Bulletproof Soul

First published: January 2010

1. Inside My Love

She was off duty, sitting in her chair, lost in thought.  The Enterprise was in the middle of star-mapping an unknown sector of the galaxy and it was boring as hell.  Even though she couldn’t get Jim to admit it, she knew this was in part punishment for his excessive use of force on Amigosa V.

Uhura sat with her legs folded under her, wearing one of Spock’s black T-shirts and her panties.  She had not had very much time with either of her lovers; either or both of them were required on the bridge on a near-constant schedule during the star-mapping.  She herself was back to a regular-eight hour bridge shift and a four-hour lab shift, regulated mostly to listening to and deciphering subspace frequencies and internal transmissions.  She had been bored for a number of days, until earlier today.  Dr. McCoy gave her a wonderful piece of news and she wanted to talk to her lovers about it.

Spock’s T-shirt smelled faintly of patchouli, a scent she was deeply fond of and went well with his body chemistry.  He had no need of emollients, but as she liked it, he accommodated her.  Kirk smelled of sandalwood.  Uhura was no longer able to sleep in her nightgown; she had come to love wearing their shirts and falling asleep with their unique scents on her skin.  It was as close as she had been able to come to being with them for the past several days.  She hated Pike for this dull assignment.  Everybody did.

It was late, very late, and she couldn’t sleep.  She wanted to see either of them, preferably both.  They had not any real time together in several days.  She conveyed such to them, but only in looks.  That had become their main form of private communication while on duty.  Anything else was unacceptable, but there had been brief instances of skin or clothing contact, close proximity, and lingering around her station.  It was enough to drive her crazy, and she knew they felt the same way.  How was a woman supposed to deal with such a severe intimate cut-off?  Masturbation didn’t even come close to relieving her tension.  Uhura wanted—demanded—the real thing.  She quickly got used to having it while in Kalamar.

She made a cup of tea and was sipping on it when her chime sounded.  To her surprise and delight, the captain entered first with the commander a few steps behind.  Uhura didn’t even care that they might have been seen entering her quarters at such a late hour; she was just happy they stopped by.  When the door closed, she got up and went to them.  They had a way of embracing; Kirk in front, Spock behind, with her in between.  Spock, who was definitely a breast man, would put his arms around her and cup them, running his thumbs over her nipples.  Kirk always grabbed her by the ass. She would cradle Spock’s head and stroke Kirk’s cheek.  Spock would bury his face on the right side of her neck and Kirk would touch her forehead with his.  And they would press together in such a way that was mind-blowing, sex to sex, heat to heat.  Uhura had never felt so safe and secure as she did when in their arms. They were like that for several long moments.  Spock was gently kissing behind her ear.  Kirk rubbed his nose along her eyebrows.

“Hi,” she whispered.

Kirk grazed his lips along her ocular ridge.  “Mmn, hi yourself.”

Spock kissed her earlobe. “Hello.”

“How were you able to get away from the bridge?”

“We both decided to take the night off.  Unless there’s something that requires my presence, I’m going to get some sleep.  Lieutenant Campbell has the conn.”

“Oh,” she said, not really caring.  She was glad they were there.  “Do you want something to eat?”

“I want to lie down,” Kirk said.  “With you.”

“Affirmative,” Spock said.

They released her and she smiled.  “Well, you know where the bedroom is.  I’ll be there shortly.”

*

Uhura returned with tea and a light repast of fruit, cheese, and bread.  They were in bed, waiting for her.  She had a queen, so it was a very snug fit, but it did not matter.  She set the tray on the bed and scooted between them.  She fixed Spock’s tea the way he preferred and ripped the bread into chunks for Kirk to eat.  She ate with them, delighting in their quiet comfort.  Many times, they didn’t feel the need to speak when they had brief moments together.   The bridge was loud and bright; their world outside of it was quiet and dim.  It was a nice balance.

She cleared the tray and snuggled between them, getting under the covers.  Kirk rested his head on one arm so that he could look at her.  Spock did likewise, sliding one hand underneath her shirt so that he could caress her belly.  Soon, Kirk’s fingers joined his, making circles around her navel.  She sighed and sank into the bed.  They did that all the time, even while she was menstruating.  She found it thrilling that they weren’t put off by her whenever she had her period.  It was a delicious sensation, having such masterful and fearless hands on her stomach.

“I have something to tell you,” she said. 

