…Let us continue

I do not own Star Trek… I just love it so much it hurts

Intro:

Gaila stood and watched the Vulcan do the most un-Vulcan things. He removed the blue hospital blanket and replaced it with the one his mother had made for him. He took the only picture he had of both of them and placed it on the bedside table. He had apparently stopped by the gift shop and brought her some flowers in a vase and placed them outside her door on a small table he had moved from the hallway and the most surprising thing, he laid two books down on the bottom of the bed to read to her while she was in the medical coma. Gaila peeked at the titles, Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, Vulcan edition and Romulan, all three dialects – 2nd edition.

Gaila looked lovingly at the Commander. He may hide his feelings but when it really counts, he knows how to show love. she thought to herself

"I know what to do Commander. I'll get the information you seek," she swore, as she rose from the chair, bending over to touch Nyota's hand. "Oh and Commander Spock, don't be to hard on yourself. I didn't see it ether." she spoke comfortingly to him

Spock nodded and Gaila swiftly departed.

___________

Belinda Carlisle – Heaven is a Place on Earth

Spock did not just sit still and watch his love, he took over her care as much as the nurse would allow. Vulcans can go days without sleep, it was no concern to him, he just needed to be well, needed. She was his Temple of Amonak, one of the most sacred sites on Vulcan. She was his Heaven on Earth. He was truly alive when he was with her. He was never half because she made him whole.

The doctor was right, even with Nyota in a medical coma her body showed the signs of the devastating effects of the medicines that were trying to save her life . Her fingernails had turned blue and her hands cold. Her fever was gone yet she continued to shiver and then break into a cold sweat. Several times, Spock would wait until the cold sweat would seem to stop and with the doctor's permission, would lift her gently from the bed and allow the nurse to change her sheets. He himself, would change her gown after giving her a warm bed bath.

Spock didn't care about the look on the nurse's face when he gently removed the yellow tub from her hand and said, "I will do this. She will need some lotion, extra dry formula please" he said and then walked to the sink to run warm water into the basin.

"Commander Spock?" the nurse started to say but Dr. McCoy, hearing the exchange tapped the nurse on the shoulders and pointed her out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Tending to Nyota was logical, Spock said to himself. She is fiercely independent and would be displeased if anyone, other than I, were to assist in her recovery, he said, cleaning the room and sitting down to read from the Romulan text.

Now, in Vulcan society this would have been seen as so illogical that a Medical Meld would have been prescribed for Spock! A full Vulcan would have seen little need to read anything to a person who is ill, let alone in a medical coma but Spock had watched his mother read to his father even when she knew he couldn't possibly have received useful data from the interaction. However, his mother was human and his Nyota was human so he concluded that it was "logical" to follow the human custom and read to her.

After reading a chapter of the Romulan text, he monitored her readouts and held her hand through one of the shivering episodes only to wipe her face when her body would overflow with perspiration. Ringing the nurse to ask for assistance in changing the bedding and then dismissing her to bathe and dress his Nyota.

It was 23:00 hours when Riley was to meet Spock with the reports. Spock would meet him outside of the infirmary, as it was very late. Riley's dorm was just one block away from the infirmary and just two away from the medical dorms.

On the way outside, Spock stopped to speak to Dr. McCoy. "Dr. McCoy? I need to make a personal communication call. I will return shortly. If anything should change.." he asked plainly but Dr. McCoy cut him off.

"Go, I'll be here for another hour or so. Go…" he said not looking up from his work.

Spock turned to walk out when the doctor's words made him stop. He did not turn around. "Commander, I might have been out of line earlier. I might have been" he said gruffly.

Spock nodded and walked out the door quickly. He turned down the white washed hallway, with it's lights dimmed to reflect closing time, to head outside in the chilly night air to await Cadet Riley and then go to their suite to call his parents.

