Star Trek XIII – Welcome to Tomorrow

Chapter Eight

With the Enterprise keeping a steady position not far from New Vulcan, Scott found himself once again in command of his beloved ship while Spock kept vigil over an still unconscious Kirk, as he had ever since the Captain had collapsed on his chair nearly four days ago sending everyone into a frenzied panic.

The Chief engineer didn't mind being Acting Captain, just as long as he only had to supervise the operations to help New Vulcan get rid of all the debris resulting from the destruction of ten Klingon warbirds but, as he'd only recently discovered, if another crisis were to start right now, he'd rather find himself down in Engineering than sitting on the Captain's chair.

'I know what you mean,' Sulu had told him when he, Scotty and Chekov had been taking a break, 'every time they leave me in command, I find myself praying that nothing major will happen.'

'I don't know how the Captain deals with all of it,' Chekov ventured, 'or Mr Spock, for that matter.'

'They're a great team, those two,' Scotty said, 'and if you ask me, we're all lucky to have them in charge.'

Both Sulu and Chekov nodded their heartfelt agreement.

Down in Medbay, Uhura found Spock sitting by Kirk's biobed. She noticed that Spock had his hand placed very close to one of Kirk's but, to her, it seemed as though as Spock was hesitant to close the gap and touch Kirk's hand. To those unaware, this detail would have been unimportant but, to someone like her who had a reasonably good knowledge of the Vulcan customs, she knew that this gesture was a pretty big deal.

'Spock,' she called him, her own voice sounding strange to her.

Just as she'd predicted, her presence there made Spock withdraw his hand and, on his expression, she saw what looked like a hint of guilt. This, of course, was quickly replaced by Spock's usual impenetrable mask.

'Nyota,' he said managing to keep an unnervingly calm tone of voice, 'how can I help you?'

'I'm not here for you,' Uhura replied coolly, 'I just wanted to see if there had been any changes.'

'Unfortunately,' Spock said, 'there have been none.'

'Okay,' Uhura said, she was going to turn round when Spock got up from the chair making her stop.

'Nyota, I…'

She shook her head as if she was trying to exorcise some powerful unwanted feeling.

'Nothing's changed with us either,' she told him, 'like I said, I just wanted to check on him before I started my shift. The only thing I would like to ask of you is if you could please tell me when he wakes up.'

'Of course,' Spock replied with his usual emotionless tone of voice.

Swallowing her own pain, she removed her gaze from him and, taking a quick glance at their Captain's all-too inert form, she tried to control her own overflowing feelings before she turned round to leave the room.

A moment later, Spock sat back down and, just then, he noticed that Kirk's brilliant blue eyes were open.

'Jim!' he exclaimed.

'What was all of that?' Kirk asked him with a horribly weak sounding voice.

'How are you feeling?' Spock asked him, purposely ignoring the question.

'I feel like crap,' Kirk replied, 'but…'

A sudden fit of cough interrupted the sentence. Alarmed, Spock pressed the button by the biobed while he went to retrieve some ice chips that had been prepared for the occasion. Just as he was helping Kirk with them, Dr McCoy arrived followed by a couple of his nurses.

'Jim!' the doctor shouted. Immediately, he started waving his tricorder around the poor Kirk who, for once, was wise enough to submit to the whole thing without protesting too much, 'I was beginning to get worried.'

'Nah,' Kirk said, 'you aren't getting rid of me so easily.'

Dr McCoy stopped with the scans and, looking at the Captain, he allowed himself to be his very worried best friend and not just his physician. Carefully, he placed his hand on Kirk's shoulder and squeezed it a little.

'It's good to have you back,' he just said.

'Yeah,' Kirk replied.

'But,' Dr McCoy said going back to being business-like, 'Spock and I have come to an agreement.'

'What?' Kirk asked.

'Spock?' McCoy asked, as if prompting the Vulcan to take over.

'From now on,' he obliged, 'you are not to engage in any activities both the doctor and I do not previously approve of. Including but not limited to away missions and/or diplomatic encounters which might require your presence. Before you take part in any of those, Dr McCoy and I will evaluate the risks involved and, should we see fit, we will issue you with our authorisation to proceed.'

'You've gotta be kidding me,' Kirk said glancing from one of his best friends to the other.

'It is not a prank, Captain,' Spock replied.

