Race for Sickbay
by Starsinger
Yes, another what if story. What if Scotty opened the door in time for Spock to grab Kirk and take off for Sickbay. And Jim lived long enough to say good-bye to McCoy. Plot bunnies give me headaches, sometimes. Please read and review. Don't own anything, well, in this universe anyway. lol
Scotty prayed for a miracle as Spock crouched by the door. If he could just get the radiation levels down, Spock could get Jim down to Sickbay and be out of pain. Scotty was a realist as he shook his head. There was no way to save the Captain, even if… Suddenly, the light turned green. Incredulously, he looked up as he could now open the door. He warned Spock, who paused mid-conversation to look up, surprised. He saw Jim's blue eyes try to focus on him as the door suddenly gave way.
Spock braced himself as the door slid open. He stepped in and gathered Jim carefully into his arms. The surprised Captain lay limply in his arms. Spock cradled the dying man in his arms as he took off for Sickbay. Scotty closed the door after Spock left. "Engineering to Sickbay," Scotty called.
McCoy's voice sounded tired, "McCoy here."
"Spock's on his way down with the Captain, Leonard. Brace yerself, tis no' good."
McCoy looked up as Spock entered the bay. McCoy cleared a gurney, "Put him here. What happened?" McCoy's heart lurched as he looked at Jim. He was clearly dying. M'Benga handed him the tricorder with the Captain's vital signs, and McCoy nearly broke down. He soon felt M'Benga hand him a hypo, he looked at it. It contained a powerful pain killer. "Jim, this is all I can do. I'm sorry, there's no coming back from this," he told his friend brokenly. He pressed the hypo to Jim's neck as everyone in Sickbay gave them room, only Spock remained with McCoy at Jim's side. "Why, Jim, why'd you do it?"
"I wanted my friends to be safe, my family," Jim choked before coughing. "How are we to know what we could be if we were all dead."
"How are we supposed to know that when you're dead?" McCoy choked out.
Jim smiled, "Hey, maybe you'll earn that nickname of miracle worker and bring me back." Jim forced his hand up and gripped McCoy's arm weakly. Then he looked at Spock. "Take care of each other, and the ship. Just do me one favor, Spock, just one. Get him." Spock started, knowing who he was speaking of. McCoy's face dripped with tears, no one else in Sickbay was in much better shape. Uhura arrived and moved to the gurney. "Hey, Nyota, grant a dying man's last wish, a kiss?"
Uhura moved to Kirk's side as Spock made room. She placed her hands on both sides of his face. She pressed her lips to his lips. McCoy wasn't sure exactly when Jim died, but his hand fell from his arm. His death was as quiet as he life had been loud and noisy. McCoy heard Uhura sob as she realized that he was gone. McCoy looked up. Spock's head was bowed, he had been crying, an emotion McCoy had never seen from the Vulcan. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides as M'Benga closed Jim's empty eyes and pulled a sheet over his still form. He quietly called the Captain's time of death as McCoy was unable to do so. He jumped as a roar erupted from the Vulcan, "KHAAAAAAAAAN!" Spock ran from the room.
M'Benga laid a hand on McCoy's arm, "There was nothing you could have done, Leonard. He was dead before he came in here."
M'Benga walked over to another chair writing final notes in the Captain's chart. McCoy wasn't at all prepared for the other Doctor's question, "McCoy, wasn't this tribble dead?"
McCoy looked at M'Benga confused, "Yes, it's dead. Why?"
"It's not now," M'Benga replied absently.
McCoy walked over to the tiny purring creature in confusion. He knew that it was dead, he had seen it himself. Yet, here it was after he…after he… "Get me a cryotube, NOW!"