Spock had just lifted the spoonful of Runirian green potato soup to his mouth when the door to his quarters buzzed. Who has disturbed my meal? No attempts to contact me have been made on my communicator, so I assume it is not an emergency on the bridge or elsewhere. The buzzing continued, almost frantic. He dropped the spoon into a diamond-shaped bowl with a soft plunk and stood, moving slowly to the door.
He pressed the button to open the door. "What has happened?" Lieutenant Marianne Marsden stood there, arms full with a large bundle. A Starfleet duffel bag was slung across her body, also overflowing. "Finally, an answer... Take her," she breathed, thrusting the bundle into Spock's arms. She removed the bag and left it at his feet. "I'm late for my shift! If she cries, rub her back!" she shouted, running down the hallway and disappearing into a turbolift.
"Lieutenant - wait! What are you referring to-" The bundle squirmed. Spock flipped back a square of blanket and found himself looking into the brownest eyes he'd ever seen. They were like liquid chocolate, sparkling with tiny teary stars. Feather soft black hair peeked out from a knitted pink hat which matched the pink sleeper decorated with little moons that she wore. The chubby baby in his arms pouted, a pinched look on her face.
Then let out a howl like a banshee.
Spock backed into the room, bending down momentarily to grab and hoist the bag at his feet. Ah...a supply kit, or "diaper bag". Presumably with everything one would require to mind an infant. The little one flailed and twisted in his arms, sobbing. "Illogical," he told the child, looking her in the eyes. "You do not yet possess the motor skills necessary to launch or complete an effective escape. Stop this at once." But apparently babies have no sense of logic... He walked over to the small table he'd been sitting at before and placed the child on her back. The baby continued to cry, her little feet kicking in the air. One kick arced to the side and knocked his soup onto the floor with a loud clatter. Spock briefly eyed the bowl before once again lifting the screaming child.
I was given instructions...what did she- ah. He cradled the child next to his chest, disregarding the fresh soup stains on her legs, and began to rub her back in soft, gentle circles. The little girl trembled against him, a choked, hiccupy sob every now and then coming from her throat, but eventually she stopped fighting the first officer and settled down, snuggling just under his chin.
"You have made the right choice, Cadet," he whispered. Cadet? He gazed down at the top of her head. "A mutiny against your superior officer would not be wise." She looked up at the sound of his voice. "I confess my familiarity with human growth and development as a scientist has in no way prepared me to monitor an actual human infant. Therefore you will have to permit me certain...failures." He wiped a smudge of soup off her cheek with his thumb. She squirmed slightly at his touch. Spock carried her over to a soft chair in the corner and laid her down gently in a sitting position.
Odd...am I bleeding? He glanced between the child's stained sleeper and his own damp uniform shirt, touching it with his fingers before bringing them towards his nose. He sniffed. Not cuprous...pain absent... He turned and saw the overturned bowl, spoon underneath, still lying on the floor. Ah. "Remain where I have placed you, Cadet Marsden, while I clean up this spill." She regarded him from her chair, almost quizzically. "As I do not know your given name, I hope you will allow me to refer to you as such." She smacked her lips together. "I take it that was a yes." He bent over the scattered tableware with a sponge in his left hand, placing the objects on the table with his right, then proceeding to make short work of the pool of green liquid. "I shall attend to you next. Presumably your bag contains a change of attire." The baby grunted before letting out a soft sigh. Spock wrinkled his nose, coming to the only conclusion likely. Evacuation, no doubt...which will require a change of something else.
***
Nyota paused outside Spock's closed door. He had not been answering his communicator and she was concerned. An hour late for shift...that's not like him. Her brow furrowed. After trying for 13 minutes to raise him on comms, she'd given up and decided to find out herself. Jim had raised his eyebrows comically as she'd headed for the turbolift, and she'd just shrugged. She'd leaned against the wall of the car and sighed. If he's in there staring at a rock or something, I'll kill him.
Now, as she lifted her hand to press the doorbell, she noticed the lock indicator icon was unlit. Strange...why would he leave it unsecured? She moved her hand towards the door control and pushed on it. The door slid open with a swish.
"Spock? Anybody home?" She rapped lightly on the doorframe, taking halting steps forward. A muffled sound was coming from around the corner. What is that? Nyota rounded the dividing wall and looked up. "Why haven't you been answering-"
"Stimulus."
Squeal!
She was totally unprepared for what she saw. Mister Spock, First Officer of the Enterprise, not to mention Chief Science Officer, was seated in a metal folding chair. Across from him, Lieutenant Marsden's baby daughter Ella lay, wriggling like a little worm, eyes alight with joy. She waved a pudgy fist in the air at him. Her yellow onesie was decorated with lavender flowers.
