NU2U: "Blood Ties", 21a/26 (TOS/AU, S/Ch, Sa, Am, Vulcan OCs, K, Mc; h/c, anx [PG13])
Gamin
pregnant wife Christine back with him to Vulcan to be presented at a
clan gathering, where both run afoul of certain ultra-conservative
clan-members. This part: T'Syrith's eye bandages come off, and Kirk
and T'Merit consider The Big Question.
Disclaimers: Part 1A.
******
All Sarek and Spock's relatives agreed to remain in ShiKahr until
T'Syrith was able to come back from the Enterprise. During the
following days, Spock and Christine's various gifts were transported
up and carried to their cabin, Christine spent more time looking after
T'Syrith and checking on her babies than sleeping, and Kirk and
T'Merit grew slowly but steadily closer.
McCoy, meanwhile, monitored T'Syrith's condition constantly.
On the morning of their final day on Vulcan, both Spock and Christine
awoke later than either had intended and went immediately to find
T'Merit. She was not in the parlor with the rest of Spock's
relatives, however; they eventually went out to the terrace and
spotted T'Merit in the garden with Kirk. They were walking through
the flowers and greenery, holding hands and talking.
"Well. How long has *that* been going on?" Christine asked, startled.
"At least since T'Syrith was taken aboard the Enterprise, though I saw
the first signs before and during the baby shower and simply chose to
ignore them," Spock informed her quietly.
"Oh, God. I hope T'Merit isn't going to become another name on the
Captain's list of conquests. That could really hurt her now,"
Christine opined anxiously.
"Jim is aware of her.vulnerability. I have spoken to him about it, and
I do not think he will permit her to be hurt," Spock asserted.
Christine accepted this, knowing Kirk would not break whatever promise
he might have made to Spock. "Maybe we'd better just go ahead and
beam up--I don't want to disturb them," she suggested. "I'll bring
T'Syrith back down to see her--and I hope I can mean that literally."
She paused, activating her communicator. "Christine to Enterprise.
Ready to beam up."
******
Within minutes, they were in Sickbay with McCoy, preparing to go to
T'Syrith's bedside. "Where is T'Merit?" McCoy asked, as he came to
greet them.
"She and the Captain were.occupied...so Christine thought it best to
come ahead first and see how T'Syrith was," Spock explained.
"All right," McCoy agreed reluctantly; he had hoped that T'Syrith's
mother would be present when he took the bandage off the child's
eyes. "Well, as I said the last time you were here, our scanner
readings on her optic nerve have shown steady signs of healing. Her
youth is definitely an advantage--if her
sight isn't completely normal today, there's still a chance it will
improve with time."
"T'Merit will want to know *how* much of a chance and *how* much time
you're talking about," Christine pointed out.
"Indeed," Spock agreed. "Specifics, Doctor."
"Unfortunately, I can't *be* more specific until after I see how
T'Syrith's eyes are now," McCoy returned apologetically.
"Then let's get to it," Christine urged.
McCoy nodded and turned to lead them back toward T'Syrith's bed as
Spock carried Christine along after him. "I've got your chair already
set up for you," McCoy told her.
T'Syrith sat up abruptly as Spock set Christine down in the chair next
to the bed. "Who is there?" she asked apprehensively.
"It's me, T'Syrith--and Spock," Christine told her reassuringly.
"And Mother?" T'Syrith inquired again.
"No, but I'll take you straight to her when we beam back down,"
Christine promised.
T'Syrith nodded in acceptance of this. "Is it time to uncover my
eyes, now?"
"That's right," Christine replied.
"I'll let you do the honors, Christine," McCoy offered, now standing
on the other side of the bed. "Let me dim the lights in here a little
bit."
Christine waited until McCoy had returned and the lights had been
noticeably dimmed, then she returned her attention to T'Syrith. "All
right, first, I want you do close your eyes," she instructed.
T'Syrith complied. "They are closed now," she told Christine
unnecessarily, then.
"Good. Now, I'm going to unwrap this bandage--and when I tell you, I
want you to slowly open your eyes."
"Yes, Christine."
Having insured that T'Syrith understood the procedure, Christine
reached toward her head and carefully began to unwrap the bandage. In
a matter of minutes, it was gone. "Okay, *now*, T'Syrith--open your
eyes. Slowly," she reiterated.
