Merged

Chapter 26

He awoke after his first sleep as a human in nine months. He had found that the procedure had drained him physically while the depression he felt at the loss of Sontek had severely dampened any energy he might have felt emotionally. T'Pol had stayed with him until he fell asleep and then he just didn't know.

The bond was no longer there. He figured that it had developed from one Vulcan to another and now one of those Vulcans was gone. He understood Sontek's choice and yet, yearned to have him with him again. Wished to reach out and touch the mind that had been his constant companion for the past three quarters of a year. It hurt to know he'd never have that interaction again.

It was disconcerting to see the world through his own eyes. While the familiarity with the placement of his eyes, his mouth, his cheekbones, his ears was obvious, somehow it didn't feel real yet. He was a stranger in his own body. Nothing felt right. Even the taste in his mouth seemed off, the iron taste predominant, rather then the copper he'd become used to. He hadn't yet seen himself in the mirror but if what he'd seen through T'Pol's eyes during the procedure was any indication, then he was much younger than he'd been. It was the face he'd last seen in the mirror as a Second Lieutenant.

"Good morning, Jon. Nice to see you awake again." Phlox was as cheerful as ever and yet Jon noted concern in his eyes.

"Good morning, Phlox. How long have I been asleep?"

"Two days. I assume that your body found the need to recharge as it were. Perfectly normal. How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess. I'm not really sure. I don't feel like me. I know that sounds strange."

"You've been a Vulcan for nearly a year. Humans often go though a sense of disorientation when there has been a major change. Sometimes even minor ones, something as simple as a haircut for example, will give someone a time for pause."

Jon reached up to his head, feeling the hair that covered his head. It was thick and much longer then he'd ever worn it since he has joined Starfleet. Military protocol dictated a shorter length. "Yeah, I guess I'm going to have to have one of those soon." He looked up to Phlox. "So, Doc, how old am I now?"

"Well, certainly you are the same chronologically. That is, you're still in your early fifties. But physically, we had to place you into the clone before it matched your chronological age again. I'd say physically you are the same as you were at age 28, give or take a year."

A lopsided grin graced his face. "Twenty eight. It's like starting over again."

"This is not an experience that a human has ever had."

"This past nine months fits that as well, Phlox."

'Indeed." He stopped for a moment, looking at the young man in front of him, wondering about his future. "Have you thought about what you want to do next?"

Jon considered the question for a moment. "I suppose I could go back to Starfleet. I wonder how Admiral Gardner will take this latest change in reality."

"I believe that he'll be glad you are back in your own body again. You've always been an asset to Starfleet and the Federation."

Nodding, Jon stated softly, "It's just that right now, it doesn't feel like my own body." He paused a beat before continuing. "I guess I need to find out what T'Pol would like to do as well. She's still the chair of our department at the Vulcan Science Academy. And I still have a class to finish teaching." He pursed his lips, eyes down, brow furrowed as if in thought. "I just don't know right now."

He heard the door of the Medical Center open and looked up, delighted to see both Shran and T'Pol walking in the room. He smiled. It felt good to do so. Natural.

T'Pol spoke up first. "Phlox told us you were awake, Jon."

"When did he do that?" He hadn't seen Phlox leave the room.

Phlox explained, "I noticed on the monitor when you awoke earlier."

"Ah. I guess it makes sense that you would still be monitoring me."

The physician smiled and then excused himself, indicating that he had rounds to attend to.

Shran stared at Jon, his antennae broadcasting surprise. "You are hardly a rilkna now."

"A what?" He had learned a good deal of Andorian over the years but there were always words cropping up that he had no clue of their meaning.

"An Andorian who has passed through the rites of manhood is a rilkna. I wouldn't have trusted you nearly as much if I'd first met you looking as you do now."

"Then it's a good thing you met me when I was older." The words didn't sound logical but they held truth in them none the less.

"Well, if what I hear of young humans is correct, T'Pol will be a very happy woman."

"What do you mean by that Shran."

"She told me you have a connection." His antennae and face conspired to indicate a suggestive content to the words.

"Shran, that's really none of your business."

Shran snickered. On Earth, he'd met human males who bragged about their sexual prowess as much as any Andorian. While Archer and he had many conversations over the years, he could not recall a time that the Pink Skin had done so. Still, he couldn't imagine that the man was unskilled in such endeavors. He just couldn't understand why he wouldn't speak of them. "Who said anything about business? I'm talking about recreational activities!"

