat at Kirk's side and attempted to remove the plant with or without his captain's permission. "This species of plant excretes an acid that numbs and dissolves living protein for digestion. Do you have any feeling in the hand?"

"Now that you mention it, it has been tingling for a few minutes. It's eating me? Ouch, that hurts! Don't pull!"

"Apologies, sir, but I must remove these tendrils before it consumes the entirety of your wrist's epidermis."

"No kidding." Spock pulled. Kirk squealed. "Stop it!"

"Sirs," Sulu tried to intervene before they made a scene. And the way Kirk was beginning to breathe heavily was disconcerting. "I have an idea."

"I welcome it," Spock said.

"Shoot," Kirk said, leaning against the table as nonchalantly as possible for a man whose hand is in the process of being consumed by a houseplant.

Without explaining, Sulu reached out and snapped the delicate stem of the plant from its base. The plant's tendrils disengaged and began curling up on themselves. Kirk's hand looked crimson and angry, as if he had a very serious case of rope-burn.

"Whoa, Sulu, that was brutal." Kirk, the needs-must man, almost seemed sad.

"But effective." Spock, the pacifist, seemed pleased.

"Hey, Spock," Kirk grinned, "I was almost killed by a houseplant! And you said that even I couldn't get in trouble on Risa."

"It merely began to consume your hand, captain."

"Merely? Can't I do anything to impress you?"

"I hardly think this the impetus."

The captain scoffed. Sulu began to feel slightly like a third-wheel. Luckily, Doctor McCoy and Scotty soon arrived. The captain held his hand up for them all to see. "Look! I was nearly eaten alive by a houseplant! Don't worry; Sulu saved me."

"Good god, man!" the doctor exclaimed. "Is there nowhere you don't stick that hand?"

Most starship captains would be embarrassed by nearly letting a Risian houseplant eat their right hand. Not Captain Kirk. No, he told everyone he saw that day about it. Somehow, it earned him free drinks and the interest of no less than two Andorian women and one Risian man. At least, by the end, Sulu was sure his captain had forgotten how he had failed to recognize the plant at first. No, what the captain remembered was that Sulu saved him from the Potted Plant of Doom.

Perhaps Captain Kirk didn't always know what he was doing, but he had a sense of humor and wasn't afraid to let his crew see him as a real person. He was never embarrassed by that. Sulu admired that about him.

-

McCoy in next chapter.