Star Trek - TOS 38 Idic Epidemic (39 page)

“I know. Captain Kirk, I don’t want interplanetary war any more than you do.”

“But the Orions do; they tried to break up the Babel
Conference, weaken the Federation. They see war as
an opportunity to plunder all sides. Strange … only dedicated scientists come to Nisus. You’re not a typical Klingon. Why did the Orions have to send a
typical Orion?”

Korsal ignored the implied insult to Klingons in
general, knowing Kirk did not intend it, and said, “I do not think there is any other kind of Orion.”

“There’s your wife,” said Kirk. “Quite a lady.”

“Orion women,” said Korsal, “are not educated, but neither are they indoctrinated. Seela grew up on Nisus, and despite Borth’s efforts seems to have
absorbed the
…
what the Vulcans call IDIC, rather
than Orion self-absorption.”

“You’re right,” said Kirk. “In fact, among the
pictures our rescue craft took automatically, there are
some you’ll want to see of Seela rescuing people.”

“You mean … she went into the flood?”

“In a little boat,” Kirk told him. “Looked home-built.”

“I built it with my sons,” said Korsal. “Seela hates to go out in the boat; she’s terrified of drowning.”

“Well, she was apparently more afraid for other people in the flood,” said Kirk. He smiled, and glanced at the two empty beds in the room. Korsal’s sons were finally having their long-awaited tour of engineering. “I’d say you’ve got a whole family of
heroes,
Korsal
.”

Chapter Forty-two

The hospital was overcrowded. So, as fewer Vulcans
and others of copper-based blood fell ill, Sorel took
T’Pina off the blood stimulant and put her to work in the laboratory.

At least everyone of mixed heritage had been vacci
nated; there was no new strain of the plague, no more
need to isolate children. The head of the laboratory
had time to teach T’Pina his methodology, and soon there were glowing reports of the young woman’s
progress.

The biochemists began trying to synthesize the immunity factors in Romulan or Klingon blood, but
that project would take months, possibly even years.

Meanwhile, Humans, Caitians, Lemnorians, and
others with iron-based blood filled the hospital beds.
The medical staff worked overtime while volunteers
took over unskilled or semiskilled labor.

Beau Deaver volunteered. Somewhere in his check
ered past he had had paramedic training; he filled in
as ambulance driver and orderly, but finally insisted
on demonstrating that he could find and pop a good vein on virtually anyone, of any race, and Sorel
pressured Dr. Sertog, the head of medical services, to
set
him
to drawing blood—even though the healer
knew that Deaver’s primary motive was to see T’Pina
when he delivered the samples to the laboratory.

Perhaps Sorel felt a kinship with Deaver’s attrac
tion to T’Pina because of his own attraction to
T’Pina’s mother.

At the Vulcan Academy Hospital, Sorel worked
with any number of nurses, all efficient, all skilled.
With T’Kar, however, he found the same rapport that
he knew with his partner, Daniel Corrigan. Words
were not always necessary; teamwork was raised to
the level of choreography.

Along with the plague, the usual injuries and illnesses in a city the size of this one continued. It was almost refreshing to join Daniel in surgery on a
Vulcan who had sustained injuries in the flood.

In the OR, Sorel was in light rapport with the entranced patient, assisting Daniel in the physical surgery while T’Kar performed as nurse. Was it imagination—something Sorel had never credited himself with having—or was it the smoothest three-
way teamwork Sorel had ever experienced?

Leaving T’Kar to install the patient in recovery, Sorel and Daniel walked back toward the plague-ridden world outside surgery. Before they went
through the doors into that unpleasant reality, though, Daniel stopped. “Well?” he asked.

“Is that a question?” Sorel responded.

“Come on, my friend,” said his Human partner.
“What are you going to do about T’Kar?”

“Do about her?”

Daniel put his hands on his hips, blue eyes laughing
up at Sorel. “If you don’t ask her to marry you, I’m
going to ask her for you.”

“Daniel!”

“I have the right,” Daniel pointed out. “I’m your
son-in-law, remember? T’Mir agrees with me. If you
don’t approach T’Kar, we will. Sorel, she’s perfect for
you … and besides, I want her in
my
surgery!”

“T’Kar lives here, on Nisus,” Sorel pointed out.

“She was born on Vulcan, grew up there,” Daniel
said. “Her daughter can choose to stay here or return
to Vulcan as she pleases—and it looks to me as if
T’Pina will choose a bondmate of her own soon. You
have no reason to delay, Sorel. In fact, if you do, you
may lose your chance. Don’t you think there are other
men who realize what a catch T’Kar is?”