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Aerosmith – Crazy

Spock waited outside and watched Cadet Riley walk up and stop short before handing him the file chip. Spock spoke first "Are the reports complete and accurate?" he inquired harshly

Riley stood perfectly upright his voice shaking slightly but with an air of anger to it, "Yes, sir. However, Lieutenant J.G Uhura did not report for her shift, sir!" he said quickly.

"Lieutenant J. G. Uhura has been excused, Cadet Riley. I strongly suggest that you concentrate on report writing and leave the administration of the Language lab to me. Is that clear Cadet?" Spock responded, stepping towards Riley

"Yes, sir!" the cadet replied shocked then looked at the ground and thought to himself, Could he know? Does he suspect what has really been happening all these months?

Commander Spock nodded briskly at the Cadet and motioned for Riley to move along, before he headed in haste towards his suite.

Riley moved quickly towards his dorm and then snapping his fingers he headed back to the medical building. "Damn, I need to walk her home. I'm not even sure I want to see her anymore!" he said kicking the ground and jumping as he had miscalculated and stubbed his toe.

Running up the steps he pressed the intercom, a computer voice came through the intercom "Visiting hours are over. Please come back tomorrow or enter in patent code" Riley had memorized the nurse's number and watched as the doors slid open.

Whistling softly, he wandered through the halls then realized that Dr. McCoy was still in his office. Riley ducked down the long hallway to an area that he had known very well. For some reason, his girl liked to meet in this particular hallway in some of the rooms to make love to him. He didn't know why she liked to make love in here and to be truthful, he didn't really care, he just knew when he was with her it was like he was the most wanted person in the universe! She made him feel strong, proud, made of steel and sexy as hell. Not, wimpy and whipped like he felt with her outside of this hallway.

Walking down the hallway he stopped suddenly realizing that there was a room that might have been occupied. My girl is waiting for me! How could I hate someone and lust after her so? he thought as he wandered towards the small light coming from the door with the vase outside.

"I'm here baby." he said, as he entered the medical room. Stopping suddenly, all the blood drained from his face, his mouth fell open and he grabbed hold of the doorframe to keep from falling. "Dear God, What have we done? What have we done?" he said choking out the words.

Riley turned and tripped over the small table, which sent the flowers and vase tumbling to the floor with a loud crash, but the vase remained unbroken! Panic had truly set in and he felt trapped like a dragon slugworm on a Klingon plate. His hands shaking, he placed the vase back on the desk he turned and looked around. He ran to the entrance of the medical wing and peered through the door. "I'm so sorry Uhura!" he voice quivered and he hurried quickly down the hallway and out the front door.

Macy Gray - I Try

Spock, removing his coat quickly, asked the computer to call his mother and father's home on Vulcan. They would just be making breakfast together, listening to music, if he were home. They had completed this task for as long as Spock could remember. Sarek would measure out the ingredients and his mother would add them. Sometimes adding more or taking less than the directions required. This would make for interesting, sometimes louder than logical mornings.

"Amanda, the guidelines reflect fifteen milligrams of salt. Why did you place your fingers in the spoon and "pinch" the salt?" Spock's father would snort and look into the pot or pan and then back at his wife.

Lady Amanda would glance lovingly at her husband and say, "Sarek, my husband, how many times have I made eggs for you?" but before he could give her the exact number she would continue, "And how many times have you given me the exact amount?" she stated, turning the eggs in the pan with the natural rhythm of a master cook. Sarek started to speak only to be cut short. "And you love them every time" she sang lifting the spoon full of fluffy eggs and blowing on them before offering a sample to him.

Sarek looked as his wife with a stern, firm stare and then slowly leaned forward and accepted the eggs. "You are correct, my wife" and turned to take a plate for her to place the eggs on.

Spock's memory of the events suddenly came to a halt when a voice answered the communication. "Hello son," a friendly voice rang out. "What brings this early morning call?" his mother asked

"Mother, I am calling to tell you about Nyota. She is in the infirmary with multiple medical ailments. I will not go into detail but I believe her to out of immediate danger but wish to return to her shortly." He spoke quickly, and then diverted his eyes, which told his mother there was more he needed to say.

