Chapter Seven
Charlotte pulled herself up into a sitting position. She looked around and saw a small bunch of flowers next to her. They were the same purple ones from near the lake. She frowned and picked them up. They were arranged carefully and she looked at them, smiling. Bringing them to her nose, she could smell the sweet scent coming from them. She held them close and closed her eyes.
"I am pleased that you like them. I remembered that you appreciated them yesterday."
Spock. Her eyes flew open at the intrusion and she slowly put them down, carful to not damage them. He had to have brought them for her and while the gesture was sweet, she didn't feel comfortable with it.
"Thank you. I appreciate your thoughtfulness." She said mechanically.
She turned to him and gave him a small smile.
"I think we should talk. I want to keep this thing private. I don't want anyone to know."
She waited for his response and continued. Though this part was a lie, she wanted to sweeten the deal.
"For your integrity, you know? It doesn't look good for a commander and an ensign to do what we did. I think we can be friends."
She smiled more fully but stopped when she felt a gentle pushing sensation in her mind. More like a gentle search. She quickly tried to push back.
"I see that you are again attempting to distance yourself. You have no need to concern yourself on the question of my integrity being placed in jeopardy. I am not your commanding officer during the majority of the time and as such it would be a non-issue."
She shook her head at his matter of fact statement and then realized he had not spoken aloud. Her head tilted, questioning. Her eyes widened at the knowledge of him talking to her in her mind. It frightened her. She didn't like being accessed like that. She just looked away and didn't reply.
"I will allow your privacy for now but it will be known once my father arrives."
Spock continued to talk to her telepathically. Almost as if he was setting his terms. A beeping interrupted them and Spock stood and looked at their beacon.
"I believe the Enterprise is attempting to transport. I will assist you in getting up."
Relief flooded her. She would finally be home. She felt Spock take hold of her arm and irritation shot through as she jerked it away.
"I can do it myself. Thank you, though."
She slowly stood next to him as they waited. She could sense his anxiety and she closed herself to it. The tingling sensation soon came and they found themselves in the transporter room.
"I've got them, Keptin!"
Chekov's voice rang out and Charlotte smiled. It was a beautiful sound. She stepped down carefully and saw the captain was waiting. His face full of worry but relief quickly took over when he saw them.
"Welcome back! I'm glad to see you're both alright. Charlotte, you look like you need sickbay. I look forward to your debriefing later today."
She gave a small smile and left without looking back.
The trip to sickbay was peaceful and filled with people. It was good to be back. She saw Dr. McCoy filling out a form and walked up.
"Hi! Just thought I'd drop by. See if I've missed anything."
She was pleased to see him jump in surprise. However, his expression was not pleasant when he looked her over. His face was turning almost purple.
"It's not as bad as it looks. We didn't have any working equipment."
He didn't speak. He pulled out his medical scanner and started running it over her. She noticed he had started twitching in irritation as the readings were coming through. She wrapped her arms around her in a gesture of self comfort. She waited while he finished.
"It's bad. Three broken ribs, tendon and muscle damage from a dislocation, concussion, and...are these stitches?"
His last words were absolutely shrill. She nodded and felt a sting in her neck.
"Dammit! I've had enough of those to last a lifetime. Spock wouldn't leave me alone."
"Well, I'm glad he had the common sense to give you antibiotics. I haven't seen stitches since medical school and even then only in a history book. I need to get a better look."
She felt herself being steered to the private examination room and he handed her a gown. She quickly pulled it on and he came back with Chapel. She laid down carefully and he worked on her ribs.
When he came on the bite mark on her collarbone he paused.
"Charlotte, what's this?"
She tensed and looked up. She wouldn't admit it.
"I...it's from the accident. The buckle must have hit me there."
Though he looked skeptical, he didn't say anything and ran the dermal regenerator over it. He pulled out her stitches and was able to minimize any scarring. Then onto a more detailed neural scan to check for any head trauma. Her anxiety rising, she stayed as still as she could.
"Ensign...I see there's an increase in neural activity. Almost everywhere. Did you eat anything or do anything on the planet that can account for this?"
She knew she could lie but it'd show up so she went for deflection.
"I took a swim in the lake to clean up. By myself."
He nodded and put the information in. Her body finally healed she stretched and was able to enjoy it.
"You're fine apart from the unusual brain activity. I want to keep an eye on it. I want you on light duty for the next couple of days. Go and get some rest."
"Adun'a, I sense you are feeling better. I will see you this evening for dinner."
She jumped at the sound. Bones was on her in a second.
"What's wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?"
"I'm fine. I think I'll get some rest. I'm not hungry or anything so if Spock comes by, could you tell him I'm resting."
He looked skeptical but let it pass. He started putting away his tools as Charlotte left. It was going to be a long couple of days.
Spock followed the captain to his quarters. He felt a sense of unease at seeing Charlotte leave the transporter room. He needed her near him. He felt her pulling away and ignoring their bond. This was causing him to feel unbalanced. It was becoming difficult to focus. His thoughts were straying to her.
