Memorial Day

by Starsinger

Spock and Uhura take Kirk to the cemetery to remember those fallen in the line of duty. This is a little bit of a nod to Kirk, McCoy, and the Doctor they took with them, sorry don't remember her name, their dash through an American hospital and into an elevator with Chekov in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Fun movie! Don't own them.

How Spock and Uhura snuck Jim out in a hoverchair is the stuff of legend. Jim had barely started being able to sit in a wheelchair for long periods. Chapel agreed with the plan. She and Bones were getting close so she distracted him while other nurses got Jim in his dress uniform. The reason the hoverchair was used is their destination had questionable terrain at best, and Jim could get tired. His falling asleep wouldn't inconvenience anyone. They pushed Jim quietly out of his room. They looked out across the nurse's station to see Nurse Chapel doing some very unlady-like moves to the doctor, and pushing him into the supply closet while chewing on his ear. One of the nurses passed Spock Jim's medicine, telling him to make sure he took it on time. Spock nodded as they hurried out the door.

"Uh, guys, where are we going?" Jim asked. The first thing he knew about this was when the nurse walked into his room and got him cleaned up and dressed.

"You'll see," Uhura replied. They managed to get out the door and into a hovercar without an alarm being raised. "Shuttleport," Uhura informed the computer. The car rose off the ground and began to make its way down the roadway. Jim's only clue was Spock and Uhura were also in dress uniform.

"Jim, do you know what today is?" Jim scrunched his forehead, he'd been cooped up long enough that dates were a little fuzzy. "It is the last Monday in May. In the old republic of the United States of America, this day was used to memorialize those who had fallen in defense of their country." Jim's face cleared of confusion, they were going to a cemetery, probably somewhere in what used to be the USA.

The shuttle took them to Arlington, Virginia. Arlington Veteran's Cemetery still stood as a monument to those who died in defense of the greater good. They picked up two bouquets of flowers. Jim knew this place, this was where his father's memorial was. It was a simple stone slab: Captain George Kirk, USS Kelvin, father, husband, friend.

Jim put his hand on the stone, all too aware that he should be buried here now too. "I never knew him, Spock. I never got that chance. Mom used to tell me that I look a lot like him, and have his spirit." He fought back tears he had never shed. "Hey, Dad, if you can hear me, maybe you can. Thank you, for all that you were in giving me my life. Mom still misses you." He placed the first bouquet at the base of the slab. All three remained silent before moving on. They had one more person they needed to visit. This one very personal to all three of them.

Uhura choked on tears as they approached the grave: Rear Admiral Christopher Pike, Starfleet, Friend, Mentor, Father, Gone too Soon. Spock knelt at the foot of the headstone. Others had been here recently, paying homage as well. "Hey, Chris, we survived, more or less, as you can see. We even got that five year mission." Uhura's tears were running freely. Unable to contain them she didn't even try to hide them.

Another figure appeared from the mists. The elderly Vulcan studied the three of them before commenting, "Jim, shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Probably," Jim said with a quiet shake of his head. Uhura and Spock watched with awe as Spock Prime knelt at the grave.

"Chris had a very different part to play in my time. He was still a good friend, though. When I last saw him, he was alive, well and happy. That was many years ago, of course." Pictures of Chris going from a cripple in wheelchair, unable to even breathe on his own, to walking and holding hands with a young woman on a planet where the inhabitants would allow him the illusion for the rest of his life still brought fond thoughts.

"How old are you?" Kirk asked.

"Two hundred eighty seven. Quite elderly for a Vulcan."

For humans whose lifespan, at best, was an average of one hundred fifty, that was quite a feat. The silence seemed to spread as Jim leaned forward and dropped the flowers on the grave. "Thank you, Chris, for believing in me. You will never be forgotten."

I seriously considered having the scene end with Spock's communicator going off and him getting an earful from McCoy, but I think this works better.