Title: But I will sing of your strength
Fandom: Star Trek: the Original Series
Rating: G
Characters: Kirk, Spock,
Content notes: none
Summary: Chandra receives a patient in the winter.
Author note: for gen prompt bingo: I Have a Rendezvous with Death

Someone kept knocking at Chandra's door.

Chandra would have ignored it - visitors were all trouble - if not for the knocker to persist for more than ten minutes. She opened the door with a frown. "Go away. Don't you see the closed sign?"

Outside stood a fair-haired human, who looked up from the person by his side. "I'm sorry for intrusion, but they say that you're the only one who can save my friend. Can you help him?"

Chandra took a look at the unconscious man, noticing his pointed ear and greenish tint. A Vulcan or a Romulan? Either way, it was unusual to find one in the company of human.

"Bring him in," Chandra said. She might as well satisfy her curiosity.

"There's only one way to save your friend," Chandra said, pausing for the effect as the human's face lit up. "However, I advise you to give it up, as it is suicidal to collect the necessary plants in this season."

The human was undeterred. "Can you tell me what and how to collect them?"

Overconfident fool. He'll soon give up when he enters the Forsaken Forest, Chandra thought. However, she gave him the necessary information, including the danger he might come across. The human studied it carefully, making notes and marking his map.

"You have to return with the plants in a week, or you can prepare a funeral for your friend."

"I will return as soon as possible. Please take care of him," the human said.

"Do you expect me to be his unpaid nurse?" Chandra asked and quoted a huge sum of money for her fee, which was enough to pay an ordinary family for three years.

The human only smiled and handed over the money. "Don't spare anything for his comfort. I'll pay any additional expense when I return."

As if, Chandra thought as he left.

Her patient's condition worsened everyday. On the fifth day Chandra was digging a hole for burial when the human returned.

The human walked with a limp and leaned heavily over a makeshift crutch. His clothes were dirty, stained with blood and there was an ugly wound on his forehead.

"I brought back the plants. Is he still alive?"

"Yes. Now get out of my way." Chandra started to prepare the cure. It would ruin her reputation if she let her patient die now.

"Thank you," the human said, so sincere that Chandra was not sure how to take it.

"Is it worth it?" she asked, noticing more injury at a closer distance.

"He's my friend," the human answered while stumbling to his friend's side. He brushed a lock of hair from his friend's forehead and held his hand.

"You'll be fine," he said repeatedly as if chanting a prayer.

Chandra's patient recovered quickly. However, the human now caught a fever, probably due to an infection. His Vulcan friend wiped his face gently with a wet cloth and patiently helped him up to feed him water, with a tenderness their kind rarely showed in public.

That night Chandra walked by their room when the men were talking.

"You should get some rest," the human said and interrupted when the Vulcan started replying. "You may have amazing Vulcan physiology unlike we mere human, but don't forget that you have just recovered from near death. By the way, stop throwing yourself before me anytime I'm in danger. You know better than me how much the fleet invested in you,"

"May I also point out the unnecessary reckless risk you took for my sake, Captain? A captain is essential to the mission, but any officers can be replaced."

"Well, I'm the captain, so I decide whether the risk is reasonable. Besides, you're never replaceable, not to me anyway."

Chandra passed by quickly, feeling as if she had intruded something intimate.

Several days later, the human and the Vulcan were ready to leave.

"Thank you for your service, Doctor. If there's anything I can help..."

"No," Chandra knew that she could ask for a lot of money from the human, who would pay without hesitation, but she didn't feel like it. Instead she asked, "What're your names?"

They looked surprised but the human answered, "James T. Kirk at your service, and this's Mr. Spock."

"Farewell. I hope I don't need to see you both again." She wondered if Spock knew how lucky he was, for he was the first person to get the cure in time in a decade, but his soft eyes told her that he already knew.

"Farewell, Doctor."

When they disappeared from her sight, Chandra returned home with a light heart.