Champ!

Uhura didn't know how she made it through her shift. Her head was pounding again and she was bone tired again. She had hardly got any sleep last night again except for her dreams, meanwhile, Spock sat at his station looking fresh and bright as a spring daisy. As the day wore on she became more and more irritated. Spock didn't even look her way. He was making a concerted effort to ignore her and of course, that pissed her off even more. She had yet to apologize for the 'Incident' as it came to be known shipwide. If one more crewmate called her 'Champ' she was gonna punch somebody else.

So she was looking for a little r&r and some much-needed relief from constant thoughts of Spock when she found herself below decks in the ship's spa. She loved to pamper herself once in a while, and she'd been neglecting herself lately.

"Lieutenant Uhura, I haven't seen you here in a while how have you been?"

Uhura smiled up into the open friendly face of spa technician Hernandez.

"Hernandez! It's good to see you again. I could use some of your TLC I'm a little tense." Uhura rolled her shoulders.

"I hate to say it Lieutenant but you look it. So just sit back relax and let me take care of you." Technician Hernandez said as he ushered her to his station. He proceeded to arrange her into a massage chair and began with the friendly chatter Uhura usually enjoyed while in the spa.

"So what's been happening with you lately? I haven't seen you here in a while. And honestly, your muscles are very tense, anything bothering you... Champ?"

Uhura cringed.

"No," She said just trying to enjoy her massage. "The usual bridge drama. What's happening with you?" she asked trying to change the subject.

"Well, nothing exciting ever happens down here in the spas, all the glory goes to the big boys and girls on the bridge. I mean we did have that awesome shore leave on Vulcan a few weeks ago, of course, you know all about that" he said offhandedly while massaging her shoulders. Uhura's whole body tensed up.

"What do you mean I know about that?"

"Well everyone got a chance to beam down, didn't you? I thought for sure everyone went."

"Oh yeah, yes I was down there."

"I thought so, I know how you love to shop wherever we stop. I tried to find some interesting souvenirs but the shopping district was pretty busy with all of us roaming around at once and the shop keepers that were Vulcan seemed extra stuffy and snobbish. I thought I would be prepared, I mean I've met Vulcans before but these Vulcans were just extra you know what I mean?"

"Yeah, I know," she said trying to relax again.

"Anyway, they have some interesting spa facilities there. The Vulcans are so technologically advanced but they still use low tech relaxation techniques; a lot of meditation, some movement therapy that looks like yoga or Tai-chi combined, and they use water therapy a lot. I guess for a mostly desert planet it makes sense to revere water for health practices."

"Hmm," Uhura agreed. She really didn't want a lecture on how great Vulcan was.

"No wonder Mr. Spock always looks so cool. Imagine coming from a culture that is just so chill and relaxed without all the emotional hangups."

Uhura didn't care to imagine but she kept her mouth shut. Her relaxing massage was turning out to be another exercise in futility.

"I heard that Mr. Spock is the reason we all got shore leave in the first place" Hernandez continued. "He was injured or sick or something and only the healers and medicine on Vulcan could save him so the Enterprise diverted to save his life. I can't even imagine being so important that a whole star-ship diverts for me. But Mr. Spock seems to get the royal treatment nowadays. His father is the ambassador to the federation you know? Can you believe he kept that a secret? I guess he didn't want anyone knowing how he got his position."

"What do you mean how he got his position?" Uhura's mind was telling her not to engage, not to get involved, but a part of her could not let anyone disparage Spock, not on her watch.

"You know, his father got him in Starfleet. And to think he almost let his dad die," Hernandez said shaking his head and tsk-tsking his tongue.

"Commander Spock got his rank and position the same as the rest of us on this ship, by vigorous study and hard work."

"Well, that's not what I heard. I mean it makes sense. He's one of the few Vulcans who even bother to join Starfleet and he just happens to be the son of a high ranking diplomat? And he just happens to be the ship's first officer and science officer? How does that work? I mean I don't even think Captain Kirk could hold down two top positions, not that something like that would ever be offered to anyone else."

