Only the slight movement of the little finger on the Chief Engineer's right hand gave any indication that he was only just in control of his emotions. He looked at Spock then directly at the healer, "Sir, if I were Mister Spock I would be asking ye just what kind of relationship ye were referring to. I would also be stating ye gave me insufficient information ta be able to answer ye. As it is right now are ye and I nay in a special relationship as we are in a state of being connected through conversation on a special topic, namely Mister Spock? So yes, I have a special relationship with Mister Spock as I do with every other member of the crew."
Spock found it difficult to not let the sensation of mirth that possessed him to show, his friends could not see the annoyance in Healer T'Tonan that he could see, they would not see how Mister Scott's display of linguistic dexterity had astonished the healer. For just a moment Spock saw the slight movement of Mister Scott's eyes, saw him give him just slightest of nods.
"You do have a different special relationship with him, Mister Scott. If you recall I saw and assisted you in taking his emotional pain. I saw a demonstration of a special relationship when, before I could prevent you, you also took a large percentage of his physical pain when I assisted you to form a mild meld with him. You were only to remove his emotional pain. When you took so much of his physical pain it proved to me the fact that you do have a special relationship with him."
A hardness was in Mister Scott's voice and reflected in the look he gave Healer T-Tonan, "As I told ye then, he would have done it for me and I was nay about to fail to do the same for him. If ye consider that a special relationship then aye, we have a special relationship. Now I nay know what special relationships are to Vulcans, nor to any other being, but to me a special relationship is when ye know the other would do for ye as ye does for them with nay question, hesitation, nor expectation and that's what I have with Mister Spock."
Spock looked at his friend, he had thought that Healer T'Tonan had allowed Mister Scott to take so much of his pain. To know that Mister Scott had done so when Healer T'Tonan was not going to allow it showed him the depth of friendship the man felt towards him. He almost smiled as it was the first time he could ever recall the Chief Engineer being so impassioned about anything but his bairns. Although he had long been aware of how the senior crew thought of one another he had never heard any of them, apart from McCoy and Kirk, speak like that. He closed his eyes for a moment, no Vulcan and possibly no other being had clearly ever spoken to Healer T'Tonan in that manner. The others would not have noticed it but the healer's breathing rate had changed.
"Will you tell me what was the main component in the mist you had him inhale?"
"Ahh, tis no secret. Tis a wee bit of Ben Nevis with a wee drop of drambuie on hot oatmeal. It clears the head but nay hangover. Now nay need to look like that as it clears the head but there is nay fear of hangover."
"Is there a formula or recipe for,"
"Don't be daft, man. Ye can tell when it is ready by the feel and smell. It depends on who needs it for what. Ye'd nay give a bairn the same as ye would a grown man. And do nay be asking how long it takes ta work or should the person be breathing it as tis up to the person breathing it."
"But the person's breathing cannot advise the doctor,"
For a moment Spock thought Mister Scott was going to overly react at how Healer T'Tonan was wanting so much information but saw how the man just put his hands flat on the table and looked at the healer, "Ye are a doctor, a healer, are ye not?"
"Yes, I am. I am one of Vulcan's leading specialists in not only Vulcan medicine but also in dual species medicine and have, for years, studied this case,"
The Chief Engineer shoo his head and looked at Spock then at the healer, "Ye say ye are a doctor yet ye ask an foolish question like that? Did ye nay learn to listen to the patient? Did ye nay learn to listen to how they breathe? And ye may be one of Vulcan's leading specialists but Mister Spock is nay this case, he is my friend and ye will nay speak of him as if he were while ye are on this ship. I'm done."
There was a distinct stillness as the Chief Engineer crossed his arms over his chest and sat back in his chair. From where he sat Kirk could see how Scott was gripping his upper arms as though trying to control some inner rage. When he quickly looked at the others he could tell they all felt the same and he saw a look of admiration and thanks about the eyes of his First Officer as he looked at the Scotsman.
"Very well," Healer T'Tonan looked at Uhura, "Officer Pavel Chekov, could you please tell me what your treatment consisted of?"
"A blend of highly spiced and herbed borscht, sauerkraut, and just a bit of vodka."
Spock looked at the young Navigator and saw him sheepishly grin, "It was not more than twelve drops, sir. I know Vulcans can not take too much alcohol but it is needed for this to work." Chekov then looked at the healer and Spock was sure the others heard how the young officer would not say more than he wanted to, "And before you ask, Sir, it is an even blend served as warm as the person can take it and it is not total liquid as the body needs some bulk."
"In other words it was just a hot vegetarian juice with a minimal amount of alcohol."
