Title: Errors In Translation
Author: T'Sia
Rating: G
Summary: Amanda translates instructions - with very little success.

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Author's note: This has been collecting dust on my hard drive for quite a while. The cute sehlat picture I received for my birthday (thank you Ruth :) ) reminded me of that story and this seems to be the appropriate time to post. Nothing special. Only intention: make the reader smile at least once! Indulge me, I altered the lifespan of a sehlat a bit and ignored the piece of yesteryear that said I-Chaya was Sarek's childhood companion before.

~*~

Amanda was just about to doze off and glide into sleep when Sarek jerked beside her. She heard him scratch his back again and she sighed angrily. He had done this three times already, effectively keeping her from sleep. What was wrong with him?

"Sarek?" She turned over and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Sarek?" She tried again, but he just inhaled deeply and gave a low grunt - he was still asleep.

Amanda hesitated. Something must definitely be wrong with him. He normally slept peacefully - bless him, he didn't even snore. Well, almost not.

She reached behind her and activated the light just to a level that she could see his face.

'Perfect,' she thought when he turned away from the light, so that his back was to her now. Carefully she folded back his blanket and reached for the hem of his sleeping tunic. Watching him for a reaction she tugged at the fabric until his bare lower back was uncovered. He squirmed lightly in his sleep but didn't wake up. She looked back down and her face showed an expression of surprise when she discovered dark green splotches on his back where he had scratched.  The tissue was too swollen to make out any small injuries like skin breaking scratches or bites in the dim light, though. Could it be a rash or maybe some allergic reaction? Carefully she ran her fingertips over the swollen skin and he squirmed again, the touch obviously disturbing him.

She decided to ask him the next morning and tugged the tunic back down and reached for the blanket to cover him. He mumbled something intelligible and she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Don't worry, honey. You need not wake up." Sometimes he continued sleeping if she told him that, although she moved around during the night. Funny thing, though, he never remembered her talking to him in the morning. This time her words did the magic as well. It took her considerably longer to find sleep this night, though.

~*~

Late during the afternoon of the next day Amanda finally completed the preparations for the small dinner party they intended to give the next day. She felt still nervous as the only Human among so many Vulcans and wondered whether she had thought of everything. She got herself a cup of coffee and went into the living room to sit in her chair. She eyed her favourite piece of furniture longingly, but didn't dare flopping down like she felt doing while still holding the cup of hot coffee. Carefully, she sank down into the soft cushions of the chair and set the mug with the steaming liquid upon the table bedside it. Leaning back the foot-piece of the chair slid out automatically and lifted her feet so that she resided in a half-lying position. Her feet really hurt and she sighed with bliss and closed her eyes when she wiggled into a comfortable position. 'Never,' she told the echo of Sarek's voice in her head that told her this item had to be removed for it disturbed the composition of  the room. Ridiculous! She snorted at the memory. 'This is a living room, not a painting," she thought. All he could hope for was that she might agree the chair was to be removed for the party, but as soon as the guests left the chair would be moved back in - that much she promised the echo voice.

She reached for her coffee and sipped the hot liquid while she went through her mental to-do list and then she smiled - nothing more that needed to be done. Okay, no major preparations, just a bit of stuff she could get to tomorrow morning.

She was about to doze off when pawed steps and the sound of claws clicking on tiles could be heard. She turned her head and saw the family pet I-Chaya entering the living room. 'Damn, I forgot to lock him out until the party is over,' Amanda thought and she wondered where the animal had hidden while she cleaned up. Her eyes followed him move through the room and flop down on the carpet in front of the window. He scratched behind his ears with the help of his hind leg and then rolled on his back and grunted with pleasure while rubbing himself on the carpet. Her mouth sagged in dismay. Now he'd loose so much hair that she'd have to vacuum the places he went and laid. No matter. She had to do it every day anyway for he was always shedding as though he's constantly losing his winter coat. Sarek had warned her of that. Maybe it was one of the reasons sehlats were usually kept outside the house. Despite her dismay, however, a fond smile crept to her lips and she remembered how Sarek had  brought the small cub home a few months ago.

She had begged him for a pet since they moved to Vulcan to ease her loneliness when he was away on diplomatic missions. At first he was disapproving, but finally he gave in and they got a Terran cat. It felt wonderful to have company while Sarek was away, but it broke her heart when the animal did return home one day, obviously sick. Despite immediate help from a Terran veterinarian the animal died of poisoning by a plant it had probably eaten as a replacement for grass. After a long period of mourning she had gotten another cat and tried to keep it in the house for fear it might die in the desert too, but one day the cat slipped out and strayed into the desert - to never return home. She had searched the perimeter for days but the young and inexperienced animal had probably died in the desert as well.

