There was no denying the great surprise and pleasure on Mister Scott's face when he saw Spock and Spock knew, as did McCoy and Kirk, that it was only having the control panel in front of him that stopped the Scotsman from rushing up to them and unceremoniously hugging him . "Mister Spock! Tis, tis more than grand ta see ye again and ta see ye looking so well. When the others know t'will be a few drinks to celebrate this."
"Mister Scott, while being back on the Enterprise and seeing you again is most pleasant I would appreciate it if, for now, the rest of the crew know nothing of my return just at present. "
"But ye must know," for a moment the two looked at one another and to both only the other existed in that moment. Spock saw the true emotions of companionship and affection mixed with relief and dawning understanding about the man's eyes. "Ye'll be needing the corridors cleared to your," the Scotsman paused and nodded, "to the Captain's quarters. Security would be a mite curious if there t'was any access to your quarters."
Spock looked at Kirk and saw he was equally as surprised then looked back at Scotty, "Chekov decided that with the Captain nae feeling so well and, well, with us being told ye were dead, that your quarters be secured. Something about only McCoy, the Captain in his right mind, and your family having any right to be into your quarters."
"I must thank him for his care and diligence. Having the corridors cleared would be most helpful."
"Aye, be just a moment." Even as he was speaking he was reaching out to the comm unit, "Uhura, please have the corridors between the Transporter Room and the Captain's quarters cleared. He is back with the two doctors and tis best the crew nae see him right now."
"Is he," the concern was in her voice and Kirk wanted to reassure her he was fine. He was just about to start when he heard.
"I will tell ye later, lass, but he looks a mite better than before. Right now tis best that he get to his quarters unseen. Ah, there will be no need for the corridors to be cleared when Doctor Czacheck's officer arrives later as I will escort him to the quarters."
Before he had even finished in the background Kirk and the others could hear Uhura giving the order to clear the corridors to his quarters. As he looked at Spock he saw the slight nod and saw Scott's nod. As he looked at them Kirk realized that despite all their differences there was a tremendous unity and understanding between the two of them. There was also that unquestioning cohesiveness within his senior crew.
A light by the comm unit flashed four times, a notification from Uhura that the corridors had been cleared, and seemed to draw Spock back from where he had mentally gone. There was something about the two surnames when said together that he remembered but always with a third name he could not recall involved. He knew if he could remember that third name he would know why the other two were important but also knew it was most illogical to concentrate on the matter as he would remember in time. Both Czacheck and McCoy agreed that he would remember much ore in time and he knew Czacheck had had two more years of advanced medical study than M'Benga with regard to the treatment of Vulcans. If it were of some real significance he would, given time, remember the details.
Once in Kirk's quarters McCoy went to the comm unit, "Uhura, McCoy here. We're in his quarters. I do not want him disturbed for," he glanced at Czacheck and saw how he looked at Kirk and Spock and saw uncertainty on two faces and acceptance, as he expected to see, on the third face. None of them knew.
"I will tell the crew that you and the Captain are not to be disturbed until further notice as he still has to recover and finish with meetings with Command. Ensign Hawstone will be along shortly with a trolley, let you know it is there and stay outside the door. It is just some light meals I thought you might like. Uhura out."
Spock nodded, he had known for a long time that Uhura was a highly skilled linguist and by her actions she also showed how she would make an excellent commanding officer. He recalled several occasions when she had more than proven her ability to command and lead, even if some of her logic was oddly disjointed and her actions a brilliant mixture of emotional drive, cunning thinking, linguistic alacrity with depth, and an unusual under-standing of basic applied physics to use those items around her to more than make up for any physical limitations she may encounter.
Down in the Transporter Room Montgomery Scott paced as he wondered if he had done the right thing. It had seemed the right thing and only been a wee lie. Well, two small lies. He had known when he said that the Captain could severely reprimand him but it was what felt he had to do to surprise, help, and protect a friend. No, it was, when he thought of it, three lies total he had told. All related and all necessary.
He saw he had two awaiting being beamed aboard and hesitated only for a moment. It was best to get the officer they were expecting aboard then the other matter. The scan indicated no threat to the ship from either but did indicate he was carrying three liters of liquids in containers, most likely what Doctor Czacheck needed. The man was slightly taller than Kirk, had a genuine smile when they saw each other, and was about Kirk's age or slightly older, and had an easy manner about him as he said, "Officer Twindell requesting permission to come aboard."
"Permission granted, welcome aboard the Enerprise."
The man walked up to him and held out a medium sized bag, "I believe you and the senior bridge crew will best enjoy these. Through conversations with one of your senior officers I gathered that you would need these to celebrate his return." When he looked in into the bag Scotty immediately recognized the contents to be three bottles of very expensive alcoholic liquids.
"What? Why, thank ye, laddie. I think I know who would have told ye. Now, I just need to get this next matter dealt with and I will take ye to where they are."
"I am in no real hurry and it will be interesting to see the miracle worker in action."
Miracle worker? Scotty half-smiled as he beamed aboard what was going to, he was sure, cause a major problem explaining. A young ensign stood on the platform looking unsure of what to do, "Welcome aboard the Enterprise, laddie. Let me help ye with that."
It was all the Engineer could do to get the straps to the bag the young man was holding out of his white-knuckled hands. "Now stay right there, lad." Quickly he got back to the control and moved them so the lad would not be any more shocked than he clearly way.