"Sir, it is a very old Russian thick medicinal soup. It was thick enough that I needed Doctor McCoy's help to get Mister Spock to swallow it. I should have had some beef in it but," the young navigator gave Spock a quick look, "I know that Mister Spock chooses not to eat meat so I did not add meat." Spock gave him a slight nod in appreciation as he knew how proud the young man was of his lineage and to have left out a part of a traditional meal would have seemed almost sacrilegious.
"Duly noted, now," Healer T'Tonan looked at Sulu, "Lieutenant Sulu, what was your method of treatment?"
"As with the others, Sir, what I did was from my heritage and was simply a neck and scalp massage. All the time I was going it I kept recalling all the things we had done together, all the projects he was having me watch, and just generally talking with him."
"Was he talking with you?" Healer T'Tonan looked shocked and Spock tried not to laugh as I realized the healer knew nothing about how most Humans was not precise when using their language.
"No."
"Then you were not talking with him but were, in fact, talking at him."
"With all due respect, Sir, I was talking with him as his breathing would every so often change and we sort of worked out a system of communication. I must agree with Mister Scott in that you clearly do not understand the importance of listening to how somebody breathes."
"Very well," Spock saw the others slightly move in their chairs as they also had noticed the change in Healer T'Tonan's voice. For a moment he saw Uhura look at him and slightly smile as the healer continued, "Lieutenant Uhura, could you please tell me what your treatment consisted of?"
"I just massaged his feet with a combination of warm essential oils infused with various herbs and I would sing to him songs over the ages and from different planets as I massaged his feet. I only know of one lullaby in Vulcan that his mother shared with me years ago."
"What was the practical purpose of your singing?"
"It not only reminded me of what I was doing and who I was doing it to but also was relaxing and I could occasionally hear his breathing change."
"Was there a specific way in which you massaged his feet and was it only his feet you massaged?"
"It was a massage I have vague memories of my great-aunt on my father's side doing to me as a child and there was no specific way of massaging the feet but it was the whole foot from ankle to the toes."
"Did you notice any changes in his cognizance at any time?"
"Not during any one session, no."
"You stated you as well noticed changes in his breathing. In what way did his breathing change?"
"I noticed it most when I changed songs or words in songs. His breathing would be more steady and smooth when I sang a familiar song, a bit deeper and steady with the slower songs, and deep and hesitant when I sang something new as though he were concentrating on the words."
"Was there any particular song that he indicated the most concentration with?"
Uhura looked at Spock and he saw the question on her face before he gave a slight nod, as with the others he was acutely aware she was unwilling to share anything he did not want known. "An old fun song based on a New Zealand Maori legend about a man sitting on a small hill and playing a nose flute to his lady love."
"I am unfamiliar with that song."
"It is not widely known. I have a friend in Starfleet, but not on a ship, who often finds songs for me. I will sing part of it but you must remember it is a fun song and about a place that was, at that time, the second to longest place-name on planet Earth. It was written about nineteen sixty-one and this is the first verse:
Oh the man on the hilltop playing his flute
Cooler than Goodman, boy he was beaut
And the thought that he though between each toot
Was 'Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau otamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nukupokai whenua kitanatahu'
"And you are saying he reacted to that? It is highly illogical."
"That might be why he did react, Sir, because it is illogical." Very slowly Uhura sat up and looked directly at the healer, "Scotty was right, you may have studied him and yet you did not know about his breathing nor the fact that Mister Spock, despite his adherence to logic, also has the ability to understand and appreciate fun. You were possibly studying him because his mind is far more advanced than your own for he can appreciate things beyond the realms of pure logic."
For a moment their was silence in the room then Healer T'Tonan looked at Kirk and Kirk saw the determination about the man he had seen when the man had given them the ultimatum about three days. There was no mistaking the man had done so as a ruse and would most likely still want to take Spock away. Of all there only McCoy seemed totally relaxed.
"Captain Kirk, I appreciate you having your senior crew here to give me the information they have. I still believe, especially after this event, that Spock should return to Vulcan for further study and care. You know that I will, if necessary, get in contact with his father who is,"
"By golly, thank you for reminding me, Sir." McCoy leaned forward to the communicator and pressed a button, "Officer Bamlow, please put through that party I asked for."
"Patching through now, Sir."
For a moment the healer looked at Kirk who was looking at the others, what was Bones up to?
As an image appeared on the screen McCoy said, "I apologize for keeping you waiting, Ambassador Sarek."
A/N 'Taumata whakatangi hangakoauau otamatea turi pukakapiki maunga horo nukupokai whenua kitanatahu' is in New Zealand near Porangahau in Hawke's Bay and is an unassuming hill known which translates into English as "the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as 'landeater', played his flute to his loved one." Locals simply call it Taumata Hill. Still very hot and humid. Five years ago since the major earthquake in Christchurch. Enjoy.