scarfman | Spoiler 1/1; Kirk, Spock, Pike, Ambassador Spock; G (Reply)

Title: Spoiler
Author/Artist: scarfman
Characters/Pairing(s): Kirk, Spock, Pike, Ambassador Spock
Rating: PG
Setting/Spoilers: post-ST09, allusions to The Menagerie
Summary: Spock knows he has to respond to bad news about Admiral Pike. Kirk is ahead of him. Well, in step.
Betareader: qtrhorserider
Notes/Warnings: Inspired in a lateral way by the middle word of cest_moi_01's Four Vulcan Words Spock Taught to Captain James T. Kirk (and the One He Didn't). I thought s/he was going to have Spock tell Kirk this time. But I guess he wouldn't.
crossposted scarfman trek_fanfiction trekfics st_reboot

"Starbase 8? Not a Class-J?" Kirk's reaction was that of someone who'd already heard of the incident, though that was not possible.

Spock paused in his report. "No, Captain. The Class-J starship was decommissioned for even training voyages due to the instability of -"

"Of the delta radiation plates, yeah," said Kirk.

Spock resumed his report at the beginning of the sentence that had been interrupted: "Admiral Pike is alive but severely injured after the accident. Scans show conscious brain activity but total paralysis, and too little nerve tissue remaining for regeneration or connection to cybernetic prostheses." Spock fell silent, to allow for his captain's normal human expression of grief, but unwillingly found himself considering the implications of this event on not only Pike's life and career, but on his own. His logical course of action was obvious, and the logistics challenging, but he still felt regret at the loss of -

"I know what you're thinking," said Kirk, low enough that only Vulcan ears would pick it up, even on the Enterprise bridge.

"Sir?" said Spock, nonplussed.

"Ambassador Spock mindmelded with me at Delta Vega, you know."

"You have mentioned this in passing," Spock said. And mentioned that, besides the story of Nero that had been the Ambassador's primary concern at the moment, some memories of his past had drifted into Kirk's mind. Those memories had made Spock unsettlingly predictable to Kirk on one or two occasions, even impossibly so - "Jim, no," Spock said, keeping his voice low. "I cannot ask -"

"You haven't asked," Kirk said, speaking behind his hand now. "The man's my stand-in dad too, Spock."

"It is not logical that we both -"

"Now there you're right," said Kirk. "One of us should look like he's keeping his nose clean. It'd be more in character for you, but you're the one who can forge computer orders and stuff without help. I'll just play dumb and play the same part Admiral Kirk did, but if you need anything come to me. And everything will turn out all right, I promise," Kirk added, giving Spock a slight nudge to the shoulder with his knuckles for emphasis.

Spock nodded, and returned to his station, with the sense which he'd only known since he'd started at Starfleet Academy and boarded the Enterprise, but which kept coming more frequently: that he was not alone.

fin