A Riverside Christmas Mystery
Chapter 3
"What child is this?"
Lyricist: William Chatterton Dix
Bones already had his medical tricorder out. "Hmm, 13 months old, little boy, perfectly healthy, and he's eaten not long ago. Cute little tyke," he said, holding out a finger which the baby promptly grabbed.
Jim looked a little flabbergasted. "I need to find Ma and Peter, and find out about this baby and why he's on our dining room table of all places. This is very odd."
"Indeed, Jim."
Jim walked back to the living room and into the central hall. The attic ladder was down and he could hear voices coming from up there.
"Ma," he yelled up the ladder, "it's Jim. We're here, Ma. What are you and Peter doing up there?"
There was a muffled scream and his mother's face peered down through the attic entrance. "James Tiberius Kirk! What are you doing here! You weren't supposed to get here until tomorrow. Peter and I are not ready! But oh my darling son! Just let me get down there and hug you! This is wonderful!"
Winona threw herself down the ladder stairs with Peter close behind her and she landed neatly by Jim and engulfed him in a huge hug. Peter came flying down behind her and grabbed him around the waist and hugged him hard.
Jim laughed and returned the hugs. "Ma, Ma! You shouldn't be throwing yourself down a ladder like that, a woman your age! You'll hurt yourself. Look at you, you have dust all over your face, woman." He gently swiped a streak of dust off her face and then kissed the soft cheek.
"Tish tosh, as Mary Poppins would say," said his mother gleefully, hugging him harder. "Oh my darling, it's so wonderful to see you!"
Jim looked down at the grinning Peter. "Hi Squirt! It's great to see you! What are you two doing in the attic?"
Peter looked up at his uncle. "We're getting the Christmas ornaments down, Uncle Jim. Noni put the box right by the stairs so we could bring it down. We've been up there looking at all the Christmas stuff. I'll go back up and get the box for you, Noni." He climbed up the ladder again, grabbed the box, handed it down to his grandmother and climbed back down again. Peter turned and saw Spock and Bones standing quietly in the hall entrance, not wanting to intrude on the family reunion; his eyes opened wide and he gave a loud whoop and ran over to hug them both. Winona put the box on the floor and did the same thing to Bones, then hesitating a bit, murmured, "oh what the heck" and hugged Spock as well. He accepted the hug placidly, quirking one eyebrow at Jim who looked on in amusement.
"It's just so wonderful that you're here, and a day early too. How did that happen, Jim? And where is Uhura?" Winona looked around then picked up the box of ornaments to take them in to the living room. Jim made to take them from her, but she shook her head.
"We caught a ride on The Essex. It was pure luck, and Uhura is Christmas shopping in Riverside, one of us will go pick her up later. She's very anxious to see both of you."
The loud gurgling cooing nose came from the dining room again. Winona looked at Jim questioningly?
"What's that noise, Jim? It's coming from the dining room."
"Ah, yes; well, Ma, I wanted to ask you about that. Whose baby is that on our dining room table?"
"Baby, what baby? What are you talking about, Jim? There's no baby here." Winona's surprised face told its own story.
"Well, mother dear, this may come as a shock, but there is definitely a baby sitting in a carrier on our dining room table," said her son. "We just saw him."
"What?" Winona dropped the ornament box in shock, and only Spock's lightning reflexes saved past generations of fragile Christmas ornaments for future Kirk generations.
"James Kirk, I don't know what in the world you're talking about. I don't know anything about a baby in our dining room," said his mother. Her lovely face looked confused and puzzled.
Winona walked to the dining room with everyone following behind and she looked down in puzzled fascination at the baby. He looked back at them and the happy baby smile suddenly disappeared; his little bottom lip began to quiver. The happy gurgling and cooing turned into a wail of displeasure.
"Too many strange people at once," murmured Bones, backing up a little.
"Heavens!" Winona said. "There, there, sweetheart, it's all right, Noni's got you." She leaned over, picked him up, held him close and patted his back gently. The little body curled into her and the crying stopped as the baby nuzzled sleepily into her neck. She looked into four pair of eyes who looked back at her in blank bewilderment. Who was this baby and where had he come from?
