I've read and reread and edited this thing so many times I'm sick of it. So I release it to the world, warts and all.
Christine is hard for me to write about because I don't like her character. But I know people love her and I wanted to be fair and not drag her for no good reason. I did my best.
-Christine Chapel-
Christine was nervous as she took the stand and avoided glancing at anyone from the Enterprise who was seated in the gallery. She didn't dare look in Spock's direction, either. She was just here to do what she had to do.
"Nurse Chapel, for the record, how do you know the defendant?" The prosecutor asked.
"We're colleagues in the science department of the Enterprise."
"Just colleagues? Nothing else?"
"Yes, just colleagues."
"Nurse Chapel, I have entered into the court record the sworn testimonies of several Enterprise crew members stating that they heard you or saw you on more than one occasion, declare your love for Mr. Spock. Is that testimony accurate?"
"Irrelevant!" Shaw objected.
"What is the point of this testimony, counselor?" asked the Commodore.
"I'll come to my point, your honor if you will allow me to continue?" Wyatt smirked at Shaw.
"Come to the point fast please Mr. Wyatt." The Commodore wished he hadn't offered to officiate this trial.
"Yes, Commodore. Permission to treat the witness as hostile?"
"Granted. Please proceed," he said with impatience.
"Nurse Chapel humor the court, please. Do you love Mr. Spock?"
"Why does it matter?" Christine asked angrily.
"Nurse, are you in love with Spock?"
Christine didn't have any choice but to answer in front of everyone. "Yes." her voice was soft as a whisper.
"Lieutenant Uhura testified that the two of you were friends, is that correct?"
"Yes, we were close friends once."
"Were you friends before she married Spock?"
"Yes."
"So she would have been aware of your feelings for Spock?"
"Yes, she was aware," Christine said, and she sent an annoyed look Nyota's way.
"And Nurse Chapel, how did you feel when you discovered that Commander Spock was married to Lieutenant Uhura?"
"I was shocked! I couldn't believe it."
"And why is that, why couldn't you believe it?"
"Well, because he's Spock. I mean, he's never shown any interest in anyone like that. And then poof! He's married to Uhura?" Christine blurted.
"So you had no inkling of a romantic relationship between Spock and your good friend, Lieutenant Uhura?"
"None."
"How do you know he was never interested in anyone like that? I mean you said yourself your only relationship was that of colleagues. Did Mr. Spock confide to you he wasn't interested in a romantic relationship with anyone else?"
"No, he did not tell me anything like that. But he's Vulcan. He just didn't seem interested in anyone romantically."
"So to your knowledge he was not in any relationship with Lieutenant Uhura before their surprise marriage?"
"No, not to my knowledge."
"What did you think when Spock and Lieutenant Uhura left the Enterprise and went to Vulcan together?"
"I didn't know what to think. It didn't make any sense. Mr. Spock was supposed to be in the sickbay."
"Surely you had some opinion, some concern for your friend, perhaps?"
"Well yes, I was worried about Uhura."
"Oh, you were worried about Lieutenant Uhura, not Mr. Spock?"
"I was worried about both of them." She quickly corrected her statement.
"But why were you worried about Uhura specifically?"
"Because Spock had taken her from the ship!"
"But according to the defense they were in a relationship and engaged. Surely the pair leaving the Enterprise together should have been no cause for alarm?"
"I don't know anything about them being engaged. I know Spock was sick. He wasn't in his right mind to go gallivanting across the galaxy."
"So you were very concerned about Lieutenant Uhura's safety with Spock?"
"No, not necessarily. I don't know. I mean, Mr. Spock was behaving out of character because of his illness..."
"And you thought this illness could cause him to harm the lieutenant?"
"Objection!" Miss Shaw shouted. "Nurse Chapel was not privy to my client's medical condition."
"Mr. Wyatt, please rephrase your question," Stone asked.
"Nurse Chapel, why were you personally worried for your friend, Lieutenant Uhura's safety in Spock's care?
"Because Spock was in sickbay with a fever before they left. They brought in him because of an angry outburst on the bridge. He shouldn't have been let loose to fly a shuttle. They could have crashed or gone off course, anything!"
