A Taste of Honey
Chapter Fifteen
Others might have made the observation, but the truth of such would become very clear shortly—a husband who is a doctor should never be a choice to deliver or supervise the delivery of his offspring, but he was with his wife in their room when the labour started.
When M'Binga came through the door he had a nervous father-to-be, who just happened to be a doctor, attempting to feed his wife ice chips from a cup in his left hand and wipe her brow with the right. He voice was at least one octave above normal, almost strangled and the instructions heard were,
"Breath normally…no, ah, no inhale to the count of…uh, well inhale. Do you want me to walk with you?"
His mother-in-law almost collided with Dr. M'Binga as he too arrived. She stepped back, a little startled and joined her son-in-law at the head of the bed.
Elsse took the cup containing the ice chips and the wipe from her son-in-laws hand and said,
"Go, calm yourself, everything is alright. Babies are born every day, some without the aid of doctors. They come when they are ready and most arrive without mishap. All will be well—go meditate for a few minutes. Better still, go greet your family."
M'Binga completed the examination and departed.
Addressing her daughter she said,
"I don't recall him being so agitated the last time."
With a slight smile on her lips T'Prie said,
"The last time Poppa Blake kept him out of the room."
"Perhaps his family will occupy him for a time."
Her daughter flinched and said,
"That was a big one."
Elsse was rubbing her daughter's arm and said,
"Concentrate on my voice, I will tell you a story,"
Her daughter grabbed her hand and moaned softly, her mother continued.
"I never told you how I met your father. What do you remember about him?"
T'Prie took a shuddering breath and said,
"He was tall and handsome."
Her mother responded,
"Yes, very handsome."
"We met at a convention for aerospace engineers on Vulcan. It was very unusual for Vulcan to host any sort of gathering. There are no hotels, or visitor's provisions on that planet. All the delegates were housed in the homes of Vulcan engineers—it was really a first. I was placed in your grandparent's home. It was also your father's home."
T'Prie asked,
"What was your first impression?"
"Frankly, I thought he was voyeur. Every time I looked up he was staring at me. Once I caught his eye he would turn and walk away. I do not believe we spoke one word to one another during my entire stay. I was eighteen years of age at the time, but already a senior in college.
"At twenty we met again, this time on Terra, at another convention, sponsored by Star Fleet. I had no intention of attending the Academy, I was already working and my employer was paying for my continued education. The classes would be held in San Francisco, guess who was my instructor?"
As another pain seized her, T'Prie stretched and held her breath. Her mother handed her the cup of ice chips.
"I felt like a bug under a microscope, his stare was unrelenting. Finally, I asked to speak to him in his office. I followed behind him and notice his beautiful carriage and walk, it was a given he was handsome—he was Vulcan. He opened his office door and gestured for her to enter. He walked behind his desk and gestured for me to seat myself in a chair facing him. I cleared my throat and asked,
'Sir, I am curious, what about me has caused you to continue to stare at me? I find myself confused and distracted. Should I sign out of your class? I am at a loss…
He cut me off. "
"Do not leave my class. It is most imperative that you remain under my instruction...please…"
A Vulcan saying please, that was unheard of. Biting my lips I lowered my head, and took a breath.
He asked again,
"Please…" again that so un-Vulcan speech.
Then again...
"Please…may I explain to you during a meal, last meal this day?"
I thought to myself, 'This better be good.' Verbally, I agreed to join him for a meal.
He instructed me to please meet him in front of the Einstein Building at 1700 hours that same day. As I approached he nodded and we started walking. We reached the West Gate and took public transportation to an out of the way place to eat. Apparently he was familiar with the place for he was greeted by name and we were escorted to an secluded area. Apparently he had contacted the place prior to our appearance. Water appeared instantly and the waiter addressed him and he asked me what I wished to eat, then he ordered and we were alone.
He was looking at me in that intense way that so unnerved me when he started.
"I saw you for the first time on Vulcan, seven hundred eighty days, eighteen hours, seven minutes and three seconds ago. You were housed at my parent's home. This view of you has changed my entire life. Your image has not left my consciousness since that time. The Vulcan identification of this is called shan'hal'lak. It is the engulfment, the total mental possession by another person. The Terran equivalent is 'love at first sight.' For a Vulcan, this is all consuming, total, forever. The individual does not control this. It is the fulfillment of the search of a lifetime, a realization that is rarely experienced and I am in awe of you..."
Clearing his throat he continued,
"I desire you. I do not expect an instant reciprocation of this realization, but I do request you give me an opportunity to fulfill this one desire, to have you as my bondmate."
Of course I was shocked, really numbed by this revelation but while his face was clueless, his eyes spoke volumes to me.
I answered,
"I am impressed by your sincerity. I did not know the basis for your conduct and I am relieved that it was not due to any lack on my part that I had received your attention. In a way, I am flattered, and will allow you to get to know who I really am. Perhaps something can be built from that."
The look of relief in his eyes was daunting. He continued,
"One of the ways for you to get to know me is through telepathic communication. If you will allow me to do so, may I lightly touch your mind?"
"Will it hurt?"
"No, you will sense a tingling sensation."
I nodded.
He placed his hand on the table, with two of his fingers extended, and nodded. I mirrored his gesture and he closed his eyes…"
During all this time her daughter's breathing had evened out and she had relaxed and weathered her contractions. As usual, Elsse equated movement with healing or coping and she assisted her daughter out of the bed.
As they walked she continued.
"We were not under Star Fleet regulations, so although he was my instructor there was no penalty for our growing attachment. He spent hours explaining to me "The Vulcan Way". I likewise helped him to understand many of Terra's. He was truly a noble man and his attention to me were so unlike a human male. The only touching involved was the finger embrace, at which time he would close his eyes. I asked him once, why he did that, his answer was,
"If you were to see my devotion toward you in my eyes you would be frightened."
"Of you?"
"No, of what it means to be loved by a Vulcan."
"We were married and bonded. The only mention I will ever make in regard to your father and our intimacy is this, it was never just a physical joining, it was total, mind and body—every time."
Turning her head Elsse thought,
'That explains six children in thirteen years during this time of control.'
She then continued her narration,
"Our bond was extremely strong and when he was killed only the most skilled of healers could cure me. You recall my absence at this time?"
"Yes, we thought you had gone somewhere to mourn."
"No my dear, I had gone away so I would not kill myself because he was gone from my mind."
T'Prie was breathing deeply, while her mother gently massaged her arm.
"Mother thank you. What you have now told me helps me to understand my in-laws a bit better. It always appeared strange to me to see them stop, as if listening to a distant sound, now I realize they are really talking to one another."
"You were really unable to observe this in your father and I because when he was home, and I was not busy being domestic, we were in our bedroom…communing. We always had to make up for lost time because before I knew it, he would be gone again.
"What always surprised me was his excitement at your birth. He revealed, he had wanted a daughter that would allow him to experience a relationship that was less Vulcan. He had been rather strict on our sons.
"He was so tender with you, he surrendered totally to you and it is my belief that if he had any conscious thought before he died, it would have been of you, not me. Believe me, I am not jealous of that, I am so pleased he died totally fulfilled."
Elsse then bent down and kissed her daughter sweat covered forehead.
"I now feel unburdened and focused for the first time since your father left me. The reliving of our life together has accomplished that."
T'Prie's body straighten stiffly as another contraction slammed against her body and after breathing deeply she said,
"Mother, I thank you."
"No, my daughter, I thank you."
They continued their walk.