Jon gave Shran a warning look. The Andorian's antennae wiggled happily. "Now that's the Pink Skin I know. It's good to have you back!"

"I was never gone, Shran. I just wasn't in my body." As he said it, a wave of sadness hit him again, the desire to comment to Sontek was strong.

"Well, it's good to see you in your body again. Calling you Pink Skin when you were inside a Vulcan just didn't seem right. Makes it much easier to interact with you."

T'Pol had watched this verbal volleying quite long enough and hadn't missed the look that had crossed Jon's face. She felt that providing something else for Jon to think about might pull him back from the direction his mood was heading. "Jon, I have been in contact with Malcolm. S'Bont and his associates are on their way to Federation headquarters. The charges are being drawn up and they will be facing trial in about three months, assuming there are no delays."

He indicated that he was glad to hear the report. "I'm just glad we were able to stop them."

"As are my people, Pink Skin. We have sent a delegation to Earth to assure that our concerns are addressed."

T'Pol continued, "You and I will be asked to testify."

Nodding, Jon stated, "I figured as much. Have you been in touch with Vulcan, T'Pol? After all, we stole a ship."

"Yes. I have spoken to T'Pau. She indicated that under the circumstances, our actions were the logical course to take. If we had not stopped the conspiracy, all of Vulcan would have suffered. Vulcan has sent their regrets to Andoria that Vulcans would have carried out such a heinous crime and have reiterated their desire for peace with the Andorians."

Shran continued. "Andoria has accepted the Vulcan gesture and has indicated that they understand this was not perpetrated by the Vulcan government or its peoples."

T'Pol added, "The password protected file we found did contain names. The conspiracy ran deep through Vulcan society. Currently, those persons identified with this plot are being arrested and will either stand trial at the Federation court or on Vulcan, depending on what level of involvement they had."

Jon sadly asked, "What about T'Nar's death?"

"It is being investigated now as a potential murder. The concept that a Vulcan would have engaged in such a violent act is a grave concern to the Vulcan Government. It is obvious that the Kir'Shara has not been adopted by all Vulcans to the same extent. There are still those who harbor attitudes not aligned with Surak's true path."

Jon looked into T'Pol's eyes, stating plainly, "Change seldom is universal, T'Pol."

She agreed and again changed the subject. "Jon, have you thought of what you wish to do?"

"I was talking to Phlox about that earlier. I guess you and I need to discuss it. I do know one thing I will need to do though."

"What is that?"

"I need to visit T'Plorn. Let her know about Sontek's death. I owe that to him."

"As do I. I will arrange our visit as soon as we know when you can leave the facility."

Phlox had rejoined them. "I would like to run some tests to make certain there are no hidden surprises in store."

Jon questioned, "How long will those take?" He didn't want to be in the Medical Center any longer then necessary.

"No more than a day or so."

Jon agreed. He'd had enough surprises in the past nine months to last a lifetime. He knew that Phlox would be thorough. If there were any problems lurking, he wanted to know about them.

XoXoXoXoXoXoXoXo

Phlox had run a full battery of tests on Jon. He found that Jon's gross motor functions were not optimal and had indicated that he would need to exercise to regain both his muscle strength and control. As Sontek had controlled their movements, relearning to work with his body would take a little practice.

Jon was still amazed to see himself in the mirror. The difference of 23 years was somehow compelling to see. It wasn't that he was vain. Rather, he'd never really thought how his face had changed through the years other then seeing the deeper crow's feet and graying temples. He now noticed that his face had taken on a harder edge as he had grown older. Noticed that fact because the edge was absent now. This was a face that had never known the Suliban, the Klingons, the Expanse, or the Romulan War. This was a face that was still believed that if mankind could reach the distant stars that they would encounter only wonder and adventure. This was a face that had never had to make decisions that could damn a man's soul.

His body, too, was different. Not only would he need to exercise to regain better control of his movements, but to rebuild the muscle definition that he had maintained throughout the years. His skin was smoother now, not weathered as it had become through exposure to the various environments he had experienced, including the Vulcan Forge. He also noted that he did not feel the pains that had started appearing as he'd aged, especially after the beatings he'd endured at the hands of multiple species bound and determined to end his life, or so it had seemed. He'd been 51 when the shuttle had crashed into the surface of Tanansis V. Now, his body had returned to the way it was when the furthest from Earth Jon had traveled was the outer limits of Earth's solar system.