Spock placed his hands palms down over his face, completely obscuring it. "Stimulus," he repeated, uncovering his expressionless face. Raucous laughter bubbled from the baby again. Nyota leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a smile slowly drawing her lips apart as she touched them with one hand. I never expected this...
"Having fun?" she cooed.
Spock started before rotating in the chair to face her. Surprise played out over his features. "Nyota?" She tapped her wrist twice. He looked at her in confusion before blinking and eyeing a large display screen on the wall. "I am late? Why did someone not contact me?" He moved to rise, but she raised her hand in a stop gesture.
She sighed amusedly. "Been trying to. You weren't answering, Spock." Nyota moved away from the wall and came to stand beside him. "This little cutie must've been getting all your attention." The baby girl looked over at Nyota briefly, before reaching her little arms for Spock again. "Hello sweetie...I think she has a crush on you, Spock, " she laughed. "I didn't know you knew how to play peek-a-boo."
"I do not know what you are referring to. I discovered this reaction quite by accident." He lifted the child into his arms, shifting her to balance her weight.
Ella grabbed for a lock of Spock's hair, mashing it in her clenched hand. "Eeeee!" she screeched happily.
"I was in the process of replacing her soiled garments with clean ones when she grabbed a small washrag and threw it at my face. When I removed the object to clear my vision, she reacted thusly." He covered his face with one hand, then removed it. Ella giggled again and clapped her hands. "Her responses to the sudden appearance of my face primarily involves laughter." He picked up a previously unnoticed bottle of baby formula from the table and pressed it to her pink little mouth. "I believe she finds me amusing. Though I cannot imagine why." The baby sucked noisily on the bottle, eyes closed. "Naturally, I was curious as to whether I could replicate her reaction to the unexpected visual stimuli. Perhaps then I could discern its origin."
"Naturally." Even as she said the word, she imagined how Dr. McCoy would've reacted if she'd asked him to accompany her. I'd pay money to see the look on his face...
"Also, I would not attempt a meld without her mother's consent. Unless I felt it was necessary." He gazed down at the little one, who was now falling peacefully asleep in his arms, formula dribbling out of the corner of her mouth. He stepped closer to Nyota "She is rather distracting, is she not?"
"Yes, she is," Nyota smiled, touching the baby's soft cheek with one finger. As she watched Spock cradle the child in his arms, one thought passed through her mind.
Someday...he'll make a great daddy.
This was originally going to be funny (Spock saying "Stimulus" instead of "Peek-aboo"), but it's so sweet!
He pressed the button to open the door. "What has happened?" Lieutenant Marianne Marsden stood there, arms full with a large bundle. A Starfleet duffel bag was slung across her body, also overflowing. "Finally, an answer... Take her," she breathed, thrusting the bundle into Spock's arms. She removed the bag and left it at his feet. "I'm late for my shift! If she cries, rub her back!" she shouted, running down the hallway and disappearing into a turbolift.
"Lieutenant - wait! What are you referring to-" The bundle squirmed. Spock flipped back a square of blanket and found himself looking into the brownest eyes he'd ever seen. They were like liquid chocolate, sparkling with tiny teary stars. Feather soft black hair peeked out from a knitted pink hat which matched the pink sleeper decorated with little moons that she wore. The chubby baby in his arms pouted, a pinched look on her face.
Then let out a howl like a banshee.
Spock backed into the room, bending down momentarily to grab and hoist the bag at his feet. Ah...a supply kit, or "diaper bag". Presumably with everything one would require to mind an infant. The little one flailed and twisted in his arms, sobbing. "Illogical," he told the child, looking her in the eyes. "You do not yet possess the motor skills necessary to launch or complete an effective escape. Stop this at once." But apparently babies have no sense of logic... He walked over to the small table he'd been sitting at before and placed the child on her back. The baby continued to cry, her little feet kicking in the air. One kick arced to the side and knocked his soup onto the floor with a loud clatter. Spock briefly eyed the bowl before once again lifting the screaming child.
I was given instructions...what did she- ah. He cradled the child next to his chest, disregarding the fresh soup stains on her legs, and began to rub her back in soft, gentle circles. The little girl trembled against him, a choked, hiccupy sob every now and then coming from her throat, but eventually she stopped fighting the first officer and settled down, snuggling just under his chin.
"You have made the right choice, Cadet," he whispered. Cadet? He gazed down at the top of her head. "A mutiny against your superior officer would not be wise." She looked up at the sound of his voice. "I confess my familiarity with human growth and development as a scientist has in no way prepared me to monitor an actual human infant. Therefore you will have to permit me certain...failures." He wiped a smudge of soup off her cheek with his thumb. She squirmed slightly at his touch. Spock carried her over to a soft chair in the corner and laid her down gently in a sitting position.
