Bells Through the Leaves, chapter 5
Grimacing, Uhura licked her lips and rolled onto her side, then groaned as her brain sloshed around in her skull to adjust to her new position. She opened one eye and winced. Maybe the light coming in from the window was gray, but it was still much too bright. As she squeezed her eyelids shut again, it registered that Spock was sitting in the chair next to the window with his eyes closed, apparently meditating. Shit! Now he was going to have to witness her sorry, hungover state. And to make it even worse, she couldn't remember how she got home last night—not a good sign. She said a quick prayer in hopes that she hadn't acted like too much of an idiot.
"Spock." Her voice was so deep it sounded like a man's.
She swallowed quickly when the edge of the bed sagged beside her.
"Yes, Nyota?"
"Could you close the curtains?"
"Of course." The edge of the bed lifted, and she heard his footsteps cross the room. When the curtains rustled, he said, "Is that more acceptable?"
"Yes, thanks."
She peeked at him as he sat next to her again.
Concern in his expression, he said, "You opened them when we came in last night, and I assumed that you wished them to remain that way. I am sorry that they disturbed you."
"S'okay."
"Here." He lifted a glass and a small tablet from the nightstand. "Milele told me to have you take this last night, but you refused. It will make you feel better."
She pushed herself up on her elbow and put the pill on her tongue, then drank a few small swallows of water. Ignoring the sudden lurching of her stomach, she eased herself back down on the pillow and closed her eyes again.
"I'm so sorry, Spock."
"You are the one who is ill. For what are you apologizing?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure there's something."
He made a small sound, almost like a chuckle.
Frowning, she muttered, "It's not funny!"
"I am not laughing."
Opening one eye, she couldn't help but smile. "Sorry. Of course you aren't." She rolled onto her back. "All right. Tell me what I did last night. I'm sure I'll hear it from someone, so you might as well break it to me now."
"You laughed, you sang, and you drank too much beer."
"That's it? No gory details? I didn't stand on the tables and dance?"
"No. Not on the tables, at any rate. And I do not believe that your intent was to dance."
She groaned again. "Did you have to carry me home? Please tell me I didn't pass out."
"I did not have to carry you. You were able to walk with only a small amount of assistance. Indeed, you remained lucid until we were home, at which point you quickly fell asleep."
"What about the others?"
"They also over-indulged, but not to the extent that you did. It was actually rather fascinating to observe each person's behavior after the removal of certain inhibitions. Yusufu became boisterous, and Milele made repeated off-color remarks. For example, when I was helping you up the steps and asked her what I should do with you, she retorted, 'I'd say whatever you want,' even though she fully understood that I was inquiring about what I could do to help you."
"And me?"
"You became... affectionate. I endured quite a bit of teasing at one point in the evening because I was holding your hands, but my purpose was simply to keep your hands from roaming further than appropriate for such a public venue."
She laughed. "See, I told you that I was apologizing for a reason. Really, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you."
"You did not." He was quiet for a moment. "Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, thanks. Much better. I think I'll go back to sleep for a while. What time do we have to leave for Bath?"
"Do you predict that you will be willing to go?"
"I think so."
"We are expected there at 1100 hours, so we should leave at approximately 1030."
"Would you get me up at 0945, then? I'll just munch on a piece of toast on the way. That'll be the best I can manage, anyway."
"Very well." He brushed his fingers across her forehead. "Sleep well."
She rolled over and closed her eyes, and soon she heard the door open and shut as he left the room.
...
"Pardon me."
The young man looked up from where he was using a small hand-held transporter to sift through the dust, and his eyes grew big. He immediately jumped up and brushed the dirt off his knees.
"Uh, can I help you?" he asked.
"Yes," said Spock. "We are searching for Dr. Helen Singleton."
"Hang on. I'll get her."
Watching him scurry away, Uhura leaned close to Spock and murmured, "He couldn't have been more than seventeen years old. I'm surprised to see someone so young on a dig of this importance."
Spock knelt to examine the equipment the boy had been using. "Dr. Singleton is a teacher. I would assume that she allows her students to assist with the more menial jobs. This transporter, for example, has been programmed in such a way that very little expertise is required to operate it."
