The Enterprise had been en route to a newly discovered Class M planet when a shower of micrometeorites struck the massive vessel, causing extensive external and internal damage. Captain James T. Kirk, along with his first officer Mr. Spock, was on the bridge attempting to assess the overall damage and regain control over the disabled ship.

"Bridge to Engineering, Scotty! What's going on?" Kirk was sitting in the captain's chair, his hand gripping the control panel on the side while he attempted to pull himself back up after being thrown around during the collision.

'The warp core has been damaged, Captain!' Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott answered in a slightly panicked and very agitated tone. His distinct Scottish accent was recognizable to all crew members. 'If I cannot contain the breach we'll have to jettison the core into space!'

"Do we have a spare core?"

'Negative Captain. If we jettison then the ship will be dead in the water...'

"Do your best, Scotty..."

'Aye... Will do!' Scotty's voice faded from the com.

Kirk leaned back in his chair, the lights overhead flickering on and off as auxiliary power struggled to compensate. "Mr. Spock... How far are we from the nearest Star Base?"

The Vulcan turned from his station console to face his Captain. "Approximately 2.4 light years. At warp we will arrive within ten minutes. Impulse power will take an hour."

"Damn." Kirk didn't like the time frame. "Distress signal. How long before assistance arrives?"

Lt. Nyota Uhura, the communications officer, answered on Spock's behalf. "Unknown. Outside communications have been disabled."

Kirk just sighed and looked up at the flickering lights as they finally stabilized and filled the bridge with a dull light. "Alright. Mr Sulu, Mr. Chekov, set course for the nearest Star Base."

"Aye, Keptain." Ensign Pavel Andreovich Chekov replied in a calm tone. His thick Russian accent set his answers apart from the rest of the bridge crew.

Unhappy with his situation Kirk continued to analyze and think. "Damage report."

Uhura continued to inform her captain on their current situation. "Massive casualties reports all over the ship. Engineering seems to have taken the brunt of the damage."

Kirk spun around in his chair to face Uhura. "How's medical?"

"Dr. McCoy and a small team are clearing engineering as we speak."

"Great." Kirk turned back to the large screen of the bridge and he turned back on communication. "Kirk to McCoy; Bones, tell me what's going on."

Dr. Leonard 'Bones' McCoy replied in an embittered and stern manner. 'This is McCoy. Jim, everything down here is an absolute wreck. What did you do this time?'

"This time, believe it or not, it wasn't my fault."

'I don't believe you, but I'll take your word for it.' The sounds of the various medical instruments used by McCoy and his staff could be heard in the background, along with the various muffled voices of the many ship personnel working together to remedy the chaos of engineering. 'Right now I have two patients with radiation sickness, four with burns, one with a head injury, not to mention-'

The sound of a large metallic break, following by flowing water, red alert and distressed voices cut off McCoy midsentence.

"Bones? What's going on?" Kirk didn't like the sound in the least.

Lt. Hikaru Sulu, helmsman, had the answer on his display panel. "Captain! The warp core has gone critical. Emergency procedures are underway."

"Meaning, what, exactly?"

Spock spoke up. "Engineering is being flooded to contain the overheated core. Mandatory evacuation has commenced."

Kirk attempted to make contact with McCoy again. "Bones, report. What's going on?"

McCoy sounded all the more irritated as he finally updated Kirk on the situation unfolding in engineering. 'Jim! The damn engine room is filling up with water. We're getting everyone out of here before the damn doors seal us in!'

Over McCoy's communication line Scotty spoke up. 'Captain! I tried to stop it, but emergency protocols...' His voice trailed off as his guilt as a professional crept in.

"It's alright Scotty, I know it's not your fault. Get out of there and help Bones!"

'Right!'

"Mr Spock," Kirk got up from his chair and headed toward the lift. "assist me with engineering. Mr. Sulu, you have the com."

"Aye Captain." Sulu took his place in the captain's chair while Spock joined Kirk in the lift.

The doors to the lift closed and Kirk issued his next command. "Engineering."

"Captain," Spock's usually even tone had a twinge of concern. "without the warp core our arrival to the nearest Star Base will take a significant amount of time."

"I'm aware of this, Spock."

"Given the severity of the overall damage and numerous casualties that have been report thus far, time is of the essence."

"Again, Spock, I'm aware." The doors of the lift opened allowing Kirk and Spock to exit.

Outside the main entry to engineering the thick emergency bulk heads were starting to close. All engineering officers, as well as medical personnel were gathered outside the doors. Scotty was doing his best to keep control of the situation.

"Mr. Scott, what's our status?"

"Captain engineering has been evacuated but no one can seem to locate Dr. McCoy."

"Bones?" Kirk looked around the group of scared and injured officers. He didn't see his chief medical officer and best friend anywhere.