"Ah, I see. You had an opportunity to observe Mr. Spock prior to him escaping from the sickbay, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did."
"And in your professional opinion, when he was admitted, did the Commander seem incapable of making sound judgments? Was he intoxicated, delirious, or otherwise mentally compromised?"
"No. He just seemed out of character."
"Exactly how was he out of character, how Nurse?"
"He was furious. They had to restrain him."
"You mean he was violent?" The prosecutor asked in mock surprise.
"Well, he was not in his right state of mind. He was emotional. He wouldn't have done those things if he were normal. He just lashed out because of the fever, which was why he was ordered to sickbay by the Captain."
"And is it safe to say that his behavior, his furious emotional state led you to be concerned for your friend Lieutenant Uhura's well-being, but it didn't cause worry for Mr. Spock's wellbeing?"
"Yes, I mean...," Christine thought about what Uhura had said to her previously. She didn't really know Spock or what he was capable of at all. "I didn't really know Spock or what he was capable of in that state. The Spock they brought to sickbay wasn't the Spock I was used to or in love with. That Spock was a stranger."
"Nurse Chapel, do you suppose that out of character Spock could have assaulted a woman?"
"Objection!"
"Withdrawn. No further questions. Thank you, Nurse."
Miss Shaw approached the witness.
"Nurse Chapel, have you ever been in a romantic relationship with Mr. Spock?"
"What do you mean by that?" Christine asked.
"Well, the usual. Have you two dated? For example, have you had dinner together privately?"
"No."
"Do you and Mr. Spock share any common interest or have you engaged in activities outside of work together?"
"No."
"In fact, on more than one occasion, Spock has told you he was not interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with you, is that correct?"
"Yes," Christine said sadly.
"So it is safe to say Mr. Spock never returned your declarations of love?"
"Well..." Christine hesitated.
"Well what, Nurse Chapel? Did Mr. Spock ever reciprocate your feelings in any way?"
"Yes. He did once." She mumbled, looking down at her hands in her lap. Hush comments of surprise spread throughout the room. Uhura looked at Spock with a surprised expression from her seat in the gallery, but he just stoically looked forward, ignoring the hubbub.
"Nurse Chapel, when did Mr. Spock reciprocate romantic feelings for you?"
Christine looked as if she would not answer but then she said, "Once when I drugged him." The room erupted into loud chatter this time. People just couldn't believe a nurse would drug a fellow crewman.
"Order! Order in the court!" Commodore Stone declared.
"You drugged the defendant?" Miss Shaw asked as if it scandalized her.
Christine looked down at her hands in her lap, which she fiddled nervously. "Yes, but it is not one of my finer moments." She admitted.
"I'm sure. And what drug did you use?" Miss Shaw asked.
"It was a so-called love potion manufactured by a prisoner we were transporting."
"An illegal substance?"
"Yes."
"What happened after you drugged the defendant with your illegal love potion, Nurse Chapel?"
"Spock acted as if he was in love with me, for a while at least," Christine said.
"And that was the only time he ever expressed any feelings for you? While he was drugged?"
"Yes."
"Did Mr. Spock report you for drugging him or press any charges against you?"
"No, he did not. I guess he forgave me."
"Were there any repercussions at all for your actions, Nurse Chapel?"
"Well, a side effect of the drug is that as it wears off, the emotions it invoked turn from love to antipathy."
"So, in other words, Mr. Spock actively disliked you afterward?"
"Yes, but I disliked him too because of the drug. It was mutual." Christine said.
"So the love potion and declaration of feelings never resulted in any relationship of any kind between you and Mr. Spock after it wore off?"
"No! And you don't have to rub it in." Chapel said in annoyance. What was this lawyer getting at now?
"What about with anyone else?"
Christine lifted her head quickly to look at Miss Shaw with slitted eyes. "What do you mean by that?"
"Did you ever observe Spock in a romantic relationship with anyone else?"
"No!"
"What about Lieutenant Uhura?"
"What about her?"
"Did you ever observe Spock and Uhura, perhaps having dinner with one another?"
