A/N: because I love Chekov and adore hurt/comfort fics and because, really, no way could he lift both Kirk and Scotty without some serious repercussions. XD

He had been stupid. He had been stupid and there was no doubt about it.

Chekov had known something was wrong the second the Enterprise had started to right itself and he had finally been able to pull the Captain and Mr Scott up. He'd started to pull and then something had popped! and damn it all if it hadn't hurt. He hadn't had time to wonder about the pain rocketing out from his left shoulder, only had time to hear the mantra in his head:

Save the Captain. Save Mr Scott. Save the Captain. Save Mr Scott.

From there it had been a blur of flipping switches, dashing to the bridge, trying to navigate a crashing a ship and then beaming people up and down. There had been yelling from Med Bay, warning lights screaming at them, debris falling around, and general chaos.

Through it all Pavel had ignored that searing from his shoulder, the excruciating pain that had him believing he would pass out on more than one occasion. But there hadn't been time for that. Hadn't been time to stop, to ask for a hypo, to complain. No, there had only been time to complete the mission.

There had been that mantra again, only this time slightly different:

Stop Kahn. Save Kirk. Stop Kahn. Save Kirk.

But then, then, everything had stopped. Kahn had been neutralised and captured. Dr McCoy had started working on a serum to revive the Captain the instant he'd had the blood delivered to him. The Enterprise had managed to pull itself out of the atmosphere and they had been ordered to stay in orbit, waiting for Starfleet Headquarters to make a more final decision as to what should be done. The injured crew were found, nominated, carried – anything really – and placed on shuttles bound for Earth.

Chekov should have nominated himself. Should have said that he was injured. Should have mentioned to Hikaru that he could barely move his arm and that his shoulder felt like someone had lit a furnace inside it.

But he hadn't.

In the end, he'd just found himself too tired. Every ounce of adrenaline was gone from his body. They hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, or eaten either. His feet were sore from standing and running. Hikaru himself had been nursing a migraine from the stress of it all and when he'd suggested they simply crash in their respective quarters, Pavel had agreed.

He had made one attempt to pull off his red-shirt, only to have such action cause him to cry out and buckle to the floor in utter agony. That should have been the biggest red light he'd ever seen but he'd ignored it, simply wearily pushing himself to his feet with his good arm and carefully rolling onto his bed, shoes and all.

He knew he should go to Med Bay but Captain Kirk was there. Maybe dying, maybe alive, maybe dead, and Chekov would be damned if he was going to take their attention away from him for even one second. So what if his shoulder hurt? One sore muscle was really too small a price to pay for Captain's Kirk life.

Consciousness came much too soon for Pavel. He'd remained blissfully ignorant whilst in the throws of sleep but now that he was awake, the young Russian could feel a niggling pain in his shoulder. Screwing up his face in irritation, it wasn't until Pavel attempted to move the arm to ease the discomfort that he remembered exactly why he was lying at such an odd angle.

A strangled scream escaped his lips before it morphed into sobs, the pain tearing through him like white heat.

"Pavel!"

The door to his shared bathroom slid open and he could hear foots running across the floor as Hikaru arrived. The young pilot had heard the scream and all but bolted up, terrified at what might have happened to his best friend.

"Hikaru…?" Pavel managed to whimper, forcing his eyes open to find his friend crouched down in front of him.

"I'm here," Hikaru replied quickly, hands held awkwardly between himself and the navigator. He couldn't see anything wrong but there was obviously something and so he had no idea where to place his hands. "What's wrong? Pavel, what did you do?"

Taking several deep breaths, the young Russian was able to isolate the pain and took great care when sitting up. He let out a heavy breath when he was able to do it without too much drama; he was able to escape with a mere wince. Reaching up to rub his face, Pavel then shakily reached out a hand and grabbed one of Hikaru's reassuringly.

"I'm fine," he lied, adding a small smile. "I must have moved a little funny when I woke up. It is nothing."

Hikaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't give me that," he growled. "I heard you scream. That wasn't nothing."

He had the decency to blush. "Okay, maybe it is just a little injury," he admitted, letting go of Hikaru's hand so he could make a tiny measuring gesture with his thumb and index finger.

The Asian wasn't buying it though, and his eyes instead roamed to where Pavel's left arm was lazily hanging by his side. He gestured to it was a nod. "What's wrong with you arm? And don't lie," he snapped when Pavel opened his mouth. "You haven't so much as moved it since I came in. What did you do to it?"

"…It is just a sprain…strain…?" He fumbled over the right word. "I did it in the Engineering."

Hikaru raised his eyebrows and shuffled closer. He reached out and pulled the arm towards him, intending to get a closer look. The instant pained cry such action caused though made him drop the arm without thought, eyes wide.

"Dude, that's not good," he said seriously. "If you're complaining over that, something's definitely broken, wrist, I'd say."

Pavel's own eyes widened and he swallowed nervously. He hadn't thought it was that bad, even if his friend's guess as to the location of the injury was completely off. Hikaru saw the look and allowed himself a small sigh. Of course his best friend would be so painfully oblivious. Pushing himself to his feet, he slowly reached forward to grasp Pavel's other arm.