Lifting her face to the wind, Uhura studied the hills that surrounded the ragged, debris-ridden field. Orderly rows of stately homes looked down upon them, sentinels to the passage of time. Their solemn faces were partially obscured by the colorful trees, but she knew that they had seen much. What was it like here, a thousand years before any of these homes existed? Had goats climbed the hills while ancient people worshipped at the altar of some now-forgotten god? Or had the Romans who made a home here actually tried to tame the hills, planting familiar trees and erecting civilized structures on the sloping ground?
Spock moved close to her. "How do you feel?"
She smiled and looked up at him. "I've felt better, but I think I'll live. Of course, that's the good news. The bad news is that I'm starting to remember more and more about last night. Did I fall down somewhere? My knee is sore, and it seems like I remember stumbling."
"You had some difficulty navigating the steps at the front of the house, but I was able to catch your elbow before you did more than hit your knee. It did not appear to be damaged. Was my judgment in error? Is it extremely painful?"
She shook her head hastily. "Oh, no, it's fine. Just stiff."
They were interrupted by the sight of a thin blonde woman crossing the rubble in their direction. About the same age as Uhura, she carried herself with great dignity despite the fact that her clothes were filthy and she had a smudge of dried mud across her cheek. As she neared, Uhura could see that she was almost as tall as Spock.
Her expression pleasant but solemn, she said, "Commander Spock and Commander Uhura, I presume?"
"Yes. Greetings, Dr. Singleton. Thank you for allowing us access to your excavation."
"I am honored to have you. If you will follow me, I'll show you what we're exploring right now." Without waiting for an answer, she started toward an area covered with large awnings. She looked over her shoulder as she walked. "Have you enjoyed your stay in England?"
"Yes, it's been really nice." Uhura moved carefully over the uneven surface. "This is such an interesting site. How did you find it?"
The question prompted the tall woman's first smile, and Uhura realized that she was actually very pretty underneath the grime.
"A child found it. While digging in the dirt, she uncovered a coin which she showed to her parents. The parents then took it to the local university, which caused them to investigate."
Spock and Dr. Singleton moved easily across the rough terrain, their long legs carrying them over the obstacles, but Uhura's knee wouldn't cooperate and she was soon left behind. No one noticed her struggle, however, and their voices trailed away as they moved out of hearing range. She gritted her teeth and tried to hurry, resolving to take something for her knee as soon as they got back to Milele's house.
Finally, she drew near enough to see that the other two were walking slowly around the perimeter of a roped-off area. Spock's voice floated clearly on the air.
"Most impressive. I detect the existence of at least three rooms."
Leaning close, Dr. Singleton said, "If you look just beyond the east wall, you'll see evidence of a supporting structure, strongly indicating the presence of a fourth room. In addition, we believe that there was an outer building that served as a residence of sorts, perhaps for a servant or caretaker."
"Fascinating. Do you know which deity was worshipped here?"
"No, we don't have enough clues yet. I'm fairly certain that it was not Sulus Minerva, however."
First they went off without her, and now they were talking in archaeological shorthand. Feeling more than a little left out, Uhura asked, "Who was Sulus Minerva?"
Her irritation must have been evident in her tone, because Spock turned toward her with amusement in his eyes. "Sul was a Celtic deity, and Minerva was the Roman Goddess of healing. The Romans built a temple and baths over the natural hot spring here, thus the name 'Bath.'"
She grinned at having been caught. "I know that much."
Someone called from the other side of the lot. "Dr. Singleton? Could you come here for a minute?"
"I should get back to my students," the tall woman said. "Please feel free to investigate anything that catches your eye."
"You go right ahead," replied Uhura. "We'll be fine. Thanks for letting us look around."
"Indeed. We are most appreciative," added Spock.
Nodding, Dr. Singleton turned and walked briskly across the site. Uhura watched her go, then moved close to Spock.
"What an interesting person. No nonsense there at all."
"She is a dedicated scientist, well-known for her single-minded pursuit of the truth."
