The day of their anniversary, Spock awoke before Uhura and silently slipped from her bed to the sonic shower, then dressed in his spare set of clothes before taking a short breath and opening his communicator to hail Bones. As expected he was met with the good doctor's usual snarky greeting.

'Spock, do you have any idea what the hell time it is right now?'

'Time is but a social construct, Doctor, as each planet in the universe has-'

'Shut up and tell me what you want.'

'An odd paradox that I shall chose to decipher a different time. I am in need of an emergency consult if your schedule allows for such at this time. I would prefer the consult take place in my quarters, if possible.'

Spock waited as patiently as possible, envisioning Bones dragging his hand over his face as he was wont to do when thoroughly frustrated at being incapable of refusal. When he felt the blistering red of annoyance turn into the dark crimson of anger, Bones' voice came loud and clear over the comm.

'I don't do house calls, Commander, you wanna see me, get your pointy ears down to med bay in fifteen minutes.'

'Very well.'

Spock closed his communicator, turned back towards the bed to see Uhura still sleeping soundly so he fetched a memo-cube from her desk and recorded a quick message to her entirely in his mother tongue; he knew she would appreciate the intimacy of it. When he slipped out quickly and sealed the door, Spock was so lost barely registering the faces of the night-shift crew members yawning widely as they made their way to their quarters, until he took note of Sayuri and Chekov walking hand in hand towards the latter's living space which he'd just received on the officers' level. Spock waited until he was in the lift before he let himself smile a little at the sight of Chekov pressing his lips to Sayuri's cheek and making her laugh as he'd uncoded the door. Witnessing such open displays of human emotion were not entirely foreign to Spock even before his relationship with Uhura had moved from collegial to deeply personal. It was often his mother's custom when he returned from school as a child, and even as an adult, to give him a squeezing hug to demonstrate her affection for him. Being on Earth initially had confounded his sensibilities until he came to realize that just as it was Vulcan nature to internalize feelings, it was human custom to express them both in deeds and words.

What the bullies he'd faced at school failed to understand, and what Spock knew now having spent so much time in their midst, was that the expression of emotion was not humanity's weakness but its strength. Humans would die for their loved ones, such was the depth of their capabilities and the motivation to keep those loved ones safe. Their problem lay in the inability to divorce logic from love in matters when it was essential to keep a calm approach.

And his current problem, Spock knew, was how he would keep his current condition private from the ship's crew. He walked into the medical bay and saw Bones already in his office, inputting notes into the mainframe judging from the way he spoke into his earpiece. Spock saw the doctor become aware of his presence, giving a nod as he finished the dictation of his notes and came out of the modest glass-walled cubicle.

'Well, Commander, what brings you to my humble barber pole?' Bones inquired; Spock didn't miss the look of genuine concern in his eyes and walked towards one of the exam rooms.

'I am aware at this early hour it is highly illogical but what I wish to speak to you about is a matter that requires the utmost discretion.'

'Nurse Chapel will be on shift shortly,' Bones replied, and sighed thinking of how their one-on-one breakfast he knew she'd bring from the mess hall would be little more than a pretty daydream given he had an unexpected patient now. He loved spending time with her just the two of them, letting himself daydream a little that they were having a proper morning-after breakfast-date in those moments. But today's moment would have to apparently be put on hold. 'Why don't we use one of the exam rooms?'

'If it pleases you, you have my permission to make up a chart as I will be asking you for pharmaceutical intervention.'

Now Bones' eyebrows nearly crashed through the first dozen floors above the med bay; somehow he kept his voice clear and steady, and most importantly free of judgment as Spock sat on the exam table and Bones lowered himself into the rolling foot chair to sit opposite him as he would with any other patient. 'Wow, this must be serious, Commander. What can I help you with?'

Inhaling deeply as he might when plunging into frigid waters, Spock closed his eyes and steepled his fingers together as he summoned as much patience as he could muster, then heaved out his breath in a short huffing sigh. 'I…I am near the peak phase of pon-farr and am requesting any medical interventions you might have so that I might stabilize my functionality for the next sixty hours.'

'Wow, um, okay.' It was the last thing Bones expected to deal with before oh-eight-hundred, but he took his oath as a physician seriously and would do his utmost to treat his patient with all his talents. 'What…I thought Vulcans usually have their own methods of handling that time. I mean, I know how private it is for you guys. Is…is it okay for me to give you drugs even at your request?'