Christine bit her lip. She didn't want to answer, but she had to. "Yes, I've seen them in the rec room eating together. But everyone on the ship eats in the rec rooms from time to time."
"I see. Did you observe the pair together at other times?"
"Sure. They work side by side on the bridge after all." Christine said.
"What about other times when they were not working on the bridge or dining together in the rec room?"
"What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. Have you observed Mr. Spock and Miss Uhura together at other times when not on duty?"
"I've seen them perform together."
"Perform?" Shaw asked.
"Yes, Uhura sometimes sings while Mr. Spock plays an instrument. They often perform for the crew in the rec room."
"So Uhura and Spock worked side by side, they dined together frequently, and performed music together frequently. Presumably, they would also have practiced together privately?"
"I suppose so." Christine agreed.
"That could be characterized as a romantic relationship, couldn't it?"
"I wouldn't use the word romantic. They are... were just friends."
"Just friends? Like Spock and Captain Kirk?"
"Yes."
"So it never occurred to you, despite evidence to the contrary, that Spock and Uhura could be more than just friends?"
"No. Never," Christine said adamantly.
"One more question Nurse Chapel. Did you actually see Mr. Spock take Uhura from the ship?"
"No, but-"
"To be clear, you didn't actually witness Mr. Spock carrying Lieutenant Uhura anywhere or putting Lieutenant Uhura on the shuttle, forcefully or otherwise?"
"No, I didn't see it personally."
"Thank you, Nurse."
Mr. Wyatt requested to reexamine the witness.
"Nurse Chapel, you stated that the Spock they brought into the sickbay was a stranger to you, and he made you worry about the safety of Lt. Uhura?"
"Yes. How many times do I have to say it?"
"So when you heard rumors that Spock abducted the Lieutenant from her quarters, you believed it?"
"I... I did."
"And you believed it because of the unusual behavior you witnessed in sickbay, not because of any supposed romance with the Lieutenant?"
"Yes."
"Were you worried about Spock, the man you proclaimed to love?"
"Yes, of course, I was worried about him too."
"But not as much as Lt. Uhura?"
"Well, I knew as long as Spock got to Vulcan he'd be ok."
"Oh," Wyatt looked surprised. "How did you know that?"
"Because he'd had this illness before, and he was cured on Vulcan."
"Is that so? But I have sworn testimony from Dr. McCoy that not only did he not know the name of the illness but that he did not know how to treat it?"
"That's true, we don't know anything about the fever Mr. Spock suffered from. That was why it was imperative to get Spock to Vulcan where they could treat him fast."
"And the Vulcans couldn't send the treatment to the Enterprise?"
"No. I would think if they could have they would have. Apparently, the treatment is only available on Vulcan."
"Apparently? How convenient. Did Lt. Uhura accompany him on that prior trip to Vulcan?"
"No."
"She didn't? Why do you suppose that is?"
"Why would she? Dr. McCoy and Captain Kirk accompanied him on his previous trip."
"I see. Ship medical logs indicate that you were present when the Captain and Dr. McCoy returned to the ship from Vulcan on that occasion. Is that correct?"
"Yes. I met them in the transporter room."
"And can you describe Captain Kirk's condition when he returned from Vulcan that first time?"
"Well, he was uh... he wasn't conscious."
"Not conscious? And what of his physical appearance?"
"What about it?"
"Nurse, this is all on the transporter logs. How did the Captain look physically?" Wyatt asked.
"Well, his shirt was torn, he was scratched, and bruised up."
"And he was unconscious?"
"Yes," Chris said, annoyed.
"There seem to be a lot of unconscious people around Commander Spock," Wyatt quipped.
"Objection!"
"Mr. Wyatt," Commodore Stone sent him a warning look.
"How did the captain become unconscious?"
"Objection! The witness was not on Vulcan and can't testify to what happened there." Shaw stated.
"According to entry logs, shortly after the Captain and Dr. McCoy returned to the Enterprise Commander Spock beamed back aboard. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"And he immediately reported to sickbay, where you, Dr. McCoy, and Captain Kirk were present. Is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Nurse Chapel, can you tell the court what happened when Commander Spock arrived in the sickbay?"
