Doctor McCoy got up that morning, like he had the last two days. He got dressed, and knowing, that Spock would likely be awake already, he made his way to Spock's medical room. McCoy found Spock sitting cross legged on the med bay bed, a blanket around part of his back and covering his lap, in his hands in front of him was the game pad from the previous day. He had put it back together and was playing with it.
"Good morning Spock." Spock who had noticed his arrival nodded and pulled up his small discarded clothes from the bed, holding them in the air for a second before returning to his pad.
"Are you not even going to say hello to me?" Dr McCoy asked. Spock put his hand up in the usual vulcan salute.
"Mmm" McCoy hummed thoughtfully picking up a scanner as he walked over to Spock. Spock, picked up clothes that were too small again and hit them back down on the bed again looking up at McCoy.
"I was taking it you remembered me" McCoy said "I will get you some new clothes after I do my scans and check that you are not literally dyeing, nor have you got some sort of childhood scrape thats going to make you bleed to death." McCoy could swear he saw Spock squint annoyed, and head clearly tilt staring up at him.
"And here I thought I was tired of hearing you talk." McCoy said scanning Spock. He frowned.
"Did you fall over at some point?" McCoy asked him. Spock stared up at McCoy.
"Oh don't give me that look. I know you can understand me, it's a yes or no question."
No reply. McCoy looked at Spock's back to see a few tiny scrapes on his back. Nothing big. Just three scrapes, no bigger than two inches.
"Did you fall over on.. mountains does vulcan have mountains?" McCoy asked.
Spock nodded.
"Okay. Wait. Is that a yes to falling over or a yes to mountains?"
Another nod.
"Your doing this on purpose aren't you?"
A shake of the head, but a tiny quirk of the lips.
"Mmm. What on earth- Hold on a second." McCoy said shocked as he began to stare intently as Spock's face. He had dark marks beneath his eyes and over his nose. They stood out on his pale face.
"You've got freckles. Freckles!" McCoy said excitedly.
Spock put down the pad he was reading and put both his hands over either cheeks. McCoy's face lit up with a smile.
"Well you can't hide them from me I've already seen them."
A squint.
"Okay, well, I'm going to get you some clothes, and the equipment to heal those scrapes, so don't go anywhere. Okay?"
Spock nodded.
They had breakfast together in the room, McCoy, took the active talking part, as he quickly re-explained that he was suffering an injury. It was the first time he explained it properly. Mentioning that he was not really four years old, although McCoy was still uncertain how much Spock understood. He seemed intelligent but was still young, and would only nod in replies.
"I tell you what though, this whole non talking thing, there is no way I am not going to ask older you about this later. Are you just stubborn? Can you physically not? Are you shy?"
A tilt of the head.
"That is exactly what I'm talking about" McCoy said picking up his plate, and Spock's empty bowl "anyway. I'll see you for lunch I'll send nurse Chapel in soon."
McCoy took the bowls over to the door only to become horribly aware that he was being followed. It wasn't the noise he made, and he didn't stand too close. It was just, an awareness.
He turned to the boy who stayed silent "and where do you think you're going?" Spock touched the door with a hand. McCoy sighed he lent down on one knee.
"It's too dangerous out there for you, the atmosphere, and gravity could hurt you. It's not that I want to keep you in here. Do you understand?" He asked.
Spock nodded.
"Good" McCoy said, as Spock took a step to the side. McCoy opened the door to let himself out, and Spock ran.
"Spock!"
It wasn't purely that his vulcan speed would force the adults to run, but the timing of his escape had gone perfectly with the closing of the elevator doors out in the hall. By the time McCoy had put down the bowl and plate, he could see no sign of where Spock had went. Had he gone in the completely closed elevator, or had he run down the hall? For Spock on the other hand it was a different story, he had got himself stuck in the elevator with a very surprised young man. A man with curly hair, and a yellow jumper.
"Hello Mizster Spock" Chekov said. Spock looked up at the man, but stayed mostly still.
"Where are you going?" Chekov asked curiously.
Spock did not reply.
"Do you remember me?"
Spock shook his head.
"My name is Chekov. I am going to Sulu's lab, it has lots of plants like a green house. Would you like to come with me?"
Spock thought for a moment still eyeing Chekov wearily. But he nodded his head, as the lift came to a stop.
"Come on then Mizster Spock." Chekov said leading him down the hallway.
"Sulu? Are you in here?" Chekov called as they walked past pots of plants.
"Yes? I just had to water my-" Sulu stopped watering a very spiky flowering cactus, a watering can in one hand, and cup of coffee in the other.
"Hello Spock" Sulu said putting the watering can down, Spock greeted him with the vulcan salute, which Sulu mimicked back.
"Why do you have him? The Doctors going to be angry."
"I found him in the elevator" Chekov said "if anything I am hero."
Sulu pouted for second with a nod "I guess."
Spock walked up to Sulu and his cactus, which a flower head had emerged from, seemingly animate. Spock pointed at it questionably.
"Who this? This is Mr Benjamin." Sulu introduced Spock. Spock reached out his hand, but looked to Sulu before moving to close.
"Yes! Yes you can touch him, he's very nice." Sulu said excitedly and stroked the head of the flower. Spock stroked the flower. The flower moved pushing itself into Spock's hand.
"He is very cute" Chekov said "nothing like when I was child."
"What?" Sulu asked amused "do you expect me to believe you looked anything other than adorable when you were a child?"
"You do not understand" Chekov said "father vould straighten hair and give bowl cut for school photography. I look awful."
Sulu snorted "wait, no. No. I'm not believing that,= who give's a bowl cut?"
"Father vould say bowl cut good, bowl cut inwented in Russia."
"What do you think Spock? Bowl cut invented in Russia?"
Spock shook his head, his attention still on the flower.
"Maybe bowl cut was invented on vulcan, right?" Sulu laughed.
"You not know true horrors of bowl cut" Chekov said pointing to Spock "that is short hair and tiny fringe bowl cut leave trauma."
At this Sulu had doubled up with laughter, Spock stopped stroking the flower as he paid careful attention to the two humans.
"This not funny Sulu, very scarring for me, I not able to show cute childhood photo."
"What on earth going on here" Nurse Chapel bursted in, she didn't shout but her sudden appearance had been enough to make the three jump.
"And why haven't you returned Spock to the medical bay?" She asked walking past Chekov and over to Spock.
"I not know he lost" Chekov said.
"Well he's not supposed to be in here it's too humid. Come on Spock" Nurse Chapel said holding out a hand for him. Spock tugged at Sulu's trousers hiding behind him.
"Aw I'm sorry Spock, maybe you should go with her." Sulu said.
Slowly Spock walked out from his hiding place and stood next to Nurse Chapel, her hand still held out.
"You're holding my hand. You've already run away once, and I know it is perfectly acceptable to hold a vulcan child's hand so come on."
Slowly he took her hand and walked out of the room, hearing a small call behind them of
"Goodbye commander!"