Chapter 33: Hints and Allegations

Having settled the problem of Pon Farr, things returned to normal. If McCoy noticed any vague signs left in Spock of the events and occurrences during that period of Vulcan shame they were only ephemeral. No sooner did McCoy find some hint of expression in the First Officer's eyes that he was at least remembering that time then it vanished into darkness.

To McCoy it sometimes felt as if he had lost a part of himself in the process. Knowing the effects that the secret could wield if he chose not to keep it safe gave McCoy the strength to keep on living each day as if nothing had changed and everything that had happened between Spock and himself had been little more than a dream.

The most unnerving aspect of it all was Kirk. That was nothing new in itself; the constant fear of what the Captain would do next was the price one had to pay while serving on the Enterprise, yet there was recently something even more disturbingly smug about the man. It was clichéd but at odd times McCoy would feel eyes watching him while on the bridge and turn to find Kirk staring at him with some cursed smile playing on his face; A slight curl to his lips, one that would not vanish no matter how long the Doctor searched the face, trying to find some revelation as to its cause.

Sometimes Kirk's eyes would then move to the Vulcan who was busy at some random task, as oblivious to his surroundings as he usually was.

At other times, Kirk seemed his usual self, possessing no more knowledge then he had before. This is what kept the good Doctor on guard, however: Kirk had known of Spock's previous dilemma. He also must have been aware of a sudden solution having been found. His First Officer was back on the bridge and cured. The Captain, serpent that he was, was sure to have been curious about what exactly had gone on. To believe that the man had forgotten was deadly naïveté.

It was with a certain feeling of relief and dread that McCoy found himself being summoned to the Captain's office one rather uneventful day.

For a brief while they talked business, a strange occurrence for McCoy who had regarded Kirk's lack of interest in the welfare of his crew as a peculiar blessing.

"So everything's tip top, huh Sawbones," Kirk said a broad and dangerous smile on his face.

"Nothing is new anyway," McCoy shrugged.

"A lot of free time huh?" the Captain said, leaning further back in his chair. He placed his hands behind his head and eyed his longtime acquaintance. "Are you finding a lack in things to keep you busy?"

The Doctor felt a bead of sweat appearing on his brow but did not give the other man the satisfaction of watching as he wiped it away. "I suppose."

"Have you ever heard of a television?" Kirk asked.

"Yes," McCoy answered his Southern accent becoming thick with the irritation he felt.

"Good boy!" Kirk smiled. "Then you are well aware that it was a square like box that people use to bring into their homes and spend relentless hours in front of watching some type of play that the whole world could tune in to. I don't exactly know why. Give me a lady or two, half a bottle of champagne and a bed and I could think of much better things to do. On second thought you don't even need the bed or the champagne."

"And is there some point to this fascinating history lesson?" McCoy smirked.

Kirk's smile grew broader. "Well let's just say that on a certain stardate I think I found one program that may have torn me away from my favorite usual type of amusement."

The blood in McCoy's veins did not only run cold, it froze, stopping the beating in his heart and the other vital organs in his body from their usually non-thought of functions.

Kirk enjoyed the silence more than any words. "It was fascinating. I was finally letting Marlena up for a breath or too before we went back to business. You see, I have a certain item that is a lot like a television and Marlena found a certain… Let's say channel that caught her interest; Marlena's kind of into a certain type of entertainment. Usually that's not quite my thing but there was something that warranted my own interest too I might add."

McCoy believed that his heart had betrayed him, abandoning him forever.

"You see with all of those grunts and groans something struck me a little, shall we say, familiar?" Kirk continued. " May I also comment that it wasn't too difficult to figure out who the guy getting serviced was? Not too many Vulcans on board let alone one with such a problem."

"What are you trying to say," McCoy found his voice long enough to ask a question he already knew the answer to.

"Well can I assume you found your own very personal way to bring about an end to our favorite Vulcan's little problem?"

McCoy did no reply. He stared at Kirk for what seemed like a lifetime, searching for some rebuff or retort that would not cost him dearly nor would make him a fool. Thinking of none, McCoy did the only thing he could think of.

The Captain watched, laughing like Satan, as the Enterprise Doctor fled at a pace even Spock would have counted remarkable for a mere human being.