…Always leave their mark
Jim looks at the twitchy ensign sitting in the pilot's chair and sighs. He misses Hikaru. The young Asian was always astute, ready and calm and the Captain misses that. Without him, the crew is weakened. Turning to his helm again, he looks at Pavel. The Russian has already made several simple mistakes and is fumbling.
"Chekov, go see McCoy," he gently instructs. As the navigator turns to look at him, the young American can see that Pavel hasn't slept since Hikaru was captured three days ago.
"B-but sir…."
"Pavel, you haven't slept for days. Go see Bones." Nodding, the Russian vacates his post and slips down to medical. Jim sighs; not only is the loss of his best pilot affecting the crew as a whole, it's going to cost him his navigator too. But Pavel and Hikaru are more than that to him. They are his friends and he sees them like sons, to protect. The Captain is filled with guilt because he could not save the pilot.
I hope to god Hikaru is okay… well at least alive.
…
Leonard McCoy sighs as Pavel slopes into his medical bay.
"Over here, kid," he says waving Pavel over. The Russian stumbles and Leonard catches him, supporting him as he leads him into his office.
"You haven't been sleeping, have you?"
"Doktor…" begins the navigator before he slumps in his chair. "Nyet. Nyet seence 'Karu…" he chokes up and trails off. The doctor puts his arm around the kid.
"I know. I'm sorry, Chekov. It's not fair; Sulu's a good man and that… I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy. I'm sorry. I know you loved him." The Russian whimpers, burying his head in Leonard's chest as he cries softly.
"I lowe heem so much eend I cen't bare to zheenk ebout vhat he ees goeeng zhrough… Oh, my Heekaru…" Pavel sobs, unable to stop. The doctor keeps his arm around the boy as he cries himself into an exhausted slumber. Then, gently, the Georgian doctor transfers the young Russian to a medical bed and lays a blanket over him.
The poor kid… I hope we'll find Sulu soon
…
Hikaru Sulu is afraid, trembling and cold. He tugs at his collar, coughing as it strangles him. Shirtless and trembling, he stretches to inspect the agonising brand on his shoulder. It looks like a circle, made of two intertwining snakes and it burns, so painfully.
"Get the kid!" yells a gruff voice and Hikaru yelps as his collar is yanked roughly, the spikes driving into his skin. The Andoran drags him out into the open, where the other Andoran's sit. Forcing him to his knees, one of them slaps him hard.
"Scum." Hikaru is then treated to half an hour of abuse, until his battered black and blue before being dragged back to the vehicle he is being kept in. As he is abandoned there, in terrible pain, he thinks of home
I wonder how Pavel is… I miss the Enterprise.