Only as Strong as Her Captain
Summary: Spoilers for ST: Into Darkness. There's a time when listening to your CMO would've been the best for everyone. Minor McKirk, Hurt/Comfort.
A/N: My first One-shot for AOS. I have a drabble, but this is the first true length one-shot. Properly trying this Fandom out... sorry if it totally sucks.
Enjoy the Story!
He turned towards his crew and looked at each of them; defeat clouding over his face. " I'm sorry." He told them. He couldn't think; he didn't know what to do; the buzzing in his head reached a new resounding level. What could he do to get his crew out of this: How could he save them?
" Weapons have been powered down, sir." Confusion flashed across Captain James T. Kirk's face. His lips parted, ready to question this new information when a well known voice echoed around the bridge.
" Enterprise? Can you hear me?"
Jim's eyes widened as he turned around, his face lit up. " Scotty!"
" Guess what I found behind Jupiter."
The Captain's face twitched into a huge smile. " You're on that ship!"
" I snuck on and as I have just committed an act of treason against a Starfleet Admiral I'd really like to get off this bloody ship, now beam me out!"
" You're a miracle worker." It took effort to respond to the wayward traveling stow-a-way. His vision was blurring and he was stumbling over his words as the lights on the bridge bent in strange directions around him " We're... we're a little low on power right now...ju..just stand by, stand by."
Jim had to close his eyes to restore focus; between the swirling lights and his piercing headache, he just needed a little bit of darkness.
" What do you mean low on power? What happen to the Enterprise?" Jim heard, but before he could answer he heard the sounds of footsteps over the line they had to Mr. Scott. " Call you back!"
The Captain opened his eyes, " Scotty?" When he didn't receive and response he turned, calling out to his First Officer. " Spock, our ship, how is she?"
" Our options are limited, Captain, we cannot fire and we cannot flee."
He had to calculate a way out of this. He quickly turned his head and blinked at the darkness for a few seconds. He had to figure out what he could... " There is one option. Uhura, when you get Scotty back, patch him through."
She nodded at him in understanding. " Yes sir."
" Mr. Spock you have the Conn." With those words he practically ran towards the turbolift, his First Officer trailing behind.
" Captain, I strongly object."
" To what," Jim huffed softly. " I haven't said anything, yet."
" Since we cannot take the ship from the outside the only way we could take it is from within and as a large boarding party would be detected it is optimal to take as few members of the crew as possible." Spock stated, following Jim out of the turbolift as soon as the doors swished open. " You will need resistance; requiring personnel with advanced combat abilities and innate knowledge of that ship. This indicates that you plan align with Khan, the very man we were sent here to destroy."
" I'm not aligning with him, I'm using him." Jim retorted. " The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
" An Arabic proverb attributed to a prince who was betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects."
" Still, it a hell of a quote." Jim replied making various twists and turns around the hallways of the Enterprise.
" I will go with you Captain." Spock insisted.
" No, I need you on the bridge." Jim's voice ordered, sounding clear and re-enforced.
Spock reached out and grabbed the Captain, pulling him to a full stop. " I cannot allow you to do this. It is my function aboard this ship to advise you on making the wisest decisions possible. Something that I firmly believe you are incapable of doing in this moment."
Jim listed to the right and blinked away the darkness this time. He needed to plan out scenarios in his head, nothing but the best would save them now. The buzzing got louder. He blinked again trying to dislodge his blurred vision. " You're right!" He shook his head. " What I'm about to do it doesn't make any sense, it's not logical, it is a gut feeling." His vision wasn't clearing and darkness was setting in as he admitted his worries to his First Officer. " I have no idea what I am supposed to do. I only know what I can do. The Enterprise and her crew need someone in that chair that knows what he's doing. That's not me...That's you..." Everything around him became fuzzy and the rest of his words never passed through his lips. His face paled, his knees weakened and he fell forward into Spock's arms. The buzzing had become unbearable searing and intense pain.
He didn't want to, but he let the darkness take him.
/
When he awoke the first thought to grace Jim's mind was, I don't have time for this. He knew he was in Sickbay. The only Doctor allowed to come near him was Bones. He knew what would be the first... Think of the devil and he comes running.
" Dammit Jim." Bones swore as he raced to the Captain's side. " I told you your vitals were way off. You have bruising on at least 30 percent of your body..."
" Bones..."
"... and on top of the obvious stress of not getting any sleep..."
" Bones..."
" ... you have no energy attributed to the lack of your food intake. Do I have to start watching you eat now? Dammit man, I'm a doctor not a dog begging for scraps from beneath the table..."
" Bones..."
"... why do I have to keep reminding you to take care of yourself? How hard is it..."
" BONES!" Jim growled, he tried to push himself up from the bed only to be pushed back down. " I don't have time for this Doctor McCoy!"
Doctor McCoy placed both hands on Jim's shoulders and pushed him down into the soft mattress beneath him and bent closer to the Captain. " Then you will make time, Captain. At the rate you are going the ship will be blown to pieces and we will all be sucked out into space in a matter of moments. As the CMO on this rusted tin can I am telling you that you are endangering the ship, it's crew and most of all, yourself Captain."
" Bones, I really don't have time for this. Scotty is on Marcus' ship and..." McCoy hushed him.
" I know. Spock informed me of what has progressed."
Jim tried to sit up again. He only got as far as lifting his head off of his pillow. " Then you know why..."
" ... you need to take a few minutes for yourself, to take care of your own needs. I don't know what you've been thinking lately, but the Enterprise is only as strong as her Captain." The Doctor shifted forward a few more inches and whispered in Jim's ear. " And right now, Jim, you're not even strong enough to give us a fighting chance."
The Doctor placed a light brushing of his lips to Jim's forehead and told him to close his eyes. " Take a few moments to take care of you, so you can take care of us."
END