"Jim!"
Captain Kirk turns to see Doctor McCoy jogging towards him down the ship's corridor.
"What is it Bones?"
Kirk's query is equal parts mildly concerned and curious, the Commanding Medical Officer might preach regular exercise, but is rarely seen actually participating in such activity, clearly meaning it must be something rather urgent.
"It's Spock, have you noticed anything...strange about him?"
Kirk's expression shifts to bemusement as they continue down the now mildly crowded corridor, crew passing by on their way to and from various tasks, possibly heading off for a meal or some much needed sleep.
"No, nothing in particular, why?"
McCoy frowns slightly as he voices his concern.
"Well, it's nothing I can pinpoint without an examination, but he's becoming increasingly restive. If he wasn't a Vulcan I'd almost say 'nervous.' And for another thing, he's avoiding food. He hasn't eaten anything at all in three days."
Kirk continues to look bemused, shifting towards actual amusement.
"Well, that just sounds like Mr. Spock in one of his contemplative phases."
Their conversation is interrupted as Nurse Chapel comes around the corner, carrying a covered food tray. She tries to turn back, but is halted by McCoy, who beckons Kirk over as well.
"What's this?"
McCoy gestures to the tray as Nurse Chapel laughs nervously, he lifts the cover revealing a soup bowl as Kirk watches in polite confusion.
"Oh, Vulcan Plomeek soup. And I'll bet you made it too. You never give up hoping, do you?"
He says the last line with the clear implication she should have, and a long time ago at that, but with a sort of wry kindness. Chapel flushes a bit with embarrassment before hesitantly offering an explanation.
"Well, uhm, Mr. Spock hasn't been eating Doctor, and I just happened to notice."
She offers a nervous smile, clearly wishing she were anywhere else at the moment. McCoy returns the lid to the tray, as a still befuddled Kirk watches in polite confusion.
"It's alright. Carry on, Ms. Chapel."
McCoy offers her a small smile though he clearly still holds the opinion this is a bad idea, and Chapel hastily continues on her way to Mr. Spock's quarters; which happen to be a short distance down the corridor. She pauses to press the buzzer before heading inside, safe now from the scrutiny of her Superior Officers.
"Bones, I'm a busy man..."
Kirk says as he turns to leave, but McCoy moves to cut him off.
"Jim, when I suggested to Spock that it was time for his routine check up, your logical, unemotional First Officer turned to me and said 'You will cease to pry into my personal matters, Doctor, or I shall certainly break your neck.'"
Kirk allows a surprised expression with mild concern to wash across his face as he stares at McCoy, whose own face is completely serious.
"Spock said that?"
Incredulous curiosity more than anything tinges the words, but before Kirk can ask McCoy for more information, Spock's voice, raised in an uncharacteristic shout, comes from his quarters.
"What is this?!"
The door to his quarters hisses open, and Nurse Chapel bolts from the entrance, narrowly avoiding the tray of soup as Spock hurls it into the corridor after her. It smacks against the wall, leaving a vivid purplish-red splatter, the bowl sliding down the wall to clatter to the floor. Spock, his dark eyes blazing, bellows after her retreating form.
"If I want anything from you, I'll ask for it!"
His expression shifts when he sees both his Captain and the Chief Medical Officer standing just outside his door, sporting similarly shocked expressions, though Kirk's holds a degree of concern as well. Spock stiffens, before addressing Kirk in a stern tone.
"Captain, I should like to request a leave of absence on my home planet. On our present course, you can divert to Vulcan with a loss of but 2.8 light days."
Kirk steps forward, as the initial shock of Spock's outburst fades to concern.
"Spock...what the devil is this all about?"
Spock's face remains closed, though his eyes still burn, his anger restrained, now more like a smoldering fire than a bolt of lightning.
"I have made my request, Captain. All I require from you is that you answer it, yes or no?!"
Harsh, furious, and even rude, Spock's flat-out demand prompts Kirk to try to follow Spock as he storms back into his quarters, but the door hisses shut in his face, which has gone from deeply concerned to visibly worried; McCoy unable to offer anything more than a baffled and sympathetic shake of his head.
"I don't know what to tell you Jim, but he's definitely not his usual 'walking-computer' self."
McCoy's face darkens with concern as he realizes Kirk is not receptive to humor at the moment, and he moves forward to put a reassuring hand on his very worried friend's shoulder.
"I'll look up Vulcans in the Med library, see what might be causing him to be acting like this, I'll let you know if I find anything, alright?"
Kirk nods, his reply soft, as he turns to look at the closed door.
"Thanks Bones."
His friend hesitates, and opens his mouth as though to say something, but chooses instead to clap Kirk bracingly on the shoulder before heading off and turning down a side corridor.
"'All I require from you is that you answer it...'"
