48 hours before his birthday, Lieutenant Uhura spotted Captain Kirk's uncharacteristically distracted management of the Enterprise. Kirk waved off his hyper-efficient admin Yeoman Janice Rand over and over again when presented with stacks of PADDs awaiting his attention. Uhura notified Kirk three times of a hail from Ktaria. Ktarian star ship crews reported unusual hallucinations approaching their home planet in the Galdonterre sector from the southern rim. A mystery of this magnitude should have piqued Kirk's unquenchable curiosity and provided more than enough adrenaline to stimulate his reckless brain. Today Kirk lacked the energy to pay more than casual attention to the pleas of the Ktarians for a sensor sweep of the area between Ktaria and the little known system belonging to their neighbors the Talosians.
Uhura's fingers retrieved the best known data on the Talosians, including observations by Captain Christopher Pike. Most of the information was classified above Uhura's or Kirk's clearance level. Super-imposing the data stream over the Ktarian officer's transmission on the main view screen did nothing to incite Kirk's sense of intrigue.
At shift's end Kirk bolted from the Captain's chair and entered the turbo-lift mere steps ahead of Uhura, making sure the doors shut in her face. Jogging across the bridge to the lift located in the main access hallway meant she lost him to the dark corners of the Enterprise.
24 hours before his official natal day, Jim Kirk called in sick for the first time since the Enterprise refit after the Admiral Marcus affair.
The absence of Spock's heat clued Uhura in to his movement. Both had today and part of tomorrow off so they'd gotten a head start on their love-making. Annoyed that Spock answered the buzzing PADD and disturbed a restful sleep caused by complete sexual satiation, Uhura noticed when Spock sat up in bed.
"K'diwa. You will want to see this."
His neutral expression and tone scared her.
What has Jim done this time? she 'pathed, part exasperation and part fear.
It is what he is not doing that will concern you most. He has indicated he will not be working his shift as he is ill. Further inquiry indicates he has been gone from his quarters for at least 3 hours.
Uhura speed-read the message and bolted out of bed. Throwing soap, water and clothes around at warp speeds she bent and gave the reclining Spock a grateful kiss before she tore down the hall to Sickbay.
"You can stop there, Lieutenant - he's not here and I didn't force him on medical leave. I haven't seen him at all in 4 days."
Flopping onto the only available chair in McCoy's cluttered office, Uhura sighed and ran her hands through her loose hair - a nervous habit she'd borrowed from Jim Kirk.
"Spock checked and he was in his quarters until at least 3 hours ago. We... fell asleep. The locator didn't warn us that he'd left his quarters. Jim's message to Spock woke us up."
That confession prompted a rare smile from the ship's doctor.
"Should I order that new obstetrics bed now? I've got you and Spock down for having the first baby on the Enterprise. The pool's up to 7200 credits so I whole-heartedly want you to clear up this juvenile nonsense with Jim and go back to bed with the green-blooded sperm donor. Doctor's orders."
Uhura grinned and blushed.
"I appreciate your fan support Len, but right now I'm worried about Jim. You know what day tomorrow is -"
It took a moment but recognition and frustration confirmed McCoy remembered the date.
"I'm a southern jackass, Uhura. He got an invitation three weeks ago to speak at the Federation memorial ceremony for the Kelvin survivors. When he didn't respond his mother called him. He hid in my quarters for a week and emptied a half a case of good bourbon. Damn near poisoned himself. I never put the two together," McCoy recounted.
The doctor's expression communicated his expectation that wherever he was hiding, Jim Kirk meant to stay drunk enough to dull the pain of being born on the day his daddy died.