After that they decided not to have a Terran companion pet anymore, but it remained difficult for Amanda to find friends among Vulcans and the longing for company remained. She tried to hide it, but Sarek felt her grief and loneliness. One day he returned from a mysterious mission with a huge basket under his arm and when he asked her to drag away the blanket covering it she found a young sehlat cub inside. Instantly she fell in love with the small teddy bear shaped ball of fur. She teased Sarek for his weak spot that was his low threshold for her misery and his obvious ulterior motives of having her home with hearth and child soon by buying her a companion pet for children. The sehlat would probably be old by the time they could have a child, though. With that thought a sad expression briefly clouded her features. The geneticists had already told them achieving this goal would take years - and a great deal of patience. Anyway, confronted with her teasing Sarek argued – perfectly  logical - that sehlat were not only kept for guarding children, but also as protector of the house. Since neither he nor his brother was always around to guard her, the sehlat was the perfect choice - in a traditional sense, of course, considering the peaceful nature of modern Vulcan society. The side-effect of the animal also easing her loneliness was fortunate but utterly coincidental.

"Yeah, sure," she had answered to his unwavering stare, then cuddled the sehlat cub and walked away.

Her smile turned into a giggle when she remembered their first useless attempt to train the sehlat. Especially Sarek remained utterly baffled by the animals' tendency to ignore his commands and Amanda wondered who was learning more about obedience or the lack thereof during those lessons. The cuddly cub quickly turned into the size of a large dog - in fact faster than she could begin to cease allowing him on the couch or the bed, but the beast was so sweet - very affectionate and loving. Also, even if the hair he lost were a nuisance his coat was very soft to the touch and she didn't mind giving him a thorough massage once in a while. Besides, while she wasn't working and Sarek was away most of the day he was her only company - so she pampered him often.

She got up and went over to him and he greeted her with a friendly growl when she sank down beside him. Instantly he presented his stomach for her to pet him there. She smiled and ran her fingers through the soft fur and listened to his content growl. While she watched her hand move through the long hair she thought she had seen a black spot. She frowned and returned her hand to the place she thought she had seen it and even drew closer to have better look, but there was nothing there. She already thought she had imagined the black spot when she saw it again - and another and another. Each time she drew nearer to see what it was it was suddenly gone - and then she saw one of the spots against the light. It was definitely jumping away in a high arch. Quickly she withdrew her hand.

"Eww," she exclaimed and looked at her hand to see whether she had some of the small spots on it.

Alerted by her voice I-Chaya lifted his head and stared at her as if he'd say, "What?!"

"You have fleas, I-Chaya!" she explained to him, but the sehlat just stared blankly, probably wondering what this strange creature wanted of him.

He touched her arm carefully with a paw, urging her to resume the stroking, but Amanda got up, holding her hands out in front of her. She'd never had a pet before - and even less a sehlat or anything else that could contract such parasites - alien parasites. What should she do now?

She went to ask the library computer, but the information she found did not calm her at all. She needed to get medication to put into I-Chaya's coat and a powder for all garments that had had contact with the animal. Oh no, that meant she had to treat everything, the carpets, the couch and their bed for she had found the sehlat residing contently on it a few days back. She hadn't told Sarek about this for he would chide her for having forgotten to close the door to the bedroom. He didn't approve of the sehlat in the house anyway.

While she thought about this she started and blinked - the splotches on Sarek's back! "Oh no, she exclaimed and then put her hands over her mouth. Those parasites must have gotten into the bed. They'd evidently spared her for they were after copper based blood, but they had bitten Sarek. So she had to tell him one or the other way - and all this before this dinner party tomorrow. Should they rather cancel it? Not to think of what would happen if the guests got infected with parasites in her house. There was something funny about imagining these esteemed Vulcans sitting there and squirming and trying not to itch, but it would ruin her reputation with light speed. She had to think of something. Jumping up she didn't even shut the computer down before leaving for the pharmacy.

