"Patient's name?" Janeway asked.
"Lyionel," Spock said.
"Patient's last name," Janeway said.
"T'kheh-os," Lyionel spoke up. House of Malter.
Janeway raised an eyebrow.
"That doesn't sound like a Vulcan name," Janeway said
"It's an off shoot of the word 'kap-yar' for grain," Spock said.
"If that was his last name then it should have gone first," Janeway said.
"Just put him down as Lyionel Miller," Kirk said. "He wants to learn standard. We rescued him from a bad colony," Kirk grew a ashamed expression. "I was observing it. Hard to think it was hidden for hundreds of years."
"The only words he knows are a different kind of Vulcan," Spock said, in agreement. "In time, we'll transition him from not Vulcan but Vulcan to Federation Standard. We cannot overwhelm him."
"I know the cultural shock is going on him," Janeway said. "I had a patient once that Star Fleet brought in. Took some time for them to adjust to the starbase," a sad expression grew on her face. "it's going to be hard on him."
"It will," Kirk agreed.
"But we shall be there for him," Spock said. He held his two fingers out for Kirk who returned the gesture, warmly, and assured.
"I will need his signature," Janeway said.
Spock shifted toward Lyionel.
"Kup du kitau?" Lyionel tilted his head. Can you write?
"Ullho," Lyionel said. He didn't understand a word that was coming from the elder. Not known.
"Ri-fainu," Spock replied. Not known. "Ullho."
Lyionel grew an understanding.
"Oh," Lyionel said.
"Aepha: kitau," Spock said. Write.
"Kitau," Lyionel said, holding his hand out. "hnafirh'rau hlmnae." Let me try.
The doctor came to the man's side. She handed him the padd with the stylist. He saw familiar writing on the padd in standard. Below Spock's Vulcan cursive writing was bold, obvious writing that was large and elegant. His eyebrows briefly knitted together. Lyionel followed fumblingly wrote his name down then copied word for word the last name. Instead of Lyionel Miller, he wrote his name down as 'Lyionel Kirk'. Janeway took the padd after it was handed back to her. She looked at it in amusement then changed the name below his signature to match it up.
"Hann'yyo," Lyionel said.
"Hann'yyo: Nemiayo," Janeway said.
Lyionel looked up, then he repeated after her.
"Nemiayo," Lyionel said, with a nod.
Janeway turned in the elder's direction heading toward them.
"You have a fast learner, Admiral, Ambassador," Janeway said.
Kirk beamed, looking over toward Spock.
"This seems like a very good sign," Kirk said. "Husband."
"Indeed," Spock agreed. "We'll take it up from here with his recovery."
"Good luck," Janeway said. "You will need it."
"Live long and prosper," Spock gave the ta'al. Janeway returned a smile.
"Peace and long life," Janeway said, then she left the room.
"Home needs a call," Kirk said.
"I shall await," Spock said.
"Be right back," Kirk said, taking out his communicator as he walked out.
"Digaer," Lyionel said.
Spock turned toward the young man. The doors closed behind the admiral.
"Digaer: ha-kel," Spock said. Lyionel paused, processing the reply, looking down toward the padd that held a starters guide to learning Vulcan. It was all in Vulcan with translations on the back done in federation standard. He looked up toward the Vulcan as he registered the meaning of the word in his mind.
"Ha-kel," Lyionel said. "Ha-kel." Lyionel felt a sense of belonging. A sense of 'this is where I am supposed to be'.
The journey itself was home.
That was the entire mission.
And maybe, just maybe, Spock had helped Lyionel find his home.
Starting a new life in a new planet to call … home.