"Continue Spock," his mother said, as she wiped her hands on her apron and sat down before the view screen

Breathing deeply, Spock retold the whole dreadful story including Nyota's father's threat to take her back home. Watching his mother's hands for clues to what she was thinking and then realizing that his father had heard the it all as well, Spock swallowed hard as he watched his father sit down beside his mother and look unmoved and annoyed at the same time.

"Well Spock, it sounded like a logical plan to me." His father spoke first before his mother could respond. "but humans are so often unsettled by other humans throwing their emotions at a partner, a Vulcan would never let that be a crisis." he stoically said, and then noticed his wife giving him a look of utter disbelief .

"Why do you look at me is such a manner, my wife? his father asked as he turned towards Lady Amanda, his eyes wide but his face hard as stone.

"You must be accurate in your statements, my husband?" she said to him while looking at him hard and placing her hands on her hips.

Sarek didn't respond, so Lady Amanda continued, "You don't remember when we broke up for the first time. One of many before we were married?" she asked rhetorically

Spock watched as his father continued to look at his mother. Fascinating, Spock thought, he had never known his mother and father to separate, ever

"Sarek, you will tell your son the whole story and leave no detail out! I can hear you from the kitchen!" her voice seething. "I hate it when you pretend that you are so perfect. He needs you now." And she stood quickly and walked away. Spock could hear the pots and pans hitting the stovetop.

Turning towards the view screen, it was his father's turn to breathe deeply. "Must I relay such personal information Amanda?" he inquired but it was fruitless as he could hear the cabinet doors being slammed open and shut and then silence,

Sarek lowered his shoulders in defeat, "Spock, what you are about to hear is the account of a foolish, illogical act that only being in the proximity of humans would produce." He spoke with an air of disbelief in his voice.

"Your mother and I" had been coupling for a year before we became public. During most of that year several human males were actively pursuing her, to no avail. We were logical, sound; we 'what was that word you used my wife, when we were younger?' Oh, I recall- we "fit"." He said slipping back into the memory

Sarek continued without interruption, "Amanda and I had a disagreement about some human male she had as a friend." letting the word "friend" come across his lips with disdain.

"He was just a friend." Spock heard his mother call from somewhere in the kitchen.

Sarek sat up straighter and Spock could have sworn he saw fire in his eyes. "Shall I continue?" his father retorted harshly turning in her direction.

Turning back to the screen, his father continued, "Paul Reel was a fellow teacher at your mother's school. He smelled awful, even by human standards. He pursued your mother to an extreme. It was unsound and disturbing" Sarek stated, fussing with his clothing before continuing.

"I must admit, I became uhm, unsettled" he mumbled but his wife had a better word for it.

"He became so jealous, he was impossible to deal with!" Lady Amanda walked over to her husband and kissed him on the cheek. Spock could see his father's face soften slightly and then harden again.

"Again, being around humans can lead to unwise actions. I tried to be logical but I allowed my emotions to get the best of me and before I could make the correction, I had lost your mother." his father spoke quietly looking at his wife's face before she walked back to the kitchen.

"I would not admit that my emotions had gotten the best of me. In my haste to rectify the situation I hadn't thought of the ramification it may have had on your mother" he recalled slowly.

"I walked to the faculty lounge and requested to converse with this Paul." His father's voice began to rise. "Your mother came to the hallway and asked me to go but I refused. I would speak to Paul and terminate his pursuit of your mother!" Spock's father spit out the words as if it was happing right now.

"Paul became belligerent with me as your mother stepped in-between us. In viewing this action I mistakenly assumed that she was picking the smelly human over me" he said and then shook his head. "Thinking about it now, the thought is asinine but youth is foolish." he said snobbishly as he waved one hand in the air as if shooing a fly.

"So, he left me!" Lady Amanda called from the pantry.

