The USS Enterprise was in orbit around the planet Edina II; Captain James T. Kirk, Spock, and Dr. Leonard McCoy were beaming down to find a missing security guard: Lieutenant Gary Whitman. Scotty was off duty for the day, taking care of Dr. McCoy's three month old baby girl, Julia Eleanor McCoy.

Dr. McCoy was still on leave since having little Julia, but Captain Kirk said this was a job needed for his top Chief Medical Officer, so Dr. McCoy didn't get much say in what he wanted to do.

"I hate using this thing; a man shouldn't be scattered into atoms to go down to another planet." Dr. McCoy grumbled, as he fumbled with his phaser, making sure it was functioning properly.

"Oh, don't sweat it, Bones; we'll be back and up here soon enough, and then you can go back to taking care of Julia." Captain Kirk answered.

"Jim, surely Dr. M'Benga is just as qualified as I am to this mission; I just had a baby, after all. Do you really think I've got the energy to take on a mission like this?"

"Absolutely; if I wasn't certain, then I wouldn't have asked you."

Dr. McCoy sighed then went back to messing with his phaser. The stupid button was working to make the phaser turn on and shoot a laser beam at targets. He began banging it on the transportation system control panel, trying to unstuck the button or just get the darn thing to work.

"Doctor, you're gonna break it, if you continue with that illogical behavior." Spock stated, standing on the platform.

"I can't go on a mission with a defective phaser." Dr. McCoy moaned. Getting frustrated, Dr. McCoy began banging the phaser harder to try and make it work.

"You're gonna break it, Bones," Captain Kirk stated, frowning.

Not listening, Dr. McCoy continued to bang the blasted piece of equipment against the control panel. When that failed to work, he began slapping the thing.

"Curse you piece of mechanical junk," Dr. McCoy mumbled.

"Bones…would you like me to go get you another one?" Captain Kirk questioned.

"Please; I can't figure out what's wrong with the darn thing!"

Captain Kirk left the transportation room to go to Engineering to retrieve another phaser that was in working condition, as Dr. McCoy continued to mess with the faulty phaser. He flicked the button a few times then slapped it, again, when the phaser shot back at him, surprisingly, and hitting him in the lower belly and hips. Dr. McCoy screamed and fell to the ground, clutching his burning abdomen, giving labored breaths.

Spock ran to Dr. McCoy and knelt down by him; he grabbed his communicator to notify Captain Kirk.

"Captain, this is Spock; return to Transportation, immediately; there's been an accident." Spock answered.

Dr. McCoy continued to give labored breaths, and grimaced in pain every so often.

"Is there anything I can do, Mr. Spock?" Ensign Whitney questioned.

"Notify Dr. M'Benga to send Emergency Medical Team to Transportation; tell them Dr. McCoy's been hurt." Spock answered.

Ensign Whitney nodded and ran out to the nearest communicator on the wall, as Captain Kirk came back with the new phaser. He instantly dropped it and ran to Dr. McCoy, when he saw him lying on the floor in pain.

"Bones," Captain Kirk cried.

He knelt down on the other side of Dr. McCoy.

"What happened, Bones," Captain Kirk begged.

"The phaser…it shot me…" Dr. McCoy trembled, continuing to give fast, short breaths.

"Spock, get Emergency Medical Team in here," Captain Kirk commanded.

"I've already sent Ensign Whitney to do so, Captain." Spock answered.

"Hold on, Bones; you're gonna be alright." Captain Kirk stated.

Dr. McCoy continued giving labored breaths and moaning every once and a while, too. His vision was becoming blurry, then everything that Dr. McCoy saw was pitch black.