One thing was certain. Although his sex drive had been strong and vital before his former body had died, now that drive was much more intense. He found that his body was responding to T'Pol whenever she was near him. In some ways, it was annoying to him to have his body signaling his desire for her so readily. In his previous body, he'd been able to control himself a bit more. This body at times seemed to have a mind of its own.

Phlox had started him on a physical therapy regiment two days before. He'd suggested that Jon should spend at least two weeks learning how to do the exercises correctly and then he could leave Denobula to reclaim the life he'd left behind those many months before. At least Jon hoped he would be able to reclaim that life. He had realized early on after the procedure that the person he'd become during his 51 years of life was as much hidden in this body as it had been when he shared Sontek's body. He simply didn't look like a man with 51 years of experience.

Shran had been called back to Andoria. He had wished Jon and T'Pol well and thanked them again for saving his people. He told Jon that the next time they met, he expected him to drink more than a half a glass of Andorian Ale. He promised that they would share stories again. He stated once more how happy he was to see the Pink Skin as himself, even if he was barely rilkna.

Jon had not wanted to stay in the Medical Center the entire time he was going through the physical therapy. Phlox had suggested that he and T'Pol could stay within his family compound. They had accepted.

Arriving at the Denobulan home, they found that it covered a rather significant plot of land. There were multiple houses, and in some ways Jon found them reminiscent of multi-family dwellings on Earth. Phlox explained that the houses allowed each family group to share space together as the configuration of relationships constantly changed. There wasn't a set space for anyone. His family had agreed to make an exception for Jon and T'Pol, providing them with one of the smaller homes to share while they were guests. The home was cozy. There were three bedrooms, a bath, a sitting area, and a kitchen.

They entered the home. "So, T'Pol, how should we do this?"

T'Pol pointed to the room above them. "I will take the room at the top of the stairs. It should be the warmest one." T'Pol had felt chilled while on Denobula. It rained almost everyday, although usually not for long. While this meant that the planet was extremely verdant, it also meant that when the sun went down, the night air would take on a decidedly cool feel.

"Okay." He put their bags in the designated rooms. Since their ship had been destroyed, they had needed to obtain clothing while on Denobula. As it was a rather cosmopolitan planet, obtaining Vulcan clothing for T'Pol and Earth clothing for Jon had been easy.

After unpacking the few items they had, T'Pol turned to Jon. "Would you like something to eat?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"We could go out."

"Well, since we haven't been to the market yet, that makes sense." They called Phlox to ask about restaurants. They figured that while on Denobula, they should sample Denobulan food.

To the question Jon posed, Phlox answered, "There are no Denobulan restaurants that I'm aware of."

"What?" Jon's surprise was obvious.

"Denobulan cuisine is rather…boring," Phlox stated, placing an emphasis on the end of the sentence.

"Boring?"

"Yes. We have a tuber that grows, similar to an Earth potato called a lartnew. It is the staple of our diet."

"Don't you eat anything else?"

"Oh, and occasionally we consume Nuwrec stems and a few other things."

"Are there any restaurants on Denobula?"

"Oh yes! Once Denobulans discovered the cuisine of other cultures, we welcomed them with open arms. There is a very good Taquipian restaurant not far from the compound. I believe it would be within your walking distance."

"What is Taquipian food like?"

"It bears a slight resemblance to Earth's Chinese food."

"You say it's good?"

"Yes. My family eats there often. I think you will find the food delicious and interesting."

"Thanks, Phlox." Jon ended the call and conveyed Phlox's suggested restaurant choice to T'Pol. She agreed that this would be acceptable.

They headed out to the restaurant, finding it bustling with Denobulan patrons. They had to wait for about 30 minutes and headed to the courtyard to wait. The hostess, a Denobean, brought them a drink while they waited. It tasted like a lime flavored soft drink.

When they were seated, the hostess placed a plate of what most resembled pot stickers in front of them. The wrap was pink and the filling a bright purple. Jon looked around and found that other patrons who had been seated about the time they had been also had a plate of these placed on their tables and so he figured it was a complementary first course. He watched a Denobulan woman at the next table taking one with her fingers and dipping it into the green sauce that accompanied the dish. He repeated what he saw and found the combination produced a slightly sweet yet savory taste. He found that if he closed his eyes, the flavors were better experienced, as the colors of the food somewhat threw off his appetite.

