Scotch
by Starsinger
In both universes, three people are a constant in the engine room. One inside the warp core chamber, one outside, and one who's witness to it all, Scotty. I think the title says it all. Don't own them.
Scotty came around in the engine room, not where he had been standing when the Captain hit him. He was going to have a black eye, he sighed with realization. The Captain was a stubborn one. Then he looked up and saw Chekov. The poor kid looked devastated. Then, Scotty looked inside the warp core chamber and understood why. The Captain was crawling towards the door, knowing he'd never make it. Scotty hit the intercom, "Mr. Scott, Congratulations are in order…"
"Mr. Spock, ye'd better get down here! Ye'd better hurry!" Dead silence greeted this statement as Scotty worked frantically to bring down the radiation levels and decontaminate the room. All the while he knew, no matter how fast he worked, he would be too late to save the Captain's life. He heard a soft moan from Keenser who obviously saw the situation. Then, another man came crashing through the room. He stopped, looking at the Captain.
"Open the door," came the command. Scotty knew enough to refuse, and with a lump in his throat informed the Vulcan that no one was going into the room. He watched as Spock dropped to his knees and talked to Kirk. Six inches of glass separated them, but it might as well have been an entire planet. Uhura got there in time to see the Kirk's last moments. Scotty wrapped his arms around her, needing the comfort as much as she did as Spock uttered in a resounding roar, "KHAAAAAAAN!"
Spock left, and eventually so did Uhura. Scotty, hit a button calling Sickbay, "Doctor, it's Scott, we have another casualty coming yer way inna few minutes."
The weary voice made Scotty choke, "Who?"
Scotty swallowed his tears as he forced the words out, "It's Captain Kirk."
The next pause was long. Scotty let the silence hang as the Doctor digested the news that his friend was gone. "Thank you Mr. Scott, I'll send Security. Dammit Jim, you would go and get yourself killed."
Scotty said nothing as he, Chekov, and Keenser waited for decontamination process to finish. Uhura had returned before it was done. He finally signaled that security could safely enter the room and watched as Jim's head hit the doorframe, "Dammit, boys, be more careful, it's the Captain ye hae there!"
It never occurred to them that the Captain no longer cared. They gently placed him on the stretcher, and off they went to sickbay where a miracle happened, a Tribble lived.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
A week later Scotty went down to the hospital: a bottle of scotch and three glasses in hand. He stopped outside to see a mystery woman, a little girl, and McCoy looking at the Captain. "Daddy?" the little girl queried, "Why doesn't he wake up?"
"The Captain is very sick, Joanna, he was even dead for a short time."
"But he's not dead now," the little voice piped.
"No, he's not, but he's getting better, and we hope to let him wake up very soon," McCoy's tired voice sounded brighter, a little happier. Scotty realized the girl had to be his daughter and the woman his ex-wife.
"Mr. Captain Jim, you need to wake up soon. You're making my Daddy sad, and I don't like my Daddy sad," Scotty watched as Bones hugged the young girl.
"Thank you for coming," Bones told the woman.
"I'm not a monster, Leonard. When I learned what happened, I realized you could use a pick-me-up. Lieutenant Uhura let me know where we could find you. You know how to reach us if you need to talk."
The pair nodded to Scotty as they exited the room. Scotty entered, "Here, Doctor, I think ye could use a drink." Scotty set the container and glasses on the bedside table. He poured three glasses, "The finest Scotch this side of Scotland. One for you," he said handing McCoy a glass, "One for you," he said sliding the second glass toward the unconscious man, "And one for me."
McCoy studied the glass a moment before knocking back it back. Scotty poured him some more, "I'm off duty. I think I can slowly get drunk, now, and not regret it."
"To you, Captain, I'd rather not get in a bar fight wi' ye man. The black eye ye ga' me hannae healed."
"Oh, don't be such a baby. You can go to the nurse's station and they'll take care of that," McCoy said, sitting on the cot in a nearby corner and pulling off his shoes.
Scotty dropped into the chair beside the bed, "Tis a badge o' honor, it is, Doctor! I wear it wi' pride." McCoy shook his head with disgust. "What do ye think is going on inside his head?"
"Well, according to Ambassador Spock, who performed a mind-meld yesterday, not much. He's confused, in pain, which we've tried to reduce, and wishing this was all over with. I don't blame him. I'd probably be confused to, first I'm dead, then I'm not. Computer, dim the lights." The lights dimmed as evening turned to twilight.
"Ye know Doctor, there are days that nothing's so bad that it cannae be fixed with a good bottle o' Scotch." Silently Bones agreed.