"Come on. Let's get you to the Med Bay. See what Doctor McCoy's "legendary hands" can do this time." There was a slight smirk on his face as he said it and Pavel made a note to get the full explanation later.

As it was, they were actually out the door before he suddenly remembered. "No Hikaru!" he whined, pulling them to a halt. "We cannot go to the Med Bay."

"What? Why?"

"Because…" the Russian boy's voice was barely a whisper. "…what about the Captain?...Is he…?"

Dead?

Dead because of me?

Dead because I could not do my job in Engineering?

Dead because even though I have been shadowing Mister Scott I obviously haven't been paying enough attention and so ruined the warp core?

The questions weren't voiced but something must have crossed his face because Hikaru looked at him oddly for a long moment. Then he took a deep breath before relinquishing his hold on Pavel and moving his hand to his shoulder instead, a comforting gesture. He tried to lock their gazes but Pavel was quick to shy away. The pilot found himself sighing for the second time in probably just as many minutes.

"Look, Pavel…I don't know," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "But what I do know is that you're hurt too." He tugged them back into motion, heading down the hall. "Not going to Med Bay isn't going to solve anything."

Pavel bit his lip for a moment before throwing all his weight back, causing Sulu to stumble and come to an unexpected halt. "What the hell?" he demanded angrily.

"No Hikaru!" Pavel returned firmly. "I will not go to the Med Bay! I do not care what you say! They are busy and they do not need me bothering them!" He actually stomped his foot, like a small child. Hikaru stared at him incredulously and he blushed, extremely embarrassed.

Hikaru then levelled his gaze. "We're not going to fight over this."

"Then we are not going to the Med Bay then, yes?"

"Dammit Pavel!"

"No Hikaru!"

"Alright laddies, what's going on?"

Both bridge members turned to find Scotty standing and staring at them. His eyes flicked between them uncertainly, frown appearing when Pavel's head bowed and Hikaru glared at him defiantly.

"I will nae ask again," he said when no answer was forthcoming.

Hikaru, frustrated and no doubt still tired from the events of the day before, blindly reached out and grabbed Pavel's arm, yanking him forward. "Mr Chekov here-"

"Hikaru!" "Drop him lad!"

The yells came at the same time, although Pavel's was in pain and panic, Scotty's in fear and alarm. Hikaru leapt back as though scalded, looking at his hand as if it had betrayed him. How? How had he hurt Pavel? Sure, he'd grabbed the wrong arm but he'd avoided the wrist. Why? He didn't…

"Pavel, I-"

The Russian shook his head and shot him weakest smile he'd ever seen, surrounded by falling tears. "No Hikaru," he whispered as he gasped for breath. "I'm sorry…I didn't…"

"There's something very wrong with ya," Scotty cut in, eyes grave. He looked at Sulu for a moment. "I take it he wasn't going to Med Bay with ya? Leave him with me. I cannae say I'll get him there, but you my friend still look dead on ya feet." He smiled sadly. "Go back and get some sleep; I'll look after this one."

The pilot shook his head firmly. "No, I don't want to. He's my friend. I'm going to-"

A soft hand on his shoulder stopped him and he saw Pavel staring up at him imploringly. "Hikaru, I'm okay, really. I am sorry I bothered you." Gentle fingers traced his temple and Hikaru's eyes sunk shut on their own accord. "You are still having the migraine. Please, sleep. I will be better when you wake up."

Brown eyes snapped open. "Promise me."

Pavel sighed and he shook his head. "I cannot promise what I don't know I can keep."

Seeing that the argument was lost, Hikaru threw a hand in the air in defeat before storming off. Pavel bit his lip guiltily as he watched him go. "Mister Scott," he said tearfully. "Am I a terrible person?"

A strong hand clapped his good shoulder. "Ya may be many things laddie, but terrible is not one of them. I'd be more saying extraordinary." Scotty had to laugh at the wide eyes being sent his way but he quickly turned his attention to the young man in front of him. After a moment he nodded. "Ah, I see what ya problem is. It's not your wrist, it's your shoulder, isn't it?"

Pavel looked stunned, slowly nodding.

"I can see from the way it's all whack here," Scotty said, tracing the curve of Pavel's shoulder without actually touching it. "Ya dislocated it, that's my bet. How'd ya manage that?"

If anything, the kid looked even more terrified and guilty than before. It was a puzzling reaction. An accident was an accident so why…? Scotty's eyes sunk shut.

"Ya did this pulling Jim and I up, didn't ya?" With the utmost gentleness and care, he pulled Chekov into his arms. "Oh ya wee bastard. You're all crazy, ya know that right?"

"…it was what I deserved."

It took him a moment to register the words but when he did, Scotty had a firm hand on his chest, pushing him away sternly. "Ya wanna run that passed me again laddie?"

Pavel was genuinely afraid now, afraid of the wild look in the Scotsman's eyes.