He opened an eye and saw T'Pol had taken hers and placed it on the small plate in front of her. She was cutting a small piece off with the forklike utensil provided and was dipping it into the small amount of sauce she had placed on the plate. She took a bite and declared it to be an interesting taste, although perhaps a little too much on the sweet side to be considered truly pleasing.

The waitress, an orange skinned woman with a bright white smile came to take their order. Jon had seen Taquipians listed in the Vulcan database and the woman fit the description of the species. Jon wasn't' sure how ordering would be accomplished since they didn't have menus. "Uh…this is the first time we've been in a Taquipian establishment. How do we order?"

The waitress smiled again. "What type of tastes are you desiring?"

Jon indicated that he'd like something spicy and vegetarian if that was possible and not sweet. T'Pol indicated that she would prefer something subtlety spiced but also vegetarian, again with the admonition that the entree not be sweet. The waitress nodded and said she would be back in a moment. She walked into the back area and returned after a few minutes with two plates, both of which held three different items to taste.

Jon tried all three of his and decided on the second one. It reminded him of Kung Pao style tofu but he wasn't at all sure of the ingredients. Again, they came from a different color chart then Earth's Chinese food. There was a vegetable that looked similar to a baby corn that was chartreuse in color and another vegetable the looked like celery but was an almost electric blue. Again, closing his eyes was best for continued enjoyment. The accompanying grain was not like rice but had a more chopped effect than the individual grains that Jon was familiar with.

T'Pol wasn't sure which of her choices to order. She declared all three to be pleasing. She finally decided on the first choice, which seemed most like a moo goo gai pan style of dish.

When the actual entrees were brought out, Jon and T'Pol ate in silence. Jon had become used to Vulcan manners at meals. T'Pol would look over to him occasionally as if she expected him to speak and engage in the dinner conversation that had marked most of their shared meals prior to the accident. She noted his silence did not seem forced.

When the meal was completed, both indicated their enjoyment of the food. Jon opened the after dinner conversation. "So, T'Pol, have you made arrangements for us to return to Vulcan?"

"I have made reservations for us on a Denobulan transport. They will be leaving for Vulcan the day after Phlox has said you will be finished with the initial therapy. I have confirmed that there is a gym on the transport. You will be able to continue your healing process."

"Thank you for checking on that. I want to get back to functioning like myself again. It is strange being in a human body again."

"You are human. I am certain that it will become more comfortable for you as you continue to become familiar with your…surroundings."

He nodded. "I'm not sure how long that will take. I think that I'm getting better at controlling my movements again. Phlox's regiment isn't too taxing and it does help me to become more adept." He paused, a look of sadness crossing his face. "While I'm glad to be moving myself again, it constantly reminds me of Sontek. He'd been the one that moved us most of the time, except when he was behind shields. Even then, there was an automatic feel to most of moving. Now…well, I really have to think about certain movements."

"I understand from Phlox that you should regain your abilities after working on them."

Preceding his response with a breath out, Jon voiced his frustration. "I know, I just wish I could get it over with."

"Patience, Jon. You've been through quite a lot recently."

He rewarded her statement with a lopsided grin. "Did you know, you are a master of understatement?"

An eyebrow lifted and Jon laughed. Her lips turned up slightly. "There is no need to speak more than is necessary. What I stated was correct."

He agreed. "It was correct, but it doesn't come close to how absolutely huge these transitions have been." He stopped again before continuing. "I'm twenty eight again, T'Pol! Twenty-eight! It's like I have an entirely new life to live. I have options that I'd never been able to consider before. I'm glad of most of the choices I've made in the past 23 years but now I can follow the same path or veer off and find another one."

"It is a unique opportunity, Jon. What would you like to do."

"I think I first need to examine all the options. We'll have to return to Earth in any case for the trial. I'd like to do that after we go to Vulcan to see T'Plorn. I assume you want me to finish the class I currently have."

"That would be in the best interests of the students and the department. By the time we get back to Vulcan, we only have another six weeks until the semester break. We could both take a sabbatical after that, give you time to examine what you'd like to do."

"What we'd like to do, T'Pol. I'm not leaving you again. Whatever choices have to be made, we need to make them together."

She nodded. They received the check and headed back to the compound. They both had a restful sleep.