McCoy looked on worriedly.
"It appears he's past the worst of it now, Doctor," muttered Spock.
"Damn it, then what does that mean for us? How much longer will we have, Spock?" he yelled desparately, administering a remaining hypo into the Captain's arm.
They waited to see any difference. It would be several minutes before they could say for sure. Though their ways of showing compassion differed, anyone could tell how much they cared for the unconscious man on the ground before them. It was worst case scenario of mission gone wrong. It should have been so simple: land on Kronar, collect the cyrton rocks, and leave. The rocks were to be tested as an alternative power sorce for starships should anything happen to the crystals already in place. They hadn't anticipated the pollen from the planet's poppies to act as an aphrodisiac.
"I wish I knew."
Bones ran a hand over his face and through his hair.
"If this doesn't get the pollen out of his system..."
"Then at least we will know what to expect, McCoy."
"If only Scotty or Sulu or Chekov could find us here, we'd stand a chance! A man wouldn't be suffering while two more wait for the same fate."
Whether it was the pollen continuing it's course through his system or just his being worried about his best friend, he turned and punched the side of the cave they had taken refuge in. He was about to do it again when a strong hand stopped him. Bones turned to the Vulcan.
"Get your hands off me and let me grieve in my own way, in peace," he ground out bitterly, tears forming in his eyes and spilling down. If Jim died under his care...
Spock reached out a gentle hand to wipe them away.
"The logical thing to do with your hands, instead of breaking them on the granite, is to make Jim comfortable."
Bones took a deep breath. Jim had been through the ringer these past few days, going from begging for sex to make it end to a high fever that took its place, causing Jim to be delirious until Bones knocked him out. At least he seemed peaceful in his sleep...
"You're right Spock. Can you go get me our blanket?"
He intentionally said "our blanket" because that was the only one they had brought with them four days ago. No one had planned for something as unexpected as this. They found the cave shortly after they found Jim walking dazed in a patch of poppies. When they had brought him to the cave, his lust had been nearly insatiable. They had even reached a point where they would take turns trying to unwind Kirk while holding their own desires at bay, which was becoming more and more difficult to do. At the disease's peak, it had gotten so bad that at one point, Spock, half asleep on the ground, had let Kirk rub against his thigh until he came. But now, now that he was out like a light for at least a few hours, it was a waiting game.
Bones started pacing around, chewing on his thumb nail. Who would get the affects of the drug next? Him or Spock? When Spock could no longer take the frantic pacing, he stood up and walked over to the Doctor. He put his hands on McCoy's distressed shoulders.
"What, Spock? What could you possibly want?" he asked impatiently.
Feeling for once at a loss for words, Spock did the first thing that came to his mind. He kissed him.