#6 You can't die! Please don't die!" (Kirk/Uhura)
All it took was one bad misunderstanding and an easily offended alien species to make big problems for the away team of the Enterprise. Instead of going right for the captain, like usual, they attacked Uhura first. The swiftness of the attack startled them and they didn't see the arrow fly out until it had struck the Lieutenant in the side. She yelped and dodged more arrows, still trying to convince they aliens they meant no harm. It was in vain and Kirk yelled at them to fall back.
"You too, Lieutenant! That's an order!" He called to her, just before another arrow hit home. She crumpled to the ground and Jim was horror filled.
"Hold them off, Spock!" He screamed. "I'm going back for her!"
The first officer nodded, face grim and cold as he and the security team fired their phasers at the attackers. Jim ran over and knelt by his communications officer, who was trying to get back on her feet despite the wounds. His face went white when he saw how close the second arrow was to her heart.
"Little help, Jim?" Nyota whispered dryly.
Jim choked back a hysterical laugh at her tone and nodded, carefully hoisting her up in his arms. The fact she didn't make one sound of protest worried him even more, because it meant she was seriously hurt.
He made haste to the beam up spot, met up with Spock and Hendorff, then urgently commed Scotty to beam them up and have Doctor McCoy at the transporter room.
"No, it's not me this time," he sighed, wishing it actually was. "It's Lieutenant Uhura. Took a couple of arrows in the side and chest."
"Aye. I'll inform the Doc."
In moments, they were being beamed aboard and back on the Enterprise.
"I still don't know what I said wrong," Nyota said to Jim, as they rematerialized. "I keep going over it in my head and I'm sure I said the proper greeting."
"Wasn't your fault. We know very little about this species to begin with," Jim answered, fear filling him as she coughed up some blood.
"Bones! Good to see you," he called to his friend, who rushed into the transporter room with a stretcher.
"Yikes, you weren't exaggerating, Jim. The natives didn't take kindly to Starfleet?" The doctor asked as he helped ease Uhura onto the stretcher and began examining her wounds.
"No," Jim said in worried frustration, running his hand through his hair. "And I have no idea why! We followed protocol to the letter."
"I never thought I'd live to hear those words come out of YOUR mouth," Nyota observed faintly, lip curving up despite the pain she was in. Dr. McCoy snorted in agreement as he stabilized her for transport.
"And I'd really like you to live to hear it again," Jim said, squeezing her hand, still terrified of losing her.
"You can't die! Please don't die!" He whispered in her ear as they began the trip to Medbay. "I need you. I love you." Nyota didn't try to speak again, but gave Jim a fond look.
"She won't die, Jim. Not on my watch," Bones assured, a look of serious determination on his face. "Stand back and let me get her to surgery."
Jim nodded and stood back after giving her a quick kiss, following the medical procession with his eyes until he couldn't see it anymore then heaving a sigh before heading for the bridge.
When Nyota woke up after surgery, Jim was camped out beside her biobed, looking exhausted, but relieved.
"Hey," he said. "Welcome back."
"Hey yourself, Jim," she rasped out. "You look almost as rough as I do."
"Yeah," he sighed. "We thought we'd lost you a couple times. Those arrows went pretty deep, did more damage than Bones first thought. But he pulled you through. How are you feeling?"
She could see how worried he'd been by the watery, red-rimmed eyes and messy blonde hair. She reached out a hand and Jim placed his in it.
"Like I've been used as a pincushion. Thanks for getting me out of there, baby," she told him. "You're not allowed to beat yourself up over this, okay? Clearly, we were all missing an important chunk of information."
"You can say that again," he sighed. "I talked to Starfleet and it turns out there was a pretty important section of report missing-the part about how important body language is to this species. If we'd all been kneeling, they wouldn't have taken offense. Needless to say, I expressed my displeasure at the failure to communicate nearly costing your life."
"Respectfully, I hope?" She asked, one eyebrow raising. Jim tended to get really worked up when people he cared about were in jeopardy, to put it mildly.
"I managed to contain myself," he said, slight smile appearing.
"That's good, baby, now I need you to go get some sleep before you keel over from exhaustion, okay? I'll still be here when you get back."
Jim looked very reluctant, but at last nodded.
"Okay. I guess I could tear myself away if it will make you feel better. Don't want to give Bones an opportunity to hypo me again. He does it enough as is."
She smiled fondly at him. Jim never did learn to take a hypo well, but She thought part of it was an act to annoy his friend.
"Goodnight kiss?" He whispered, leaning over her hopefully.
"Get those pretty lips down here," she answered with a smirk and Jim complied, kissing her with his trademark skill, though there was definitely a tinge of "thank God you're alive" in it.
"Sleep tight, honey," she told him.
"Get well soon, beautiful," he replied, finally allowing himself to relax knowing that she was going to make it.