Chapter 53 - Probably a Mistake


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Yeoman Rand caught up with Kirk just as he was entering his office. "I thought you might want this." She handed him a large mug. The blessed aroma of strong, black coffee wafted from its brim.

"Rand, you're a goddess. If it didn't mean having to write myself up for harassment, I'd kiss you."

"Just doing my job, sir." she said with a nod and a smile.

Because the fates clearly owed him something, Jim allowed himself a moment to watch her walk away before taking a seat in front of his console and placing a transmission to Adm. Pike. He thought briefly that he should contact Commodore Stone too, but decided to talk to Pike first. Just maybe he could ask Pike to relay his report to Stone. That would make things a lot easier. Jim didn't usually go for easier, but he could really use it right now.

Pike's face appeared on his screen. "Pike here. What have you got, Captain?"

"Just an update as requested, sir. The good news is that Ms. Chandri has recovered. However, Mr. Sorenson has had a set back. I believe Dr. McCoy will pull him through, but we really can't be sure what he'll be able to remember afterward."

Pike frowned. "Well, if he's not likely to give reliable information any time soon, I hope you've recovered the interrogation records."

"Sorry, sir. We haven't found them yet. Ms. Chandri seems to believe that there might not be any."

"Really?" Pike raised one eyebrow. Jim was beginning to wonder if he was the only person who couldn't. "Did she say why?"

Kirk took a deep breath. He hadn't actually asked. "Not exactly sir, but, um, you know about her, right?"

"You mean, do I know she's a telepath? Or do I know she can be more stubborn and inscrutable than most Vulcans?" Pike gave him a look. "Or do I know she's entirely capable of making some men forget they even asked a question just by smiling at them?"

"She'd been through a lot and I didn't want to push her." Jim said defensively. "She did say she was certain Sorenson hadn't given anything away. And she offered to help interrogate Maldi to confirm it."

Pike's mouth went sideways. "Well, she's about the last person I'd expect to lie about a thing like that and if anyone can pry the info out of Maldi short of torture, it's her. When can we expect you to complete that?"

"I don't know, sir. She seems pretty set on helping with Mr. Sorenson first."

"Well, she and Spock wouldn't very well want to lose the third player in their tag-team chess matches." Pike shook his head. "And, from what I've heard, he's had her back a few times before. Much as I'd like to push her, I do know better."

"Then you understand, sir. Could you relay the information to Commodore Stone?" Kirk asked, thinking 'please'.

"Surely you of all people haven't let L.T. intimidate you?" Pike laughed. "His bark is worse than his bite. And though he'll never admit it, he's worried about Sorenson himself. Nobody likes the idea of losing a guy who'll drop billions into their black ops account and launder it so well no one can even back trace it."

This would be a good time to be able to raise one eyebrow, Jim thought. He settled for raising both.

"Volmari's disappearing accounts." Pike explained. "Why do you think Maldi targeted him? Sorenson went a bit off the reservation to do it, but positive results plus about 18 billion credits will buy a whole lot of forgiveness. From what I hear he had about the fastest incident review in history. Next to yours, that is." Pike winked. "Keep me informed. Pike out."

Jim sat and looked at the blank screen. His memory had pulled up Maldi's little dialogue about why he thought Selina had stuck close to Sorenson. While her reasons were clearly a lot more personal than that, Jim couldn't help wonder at the difference between 18 and 25. Nah, he decided. He must have misheard.

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Sorenson's first thought when he came to was that consciousness was probably a mistake. He groaned and made a clumsy attempt at rolling off the bed. Someone caught his shoulders. "You lie still."

"unnnh." he moaned. "How could I possibly feel this drunk and this hungover at the same time?"

"Rest." she advised. " Movement is not your friend right now."

"Grey?" He opened his eyes, decided that was definitely a mistake, and closed them. "If you care for me at all, carry through on that old threat and kill me. Whatever I did last night, I probably deserve it anyway."

"Last night?" she asked.

"Raesh's party. I don't remember much." He winced. "...except midnight. I'm really sorry. I swear I will never drink champagne again."

"Shhh, Faf. I recall only that you brought me home when you knew my shields had slipped." Selina looked at him with a relieved smile, and a slight blush. "I am the one who should apologize and I will join you in that vow."

He sighed. "You don't even sound hungover."

"The one advantage of my odd metabolism." she explained. "And I suspect that I consumed only a fraction of what you did."

"Wise move. Any chance you could get me an analgesic?"

She shook her head. "Your stomach is too sour for that. But I could help with the pain, if you will allow it."

"I don't think that's best idea right now." He could feel himself begin to blush and squeezed his eyes shut. Now would be a really good time to be unconscious again, especially since something seemed to be pushing him to say more...