"Ma, how did this baby get here? Do you have any idea who he is?" Jim's puzzled hazel eyes searched his mother's face.
"I have no idea, Jim. Some one must have come in through the back door and left him here. It's been unlocked all day and Peter and I have been up in the attic several times. But why would someone just leave a baby here?" She rocked the baby in her arms, gently swaying from side to side in the age old comforting dance of mothers everywhere. "He's a beautiful baby, and obviously well fed and taken care of. I just don't understand any of this."
Spock's long fingers were searching in the baby carrier under the blanket and they closed over a paper envelope. He opened it. There was a note inside. He looked at Jim.
"Go ahead, read it Spock, maybe we'll get some answers," Jim said.
Dear Dr. Kirk
My baby's name is David, but he likes Davy better. I'm leaving him in your care because there's no one else. His father, my husband is dead, he died 8 months ago. There are no grandparents on either side. I have no siblings and as for my friends I'm not sure who I can trust with Davy. I trust you with his care and welfare because I do know you and your family and you know me too. All I can say now is that through no fault of my own, just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, my life has been turned upside down and Davy and I are in danger. All I ask is for you to keep Davy safe for a little while; please don't call the police or other authorities or tell anyone how you came to have him. I'll be back for him as soon as I can. Davy is a very good baby. He likes his toes tickled when his diaper is changed. He's a good eater and he's walking a little, holding on to things. I rock him to sleep every night and sing to him. I left some food and formula in the bag. His clothes and two favorite toys are in the small suitcase. I will in touch as soon as I can to check on Davy. Until then, kiss my sweet baby for me and keep him safe. Thank you from the bottom of my heart,
Davy's mother
"Well," said Winona, "now we know why." She cuddled the baby close and crooned in his ear. "You poor sweet baby, what a brave mama you have, sweetheart. Don't you worry about a thing, we'll take good care of you until your mama comes back."
Spock held out the letter to Jim. He took it and looked at the handwriting. It was in a strong, bold hand, the words written clearly and neatly and on real paper too.
"Ma!" Jim's hazel eyes were troubled as he looked at his mother's sweetly determined face. He knew he would not be able to dissuade her from keeping the baby until the baby's mother came back for him. He sighed. They had to have further conversations about this, but now was not the time. "Ma, taking care of this baby won't be easy. It's been a long time since there's been a baby in this house. You'll have four extra adults, plus Peter here, and now a baby too, and all holiday decorating, baking, cooking, wrapping, and entertaining that you like to do. I know you, you'll never stop for a minute. Maybe I should hire some part-time help from town?"
"Don't be silly Jim, I'll be fine," she said with a warm smile at her son. "Peter and I have everything all planned, don't we sweetie? We've been planning since before Thanksgiving." Peter nodded at his grandmother, his eyes wide with excitement as he remembered all of Winona's plans. "You worry too much, Jim. Now, then," Winona said briskly, "you go up to the attic and bring the baby bed down. I think there are some crib sheets in the trunk up there. Peter, you help your Uncle Jim bring everything down and the baby blankets too, and we'll put everything in the washer. Peter, sweetheart, that was your dad's baby bed, then your Uncle Jim's and you used it when you came to visit as a baby. We'll set it up in the master bedroom with Uhura and I, there's more room in there. Jim, please give it a good cleaning before you set it up. I hope Uhura doesn't mind. If she does, she can sleep in the pull out sofa and still keep her things in the bedroom. By the way, Jim, you and Peter are in your old room with Peter in a cot. Mr. Spock and Leonard, you're in Peter's room with the twin beds and I've emptied his dresser for your clothes."
"Let me see now. Leonard, would you please check that bag for the baby food and formula, and fix a bottle for Davy when he wakes up? I wish I knew his eating schedule, but we'll improvise. Mr. Spock if you would please put the luggage in the proper rooms, that would be a help. I'm going to change Davy's diaper now. I can feel he's very soggy and we don't want diaper rash. Mr. Spock, would you please carry the small suitcase and diapers to the bedroom for me before taking care of the luggage? Peter, you go up with your Uncle Jim and bring down the high chair that's up there. It will need cleaning also."