T'Syrith obeyed hesitantly, and looked around wonderingly at the first
absence of darkness she had ever experienced.
"Can you see us?" McCoy asked anxiously.
"I can see light.and colors and shapes," T'Syrith replied, the tone of
her voice making it sound as if she could be content with that sight
alone for the rest of her life.
"I will turn up the lights," Spock volunteered.
"All right, Spock, but *gradually*," McCoy cautioned him, as the
Vulcan left Christine's side. Spock nodded in acknowledgement,
and McCoy returned his attention to T'Syrith. "You tell us if you see
anything different, or better, when the lights come up," he instructed
her.
"I see.more light, and brighter colors," T'Syrith admitted, as the
room slowly brightened. "But the shapes are still blurry."
"See if you can follow my finger," McCoy suggested, holding his index
finger directly in front of T'Syrith's nose, drawing it slowly away
from her, then returning it slowly to its previous position; he did
this several times, and it was clear from the movement of T'Syrith's
eyes that she had no problem complying.
Finally, as McCoy brought his finger up in front of her nose again,
T'Syrith reached out and grabbed it. "There, Dr. McCoy. I can see it
now--when your finger is here, I can see it clearly!"
"Great," McCoy responded enthusiastically, as she released his finger.
At that moment, Spock returned. "Well, Doctor?" he inquired.
"Well, she can detect movement and distinguish between colors and
shapes. That's a good sign; if her optic nerve continues to heal at
this rate, she could have normal sight in a month or so," McCoy opined
finally, running the medscanner around T'Syrith's eyes one last time.
"It could also take much longer--six months,
maybe more--but as long as there are no complications,
improvement should be steady."
"I'll tell T'Merit to make sure her family doctor keeps track of
T'Syrith's progress," Christine assured him.
"That reminds me--I'd better go record the procedure and its outcome
so her doctor will have some idea of what to expect," McCoy realized.
As he left, T'Syrith suddenly became aware of her lack of hair. She
felt around her currently bald head and marveled at its smoothness.
"Are you sure my hair will grow back, Christine?" she asked dubiously.
"Yes, T'Syrith, I'm sure." Christine reached over to the bedside
table and picked up the hairpiece that had been constructed with
T'Syrith's own hair, fitted to her head size and shape and styled in
accordance with Christine's instructions. "In the mean time, try this
on."
T'Syrith held still while Christine fitted the hairpiece around her
head, then reached up to touch it cautiously. "Does it look like my
hair?" she asked, still uncertain.
"It is identical," Spock assured her.
Christine opened a cabinet underneath the table, reached inside and
pulled out a mirror, handing it to T'Syrith. "Here, take a look," she
suggested.
T'Syrith held the mirror almost against her nose, and appeared visibly
startled, not by the look of the hairpiece, but by the sight of her
own face. "Is that.me?"
"It sure is," Christine replied, touched by the incredulity in her
voice. "Can you see yourself clearly at that distance?"
"Clearly enough," T'Syrith reported. "My eyes are brown--do Mother's
eyes look like this?"
"Yes, they do," Christine asserted.
"And my hair--it feels like my real hair," T'Syrith noted, then.
"It should. The hairpiece was made with what was shaved off your head
before the surgery," Christine informed her.
"Can we go back down to Vulcan now?" T'Syrith asked finally.
"As soon as Dr. McCoy gets back," Christine promised.
******
It was nearly an hour before McCoy returned, but immediately
afterwards, they escorted T'Syrith down to the Transporter Room. When
they materialized on Sarek and Amanda's terrace,
they could see Kirk and T'Merit still in the garden, sitting on a
stone bench and talking. T'Syrith, seeing them as mainly a white blur
and a brown blur, tugged at Christine's hand as the Human woman
reached down from where Spock still carried her in his arms. "Which
one is Mother?" she asked.
"She's wearing a brown dress," Christine told her..
T'Syrith hurried off toward the brown blur with McCoy following
anxiously, wanting to make sure she didn't bump into or trip over
anything. "Mother! Mother!" T'Syrith cried, as she drew closer.
