"Ready?"
"Yes, Commander," Spock replied to Nguyen, who had placed his hand over the door sensor.
"Lieutenant?"
Nyota nodded. "Yes, Sir."
Pleased to have the situation under some kind of control, Nguyen activated the door, taking the lead as it swooshed open. He had a new action plan, cooperation from his charges, and a set of rules to keep everyone focused toward the same results. The reluctant Vulcan appeared to be relaxing some of his reserve. Maybe "Mr. Personality" would make a return appearance.
Not surprisingly, Janelle and Ellen Karras intercepted them immediately, ushering the group to the auditorium where bright camera-friendly lighting and the crowd of volunteers and Terran celebrities waited. Camera operator Marco had positioned himself for the best vantage point, recording the buzz and excitement of pre-event staging and anticipation. Right behind him, Amy Grayson directed traffic, opening a pathway through the crowd. With the practiced hand learned at her mother's side throughout life, she easily collected her cousin and his "friend," guiding them and the rest of their group to a backdrop with the Mayo Clinic logo on it.
"Hey there, Cousin," she said lightheartedly, keeping her voice down enough for privacy under the crowd's din as she walked them to their places. "Are you and Nyota ready for your first trick-or-treat?"
"Our state of readiness is irrelevant at this point," Spock replied in the same spirit (for him, anyway). "However, I expect that our immersion into the practice will prove fascinating."
"I am sure that it will be," Amy agreed. "I hate to ask, but do you mind posing for pictures with our other volunteers? I know that it's not something that you typically do, but it would really be a thrill for them."
Personally, Spock did not grasp why it would "be a thrill" to be photographed with him. Nevertheless, he had promised Nguyen greater accessibility. Before he agreed to photos, however, he needed to take care of something else.
"I am amenable. However, Nyota has not eaten today."
Nyota, listening in, smiled. He had probably sensed her hunger and was taking care of her needs again. "Neither have you," she returned.
"Oh, that's right!" Amy exclaimed. "Margaret said that you left before breakfast."
Spock tilted his head slightly. "You spoke with Margaret?"
"No, my mother did, right after orientation."
Spock and Nyota exchanged glances. So that explained it. They had wondered why Janelle had so insistently burst into the conference room earlier and how she seemed to know about their dilemma before talking to them. The "Grayson Grapevine" was fast, indeed. His family shared and acted on information to look after his and Nyota's well-being. Thinking about the meanings and implications of these actions brought Spock a greater comfort and contentment.
"Let me get you something easy to eat, like a couple mini muffins or strawberries for now," Amy suggested. "After the photos, I'll make sure that you get a real meal before we begin. Would that work?"
Spock looked at Nyota, who now looked relieved even as a pang of hunger throbbed in her stomach. "Thanks, that would be great," she said.
"OK, stand off to the side here, and I'll be right back." Amy walked to Karras and Nguyen, who was engaged in giving directions to someone over his communicator, to explain what she had to do, then quickly made her way to the buffet table to load a small plate and the couple forks that Vulcan eating etiquette demanded. She remembered that Cousin Amanda's husband, the venerable Ambassador Sarek, never ate "finger foods" with his fingers.
-o0o-
An hour later, after the impromptu photo session with other volunteers and a small meal, "Davey" Swenson, attired in a lion costume, entered the small dining alcove. "Hey, you two, I have a surprise."
"A surprise?" Nyota giggled at his costume. "Mr. Swenson, today has been nothing but surprises!"
"Indeed," said Spock flatly.
Swenson laughed. "But I think you're going to like this one." He turned his head and spoke to someone around the corner. "Come on, this way. They're right here."
Margaret and Allen poked their heads around the wall tentatively.
"Margaret! Allen!" exclaimed Nyota. "When did you get here? How did you get out of the house?"
Margaret walked to them. "Nate just brought us over in his police cruiser."
"Yeah, right after Commander Nguyen called and told us to stop egging on the paparazzi. He was pretty insistent about it. He said we were 'shaking a hive of bees,'" Allen said. "Ruined all my fun."
"You can blame Janelle for that," said Margaret. "She started panicking after I told her what was going on and ran off to find Commander Nguyen. Now they've got the folks at Starfleet HQ and Mayo issuing press statements left and right."