Like a four star General, Winona marshaled and dispatched her troops and they all hurried off to do her bidding, but Jim's eyes were very thoughtful as he looked after her and followed Peter up the attic stairs to do as she asked.
Winona took Davy and laid him gently on her bed. Spock came in with the diaper bag and small suitcase. Winona expertly unsnapped his little cords and stripped off the wet diaper and reached for the wipes. Davy didn't even stir; he was deeply asleep, his long eyelashes curving softly on his downy cheeks. She reached out a hand and Spock silently put a diaper in it and he watched in fascination as she cleaned the baby gently and put the clean diaper on him. She put the tiny cords back on and checked his socks and shirt for wetness. "There," she said. "He'll sleep comfortably for a while until Jim can set up the bed. Isn't he a beautiful baby, Mr. Spock? Not as pretty a baby as Jim was, but close." Her eyes turned inward seeing in her memory the beautiful blond curls, bewitching baby smile and large hazel eyes of her younger son. Spock nodded in agreement. "Yes, he is a very aesthetically pleasing baby," he said, his eyes softening minutely at her with his not quite smile. Winona smiled back at him and went to her closet and got two quilts. She folded them, put them on the floor, picked up Davy, kissed him softly, and put him down on the quilts. "Hand me all the pillows Mr. Spock please." She set the pillows all around the baby so he wouldn't roll over to the cold floor and put him on his back. "It must have broken his mother's heart to leave him," she murmured, and beckoned to Spock to follow her out, "but we'll take great care of him until she comes back for him."
In the kitchen the baby bed and high chair were being cleaned. The sheets and blanket were in the washer, and Bones had a bottle ready.
"Ma, is everything okay?" Jim asked, busily wiping down the baby bed.
"The baby is fine, dear. He's sound asleep and he'll sleep for a while now. Thank you for cleaning the bed, son, you too, Peter. Goodness, with all this excitement I almost forgot. You must all be hungry, let me fix you something to eat," Winona said, going over to the stove. Winona did have a food replicator in her kitchen, George Kirk had insisted on buying one long ago, when they had two always hungry growing boys to keep fed, but she seldom used it. Fresh food was plentiful at the farm and Winona loved to cook.
"Wait, before you start cooking. Please sit down, Ma." Her son's Captain's voice expected compliance. Winona obediently sat down at the table and looked expectantly at Jim. He sat and faced her.
"We are going to get to the bottom of this and find out what's going on with the baby and his mother, I don't like the sound of any of this, but we'll get to that in a minute. First things first. I already see the way this is going. First of all we're not going to let you do all the work around here. We're four able-bodied adults plus Peter too, and we're going to divide the work and chores, both the inside and outside chores; the care of the animals, the cooking, grocery shopping, decorating, baking, and anything else that needs to be done around here. It may sound selfish of me, but this furlough is very special to me, and I want all of us to enjoy this holiday together and that especially includes you, Ma. I know you very well, mother dear, you're full of energy and plans and you like to take care of everyone and everything by yourself, but I'm putting my foot down. We're all going to do our best for the baby and the baby's mother, whoever she is, but we're also going to have fun and enjoy being together and we'll include Davy as much as possible. I want and expect you to join in with us in all the fun. Okay?" He looked sternly at his mother.
Winona looked at the determined hazel eyes facing her. She read without effort the stubborn set of Jim's jaw, but underneath that, the gentle core of his love and care for her, and although she could match his Iowa stubbornness with her own, (after all where had he gotten it from?) she knew Jim was right. She reached over and pressed her palm to his cheek and patted it softly. She smiled that sunny smile which was an exact replica of Jim's own. "You're right, son, I do tend to get carried away, but I'll do better, I promise. Everyone can pitch in and help me…I'd like that and of course I want to be a part of all the fun. Peter and I have looked forward to this visit for months and months! Having you here is heaven for us!"
"Good. Glad we got that settled." Jim breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Spock, Bones and Peter, and saw their perfect accord.