T'Merit broke off her conversation with Kirk abruptly, staring at
T'Syrith as the child approached her. "T'Syrith! Can you see me?"
"A little, Mother," T'Syrith replied, as she reached T'Merit's side.
"She can see colors and shapes, and distinguish between them," McCoy
explained. "Her eyesight should improve gradually, but your doctor
will have to watch her carefully. Here's the record of what was done--
it'll give your doctor an idea of what to expect in the way of her
current condition, likely remaining symptoms and full recovery time."
He handed the computer tape to T'Merit.
She took it from him, pulling T'Syrith into her lap, surprised and
pleased beyond the power of her customary Vulcan emotional controls.
"Doctor...I have no words.to tell you what this will mean to us and
our family. You have given my child her life back," she managed to
say, in a hushed voice.
"Don't thank me yet, T'Merit. Wait until T'Syrith's eyesight is back
to normal," McCoy recommended quietly. He retreated then, making his
way back toward the terrace and passing Spock and Christine on his way
inside the house.
T'Merit hugged T'Syrith briefly. Kirk smiled at her, genuinely happy
for the two of them, and T'Merit very nearly returned the smile before
turning back to T'Syrith. "I have a question to ask you, T'Syrith.
What do you think of Captain Kirk?"
T'Syrith was initially startled as she looked at the white blur that
was sitting next to her mother, but then she began to think of what
she had seen in Kirk's mind during their brief mental contact. "He
has strong emotions toward Spock, Mother. I think he is fond of
Vulcans," she observed.
//I hope so,// T'Merit thought to herself, as Kirk grinned
involuntarily and began to blush. "And are you...fond...of him?"
T'Syrith nodded, somewhat hesitantly, reluctant to commit herself
while she was still uncertain of what *Kirk* thought of *her*. "He
let me touch him, and there were.good things in his mind," she
recalled.
T'Merit drew a deep breath and slowly asked the most important
question. "What would you think, T'Syrith, of Captain Kirk
becoming...your father?"
T'Syrith appeared to think about this for a long moment, then looked
at Kirk again. "Do you want to marry my mother?" she asked, very
seriously.
Kirk had been reddening more and more during their conversation, and
now he was noticeably uncomfortable at being put on the spot like
this. "I...haven't decided yet, T'Syrith," he admitted cautiously.
"If it will help you decide, I think you would be a good father,"
T'Syrith told him earnestly. "And I would do my best to be a good
daughter."
Despite Kirk's embarrassment, he could not help being touched. "I'm
sure you would," he responded kindly, trying to smile reassuringly at
her.
T'Merit realized immediately what was troubling Kirk and knew they
needed to talk. "Do you think you can make it back up to the terrace
alone?" she asked T'Syrith then.
"Yes, Mother," the child replied understandingly, climbing down out of
T'Merit's lap.
"Go slowly, T'Syrith--use your hands," T'Merit urged, as T'Syrith
moved off. Then she and Kirk were alone. "She knows nothing of Syrit,
except that he was her father. She *does* know that I never meant to
have a bond-mate again, and I am certain she never expected to have a
new father," T'Merit admitted faintly. "I wanted to see if her
opinions on the matter were as I thought they were. I suppose I have
finally come to realize that denying
T'Syrith a father was not logical--and I have to consider her,
especially now that she is essentially starting her life anew. But I
did not mean to embarrass you."
"I think I was.more surprised than embarrassed," Kirk told her gently,
lifting her bowed head and taking her chin on his finger. "T'Merit,
don't you think T'Syrith needs a *Vulcan* father, rather than a Human
one who wouldn't know how to raise her?"
T'Merit's eyes grew haunted as they met Kirk's. "No. Please...
Jim...I will not cause another death. And what Vulcan would bond with
me now, knowing my first bond-mate died in pon farr?" The haunted
expression in her brown eyes changed to one of entreaty as she reached
hesitantly toward Kirk. "You
would give of yourself to T'Syrith as you would to Spock's children.
She already trusts you and has shown willingness to accept you as her
father. And I have no doubt that you would be a good husband to me."
Kirk was familiar with that expression; he had seen it often in
Spock's eyes. And now, as always before, he was unable to resist it.