 ~*~

"Hmm," Amanda mumbled while she sat on the couch and tried to decipher the instructions for using the anti-spenaya treatment. "Spenaya." She rolled the word over her tongue. That was the expression used for the flea like creatures. She had found this out only after a long pantomimic on hers and confused exchange on the Vulcan pharmacists' side, but in the end he understood what she wanted. She looked over the rim of the small paper at I-Chaya who, for once, sat obediently at her feet. 'Poor trusting soul,' she thought while watching the sehlat. If he knew what he was in for he wouldn't be so obedient. She frowned. She had really thought Vulcans would use sand to apply a powder such as this, but there was the word 'mazhiv'. It meant 'water', of that she was absolutely certain. She had heard the word before.

"Okay, let's try this," she said and got up. "C'mon I-Chaya. Good boy," she coaxed him. Thinking it was a game the sehlat pounded after her while she walked slowly to the bathroom.

~*~

Sarek got out of the flitter and paused for a moment to breathe in the cooling evening air. It had been a difficult day at the office that had resulted in a rather unfortunate outcome. He would have to leave for the next mission in three days. Amanda would not approve and he did not look forward to giving her the news - not now that he had just been home for two weeks after the last appointment took him off world for three months. Kaiidth, the Council decision was not open for discussion. He lifted his head and looked at the red sky of his home world. Eridani was already approaching the horizon, but maybe he could still sit in the garden and meditate in the evening sun. But a brief discussion that would allow him this meditation was unlikely, he thought as he returned his gaze to the house and sighed, the only exhibition of dismay he allowed himself. He picked up his briefcase from the back seat of the flitter and approached the house. He stopped briefly a few paces away and tilted  his head to one side, thinking he had heard some unusual noise above the crunching sound of his boots on the gritted pathway leading up to the house. After a few seconds he heard it again, a shrill wailing sound - coming from his house! He began walking again and quickened his pace.

When he drew nearer to the house he could tell that his wife was not able to make these sounds. It sounded more like a sehlat in distress. I-Chaya might be hurt - or he was scared; something was definitely wrong inside. Maybe Amanda was hurt and I-Chaya therefore in distress? He clamped down on the up welling concern for his wife. 'Emotions destroy control,' he thought to himself like a mantra. Nevertheless, he could not help but check the bond to his wife. It was intact, but since Amanda was almost psi-blind he couldn't make out specifics about her condition without initiating a meld. He didn't bother to use his key to enter the house but just said the emergency code word to open the front door.

The volume of wailing increased tenfold and he followed the sound to Amanda's bathroom. He had specifically installed it for her since it was the only bathroom that held a water shower. He lost his balance briefly at the entrance to the room when slipping on the evidence of a water shower and grabbed the doorframe for support. Once he stabilized his position he was able to take in the scene in the bathroom and his eyes widened at what he saw. Half in and half out the tub hung a loud wailing sehlat, covered in white foam. Leaned over the sehlat stood his wife, one foot in the tub and one outside also covered in foam and dripping water on the floor. She had her arms slung around the sehlat's chest and tried with all her might to keep the distressed animal in the tub. Her voice was strained although she uttered calming phrases as she worked to keep the sehlat from bounding out of the tub.

"C'mon I-Chaya, be good. It's just a bit of…" the rest of her words drowned in another ear shattering wail from the sehlat's mouth when he recognized Sarek standing in the doorway. With a mighty lunge the beast freed itself from the human and jumped out of the tub. The movement caused Amanda to loose her balance. She waived her arms and tried to remain standing, but then her foot slipped on the wet floor and she slid fully into the tub, sitting down hard in the foamy water. Meanwhile the sehlat flung himself at Sarek who frantically tried to keep the wet and lathered animal away from his good robes. He grabbed the sehlat by the collar around his neck and held him away at arm's length. Being deprived of the comfort it had been seeking the sehlat now tried to make his escape past Sarek. The foam and water would be all through the house if he let go of the collar and Sarek tightened his grip to keep the animal from escaping. He had not considered his still insecure hold on the wet floor, though. The sehlat leaned into the collar again and Sarek lost his footing and when his knee impacted painfully with the floor he momentarily loosened his grip and the animal broke free. With a loud wail the sehlat disappeared from sight.  After the gliding sound of wet paws on tiles vanished from the air the room was dead silent for a few seconds.

"Shit," Amanda hissed and looked at the mess that had once been her orderly and clean bathroom. She spotted Sarek by the door and bit her lip briefly. He slowly got up from the floor and she could see he was in pain when he put weight on his left leg. He said nothing though, but approached the tub and held a hand out for her. She took it and got out of the tub, her wet shoes making squeaking sounds on the floor. She stood in front of him for a brief moment, staring down at herself and the puddles of water that formed at her feet.