Kirk mutters to himself as he muses over his First Officer's irrational behavior, his concern compounded when he is forced to use his Captain's clearance to override the privacy lock placed upon the door. Squaring his shoulders, and feeling oddly like going into battle, he strides forward, and though it is likely his imagination, the click of the latch sounds almost foreboding...ominous. Shaking his head slightly to re-center his thoughts, he strides boldly into Spock's quarters, not as a friend, but as his Commanding Officer.
"Mr. Spock!"
He calls out, bold, commanding, a call which demands an answer. Yet Spock does not, he is seated at his desk, writing something, most likely a report. As Kirk strides into the room, he stops writing, but does not look up. Kirk halts and then repeats himself, though not as loud, the tone is the same, and just as insistent.
"Mr. Spock."
Spock finally gets up from his desk, stylus still in hand, which he nonchalantly moves behind his back. Still clearly agitated, though his anger seems to have lessened somewhat, he makes a point of not looking directly at the Captain. Tension creeps into the silence between them, and Kirk is the first to break it, striding across the room to stand in front of his reticent First Officer.
"Alright, Spock, let's have it."
No friendliness, pure authority, a Superior demanding an explanation from their subordinate. Spock's reply as he moves across from him, however, is not what he expected.
"It is undignified for a woman to play servant to a man who is not hers. I do not wish-"
Kirk cuts him off midsentence.
"I'm more interested in your request for shore leave. In all the years I've known-"
Spock interrupts him.
"You have my request, Captain, will you grant it or not?"
Kirk is taken aback, Spock has never, not once, spoken like this...his mind reeling with the complete wrongness of it. He addresses Spock again, more sternly than before, insubordination something he will not tolerate, regardless of...well, anything, and especially not in a First Officer.
"...In all the years I've known you, you've never asked for a leave of any sort. In fact, you've refused them, why now?"
Spock counters with simple logic.
"Captain, surely I have enough leave time accumulated."
Kirk acknowledges the point, yet tries to force an answer as he moves to stand right in front of Spock.
"Agreed, but that isn't the question, is it?"
Spock shifts his feet before moving back towards his desk, resting his hand upon the back of the chair. He glances at Kirk, rigid, unyielding, and Spock's sholders sag in defeat. He sits down heavily in his chair, agitation giving way to something more akin to a sulk, which is even stranger than his earlier rage, and prompts Kirk to slightly soften his tone.
"If there's a problem of some sort, illness in the family..."
Spock's reply is curt, his gaze directed at the floor.
"No. Nothing of that nature, Captain."
Kirk reprises his authoritative tone, though concern is deeply etched upon his face; Spock continues to avoid looking up.
"Then since we're headed for Altair VI, and since the shore facilities there are excellent..."
He states as he moves towards the door, prompting another outburst from Spock, who quickly rises from his chair.
"No! I must-"
He stops, aware of his emotional display, now looking directly into his Captain, his friend's concerned eyes, tense silence once again falling between them. Spock visibly gathers his composure before speaking, clearly still embarrassed by his reaction.
"I wish to take my leave on Vulcan."
Kirk looks at him for a long moment, his authoritative air gone, replaced completely by the friend who knows this Vulcan, and sees how this request, this near plea is costing him. Kirk again crosses the room to stand in front of Spock, concern radiating from him in a palpable wave; unnoticed behind his back, Spock tightens his grip on the stylus still clenched in his now shaking fist.
"Spock...I'm asking you: what's wrong?"
Kirk's voice is soft, not quite gentle, and he clearly expects an answer, if not a completely satisfactory one, at least one that makes some amount of sense. Spock, while not fully disclosing anything, moderately complies, his voice low.
"I need...rest. I'm asking you to accept that answer."
Kirk looks down as he nods, quietly accepting his friend's answer. He moves slightly to the desk, using Spock's computer to contact the bridge to increase their speed, noticing as he does so that Spock's hands are clenched behind his back, clearly holding...something; he chooses not to comment on it as he finishes relaying his orders to the helmsman. Satisfied that the ship is now set to reach their destination ahead of schedule, Kirk throws a look at Spock, who is staring straight ahead at nothing, he might well be a statue. He heads for the door and is brought up short as Spock's voice cuts through the air.
"Thank you, Captain."
Kirk turns; Spock is still immobile, hands clasped firmly behind him.
"I suppose most of us overlook the fact that even Vulcans aren't indestructible."
He smiles reassuringly as he leaves, thinking the matter to be more or less resolved, he heads to the bridge. Spock arches an eyebrow as he muses over this sentiment; the hand gripping the stylus now shaking uncontrollably, he brings the other around in an attempt to stop it.
"No..."
He pauses as he thinks of how close Jim-the Captain-had been when he contacted the bridge.
"...we are not."
He confesses his weakness to the empty room, voice heavy with despair.