Meeting his eyes mischievously, she said, "Not unlike certain other scientists I know. Now, let's take a look around."
...
Turning back the bedspread, Nyota sat heavily on the edge of the mattress and shook her head. "I wish we could have figured out what was written on that piece of marble."
Grateful for the warmth on this chilly night, Spock tied the drawstring on his loose-fitting pants, then shrugged into his shirt as he moved in her direction. "Dr. Singleton is very skilled in her field. If she could not unravel the mystery using the tools at her disposal, we could not expect to study it for a single afternoon and do so ourselves."
"I know. But wouldn't it have been fun! We'll have to check back periodically to see if she's learned anything new." She yawned and rubbed her eyes. "By the way, did you ever reach your parents?"
"The last time I spoke with Mother, she stated that they might stay a day after the end of the conference. Evidently they have done so. I will try them again tomorrow from my grandmother's house." He sat on the bed beside her. Pulling her hands away from her face, he studied her. "You are very tired."
"Yes, I am. I felt pretty good earlier, but last night's excesses have caught up with me, and I feel bad again. I don't think I'm going to want to do anything other than sleep tonight." She smiled gently. "And I don't think that even a backrub will revive me. I'm sorry."
Reminded of the events of three nights ago, Spock frowned slightly, then walked to the other side of the bed. Even through meditation, he had been unable to determine why their encounter had progressed the way it had, and his uneasiness over the entire incident leapt back into the forefront of his thoughts. Although he did not look at her, he heard her movements and knew that she had reclined under the covers. He turned off the light and stretched out next to her.
"Spock?"
He met her eyes. Her face was illuminated gently by the glow of the street lamp outside the window, and she studied him with concern.
Raising herself on her elbow, she said, "Are you still disturbed about what happened the first night we were here? Because if you are, you shouldn't be. I already told you not only that I didn't mind, but that I enjoyed it. I know you wouldn't really hurt me."
He did not know what to say as they gazed at one another. She was so caring, so trusting, so true. How could he tell her that he was capable of hurting her despite his best intentions? That someday he would turn into a raging beast, and that it was possible evolution had not provided her with the stamina to endure his onslaught? That he was withholding information she had every right to know, for fear that she would reject him or, worse, pity him?
That after one year, six months, and eight-point-seven days, he could still convince himself it was not mere cowardice that prevented him from telling her everything?
Misinterpreting his silence, she rested her hand on his arm. "Those bruises were nothing. Believe me, I'll let you know if you're ever too rough. You don't have to treat me like I'm made out of glass."
The silence stretched out between them. She was obviously waiting for him to speak, and he did not wish to disappoint her. Finally, he simply repeated her last statement.
"Like you are made out of glass."
"Yes, like I'm made out of glass. You did treat me as if you might break me, you know, night before last." Wrapping her fingers around his arm, she leaned forward. "It was nice, truly it was, tender and beautiful. We don't have to shake the walls every time we make love, but please don't feel like you have to be so careful with me."
She was right, of course. Although he was unable to bring himself to tell her the darkest reasons for his caution two nights ago, he could not hide the fact that he was troubled. He rolled onto his back.
"You are correct, Nyota. I was disturbed over my roughness with you three nights ago. I still am."
"I can tell."
He studied the ceiling. "That is why I asked to mind-meld with you before we became intimate. I did not wish to risk repeating the previous night's behavior, so I chose to create an environment in which I retained control of our reactions. I wished to reestablish 'civility,' if you will. I wished to put us back on the proper footing."
She was quiet for so long that he finally looked back over at her.
"I am sorry that I was not honest with you about my reasons," he said.
Laying her head on his shoulder, she murmured, "Before you ever touched my mind, I always thought that a relationship with a Vulcan would be one in which there were never any misunderstandings or miscommunications. I suppose that's what most humans think."
He wrapped his arm around her back. "And now?"
"I know that for every corner I find in your mind, there's another one still hidden. And I know that if you're not honest with yourself, you can't be honest with me. No matter how hard you try."
She had him there. Raising both eyebrows, he took a deep breath and pulled her tighter, and held her close until she was asleep.
End chapter 5