She lifted her gaze. "I can explain this," she said and looked her husband straight in the eye. Now that the mess was done there was no reason to hold back any longer.

"Indeed?" he asked, one eyebrow climbing doubtfully up his forehead.

"Well, yes," she said and grabbed a towel. She dried her face and hands in order to sort her thoughts for the explanation she owed him, before facing him again and handing over the towel. He took it and sedately began to dry his hands and the drops of water that had splashed in his face during the sehlats' escape, but his gaze remained on her all the time, making her nervous.

"I...  I found out I-Chaya has fleas," she finally got out. "Well, of course not actually fleas, but the Vulcan equivalent, I believe."

"Spenaya," Sarek helped her and she nodded.

"Yes, that's what they said in the pharmacy."

"That is surprising since the breeder assured me all cubs were treated before being sold," he said.

"Well, then someone is not telling the truth here and it isn't me," Amanda retorted. That earned her another raised brow. 'I should do statistics and high score on how many of those I can receive on one day," Amanda thought. She knew what was to come now and she didn't have to wait long.

"Amanda, Vulcans cannot lie," Sarek told her.

"Whatever," she said. She wasn't up to one more of these discussions. "Let's say he erred," she offered. Sarek inclined his head in an accepting manner.

"Okay, I found these parasites on I-Chaya and I went to the pharmacy and got treatment, " she explained.

"Did you read the instructions," Sarek asked.

Amanda rolled her eyes. "Of course I did," she said.

"I do not believe you followed them accurately, Amanda" Sarek said. "Sehlats are not given water baths."

"But it was in the instructions," Amanda argued.

Sarek shook his head. "I don't believe so."

Amanda frowned, her anger rising. "Of course! If I tell you so.?" She searched under a pile of wet towels on the floor and dragged out a wet piece of paper. She slapped it on his chest, not bothering she ruined his robes - they were soaking wet at the hem anyway. "See for yourself," she said and suppressed an amused smile when she noticed the wet paper actually stuck to the fabric after she had taken her hand away.

Sarek peeled the instructions from his chest, unperturbed, and held the wet piece into the light to be able to read better. "I see no instructions to use water with the treatment," he said and looked accusingly at his wife.

She grabbed his hand and tilted it in a way that enabled her to see the writing on the paper. "See, there it is," she said and pointed to the word. "Mazhiv."

Now it was Sarek who frowned, puzzled, "Indeed," he answered and looked questioningly at her.

"What?" she asked.

"Mazhiv means 'sand'," he explained.

Amanda thought for a bit, and then bit her lip. "But I thought that 'mashau' means 'sand'."

Sarek shook his head. "No, the one means sand, the other water."

Amanda blushed. "Oh," was the only thing she could get out. "I guess one could say they sound a bit similar?" she tried but realized the explanation wasn't very convincing. "Well, okay, for whatever reason I switched the meanings and didn't bother to check. This is . embarrassing," she said.

Sarek shook his head. "It was an error," he answered. His gaze swept the room briefly. "However, you might wish to check the translator next time before you try to execute instructions you have read in Vulcan.

Amanda's face was still of a bright red colour. "There is something else," she said and hesitated a moment to continue speaking. She reached around him and touched the place on his back where she had found the splotches last night. As she had expected he stiffened a bit as the bites must start to itch under her touch. "I saw these last night when you slept and I'm afraid they are."

"These are Spenaya bites," he finished for her and his stern expression told her she did not need to explain how he could have gotten them.

"I'm sorry, Sarek. I forgot to close the door to the bedroom and the next thing I find is I-Chaya in our bed," she said with an apologetic expression.

Sarek sighed. "I see. I take it this will not happen again?" he gently chided her.

She nodded. "Of course not."

Sarek inhaled deeply and touched her cheek before he slowly walked to the door. "I will search for I-Chaya now."

"Do you think he'll ever forgive me? I-Chaya, I mean?" she asked.

Sarek seemed to think for a moment, "It might cost you some self made kreyla biscuits, but eventually he will," he said. His words were a hint at her first attempt to bake Vulcan biscuits. She didn't disregard the instructions how to bake them, but anyway the biscuits had been hard as hockey pucks. Any humanoid might have broken teeth if trying to eat those, but I-Chaya loved and cracked them each.

Amanda blushed, but by the gleam in Sarek's eyes she could see he was teasing. "Oh you! Get out!" she exclaimed and picked up a wet towel to take revenge. He was faster than she, though and quickly ducked out of the room before the towel hit the doorframe.

THE END