"Mr. Spock can hold down two positions on this ship because he is capable of it, because he works harder than any two men aboard, not because of any nepotism."

"Well, I'm only repeating what I've heard" Hernandez defended.

"Well, don't," she said with clenched teeth.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you" He said easing her back down into the massage chair which she almost bolted from. "Honestly, I didn't think before I spoke. I know you and Mr. Spock are on the outs so I just assumed-"

"What?! Assumed what?"

"Well...um people, not me, but people who come in for a massage were saying that you two broke up," Hernandez said nervously.

"Broke up? Broke up what?" Now Uhura was pissed. Was everyone gabbing about her and Spock's relationship behind their backs all this time?

"Well just that you weren't friends anymore that you... um punched him?"

"That was an accident!"

"Of course it was, that's what I thought too, but you know how ship's gossip is. People just blow everything out of proportion. It's not any of my business."

"No, it isn't," Uhura said getting up. She used to love these visits to the spa and the bit of ships gossip she enjoyed with Hernandez and the others never thinking they were gossiping about her too.

"For the record, Mr. Spock is my friend, he is a good man, and he deserves any rank and position he has because he earned them by doing his duties even when faced with colleagues that judge him as different every chance they get. And if this ship has to turn around and take him to Vulcan to save his life once in a while then that is the least Starfleet can do for a man who has not only saved this ship and every life on it but the entire galaxy a dozen times over. Now, why don't you spread that rumor?" She said as she huffed her way out of the spa.

"Jim, we've got trouble."

"What trouble Bones?"

"Trouble, with Spock and Uhura."

"Bones didn't we have this conversation? I told you not to meddle, that it would all work itself out?"

"And I told you that's not how this thing works."

"Well, what is it now?"

"They are still not speaking to one another, Uhura hasn't been herself since she came back aboard, she's been grumpy, unfriendly, tense, and violent."

"Violent?!"

"Yes, she actually struck Spock remember?"

"Bones that was an accident and I already cleared her on that charge."

"Accident or not, the fact remains she hit him in front of witnesses. And today there was a scene in the ship's spa."

"What scene? I haven't heard about any scene."

"Why would you if you weren't there?"

"I told you I keep up with ships business."

"Well, this just happened a while ago. Uhura got angry and stormed out, after reprimanding Hernandez the spa attendant."

"Hernandez?!"

"Yeah"

"She reprimanded Hernandez?"

"Yes, Jim"

"What did he do to her?"

"Nothing, its what he said. He pissed her off."

"Hernandez?"

"That's what I just said. Why, what does it matter who it was?"

"It's just that I know him, I mean he usually attends to me when I visit the spa. He's a good guy."

"You mean he's a good gossip. I hope he isn't the source of your gossip-mill Intel?"

"Don't worry about my sources. What did Uhura do?"

"Apparently, she got upset when he made some unflattering remarks about Spock."

"Really? That doesn't sound so bad, in fact, it sounds promising that she defended Spock."

"Jim, do you hear yourself? Forget about Uhura and Spock's relationship for a moment and focus on Lieutenant Uhura. She is not adjusting as you thought she would, as I was worried she wouldn't."

"Bones-"

"Don't 'Bones' me anymore about this. Now I've requested she see Dr. Noel and once I have her report I am going to make a recommendation."

"Why does it sound like you have already made your recommendation about this?"

"Because I have. That girl needs a break, she needs to get away from Spock and this ship and all the wagging tongues for a while."

"Bones I can't run this ship without my best communications officer."

"You can and you will, besides she's gone on leave before and the ship was just fine. M'Ress can handle it. You'll survive without her for a few weeks-"

"A few weeks! I was thinking a few days at most-"

"Now you listen to me Jim, this is something that can't be fixed in a few days. She needs some rest, have you looked at her, I mean really looked. She's due a break, she deserves a break, she's earned a break and I am saying that as my official medical opinion. Have I ever been wrong about these things?"

Captain Kirk sighed in resignation. "No Bones you haven't. I have, but you haven't. Still, I can only spare her a week. Just give me the papers and I'll sign them."

"Thanks, Jim, believe me, its for the best."