11.) Hands
Years of bar fights, Bones, Frank, and Tarsus IV did not manage to do what one (technically two) Vulcan did. It took only three encounters with Spock to make Jim wary of hands.
The first encounter was on the bridge of the Enterprise. Spock had used a Vulcan never pinch on him.
The second encounter had been after Spock had marooned him on Delta Vega. He had met Spock Prime, and although he was slightly wary he still gave the Vulcan a chance. Which was why he wound up experiencing his first mind meld and the emotional transference that went with it. He was not eager to try that again.
His third and final encounter was after Spock Prime beamed him and Scotty onto the Enterprise. Already wary, Jim had still pushed Spock until the half-Vulcan had snapped. He had literally been asking for that beating, and he had deserved the strangulation attempt. It was the third strike.
Maybe it wasn't all hands that Jim was wary of, just those of a certain half-Vulcan and his older counterpart.
Written: 7-5-2011
Word Count: 178