A F T E R   T H E   C R E D I T S : J O U R N E Y   T O   B A B E L
FATHER AND SON
By Ster Julie

Rating: G
Characters: Spock, Sarek

A/N: " . . . " denotes a pause in the conversation. And A'Nirih is "father" and cha'i is "my son".

--ooOoo--

"Ungh."

"Spock? What is wrong?"

"Ummm."

"Spock? Are you in pain?"

"Nooo."

"You are clutching your pillow so tightly."

"Hunh?"

"Whom does it represent?"

"No one. I am just chilled."

"Move over, cha'i."

"Ambassador!"

"Yes, Nurse?"

"Sir, I cannot have you both sharing one bed. I can't monitor both of you."

"I need no monitoring, Nurse, as I am fine."

"You both need to rest, sir."

"I will rest here with my son."

"But, sir . . . "

"I find your ship chilly, Nurse. At least this way we will both be warm."

"Ahh."

"That's it, son. Come closer and we will share the warmth. . . . Spock. Son, please do not stroke my ear tip in that manner."

"Father? What are you doing in my bed?"

"So you are finally fully awake now, cha'i. You know I have always held you when you were sick. Besides, I was chilled. How do you bear living in such a bitter environment?"

"My cabin controls are set much higher, A'Nirih, and I wear thermal undergarments with my uniform. How are you feeling?"

"I feel strong."

"No pain?"

"None worthy of mentioning. And you, my son. How are you feeling?"

"I am dizzy and weak, and my whole body feels sore."

"Your blood chemistry still has not returned to normal. I'm certain it will pass soon."

"A'Nirih, how can they monitor us both in one bed?"

"They cannot."

"Did the nurse come and tell you to move back to your own bed?"

"Yes."

" . . . You gave her 'The Look,' didn't you!"

"It is very effective."

"Especially on young boys."

"And Klingons."

"Klingons!"

"It was at another conference. I can say no more."

"So, 'The Look' works on Klingons!"

"And on an even more intimidating group—medical personnel."

" . . . But not on Mother."

"Certainly not on your mother. Or mine, for that matter."

"I see."

"Please do not stroke my psi points, Spock. You know we cannot meld. We have too many 'trade secrets.'"

"I . . . see."

" . . . We saw your ship leaving the system when we rushed home for your wedding."

"I had looked for you at Koon-ut Kalifee!"

"We didn't get back in time. I received such a scolding from your grandmother! . . . I am so very sorry about what happened. We never knew that T'Pring had grown up to be such a . . . "

"Bitch?"

"Spockam! . . . My son? You are trembling."

"You told me that my bondswife would help me through pon farr, that she would console me through the bond, encourage and assure me. But T'Pring was nowhere in my mind! When I tried to reach out to her, all I touched were the shields she had thrown up between us. I thought I was going to die!"

"She should have been present to you in the bond."

"And then she chose the challenge! She made me fight my captain and my best friend to the death! When I saw Jim's lifeless face at the end of my ah-woon, I nearly went mad. . . . Is it always this bad?"

"Of course not. With the right partner, passing through the Time can be very satisfactory. We obviously erred in our choice of bride for you."

"Obviously!"

" . . . Spock, your mother and I have agreed to let you find your own mate. We do not want to repeat this mistake. We want you to have the same freedom to choose as we enjoyed."

"Thank you."

"Do you have someone in mind, cha'i?"

"Perhaps, A'Nirih. I can think of two…"

"Two! Anyone on this ship?"

"One. I have lost track of the other."

"I see."

" . . . It is pleasant when you stroke my hair so."

"Whenever you were sick as a child, Spockam, I would hold you thusly until you recovered."

"I remember. It was the only good thing about being ill."

" . . . Your shipmates are good people."

"Yes, they are."

" . . . I have read every one of your publications, my son. It seems that you are fulfilling your best destiny—for now."

"I have made a 30-year commitment to Starfleet, Father."

"And that commitment is more than half complete."

"So it is."