“What?”  Kirk dipped a finger into her belly button.

“I got some news from Dr. McCoy earlier today.”

“Good or bad?”  Kirk’s eyebrow rose in a fair imitation of Spock, but his fingers did not stop moving.

“Good.  Great news, actually.”

“Are you pregnant?” Spock asked.  His expression had not changed.  She could have been commenting on the weather.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have a baby with you, Nyota, but the timing’s not real good right now—”

She laughed.  “You’re so funny, Jim.”

“I know, I’m a real riot, but seriously—”

“If you are pregnant, Nyota, then you know that the captain and I will adjust and accommodate, regardless as to the inconvenience.”

Kirk stared at her.  “Are you pregnant?”

“Well, if I was, then I know how the both of you would feel about it.  But don’t worry.  I’m not pregnant.  I get my shots regularly.  I don’t want a baby either.”  How would she ever be able to explain it to her parents?

Kirk breathed a sigh of relief and touched her forehead with his.  “Good.  I mean, I’m not ready to be a father yet, but if you were, I’d, well, I would…”

“The captain’s desire to pontificate has grown tiresome.  What did you want to tell us?”  Spock said.

“Pontificate my ass.  You know you’re not ready to be a daddy either, you dingus.  Anyway, baby...?”

Uhura laughed.  Spock and Kirk’s banter was inherently amusing and downright entertaining.  “I need a favor, Jim.”

“You know that I’ll do anything you want, Nyota.”

“I know that.”

“What is it?” Spock asked.

“Dr. McCoy told me that he heard from the hospital in Kalamar.  Dez has recovered.”

“Fascinating,” Spock said, moving one hand up to caress her breast.  He ran his thumb over her nipple.

“Really?” Kirk said.

“Yes.  She responded very well to the treatments and therapy.  She’s tough.”

“That she is,” Kirk said.

“But she’s never going to be the same again,” Uhura said.  “McCoy said that they were able to repair her injuries, and she’s physically fine, but no woman will ever truly get over…what she went through.”

“No, I do not imagine that she will,” Spock said.  “She suffered a traumatic experience.”

“What is it that you want, Nyota?” Kirk asked.

“Can we go back and get her?”

Spock raised an eyebrow.  Kirk looked thoughtful.

“I think it would go a long way towards helping her move forward if she could come back to the Enterprise.  Maybe eventually get her job back.  I just can’t leave her there, not after everything that happened.”

Kirk closed his eyes and leaned forward to kiss her.  “That is one of the reasons why I’m so in love with you.”

“Do you think she is capable of resuming her duties?” Spock asked.

“Not right off, of course,” Uhura said.  “Gradually.  But she’s one of us.  I don’t want her to be left there, as much as I love Kalamar.  She needs to be back on this ship.  Having a tangible goal will help her get better faster.”

“That is logical,” Spock said.  “However, we are fifty light years away from Veridian III, in the middle of a star-mapping mission.”

“And yes, it must be done and we have no time frame and Pike wants regular reports and all that jazz.  We can come back and finish; it won’t take too long to swing by and pick her up.  Please?”

“We cannot just ‘swing by,’ Lieutenant,” Spock said.  “Traveling at warp factor eight point five, it will take 14.6 days to reach Veridian III.”

“Then we can travel at warp nine,” she said, stroking Spock’s chin.  “It’ll shave off a day or two.”

“Traveling at warp factor nine will take us 12.1 days to reach Veridian III.”

Kirk looked thoughtful.

“Please, Jim?”  She looked at him, pleading with her eyes.  He ran a finger over her nose and cocked his head to one side.  Then he looked at Spock.  “What do you think?”

“I find no fault with her logic.  However, considering the distance, it would be best to make a formal request to Admiral Pike.  After what happened on Amigosa V, we must tread very carefully in terms of regulations, Captain.”

“Please, Jim?  Please?  It would mean a lot to me to have Dez back with us.  You know, I spent a lot of time with her while she was in the hospital.  Even though she couldn’t speak to me, I felt like she knew I was there.”

He closed his eyes for a moment and then looked at her.  “Okay.  I’ll have to get permission, but I don’t think Pike will object.”

“Thank you,” she said, locking her arms around his neck.  “Thank you, Jim.  What can I do to return the favor?”  She released him.

“You don’t have to do anything,” he said.  “It’s enough that Spock and I can keep a smile—that one—on your face.”

