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"Five Weddings (and a Funeral for My Sanity)"
Rating: PG-13 You learn a little about Johannes’s family and background and he and Bernhard talk in German. I’ve included the translations in bold. This chapter was a little tough for me to write, personally, for I have personal experience with family members who strongly disapproved of my marrying my husband. (I come from an ultra-traditional Asian family). Eventually, though, their rigid attitude softened a bit with time, so maybe some of Phlox’s clan members will too. Seven Hoshi Sato reflected that she’d been in so many weird situations that it should be almost standard procedure. After all, she’d been on a Klingon ship that was sinking into a gas giant, stuck in the transporter for eight seconds, and been a “guest” of a lonely telepathic alien. But this was rapidly edging its way into her top five list of all time. She stood at the side of Johannes’s Birkenwald’s biobed, while Treesal stood on the other side. Treesal held Johannes’s hand with white-knuckled intensity. Feezal and Captain Archer stood nearby, anticipation on Feezal’s face and confusion on Archer’s. Hoshi didn’t blame him; this was an unexpected surprise. The doors opened and Bernhard Mueller and Trip Tucker came in. Bernhard stopped short at the sight of Johannes lying on the biobed. Trip nearly ran into him, and Malcolm Reed nearly ran into Trip as he rushed into Sickbay. Apparently, news of Johannes’s situation had spread faster than a warp 8 engine. Phlox came out of the lab with a PADD in his one hand and a hypospray in the other. Treesal looked ready to have a nervous breakdown as she gazed at her father. “Will he be all right? I’m sorry, Father, I had no idea—“ “I’ll be all right, Liebchen,” Johannes said. His voice was hoarse, but he managed a smile. “It probably won’t be the last time a fh’rhein tried to eat me.” “I could have killed you, Johannes!” Treesal nearly wailed. Tears trembled on the end of her lashes. “How can you joke about it?” “I must have a sense of humor, considering my occupation, Liebchen.” Trip glanced at Bernhard. “Liebchen?” he asked the Bavarian in a low voice. “It’s pronounced ‘leeb-kyen’,” Hoshi whispered back, trying to hide a smile as she corrected Trip’s German. “It means ‘dear’ or ‘sweetheart’.” Trip stared at Hoshi, then at Johannes. “When did he start calling her ‘Sweetheart’?” “What happened?” Malcolm demanded. She put a hand on her husband’s arm and replied, “Treesal, Johannes and I were in the Mess Hall earlier and she introduced him to fh’rhein, a Denobulan delicacy. There didn’t seem to be any problems after that, and then we went to talk with Captain Archer in his Ready Room. Midway through the meeting, Johannes started having trouble breathing, so we rushed him here.” Phlox took up the explanation as he injected the hapless Armory Officer with a hypospray. “There is a small percentage of the population who is sensitive to a compound in the fh’rein’s molecular structure. It’s similar to being allergic to certain chemicals in Earth foods.” The Denobulan gazed pointedly at Malcolm, as if daring the Armory officer to comment. “Apparently, Johannes falls into this small group.” “And I didn’t know it until I had the reaction,” Johannes said ruefully. “It usually happens that way,” Malcolm assured him, not without sympathy. Phlox studied the reading on the biopanel above Johannes’s head. “There. You should be free of the allergen in an hour or so, Ensign Birkenwald. Take it easy, and don’t touch anything containing the Nak’when compound.” “I can make sure he doesn’t, Father,” Treesal said. “There are advantages to being a biochemist.” “Good.” Phlox looked over at Feezal, who inclined her head. Then Archer opened his mouth to say something, but Phlox interrupted him, “So...I believe you two have something to tell me, hmmm?” There was an awkward silence. Johannes flushed bright crimson and looked like he wanted to sink through the floor. Archer sighed and rolled his eyes, while Hoshi stifled a smile. Trip had a flabbergasted expression, and Malcolm a suspicious one. Bernhard only stared at his fellow German and asked, “Na, was hast Du jetztgemacht??” What did you do now?? Johannes only met his friend’s eyes and replied, Ich hab’ Sie sehr geliebt, Bernhard. I love her, Bernhard. “Was??” The Bavarian looked like he was going to faint. Trip and Malcolm glanced at each other; Trip grabbed Phlox’s examination stool and pushed it under Bernhard just as he was about to collapse. He sat down on it so hard that the air wooshed out of his lungs. “Du wirst Ihr heiraten??” You’re