Chapter Text
“So I guess this is supposed to simulate moonlight,” Jim commented as he and Spock walked along a path on Yorktown.
“For what purpose?” Spock inquired, hands linked behind his back.
“To appear romantic I guess.” He shot a quick glance at Spock. “Not that we’re trying to be romantic or anything.”
Spock appeared to dismiss that bit of silliness without further thought. Jim didn’t blame him. It was a stupid thing to say.
“As this is a space station, there would be no moonlight, so to produce artificial moonlight for aesthetic purposes only is highly illogical.”
“Okay, Spock.”
“Furthermore I have never quite understood Terran fascination for moonlight. It is merely the reflection of light from the sun and there are no magical properties.”
Jim nodded wearily. “Okay, Spock.”
Why had he asked Spock to go for a walk with him anyway? Foolishness. Some birthday.
“Are you all right, Captain? You seem particularly out of sorts.”
“Just tired I guess. You can go back to doing whatever it was you were doing. Mission reports. Or-or, you know, socializing with Uhura.”
“Since you have just barely recovered from your recent engagement with Krall, I suspect you would benefit from additional respite.”
Jim sighed and stopped to lean against a pillar, gazing up at the artificial moonlight. “It’s just the last few hours of my birthday, I wanted a little walk. But I guess you’re right. Walking on Yorktown isn’t quite what it would be on Earth or some other similar planet.”
“What has happened to the doctor?”
And Jim tried not to think that Spock was attempting to push his pathetic captain off on Bones, but really, it did seem like that.
“Called away on a medical emergency. Really, Spock. It’s fine. You can go.”
Spock took half a step closer. “Does it hurt?”
Jim knew by the slight shift of Spock’s gaze toward his eye that he meant his black eye. “Just a little. I’ve had worse. How about you? How do you feel?”
“I am fully recovered.”
“I doubt that.”
“I assure you, Captain, I am functioning at optimal levels.”
He smiled a little. “That’s good to know.” He paused. “I think…I’m procrastinating, of course.”
“Procrastinating?”
“I need to call my mother. Today isn’t only my birthday.”
“I understand,” Spock said with a sharp nod. “Unfortunately, it is not something I can assist you with, Captain.”
“Yeah, I know.” He moistened his lips. “She cries. Even after all this time.”
Spock said nothing to that, he just looked vaguely uncomfortable. And who could blame him? So was Jim.
“I will leave you to it.”
Jim nodded and watched as Spock, shoulders stiff, began to walk away, away from the fake moonlit path. “Spock?”
He stopped. Turned. “Yes, Captain?”
“We’re-we’re friends, right?”
“Indeed.”
“Because lately, I don’t know, we seem to have drifted away from that a little.” And just then, Spock’s behavior was as cold as Iowa snow.
“Perhaps,” Spock acknowledged. “I apologize for my part in distancing us.” Jim could see the hesitation. “I had considered departing the Enterprise for New Vulcan. I thought perhaps it was best to pull back on our friendship. I apologize.”
This wasn’t really news he hadn’t heard. Not anymore anyway. Earlier that evening he’d spoken to Uhura who had confirmed Spock had intended to leave prior to the Altamid thing. Jim had, too, of course.
“No, it’s all right.” He straightened from the pillar. “Just…I really don’t want to be alone right now, so, do you think, even though it’s fake and all, you might just walk a little further with me?”
For a moment, Jim was sure Spock would refuse his pathetic, whiny request. But then he returned to Jim’s side.
Spock gestured to the path. “Shall we?”
Jim smiled and fell into place next to his first officer.
****
“Spock, have you seen Jim?” Dr. McCoy approached as Spock headed into a lift to go back toward where the captain’s party had been held.
“Yes, doctor, he just went to his apartment to contact his mother,” Spock said.
McCoy frowned. “Oh. Well. I guess he’s going to want to be alone for that.” He stepped into the lift with Spock.
“The captain said you had a medical emergency?”
McCoy gave a dismissive snort. “Nah, it was nothing. Minor thing. Where you off to now? Back to the party? I think it’s still going on. Uhura’s there.”
Spock nodded. “Most likely that is where I will go.”
The lift opened and they got off.
“So, you two are back together then?”
“I am not quite certain,” Spock said honestly. “We have not had any meaningful discussion.”
“And what about New Vulcan? Changed your mind?”
“I have decided to stay with Starfleet.”
The doctor nodded. “Ever mention it to Jim?”
“Considering I have decided not to leave after all a discussion of that nature seemed moot.”
He smirked. “You were chicken.”
Spock raised a brow. “Doctor?”
“You were afraid of how he would react, so you decided to avoid telling him.”
“I am hardly afraid of the captain.”
McCoy rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”
Spock did not reply to that, but he did reply, “I had not prior to this evening. But I made reference to it tonight earlier, but he did not question me on it. He seemed aware of it.”
“Don’t look at me. My lips were sealed. Jim was gonna stay on Yorktown, though. He tell you that? Anyway, I guess I’ll go back to the party too. Think Jim’ll be back?”
Spock considered their captain’s mood, strange and rather off putting, and shook his head. “Doubtful.”
“That’s too bad.” They turned toward the entrance of the party and entered the room.
****
“Anyway, I guess I should let you go and stop being maudlin on your birthday.”
Jim heard the tears in her voice even if there were none visible on her face. “I can stay on for a little while longer.”
She waved that away. “I’m sure you have some celebrating to do. Did you put ice on that eye?”
“Bones checked it out. It’ll heal in a few days.”
She sniffed at that. “Goodnight, Jim. Contact me again soon, okay?”
He saw her wipe her eyes then. “All right, love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too. Happy Birthday.”
Jim disconnected from his mother and held his head in his hands. No worse than usual, he guessed. Except that she had heard about his battle with Krall and spent a good deal of their time lecturing him on continuously endangering his life. Like he’d had a choice anyway.
He lowered his hands and glanced around his temporary apartment. They were pretty nice, really. Nicer than what he’d had on the Enterprise. The old one that he no longer had. They’d be rebuilding it and he’d been told there would be more luxurious crew’s quarters this time. Whatever that meant.
It reminded him of a room he’d had on Risa a year or so ago when he’d been on shore leave. Except in that room there was a giant hot tub Jim had enjoyed very much with two Risian females and one Risian male. Was it a year ago or more? He couldn’t quite recall.
Jim stood up and his stomach roiled. He put his hand on his stomach, feeling it grumble. It wasn’t related to hunger. He knew those feelings and this was not it.
“Fuck,” he groaned out loud. The room swam before his eyes. He’d obviously had more to drink than he realized. Usually it didn’t affect him this way. He took a couple of deep breaths, willing the weird pain in his stomach to go away and also the dizziness.
He took a step forward and landed on his knees. Sharply. Alcohol rose up, burning his esophagus. In the distance he heard the door to his room open.
“Bones?”
As far as he knew Bones was the only one who had access to his apartment here on Yorktown. And his best friend always had a sort of sixth sense when something was wrong with him.
“In here. I don’t feel so good.”
Someone appeared directly in front of him but with long, shapely feminine legs. Jim leaned back to look up at her, but she was a blur. Her uniform was red.
“Who are you?” he managed to gasp out, around the burn in his throat. He was feeling worse and he was pretty sure he was about to vomit. ‘
She said something but it sounded all distorted and warbled.
“Help-help me.”