“I concur,” Spock said.  “Though, I must admit I would find a kiss acceptable.”

“Gladly,” she said, bringing his head down to hers.  She ran her fingers through his hair.  Kirk gazed at them, smiling.  He would get his turn with her momentarily.  He took a moment to absently run a finger along the tip of Spock’s ear.  They had become extraordinarily comfortable with each other since forming a triad with Uhura.

A few minutes later, she sighed.  “I have really missed you, missed this.  I never thought that our intimacy would be as interrupted as it has been lately.  I mean, after Kalamar and the first couple of weeks back on board…then to be shut down like that…”  She sighed.  Bereft was not even close to describe how she felt.

“I know,” Kirk said.  “But I have to own up to my duty.  I can’t afford to put one toe out of line, not right now.  But I will not allow such an interruption to continue.  We will have to find a way.  Spock’s duty and mine are unrestricted in terms of bridge time, but there are no guarantees that we will have as much time together as we once did.  I can’t believe that Pike insists that I constantly be on the bridge during a star-mapping excursion.  I know he’s doing it to reel me in.  Maybe we’ll be able to be together when this lame assignment is done.”

“You really expect me to wait a few weeks before I can have sex with you and Spock again? Are you nuts?”

Spock raised an eyebrow.  “I do not think it was sexual intimacy that Jim was referring to, Nyota.”

“I hope not,” she said.

“Hell no,” Kirk said.  “I meant luxury time like this.  Like we had in Kalamar.” 

“I will forever love that place,” she said.  It marked the beginning of her new life. 

“As will I,” Spock said.

“Me too,” Kirk agreed.  “But sex?  There’s no way I’m going without that.  I expect you to give me some on a regular basis. I mean, really, a man can handle but so much…”  He grinned at her.  “Spock and I are gonna have to start eating cookies in my ready room if this foolishness keeps up.”

Kirk had started referring to Uhura’s sex as ‘cookies’ not long after they returned to space.  It was all the fault of Uhura’s best friends, a hot Orion named Gaila and a sexy Betazoid named Irish.  Kirk had a manner of inserting it into his bridge-speak in very creative ways.  Uhura would have to bite her lip to keep from grinning like a mental patient.  Whenever he said something about wanting to eat some cookies, it had dual results: Yeoman Rand would go get him some and Uhura would get wet.  She knew what kind of cookies he preferred.

“Well, that has not been the case in the past few days.  I mean, I’ve been rather lonely at night.  My bed feels enormous.  And I haven’t been dancing because I’ve become addicted to using my pole.”

“You know that you have access to my quarters, baby,” Kirk said, lying down beside her.  He slid his hand back underneath her shirt.  Spock continued to stroke her nipple.  He liked it when they sprang up underneath his fingers.  He once told her that they tasted like Vulcan truffles, and Kirk started calling them that.  Her erogenous zones now had code names.  It made times on the bridge quite interesting.

“As you do mine,” Spock said.  “It is illogical for you to go without your exercise.”

“I prefer an audience,” she said.

“My little freak,” Kirk said, kissing her forehead.  “Are you tired?”

She waved her hand.  “Yes, but I thought you wanted to get some rest.”

“Oh, I will.  However, first things first,” Kirk said.  “Mr. Spock, if you would kindly get rid of that shirt…?”

*

Spock was awake because he currently had no need of sleep.  He was content to lie in bed with Uhura and Kirk.  Her head was on his chest and he mindlessly stroked the top of her head, in a mild state of meditation.  Kirk’s face was buried in Uhura’s hair and he was spooned behind her, an arm over hers, their fingers tightly interlaced.  Kirk’s leg was between hers and they were fast asleep.  There were days when it was hard to discern which of them loved her more.  Spock did not try to quantify it, as it did not matter.  The point was that they did.

Sarek, his father, recently sent a communiqué to him.  In the wake of Vulcan’s destruction and Amanda’s death, Sarek reached out to him and he responded because he thought it was the best way to honor his mother.  They were closer now, as far as Vulcans could be close.  Sarek wanted to know if Spock intended to select a mate and reproduce.  He understood why Spock remained in Starfleet, but encouraged him to do his part to continue the Vulcan line regardless.  Spock understood that.