"There will be fresh water awaiting you at my open gate, cha'i, when you are ready to come home."

"That may be soon, Father."

"Unh!"

"Captain?"

"Keep it down, you two! Some people are trying to sleep!"

"Yes, Captain."

--ooOoo--

Amanda crept into the darkened Sickbay ward where her husband and son slumbered, each recuperating from their ordeals of the previous day. Her heart skipped a beat as she panicked at the sight of Sarek's empty bed. /Perhaps he's just in the bathroom,/ she thought. /I'll just check on Spock./

Amanda looked over to her son's bed and flinched. Either her son had gained a lot of weight overnight--and grown a second head--or Sarek and Spock we sharing one bed! Amanda shook her head in wonder as she crept closer.

/Oh, how cute they look!/ she thought as she looked at her husband and her grown son squeezing together on one single cot. Spock's head was tucked between his father's neck and shoulder, and Sarek's cheek rested on his son's hair. Both were sleeping peacefully. Amanda decided then and there she needed to have a holopic of the occasion!

Amanda noticed Nurse Chapel making her rounds of the three patients. Amanda signed to the young woman for a camera. Christine gave the ambassador's wife a smile and a conspiratorial wink. She slipped out of the ward and soon returned with the requested equipment. Amanda stepped onto a nearby footstool, aimed and snapped a precious image of her two favorite Vulcans. Christine removed the camera's disk and gave it to Amanda who tucked it safely into a pocket.

/I'll make one copy and leave it in Spock's room before we leave,/ she planned as she looked at her sleeping men. /I'll make another and leave it on Sarek's desk at home. I'll put one in Spock's "baby" book, and lock the master disk in my safe./ Plans all made, Amanda bent low and oh so gently kissed the top of her son's head.

The movement caused Sarek to stir. Opening sleepy eyes, he raised two fingers to his wife.

//You should be asleep,// he chided gently through the bond.

//I could say to same to you,// she teased back. Amanda indicated Spock with a move of her head. //What brought this on?// she asked.

//We were both cold.// Sarek defended. //It was logical. It also gave us an opportunity to . . . discuss important issues, come to an agreement.//

Amanda chuckled. //You make it sound like a negotiation!//

Sarek raised a wry eyebrow. //An astute observation.//

Amanda smiled. //Of course I'm astute. I'm a wife AND a mother!// She gaze shifted to take in the sight of both men. //This brings back a lot of memories.//

//Indeed,// Sarek concurred, remembering similar nights with a very sick boy.

Amanda didn't miss his minute grimace.

//Pain?// she asked. Sarek nodded. //I'll get the nurse.//

Amanda moved quickly to the nurse's station. She found Christine loading up a hypo.

"Can Sarek have anything for pain?" she asked quietly.

"Right away," the nurse agreed. "Then perhaps you can convince him to return to his own bed. He's very stubborn."

Amanda nearly giggled. "Very stubborn."

"Well," Christine observed, "now we know where Spock gets it from."

"Oh, no," Amanda corrected the nurse. "Poor Spock has a double dose. I'm just as stubborn as Sarek!"

The women enjoyed a quiet snicker before returning to the Vulcans' bedside. Amanda motioned Sarek out of bed and patted his original bed that Christine had heaped with warmed blankets. After the ambassador had eased away from Spock, moved a few feet across the floor and settled into his bed, the nurse injected him with the pain medication and he drifted back to sleep.

Spock meanwhile rooted sleepily for his lost source of warmth. Christine placed more heated blankets on him as well. Spock opened his eyes at the disturbance and found Amanda's blue eyes peering at him lovingly. He treated her to a slight, sleepy smile before falling back to sleep himself.

Amanda stepped back where she could see both her husband and her son. It was a good thing that they were both asleep. She could just imagine them judging her "highly illogical" for her sloppy, happy smile and the fat tears coursing down her cheeks.

In the end, Amanda decided that didn't really matter. What did matter was the fact that father and son were on speaking terms once again. Once again, finally, all was right with Amanda's little world.

FIN

M A I N   P A G E