He drew T'Merit cautiously into his arms. "Are you so sure? My life
is on the Enterprise. Where will that leave you and T'Syrith when I'm
gone?" he questioned softly.
"With something to look forward to when you are able to return,"
T'Merit responded, whispering. "And you would always have a wife and
family to return to. I s that not of value to you?"
"Of course it is," Kirk returned truthfully. It was his own
impossible dream; just as Spock had always longed for the friendship
and love of someone who would accept him as he was, Kirk had always
longed for a family that would be compatible with his career. Well,
at least *Spock's* dream
had been fulfilled-something Kirk was proud to have had some part in--
and maybe it was still possible that his dream could be, too. But
Kirk wasn't holding his breath. "I just think we need time."
"But you leave today," T'Merit protested.
"I know," Kirk admitted quietly.
T'Merit lowered her eyes. "I will never see you again, will I?"
"You could. Next time I come with Spock to visit Sarek and Amanda,"
Kirk offered.
"If you notify Sarek in advance, he could notify me, and T'Syrith and
I could arrange to be here-"
"I should be able to do that."
******
Spock and Christine, meanwhile, were still on the terrace; Christine
sat on the terrace railing, on her pillow, which T'Syla had brought
out to her, watching Kirk and T'Merit in the garden. Spock, beside
her, watched also--though with noticeable reluctance. "We should not
be doing this," he pointed out reproachfully.
"Oh, why not? T'Merit's your cousin; Captain Kirk's your best
friend. I like to think I'm T'Merit's friend," Christine retorted, in
mild exasperation. "We're not doing any harm--we're just looking
out for them."
"Nonetheless, I fail to see how we honor their friendship by invading
their privacy in this manner."
Christine turned finally toward him, becoming serious. "We honor
their friendship by expressing concern for them. The Captain would
certainly understand that," she explained.
Spock could not help thinking that T'Merit might not be so
understanding, but he told himself that Christine's explanation
seemed.reasonable. After all, if Kirk could understand, it was likely
that he could make T'Merit understand, too. "Mother used to tell me
that there were two obvious Human traits I inherited from her, one of
which was a tendency toward what she called
'spying'," he recalled hesitantly.
"So take a look, 'spy', and tell me if they're doing what I think
they're doing," Christine urged then, taking a humorous tone.
Spock looked down into the garden at Kirk and T'Merit, and a worried
expression flitted across the Vulcan's face before he quickly averted
his eyes. "I assume you think Jim has his arms around her; he does,"
Spock confirmed, keeping his voice neutral.
"She doesn't seem to be objecting, does she?"
"Christine, please..." Spock could no longer bear to watch, more
because of his own mounting anxieties over what might have happened to
cause T'Merit to seek out Kirk's embrace (an argument, perhaps?) than
because of any deepening concern over violating their privacy. His
eyes pleaded with Christine not to make light of the situation. "...I
do not find this amusing. They could both...be hurt," he continued
finally, with some difficulty.
"All right, Spock, I'm sorry," she apologized sincerely, turning away
finally to face him. "I know you're worried about them, but I'm sure
they're going to be all right," she added reassuringly.
As Spock reached to take her hands in his, they both noticed T'Syrith
making her way up the terrace steps. Spock got up from his seat next
to Christine on the wide top of the railing and went to greet
T'Syrith. " Why are you alone, T'Syrith?" he questioned.
"I think Mother wanted to be alone with Captain Kirk," T'Syrith
explained, then added matter-of-factly, "I think she wants him to
marry her, cousin."
Spock was startled, in spite of earlier indications of this. "Is that
what they are discussing now?"
"They were when I left," T'Syrith replied, as she reached the top of
the steps.
Spock took her hand firmly in his and led her over to where Christine
still sat. "I believe it is time we went inside. Are you able to
take Nistaisa Christine's pillow?"
"Yes, Spock," T'Syrith asserted, picking up the oversized pillow in
both her small arms as soon as Spock scooped Christine up in his, then
they all headed for the door.
END PART 21A
My ST:TOS Fan-Fiction can be found here:
GAMIN DAVIS' SPOCK TREKS
http://spocktreks.bravehost.com
(Kirk & Spock Friendship, Spock/Christine
and pre-TOS Spock fan-fic, plus Art,
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