Chapter 5.
Spock gave his Captain one long look and scrambled up the rubble. Kirk was right behind him. Spock had difficulty fitting thought the gap but when he was through he saw that the last earth movement has made more room in the confined space. A section on the back wall had crumbled. This had partly re-blocked the small gap and explained why the lean Spock had experienced difficulty getting through the gap, but it also meant there was now room for two in the space.
"Captain," he called when Kirk looked at him Spock reached through the gap, gripped Kirk's wrists and pulled Kirk through the gap in one fluid movement. Kirk's found himself in the small space standing chest to chest with Spock. A deafening boom shuddered through the cave and reverberated through the surrounding rock and resonating in their bones. Both men felt the walls shudder and press in on them squeezing and Kirk felt Spock's arms wrap around his head and shoulders pushing him down slightly as rubble cascaded onto them; at the same time they felt the cool fluid tingle of the transport beam. They arrived on the transport pad with a shower of grit and rubble pressed hard against one another, Spock shielding the Captain's head with his arms.
The two men pulled apart to look at each other in amazed relief and then to the crowded transporter room. Uhura rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Spock causing a general stunned quiet to fall on the room until Spock put one arm around her shoulder and hugged her to him. Noise started again. Then there was a blur of activity with medics scanning and checking and attempting to treat the survivors while reports were being delivered and orders being given; the frenetic whirl of activity continued for many hours.
Hartley was taken to sick bay and treated for multiple abrasions. The others had not had the luxury until the Klingons were dispatched. They had taken up their command positions bloodied, covered with rock dust, temporarily patched and splinted and sustained by stimulants and pain killers; much to McCoy's disgust.
Later, long hours later, Kirk, Spock and Uhura were in the sick bay being treated. Spock had sustained damage to his neck and shoulders and a broken arm as he shielded his captain from that final rock fall and Kirk had cracked two ribs. Uhura's injuries included a mild concussion, multiple abrasions, a cracked rib and two deep cuts.
McCoy had done what he could for Uhura's concussion and rib and was still fussing over the cut on Uhura's face, "We don't want it to scar do we darling', you want to be beautiful for you groom,"
"Lieutenant Uhura is always beautiful," stated Spock as coolly as he usually recited scientific facts, causing Kirk and McCoy to roll their eyes.
But, watching the melting look Uhura gave Spock, Kirk mentally agreed with him. "I can see that you have the hang of being married already," Kirk said and laughed, and then regretted it as his rib protested.
McCoy also treated the injuries to Spock's arms and neck sustained while shielding Kirk, "Not content with just getting married, you had to be a hero too," muttered McCoy.
"I was only doing my duty doctor," stated Spock, "Star Fleet regulation 219.4 states that when the life of the …"
"Alright you walking encyclopaedia, if I wanted to know any more about Star Fleet regulations I would look it up myself," McCoy paused and said, "Say what do Star Fleet regulations say on the matter of wedding nights?"
Spock cocked his head and considered before replying, "They are silent on the matter."
"Well there's a wonder," said McCoy grinning, "Tell me Spock is this a case of marry in haste, repent at leisure."
"I assume doctor that is one of you quaint ancient human sayings," said Spock his tone conveying very clearly what he though of the doctor's quaint ancient human sayings. "I assure you that our wedding was most fortuitous and there is nothing to repent."
"Fortuitous?" replied the McCoy.
"Indeed, the conflicting customs of two cultures, the expectations of two very different family groups, our mutual personal preference for avoiding excessive ceremony, the distance in locations, the travel restrictions of various family members due to age and ill health and our Star Fleet schedules where combining to make the seemingly straightforward act of actually getting married one of the more complex logistical exercises I have faced."
McCoy just goggled at Spock.
"As events have tuned out Nyota's family will consider the wedding acceptable and," here he paused slightly, "romantic, and my Vulcan clan will accept the logic of the decision. Indeed it is an admirable, almost elegant, solution."
