Authors Note:
My second official fan fiction and my first One Shot.
It's based on TOS 'Journey to Babel'.
(By the way, it's a good episode, worth a watch if you've not seen it).
Although it is a TOS I've placed it in the Star Trek 2009 category as I love to play with those characters more than the originals at the moment.
Review and let me know what you think and if there is anything you don't understand, let me know and I'll try and explain it a bit better!
Journey from Babel
Jim Kirk never slept well in Sickbay. Especially when you're stuck there for a stab wound in the back which managed to puncture a lung. It made moving to get comfortable a misery. Luckily his stay in Sickbay was a short one. Bones let him leave after a good power nap and some food, as long as he didn't spend much time on duty and rested as much as he could.
He did have good reasons though, Spock needed time alone to repair the broken relationship he had with his father Sarek, and what better timing than now with them both recovering in Sickbay.
Jim held his hands up in defeat. He wasn't going to say no to an easy way out of sickbay, his least favourite place to be.
He slumped back to his quarters on his own. He thought back to his previous escape from Sickbay, which totally worked his way too. Spock was needed for a blood transfusion to help Sarek through a complicated heart operation. So there was no threat of him getting in way, in fact persuading him to go to Sickbay when you've got a stab wound to the back was bad enough.
Bones had said the operation couldn't wait, although I'm sure it could have. Vulcans are way stronger than humans. I bet he just wanted to be the hero for once. Well, he didn't take down an Andorian, did he?
The rest of the journey to Babel went smoothly. Scotty had just been to the captains quarters and told him so himself.
"Aye captain, no problems. The ship purred her way to Babel without a problem." Scotty beamed his proudest smile.
"And what about the Ambassadors? Any more issues with them?" Jim was currently slouched on his sofa. He had a PADD in his hand and was just about to send the final report of their journey to Star fleet.
"No captain. In fact they all kept away from each other. Probably out of fear in case one of them turned on the other" Scotty tried hard not to laugh but a little chuckle slipped out.
Jim looked down at his report and quickly skimmed it again before hitting send.
"Something funny?" He peaked up, looking like a teacher scolding a naughty school child.
Scotty instantly dropped the laugh, "No sir. I just…"
Jim smiled back, chucking his PADD on the coffee table. "I'm kidding Scotty! It was probably for the best they kept away from each other, made it that little bit easier for us all. The last thing I needed was another death over my head. Star Fleet are already going to be up to their eyeballs in war threats."
Scotty sighed with relief. "Well, I think this causes for a celebratory scotch, don't you?"
Jim smiled back. "Sounds great, but I just need to go to the bridge. You're off duty, enjoy yourself."
He took a deep breath in as he rose off his couch. The stab wound reminding him it was still there with every throb. Although this was completely missed by his engineering officer.
"Aye sir!" he turned on his heel and left Jim's quarters. He didn't know what McCoy had ordered Jim anyway.
Jim's journey to the bridge was an uneventful one, despite the shear pain of his back. But he wasn't going to sickbay, not a chance.
"Captain on zee bridge!" Chekov beamed across the whole bridge.
Nobody had seen Kirk much since his stabbing so they all turned to see him. He was slightly crouched over, wrapping his arm around his torso to provide some sort of comfort to his back.
Uhura reached out a helping hand, seeing her captain in pain, but he just pushed her away. He made it to his chair and slumped into it.
"So what's the latest from Star Fleet? Some much overdue shore leave? Or are we being shipped straight out again?" Jim announced to his bridge crew.
Uhura spun round on her chair from her console, bouncing in before anyone else could.
"I'm sorry captain, we are currently on a course to Star Base 13. They are in need of some cargo which we picked up from Babel."
Jim breathed in deep and slammed his fist on the arm of the chair. "Fantastic" he said with gritted teeth.
"Mr Sulu, plot a course to Star Base 13."
Sulu and Chekov exchanged some concerned looks, before he turned around to face his captain.
"I already have Captain. We should arrive in a couple of day's sir."
Jim slammed his fist down on the chair of the arm again, "great! Good job." He said with gritted teeth once again.
Spock walked over to the captain's chair. "Are you ok Captain? Do you require Doctor McCoy?" he said with a raised eyebrow.
Jim hadn't notice Spock at his station, McCoy must have released him from Sickbay when Sarek had left. "No thank you Mr Spock. I feel fine." He inhaled deeply again to attempt to soothe the pain in his back as he rose to his feet. "Mr Spock you have the conn".
Jim quickly darted for the turbo lift on his own, leaning front first against the wall the second the doors shut. He squeezed his eyes shut and focused his breathing, rather than on the searing pain in his back.
