Doctor Leonard "Bones" McCoy slowly walked away from the patient he had worked on for over six hours, satisfied that the officer would live. As he went into his office he knew the officer would need extensive physiotherapy and psychological assistance for some time. He would almost certainly have to sign him off the ship, but remembered how many times before he had thought that regarding this officer. What McCoy needed to know now was what had caused the injuries and he knew the only two men who could tell him.

He found James Kirk where he suspected he would, on the bridge when he should have been in his quarters sleeping. The others on the bridge had briefly looked at him as he walked up to the command chair and said, "We need to talk, Captain. Here, in Sick Bay, or in your quarters, your choice."

"My quarters, Bones. Just give me,"

"Now, Captain."

As they walked through the corridors to his quarters the Captain of the Enterprise could tell his Chief Medical Officer, and his friend, was puzzling over a problem and he had a good idea what it was about.

"Spoken with Spock yet?"

"No, he left Sick Bay shortly after you did so now I have find both of you for answers to questions which makes me suspect a helluva lot more happened down there than what you two said and that whatever it was you do not want to talk about is what I have to know to complete my reports on a patient."

Only then, as they entered Kirk's quarters, did the Captain stop, turn and actually look at McCoy, his voice low and controlled, "Is he dead?"

"No. He may wish he was should he live and realize how his life is going to change but for now he is alive, in an induced coma, and on full support."

"Full support?"

"Things were done to him that should never be done to any sentient being, things forced into his systems that do not belong in any living body, and you and Spock were there yet you both came up with just minor injuries. Neither of you said what happened when you beamed up other than he had been abused and took off from Sickbay before I had a chance to examine either of you myself. M'Benga said you both had only those injuries associated with being taken hostage: bumps and bruises. You want to tell me now what happened?"

I, I still have to do my report on it, Bones. I need more time before I speak to Spock and I am not ready to speak to you about it. I need to get my thoughts together. The past two days were unlike any I have ever lived through. I did things I never thought I would do. I need you to know I will tell you everything, everything that happened when I have it sorted out in my mind. We did get the samples and supplies we needed and delivered what they requested. We also got enough dilithium for Scotty to be more than happy and for us to have a fully energized starship."

"Any idea where Spock will be?"

"I'm sure he is also trying to come to terms with what happened down there."

"Okay, I will give you two tonight to get it sorted out but I need to know more for the report I will have to do to have my patient admitted to that medical facilities that specializes in extreme trauma."

Now Kirk turned and looked at the steady blue eyes that had been watching him, studying him. It was clear that McCoy knew something serious had happened, that he and Spock were involved in whatever that was, and he would let them work out what to tell him. What had happened to the officer was. No, Kirk tried not to think too much about it. The more he thought about it the more he was certain it would see the officer committed to a secure medical facility as McCoy was obviously sure he was too mentally and physically damaged for the level of care and treatment he would get on the Enterprise. Too damaged.

"Bones, you've got,"

"What I have, Jim, is a patient who has been so horrifically physically abused and who was injected with substances that," momentarily Kirk saw the blue eyes close and heard McCoy let out a sigh of resignation then the eyes reopened and seemed to look deep into him and find that part he was trying to hide, "that I cannot find any record of ever being injected into a human before. Substances that, in other species, caused reactions ranging from mild headaches, through recurring traumatic hallucinations, to massive damage to the brain and entire nervous system, and almost always ending in death." Again the blue eyes closed and Kirk saw McCoy shake his head, "I do not like to think what I feel I could do to whatever twisted being did that to him." McCoy opened his eyes and looked at Kirk,"I hate myself for thinking it, let alone admitting it, but I am thankful that whatever kind of beast did that did it to him and not to you or Spock. I, I don't think I could cope with seeing either of you two like he is now and as he will be."

"You can't tell Spock that." Kirk said it more urgently than he meant to.

McCoy started, "Oh, I wouldn't as I would know he would find some way of blaming himself," then McCoy stopped and looked at him, "What is it, Jim?"

"Just, just give me, just give us time to get our thoughts together. Just give us tonight to put it all together."

"Okay. I imagine that if you were forced to watch that being done to him and unable to stop it that it would have been beyond distressing, even to a Vulcan. I will see both of you first thing tomorrow morning. Sleep well, Jim."

Kirk lay down on his bed and tried to put the events of the last forty-nine hours in order. Tonalus Three had only recently joined the Federation and the Enterprise had been sent there to collect some samples and to deliver some supplies. He and Spock were to beam down and the High Council of Tonalus Three had asked for a Security Officer as well, on the grounds he remain silent at all times. From what Kirk had read of the first few encounters with Tonalus Three that seemed in order. There was mention from the other planets in the Tonalus group that Tonalus Three had extremely high expectations of senior officers who piloted starships; that they were expected to be different from others, that they dominated their ships. There was also mention that the senior officers were expected to show their dominance over subordinates in the most testing of ways. No indication was given as to how the domination was proven, or what was meant by testing ways, but he and Spock had found out.

