Epilogue
"Jim!"
Kirk turned around from ordering his breakfast to see McCoy approaching with a breathless smile on his face. "Bones?"
McCoy took his arm. "Come!" he held up a data card. "You've got to see this!"
"Can I get my breakfast first?"
"What? Oh! Well, hurry up!" The tall, lanky doctor moved to their usual table and inserted the data disk, pressing the access point in the table to make the viewscreen pop up.
Kirk gathered his tray as Spock arrived. "Spock, Dr. McCoy has something rather urgent for me to see."
"Spock! You come, too!" McCoy yelled from across the room.
Spock's eyebrow rose and he moved with his captain to their usual table.
"What is it, Bones?"
McCoy hit a button and the image came into view. It was a woman standing on a dais, wearing a formal dress with an almost holographic shine to it with her long dark hair draped over her shoulder. Her eyes closed and she took a deep breath. Her lips parted.
"Elise?" Kirk grinned.
"She sent this to me. Now hush!"
The officer's mess grew silent as the ancient Terran song of distant love filled the room as hauntingly beautiful as the first time they'd heard it.
Author's Notes:
If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence reach out to The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE, or Text "Start" to 88788 or visit thehotline dot org.
Sources: Information on Battered Woman Syndrome:
Beall, Larry D. "Battered Womn Syndrome Research with Citations", Trauma Awareness and Treatment Center, battered-woman-syndrome, retrieved 7/21
Psychology Wiki, "Battered Woman Defence", , wiki/Battered_woman_defence, retrieved 12/17
In my head, Elise is singing Unchained Melody, music by Alex North, Lyrics by Hy Zaret, 1955; recorded by Righteous Brothers, 1965 (and by more than 670 artists worldwide in multiple languaged); #27 in AFI's "100 Years…100 Songs" survey of music in American cinema. Copywrite held by Unchained Melody Publishing LLC.
"With A Broken Wing" refers to a Martina McBride song called A Broken Wing, about a woman who leaves an abusive relationship, written by James House, Phil Barnhart and Sam Hogin, Copywrite 2005 DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, LLC
If you or anyone you know is a victim of domestic violence reach out to The National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE, or Text "Start" to 88788 or visit thehotline dot org.