How would he explain to his father that he had indeed selected a mate? And that said mate came along with a peculiar condition?  How could he tell Sarek that he was deeply involved with two illogical human beings, one of them his immediate supervisor?  How could he make his father understand that, in spite of the utter inappropriateness and insanity of the relationship, he was quite content with his choice?  That Uhura’s amazing, encompassing love for him and Kirk’s calm acceptance of him was the balance he required after losing his mother?  Sarek would not approve.  His displeasure might even break the tenuous bond he had with his son.

At some point, he would have to respond to his father’s message.  Spock decided to tell him as little as possible, until he had sufficient time to cogitate.  He wanted to speak to Kirk and Uhura about it as well.  It was logical that they were aware of the situation.  Spock covered their hands with his, calmly stroking their entwined fingers.  It ultimately didn’t matter what Sarek thought.  The only opinions that truly mattered were those of the individuals in bed with him.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of their fingers and the soothing calm they exuded.   It was time for him to report back to the bridge.  He decided to let Kirk stay with Uhura.  The captain was exhausted and Spock regretted that neither of them had been able to be with her for several days.  He himself would spend time with her later.

*

Kirk woke up sometime afterward.  He took a moment to gather himself and recognized that he was in bed with her.  Good.  He woke up with morning wood and lately, was regulated to handling it in the shower.  Not today.  She was fast asleep in his arms.  He leaned down to kiss her earlobe and started sucking on it.  Kirk moved and rolled her over on her back.  She sighed.  He came over her and to his delight; she instinctively opened up.  He settled between her spread legs and began kissing her forehead and eyebrows, making his way down to her mouth.

He had been denied the opportunity to wake up like this for some time.  The last time had been two weeks ago, shortly after they left Veridian III.  That morning, both he and Spock awoke Uhura for some tag-team nooky.  He was glad that they had; the memory of that fabulous experience was all he had to sustain him during the long, dull hours on the bridge supervising the star-mapping expedition.  Pike could be cruel, but if he had to do it over again, Kirk would have done the exact same thing if it meant saving Uhura and Dez.  He regretted that they had not been in time to save Brenda and Didi.  Uhura had been distraught for several days over their senseless deaths.

He claimed her mouth, not caring about morning breath or any ridiculous notions of the sort.  Uhura would have cared, but he didn’t give a shit.  There were more important considerations.  Kirk cupped her breasts and sucked on her nipples, kissing ever downward.  She would be awake momentarily.  He loved the feel of her skin, her scent, her taste, the sounds she made when he pleased her and the sight of her at the moment of climax.

Uhura moaned, coming awake at the feel of a mouth against her labia.  She pushed herself up on her forearms, recognizing the head between her legs. She gasped as she felt his lips close around her clit and begin to suck.

“Oh…” she moaned, instinctively parting wider.  When was the last time she woke up with one of her lover’s heads buried between her thighs?   “Jim,” she breathed, “Jim…”

He used two fingers to part her lips and snake-lick her.  She gripped the sheets and nearly screamed.

“Don’t hold it in,” he commanded.  “I want to hear you scream.”

He did it again and she complied with his order.  She rose off the bed, giving him more access, throwing her head back, grinding against him.  Then she heard him groan and soon, her back was against the sheets and he was on top of her and inside of her, thrusting hard and strong.  He stared into her eyes as he moved within her, bracing himself on either side of her hips.

“Jim…please…please…!”

“I know,” he said.  She felt so fucking good, so hot and slick.  She squeezed and he felt the constriction of her muscles around him, increasing the friction.  “Do that again, baby,” he moaned, pressing her wrists against the bed.  She did so, locking her legs over his hips and moving in sync with him.

“Jim, it feels…so good…fuck me, please…”

He loved it when she said that.  It never failed to release his primal tendencies.  Nor Spock’s.  He went as deep as he could and leaned to claim her lips.  She kissed him hungrily, her sounds muffled by his mouth.  When she came, it was potent, deep and hard.  She brought him along with her, as she always did.  They collapsed on the bed, sweaty and sex-funky.  He rested his head in her cleavage.  She ran her fingers through his hair, stroking his scalp.  After some time, he could speak.

“There is no way in hell that I’m going to let so much time pass before we do this again.”

“You have no control over it, Jim.  You have to be where you’re needed.”

He absently thumbed her nipple.  “I’m needed here.”

“That’s for sure,” she said, sinking into the bed.  “I don’t want to get up.  Where’s Spock?”

“Probably on the bridge.”

