Chapter Six: Channing
What Spock had told the good Doctor about being as much in the proverbial dark about this particular mission had been the truth. Their knowledge was equal with the exception of the First Officer having caught a brief glimpse of Habilcar, his wife and his children on the monitor in Kirk's office. They all looked healthy if arrogant, sour and fat.
When Spock first saw the child he noticed how thin she was. He had seen Habilcar's other heirs when Kirk had talked to the man on the screen and they were well fed. His female and illegitimate child's clothing also was in poor shape. She looked uncared for and he remembered her mother's words concerning their separation. The child held few of her father's alien features. Her skin held only the slightest hint of amber and her eyes were duotone instead of the monotone black.
She looked at him with no fear but only curiosity. Still she would not speak and remained silent, something Spock did not regret.
When he brought the child into the Sickbay, Spock noticed the look of relief on McCoy's face. Obviously he had been scared that she would be drastically removed from human biology and he would not know what to do. It was not prejudice that marked this but the man's strong need not to fail when it came to his profession. It was admirable if not completely useful.
On seeing the other man, Channing fled to Chapel. The Vulcan guessed that the girl had gone to the woman who resembled her mother slightly from being human and female at least. The child tried to cling to the Nurse's leg but she broke the hold. Once more, Spock noticed the change in Chapel's manner, as if with every rejection she encountered on board the ship she became harder.
Noticing his Nurse's coldness also, McCoy reached out a hand to the girl. Spock viewed the look of kindness that crossed the Doctor's face, without hesitation now or fear that it would be unaccepted. Though hesitant, Channing took the hand offered. McCoy shook it gently. "You are Channing right? I've seen your mother. She wanted me to say hi and tell you how much she wants to see you," McCoy said.
Hearing her mother mentioned, the girl fled from Chapel and clung to the Doctor with no shame. Spock successfully threw back a memory that tried to surface, an image of Amanda, wife of Sarek, holding her own child. McCoy was not as successful masking the look of affection that crossed his own face. He smoothed the girl's hair and led her to a table. Sensing the man's kindness, Channing was willingly led. Spock willingly followed. Spock noted the girl's bravery. The Sickbay was not a place fit for children and it welcomed no comfort or warmth and refused to give either as well.
"Your mother is well," McCoy said, automatically knowing that this subject made the girl feel more comfortable. "I just saw her this morning."
"They told me I'll get to see her tonight," Channing whispered as if loud words from her mouth, or anything audible to the human ear without straining, had been forbidden to her.
"You will," the Doctor said.
"They haven't let me see her for a long time," the girl continued.
"We aren't suppose to keep her longer than it takes for you to examine her, Doctor," Spock stated knowing that the Patient/Doctor relationship was being compromised by simple compassion.
The Doctor threw him a look of contempt and went through with the examination. She was not bruised, just as her mother had not been but she moved away from touch as if a hand could scar her and not one simply clenched in a fist.
"You're a healthy girl," McCoy said when done. "You're mother would be happy to know it," he added when his statement garnered no care either way. With the mention of her mother, Channing smiled again.
"Please take her to the Transporter Room," Spock said lifting the girl from off of the table. His words were spoken to Chapel and not McCoy. The Nurse grabbed the child's hand and dragged her out of the room.
Spock studied the Doctor's face. "It is not advisable that you should accompany her. You will never see her again after today."
McCoy looked down at the table. "No. I guess not."
When the Doctor looked up he saw an unexpected gleam in the Vulcan's eyes. "Are we curious Mr. Spock?"
The Vulcan would not answer.
McCoy sighed and folded his arms. "When I was married my wife became pregnant. She aborted the pregnancy without telling me. She didn't want it…"
"But you did," Spock finished.
The human nodded. "I guess, maybe it was for the best. This isn't exactly a place suited for children is it? Sometimes though I wish I would have had a say in the matter at least."
"I find it fascinating the way you cling to your softer emotions when you will admit that there is not room for them here," Spock stated.
"Yet you won't let me try to drown them into oblivion?"
No answer was given.
"Get back to your post Mr. Spock," McCoy spat, turning his back on the Vulcan.
There was one emotion that Vulcans were never completely able to relinquish, an emotion linked to trouble in the human world: Curiosity. They never tired of learning and increasing their knowledge. This was no different in either reality as was their hold on logic has their strongest faith.
Spock was curious about the mission and what it really concerned. It did not take him too long to hear the real reason why Habilcar's concubine and female child had been studied and examined by a third party having no effect or interest in the planet except for its dilithium. The news spread quickly after some time had passed and they still hovered over Galzec and Kirk reveled in the pride of how easily he had helped in acquiring dilithium for the Empire.
Spock knew that he had also found something he had been searching for as well. He had found a way to reach McCoy and stop his drinking. It was almost an irony that it was through the softer emotions they had discussed hours before but then the Vulcan had always known that this was where McCoy was most vulnerable and weak.