~ by Laura Cynthia Chambers
Captain’s Log, Stardate (insert here): Doctor McCoy was able to stabilize Descin and remove the dagger from his shoulder. He expects the man to make a full recovery. As for Todar? Only time will tell. He remains emotionally shattered, but I suspect he’ll have plenty of support from his family in the days to come.
In accordance with both Descin and Albix’s wishes, I will not be pressing charges against Todar for what he did to my crewmen. I would have refused their request were they not the ones making it. It carries a lot of weight when the victims are the strongest advocates for the accused.
I still can’t wrap my mind around that kind of acceptance. No rules, no limitations. Free, unconditional, forgiveness. Love. Maybe we can find it for ourselves. Someday.
“Enter.”
Grace walked through the door of the captain’s office. He was seated at his desk with a glass of breesin next to his right arm. Another man sat with his back to the door on her side of the desk.
“Am I interrupting something, sir? I can come back later,” she suggested.
“Not at all, Lieutenant. Sit down.” Kirk smiled warmly and indicated the empty chair next to his other guest, and she sat.
“Grace.” She turned her head and saw Albix sitting next to her. He reached for her hand.
“How is your father?” she asked, leaning towards him, her eyes filled with concern.
“Eager to get back to the orchards again.” He squeezed her hand gently.
“I’m not surprised,” she laughed.
“I assured him that we’ll get along fine while he recovers. I don’t think he’s going to listen, though. Stubborn old fool.” He shook his head, smiling.
“Ahem,” Kirk interrupted. They both looked over at him. “I’m still here, you know.”
Grace straightened her skirt, blushing. “I’m sorry, sir.” She looked over at Albix and he nodded at the captain. Grace frowned in confusion as they shared a knowing look.
“Quite all right.” He folded his hands on his desk. “Are you familiar with our current relations with Agapea, Lieutenant?”
She pressed her hands down on her thighs. “Good since first contact, sir. However limited they are.”
“No permanent Starfleet presence?”
She nodded. “That’s correct, sir.”
Kirk tapped his fingers against the table. “An unfortunate oversight.”
“Perhaps.” Grace leaned forward. “If I may, sir, why are you asking me? You could have checked with the computer database…”
“A most unfortunate oversight,” Kirk repeated, getting up from behind his desk to pace back and forth slowly. “One which ought to be remedied as soon as possible.” He leaned forward over the desk and smiled at her. “Does that sound like something you might be interested in, Lieutenant?”
Grace opened her mouth, but no words came out. She glanced between Kirk’s easy grin and Albix’s loving gaze as it dawned on her what he was suggesting. A wide grin spread across her face. “Oh, yes, sir. It does.”
Kirk sat back down in his chair, picking up a memory tape and tapping it on the surface of his desk. He closed his eyes. “Consider it done. I’ll recommend you highly in my report to-“ Kirk looked up and realized that neither one was listening to him.
Instead, they were lost in each other’s arms, kissing tenderly. Kirk moved from behind his desk and exited the room, giving them a moment alone.
Kirk walked onto the bridge and jogged towards his chair. Spock stood on the left side. He eased up into it. “Mr. Sulu, let’s try Treano II again, shall we?” He shot a glance at McCoy, who was pacing on the deck behind him and muttering under his breath.
Sulu smiled, pressing several buttons. “Course laid in, sir. Ready when you are.”
Uhura faced the captain. “Still waiting on confirmation that all have returned from Agapea, sir.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Kirk turned to Spock, who himself was observing McCoy’s odd behavior. “What’s the matter with him?”
“I am the one responsible for his mood, Captain.” Spock answered. “He told me so himself.”
“What did you do?”
“I mentioned the ‘r’ word to him.”
Kirk frowned. “’R’ word?”
Spock stepped around to Kirk’s right side. “’Record’, sir. I inquired as to whether the four day record he spoke of earlier still applied, given that the party was not an official shore leave. He rather sternly suggested that my good health might endure if I never spoke of it again. Apparently he ranks it similarly with the ‘q’ word…’quiet’,” he added in a whisper as Kirk opened his mouth to enquire again.
“Oh,” Kirk said.
McCoy stopped pacing and joined them where Spock had been standing earlier. “He said it, didn’t he?”
Kirk turned to him. “Well, as I recall, you said it first, Doctor.”
McCoy sighed. “Me and my big mouth. You know, on at least three occasions during this whole ordeal, I seriously considered putting a revolving door in sickbay.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you believe in curses?”
Kirk shrugged. “How can I not? Between your ‘rec’-“ He cut himself off as McCoy frowned at him. “- uh, ‘r’ words and my ‘ahead of schedule’s, we really have no one to blame but ourselves.”
McCoy turned to Spock. “What about you?”
“If you are asking whether I agree that one can speak an undesirable outcome into reality by invoking the opposite scenario, I cannot be certain. A further unbiased analysis of empirical data would be necessary before I could draw such a conclusion.” Spock thought for a moment. “If, however, you’re asking me whether I believe in curses, the answer would be yes. You yourself have provided examples of them on numerous occasions.”
McCoy’s jaw hung slack as he tried to figure out what Spock was saying. His hands dropped to his sides as he realized the possible double meaning.
Kirk laughed out loud.
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