He went to the comm unit and asked Uhura to get him back in contact with a place he had earlier given her the number to, "This is Montgomery Scott of the Enterprise."
"You got the delivery?"
"Aye, and thank ye. How is the lad?" He nay looked too good here."
"Oh, that was his second time to be beamed to a starship and he had heard of the very exacting standards set by the complement of the Enterprise. You did pay more,"
"Give whatever was overpaid to the lad and some to yourself."
"I do not know how you can stand what is,"
"Ahhh, after I have it I do not stand for too long. Thank ye again. Scott, Enterprise, out." As he broke the connection he pressed another button and two officers came in, "I nay know when I will be back. I have matters to attend for the Captain." Only then did he turn and look at the officer who had been watching him. "Well, we best not keep them waiting."
McCoy was just opening the door to take in the trolley when he saw Officer Twindell and Scotty walking towards him, and noticed an unusual look on the Chief Engineer's face then saw he was carrying two bags. While Scotty held onto one bag he handed the other to McCoy and saw the pleasant surprise on his face when he looked in the bag and escorted Twindell over to the group.
As Scotty stood looking in at how the others set out the light meals and noticed that not only was more than sufficient food but it was obvious that there was not much that Spock could eat without digestive upset. He had been looking at the dishes and not first noticed that Spock and Kirk had walked over to him till he became aware of a feeling of being studied and realized that Spock was really looking at him. For a moment he found it almost impossible to look into the two dark eyes clearly seeing his unease, and he handed over the bag, "As we nay can tell the others as if there were to be a request for a Vulcan meal the computer would flash in medical and, without McCoy there, it would be investigated so I, I," he looked away suddenly aware of how the others were now looking at him and then looked at Spock and saw, as usual, no judgement about the dark eyes. "I lied when I told them they were for me. I lied when I told them I liked them. And I lied to Officer Thonlinton about restocking the ingredients for Vulcan fare to his orders for the main food replicator and he asked why and I said I had developed a liking for them. I got the three mains as Thonlinton said it would take him three days to get your Vulcan ingredients back in the replicator. I'm sorry, Sir, but I would nay be able to live with it as my diet and know ye would nae like to have to eat what we do for so long."
Spock looked in the bag and saw "Vulcan Plomeek Soup" written on a label to one large container, "Vulcan Vegetable Casserole" on another, and "Vulcan Layered Vegetable Stack" then looked at the Chief Engineer and saw the satisfaction yet the guilt as the man looked back at him. He realized that the man felt guilt for not telling the truth to others yet was clearly satisfied with his actions. As he looked at the man he wondered how he could express his thanks as he knew that the establishment he would have got the food from was very good at preparing Vulcan and other non-Human meals, he also knew that had Scott not told Officer Thonlinton to restock the ingredients of Vulcan meals that there was a very great likelihood that for some time he would have to survive on purely Human vegetarian meals which often upset his digestive system.
"As usual, Mister Scott, your thinking is perhaps illogical from a Human viewpoint but you should know that when it is looked at logically you did not lie on any of those three occasions but merely gave a shortened version of what you meant to say which meant that some facts were unavoidably excluded."
For a moment Spock watched as the Chief Engineer clearly processed and understood what he said and he saw the visible relief replace to guilt and self-blame, "I thank you for your consideration in getting these for me in ways not to divulge that I am back aboard the Enterprise."
Spock nodded as he kept looking at Scotty, "I can fully understand that you would find it difficult to live on a Vulcan diet and I can assure you, after having consumed one two hundred and twenty-five gram serving of haggis, I would find it difficult to survive long with it as my diet. I have also had time to consider the most difficult situation my earlier request has put you in."
Confusion was plain of the familiar face, "And what request is that, Sir?"
"That the rest of the crew not be told of my return. If the Captain permits it I would greatly appreciate meeting, here in the Captain's quarters, with Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov. They, like yourself, will ensure that the rest of the crew do not know of my presence."
"I think that would be the best way to do it, Spock." Kirk had walked over to join them. "We all know that those three can keep things from even you so to keep it from the rest of the crew will be easy for them and believing you to be dead has them deeply depressed. Scotty can tell them to all come here. You just better be prepared of some emotional overload."
"Aye, I'll be only too pleased to pass the message, Sir. Well, if you'll excuse me, Sirs, I will contact Uhura and have her bring the other two with her then I best be getting back to me bairns, those two I left are good but if something went wrong two drunk headless chickens would be able to do better."
Once Scotty had gone Spock saw the others were already having something to eat, noticing how Kirk was looking at him as though suddenly realizing there was nothing really suitable for him. He gave Kirk a nod and, with his eyes, indicated the bag in his hand then put two of the containers in the small refrigeration unit in Kirk's quarters and prepared a small bowl of the plomeek soup before joining the group. It was as he remembered it being from that establishment, so much like the soup made on Vulcan. It was most pleasant to have something that was not reconstituted. For a moment, as he savored the soup, he closed his eyes and realized just how well the bridge crew really not only knew him but also how much they cared about him. He allowed himself to smile as he remembered the first time Mister Scott had tried plomeek soup and how, having known the man for so long, he knew it was obvious that it took all the man's willpower to swallow it.
A/N Another frantically busy week (weather permitting) so may not get back to this for a week. Thanks for taking tome to read this. Take care and HAVE FUN!