'My physical being is in distress and there are upcoming events which require I not be as such. Therefore, seeking out a doctor's counsel on relieving said distress is a logical sequence of action.'

'Can't argue with you there,' Bones agree and pulled out his PADD along with a tricorder to perform an initial exam; when he had the necessary details, he gave a curt nod. 'Well, your blood pressure and heart-rate all seem to be in a normal range right now. Neural-wave output is spiking up, but given how much you are sharing right now, that's no surprise that system is being taxed. Care to share what it is you need to stay level for? Might help me pick a better poison for you.'

'It is the anniversary my first…date with Nyota,' Spock said with only the slightest of hesitations; he was after all talking to Bones and the last thing he wanted was to snap needlessly at the doctor since he held the solution to his current predicament. 'We will honour six years of courtship tomorrow evening.'

'Six years, wow. My wife and I barely made it three. In fact, we've spent more time as a bitterly divorced couple than we did as happy newlyweds.'

'That is unfortunate, Doctor,' Spock said, and Bones shook his head as he prepped a hypo-syringe for drawing a blood sample.

'Don't give me sympathy, Spock, that's scarier than the idea of you needing some boosters so you won't go bananas during date-night fun time.'

'Doctor…' Spock tilted his head to the side, trying to find the correct phrasing. 'Do Earth women enjoy rough sexual relations?'

The small vial of blood clattered to the floor, thankfully remaining intact, as it slipped from Bones' numb fingers. Straightening up to his full seated height he blinked in confusion. 'Wanna run that by me one more time, there, pal?'

Spock repeated his question, this time adding on, 'Last evening, or perhaps as it occurred a few short hours ago, my…the symptoms of my condition caused me to be rough with Nyota but her response wasn't fear as I anticipated but rather arousal.'

'Some girls like the hard stuff,' Bones admitted, 'but seeing as how I really don't wanna hear a blow-by-blow account of you and the lieutenant in bed together-'

'We used her wall, if you desire full accuracy.'

'Fucking hell,' Bones muttered, his overheated imagination trying to replace the mental image of the Vulcan commander and his human girlfriend with himself and a certain blonde nurse who'd be appearing any minute. 'The point is, Spock, sometimes women like it that way to clear out their emotions. If they're having a bad day, a fight with a friend or a family member, if everything on shift that can go wrong does go wrong, sometimes they just like to get in touch with their inner animal to burn away the dregs of whatever is making them feel bad.'

Spock thought of Uhura's misguided notions that he'd unintentionally planted in her mind and her desire to mate with him as a means to purge them both of the messy hurricane of emotions in the soul.

'That does appear to be an accurate description of last evening's events.' He paused a moment, remembering the codes and protocols of male bonding, and added, 'very satisfying events, I might add.'

'Don't do that, it's weird,' Bones groused, still trying to get his own mind from the gutter. 'Hearing you trying to guy-talk gives me the willies. Just tell me to get bent in Vulcan-ese or something.'

'To what end?'

'Never mind.' Bones waved it off, rolled away on his chair to scan the database of the pharmacy on his PADD. 'Are you looking to quell the symptoms entirely or just manage them enough to get you through date night in one piece?'

'Management,' Spock decided, thinking of the potential to revisit a night of passion like the previous night. 'It would be most appreciated by both myself and the lieutenant to not seem as though the wrong type of wine at dinner is cause for a hysterical episode.'

'Clearly you've never met my ex-wife.' Bones rose, fed the vial of Spock's blood into the table-top analyzer and turned back while he waited for the results. 'But if you really feel the need to do some manly bonding, what have you got planned for the big night?'

'I believe that sharing such details breaks the bonds of my relationship with Nyota.'

'Consider it doctor's orders and since I'm asking as a doctor, I'd be violating my oath as a physician if I tell anyone else.'

'That is rather cunning of you, Doctor McCoy.'

'Well I know a man looking to unload his mind. Saw it on my daddy's face every time he dealt with surly old farmhand who thought he knew more'n my pops about our horses.'

Spock filled him in on the details and saw Bones' quick grin along with an approving nod. 'Do you believe she will find it an acceptable evening for this particular occasion?'

'I think she will be dazzled, and that's a very good thing. Did you get her a bauble?'