'But…'

'Do not but me!' McCoy exclaimed, 'I spent the past four days fixing you up: you had micro-fractures in every single one of the bones in your legs, your spine was compromised, you had three broken ribs, the beginning of a pneumothorax and multiple lacerations on both your arms as well as a concussion. You shouldn't even been able to walk, let alone go around on some suicide mission on a Klingon vessel!'

'Bones…'

'And I'm saving the best for last!' the doctor interrupted him, 'care to tell me how you got second and third degree burns all over your back? It took us hours just so that we could remove all the fabric that had got stuck on it and then I've had to use every technique I know of to re-grow that poor skin of yours!'

'Oh,' Kirk gasped, finally looking suitably guilty.

'Oh,' McCoy mimicked glancing at Spock, 'he says 'oh'!'

Kirk looked at Spock and, for a fleeting moment, it looked like the Vulcan was trying not to smile.

'Anyway,' the doctor continued, 'if you dare getting so much of a scrapped knee, I swear to God, I will tie you to that chair of yours so that you cannot do anything worse to yourself. Do I make myself clear?'

'Yes, sir,' Kirk said trying but failing to appear serious.

'Unbelievable,' Dr McCoy said as he stormed out of the room, followed by two very scared nurses.

'Spock,' Kirk started, 'you know this isn't over, don't you?'

The Commander lifted his eyebrow looking momentarily confused.

'The Klingon,' Kirk elaborated, 'I don't know why they left like that but I have the feeling we haven't seen the last of them yet. I don't know what Starfleet are planning on doing but, I would prepare for the worst.'

'I agree,' Spock said, 'I informed the Admiral of your condition but he requested we file our reports as soon as possible. I have already completed mine but, this time, I would like you to check it before I submit it.'

'Of course,' Kirk replied, 'thanks for that.'

'After the Nibiru incident,' Spock said, 'I feel it is necessary that we are…as humans say, on the same page.'

'Yeah,' Kirk said with a soft smile, 'speaking of being on the same page, what happened with Uhura?'

'What do you mean?' Spock said giving Kirk the distinct feeling the Vulcan was just buying himself time.

'I kind of overheard your conversation with her,' Kirk admitted.

'I see,' Spock said, Kirk saw him taking a deep breath as if he were preparing himself for a long speech, 'I informed her about Pon Farr,' he just said instead. Kirk then gave him a look as if egging him on to continue, 'she was not pleased when I explained her what I learned while in meditation at the new Katrik Ark.'

'What did you tell her?' Kirk asked her.

Spock, once again, fell silent.

'Come on, Spock,' Kirk said feeling a little frustrated, 'what did you tell her that was so bad?'

'As you may recall,' Spock finally said, 'I mentioned that I felt T'Pring's bond stronger than ever.'

'Yes,' Kirk replied carefully.

'As I began meditating,' Spock continued, 'I discovered that I had been mistaken and that the connection I felt in my mind was not the remnant of T'Pring's bond but, rather, a new bond that I formed only recently.'

Kirk was officially confused.

'Okay,' he just said not knowing what else to add.

'Jim,' Spock said with a soft tone of voice Kirk had never heard him using before, 'this new bond formed unbeknownst to us and in the most extraordinary circumstances, this is the reason I failed to identify it.'

'You've lost me,' Kirk finally said.

'On the contrary,' Spock replied as usual taking everything literally, 'at the moment of your passing, you became my t'hy'la, then you came back and from that moment forth, you and I became forever bonded.'

It took Kirk about fifteen seconds before his brain started working again.

'I am aware that this information is, overwhelming,' Spock started.

'Wait a moment,' Kirk interrupted him, 'what does t'hai'lah…er…'

'T'hy'la,' Spock corrected gently, 'it is a Vulcan expression.'

'What does it mean?' Kirk asked even though he already had a pretty good idea of what it meant.

'It is a very broad concept,' Spock explained, 'it encompasses every bond that there is between two people, that of brotherhood; of friendship and…of love. It is the deepest connection that can be formed between two beings.'

'Wow,' Kirk gasped, 'and…that's…we are that?'

'Yes,' Spock replied.

'How?' Kirk asked.

'I am not certain,' Spock replied, 'usually, for such a strong connection to form, the two parties must be aligned, aware and, above all, they must be willing to enter such bond. Our case can only be justified by the extreme circumstances in which it formed.'

