After Effects

Fanfiction
Title:	After Effects
Author(s):	Rosemarie Heaton
Date(s):	1996
Length:	5,055 words
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	Star Trek: TOS
Relationship(s):	Kirk/Spock
External Links:	Side by Side Collection on AO3
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After Effects is a Kirk/Spock story by Rosemarie Heaton.

It was first published in the print zine KaleidoScope #5 and subsequently posted online in Side by Side #5.

Summary

"After taking the Rigellian drug to speed his blood production, the aftereffects keep Spock in sickbay along with his lover, who is still recuperating from the knife wound he took."

Reactions and Reviews

1996

Taking place immediately after "Journey To Babel", while Sarek and Amanda are still on the Enterprise, this story shows Spock the victim of someone poisoning him.

Lots of nice feelings in this story and lots of trial and tribulation with Kirk still wounded, Spock is sick, the diplomats are still onboard and Spock's parents are still there.

I love little touches like McCoy using his "Feinberger" medical device. And when Kirk questions McCoy as to why someone would want to poison Spock, McCoy's answer is terrific: " 'He's a Vulcan; his father is Sarek of Vulcan; he's first officer and science officer of this ship and he's your lover, Captain. Will that do you for starters?' "

The mystery is solved and things are worked out, however I would have liked a bit more with the poisoning because it's such a neat idea and I think lots more could have been made of it. Also, some potentially nice moments were lost when Sarek revealed he already knew about Kirk and Spock's bonding. It might have been an excellent opportunity to explore how Spock's father feels about his son's and Kirk's relationship. Set against the backdrop of a poisoning threat might have been very effective.

But still a good story with lots of very good emotions.

A cute story. Poor Spock with ’the runs’ and a room full of people watching him trot back and forth to the ’john’. I wouldn’t have liked that, so I’m certain he didn’t. A fun read.

1997

I don't think it's because she's Scottish too, but I like Rosemarie Heaton's work, both K/S and "straight"; her style of writing feels comfortable to me.

This story is set post-Journey to Babel; the after-effects on Spock of the Rigellian drug are highly unpleasant, and as if that wasn't enough, it also seems that someone is trying to poison Spock.

The K/S element is actually minimal; this could just as easily be a "straight" hurt/comfort story. Part of the appeal is this throw away of the sexual element. Ray Newton said once that the ultimate K/S story would be one where Kirk, lying awake in bed thinking over some problem, leans over, shakes Spock awake and says, "Spock, do you think that..." Here, the sexual element is just as casual in its appearance, making it that relative rarity, an established relationship situation.