"So, I tried to leave her, but alas, I could not. I tried to conceal these emotions but I could not be without her. It was illogical. I could not get past not having her beside me. I even had dreams of her." he said softly, lowering his head.

"To my counterparts, I was stable but it was not accurate. My work suffered and I was forced to admit to myself and could no longer deny that I could not 'center' myself without her" his words strong and true. Spock watched as his mother walked to his father and handed him a plate of breakfast. Sarek looked at the contents and placed it gently on the counter then placed two fingers in the air.

"It took time but I won her back. It was most logical, we fit." he said concretely as his wife placed her fingers next to his. "Now, you have made an error, fix it. If you want Lieutenant J.G. Uhura, you must think logically, but if that doesn't work, do whatever it takes to be the warrior she needs. Fight for her and let no one stand in the way. No One. Yes and Spock, keep her safe! Live long and prosper" he said then nodded, the conversation was over and the screen went black.

_________

Mariah Carey - Butterfly

Spock took a quick shower and changed into a fresh pair of Federation standards off-duty clothing. Grabbing a small bite to eat he headed back to the medical ward. He stopped to thank Dr. McCoy for staying, quickly walked down the hallway and turned the corner towards his fiancé's door. He stopped abruptly and noticed that the flowers by her door had been disturbed most violently.

Moving hastily he checked on her and was relieved that she seemed unharmed. He sat up the entire night, repeating the tender care she had received early. Spock noticed that the duration of the night sweats were expanding. He believed this was a good sign.

Early in the morning Dr. McCoy walked in looking at charts and scanning the patent. "This little girl is made of strong stuff. I think we will begin to ease her out of the medical coma but slowly. If she begins to show signs of stress I will place her back under." he said as he walked over to check another readout.

Spock excused himself and walked to the public restroom. He walked to the sink and threw water on his face and looked into the mirror, suddenly becoming ill. He resisted the urge to throw-up and attempted to 'center' himself. The thought of Nyota waking up and not wanting him flooded his system, an emotional overload, as it were. "Not now!" he words vibrated harshly off of the stark walls.

I will fight to get you back. Whatever it takes, my Nyota. he thought, standing taller than the Vulcan knew he could. I will give her space but will always be there until she allows me back in.

Dr. McCoy gently bent over Nyota's bed and gave her the hypo-spray then turned to Spock he said, "We should be able to see her return to us within the next four hours or so. Uhm, Commander Spock, We have repeated the blood test and these drugs are unlike any that we carry on the base. This attack, if there was one, is not little and it may not be easily solved." he turned and placed his hand on the Vulcan's shoulder and then walked out.

Spock watched for signs of conciseness but none came before he was forced to leave to go and teach a class that could not be rescheduled. The students in the class would never have known that there was anything was going on. Professional as always, personal business never came before duty but the second class was over, Commander Spock was gone!

He stopped by their suite to pick up Nyota's brush and her lotion. He did not care for the smell of the hospital's and headed back. It was a beautiful day and he didn't see it. The sun was shinning and he didn't see it. The birds were singing and he didn't hear them. But he did stop to notice something out of place. A single butterfly, this late in the season? He thought, It must have escaped from one of the science labs. Finding the nearest cadet, he ordered him to catch it and take it to the green house that was attached to Nyota's dorm. "Yes, sir." the cadet said, and quickly caught the insect. Nyota will be fond of it when she is well enough to visit the greenhouse. he thought as he turned up the hospital steps and made his way quickly back to her room.

_____________

Last Train Home by Ryan Star

As he passed Dr. McCoy's door he could hear him shouting at someone. "What the hell were you doing with her file?" Dr. McCoy shouted. "And don't lie to me, Nurse Chapel!" Spock continued to walk past the door, he would ask for a full report later, right now he was only thinking about, his Nyota. He wanted to hold her again; he wanted to seek her forgiveness. He… but he could not finish his inner thoughts because familiar voices were coming from her room.

