Disclaimer: I do not own Star Trek.

...

"Mama?" Nyota shifted slightly in her sleep. Sorin padded over to the other side of the bed. "Baba?" Spock's eyes snapped open on instinct to regard his son, who was holding his hands in front of his tan face, effectively covering his nose and cheeks in the dark.

"What is causing you distress, sa-fu?" Spock asked, taking note of the slight fear and confusion in Sorin's dark brown eyes.

"My nose is discharging copious amounts of blood." Spock gently pried Sorin's small hands away from his face and was concerned to see both dry and wet green splatters littering Sorin's upper lip and cheeks, and a few tendrils were dripping past his mouth and onto his chin. He quickly got up and led Sorin by the shoulder into the sanitary unit for better lighting and resources.

Spock dampened a cloth, tilted Sorin's head back by the chin, and began cleaning the boy's face, which slipped out of his grasp when Sorin spoke.

"I'm sorry for disturbing your rest, Baba." He looked up at his father with big eyes. Spock shook his head.

"It is of no importance when in regards to you, Sorin. Do not hesitate to come to me for anything, even if I am resting." Sorin nodded and acted awkwardly on an impulse, closing the small distance between them and embracing his father, who, after pausing, gently returned the hug. Then, he pulled away and resumed cleaning his son's bloodied face. When he was done, he threw the cloth into the refresher and dampened another to give to his son. "Hold this to your nose, and tilt your head backward." Sorin did. "Maintain this position in your sleep, and the blood will not come back." Spock led Sorin out of the sanitary unit, but that's where Sorin stopped.

"Permission to... sleep in you and Mama's bed tonight?" Sorin looked up at him with big eyes again. Spock's eyebrow flew to his somewhat mussed bangs.

"Sorin, seven is past the age when that behavior is acceptable." Sorin felt a horrible, gut-wrenching emotion in the pit of his stomache, but he turned and headed for his room. Spock let him walk for total of three seconds before he sighed and called him back. "I suppose I can make an exception for this instance..." The boy zipped past Spock and climbed onto their bed, snuggling up to Nyota, who automatically wrapped an arm around him in her sleep. Spock felt a warm feeling spread through him at the sight of his mate and child, observing them for a beat before joining them.