A Taste of Honey

Chapter Four

As I sat with her in the bedroom I questioned,

"Nyota, where will our son be born?"

"It was because of apprehensive at the thought of the medical facilities at Star Fleet that I chose a hospital three blocks away. My obstetrician is Dr. Duckman. She reached into her night table drawer and handed me the doctor's card. This physician had also been involved with the artificial insemination.

I glanced at the card and committed the information to memory and handed it back to Nyota.

I then went into the kitchen and prepared a simple meal and came back to the bedroom carrying a tray

We enjoyed a meal and conversation. She shared antidotes about her life with McCoy. There were many serious accounts and even more humorous ones. Yes, theirs had been a happy, satisfying life. But as she snuggled into me she said,

"That is the last time I will talk about him. This conversation has allowed me to have that life bleed out of me. This life is the 'now'"

She reached up and kissed my lips and said, "

"Spock, I cherish thee. Thank you for loving us."

Three days later while we lay in our bed, I had one of my arms around her shoulder and the other protectively on her stomach when I detected a muscular ripple that signaled that contractions were starting. I decided that I would not awaken her, eventually her body would accomplish that. I watched her face for any indication of discomfort.

I heard a low moan and her eyes flew open.

She smiled and said, "Spock, our son is coming to us."

Spock went to the com unit and advised the doctor.

His instruction were,

'Bring Mrs T'Gai in when her contractions are four minutes apart.'

I placed his hand on her abdomen and communicated,

'We await your presence."

I dressed and then I helped her into the shower and cleansed her hair and body, assisted her in dressing, and secured her luggage from the closet and sat her down in a chair in the entrance hallway. With my hand on her abdomen I timed the contractions and monitored her pain.

"Beloved, if the pain becomes overwhelming, I will take it away from you."

Nyota nodded.

I wiped her face.

Finally I picked her up and placed her on my lap. Nyota again moaned and her breath caught in her throat. I attempted to instruct her in proper breathing and to seek comfort through light meditation. There was a degree of success on her part.

I finally told her,

"Nyota, look at me, look into my eyes and concentrate on something other than the pain."

With a laugh laced with a ragged sob, she said,

"Spock, I don't think this will be 'mind over matter."

"Let me help you Nyota."

With that I placed my hands at her psi points and drew the pain into my body. I felt her relax as my mind processed her contractions and allowed them to dissipate.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply,

"Thank you Spock, thank you for both of us."

The contractions were now within the perimeter for us to make our way to the hospital and I carried her to the vehicle. Nyota had a smile on her face and whispered to me,

"Welcome to parenthood."

She then stated,

"Spock, when you originally made the request to take away the pain, I allowed you to do so. But please allow me the opportunity to handle the rest by myself. Let me explain why. Every other child I conceive in my life will be yours. Every other pain I bear can be shared, but I must do this alone. To share this with you would be unfair, this decision I had made without your knowledge and certainly without your consent. There would be a degree of disloyalty for me to involve you into this birthing experience to that extent.

So, I was reduced to being a 'holder of hands, wiper of brow, provider of ice chips for My Nyota.

I compared this experience to what I knew about Vulcan childbirth, which was an entirely silent experience. The silence would finally be pierced by the first wails of the newborn. Usually the first hands to touch the child was the father's, who would then cut the cord and place the child against his bare skin. Then the child was greeted with a bath of water, Vulcan's most precious commodity. Vulcan females' mental disciple and physical strength allowed them to give birth and very swiftly return to what activity they had been engaged in prior to te delivery. There was no recuperation. The child also was different, the actual nursing by the mother created a bond and the child's being held in its father's arms with bare skin touching bare skin created their bond

I had sworn to protect My Nyota with my very life and so I discovered that while I had not melded with Nyota, her painful experience was extremely taxing on me. I felt helpless because at her insistence, I could not rescue her.

My shields had been strengthened to their limits so as to allow others to touch her. I fully understood my possessive nature. It has its basis in our ancient heritage. I was fortunate that in my case, this drive had been tempered by my human half.

Twelve hours, fifty three minutes and six seconds after the labor started, our son was born. To follow the customs of my people I delivered him, cut the cord and held him to my exposed chest as my wife cried now with joy.

I spoke to him, as I gently rocked him,

"You are named, S'chn T'gai McCoy, son of Spock, son of Sarek, son of Skon, son of Solkar of Surak's house. You will know greatness."

I placed our son at Nyota's breast and as the doctor finished his ministrations I kssed her hands.

"Thank you My Nyota, Now, my line does not die wth me.

Nyota shook her head and said,

"He will have your name but not your heritage. His brother will be granted that."

`0`0`0`0`0`0`0`0

Our son was two months old when Nyota came to me. She undid the button on my shirt, and drew it over my head, then reached down and unfasten my trouser button,

"Now I can become your wife and not just the mother of your son. Spock you deserve more than a person who shares your bed, let me give myself to you as your true wife."

I was finally able to see the body that I in vision, had worshipped long ago, slim, petit, beautiful and I was overwhelmed.

A/N I believe in an outtake from the movie Sarek attempts to defend his absence from the birth of Spock by stating it was not the Vulcan way. The entire experience with the pain, sweating, screams, moans, etc. is what is not the Vulcan way. He deliberatey distanced himself from the exprience but his son Spock takes the empathetic route and is there for His Nyota.

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