"What happened down there?"
Spock's head snapped up. He had not realized the captain had been speaking to him.
"There was severe electromagnetic interference that disrupted all technological devices, including that of the shuttle. We had not realized until it was too late and the shuttle lost power. After Miss Parker deployed the flaps to slow us down she realized that part of her harness would not function. She became injured as a result."
Thoughts of her broken body flashed in his mind and he vowed that he would take care of her. He would make sure she would stay safe.
"I'm glad you were there. It's good to have a cool head in times of crisis."
Spock nodded absently.
"Spock? Are you alright? You don't seem like yourself."
Spock turned to Jim and lifted an eyebrow.
"I assure you captain, I am myself. I just find that I am having difficulty focusing. I have not been able to receive adequate rest during my time on Zeti-6."
Jim looked taken aback at such an obvious dismissal.
"Alright, I'll wait for your report. I do want to you get checked out by McCoy though. You looked a little off before the mission and to be quite frank, you look like hell right now."
Jim patted him on the back and left. Spock sat and closed his eyes. He could still feel Charlotte's presence in his mind. She seemed relaxed and pleased. He advised her to meet him for dinner. To be apart would serve no purpose.
He received no reply through his request. It was possible she did not feel the confidence to speak through their link. It was strong, otherwise he would not be able to talk to her. Her absence was unsettling and he focused on his meditation.
After two hours, he did not feel more rested. He began to feel anger. Charlotte still had not replied to him. He showered and changed and left to meet her. He checked the mess hall and she was not there, then he looked in the medical bay and his frustration was beginning to grow. He went to her quarters and chimed for entrance.
He chimed twice more.
"Computer, location of Ensign Charlotte Jones."
"Charlotte Jones is in her quarters."
Spock put in his override code and walked in. Her quarters were much smaller than his. They were neat and tastefully decorated. Prints of cities were on her wall and small sculptures of modern art were placed on the few shelves she had. The only mess he could identify was a pile of PADDs at her desk. The majority were medical textbooks.
"What the hell, Commander?"
Her face was full of anger. He could feel it. He focused on sending calming thoughts to her to help her calm herself.
"I merely wished to ascertain that you have recovered fully from your injuries. You did not reply to me and I grew concerned. I have been finding it difficult to concentrate now that we are separated."
She frowned but her face softened. She sighed and came closer.
"I've got a lot of work to do before I go to bed tonight. I'm busy. I'm sorry."
Spock moved closer. He could smell lavender and chamomile on her. It was a comforting scent, one his mother had used when she had had a particularly stressful day.
"I can assist you."
She rolled her eyes in a sign of frustration.
"I'm good. Thanks."
She turned to leave and Spock grabbed her arm.
"Hey."
She pulled away but he didn't let go. She should not be refusing him. She was his. A low growl sounded and Charlotte's eyes grew wide. She could sense his feeling of ownership and she didn't like it. She stopped struggling and let her arm go slack. She wasn't a match for Vulcan strength and Spock knew it.
"You have not eaten. You will come and eat. If you do not, I will inform the doctor."
She shot him a glare.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"We are bonded. I know that you are lying."
He released her and waited for her to pull on her shoes. She slowly put them on and glanced at the chronometer. Seeing it, he felt a small sense of triumph that was not his.
"Oh, darn. Mess hall's closed. Well, I'll see you another day. Good night Commander."
He sat on the chair at her desk and pulled a PADD out. He quickly typed up a message and sent it off.
"What did you do?"
She moved over to him and tried to grab the PADD from him. He easily moved it out of her reach.
"I simply sent a message to the kitchens informing them that we had arrived back only recently and would appreciate use of their replicator for the next two hours."
She grumbled but put on her shoes. They walked out and Spock had to restrain himself from touching her. Her off-duty clothing was only making the situation more difficult. She was wearing a small shirt that only had thin straps holding the fabric in place and capris pants hugging her small frame tightly. Her hair had dried in curls and was falling down between her shoulder blades. The curls were fascinating in their chaos. She must straighten her hair, he thought to himself.
She noticed him staring at her and she continued walking straight on. She had made sure to bring her files with her so she could do her work. He seemed off. She knew that his father was on the way with a healer and that they would set him straight.
The next three days passed in a haze. The Zenitians were upset, to say the least. They had demanded a different ship and Kirk had been happy enough to accommodate them. Charlotte had been keeping busy with paperwork and was soon set to start back to full-time duty. She'd been doing alright but had been having headaches and the doctor hadn't been able to find a reason. She'd been able to successfully avoid Spock most of the time. It was like he'd memorized her damn schedule.
She looked up from her inventory report and sighed rubbing the bridge of her nose. She'd let herself go over the past couple of days. She hadn't had time to straighten her hair or put on make-up. The bright light of her vanity made her headaches worse. She heard a shuffle behind her and she turned quickly, it was McCoy. He was looking at her in concern.
