Not Mine, Never Mine, Usual Disclaimers

Spock was attempting to meditate when he became aware of a sensation that he had been feeling for the last few days. It was nagging at the edges of his mind, even in his meditative trance, the desire for companionship, for someone to talk to, he was... lonely. Pushing the thought aside, Spock attempted to return to the issue of his relationship with Nyota, but the lonely feeling kept inching back into the forefront of his mind. Concentrating on this new feeling, Spock attempted to unravel its origins, as to why he had only just come to realise that it was there. Before he could however, he heard a noise that was both foreign and familiar to him.

Returning to himself, Spock headed towards the bathroom door, where he determined the source of the noise was coming from. Opening the door, Spock looked about, attempting to pinpoint the source, only to come up empty. He was about to return to his meditation, when he heard it again, louder, and coming from directly ahead. Realising that the noise was coming from the captain's quarters, Spock opened the other door and inched his way into the room, alert for any kind of trouble.

The last thing Spock expected to see was his captain sprawled about the covers, forearms and legs moving up and down, as if he was chasing something on all fours. Every time Kirk's face would twitch, he would make the muffled bark-whimper Spock had often heard from Puppy-Kirk when he dreamt. Feeling as though he were intruding, Spock traversed his way back through the captain's quarters in the dim light from the bathroom. Once back in his own quarters, Spock dressed and headed towards Nyota's quarters. Once there, he hesitated, perhaps she was not the best person to be talking to, Doctor McCoy would have been a more logical conclusion, but he could not deny the desire to talk to someone with whom he was more intimate with. Before he had a chance to make up his mind, the door opened and Nyota's eyes widened with shock.

'Spock,' she said quickly recovering.

'I am not interrupting am I?'

'Nothing that can't be put off 'till later come in.'

Spock entered her quarters and turned to face Nyota in full.

'I presume, you're here for a reason?'

'I wanted to ask your opinion on something important.'

'If this is about the ship, wouldn't Kirk-'

'It is of Captain Kirk that I wish to speak of.'

'Oh,' Nota replied, surprise flitting across her face, 'what about him.'

'Have you noticed him doing anything... out of character lately?'

'As in puppy related?' at his nod she frowned for a moment, 'there was this one thing, it struck me as odd at the time, but now that you mention it, it was somewhat puppy-ish. He was scratching at his leg with his other foot, but not like a human would, it wasn't so much an up and down movement, as a... round and round movement, more like a dog scratching with its hind leg.'

Spock nodded, 'I have also noticed strange behaviour in the captain tonight.'

'Such as...'

'Tonight he was making the same sounds in his sleep as he did when he was a puppy.'

'He was sleeping in your quarters?' confusion crossed her face.

'No, I could hear the noise from my quarters and went to investigate-'

'Did you knock at least?'

'If he had been in trouble, knocking would have wasted valuable seconds.'

'Did you think he was in trouble?'

'No,' Spock admitted, shoving an emotion aside for later reflection, as it rose at her words, 'I did not.'

'I think you should be telling McCoy this, Kirk may not be aware that he is doing the things that he is.'

'I had thought of it, but was considering such a move, an over-reaction.'

'Spock, even if it is nothing, I'm sure McCoy would want to know.'

'Thank you Nyota, your insight has proved to be invaluable.'

'Anytime.'

Nodding his head in farewell, Spock took his leave. Heading back to his quarters, Spock decided to simply take the captain to sickbay, rather than comm. McCoy, at least that way Kirk would be more alert to deal with McCoy's fussing.