"Yes, we really messed up," sighed Nyota, looking at Spock.
Spock, who made so few mistakes in his life, nodded slightly in agreement.
"Don't worry, it'll be all right," Allen stated. "The family is on notice, and that Nguyen seems like he's getting the whole media thing under control. It works out better this way anyway," he said with a glint in his eye. "Now I don't have to miss my nephew's first trick-or-treat!"
Spock tilted his head forward and stared at Allen, eyebrow raised.
Swat! Margaret's hand playfully connected with Allen's bicep. "Allen, stop it! Hasn't he had enough excitement today?"
Allen rubbed the new sore spot on his arm. "Hey, can't I play the proud uncle just this once?"
"How about we get these young folks situated and find our places in line," Swenson broke in, laughing, trying to prevent the outbreak of war. "They're starting to call people over."
Janelle and Amy were already collecting people from the auditorium and assigning places in line. There were 25 groups, each with two baskets of giveaways—one a confection, the other a small toy or amusement. Spock, Nyota, Swenson, and Allen (who insisted on participating) were Group #17. Swenson carried a basket of chocolate favors and handed Allen the basket of glow balls. Margaret volunteered to stay behind and help Amy with the logistics of maintaining event traffic flow.
"Have you ever done anything like this?" Allen asked his nephew as they waited their turn in line for decontamination. Spock shook his head. Allen grinned. "Well, nothing like diving in head-first."
Diving in head-first. Spock understood the idiom. "Nyota told me to 'just go with it,'" he stated innocently.
"I can't wait to see that," Allen teased.
"Next!" said the medical technician at front table before Spock could reply.
Spock stepped forward, and the technician invited him to step inside a booth. With the push of a button, a blue glow surrounded Spock for a half-second. With the process complete, Spock exited and stepped toward the entrance to the children's ward and waited for the rest of his party. Allen came next, then Nyota, and finally Swenson.
PADD in hand, Swenson lead the group to the first stop. Group #16 was still in the room visiting, so the members of Group #17 waited quietly in the corridor until it was their turn.
Surreal. This human word was only term that S'chn T'gai Spock of Vulcan, first officer and science officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, could apply to this situation. When he had awakened this morning, he never could have predicted that, 7.4 hours later, he would be preparing to meet children in a hospital accompanied by his mother's old friend attired in a lion costume at a Halloween-themed event. Such "twists and turns of life," as Amanda had called them, had replaced his more ordered existence during the past year.
Allen and Swenson struck up a quiet conversation, catching up on old times. Nyota leaned over and whispered, "We're almost up. Are you OK with this?"
Spock decided that, for now, he was "OK" with it. In this, he had the support from his family, from Nyota, and, oddly, even from Starfleet through Commander Nguyen's efforts. "Yes, I believe that I am," he said, as he watched Group #16 exit.
Swenson walked into the room first. The rest waited outside in the hallway as they listened to him. "Hello, I'm David. Are you Annika?"
"Yes!" replied a high-pitched voice.
"My friends Nyota, Spock, and Allen are with me. Would you like to meet them?"
Nyota, Spock, and Allen waited to be invited into the room, as was the procedure. Patients and their parents were always asked their permission, just in case the patient was getting too tired or too overwhelmed for more visitors.
"Oh, Honey, I think you want to meet them," encouraged a feminine voice.
"Daddy would like to meet them," said a masculine voice. "Will you say 'yes' so Daddy can meet them?"
"OK!" said Annika.
Swenson turned to the doorway and motioned them in. Nyota entered first with a big smile on her face. Spock and Allen followed.
The little girl, who appeared to be 6 Terran years old, sat up excited in her inclined bed, her face beaming despite the tubes running into various ports on her body. She took in a deep breath in disbelief, then blurted, "Mommy, Mommy, a Vulcan! See! See! OH!" She clapped her hands together, hardly able to contain herself.
Spock stopped and stood. Never had anyone shown such excitement at seeing him before. He was usually the object of curiosity or derision, not unrestrained glee. He was not sure what to say or do. Nyota, Allen, and Swenson laughed. The girl's parents, wide smiles on their faces, seemed amused as well.
"Yes, Anni, I see," said her mother. "This is Commander Spock. Remember, from the news? He saved the whole world. And look, this is Lieutenant Uhura. She helped save the world, too."