The second the doors opened again he stood up fully, acting like nothing had happened.
He made his way to the canteen and grabbed a cup of coffee. He thought about grabbing some lunch too, but he wasn't hungry. He sat in the back corner alone, hoping nobody would join him. However he was wrong.
Bones sat down opposite him, slamming a PADD down on the table.
"Damn medical reports! Never ending."
Jim sipped his coffee, giving a slight nod to his friend.
"Star Fleet are ordering a full report on what happened with Sarek. Every single damn little detail. Including why his god damn heart needed to be restarted. Do they not know I have more important things to do?" Bones hadn't even made eye contact with Jim, he was too focused on his report.
"Well, Sickbay must be pretty empty right now. I'm sure you can find the time Bones." Jim gave a little shiver, which McCoy had failed to notice, before sipping his coffee again.
"You're starting to sound like the admirals at Star Fleet." Bones tutted. "How do you feel anyway?" He looked up for the first time, "Shit Jim. You look worse than you did before, have you been over doing it?" McCoy butted in before Jim could answer.
Jim just rolled his eyes. "No. I'm just tired that's all."
Bones lent over the table and snatched the coffee out his hands. "Bed. Now. That's an order."
Jim raised his eyebrows, "An order?" He smiled, not at all bothered that Bones now had his coffee, the one thing that was keeping him awake.
"A medical one. Seriously kid. Go rest." McCoy took a gulp of his coffee. "This isn't decaff is it?"
Jim chuckled. "Nope. Hope you have a good evening now Doc!"
He stood up, squinting in pain and headed towards his quarters.
"Fuck you Jim!" McCoy shouted back through the canteen.
Jim had made it back to his quarters without needing help, but walking straight was difficult. Luckily it was in the middle of a shift so nobody had noticed him.
He stumbled into his bedroom and collapsed on his bed. He laid on his front and attempted to kick his boots off, although this is was much harder than he thought. He managed to kick one off but gave up taking the other off.
His eyes grew heavy and he slowly shut them. The gentle hum of the ship echoed in his room, he always found it comforting to listen to. Finally, after two weeks of diplomatic strain, he was peacefully asleep.
He had only been asleep for what felt like minutes, before his comm went off.
Jim instantly sat up, drenched in sweat and panting. He felt completely unrefreshed and could have easily slept for hours longer.
He rubbed his damp face as his vision cleared. He lent over the side of his bed, attempting to reach his comm but misjudged the spacing and rolled onto the floor.
Fuck sake! He let out a groan before slowly steading himself to his feet. He hobbled over to his comm and punched it on.
"Kirk here."
"Captain. I hope we did not disturb you." Spock's familiar tone echoed across Kirks bedroom.
"What is it Spock?" He rubbed his face again. It had better be fucking important.
"Captain. My scanner is showing an unknown ship in this quadrant. So far no contact could be made. It is possible that the ship is in distress and awaiting rescue. Although Star Fleet can not confirm this."
Jim rolled his eyes. It WAS important.
"Well, what do Star Fleet suggest we do?"
"We currently can not establish further contact with them. Something is tampering with our signal."
Spock didn't even seem a bit bothered by all of this, but that was just his way.
Jim, who was now struggling to even stand up, placed both his hands on the table to steady him, grateful that nobody could see him doing this.
"Well…" he started his sentence but was unable to finish it, his supporting hands had failed him and he slowly fell to the floor. Rolling his eyes back, closing them tightly, as he made contact with the floor for the second time. This time however, he was unable to get back up. His body shook uncontrollably. He couldn't fight it anymore, his chest was fighting to get the oxygen into his lungs. It felt like he had a Starship sitting on his chest.
Before he could speak another word, the darkness of unconsciousness consumed him.
"Captain?" The sudden sound of a thump echoed down the comm to Spock, but it was the unresponsive captain that worried him more. "Captain? Do you read me?"
Nothing but silence hissed back to him.
"Spock to Doctor McCoy." He quickly flicked channels to sickbay.
"McCoy here. Spock what is it? I have this damn report to finish."
"We need a medical team to the Captains quarters now."
McCoy could sense the urgency in the Vulcan's voice, even if he was emotionless. "We are on the way now. McCoy out."
It wasn't even five minutes before McCoy was punching the medical override into Jim's quarters. He led the team inside, expecting to find Jim collapsed on the floor somewhere, but the surprisingly tidy quarters looked abandoned.
"Are you sure he's here?" one of the male nurses asked, inspecting the empty room.
"Just wait here. Spock wouldn't comm us for nothing." McCoy grumbled to his team.
He stepped into Jim's private bedroom and saw the bed had been slept in, but still no Jim.