gonna marry her? Then in English, he burst out, “Are you serious?” Johannes’s smile faded as he regarded his friend. “I’ve never been more serious in my life, Bernhard.” “That’s why he and Treesal asked me to come with them to talk to the captain,” Hoshi said gently. She couldn’t help but chuckle at the pole-axed look on Bernhard’s face. “He wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be any...well...complications if he joined your family, Phlox.” “Did you tell your mother that you’re marrying a Denobulan?” Malcolm asked. “She is a MACO major, you know.” “Oh, crap,” Trip muttered. “She’d better not be like Hayes was.” “Mother knows, and it surprised her, but she’s given her blessing, once she talked with Treesal and Feezal,” Johannes said with another shy smile. “ Captain Archer contacted her from his Ready Room and we had a long talk.” Trip glanced at Archer and said, “You old romantic softie.” Hoshi grinned as Jon flushed scarlet. “Well, I see no problem with it,” Phlox said with a chuckle. “I know Johannes is a fine young man and would be a kind and compassionate mate.” He put down the PADD and the empty hypospray, took Treesal’s hand in his left and Johannes’s in his right. “Treesal Phlox, nu’Feezal ka Phlox, Sa’ana hu anatik ra?” “Treesal Phlox, of Feezal and Phlox, do you agree to this bonding?” Hoshi translated for the others. Treesal looked at her father, then to Johannes. “Ya, Sa’ana hu anatik.” Yes, I agree to this bonding. Then Phlox asked Johannes, “Johannes Birkenwald, nu’Ulreike ka Lars, Sa’ane hu anatik re?” Johannes nodded and answered, “Ya, Sa’ane hu antik re.” Phlox’s grin widened as he glanced back at Feezal. “Beloved, will you continue?” “It will be my pleasure.” Feezal glanced behind her at Lailah, who had appeared out of Phlox’s office. Bernhard tried not to react to Lailah’s presence, but she only smiled at him. Hoshi saw a wistful sadness in her smile and wondered at it. Feezal and Lailah took up either side of Johannes and Treesal and began a two-part chant. Hoshi translated, “We welcome you, our brother, our son; we bless you and your mate, our sister and daughter. May you be together in spirit as well as in reality and support each other as one—“ The doors to Sickbay exploded open and two Denobulan males stalked into the room. Hoshi recognized them as Kannik, who was Azkiel’s second husband, and Bogga. Azriel’s third. Bernhard leaped to his feet as they advanced on Phlox, Feezal and Treesal. Bogga’s mouth twisted into a snarl as he brought his arm up to strike Treesal, but Malcolm intercepted the blow. “This is an abomination!” Bogga growled. “I will not permit a Human to join our clan in marriage! It is bad enough we have one through adoption! If we could cancel that relationship—“ Malcolm’s tone was low and deadly. “If you lay one hand on my wife, I will make you pay.” “This violates the sanctity of the Denobulan rites!” protested Kannik. “Your son has already made one transgression, Phlox, and now your daughter! Where is your loyalty to your clan, Phlox?” Phlox walked over until he was toe-to-toe with Kannik. Kannik was a small man; he had to tilt his head upwards slightly to meet Phlox’s gaze. “As a father, I have a responsibility for my children’s welfare and happiness. My daughter has chosen her first mate and I have approved. She is of my blood, not either of yours, and so my approval is first and foremost. I have the blessing of my wife and Treesal’s sister, who are also of Treesal’s direct bloodline.” Bogga scowled at Hoshi, who continued to translate the women’s chant as if the other men weren’t even in the room. “But the other members of the clan can object, Phlox, and I formally give my disapproval.” “As do I,” added Kannik. The Sickbay doors opened and other members of Phlox’s family trickled in. Phlox watched impassively as Vesena and Kessil, Bogga’s two other wives, stood proudly behind their husband. Arla and Myske, Kannik’s two other wives, followed suit. “So, who joins the side of righteousness?” Kannik spat at the rest of the gathered Denobulans. “Who objects to this travesty of Denobulan culture?” Silence. Treesal gripped Johannes’s hand, but he was still too weak to rise from the biobed. Feezal put a hand on Treesal’s shoulder, then on Lailah’s. Lailah gently laid her hand on her mother’s, then slipped her other hand into Bernhard’s. “Du hast dein Herz verloren,” Bernhard told Johannes with a smile. “Ich bin froeh, dass es Dir endlich kommt.” You’ve lost your heart. I’m happy it’s finally happened to you. And Bernhard squeezed Lailah’s hand and extended his other one to Trip. One by one, they formed a