"Override: 600… Beam up the captain."
The look of horror on Jim Kirk's face was momentary before he was beamed up due to his first officer's override command.
The Vulcan then turned to the doctor and grabbed him roughly as a bolder landed a few feet away from them. Blue eyes glassy, McCoy rasped:
"Go on, Spock. The caves will save you from the volcano. I'm gonna die anyway…"
Pulling Bones over rocks after him, Spock gritted his teeth. "I will do no such thing."
A spark of annoyance lit the doctor's eyes for a second. "Dammit Spock! We both don't have to die!"
Another rock landed mere inches away and Spock resorted to carrying McCoy. Warm blood stained his blue shirt as he hefted him into his arms.
"There is a 97% chance that I will not make it to safety regardless of the circumstance."
"Well, you have a better chance without me!"
The earth trembled and Spock was nearly knocked from his feet as the ground beneath him shook violently.
Fire.
The caves were too far… the explosion was sooner than he had calculated.
Spock began to run, uneven earth causing him to stumble and almost drop his slowly fading companion.
An ear-deafening thunder.
They were lifted from the ground and propelled forward.
The Vulcan wrapped himself around his friend seconds before they hit the rocks.
Pain.
Beeping.
He'd heard it far too many times.
So many, in fact, that it was more of a back ground noise to him… but the position was wrong. That was what had awoken him. He was below the methodic beeping – that was bothering.
Blue eyes fluttered open.
The lights were on the routine night setting and no one was in sight.
Sickbay looked different from this angle.
The doctor didn't like it.
Sitting up quickly, the blood rushed from his head and he pitched forward off the bed and onto the floor.
Sharp pain bit his side – the pain brought back the memories.
Spock.
He attempted to stand but only crumpled again – a hiss involuntarily escaping his clenched teeth.
He lay silent for a time sucking in deep breaths and trying to stand again.
Who is in charge of the morphine? He thought angrily.
He vowed to fire them.
He fell again with a yell and lights immediately snapped on.
Nurse Chapel was at his side in seconds. "Doctor!"
He tried to wave her away, but he couldn't bring his hand from where it was clutched against his side.
Another nurse appeared to help him back onto the bed.
"If I had wanted on the bed, I would have stayed there!" McCoy barked, feebly batting their hands away.
"Doctor, you have to stay in bed." Chapel frowned, "your wounds are much more serious then you realize."
"Dammit I'm a doctor! I realize just how bad my wounds are! Now where's Spock?"
Chapel tensed.
McCoy's face dropped.
"Take me to him."
She apparently realized that to argue would be pointless. The two nurses half carried the doctor to the intensive care unit.
He'd never seen a paler Vulcan.
They helped him over to his bed where the doctor gazed – horrified – at Spock.
"Spock…?"
The Vulcan's breaths were too slow.
Snapping his angry gaze to his nurses, he began barking orders: "Chapel, I want a hypo of pure oxygen now! Adams, get me a-"
"Doctor…"
A raspy voice made him turn back.
Spock struggled to keep his eyes open.
"Is the Captain alright?"
Jim? Where was Jim?
Chapel stepped forward. "He's recovering just down the hall. I believe he's asleep..."
The Vulcan nodded slowly.
Bones set his jaw and snarled. "You're a damn fool, Spock! You could have been in the caves, but now your hurt and the Captain's hurt and there's no one to fly the damn ship!"
Spock raised an eyebrow.
"Scotty…"
McCoy's face reddened.
"Shut up, Spock!" He shifted to get a better angle to yell at the First Officer but suddenly collapsed to the floor again, pain surging through his body.
The Nurses once again picked him from the floor.
"Doctor! You need to rest!" Chapel glanced worriedly at the blood beginning to seep through his clothes.
"I'm fine!" He tried to sound commanding but his voice cracked. "I'm not done with him…" He shakily pointed to Spock. "… I have to fix him! It's my job! I fix people!"
Spock could barely keep his eyes open as he murmured.
"I would recommend that you do as the good nurse says, Leonard."
"I know how to take care of myself!"
"Then I suggest that you do so…"
McCoy frowned.
Watching the Vulcan's eyelids flutter made him tired.
His head throbbed.
"I have to fix you…" He muttered, "…It's my fault, I have to…"
Brown eyes snapped open.
"Doctor, you cannot fix me if you yourself are breaking…"
Chapel gripped McCoy's arm tighter.
"C'mon, Sir…" She urged him towards the door.
Spock appeared to fall immediately asleep…
The doctor waited for a second.
"Spock, just… I have to fix you… but If you keep doing this sacrificial drama you're gonna die one of these days and I swear, Jim and I are going to kill you. So, just stop with the god damn suicidal rescues…"
The corner of the Vulcan's mouth twitched.
"I will do no such thing."