Of Tea and Music
Chapter 55: Fingers
January, 2267
They were under her console, making some repairs, when some subspace turmoil cause the ship to lurch, throwing them sideways. He grabbed at the framework that supported the delicate circuit boards, trying to keep from landing on top of her. The metal snapped, cutting his fingers. As soon as she saw the green blood trickling down, she grabbed his hand, turning it about to look at the damage. "Just shallow cuts. Doesn't look bad." Then she looked at his face and saw the pain. "Spock, talk to me. What's wrong?"
He was trying hard to suppress the pain of damaged nerves. "Nerves. Pain."
She did not let loose of his hand, but she raised her voice. "Captain! Call Dr McCoy to the bridge. Mr. Spock has damaged his hand." She held his hands, sending him comfort through the skin-to-skin contact. She did not move until Dr McCoy was there, trying to stick his head into the cramped space.
When he saw the smears of green blood, he started asking questions. "How bad is it, Uhura? Can you slide out, Spock? I really need more room to work."
She spoke to the doctor while he tried to control himself. "I think he's cut a nerve in at least one of his fingers. The cuts aren't very deep, but seem to be causing a lot of pain. I have my fingers on the blood vessel that's cut, applying pressure."
"Okay, good, don't let loose. Jim, get over here and help me slide Spock out from under this console. Spock, don't try to do anything with your hands, just let Uhura keep that pressure on. Okay, we're going to move you now."
The two men carefully slid him out, and Uhura wiggled down after him, keeping his hands in her clasp until McCoy signaled her to let loose. He was busy with his instruments then for several minutes, before rising. "Okay, Jim, help him up. We can finish in sick bay. Good work, Uhura, I don't think he lost much blood. Let's go rejoin that nerve, Spock, so that the pain goes away."
She watched them leave the bridge, Spock cradling his hands in front of him. She wished she could go with him. He watched her until the turbolift doors closed. She thought he wanted her to come as well. She sighed and slid back under the console to look at the mess there. She would have to call a tech team up here to help.
****
She was so tired. It had taken four hours to fix the mess under the console. And those techs just weren't as easy to work with as Spock was. She needed a hot shower. Then she was going to see whether anyone had brought Spock anything to eat. She entered her quarters and found him sitting on her couch. "Spock! I didn't expect you here. Are you okay?" She crossed quickly to perch on the edge of the couch and take his hands in hers. There were some bandages on his hands, but not as much as she had expected.
"I am much better. But I find that my hands are very sensitive. I am having troubles with them. I could use some assistance."
"Of course. Have you eaten anything?" When he shook his head, she continued. "Then I will go to the mess hall and bring back food. Just sit here." She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss and then was back out the door.
***
Although she had picked foods that she thought would be easy to handle, she still found that she had to practically hand feed him. The regenerated nerves were not functioning entirely normally yet, and his fingers did not want to open and close correctly. He was very frustrated with it. She kept trying to calm him down.
After they finished eating, she went quickly down the corridor to his quarters and got a clean uniform and a pair of pajamas and stuffed them into a small tote, checking carefully before going out into the hall. Back in her quarters, she hung the uniform in her closet and laid the pajamas on her bed. Then she helped him undress, being very careful with his hands. Then she led him into the bathroom and started the shower. She washed him with care, trying not to arouse him, until he made a very frustrated noise and backed her into the corner. "That part of me is not injured, Nyota."
She laughed and kissed him, rubbing her body against him. He responded by wrapping his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him, tongue busy in her mouth. But when he normally would have lifted her up, he stopped, breathing heavily, muttering, pushing his hips against her but unable to slide his hands under her bottom and lift her up. She wound herself around him, kissing, touching, sliding down his body to engulf him in her mouth. He leaned against the wall above her, growling at her, moaning as she caressed his buttocks as she moved along his length, pushing himself into her mouth when he came, roaring at her, shaking.
She dried him off and then herself, going into the bedroom to help him into his pajamas, but he was not ready for them yet, pushing her down to the bed. "I have not fulfilled my duty to you yet, k'diwa. It would please me greatly to give you as much pleasure as you have given me." She had no objections whatsoever, welcoming him down onto the bed eagerly. It was much later before she found the tee-shirt and pants and helped him pull them on, then pulled the covers over them, curling up against him happily.
***
In the morning, his hands were better than they had been the previous evening. His fingers were starting to work better. She helped him dress and then they went to the mess hall. She pushed the tray and he told her what he wanted. She sat next to him, giving subtle assistance when he could not immediately make his fingers work exactly how he wanted them to. But it was better than supper had been.
***
McCoy called him down to sick bay midday for more nerve stimulation. By then his fingers were flexing well, although not quickly. His hands felt much more normal, and the pain was entirely gone.
***
By suppertime, he was able to carry his own tray without feeling that he would drop it. Although he did not feel that he was up to playing his ka'athyra yet, he was quite pleased with the way his hands were feeling now.
***
He sat on her couch. She was laying on the couch, her head resting on his leg. She had his hands in hers, looking at the palms and undersides of the fingers. "I can hardly see the scars now. McCoy did a good job. Do they feel normal yet?"
"Much better. Most of the feeling has returned and the tendons are working properly again."
She had both his wrists encircled in one hand now, leaving her other hand free. She took one finger and ran it down the palm of his right hand, from the base of the fingers to his wrist. "How does that feel?"
He gasped. "Nyota, careful."
"Does that hurt?" her voice was full of concern.
"No, k'diwa, it does not hurt."
She twisted her face upwards to look at him. "Spock?" Her finger traced his palm again as she watched him. "Is there nerve damage?"
"No." his voice was husky now. "There does not seem to be any damage there." He paused. "Perhaps...perhaps you might check the fingers as well."
She turned her face back towards his hands and begin to run her soft fingertips down the length of his fingers, stroking them gently, sending wave after wave of delight through him. He managed to gasp out one word "Fingertips".
One by one she touched his fingertips, using her own so gently, sliding across the skin, raising little sparks of sensation. "How does that feel?"
He could hardly answer. He let his head fall back against the couch, focused entirely on the sensations she was generating. "Good. Very good." His voice vibrated, thick with arousal. There was something he wanted, badly now. "Nyota."
"Yes, Spock, what do you need?" her voice was soft, her hands gentle, her arousal heavy in his nostrils.
"Tongue, please." his voice was rough now, needy.
She began with the smallest finger and worked her way across his hand, laving it gently, working her tongue around the fingertips, down the sides of the fingers, across the palm, covering all the nerve paths there, until his whole hand was burning, flaming. And then she started on the other one.
He was shaking now, shuddering with the glory of it. And then she pulled both hands close to her mouth and breathed into his palms, blowing gently against his now hyper-sensitive skin, and he bowed his body around her, so close. "Nyota." he almost whispered her name. "Ah, please, k'diwa, please."
And she laid her face in his hands, rubbing herself against him, and then closed her mouth about the index fingers of both his hands and sucked them into her mouth, laving the fingertips with her tongue, sucking on them, and his eyes fell shut as he shivered and shuddered and came asunder.
***
When he could think again, she was still laying there, pillowed on his leg, his hands against her face, holding them there, breathing softly on him. "I think they healed just fine, didn't they?" Her voice was almost laughing, filled with joy.
"Yes, very fine indeed." He inhaled deeply, letting it out with a great sigh. "Very fine. And now there is another exercise I wish to test." He allowed himself to smile at her, as she lay there, smelling her body as she anticipated what he meant. He would show her just how fine they were healed. Very thoroughly.