'I see,' Kirk said, he was finding the whole concept easier to understand as he digested it, 'there's something I still don't get. From what I know about pon farr, you need to mate, exercise your right to kal-if-fee or engage in meditation to assist you regain control of yourself.'

'That is correct,' Spock confirmed.

'So you used meditation to help you fight the effects of Pon Farr,' Kirk said.

'Partially, yes,' Spock replied, 'but the knowledge you were in mortal danger was what drove me out of it.'

'Well,' Kirk said with a grin, 'I'm glad it helped.'

'Jim…'

'I freaked out,' Kirk said dropping the smile, 'you were so sick and I couldn't do anything to help you. I…'

'I know,' Spock interrupted him, 'having suffered your loss before, I understand what you went through.'

'But you're alright now, aren't you?' Kirk asked him.

'I am,' he confirmed.

'Okay,' Kirk said the smile returning to his face making his eyes sparkle with joy as well as unshed tears, 'Spock,' he muttered, so low that only his Vulcan enhanced hearing picked it up, 'don't ever die on me, I've already lost too many important people in my life.'

'I shall endeavour,' Spock promised.

'About Uhura,' Kirk said trying to lighten up the mood, 'I don't know what happened exactly but…'

'She terminated our relationship,' Spock supplied, 'it is a logical outcome after what I explained to her.'

'Oh Spock,' Kirk laughed softly, 'who told you human females were logical?'

'But…'

'Spock,' it just occurred to him, 'you come from what possibly is the only species in the entire universe that can claim having logical females, yet you picked a human one. Who is being illogical here?'

Spock had the grace not to reply. Instead, he just lifted one of his eyebrows up.

Nearly a week after what was now being called the Battle of New Vulcan, the Enterprise was allowed to reassume her five-year mission. Their first stop: Kijani. The Federation had decided to accept Lieutenant Uhura's suggestion and had officially assigned that name to the stunningly green planet and after an away team sent by Commander Spock came back reporting that the planet was uninhabited, very safe and even more beautiful planet-side, Captain Kirk had decided to order shore leave to non-essential personnel.

To his dismay, Dr McCoy then ordered Kirk to "get his ass down too and take a freaking break".

'This is so peaceful,' Dr Marcus said while she and Kirk took a very slow stroll around one of the fields.

'It is,' the Captain agreed, 'we should sit down for a while.'

'Are you tired?' Carol asked him looking worried.

'No,' Kirk hurried to say, 'I just want to sit with my girl and enjoy the view.'

Dr Marcus smiled and, taking the blanket from the picnic basket she was carrying, she laid it on the grass, careful not to crush any of the incredibly beautiful flowers that seemed to grow everywhere.

'Thanks,' he said while she helped him sit down.

'You're welcome,' she replied, 'are you sure you're okay though? Should I call Dr McCoy?'

'No, no,' Kirk said shaking his head, 'he'd just jab me with a hypo-spray first and ask questions later.'

'That's true,' Dr Marcus said, 'but if you're feeling faint or…'

'You'll be the first to know,' he promised, 'now, let's stop talking about my health or lack of thereof.'

'Okay,' she agreed, 'what do you want to talk about?' she asked him.

'You,' he flirted making her laugh, 'no, I'm serious: tell me more about you, what do you…'

He couldn't finish the sentence for, right then, Spock showed up carrying a heavy metallic case.

'Captain,' he said, 'I have finished collecting all the samples, I shall now return to…'

'Wait,' Kirk stopped him. He glanced around himself and, selecting one of the best looking flowers, he picked it and offered it to Spock who proceeded to look very puzzled, 'it's for Uhura, find her and give this to her.'

'But Captain…'

'That's an order,' Kirk said pushing the flower into Spock's hand, 'tell her that seeing this beautiful flower made you think of her and that you would be extremely grateful if she could give you another chance.'

Spock looked doubtful for a moment but then, he took the flower and, nodding once, he said:

'I will do my best.'

'Attaboy,' Kirk said smiling at him.

The couple observed the Vulcan walking away from them, the metallic case in one hand, the flower in the other. Kirk hoped that Uhura would be wise enough to understand that, t'hy'la or not, Spock still cared about her as much as she obviously did about him. His train of thought was interrupted when Dr Marcus said:

'I didn't know you were such a romantic.'

'There's a lot you don't know about me,' Kirk replied.

He then kissed her and the two spent the rest of the afternoon getting to know each other.

To be concluded...