'A what?'

'You know, some type of jewellery or trinket to commemorate the event.' Bones held up his hand to show off the pinky ring he invariably sported. 'See this? My daddy got this from his daddy when he graduated from veterinary school and then he gave it to me when I got my M.D. Something like that.'

'I do have an item selected that I believe will carry a great emotional significance, both for myself as the giver and her as the receiver.'

'As long as you don't phrase it like that, I'm sure she will love it.'

The analyzer beeped, making Bones return his attention to the task at hand, and he gave a brief nod. 'Well, this says you've got no blood disorders to worry about, nor do you have any detectable hormone imbalances. That being said, given what I remember about Vulcan physiology I do have a few tricks up my sleeve that will help you out.'

'Doctor, how can you carry things in your sleeve? A highly impractical method of storage.'

'Now that's more like it. Come with me.'

Bones gestured for Spock to join him in the dispensary where he keyed in the code for the exemplar cabinet and pulled out two separate sample vials; one was a murky purple, the other a crystal-green. 'Green one is nitro-based chloro-diazepoxide, fast acting and long lasting but only meant for short-term use.'

'It seems a large dose for such a short space of time,' Spock observed.

'I'm going to divide it into two micro-hyposyringe doses for you. Take one about an hour before you meet Uhura for date night, should last about eight hours.' Bones held up the other vial. 'This one, though, this is a concentrated dose of Tantalusian valerian and it an extremely potent sedative taken orally. You'll barely be aware you swallowed it before you're knocked out. Use it once you're home from date night because your symptoms will be back and they'll be in their peak. It should easily give you about ten to twelve uninterrupted hours of sleep.'

'Your assertions are correct about my physiology,' Spock agreed as Bones divided the medicines into the appropriate vials, absently picked up the valerian concentrate to study the suspicious liquid. 'I'm certain you are familiar with the Vulcan aversion to pharmaceutical intervention in many medical situations-'

'I once delivered twins via C-section to a Vulcan woman and she had no pain killers, so while I'm familiar with it, I don't get it,' Bones interrupted, loading the micro vials and slipping them into a discreet carrying case.

'Nevertheless, the last thing I wish to do on such an important occasion with Nyota is risk the ruination of a lovely night by letting my emotions overpower my conscious self. It is not that I wish to numb myself to the joyous with her, but I do not wish to let that which could derail the pleasantness interfere.'

'I certainly understand that, it- oh shit, shit shit, here give me that.'

Bones yanked the vial from Spock's hand, quickly slipped it into the case and held his finger to his lips in a stay-quiet gesture. Spock cocked his head to the side, and heard the rustling movement in the reception area of the medical bay of a newly arrived person along with the faintest aroma of candied lemon; he felt a sick punch in his gut he knew to be akin to sudden onset panic as his overheated brain quickly locked on to Bones' thought process. 'Doctor-'

'Leave it to me,' he muttered as they walked out together, Bones discreetly slipping him the case which Spock took in slight confusion; the matter was clarified when they saw Christine with two take-away containers, set them down beside each other on the in-take desk beside a tube of orange juice and a thermal cup of coffee, judging from the aroma. 'Nurse Chapel, you didn't have to bring me breakfast, you know.'

'I figured when I didn't see you first in line for Delta-colony omelettes with hash browns in the mess hall, you must be here because there was no way you'd sleep late when that was on the menu.' Christine smiled brightly with confusion clouding her eyes at the sight of Spock in the med-bay. 'Commander, what brings you here?'

'Our favourite Vulcan needed a consult and wouldn't take no for an answer,' Bones replied, making Spock hold his breath in anticipation of Christine's usual inquiries into the goings-on of the medical bay. He let it out slowly when she merely shrugged and opened her to-go container revealing a sandwich she sniffed at in delight.

'If you could spare me the details until after I've eaten, that'd be swell. I mean, I love my job but I love breakfast more right now,' she told them, sitting down at the desk and digging into her meal with gusto. 'Anything I can help with once I'm done?'

'No, but thank you for the offer,' Spock replied, giving the doctor a look of deep gratitude and catching a glimmer of an emotion in Bones' face as he looked towards Christine that he could not identify. 'I shall leave you to consume your morning meals in peace before your duty shifts commence.'

'Thanks.'