"He... uh, well... he turned himself in."
"Turned himself in? For what?"
"He said he was guilty of a crime," Christine said with a frown.
"A crime?" Wyatt looked around the courtroom dramatically. "Really? Did he say what he'd done?"
"No. Not exactly."
"Nurse Chapel, what exactly did he say?"
"He uh, ordered Mr. Scott to take command."
"Now, why would Engineer Scott need to take command? Wouldn't that only be necessary if both the Captain and the Commander were dead or incapacitated?"
"I suppose so."
"It is so. You testified that the Captain arrived aboard unconscious and then Spock arrived and declared himself a criminal unfit for duty?"
"Yes."
"One might then conclude that Mr. Spock caused the Captain's injuries, couldn't one?"
"Objection!"
"What happened after Spock ordered Mr. Scott to take command?"
"The captain walked out of the adjoining exam room."
"And what was Commander Spock's reaction?"
"He seemed surprised to see the Captain."
"Why would he be surprised to see his own Captain whom he presumably saw just moments ago on the planet?"
"Objection!"
"Sustained. Mr. Wyatt, please constrain your questions to knowledge the witness will have."
The prosecutor tried a different tack, "Nurse Chapel, what did Mr. Spock say when he saw the Captain?"
"Well, uh, he didn't exactly say very much; it was a more emotional reaction."
"Okay then, Nurse please tell the court, what exactly was his reaction?"
"Well... uh, the captain came in and Spock said, 'Jim!'"
"That's it, just "Jim"?"
"Well, it was the way he said it." She insisted.
"So what was so special about the way he said "Jim"?"
"It was very surprising. I mean he was um... he was..."
"He was what Nurse?"
"He was smiling."
"And that was surprising?"
"Well, of course, Vulcans don't usually smile."
"I see, so first Spock declared himself a criminal, then he ordered Mr. Scott to take command of the Enterprise, and then he smiled uncharacteristically, is that correct?"
"Yes, but-.
"No further questions for this witness.
Miss Shaw recrossed Christine.
"Nurse Chapel, you say Vulcans do not usually smile. How do you know this?"
"Well, it is a well-known fact that Vulcans don't express any emotions," Christine said.
"Yes, Vulcans generally do not express emotion but they are not incapable of it," Miss Shaw said. "So then, seeing Mr. Spock smiling surprised you because you assumed that he could not or did not choose to smile?"
"Yes, I guess so."
"Would it surprise you to know that Mr. Spock does indeed smile when warranted and has done so on several occasions while serving aboard the Enterprise?"
"Yes, it would."
"Nurse Chapel, why were the Captain and Dr. McCoy on Vulcan that first time Mr. Spock suffered from his illness? Were they on official medical business? For example, was Dr. McCoy needed to assist in Mr. Spock's treatment?"
"No, the Enterprise was only planning to drop Mr. Spock off. We were already late for a rendezvous at Altair 6. They accompanied Spock as his friends."
"Ah, I see. Would you say that Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock are very close friends?
"Yes, everyone knows that they're the best of friends."
"And you testified that when the captain was beamed aboard he was unconscious. What were his precise injuries?"
"Well, his injuries were superficial, a few scratches and bruises but he was oxygen deprived which caused labored breathing. Oh, and I believe Dr. McCoy gave him a muscle relaxant to help with that. He wasn't used to the thin atmosphere, heavy gravity, and extreme heat of Vulcan."
"So it would only be logical to believe that Mr. Spock thought the captain was still incapacitated when he beamed aboard. And then seeing his very close friend was in fact recovered, smile in relief?"
"Yes, that would be logical," Chapel said, smiling herself, happy she had not put Spock in a bad light.
"No further questions, Your Honor."
"The witness is excused." Commodore Stone announced.
Christine left the stand and looked over to where Spock sat. She hoped he understood she did not want to testify, but they had forced her to do so. Unfortunately, Spock just stared ahead blankly and did not even bother to look her way. She took a seat in the back of the gallery, just another spectator waiting to learn Spock's fate and feeling like a traitor.