Solal had been distracted the last few days, and that was unlike him. Always logical, he was typically focused and efficient. Not lately. Whenever somebody asked him, he claimed there was nothing wrong. But it was obvious there was, he just wasn’t getting things done as quickly. Or he kept asking patients the same question more than once.

He’d been writing to V’alura for a while now, first about a science research project she’d needed the opinion of a medical doctor for, and now… well he wasn’t sure. There was no official reasoning behind their correspondence. They talked about their hobbies and lives and work and other mundane chatter Solal typically preferred to avoid. And yet, he always looked forward to her letters, checking daily to see if one had come in. Reading them and her stories, or rarely, watching videos of her, usually music related as they both played an instrument.

Her request for him to submit DNA for medical research though, was out of left field and had surprised him. And at first, he had simply planned to say ‘yes’. And then he’d realized that submitting his DNA could open doors he’d rather leave shut. Information about his biological family he simply did not want, for pesky emotional reasons he pretended not to have.

One morning when he arrived in the primary Sickbay for duty though, he looked much more focused and like his normal self. He’d made a decision regarding the DNA query. Falling back on the logic he found so much comfort in, he’d decided that giving his DNA was the logical thing to do. That if not for V’alura than in the interest of medical research into half-Vulcans, it was worth doing. He’d sent her a letter informing her of his decision and that same evening when he went back to his quarters, another letter was waiting for him with instructions on where to send the sample. He was a doctor, so he could collect his own, but he’d need help with the actual collection part.

There was only one person Solal might consider asking and he didn’t actually know her all that well at all. She would keep it to herself, of that Solal was sure. So, the next morning at a time he knew Doctor Bonner would be in her office he headed straight there and rang the chime on the door.

~ Solal