"Yes, doctor?"
"Headache?"
"I'm fine. Staring at PADDs for three days would get to anyone."
She smiled and he came closer. He was worried and she would feel the same way if it was him in her situation. She fidgeted under his scrutiny.
"I want to do a quick check before I clear you for duty."
She rolled her eyes.
"It'll take a minute. Do it for me. It'll make me feel better."
She got up and allowed him to move her onto a biobed and scan her. She saw his frown increasing as he read the results. It made her nervous. She started to feel her heart beat quicker.
"Your serotonin levels are low. I can give you something but I think you need to take the rest of the day off."
Heat creeped up her face in embarrassment. She should be back to normal now. It just wasn't making sense. Maybe she needed to increase her distance from Spock. She'd been wanting to take some time off to finish her ARNP program. She figured now was as good of a time as any.
"Doctor?"
"Hmm?"
He pressed a hypo to her neck and her headache started to go away. She could smile without pain.
"I was hoping to talk to you. I'll be sending a transfer request later but I wanted to tell you first. I was hoping you'd sign my request to be placed at Starfleet Medical. I think that trying to do distance learning is just not working for me."
McCoy's head snapped around. His eyebrows went up in surprise and his mouth was slightly open.
"I don't understand. You're doing great here and I thought you liked it here."
She did and her reasons were more than what she had told him but it was enough for a valid transfer.
"I just don't think it's for me. I'll have the request sent to you in a minute. I'm sorry."
"If that's what you want. I don't want to lose you but I do want you to be happy. You haven't been these past couple of days."
She nodded and stood to leave but he pulled her in a tight hug before she could go. She felt tears in her eyes. She would miss him.
Spock was on the bridge when the request to dock came through.
"Captain, Ambassador Sarek of New Vulcan is requesting permission to dock."
Kirk did a double take. His face showed surprise and his eyebrows shot up. He stood over Uhura to confirm what he heard.
"Well, I guess tell him shuttle bay 2. Mr. Spock, let's go see what this is about."
Spock was struggling to maintain professional detachment and his hands had started shaking again. He was grateful he had not cancelled his father's meeting. This was something that only a Vulcan healer could handle.
They arrived at the shuttle bay and waited while docking completed. Kirk straightened his shirt and turned to Spock.
"You sure you don't know why he's here? Maybe to talk to the Zenitians. They were pretty mad."
"I believe he is here for me, captain. I have been...unwell as of late and it is something only a healer can help me with."
Kirk frowned looking at Spock. He was angry but he would talk to him later about it. Spock did not wish to disclose a private matter with the young captain.
The Ambassador and an old Vulcan stepped out of the shuttle. Both were wearing long dark robes and their faces were serene. Spock raised his hand in the traditional salute and they returned the gesture.
"Live long and prosper."
"And you, my son."
Sarek turned his attention to the Captain giving him a slight nod.
"Captain, I apologize for the intrusion. I was hoping to have a visit with my son. I have not seen him in some time and then I was told of the recent shuttle accident. I came to ascertain he is in adequate health. This is healer Suvel. If you do not mind?"
"Of course, sir. Mr. Spock. I would like to speak with you later. Ambassador."
Spock watched the captain leave and turned to Sarek and the healer. The healer was very old. His skin was so thin it was almost transparent and his hair was pure white. His eyes were larger than Spock was used to but he moved with a sure pace. They moved to Spock's quarters before they spoke.
"Spock, I see that you are unwell however, if it was still pon far you would be beyond reason and deep into plak tow at this stage. Please advise us."
Spock sat on the couch while his father sat next to him. Spock took a deep breath to try and regain his composure. His control was slipping.
"Father, during my time on the planet I was unable to meditate to control my affliction. I was forced to resolve myself to death or take a mate. Her name is Charlotte Jones and she was the female I had discussed with you during our last conversation."
Spock's heart rate increased as he said her name. Anger filtered though and he could feel the temperature rise in his cheeks.
"Then why are you in this state? If she has bonded with you? I see no evidence of her here."
Spock shook his head.
"She is refusing to acknowledge the bond. She does not see us as husband and wife. She has been...stubborn. It has been becoming more difficult to control my emotions as of late. I will see her and wish to claim her again. I will see other males touch her and it is almost impossible to stop myself from hurting them."
Sarek nodded at his son's statement. This was a natural reaction.
"Father, I believe that she is planning to leave."
Sarek turned to Suvel and nodded. Suvel stepped over to Spock and placed his hands on the meld points. Immediately, Spock felt the intrusion in his mind. An almost clinical probing. The link was gently pulled and Spock winced slightly and then he felt Suvel's presence spread over the link to seek Charlotte. Spock saw the image of a transfer request and it left him cold. Suvel quickly departed.
"The link is strong. I would not be able to break it and I know of no other that could. They need time together to restrengthen it. It is fracturing, causing damage to both minds."
Sarek nodded his understanding.
"I will see what I can do."