Stolen Moments

6. Month One

"I don't know, Christine. I'm a language expert not a shrink." Uhura took another sip of beer and watched her friend twirl a stylist. 

"I know, but Nyota, the doctor and I have done all we can to get through to Jasmine. You're the best person I know when it comes to talking your way out of sticky situations."

"This is different from translating language. The poor girl lost everything."

"Dr. McCoy and I are very worried. She barely eats or sleeps; plus she's lost twenty pounds and she was a tiny thing to begin with."

"I'll try my best but I can't promise a miracle."

"That's all I'm asking."

"I'll drop by tomorrow. I don't have a duty shift so maybe I could spend the day with her."

Christine sagged in relief. "Thank you, Nyota." Christine raised her wine glass and clanked it softly against Uhara's beer.

🖖🏼

"From this valley they say you are going, we will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile, for they say you are taking the sunshine, which has brightened our pathways awhile. Come and sit by my side if you love me, do not hasten to bid me adieu, but remember the Red River Valley, and the girl who has loved you so true." I threw another marble at the vase. If my count was right I'd gotten two baskets and couldn't remember the misses. Instead of getting up to collect the marbles when I ran out, I lazily pulled them back to me with telekinesis.

Jim had assigned me guest quarters on a deck where most of the ensigns lived. I hadn't seen much of the three men who'd discovered me in the fourish weeks I'd been here. Something about a long going sensitive diplomatic mission I didn't care about. It was probably for the best; I wasn't in a fit state to entertain.

I was sitting with my back against the bed, while throwing marbles, which I had asked the magic machine in the corner for, into an empty vase on the other side of the room, illuminated by nothing more than soft star light that shone through the window. It wasn't a large room but it wasn't like I had a lot of stuff anymore. I'd been blasted into the future with the clothes on my back and a bag full of mostly useless things for the current day and age.

Before I could start the next verse a voice startled me. "That's a nice song." I turned to see a petite woman in a tight purple shirt and a blue skirt standing inside my room. I didn't know how she'd managed to get in here without alerting me. The lights from the corridor should've lit this place up but apparently my brain was too distracted to care. "I've never heard it before." I went back to tossing my marbles. 

"Thanks," my voice rung hollow, "it'd probably sound better if I could carry a tune." I sniffed pitifully.

"You're not that off key, actually. Would you mind if I turned on the lights?"

"Be my guest."

"Lights." A soft glow filled the room stinging my eyes. "May I sit?" She gestured to the chair behind my computer desk. I shrugged and threw another marble. "Where did you learn it?"

"Lullaby dad used to sing."

"Where does it come from?" She produced a deck of cards and joined me in throwing them at the vase.

"Not sure, somewhere in Canada, I think. It was old even before I was born." A genuine laugh escaped me. "I guess that makes me two hundred something." A small smirk appeared on the women's face.

"Will you teach it to me? Singing's a favorite pass time of mine," she asked.

I didn't respond right away; instead I tossed another marble, it circled the rim a few times before falling in. I decided to do as she asked mostly because I was lonely and couldn't think of a reason to refuse.

From there I started over and she listened all the way through while we continued to throw our tokens. The third time around she joined me in song. Her voice was very good and I found myself listening to her closely to adjust my pitch. Her stomach rumbling broke me out of the melody. I glanced up to the clock above my door. We'd been singing for over two hours. "You should eat something," I mumbled.

"So should you," she smiled kindly while offering me a hand. She helped me onto the bed then typed something into the magic machine, which she called a replicater. When she turned back to me she held two large bowls of fruit and vanilla milkshakes. It was good. It tasted exactly like the real thing but a part of me wanted to deny that. I had enjoyed cooking back home but here it seemed to be an obsolete art.

"The Captain would like to speak with you today."

"Why?"

"I don't know, Jasmine. I could tell him that you don't–"

"No, I'll go. Will you take me?"

"Of course. My name is Nyota Uhura."

"Nyota, I like it."

Nyota spent the entire day with me, but we didn't talk much, instead I taught her songs. She'd never heard most of them before, which I found kinda strange, but after thinking about it more I figured she just immersed herself in whatever media they made these days. After all it had all been a long time ago. Eventually I took a shower and got out of the pjs I'd been wearing.

The hour of my meeting with Jim was starting to roll around so we ventured down the hall. Much to my relief the corridor was deserted. Given enough time apathy had consequences even for me. Weeks of inactivity had left me weaker than I'd ever been, while I wasn't in as bad of shape as a regular human would've been, for the last leg of the journey I had to lean on Uhura.