No duties for a few hours. This, Samandak reasoned, would be a good time for a nap. She hated to miss happenings on board the ship, but she was ridiculously tired. She must have passed out much quicker than she believed, because one moment she was laying down to sleep, and the next her door chime was sounding and the clock informed her that two and a half hours had passed.

Samandak sat up and rubbed her eyes, glanced in the mirror and smoothed her hair and uniform, then said, "Come!"

The door slid open and there stood Spock.

"You requested a word with me?"

"What? Oh, yes." She cleared her throat. "Come in." She had been perfectly intent on giving him this speech when she asked him to see her...now, her blood had cooled down, and she wasn't sure if she could make herself say it. "Make yourself comfortable."

In an apparently customary irritating fashion, Spock 'made himself comfortable' by standing, hands clasped behind his back, feet parted at shoulder's width. Samandak mirrored his stance and put on her most serious face.

"Commander Spock, as ship's counselor it is my duty to bring to light anything that may be affecting the mental abilities of the crew."

"Indeed." Responded Spock. He was silent, waiting for her to continue.

Samandak took a breath and hesitated. "Spock, when I first came on to the Enterprise, you were unaware of my Betazoid heritage. Your mental barriers were...less closed."

"I would appreciate if you would come to the conclusion of this speech," said Spock.

"Yes," Samandak nodded understandingly. She tried to push aside human inhibitions and get straight to the point, Vulcan mind coming forward. "You need to accept how you feel about Nurse Chapel."

"Excuse me?"

Samandak paced, trying to properly phrase her next words. She'd planned out the conversation earlier that day, but in real life it was much more difficult to make herself say half the things she thought. "I could detect your feelings toward her, early in my visit."

Spock tilted his head slightly and looked at Samandak. "As a member of Vulcan heritage, doctor, you should be well aware that Vulcans quest their entire lives to suppress emotion."

"That's the Vulcan in you speaking," she replied. "Look...I know that you probably think I haven't known you long enough to be speaking to you like this, but I do know you, Spock. Your half-human mind doesn't work like clockwork, and sometimes you aren't as alert as you could be. It's not a bad thing at all! But it has allowed me insight into your situation. You already know how she feels about you. You feel the same way." She looked down and took a step closer, her voice mellowing. "I'm not asking you to admit anything, Spock. I'm not asking you to waltz into sickbay and declare your love for Christine, I'm not even asking you to pursue a relationship with her. What I'm asking you to do is accept it. In your mind. Allow yourself to feel something for her. Allow the man in your veins to believe it." She placed cupped hands on his cheeks, looking only slightly up to make eye contact. "For once, Spock, allow yourself to love." There. She'd done it.

Spock was very silent. Behind his deep, dark brown eyes could be seen thought.

"Nobody has ever phrased it in quite that way," he breathed.

"Don't do anything," Samandak said, "but think about it. Having unspoken emotions won't harm a Vulcan, but you're half human. Unrequited feelings could potentially destroy you." She allowed her hands to fall back to her sides.

He stared for a few moments, then Spock turned around and left quickly.

Samandak sighed. She hoped he'd given him something to think about. It was so hard to read him...was he just going to go back to his quarters, sleep, and ignore everything she said? Most likely. She'd learned to expect that from her patients. Especially Vulcans. Damn logic.

-----

Early the next morning Samandak awakened at least an hour at least before her alarm went off, but all sleep was gone from her system. After a shower and change, she pinned up her hair and straightened her workspace. Today she planned on getting back to work, stranded or not. She had absolutely no intention of spending two extra weeks on this spaceship. She was due for a vacation once this assignment was over, and Maneria was calling.

She grabbed her PADD and checked her list; it was still painstakingly long. Ensign Jonas, Yeoman Rand, Lieutenant Commander Kneck. Maybe she would just take three people today. She could do five, but sometimes quality is better than quantity. Especially when it comes to psychological evaluations.

Breakfast, thought Samandak. Breakfast would be good. She took a few more minutes to arrange her desk and quarters, slid a slender black stylus behind her left ear, and headed toward the mess hall.

It was very quiet for a half an hour before the shift change. Three ensigns sat at a table, chatting quietly. Samandak approached a replicator, inserted her order, and waited a moment for it's availability.

"Dr. Samandak," Lieutenant Kalry acknowledged on his way past.

Samandak smiled at him. "Good morning, lieutenant."

"Would you join me for dinner?"

"Don't you mean breakfast?"

He shook his head. "Just worked the night shift."

"Of course," Samandak laughed and found a suitable table.

----

There was still fifteen minutes before Spock was due on the bridge. Properly spent, fifteen minutes was actually plenty of time to accomplish something. He'd arrived in sickbay and was waiting for Dr. McCoy.

The human sense of "punctuality" was maddening.

Two and a half minutes late, the doctor arrived and there stood Spock, hands ever so casually behind his back, face blank as ever.

"Good morning, doctor." He said.

McCoy just quirked an eyebrow and "hmmphed". He must not have slept well the previous night.

"Have you made any progress in--"

"Yes." Interrupted McCoy. "In fact Christine may have solved the entire mystery."

"I see. What was the conclusion?"

"Copper'll kill the thing. I tested it last night, and it gobbled it up like a rabid tribble."

"That is good news. How is Nurse Chapel?"

"Better now." A devious smirk played across Dr. McCoy's face. "Just needs some sleep, what with that ordeal you two put up in here yesterday..."

Spock refrained from a comeback. "Also good news." He turned to leave.

"Where you goin' now?!"

Spock stopped and again faced the doctor. "I am due on the bridge in ten minutes."

"Uh-huh." McCoy nodded. "Any news on communications?"

"Mr. Scott and Lieutenant Uhura are working on it," replied Spock.

"Was it really that bad?"

"Bad, but not hopeless. We should be, to use a human term, 'back in business' within the next four hours."

"Good."

Spock nodded and again dismissed himself. Making his way to turbolift 17, Spock allowed his mind to wander momentarily back to the previous night.

What had Samandak meant when she said he needed to "accept the way he felt about Nurse Chapel"? Spock did not experience any feelings toward her. Yes, he had been quite aware of her demeanor toward him, but that had never effected their relationship. Then again, perhaps that was what the doctor had meant. Spock often found that if he concentrated on not thinking about something long enough, he could make it not so. On the other hand, he could also convince himself of anything if he allowed himself to begin believing it. That was quite rare, but he had done it on a few occasions. It was a very effective survival technique.

Perhaps they would be rescued soon, and he would not be forced to seriously ponder the issue.