The Vulcan Changeling Project

Adagio

Spock looked around him in confusion. "Where am I?"

Nurse Chapel rushed to his side. "Spock, I mean Mister... Spock, how are you feeling?"

Spock focused his eyes on Nurse Chapel's pleasant form. "Nurse Chapel...." His words faded away as Spock's head lolled to one side of the pillow.

Nurse Chapel ran to the intercom. "Doctor McCoy, I need you in here right away."

***

Doctor McCoy folded his arms across his chest. He hated medical mysteries. "So, why hasn't he responded to treatment?" McCoy muttered aloud.

Sarek looked over at McCoy his brows furrowed in concertation. "Doctor, your medical knowledge of Vulcan physiology is limited. Perhaps, it would be best if you tended to your human patients. As soon as we reach Vulcan, Spock will be treated by Vulcan medical teams."

McCoy turned around in a quick angry pirouette. Kirk was right on his heels. The 360 degree of the circle broken as McCoy ran into him. "What are you doing out of bed?" He snapped.

Kirk ignored the outburst. "What's wrong with Spock?"

McCoy sighed. "Jim, Spock took a pretty bad beating. I can't help him. Sarek, has assured me that once he is treated by qualified medical personnel on Vulcan, he should be fine."

Though he was worried about Spock, Kirk grinned at McCoy's chagrinned tone. "Somehow, McCoy managed to impart half southern hospitability, half northern aggression pissed in his voice," Kirk thought in fondness.

"What would I do without you, Bones? Kirk asked as he held back exhaustive laughter. Then he silenced as he focused on the beeping above Spock's bed. "What would I do without any...of my friends...my family?" Kirk whispered aloud.

"Now, Jim, everything's going to be okay. Spock took a rough beating, but he is half human so he should be fine. Humans are tough, not so delicate like Vulcans." McCoy said loud enough for Sarek to hear.

Kirk smirked as McCoy hurried out of the room to avoid a parting shot from Sarek.

A few hours later Kirk lay on his bed trying to rest. He knew if he were to go back on duty that McCoy would have him confined to sickbay. So, Kirk sighed and turned on some Mozart. He smiled as he thought back on his introduction to the composer. The Enterprise had assisted an intergalactic opera company, whose ship needed repairs. In return the opera company offered to perform The Marriage of Figaro, by Mozart. Kirk closed his eyes as the music and memories washed over him. Uhura green with envy at the musical facility of the performers, Spock working to reign in his reaction to the music, McCoy attempting to monitor those around him to see if classical music did indeed lower blood pressure, Scotty reveling every time he heard a Scottish snap in the rhythm, Chekov swearing that Mozart was actually Russian and then last of all Kirk himself basking in the music and the reactions of his crewmates-his friends-his family.

Kirk massaged his jaw. The Mozart selection tonight seemed haunting-lonely. Kirk pushed a button on his music simulator to find out the name of the piece. It was the second movement of Mozart's Clarinet Concerto. Kirk let the notes pummel his senses as he attempted to dispel his edginess. "I'll be glad when we get to Vulcan," Kirk thought with a sense of irony. For contrary to popular sentiment, Vulcan had never been a peaceful place for him.