Rushing to the door, he saw all too quickly who it was; Mr. and Mrs. Uhura. As he walked into the small room both parents looked at the Vulcan. Mrs. Uhura spoke, Mr. Uhura did not. Spock nodded to both and then placed the brush on the bedside table. He walked over and looked silently at the readouts and began to clean her room and prepare to have the nurse change her bedding again and wash her for the day.

Mr. Uhura spoke harshly, "What the hell are you doing? Get out of my daughter's room." looking at the Vulcan with serpentine eyes but Spock continued the routine of caring for her.

"Honey, please" Chica pleaded, and placed her hand on her husband's shoulder and looked into his eyes.

"I said, Get out!" his words seething as he moved in-front-of the sink so Spock could not get to the water.

Spock stopped but did not move. The men were at a stand still. Vulcan versus Father, both stubborn. One in love with this fragile woman the other who loves her more than life itself. The silence was deafing.

"Gentlemen, may I speak to you outside." Dr. McCoy's voice was soft but authoritative "Now!"

Spock turned and placed the basin in Chica's hands and walked out of the room. Mr. Uhura kissed his wife on the cheek and walked out into the hallway with Dr. Mc Coy and Spock.

"Gentlemen, I don't know what is going on here and I really don't care but if you are going to stay in my hospital, you are going to play nicely or I will have you both removed!" he said, not mincing words.

"Doctor, who has control of her medical care?" Mr. Uhura asked already knowing the answer. The doctor was not prepared for the question.

"Well, until you came, Spock." Dr. McCoy said slowly, looking suspiciously at Mr. Uhura.

Moving closer to the Vulcan, Mr. Uhura said, "And now?" he said unhurriedly.

Doctor McCoy understood where this was going and couldn't do a thing about it. "Her parents as Spock and Uhura are not married yet." he said

"Good, then I would like her visitors restricted until further notice" he said.

Spock looked at Doctor McCoy, but the Doctor shook his head at the Vulcan. "Understood, until she wakes up and chooses for herself. Come Spock. Spock?" but the Vulcan moved back into the room and stood by her bed.

"Commander Spock, I have no choice but to ask you to leave." Dr. McCoy placed his hands on the humanoid's shoulder.

Spock looked back and nodded, he leaned in to kiss her and he didn't care that people were present but before he could, her eyes begin to flutter. She was awake!

Mr. Uhura moved quickly to the other side of the bed. Happy to see his daughter coming around but not wanting Spock to upset her, he looked at the Doctor again. "Get him out of here! He has caused enough pain and until she is well enough to think clearly I don't want him around."

Finishing a quick scan, Doctor McCoy said. "Come Spock. I must insist you leave."

Spock couldn't move. He watched as her eyes slowly open. He could hear sounds of someone and the Doctor speaking to him but the words were just soft background noise. Standing as close at the bed would allow he wanted to hear her voice.

"Spock?" she said weakly. It was the first word he heard come from her precious lips. "I need my father…" were the last. His brain went fuzzy and he felt Doctor McCoy help him out of the room.

"Nothing to hide from Commander. After all, he is her father." Doctor McCoy said, before closing the door and leaving Spock in the cold, lonely hallway.

Spock understood this could be the outcome. He understood that he would have to reestablish her trust in him. It still felt unnatural to be on this side of the door. He turned and walked down the hallway. He turned past the nurse's and doctor's offices, and out the front door. He didn't know where he would go so he went where he felt closest to her, the greenhouse.

It smelled of fresh soil and rain from the greenhouse irrigation system. New flora had been added since he had last visited but still paled in comparison to his Nyota's loveliness. Looking around, it was harder than he thought to 'center' himself. Would she ever choose him again? he wondered trying hard to suppress the emotion of loss. But as if by magic or fate or destiny, none of which Vulcans believed in, he received his answer in the form of a very weak signal. Before he turned to leave, he noticed the butterfly, her butterfly. Yes, she would be pleased to see it and he turned and headed back to the medical bay area.

TBC

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Tondelayo