Who'll Stop the Rain?

Star Trek TOS Fanfiction
Title:	Who'll Stop the Rain?
Author(s):	Theresa Wright
Date(s):	1980
Length:
Genre:	gen
Fandom:	Star Trek: The Original Series
External Links:
Click here for related articles on Fanlore.

Who'll Stop the Rain? was written by Theresa Wright and illustrated by Stefanie Hawks. It is a Star Trek: TOS story in the zine Sun & Shadow.

Summary

"A race against time, and Spock must choose between love and mercy."

Some Sample Art

• 
• 

Reactions and Reviews

'Who'll Stop the Rain' is similar except is has dumdum arrows. [It is not] badly done --the characters are believable (except for their virtual immortality), the writing is clean -- merely not distinguished.

Classic Hurt/Comfort has it's way with me again. It isn't that I like to see my favorite characters in pain, I tell myself. Couldn't be that, could it? Actually I think not. What appeals to me and others who enjoy this genre is the second part of the equation. Comfort. Something elemental to us all is the need to be comforted, cared about, cared for. This is what we find when Kirk, Spock and McCoy are confronted by hostile natives of an alien world. Very familiar territory.

Is it possible for someone to love another more than himself? Selfishness abounds in our world today. I escaped into this author's world long enough to forget self-importance and thoughtlessness as Kirk fought for his life after taking a poisoned arrow in the gut. While McCoy goes for help because Spock himself is too injured to do so, the struggle for life is engaged. This author, unknown to me, shows us how much Spock truly cares for his human friend and captain. It shows in all the small ways that are not small at all. Raising a feverish Kirk onto his lap and rubbing his back until the pain lessens, carrying him despite his own limited strength to submerge the two of them in a chill stream to cool the ravaged Kirk. With the mission and the injuries shown in flashback, we see none of the reason for Spock's withdrawal from Kirk after their return to the Enterprise. It is a puzzle McCoy is determined to solve, and he does manage to drag the answer from the anguished Vulcan. Spock chose to let Kirk die. After watching the interminable suffering for far too many hours, he held Kirk through a terrible convulsion, to slowly realize when the tremors were over it was much too still. Kirk had stopped breathing. Spock saw the pale features relax, the agony finally relieved in the only way possible—and felt Death a welcome visitor. This had been the reason for his silence, his grief and inner pain. He had hesitated. Never mind that McCoy had returned with assistance to find Spock breathing for his Captain, never mind that his determination kept his soul-mate alive until help came. All Spock could remember was those few moments of surrender, of giving up.

Resolve comes with confession, and all is well. Kirk and Spock, whose love we know commenced with just such moments of complete devotion, are once again able to face the future together. We know what that future holds—a love affair for the ages.