strong chain: Johannes, Treesal, Feezal, Lailah, Bernhard, Trip, Hoshi, Malcolm, Jon. Zariel appeared on Jon’s other side and boldly gripped his hand, while her sons Neznus and Reestus joined the chain. Zariel’s mates Bennu and Vennas, then her daughter Okrna, her son Ghoris, and both of their intended mates. Kannik’s daughter Yutis didn’t even glance at her father as she slipped her hand within Ghoris’s. Kannik’s face reddened in embarrassment and anger as his own daughter defied his command. Opur, Groznik’s daughter, nodded and joined her half-sister in the chain. The Sickbay doors opened once more to admit Azkiel, Groznik, T’Pol and Travis Mayweather. T’Pol only gave Kannik and Bogga a cursory glance, then went to join her thy’la. Travis nodded and put his hand on Zariel’s shoulder. “What about you?” hissed Kannik to Azkiel. “To whom to you give your loyalty?” Azkiel reached up and pushed the hood of her robe onto her shoulders. “Our sacred rites are more than words and forms, Kannik. It is also heart and soul. They are useless without the intent and the meaning behind them.” Kannik smirked. “‘A Denobulan marriage cannot be formed if the following is considered lacking: mental fitness, stability, worthiness of a mate—“ Another voice overlapped Kannik’s and Kannik stopped suddenly as the voice continued on. He glanced behind him to see Mettus standing in the doorway to Phlox’s office. “‘—dedication and heart. It falls to the majority of the clan to verify this with observation, and it falls to the blood-father to approve or disapprove forthwith. If the majority of the clan gives approval, then the bonding is approved and the marriage will take place.’ Rule Thirty-Nine, codas 3C, 3D, and 3E.” Mettus inclined his head and added, “I presume you would quote 3C and disregard the rest, Second-Father.” Bogga’s eyes bulged in disbelief. “You, of all people, should know the Sacred Rites and Rules by heart, Mettus! The Matriarch made sure you memorized them all and learned their significance!” “And bless her soul—“ Mettus made a gesture that encompassed the entire Sickbay, “—that she did, indeed. She made me study their significance and their heart, Third-Father. The meaning behind the Sacred words.” His clear blue eyes held none of the sullenness or anger that had been there at the beginning. “And it seems that you have missed that meaning.” So Mettus walked up to Phlox and Phlox’s eyes misted as his youngest son put his hand on his arm. Groznik and Azkiel glanced at each other. Then they completed the end of the approval chain. Azkiel didn’t break eye contact with either Kannik or Bogga as she stood straight and tall. “So the majority has spoken,” Phlox announced. “The bonding is approved.” Kannik’s hands trembled as he dropped them out of his wives’ hands. “You started this, with your insistence on serving on this Human vessel. The contagion has spread. You have destroyed our clan.” Phlox’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Destroyed it? Or enhanced it?” Kannik glared as Azkiel. “You are no longer my wife. I am no longer your husband. Yutis, I am no longer your father; you are no longer my daughter. I withdraw from this clan.” He turned and pushed his way out of Sickbay, with his supporters following close behind. The Sickbay doors hissed closed with finality. “It has been spoken. It will be done.” Phlox said. Then he grinned. “So, who will be the first to congratulate Johannes and Treesal?” A collective sigh went up from the gathered crowd. Trip laughed and slapped Johannes on the shoulder as Feezal hugged her imminent son-in-law. Hoshi squeezed Treesal’s hand and said, “Welcome to our family, Treesal.” “Thank you,” Treesal whispered, with tears in her eyes. “Thank you.” She looked over at Azkiel and Yutis, who clung to each other. “I’m sorry it came to this; I had no idea that Kannik would—“ “It’s for the best, Treesal,” Yutis said with a trembling smile. “My—well, Kannik has showed his true colors at this family gathering, and I can honestly say that if he refuses to open his mind, he does not belong in this clan.” She nodded at Treesal and Johannes. “Welcome, my Brother and my Sister.” Phlox glanced at Mettus, who returned the measured stare. “Well, your book learning has served us in good stead, my son. You revealed the truth within those words and bested Kannik at his own game.” Mettus ducked his head at the praise. “If I can help others, then the Matriarch’s course for me is the correct one after all, if I open my mind.” Phlox grinned. “I can think of no better purpose in one’s life, my son.” |
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