Spock, looking at them, admitted to himself a total fascination with the dynamic between Jim and his mother. Such open displays of affection between mother and son were foreign to him. After the age of ten, his mother had seldom touched him in deference to Sarek's Vulcan tradition. He noted that there was no reticence or embarrassment in their display of physical affection for each other, or indeed for any of the people they loved or felt close to. Now he also understood why Jim always had to touch; why he was such a tactile person…a hug, a hand on the shoulder, a warm hand clasped behind the neck, a comforting pat on the sleeve or back.
It had been difficult for Spock to accustom himself to that aspect of his young Captain's personality when Jim took command of The Enterprise; Christopher Pike had been a very reserved man and the new Captain was anything but reserved. But now, the Enterprise crew was now very familiar with how the Captain expressed his affection and concern for them. Jim's touch was always proper, and it always conveyed positive affirmation for his crew. For some of the crew it was the only affirmation they'd ever known, and they reciprocated with profound loyalty for him. Spock considered that this Christmas visit would give him ample opportunities for research, to see many more examples of human interactions that were unfamiliar to him.
"I'll fix us something to eat," said Winona. "Do fresh scrambled eggs, fried tomatoes, and soy sausages sound good? All vegetarian, Mr. Spock," she said as she smiled warmly at the Vulcan.
"Perfect." Jim stood, "We'll help. I'll set the table, Bones, you slice the tomatoes and Peter you slice the sausages, and Spock you get the coffee going and milk for Peter. Here are the eggs," said Jim peering into the full refrigeration unit. "Ma, there's enough food in here for an army!"
"I know," Winona said, happily.
The meal was soon on the table, and everyone ate hungrily. The food though simple, was fresh and delicious. McCoy sighed, content, "This sure beats replicated food, Winona. Reminds me of home cookin' back in Georgia. We always tried to eat fresh food, my momma insisted on it. No wonder Peter is growing like a weed." Bones' keen eye took in Peter's obvious glowing good health.
Jim caught his eye and Bones nodded slightly. Peter's well-being and mental health was an on-going concern for Jim and Winona since the trauma of Deneva, but it was obvious he was doing very well."(1)
Jim laid his fork down and looked at them. "Now then, people, just how hard will it be, do you think, to find Davy's mother? I feel some urgency about finding her since she says she's in danger, so I think we need to find her ASAP and help her somehow."
"I fear it will be very difficult. The only clue we have is that she knows your family and that you know her. That does not in any way narrow the parameters of the search since I am certain you and your family know hundreds of people, including all the students that Dr. Kirk has taught through the years, long time family friends and acquaintances, school friends, Star Fleet Academy friends and classmates, Federation friends, Star Fleet Command friends, past and present Riverside neighbors, friends of friends. I could go on," said Spock.
"Please don't, Spock" said Bones. "You're discouragin' enough already."
"Yes, Mr. Spock," said Winona, "please stop. I hadn't stopped to think of all the people we know, Jim."
Jim didn't look discouraged, he looked thoughtful. "Bones, what if you do a DNA test on Davy? Surely one of the Federation, Star Fleet or Terran Central Medical data bases could match Davy's DNA to someone on file."
"Hmm," said McCoy. "Good idea. It's worth a try, but to do such a wide search will take a while. I need the Enterprise's main computer for that. How long do you think it would take a squirt with Davy's DNA attached to reach the Enterprise?"
"Depends where they are. I'll put in a priority comm to Scotty to find out…it might take a little while to get a response from him, but Bones, you go ahead and get that DNA squirt ready when Davy wakes up and we'll send it to the ship as soon as Scotty responds. Chapel can do the search and we'll see what she finds. It may take a few days. Ma, somehow I have a gut feeling this baby belongs to someone we know or have known pretty well. A good mother wouldn't leave a baby with just an acquaintance."
"I agree, Jim, and..."
A familiar gurgle interrupted Winona's response to Jim. She got up to get the baby and returned to the table and sat with him in her arms. Bones handed him the bottle of milk and Davy immediately put it in his mouth. The luminous brown eyes looked placidly at the group. He took the bottle out of his mouth and grinned at them. Three adults and one child grinned back at him. The Vulcan's left eyebrow rose to his bangs; the baby looked startled, then started to laugh and Davy held out his little arms to him.
1 Operation Annihilate! ST:TOS episode