"Where the hell did you get that?" McCoy's voice loud and booming as Kirk approached.
"I think it's Spock."
Bones walked over grabbing a scanner from a near by bed, he hovered it over the baby "I swear to - where did you get him?"
"He hadn't reported to the bridge and I found him in his bed." Kirk said. McCoy took the baby wrapped in a black shirt and laid him on the sick bay bed.
"Well he seems to read okay, a little cold, although he's really tiny. I'm going to do some tests. Check it really is him. Nurse, we've got a baby, can we get some clothes?"
"A baby?" Nurse Chapel asked as she came to investigate "how did we.. get a baby vulcan?"
"It could be Spock." Dr McCoy told Nurse Chapel. Nurse Chapel looked from McCoys blue eyes back to the baby.
"This is commander Spock?" She asked stunned.
"I'm going to go ahead and say he's not fit for duty" McCoy said shaking his head.
"What am I supposed to do without Spock?" Kirk asked half jokingly, half not.
"Jim, if you don't mind me saying, I suspect vulcans do not usually turn themselves into babies, perhaps you should see if our new friends know anything about this."
Kirk sighed "what am I supposed to do ask them if they purposely changed my commander into a baby?"
"Jimbo, thats a captains job to work out, and certainly not my problem."
"Well, thanks for being so useful Bones." Kirk said and made his way out.
It took the whole day before the crew beamed back up, and it took until the next morning until the captain had gathered the main crew in the conference room. McCoy was late, but Kirk began without him. Kirk addressed the room.
"We have gathered here today due to a most unfortunate circumstance." Kirk said. Uhura gasped.
"Is Spock dyeing?"
"What? No, it. No." Kirk said as Bones entered the room, carrying a much bigger baby with him, Nurse Chapel closely following.
"Awww-" some of the crew cooed
"Are new friends, in an attempt to help us, have turned commander Spock, into a child." Kirk said. Jaws dropped.
"They turned him into a baby?" Uhura cried.
"Iz this even possible?" Chekov asked.
"Well this is Spock" McCoy grouched "that I've checked." McCoy sat cuddling Spock on the chair, next to Sulu. Tiny Spock reached out with grabby hands towards Sulu.
"Hello Commander" Sulu said "wait, does he remember who he is?"
"Well thats what I've brought you here to explain, as, if McCoy can't create some sort of medicine to reverse this, given the possibility that Spock reacts to what the O call Sharp Juice, the same as all O, he could be like this for thirty six days."
"Thirty six?" Uhura gasped.
"I've always thought Mr Spock could use a holiday." Chekov said.
"Well, actually Jim, it would be thirty-five days now."
"Okay, so, since it could be a while. Spock, will remember his day today life, but not past the age that he looks. So I guess he currently has one years worth of memories. He will age one year every day until he is five, and then he will age every two days. He will reach the O adult age of 21 and then return to normal."
"Spock, I'm Nyota, can you say Nyota?" Uhura asked. Baby Spock looked at Uhura, still and uncertain, already remarkably vulcan.
"I don't think he can talk." Scotty said.
"Maybe he only understands vulcan" Sulu suggested. Uhura shook her head.
"No, he's bilingual. He's been speaking standard as long as vulcan."
"Yet he can't understand idioms?" Kirk asked.
"Well if his mother didn't use them that much he just wouldn't have encountered them. Besides, I take it you haven't had many conversations with other vulcans. Besides aren't vulcan babies supposed to be able to talk before human ones" Uhura said.
"Well, he is half vulcan" McCoy said "and so far I haven't heard him make a sound."
"Is that … normal?" Kirk asked.
"I haven't got a clue. But, I'm sure he'll let us know, and he does read healthy, although Nurse perhaps you should take him back now."
"Yes Doctor" Nurse Chapel said taking him in her arms, his tiny hands outstretched towards her face.
"Watch it" Dr McCoy pulling his hands down away from Nurse Chapels head.
"Does he have to go now?" Scotty asked "he's so wee, I don't think I'd mind his company."
"No" McCoy said "he's to small to be around this earth type climate. I've had to change the gravity settings, and climate controls in one of the sickbay rooms for him, otherwise it could cause too much stress on his body."
"Aw, will he have to be there the entire time he's a kid?"
"Just until he's five. By that point there shouldn't be too much damage that can be caused, and certainly none that wouldn't be undone when he gets back to being an adult. I think."
"Captain" Uhura said, her hands folded neatly in front of her.
"Yes?"
"How did the O think this would help us?"
"Oh" Kirk said "well, they over heard me talking with Spock. The O, use this Sharp Juice, for two things, the first one being, is to usually help people get to know each other and build up quick and strong relationships. They seemed to think we didn't get along very well."
"Oh I can't imagine why" McCoy said.
"Whats the second reason they use .. Sharp Juice?" Uhura asked.
"To allow a person to relive a childhood since, according to the O, that is a very special time. Although that said they don't usually give it to just anyone, it's seen as an honourable gift, and only those that have suffered life threatening accidents can ask not to experience when offered."
McCoy's huff blew across the table like a hurricane "Jim why are only those that have had life threatening accidents excused from this honourable gift?"
"Well, Tsch told me that they do experience all there old injury's like they do experience there memories. They don't constantly experience their memories, just like, every few hours or so there mind would updates with a few weeks or months events. If say Spock got like a cut on his hand it could be gone within the hour or even minutes of him getting it."
"And if he experienced something worse?" McCoy asked.
"I don't know" Kirk said "he'd be hurt for longer? Was he hurt?"
"Well I don't know, but I suppose theres no time like the present to go digging through decades of medical files. Could you just imagine for a second Jim if this had happened to you?"
"That would make it pretty hard to captain the Enterprise" Kirk nodded.
"What about allergies? Do those count as injuries?" McCoy asked.
"Mmmm" Kirk nodded thoughtfully "I guess you're going to find out."
McCoy's clenched squeaking teeth could be heard from across that table "thanks."
"It's not like I did this to him" Kirk said defensively "Sulu, you're going to be temporary Commander, and Chekov, you're be monitoring Spock's science station. I will take another landing team down today and see if I can get any samples of this Sharp Juice, as well as finishing my talks with them. Dismissed."