Despite the problems with Into Darkness, here's a fic. Note; It can be read k/s slash, it can be read as really really strong friendship. I don't care, it's up to you guys. This is also a sort-of sequel to "1:34 AM."

This was edited by the lovely TubularFox, and please go read her work! (Shameless plugs are shameless).

Word Count: 987
Rating: K+/T
Disclaimer: I do not own anything in association with the Star Trek franchise.

2:14 AM

It had been two weeks, three days, four hours, and four minutes, since he died. It had been two weeks, three days, three hours and twenty-three minutes, since he was brought back, when he saw light return to those blue eyes of the man who slept near him. The radiation poisoning left him frail and his skin burned. Spock was unsure if he should thank Khan for his generous donation of regenerative blood, but all that mattered was that Jim had returned, as the monitor's consistent beeping assured. But as Spock gently passed his own cool hand over his captain's, a moment of doubt reached his subconscious, and he had to find the captain's pulse. It was there, strong and steady, and he was indeed alive.

"S'puh…?"

Spock's gaze turned to see half-opened blue eyes looking back at him, and his hand retracted immediately. Guilt rose within the Vulcan,

"I am sorry, Captain. I did not mean to wake you."

Jim blinked a couple times in an effort to remain awake. His mind remembered its old functions and the cogs were soon turning again. He raised an eyebrow,

"Seriously?" He cleared his throat to rid his voice of some of its hoarseness. "I've been asleep for a long time. I should wake up, I've missed a lot."

"Yes, but at 0214 in the morning, a human should be asleep," Spock replied. Jim gave a chuckle, weak as it was,

"No way, it's party time where I come from. Tell me how everyone's doing."

Spock wondered what he should say, if he should say how the Alpha crew rushed here when they first heard he was awake, how many were grieving over all that were lost, or how the world stopped for him when he saw that light fade from Jim's eye. He inhaled slowly, gathering some form of words.

"We are doing what we can."

"To…?" Jim asked, with a small gesture to continue.

"Simply put, to aid each other in this time. Mister Scott has been busy rebuilding the Enterprise, Doctor McCoy has been making his rounds and fixing what he can, and everyone else has been filling in wherever their skills can be used," Spock informed. There was a small twitch at the corner of the captain's lips,

"And you?"

Spock folded his hands behind his back, "I have been aiding with technological upgrades to the ship."

This was the truth, in essence, but Spock knew he could not mention the nights he sat here waiting for his captain to awaken with data PADDs in hand.

"Have you slept since all this happened?" Jim inquired with a note of accusation.

"Under stress, Vulcans may go weeks without rest-"

"Yes or no, Spock. No bullshit, please."

"No."

Jim knew that would be his first officer's answer. He knew that the man would be running around doing what he can to keep everything going, that's what he did. But hell, he thought McCoy would slip him a sedative or something. He sighed,

"Why?"

Fear, Spock's quickly reasoned. Always fear. "There was much to be done," Spock stated calmly. "There still is." He made no move to leave.

"But you need to sleep."

"As do you."

"Spock, I just woke up, I've been sleeping for-freaking-ever, you haven't slept at all, probably since…" Jim's voice trailed off and a small spark of realization hit him. "How many nights have you been here?"

"Since the doctor informed all of us that you were indeed alive."

Spock averted his eyes from his captain's gaze and turned his attention towards the monitors. The heart monitor was steady, oxygen levels were normal, brainwaves were normal, and yes, Jim was alive. But the fact remained that he had been dead, and the memory of the rage that filled him, that need for pure revenge, was burned into Spock's mind. The memory of loss haunted him, and the sheer shock of knowing Kirk was alive seemed too good to be true.

"You were dead," he whispered.

"So I hear. But I'm back," Jim replied, bluntly but not unkindly.

"I thought you would not return. You were gone, I watched as you died, and I could do nothing. I watched as you stopped speaking, as you stopped hearing, as you stopped feeling, as you stopped existing. Jim, I do not wish to see that again. I do not wish to lose my friend again." There was a small shake in the first officer's voice, and that would never exist again under Jim's watch.

"Spock, hey, look at me."

The gentleness of his captain's voice gave some comfort from the still raw memories. Spock glanced at the other man out of the corner of his eye. Even in the dim lighting, Spock could still see where the skin had blistered and burned on those pale arms and hands.

"I'm here, Spock. I know-I mean, it must have been hard." Jim tried to raise his hand to run it through his hair, but he didn't have the strength. He stared down at it disdainfully and then sighed. "I'm sorry, Spock. But I-what I mean is-oh hell. You're not going to lose me again anytime soon, you won't lose anyone anytime soon. I promise." Jim cracked a small smile at the end of his words, albeit a tired one.

"You should rest, Captain," Spock returned.

"Yeah, maybe I should," Jim commented, eyes closing once again. "You should sleep too, Spock. That's an order."

That small smile remained as Jim slipped back into unconsciousness. Spock watched as the younger man's breathing evened out as sleep took its hold. The Vulcan returned to his usual vigil, seated beside the biobed, waiting. Though Spock would never admit to it, he, too, eventually fell to sleep's call as the monitors continued their lullaby of the constant heartbeat that he would make sure would not fade out 'anytime soon.'

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