"To hear you talk about it anyone would think you were pleased to be hounded through caves for three days by crazed Klingons," stuttered McCoy incredulous.
"Doctor," said Spock, "I was merely correcting your erroneous assumption that I regret in any way marrying Lieutenant Uhura. I can assure you the being trapped underground in close quarters will you for three days is not an experience I would ever have sought or wish to repeat," said Spock raising one eyebrow slightly, his expression bland.
Uhura was grinning at Spock. He started slightly as if someone had tapped him on the shoulder and turned to look across at her his expression intense. McCoy was looking back and forward between the two as if watching a tennis match. They were totally absorbed in looking at each other.
McCoy sidled over to Kirk and he gestured with his head to the couple still locked in their own silent communication, "That will get old fast. I think I preferred it when the relationship was a secret."
Hartley came timidly up to the group and cleared her throat. Uhura broke away from Spock's gaze and turned to Hartley who held a padd out and smiled shyly. Uhura looked confused and took the offered padd.
Spock looked at her alarmed as she gasped and gripped his arm. She angled the pad toward him.
Hartley's padd had photographic capabilities and she had taken pictures; wedding pictures. Uhura scrolled though the pictures on the small screen, first was a picture of Uhura and Spock, scraped and bloodied and covered in dust standing side by side in front of Kirk, the next picture showed Uhura glaring off camera to where the doctor had stood, followed by a picture of her radiant face as she said her vows and another of the Vulcan kiss and then the human kiss, almost invisible in the gloom of the cave, and the final image of Spock cradling her unconscious body. No one seeing that image would ever say he had no feelings, every line of his body told of his deep emotion. Most expressive was his long fingered hand pressed to the meld points of her face. Uhura's breath caught in her throat as she stared at the picture.
Hartely spoke, "I hope you don't mind. I know it was not normal wedding but it seemed like there should be wedding pictures."
"I don't know how to thank you, Ensign," said Uhura and smiled warmly at the blushing girl.
"I too thank you," said Spock, causing Hartley to turn scarlet with pleasure as she backed away straight into McCoy. His arms wrapped around her to steady her as she stumbled, "This is becoming a habit Ensign Hartley," he said and huffed, but it did not escape Kirk's notice that Hartley leaned back into McCoy' s arms and McCoy did not let the Ensign go immediately. Mentally Kirk sighed, "It figures".
Kirk pulled a slight face and sighed then turned to Uhura, "So when is the reception?" he asked.
Uhura sighed, "We were not planning one."
"Not even a small one?" said Kirk with his endearing little boy look.
Pulling an ironic face Uhura said, "We had an informal, intimate wedding."
"That's one way to describe it," murmured McCoy.
"And were hoping that we could just slip away to our honeymoon," Uhura finished.
"Ohh," said Kirk, and he scratched his head, "I suppose that I could give you two days off baring further attacks." Uhura beamed at him. "So no reception ha?" said Kirk to Spock and Uhura, "then I'd better make a ship wide announcement or something."
"We do not think that will be necessary," said Spock, "Our marriage will in fact change nothing at an operational level and I think that my wife moving in with me will alert to crew to our change in status."
"He's doing it again!" thought Kirk, there was no discernable change in Spock's facial expression but when he said, "wife" he almost glowed with satisfaction.
"I don't think you need worry about spreading the word. Amateur Photographer Hartley has been showing the wedding photos to everyone," said McCoy drily, "I don't think any female on the staff is not aware of the circumstances' of this marriage. I will probably become legend. "
Spock and Uhura looked over to see a group of young nurses gazing dreamily at them. Uhura sighed. Kirk got the impression she was sighing for both Spock and herself.
"Ok," said Kirk slapping his leg as he stood, "I'm off." Looking at Spock and Uhura he said, "You kids run along," causing Spock's eyebrows to disappear into his hair line, "and take two days honeymoon. I'm going to do some paperwork." He sighed and left sickbay muttering, "He gets Uhura I get ….paperwork."
The End.