“A catch? Is that not a hidden trap?” Sorel asked,
familiar with the English expression “What’s the
catch?”

“Different meaning,” said Daniel. “In this sense it means a fine choice, but one that is a challenge to obtain.”

“Illogical Human languages,” Sorel commented.

“And you’re being logical? Standing here arguing
with me when you should be sweeping T’Kar off her
feet?”

“That is not the Vulcan method of proposing mar
riage.”

“Oh?” Daniel said, eyes twinkling. “Tell that to
your daughter. She certainly swept me off mine!”

It was useless to argue further. Sorel knew his
partner only too well: if he did not propose marriage
to T’Kar himself, Daniel would carry out his threat.

Feeling not quite himself, Sorel went in search of
T’Kar. He found her just leaving their patient in recovery. Stopping to draw two cups of fruit juice
from a hallway dispenser, Sorel offered one to T’Kar
by way of greeting. “You performed admirably in
surgery,” he said.

“It is a pleasure to work with you and Daniel,” she
replied. “I know now why you are the best medical
team on Vulcan.”

“After today”—Sorel seized the opening—”if you
are not with us, we will feel that our team is missing a
member.”

Her eyes went to his. “Sorel …”

“T’Kar—come out with me into the garden.”

The hospital was designed with small courtyards here and there, to give patients and personnel easy access to fresh air. All that had been done for this garden since the flood was to hose the mud off the
pavement and benches. Where plants had been there
was now only drying mud.

But there was warm spring sunshine, and when
Sorel looked into T’Kar’s blue eyes, he had no need of
flowers to make the world a pleasant place to be.

They sat side by side on the bench, not touching,
and Sorel drank his juice while he searched for words.
The empty place in his mind yearned to be filled by
a bond with T’Kar, but he did not know how to say so.

T’Kar was shielding her thoughts carefully; without
touching her, even Sorel’s strong ESP could not read
through her barriers. He was forced to rely on words.

“T’Kar,” he said softly, “if it seems as logical to you
as it does to me, I would bond with thee.”

Her eyes smiled, although otherwise she remained
composed. “Sorel, it is not logical, but … no,” she added swiftly when he would have interrupted to
explain the logic, “do not say more. You pose a great
difficulty for me. My home is here, and yours is on
Vulcan. Your children are grown and married, but my
daughter is unbonded and in tumult over the recent
discovery concerning her ancestry.”

“T’Pina has exceptional control for one so young,”
Sorel pointed out. “No Vulcan could be less than honored to have her as a member of his family.”

“Nevertheless, she needs my counsel as she decides
what to do. Here on Nisus, there will never be a question about her worth. On Vulcan—”

“Vulcan has exiled those who refuse to accept the concept of IDIC,” Sorel pointed out. “T’Pina need
fear no lack of acceptance, especially in ShiKahr. My
partner and son-in-law, Daniel Corrigan, is accepted
as Vulcan, even by T’Pau herself.”

T’Kar shook her head. “Sorel, why must you argue?
It is not a matter of logic.”

“I
…
do not understand,” he said flatly, compre
hending only that she appeared to be refusing him.

“It is not logical,” she repeated. “My daughter should be my greatest concern until she has assimi
lated this new knowledge about herself. I should not
be thinking of myself, and yet you have come into my
life now, and not at a more appropriate time. I cannot
delay; you must have a wife.”

“
It is not an emergency,” he assured her.

“But eventually, if I refuse, you must take another.
I do not wish you to take another, Sorel. That is why I
say it is not logical. I
…
will bond with thee.”

It was so sudden, so unexpected that for a moment
he did not realize that she had granted him his wish.

Then, not daring to say another clumsy word, he
raised his hand, two fingers extended. T’Kar touched
her fingers to his, and he felt her caring, warm with
promise.

“When?” he asked.

“Soon,” she replied. “As soon as the emergency abates so that we can plan a time when you and I, T’Pina, T’Mir, and Daniel, can all be together with
out fear of interruption.”

“Yes,” he replied. “And, T’Kar—there is no need for me to rush back to Vulcan on the next available
transport. We will stay on Nisus until you are satisfied
that your daughter no longer needs your counsel.” He
smiled, seeing her echoing smile set free, for him
alone.

The cause was indeed sufficient.

Chapter Forty-three

Korsal
was studying the writings of the human
—Chaucer, he was called—when Captain Kirk ap
peared at the door. “There are some people here who would like to see you, if you’re feeling up to it,” Kirk
said.

“I may as well,” he replied. “Please, ask them to
come in.”