"My memory isn't completely foggy." he finally admitted, bracing for the worst, but not quite able to hold back a small smile.

"Nor mine." she whispered. "So you should know that there is very little I that did not see last night."

His few remaining functional synapses stalled on that information, leaving him to stare in mute dismay.

She brushed his temple lightly and leaned close. "Even without telepathy I would be able to see right through you, Faf. You can continue to pretend otherwise and remain in pain, or you can admit it and allow me to help."

Somewhere in his foggy brain a small voice was insisting that something was not right here: this was not the way this morning was supposed to have played out and deviating from the approved script was probably not a good idea. He looked at Grey. She was smiling softly, tracing two fingers down the edge of his beard to a particularly sensitive spot on his neck. He told the small voice to just please shut up for a change and reached up to her.

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When Jim returned to sickbay, it sounded as though someone inside was revving hover bikes badly in need of a tune up. As he walked through the outer office into the main bay, he saw Spock just lifting his hand from Sorenson's face. Selina was in a chair next to his bed, slumped over with her head halfway on his shoulder. Both were snoring.

So much for asking her about the discrepancy in numbers or the missing records, Jim thought. But at least Sorenson was clearly breathing. He crossed to where Bones, Uhura and Chapel were standing at a discrete distance on the other side of the room. "What happened?" Jim asked.

"He woke up thinking it was the morning after some sort of party. But Spock made us move away, so we don't know what happened." Chapel almost pouted.

"She appears to have used the memory to direct him to the state of slumber I found him in when I arrived later that morning." Spock stated, joining the group. A slightly smug look crossed his face. "It would seem that she was unable to dissolve the link before being drawn into sleep as well."

"Is she going to be okay like that?" Uhura asked.

"The link naturally dissipated once she lapsed into slumber. It was an elegant solution on her part." Spock conceded. "I have moved him to a stage of deep sleep to preclude disturbing dreams, as I am certain she would have done had she been able to remain awake."

"Well, if he stays that way for the next hour or two, he should be over the worst of it when he wakes up." Bones said, looking over. "You should probably go ahead and take her back to her quarters."

Spock's eyebrows rose fractionally. "I have no intention of taking her anywhere."

McCoy and Chapel chuckled. "Well, I wouldn't want you to risk being 'creeped out'." McCoy drawled, heading over.

Spock stopped him. "I would not advise it, Doctor. She sleeps very lightly."

There was a pause as the four humans looked at the snoring duo and then at Spock's ears. "You've got to be kidding." Jim said. "No one who could sleep through that could possibly be considered a light sleeper."

"Clearly being accustomed to her own, snoring does not disturb her." Spock explained. "However, I assure you that if she wakes to find she is being moved she will, to use an earth idiom, be more irate than a saturated female gallus domesticus."

"She'll be madder than wet hen." Uhura translated. "It's probably better not to take a chance. Besides, she looks pretty content there."

"They do look sort of sweet together." Chapel glanced slyly over at McCoy. "If I were you, I'd be worried old man."

McCoy scowled at her. "Cut that out. He thought they were both a lot younger when he said that."

"Said what?" Jim asked.

"Mr. Sorenson observed that the Doctor's advanced age would likely preclude him as a potential suitor for Ms. Chandri." Spock explained. His tone was perfectly even, but Jim could swear there had been a flicker of a smile as he said it.

Jim grinned. "Well, he does seem to know her pretty well."

"Indeed," Spock replied smoothly. "He certainly is more familiar than I with her preferences in that regard."

Uhura made a slight coughing sound. "Maybe we should let them rest." she suggested. "And I don't know about you, but making up some sleep sounds like a good idea to me right now."

"A prudent observation." Spock replied. "I should also retire to meditate in the event I am needed when Cmdr. Sorenson awakens. Unless I am required sooner, I shall return in two hours time."

McCoy eyed Spock as he and Uhura left together. "Advanced age." Bones snorted. "He's more a few years older than Uhura."

"Are you calling my first officer a hypocrite, old man?" Jim asked.

"Shut up, Jim. Spock is just bent out of shape because Selina kissed me." Bones grinned at him, bouncing slightly on his toes. "Twice."

Damn. Jim pressed his lips against a frown. He really needed to talk to someone in karmic accounting. Surely there had to have been some mistake?

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AN: Commodore Stone has a couple different first names given in ST canon, but L.T. was in the first script where he appeared.

I know this getting long and the last section is just fluff, but I have another funeral to go to and needed some fluff. I'll probably end up writing another short angst/hurt/comfort one-shot next week after I get over the shock.