“Shouldn’t you be there too?”

“I’ll get there eventually.  Right now, I have no interest to get up or get out of you.  Knowing Spock, he slept for five minutes after we finished last night and went back to work.”

“Well, he doesn’t need much sleep.”

“I’m actually kind of grateful for that.  It’s damned useful at times like this, when all I want is to be with you.  Of course, I’ll have to repay the favor later on tonight.  I know he’s going to want to see you this evening.”

“I miss you two, miss this.  Kalamar spoiled me.”

“Me too,” he said.  “But we’ll manage.”

Kirk rose to kiss her.  She cradled his head and locked her legs around him again.  When the kiss broke, he sighed.

“Nothing would please me more than to make love to you again, but I need to shower and eat something else before I report to the bridge.”

She nodded.  “I’ll be there an hour or so after you.”

“Do me a favor,” he said, kissing her nose.

“Anything.”

“Don’t wear any panties today.”

“Jim!  I can’t—”

“That way I can look at you and know you’re naked underneath your uniform.”

“And cause yourself some issues on the bridge!”

“I can handle that,” he said.  “The opportunity may arise where I can eat some real cookies instead of those bullshit ones Yeoman Rand brings me.  I’m going to want instant access.”

She giggled.  “Jim, she doesn’t know!  She’s just trying to take care of her captain.”

“Her captain’s taken care of.”

They got up and Kirk decided to take a shower with her.  They ended up making love again; as Kirk liked to fuck in the shower.  Uhura didn’t mind it.  Spock was a bathtub guy, and she didn’t mind that either.

*

Admiral Pike was in his office, listening to Kirk’s request on conference call.

“Dr. McCoy has reported to me that one of our security specialists, Sergeant Dez Niaz, is healed.  I would like to request the opportunity to retrieve her from Veridian III so that she may resume her duties aboard the Enterprise.”

“Is she capable of doing so?”

“Dr. McCoy sees no reason why she will not be able to resume her full duty in a few weeks’ time.”

Pike sighed and scratched his head.

“Admiral, on a very personal note, Lieutenant Uhura developed a bond with Sergeant Niaz while we were grounded in Kalamar due to their shared experience.  Lieutenant Uhura believes that being back in familiar surroundings will allow the sergeant to move forward and put her experience behind her.”

“I doubt she ever really will, Captain Kirk.”

Kirk nodded.  “I understand, sir.  But I have an obligation to this crew, and that includes Sgt. Niaz.  I believe that she can still have a normal life and Dr. McCoy agrees.  I would rather her not be marooned in Kalamar.”

“Kalamar’s not a bad place to be marooned in, Captain.”

Kirk nodded.  It certainly wasn’t.

Pike sighed.  “All right, Captain Kirk.  I expect you back on this assignment within thirty days.  Make it snappy.”

“Thank you, sir.”

Pike nodded.  Kirk disconnected the conference call and requested Spock’s and Uhura’s presence in his ready room.

When they entered, she stood with her arms at her side, the epitome of style and grace.  Kirk remembered that she wore nothing under her uniform and allowed himself to get warm.  Spock stood about six feet from her, in his usual stance.  No one looking from the outside would recognize that they were intimately involved.

“Yes, Captain?”  Spock said.

“Sir?” Uhura queried.

“We will change course immediately and head back to the Veridian system.  Admiral Pike has given me permission to retrieve Sgt. Niaz.  We must return to this assignment within a month.”

“Affirmative.  I’ll let Mr. Sulu know of our new heading.”

Uhura broke into a very wide smile.  She wanted to run and throw herself at the captain, but remained where she was, to her credit.  Kirk stared at her lovingly, knowing she wanted to hug him.

“Thank you, sir.  Thank you.”

“Permission to move, Lieutenant,” he said, his voice low.  Kirk ordered the computer to lock the door and cease recording.  Spock looked at him and then at her. 

As soon as he finished, Uhura came around the desk and slipped her arms around his neck.  She laid a gentle, slow kiss on his lips.  Spock came around the other side and put a hand on his shoulder.  “That is a logical decision, Captain.”

When she pulled away, he looked at Spock.  “If it makes her happy, then I guess so.”

Uhura swallowed, so pleased she couldn’t stop smiling.  Spock gazed at her, appreciating the grin that lit up her face. 

“Have you had lunch, Mr. Spock?”

“I have not, Captain.”

