Ak'voh

I am a huge Star Trek fan.  There are moments and scenes in all five of the live television shows in the series that are incredibly emotional.  This is one of them, and its relation to an event in my life. This scene is from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "The Ship".  In this episode, there is a conflict between a character, Miles O'Brien and Worf, a Klingon.  On an away mission, O'Brien's friend, Muniz, was injured and slowly bleeding to death.  Worf tells O'Brien that Muniz will not recover and should prepare for death. O'Brien vehemently disagrees, saying that Muniz should keep fighting. Muniz eventually dies.  The away team is recovered, along with Muniz's body.  In the last scene of the show, O'Brien is sitting in the cargo bay, with Munoz's casket, telling him stories. Worf enters.

WORF: I did not mean to interrupt.

O'BRIEN:  It's all right.

WORF:    You are performing Ak'voh... for your friend.

O'BRIEN:  I am?

WORF: (nodding)  An old Klingon tradition. When a warrior dies in battle, his comrades stay with the body to keep away predators. That allows the spirit to leave the body when it is ready for the long journey to Sto'Vo'Kor.

O'BRIEN:  A fine tradition.

Worf nods and takes a seat next to O'Brien.

O'BRIEN:  What are you doing?

WORF:   We shall both keep the predators away.

My father passed away in the hospital.  After he died, they removed all of the tubes and breathing apparatus and left him to lie peacefully on the bed.  My mother, brother and I gathered around him, waiting to see what happened next.  Would they take him to the morgue?  Would the funeral home come to pick him up?  I'd like to think we were performing ak'voh.  We kept him safe  until his spirit left his body and made the long journey to his equivalent of Sto'Vo'Kor, where I know it arrived safely and he will live forever.  I know I will see him again, someday.

(from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", episode "The Ship", teleplay by Hans Beimler, story by Pam Wigginton and Rick Cason)