Sirosa

Chapter 7

Mac'hla regained consciousness 15 minutes later in sickbay.
As they were about to open their eyes, they heard quiet conversation a few feet away.
"Is it true, Captain?" Spock asked.
Mac'hla heard Jim sigh, "Yes... it is. I couldn't tell her. We needed her to watch over him. If she knew-"
"If they knew, it may have provided some peace of mind." Spock cut him off.
"Yes, they should have been told... but right now, while he's here, we can't tell them. They could prove to be a danger to him." Jim said.
"We couldn't tell them." McCoy added, "The torment of knowing he was here would be too much to bear for them."
"The Vulcan rehabilitation center requested her by name, Spock. We couldn't afford to tell her." Kirk whispered.
"It is illogical to have kept this a secret from her. Do the rest of the officers taking guard know?" Spock asked. Mac'hla heard him approach the side of their bed.
"Yes." Jim replied sadly.
"But you kept it from me." Spock said quietly.
"Spock... we know how close you are with them. We know that you can't lie to them. We couldn't risk telling you either."
Mac'hla sat up in bed and leapt from the cot, eyes blazing and rage filling every fiber of her being.
She glanced between Kirk and McCoy and hissed, "You knew."
"Maggie-" Jim started, reaching out to her.
"No!" she screamed, stepping away, "You knew who he was! What he did!"
"Mac'hla, we couldn't-" Jim desperately tried to explain, but was once again cut off by the angry Vulcan.
"Oh, because you needed to transport him, yes? Because may the gods forbid I know the truth about this monster and give him the end he deserves. But you wanted to hide it from me? Fuck you!" they spat, throwing a tray of medical instruments across the room.
"Lieutenant- '' Spock interjected, but in her blind rage, Mac'hla pushed him away and sent him toppling over a table.
"This man murdered over half of my village, and you kept this a secret from me? James, I would have thought that you, of all people, would understand the importance of this." Mac'hla said, referring to the genocide on Tarsus IV, "My father, my baby sister, my friends and family are dead because of this man! I watched them die! I held the hands of the sick as they suffered! AND YOU HID IT FROM ME?!" she roared.
Jim and McCoy looked to the ground, ashamed.
    "I now know where your priorities lie." she whispered harshly, "And I was naïve to ever trust you. I can assure you, I will never make that mistake again."
    They turned to leave, but before they rounded the corner, they looked back over their shoulder and whispered, "May your names and memories be erased."
    Jim sat back into a chair, holding his head in his hands, while McCoy walked over to help Spock to his feet.
    They knew it would be unwise to try to follow her.
    Spock remained silent as he stood and watched the two mourn.
    "What you did was logical," he finally said, "However, in terms of morality, it was certainly wrong."
    "She'll never trust us again." Jim said quietly.
    "May I ask what you thought her reaction would be?" Spock asked, raising an eyebrow, "If you had told them after he had left, they would be just as hurt."
    "We needed her, Spock." Jim tried to defend.
    "If you were Miss Mac'hla, and Soltok was Kodos, would you not have wanted to know?" Spock asked.
    Jim took a shuddering breath, "I know I was wrong. I won't be able to forgive myself for this, you know that, don't you?"
    "Neither will she." Spock whispered coldly and whisked himself away.