trompel'oeil

Trompe L'Oeil

"I am unsure of the wisdom of this, Captain."

"Jim. You used to call me Jim."

"This may not be wise, Jim."

"Why not?"

"I cannot be certain the procedure will function as it should. As you are aware we left Vulcan before my post-refusion testing was completed and I cannot be sure that my mental processes are correctly reintegrated. Any error could have serious repercussions."

Kirk looked at him, trying to focus with eyes grown misty. "Spock, I understand your concerns but .... I need this. You don't know what I was like; stumbling round the ship like a blind man; unaware of half of what was going on; the only help I had - lost, broken."

"I am sure that in time a replacement could have been found."

"Spock, I don't want a replacement. I want this - I have for years. Besides the same thing could happen again at any time and I can't go through that again. Spock, without this I don't even think I can take the ship out again."

He grinned and suddenly "young Jim" was back, the golden youth who had erupted into Spock's ordered life all those years ago. "I've been looking for it for so long, now it's within my grasp, I'm not going to give it up without a fight. I need this and so do you."

The arched eyebrow expressed the interrogative far more eloquently than mere words.

"What better way to prove to yourself that you are finally yourself once more - if this works you can be certain that you are whole."

Spock looked down at the seated figure on the bed, in truth he had never been able to deny this Human anything; once again and against his better judgement he found himself agreeing. "Very well."

Kirk slipped off his jacket, his fingers trembling with anticipation. He was vaguely aware of Spock making preparations and leaned forward, eager for the touch that would make him whole.

The hypospray hissed against his arm. "There Cap.. Jim. New Improved Retinox with Hypoallergenics."

The End

K/S