"You're pretty!" Annika said to Nyota. "You're pretty, too!" she said, pointing at Spock.
What should he say? Spock had no protocol to follow. How would his father have handled this situation? His eyes widened slightly, and he looked to Allen for some guidance. Unfortunately Allen, no help at all, was trying to stifle a guffaw. Swenson simply grinned.
"Why thank you, Miss Annika," Nyota replied, stooping next to the girl's side, trying to save Spock from some embarrassment. "You are a pretty young woman yourself. Are you enjoying your Halloween?"
"Yes! I love trick-or-treating! Do you like trick-or-treating, C'mander Spock?" The little girl was fixated, her hazel eyes big and round.
Spock decided that the right course was to simply answer the girl's question. He walked to Nyota's side in front of the girl. "I do not know. I have never gone 'trick-or-treating,' Miss Annika."
"Never in your whole life?" she asked incredulously.
"Never," Spock replied gently. "It is not a Vulcan custom."
"This is his and Lieutenant Uhura's first Halloween," said Allen, deciding to help out before the girl's exuberance overwhelmed his poor nephew. "Maybe you can show them how to trick-or-treat. Can you do that?"
"OK!" said the girl.
Annika's mother took the girl's trick-or-treat bag from the nightstand and handed it to her daughter. "Show them how…." Her heart warmed at the idea that her daughter would be teaching two of the Federation's most distinguished citizens about Halloween.
Annika held her bag in the air, parted the sides to open it wide, and boisterously said, "Trick or Treat!"
Allen threw in a glow ball.
The girl smiled. "Thank you!"
"Can you do it one more time?" Swenson asked, picking a couple selections from his basket.
"Trick or Treat!"
Swenson dropped in a couple pieces of candy.
"Thank you!"
"Very good!" said Swenson. He turned to Spock and Nyota. "Do you think you have the hang of it?"
"I do believe so," Spock replied. "Thank you for your proficient demonstration, Miss Annika," he bowed slightly.
Annika's father leaned over her, his eyes gratefully meeting Spock and Nyota's as he looked up briefly before returning his attention to his daughter. "What do you say, Anni?"
"You're welcome!" she said.
"Well, it's time for us to get going," Swenson prompted as the alarm on his PADD went off. "Have a great Halloween, everyone."
"You, too!" Annika said. The girl seemed to have an endless well of enthusiasm. Fortunately there were several groups behind them for her to meet and expend some more energy.
"Thank you," said the father. "Commander, Lieutenant, thank you…for everything."
"Yes, thank you, thank you," said the mother.
"We come to serve," said Spock, resorting to a practiced Vulcan phrase. He was rarely sure how to respond to extreme displays of gratitude from Terra's citizens, even after all these months.
"You are welcome," said Nyota. "Take care…Bye, Miss Annika!"
"Bye!"
The group exited the room and started toward its next destination.
"That went quite well," said Swenson.
"That was fun," said Nyota. "I'm glad we came."
"So am I," said Swenson. "You two are naturals. I think Miss Annika is going to be talking about you for a month."
"I think Spock has a new admirer," Allen teased.
"Allen, really," said Spock, looking skyward.
Nyota laughed. "Annika was rather taken with you…and so was her mom." Nyota looked down the hallway; there was no one but their small group present. She brushed his hand. You handsome thing, I always knew you were a charmer.
She grinned. He tried to maintain Vulcan decorum.
"All right, stop it!" Allen knew that Nyota had sent Spock a mushy telepathic thought.
"What do you mean 'stop it,' Allen? You started it," said Swenson. "Am I going to have to get Margaret to swat you again?"
"I've been swatted so many times I'm surprised that I still have an arm," Allen lamented melodramatically.
Spock looked at his uncle, adopted a contemplative expression, then slowly rose an eyebrow.
"What?!" Allen asked, wondering what smartass thing his nephew was going to say.
Spock leaned back a bit, obviously making a mental decision. "I have no comment on the matter," he said finally.
"Oh, I bet you don't…"
"Sh-sh-sh!" Nyota waved her hands. "Room 310 is right there!"
Confirming their destination and patient name, Swenson prepared to greet their next trick-or-treater.…