Kirk was at first annoyed yet oddly relieved when his intercom buzzed and he was surprised it was McCoy so soon, "Jim, you better come to Sick Bay, now."

McCoy was waiting just outside the door to Sick Bay and gripped his arm, "Maybe you can do something. He was like that when I returned. He won't answer my questions. Hasn't moved or spoken, just stands there looking at Officer Hanley. Told you he would find a way to blame himself for whatever happened."

Whatever happened. Kirk took a deep breath and hoped McCoy would think it only the thought of confronting the silent Vulcan and not reflecting on what had happened. When he entered Kirk saw his First Officer standing by the life support bed just looking down at Officer Carl Hanley. To others he would seem to be that full Vulcan: just totally dispassionately analyzing a patient but Kirk saw beneath the façade and saw again the Spock he had seen so many times but most recently on Tanolus Three when they were made to prove they were different. This was not the Spock so many saw as a cold, analytical Vulcan but the Spock he knew, the Spock who had picked up the tortured body and carried it as one carries a frightened child to the transporting platform, the Spock so many did not see. He also knew McCoy was right, Spock was blaming himself for what had happened. He knew it as he was also blaming himself for what had happened.

"Doctor, Carl Hanley is hiding. I only briefly touched his mind as there was far too much all-consuming pain for me to attempt a meld but he is there, Doctor, sane and hiding in a safe place. He is rational but he is very afraid, almost terrified. I have not accessed his records so I am unsure if he had been exposed to much trauma in his life."

"Three of the outposts he grew up on were over-run, the third time he was not quite twelve and watched his parents burn alive while he protected his two brothers and sister. He then had to raise and protect them for two years till rescued. His service record shows at least fifteen different events which would have been most traumatic when he had taken an active role in protecting others while he was badly injured. Does this have,"

"In any of those times was he restrained in any way?"

"I recall reading that only four times was it reported that he was physically restrained,"

"Held back by another person or a physical object?"

"I thought you meant restrained as in being held back by a person or a physical object. On one occasion he was restrained in chains. On the other eleven occasions senior officers tried to restrain him verbally. What does that have to do with this?"

Slowly Spock turned and looked at Kirk and deep in the dark eyes Kirk saw pain, anguish, and guilt. "What were the outcomes, Doctor?"

"All of those he had gone in to rescue were saved. However ninety-two per cent of the time he returned he needed medical attention ranging from cuts and burns to major repairs to most of his body. Oddly not once was the term 'against direct orders' used."

"Having had an opportunity to watch him, Doctor, I highly doubt if he would have, under certain circumstances, obeyed even a direct order. If he has recovered from," the Vulcan looked at the Doctor and saw in the Doctor's expression what he feared.

"That's just it, Spock. Has. Past tense. Whatever happened down there this time has taken too great a toll. What was done to him down there should never have been allowed to happen for any reason. Whatever sort of cold-blooded, inhuman, sadistic being actually did that to him should be," McCoy stopped as he studied the Vulcan then put a hand on the thin shoulder of the Vulcan, "Oh my gods, Spock. You,"

"The meeting started cordially enough, we were shown whatever we asked to see and answered their many questions. It seemed they were most insistent we understand how important they see the obedience of junior officers to superior officers. To them if one is a senior officer they can do as they like to a junior officer when that junior officer is on duty. Even at the formal function they questioned us about how we treated junior officers under different situations. Our overnight accommodation was palatial although they only have a chair outside the door for Carl Hanley. It was made plain he was to sleep there. In the morning we were brought a substantial breakfast and they took Carl Hanley with them saying he would rejoin us later."

Captain James Kirk turned away from his two senior officers as he remembered only too clearly what had taken place and was not sure he was ready to deal with remembering the details the way they would have to. He took three deep breaths hoping they would help and then he felt that familiar long fingered hand gently grip his shoulder and he nodded, and turned to face his Vulcan First Officer and friend, "It's okay Spock, Bones does not need to know the details of what,"

Dark eyes looked at him and in them James Kirk saw the understanding, "Is it that he does not need the details or that you are not ready to address them, Jim? You must realize that what happened was bound to happen. From looking at their past we knew that there was a high probability that something like it would happen. Have you not accepted that reality yet?"

A/N Just one retyped while waiting for more medical tests - one of the joys (?) of being a test patient is the ^*^*^*^*^ waiting. Will get this all up tonight as clearly not going to get any sleep. Reviews would be interesting to read