“I ordered her not to wear any panties, Commander.”

Spock’s eyebrow went up and he stared at Kirk.  “Really, Captain?”

“Affirmative.”

Spock nodded.  “Of course, such a premise requires some data to support it.”

“Care to investigate, Commander?”

“In the interest of science, I always care to explore a hypothesis, sir.”

“Lieutenant, if you would kindly sit on my desk and spread your legs,” Kirk said.  He moved his desk blotter.

 “Aye, Captain.”  She perched herself on the edge of his desk and placed each of her feet on the arms of his chair.  She leaned back, resting herself on her hands, sighing lustily.  This was wrong on so many levels, but it was also so much fun.  The anticipation of getting caught just made it better.

Kirk stroked one of her legs.  “So that you may obtain the best results, I think you should get closer.  You will want to experience this for yourself, Commander.  Not that you haven’t, but not under the current circumstances.”

“I would agree, Captain.”  Spock moved to where he stood next to the desk, right next to where she was sprawled.  He put a hand on her uniform and quickly flipped up her skirt.  “Fascinating.”

“You got that right,” Kirk said, swallowing hard.  The sight of Uhura so aroused that she was very nearly dripping never failed to get him up.  Nor Spock.  The commander leaned over her, slipping two fingers to part her lips.  Kirk leaned forward and slipped a finger inside of her.  The moment she stepped on the bridge for her duty was enough to rouse him to half-mast.  Remembering how sweet she tasted that morning and knowing that she was naked almost had him at full attention.  He kept his PADD in his lap until he could calm down.  He could not let so much time pass again before making love to her.

She hissed.  “Jim…”

Kirk groaned.  “Don’t make a sound, Lieutenant.  As you are aware, our colleagues are right outside that door.”

Spock leaned over her pelvis and affixed his wonderfully soft lips against her clitoris, pressing his cheek against her mound.  Kirk slipped another finger inside, groaning when he heard her squelch.

 “Shit,” he moaned.  He leaned forward and slipped his tongue inside of her, angling his head so that he and Spock could share her.  As they had been doing for the past three months.

Uhura bit her lower lip so hard, she drew blood.  She curled her fingernails into the blotter and clenched her muscles, her breathing going out of control.  They never before attempted to do this to her simultaneously.  Knowing Spock, he had already analyzed the physics of it, but she didn’t give a shit.  They were doing it, and where they were doing it was enough to send her over the edge in under a minute.  She came down, her muscles shaking uncontrollably, her breathing leaving her on one long exhale.  “…fuck…!”

“I concur,” Spock said, standing back up and licking his lips.  “Tonight, Nyota.”

Kirk wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.  “I got the bridge, Commander.  Take your time.”

*

When she left the ready room, she was amazed to discover that less than five minutes had passed.  Kirk had wiped her down with tissues and Spock helped her get off the desk.  Her legs quivered like bowstrings. The inside of her lower lip was bleeding.  She sat back down at her station and replaced her earpiece, trying as all hell to look unruffled.  Spock exited the ready room a minute or so later, his expression no different than it was before he entered the office.  No one would have guessed that he and the captain just finished performing exquisite cunnilingus on the communications officer.  He took his place at his console.

“Mr. Sulu, we are heading back to the Veridian system.  Increase to warp factor nine.  Mr. Chekov, plot the fastest course from our current heading to Veridian III.”

They followed orders.  Then Sulu asked, “Are we done with the star-mapping assignment, Commander?”

“For the moment.  The captain has just informed me that we will return to Kalamar to retrieve Sergeant Niaz, as she is once again able to serve on board the Enterprise.  We will return to our assignment once she is back with us.  We have thirty days to do so.”

Sulu nodded intently.  “Yes sir.” 

Everyone on the ship was still affected by what happened on Amigosa V and the ensuing effects on Lieutenant Uhura and Sergeant Niaz.  The lieutenant was markedly different since that experience.  She wasn’t as social as she used to be; she kept to herself and to her quarters when she wasn’t on duty.  No one blamed her for it.  The senior officers were extremely protective of her as a result.  Sulu remembered how Captain Kirk and Commander Spock were like Rottweiler sentinels while Uhura recovered in Kalamar.  Considering what had happened, and how her singular expertise was so crucial to the Enterprise’s functions, Sulu couldn’t quite blame them for protecting her.

Or was it more than mere protection?