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༄ chapter thirty seven
-ˋˏ KHAN'S BETRAYAL...AGAINˎˊ-
CURSING herself, Vera retraced her steps to the bridge, all the while clutching tightly - painfully - to Nath's shoulder.
She was mad. She was mad at herself, at Kit, at Khan, at Kirk, at her father, at the mission in its entirety. Despite her anger, though, Vera knew she was the cause of all her current suffering. Vera had been the one to wound herself over her parents death, letting that cloud her mind and muddle her judgement. Vera had been the one to keep Nath a secret, intentional or not, from Kit, as well as neglect her first friend just after he was orphaned. Vera had been the one to let all her pain fester and take it out on those around her. Overall, Vera would say things were pretty shit for her at the moment.
The bridge was just as bustling and orderly as it always was, even in the face of the ship's current crisis, and it seemed no one was attuned to the chaos swirling around Vera Crynn's mind.
Truthfully, Vera had never had much of a clue how to handle children, and Nath was no exception. Never had she been mother - or even older sister - material, and there was no telling what she could do wrong in regards to caring for her half-brother, especially under the amount of stress she was currently harboring. So, knowing she couldn't risk damaging the poor child more than he already was, Vera walked Nath to Uhura's communication station, and without word or explanation, placed him down in the chair beside her friend - the same chair Kit often occupied.
Even without any statement, Uhura looked up to Vera and simply nodded, a promise to take care of this unknown Vulcan child. Though the Communications Lieutenant vaguely recognized the boy, the couldn't place from where. A brief question of what Vera's relation to him was, and Uhura cursed, chuckling slightly to herself as she glanced from the boy to Spock and Vera, who were situated around the Captain's chair.
"And what did Lieutenant Pike wish to speak to you for, Commander Crynn?" Spock asked formally as Vera leaned on the arm of the seat he was occupying. Even through his uniform, he felt his arm tingle and heat flush to his pointed ears when the young woman unwittingly grazed her hand over his skin to adjust her red uniform.
Her expression fell, more so than was already there, and Spock sensed he'd touched on a delicate subject. Vera didn't properly answer, hanging her head and fiddling with the hem of her skirt. Spock simply left it alone, allowing her to ask a separate question of her own: "How is Kirk?"
Allowing his eyes to scan quickly, calculatingly, over Vera's expression, Spock turned back to the frame, "The Captain and Khan have arrived aboard the Vengeance safely, with the help of Mister Scott."
"You're the Captain right now, Spock," Vera reminded gently.
Neither of them had time to move to another subject, though, as Uhura called out to the Enterprise's acting Captain with a communication link: "Commander, I have that transmission as requested." Spock looked at the Lieutenant and nodded, ushering her to place the communication on screen. Vera furrowed her brows, peering at the First Officer curiously, but he made no effort to answer, instead shifting uncomfortably in his seat and looking away.