As the final thick bulkhead descended further, nearly three feet left between the door and the floor, Dr. McCoy's voice called out. "Jim, I'm here!"

"Bones!" Kirk gently pushed his way through the crowd as he reached the door. He got down on his hands and knees and spotted Dr. McCoy carrying an unconscious and bleeding crew member toward the door.

"Jim, take her. She's out!" McCoy kneeled down to gently lay the unconscious woman on the ground.

Reaching under the door Jim put his arms under her shoulders and legs and pulled her out of engineering into the hallway with the rest of the crew.

"Bones!" Jim realized that the door was closing too quickly, that Dr. McCoy wouldn't be able to slip out.

"Jim!" Dr. McCoy yelled back, the palm of his hand smashing into the door.

"Scotty, open the door! He's trapped!" Kirk tried his best to lift the door with his hands but his strength alone was no match for the heavy door.

"I can't!" Scotty's voice was shaking with fear. "The compartment is still flooding, emergency procedures cannot be overridden until the sensors in engineering detect the water level at maximum capacity..."

Kirk froze in fear. "Scotty, if we don't get him out of there..."

"Aye," Scotty looked away from his Captain and at the floor with shame. "he'll drown."

Kirk looked over his shoulder to Spock, who was standing at the edge of the gathered crowd. "Spock, can you do anything?"

"I cannot. Mr. Scott's statement is accurate."

"We can't just let him die!" Kirk turned back to the chief engineer. "Scotty, can you beam him out?"

"We do not have the power to operate the transporters."

"What about the jefferies tubes? Can't we reach him through the tubes?"

"Aye, if they weren't locked down as well."

"I'm NOT leaving him in there, to die." Kirk pounded on the door with his fist. "Bones? If you can hear me, I will find a way to get you out of there! Just hang on!"

From the other side of the closed door McCoy was also pounding and yelling for help. He couldn't hear the voices on the other side, nor could he see out thanks to the thick metal obstructing his view.

"Jim? Spock? Scotty!?" He continued to call out desperately. The water was flooding all of engineering at an alarming right, the water level was already up to his waist. "Damn it, I hate this!"

Wadding through the water McCoy looked all around his quickly submerging environment, his eyes focusing on the numerous metal supports like makeshift ladders toward the ever distant ceiling. At the very peak of the ceiling was the long and seldom used jefferies tube. A tube that allowed engineers access to engineering through a passageway that connected to the exterior hallway.

"Bloody hell..." Carefully climbing up onto a console he reached up to a long metal support beam and pulled himself up and out of the cool water. "And I thought suffocating in the void of space was one hell of a way to go..."

Moving on pure fear induced adrenaline McCoy ascended toward the ceiling of engineering, attempting to put off the painful death that is drowning for a moment longer. Over his shoulder was his medical kit, filled with medication and equipment. Throughout the climb the pack swung around unpredictably, bumping into the metal beams or hitting him in the back of his ribs.

"Five years in space... Right..." McCoy continued to grimace aloud to himself. "I barely made it five weeks, how's Jim going to last five years without me saving his sorry ass? He never would've made it onto the Enterprise if I hadn't brought him on board as a patient..."

With nowhere else to climb McCoy's only option was to wait for the water to continue its rapid rise. As soon as the water level reach him he'd be able to swim the rest of the way up to the ceiling and into a jefferies tube.

"Mr. Scott", Kirk was still trying to find a solution to what appeared to be another 'no win' scenario. He was carrying injured crew members into sickbay with Scotty and Spock doing the same. "can you get any reading whatsoever INSIDE engineering?"

"Negative Captain. There's too much radiation, it's interfering with out sensors."

Kirk looked around sickbay, satisfied that the injured would be adequately tended to by the medical staff, even without Dr. McCoy's supervision. "And there's no way to beam him out?"

"Aye, Sir. We're too low on the power the engineering is too high with radiation."

"Captain," Spock had an alternative solution that could remedy the situation. "the jefferies tubes are numerous throughout engineering. The largest, accessible tube in engineering is positioned just below the ceiling."

Kirk was listening intently. "Is there a way to access the tube and get to McCoy?"

"I cannot override the commands as emergency protocols are still in place. However, using a plasma torch to cut through the bulkheads will allow us to rescue Dr. McCoy, then activate the secondary emergency doors to seal off engineering once more."

"Spock, let's move"! Kirk accepted his first officer's suggestion without question. He ran from sickbay back out into the hallway toward engineering.

Spock followed his captain with Scotty close at his heels.

Inside engineering the water level continued to rise. Dr. McCoy struggled to keep his head above the water as he continued to make his way toward the jefferies tube mounted on the ceiling. Pressing his hand against the tube McCoy used his other hand to press keys into the electronic panel to gain access to the small opening.