He flicked the comm on which was next to the bed.
"McCoy to Spock. Are you sure Jim was in his quarters?"
"Spock here. Yes doctor. Are you having trouble locating him?" Spock replied.
"He's not here Spock!" McCoy flashed red with anger. "I don't have time for this."
"Have you checked the whole quarter's doctor?" Spock replied, oblivious to the doctor's rage.
McCoy just rolled his eyes. "McCoy out."
He perched on the end of the bed, he knew Jim had to be around here somewhere, he sent him this way. He looked up and caught his reflection in the mirror, noticing the bathroom was slightly closed.
He walked over to the ensuite and knocked before poking his head round,
"Jim, you in here? … Holy shit."
Jim was sitting on the tiled floor, struggling to breathe. The sonic shower was running, causing steam to flood the room.
"What on earth are you doing?" McCoy ran in and turned the shower off.
Jim just stayed in his sitting position trying to catch his breath.
"God dammit Jim!" McCoy grabbed a hypo containing tri-ox out of his bag and stabbed it into Jim's neck.
Jim's panting eased but McCoy wasn't risking it. He placed a respirator over Jim's nose and mouth and held it in place.
"Nurse Chapel! In the bathroom! We need that stretcher now!"
McCoy noticed Jim's eyes growing wider.
"Don't panic Jim, just breathe. We've cleared the decks. Nobody will see."
Jim was in no state to argue. He just closed his eyes and waited for it to all be over.
Together, McCoy and the rest of the medical team placed him onto the stretcher and carried him to Sickbay. McCoy looked down at his captain, who was attempting to remove the mask, but he soon stopped that. "Leave it on Jim. We are nearly there."
Jim just closed his eyes again, they were growing heavy but he fought the sleep away.
They soon arrived at Sickbay. Jim was placed straight onto a biobed, causing the oxygen alarm to go off straight away. McCoy soon silenced the alarm, not to panic Jim, and gave him another shot to tri-ox.
He grabbed a tricorder and waved it over Jim's weak body.
"His lung had collapsed again. Keep him on that respirator, I'm going to have to inflate it before we lose the other one too." McCoy peered over to catch Jim's attention, "this might hurt, but I have to do it ok?"
Jim still couldn't speak, he just nodded at his friend. He trusted him.
A nurse was fiddling around with his hand, sticking an IV of old fashioned antibiotics into him. Jim didn't even notice the needle going into his hand.
He didn't even notice the nurses cut his Starfleet uniform off either, but it allowed McCoy easier access to his lungs.
Soon enough came the pain Bones had warned him about.
A sharp sting in his right side, right between his ribs. Jim clenched his teeth together and hissed, not that anyone could notice with the oxygen mask over his mouth.
"Breathe dam it Jim! That's the worst bit done, you'll feel a lot better in around ten seconds. Just remember to breathe" McCoy was starting to form small sweat drops on his forehead, he hadn't had to move this fast in a while.
The pressure in Jim's chest began to ease and finally he felt like he could catch his breath again.
"See, I told you." McCoy stood up, facing Jim again. "How do you feel now?"
"Much… better." Jim could only manage one word at a time, but it was much better than his previous attempts of talking.
"Good. Now I'm gonna sit you up and check that back wound of yours." And before Jim could protest, he was sitting up and leaning forward.
McCoy looked at his cut, which was now bright red and oozing with blood and puss.
"God damn it Jim. I told you, if you overdo it you'll get worse. Guess what? You over done it. The regenerator won't do it for this one. It's going to need a strong course of antibiotics and draining. No wonder your lung collapsed."
He didn't need to ask Nurse Chapel to bring over the tools he needed, she was already at his side waiting for him to take them.
"Now this is also going to hurt, but it serves you right."
"I thought a Doctor wasn't meant to cause more hurt?" Jim teased. He felt a lot better and attempted to move the mask away, before being scalded by Doctor McCoy again.
"Don't you dare take that mask off. Now keep still."
McCoy poked and prodded at Jim's cut. He easily drained it and cleaned it up, even though it meant listening to Jim bitch and moan about it. He covered it up in gauze and tape and lowered Jim back down to a laying position.
"All done. Now rest. You're staying here until it closes up this time, I guess in about a week you can go back to your duties, but only light ones again. Oh and you're wearing a medical bracelet this time. As soon as I see you struggling it's a hypo in the neck for rest."
Jim attempted to sit up to complain, but McCoy's hands were already placed back on top the tops of his arms, pushing him back down again.
"Don't even try it. I WILL sedate you." He threatened.
"Fine." Jim powted.
It was going to be a long week.
THE END