Interludes: Mamma Mia

Christine Chapel was working on the long list of crew updates that McCoy had ‘left’ for her to work on while he went and welcomed the various ambassadors aboard.  He had looked so damnably uncomfortable in his dress uniform that she nearly laughed aloud. She loved Leonard deeply as a father figure, but she still liked to pick at him a little.  He teased her with tenderness and she returned the sentiments.  She was still chuckling over the sight when she heard the object of her humor arriving in his office.  He was obviously trying to find something to drink, “Well, I’ll be damned.  Christine, you’ll never believe this...you gotta have a drink.”
Christine headed out to see what the fuss was.  She leaned against the doorframe, relaxed and jaunty, “My goodness, a little early for the bottle isn’t it?”
“Here, drink this.  You’re gonna need it,” he insisted and the blonde brows knitted together with a little worry.  “Oh, it’s nothing serious but guess who just came aboard...”
She thought for a moment and tried to remember where they were, Vulcan... “Let me see the Vulcan ambassador and his party?”
“And guess who the Vulcan ambassador is, or...why don’t you know already.”
She just shook her head in confusion, “Really Leonard, you are babbling.  What are you trying to get at?”
“Spock’s parents are on board and boy is there a lot of heat there.  You should see his mother.  She is so...well she’s lovely.  Beautiful blue eyes, just like yours, and the most gorgeous silver hair you’ve ever seen.  His father is pretty cold though.  Apparently he and Spock don’t get along if the reception he gave his son is any indication,” McCoy was saying and handed Chapel a glass with a shot of bourbon in it.  
“Leonard, I’m on duty...” she began but his wave stopped her.  Downing the contents in one gulp, she coughed, “That’s awful!”
“It gets the job done a lot faster than that root beer schnapps you are always drinking.  You need to drink if you’re going to indulge,” he determined.  
“I prefer to stay sober thank you,” the blonde said quietly.  She never drank to the point of stupefaction.   The thought of Spock’s parents aboard was intriguing however.  She was certain she’d not meet them or if she did it would be when they took the usual tour of the ship.  Perhaps a little background check on Spock.  After all, his crew physical was last week and needed to be updated anyway.  Excusing herself to return to her duties, she pulled his up first.  

Commander Spock exited engineering and headed for medical lab #5.  The scene between he and his father was enough to make him think of at least fifteen experiments he could be doing while they were in route to Babel.  With datapadd in hand, he entered the lab.  Christine Chapel was checking the same experiment that he was going to.  She was working with him on this particular variation of an antidote for cordrazine.  After the incident with McCoy at Gateway, they were intent upon getting an antidote for the drug if it was accidentally injected or too strong a dosage was used.  So far, they’d had little success and with no one to try it on, it was practically a moot point.  Still, Spock did not have to ask Christine Chapel twice whether she thought it a worthwhile endeavor.  She had an immense sense of duty and single-mindedness when working on a new project.  She was an invaluable asset to the ship’s research staff.   She smiled as he entered.  He had no idea that she knew who was aboard.  “Mr. Spock, good afternoon.”
“I see that you are also checking on our project.  How is it coming?” he asked glad to have a logical topic to talk about. 
“Oh, she’s perking away.  I still don’t know how or who we’re going to test it on. I don’t trust simulations very well,” she pointed out. 
“Yes, I agree.  It is too dangerous to risk on patients.  So, we shall continue to use what methods we have until a need arises,” Spock decided, but he wasn’t very pleased with that idea either.  Christine took the vials out of the controlled environment to study them with her own eyes.  Like McCoy she preferred the hands on approach.  She was pointing something out to Spock when the door slid open.  “And here is our Head Nurse... Christine Chapel,” Dr. Leonard McCoy was saying as he led Lady Amanda and Captain James Kirk into the lab.  Christine recognized her immediately, even if she hadn’t read Spock’s bio.  McCoy had described her precisely.  She was so petite and fine boned compared to the younger woman’s height and strong features.  Christine immediately liked her.  They smiled at each other.  Spock’s eyebrow rose.  It was as if his mother was following him around the ship.  However, he knew that she would have eventually toured sickbay.  He nodded to her.  His father was not with them.  He did not ask.  Jim Kirk was interested in this little exchange.  Everyone on the ship, with the exception of about two people, knew the history of Spock and Christine.  Here mother met female huntress.  
Spock was strategically located between the two of them.  Leonard McCoy was about to start rocking on his heels with glee at the situation.  It was perfect...  Amanda Grayson noted the rather odd tone of the room.  Spock might be Vulcan but his human half was just aching to tell her something.  She allowed her eyes to roam the room for a moment before settling again on the lovely tall lady beside Spock, “I am Lady Amanda...”
Spock finished, “Miss Chapel, I would like to introduce my mother.”
McCoy nearly fell over.  Kirk had to look at Spock twice.  Amanda even blinked at that one.  Spock had never introduced her to a woman in that manner before.  Yes, she knew what the human half wanted to tell him.  But, did his Vulcan half understand even a tenth of that.  Christine reacted as if she were meeting someone on the street, instead of the love of her life’s mother.  She grinned broadly, “I am pleased to meet you.”
“Likewise,” Amanda answered with a touch of the New Jersey accent she had lost long ago.  She liked her, a lot.  If this was the woman Spock had chosen she was pleased.  She could tell that Christine had the deep adoration that she held for Sarek.  All she had to do was take a look in the depths of her eyes.  Spock made no other comments to the nurse regarding personal matters.  He did however ask Christine to explain what they were working on before the tour continued elsewhere, and he went to check on the computer downloads.  He left a musing Christine in his wake.