"Damn it!" The emergency protocols were still in place, the door locks remained in place. Wiping a few locks of his dark hair out of his face McCoy continued to scan engineering for any other possible escape route. Nothing.

Not wanting to simply give up and drown, he reached into his medical kit and pulled out a hypo of tri-ox. Injecting the drug into his carotid artery McCoy felt his heart begin to race as the drug began to take effect.

Inside the jefferies tube Kirk and Spock found the small opening of the tube that led directly into engineering. Scotty awkwardly carried a plasma torch into the tube as he kneeled next to his senior officers. In his other hand was a case of emergency oxygen tanks and supplies.

"Alright, I can cut through in about two minutes." Scotty announced as he prepped the torch and slipped a pair of protective goggles over his eyes. "Readings show that engineering is almost completely flooded. We have to move quickly."

Kirk let out an anxious sigh as he opened the case of oxygen supplies. "I just hope Bones can hold out."

Spock; though naturally unemotional, still understood emotions and the empathy one feels toward a friend in danger. "Captain, I believe Dr. McCoy is far too stubborn of a human to perish so easily."

"Thanks Spock, that... helps."

Sulu's voice rang out through the com in the tube. "Sulu to Captain Kirk."

"Kirk here." He answered as he adjusted the small portable breathing apparatus around his neck.

"Captain, we'll be arriving at Star Base in less than thirty minutes. They've been notified of our situation and have emergency teams on stand by."

"Thank you Mr. Sulu, Kirk out." He looked at his science officer. "At least one thing is starting to work out."

Scotty turned off the torch and kicked the freshly cut metal paneling loose. It drifted aimlessly through the flooded area below. "We're good!"

Kirk and Spock slipped on a small breathing apparatus from around theirs necks, over theirs noses and mouths. Slipping through the opening and into the water filled engineering Kirk looked around for any sign of Dr. McCoy. Spock followed closely behind his captain and assisted in the search.

The emergency lights gave a haunting white and red glow that shone in foggy rays through the water.

Unable to see anyone nearby Kirk began swimming down further.

Spock however could see more easily in the murky water, his Vulcan physiology giving him superior vision compared to that of a human. Drifting unconsciously toward the floor of engineering was Dr. McCoy.

Swimming toward the downed man as fast as he could, Spock wrapped his arm around Dr. McCoy's chest and proceeded to pull him toward the surface. Using one hand, whilst still swimming, he pressed his finger against Dr. McCoy's cold face and proceeded with a Vulcan mind meld,

Kirk spotted Spock with McCoy and assisted his first officer with bringing his medical officer toward the safety of the jefferies tube.

Scotty watched as Spock and Kirk carried McCoy to the freshly opened pocket of air. "I got him!" He reached into the opening and pulled McCoy up and out, his hands wrapped tightly around the unconscious doctor's chest.

Spock and Kirk followed their injured friend as Scotty half carried, half dragged him out of the tube and into the hallway. Laying Dr. McCoy down on the dry floor of the hallway Scotty pressed his ear against Dr. McCoy's chest. "He's not breathing and I can't hear a heartbeat!"

Spock and Kirk jumped out of the tube and into the hallway. Spock kneeled down next to Dr. McCoy and proceeded to compress the drowned man's chest.

Kirk and Scotty gave the Vulcan a shocked glance before they anxiously stared at Dr. McCoy's lifeless face.

"C'mon Bones... I need you buddy..." Kirk muttered to himself.

Scotty put his hand on Kirk's shoulder in a silent gesture of empathy.

Spock continued to perform C.P.R. on Dr. McCoy. His strong Vulcan hands interlaced together as he compressed the doctor's chest in a controlled, rhythmic pattern.

Just as it seemed all hope was lost Dr. McCoy's limp body suddenly jerked as he began coughing up water.

Spock rolled Dr. McCoy onto his side as the water escaped his lungs, draining like a violent torrent.

"Bones!" Kirk was relieved to see his friend showing signs of life.

After the coughing fit passed Spock rolled Dr. McCoy onto his back once more. His hands resting on the doctor's chest to monitor the heartbeat and respiration beneath his touch.

Scotty was absolutely astonished. "Mr. Spock, how'd you know what to do?"

"I melded with Dr. McCoy's mind. His medical knowledge was of great assistance. I was also made aware that he had injected himself with a tri-ox compound. The tri-ox compound allowed more oxygen to enter his red blood cells, giving him a mild advantage in the event he did drown. The additional precious oxygen could preserve his brain tissue."

Kirk kneeled down next to his revived friend. "I don't think he's going to be thrilled with you melding minds with him."

"Considering his life was at stake I believe he will allow this incident to... 'slide'."

-The End

Author's Note: This was inspired by a very vivid and bizarre dream.