"Say it again. I damn near dare ya."

Despite his fear, the tears began to form and Pavel stumbled back. "I am sorry!" he yelled, an arm coming up to hug himself. "I don't care if you think it was stupid but it was me that broke the warp core! If I had not have done that, none of this would have happened! Admiral Marcus would not have caught us, the crew would not have died, and neither would the Captain! I killed the ship Mister Scott!" There was no fear in his eyes now. Only self-hatred and heart-break. "I made this mess! It is only fair that I too am messed up! I deser-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off as Scotty slammed him into his chest once more, holding the kid as fiercely as he could, tears of his own forming. "Oh laddie," he breathed, slipping a hand onto the back of Pavel's head as the boy began to sob in earnest. "Ya didn't do this, it's not your fault."

"No Mister Scott," he cried, "It is! You even said yourself, "what have you done to me core?" You knew it was me!"

"My God," the engineer murmured, remembering those words now with shame. "I didn't mean it boy, I swear I didn't. No one blames you for what happened. I've heard the crew, and there isn't no one aboard this ship that isn't admiring what ya did."

"But…the core…?" he hiccoughed.

Scotty stepped back and tilted Pavel's chin up so he was looking at him. "And what if I said that I had found security footage that showed that the pipes had been sabotaged by being laced with slow-acting acid?"

The Russian's eyes went impossibly wide, and perhaps even the tiniest bit of hope started to rise on them. "Did you…?" He sounded almost scared to ask.

"Aye, I did," Scotty confirmed, watching the kid crumple has he sobbed with relief. "Ya didn't do nothing. And I can prove it. Now," he continued, placing a steering hand on his back. "Let's get ya to Med Bay before Mister Sulu comes a searching."

Pavel would have smiled if he had had the energy.

Doctor McCoy had been less than impressed by the state Pavel had arrived in and he'd about to launch into a raving fit when Scotty had levelled him with the darkest look he'd ever seen. The engineer's eyes had gone to Pavel pointedly and seeing the great, big tears rolling down his cheeks and the obvious evidence that there had been plenty before them, McCoy had – for once – shut his mouth. To make up for it, he'd rolled his eyes theatrically and ushered the navigator in, though not without pulling Scotty aside and growling that he'd get the full story later.

The damage had actually been worse than any of them had thought. A dislocated shoulder yes, but because of the time it had been left untreated several nerves had been damaged severely. There hadn't been a need for surgery, but damn if it hadn't been close. McCoy had popped the joint back in and Pavel had screamed, blinking back tears and biting his lip so hard it nearly drew blood.

Repairing the nerves had taken both precision and repetition with the regenerator but once that was finally done, McCoy had shoved a hypospray of painkillers into his neck and Chekov had been fairly certain that he'd been especially rough to prove a point. After promises to come back in the evening and the following morning, Pavel had been released. He'd whispered a hoarse thanks to both Doctor McCoy and Mister Scott before skittering out of the Med Bay.

He slipped his way through the Enterprise halls, finally reaching his room. Typing in his code, Pavel felt a sense of relief as he stepped into his room. The discovery that he could remove his shirt came as a blessing and he grabbed a simple old shirt and a pair of boxers before stepping into the bathroom to have a long over-due sonic shower. The old clothes had been tossed onto the floor haphazardly, Pavel suddenly too tired to do bothered to place them in the chute. He took half a step towards his extremely inviting looking bed before turning to glance at the door leading to Hikaru's room. He took a deep breath before actually gathering the courage to open the door.

The room was, as he'd predicted, blanketed in darkness, Hikaru lying on his bed, seemingly asleep. Padding his way over to the bed, Pavel watched his friend for a moment before reaching down to tug on his sleeve nervously.

"…'karu?"

There was a faint mumble and then Hikaru's eyes snapped open, startling him. "Pavel!" he exclaimed, already starting to sit up. "Are you okay? What did-"

Pavel interrupted him by grabbing the hand that was reaching for him and using it to lever Hikaru back onto the bed. "I just…Can I please stay?"

Hikaru snorted, realising that would be the only answer he was going to get until they were both suitably coherent. "Eh, sure," he replied breezily, shuffling over.

His friend slipped into the bed, burrowing into the pillow immediately and pulling the sheet tight around him. "Thank you Hikaru," he mumbled. A set of knuckles running over his shoulder made his eyes pop back open though.

"Shoulder," Hikaru announced, voice a whisper. "I figured it out. You dislocated your shoulder. Tell me the story later? I'm sure you did it doing something awesome."

Pavel just smiled at him sleepily, eyes already slinking shut – undoubtedly for good this time. "Sure Hikaru, whatever you say."

A/N: so it kinda of ended up being a bit more Chulu flavoured than I expected but hey, read it platonic or romantic as you see fit. And I know that while in the movie Scotty does not say anything about Chekov breaking the ship but in the book he does and it made me so mad that I had to reference it here. XD Reviews are welcome if you are inclined towards giving them.

~Danno