Odd...am I bleeding? He glanced between the child's stained sleeper and his own damp uniform shirt, touching it with his fingers before bringing them towards his nose. He sniffed. Not cuprous...pain absent... He turned and saw the overturned bowl, spoon underneath, still lying on the floor. Ah. "Remain where I have placed you, Cadet Marsden, while I clean up this spill." She regarded him from her chair, almost quizzically. "As I do not know your given name, I hope you will allow me to refer to you as such." She smacked her lips together. "I take it that was a yes." He bent over the scattered tableware with a sponge in his left hand, placing the objects on the table with his right, then proceeding to make short work of the pool of green liquid. "I shall attend to you next. Presumably your bag contains a change of attire." The baby grunted before letting out a soft sigh. Spock wrinkled his nose, coming to the only conclusion likely. Evacuation, no doubt...which will require a change of something else.
***
Nyota paused outside Spock's closed door. He had not been answering his communicator and she was concerned. An hour late for shift...that's not like him. Her brow furrowed. After trying for 13 minutes to raise him on comms, she'd given up and decided to find out herself. Jim had raised his eyebrows comically as she'd headed for the turbolift, and she'd just shrugged. She'd leaned against the wall of the car and sighed. If he's in there staring at a rock or something, I'll kill him.
Now, as she lifted her hand to press the doorbell, she noticed the lock indicator icon was unlit. Strange...why would he leave it unsecured? She moved her hand towards the door control and pushed on it. The door slid open with a swish.
"Spock? Anybody home?" She rapped lightly on the doorframe, taking halting steps forward. A muffled sound was coming from around the corner. What is that? Nyota rounded the dividing wall and looked up. "Why haven't you been answering-"
"Stimulus."
Squeal!
She was totally unprepared for what she saw. Mister Spock, First Officer of the Enterprise, not to mention Chief Science Officer, was seated in a metal folding chair. Across from him, Lieutenant Marsden's baby daughter Ella lay, wriggling like a little worm, eyes alight with joy. She waved a pudgy fist in the air at him. Her yellow onesie was decorated with lavender flowers.
Spock placed his hands palms down over his face, completely obscuring it. "Stimulus," he repeated, uncovering his expressionless face. Raucous laughter bubbled from the baby again. Nyota leaned against the wall, arms crossed, a smile slowly drawing her lips apart as she touched them with one hand. I never expected this...
"Having fun?" she cooed.
Spock started before rotating in the chair to face her. Surprise played out over his features. "Nyota?" She tapped her wrist twice. He looked at her in confusion before blinking and eyeing a large display screen on the wall. "I am late? Why did someone not contact me?" He moved to rise, but she raised her hand in a stop gesture.
She sighed amusedly. "Been trying to. You weren't answering, Spock." Nyota moved away from the wall and came to stand beside him. "This little cutie must've been getting all your attention." The baby girl looked over at Nyota briefly, before reaching her little arms for Spock again. "Hello sweetie...I think she has a crush on you, Spock, " she laughed. "I didn't know you knew how to play peek-a-boo."
"I do not know what you are referring to. I discovered this reaction quite by accident." He lifted the child into his arms, shifting her to balance her weight.
Ella grabbed for a lock of Spock's hair, mashing it in her clenched hand. "Eeeee!" she screeched happily.
"I was in the process of replacing her soiled garments with clean ones when she grabbed a small washrag and threw it at my face. When I removed the object to clear my vision, she reacted thusly." He covered his face with one hand, then removed it. Ella giggled again and clapped her hands. "Her responses to the sudden appearance of my face primarily involves laughter." He picked up a previously unnoticed bottle of baby formula from the table and pressed it to her pink little mouth. "I believe she finds me amusing. Though I cannot imagine why." The baby sucked noisily on the bottle, eyes closed. "Naturally, I was curious as to whether I could replicate her reaction to the unexpected visual stimuli. Perhaps then I could discern its origin."
"Naturally." Even as she said the word, she imagined how Dr. McCoy would've reacted if she'd asked him to accompany her. I'd pay money to see the look on his face...
"Also, I would not attempt a meld without her mother's consent. Unless I felt it was necessary." He gazed down at the little one, who was now falling peacefully asleep in his arms, formula dribbling out of the corner of her mouth. He stepped closer to Nyota "She is rather distracting, is she not?"
"Yes, she is," Nyota smiled, touching the baby's soft cheek with one finger. As she watched Spock cradle the child in his arms, one thought passed through her mind.
Someday...he'll make a great daddy.
This was originally going to be funny (Spock saying "Stimulus" instead of "Peek-aboo"), but it's so sweet!
Last edited:
