Chapter Two Starfire
Bella was constantly cold on that cold planet named Antricis.
She thought that if she was cold deeply and long enough, she would grow numb emotionally as well as physically. it had not worked. She allowed her hair to grow out. It was long and wavy now, and in the right lighting had copper highlights. The long hair helped to keep the wind off minutely, but was kept for no other reason.
She had not taken a lover in a long time. Not one since Spock. And in all the time she believed the fire would abate inside of her. Since they had both gone to the fiery hot lands of Vulcan for the dissolution, she had not experienced a break from the passions as they had promised. No release. In fact, she burned even more from him.
Unfortunately, the people on the planet Anacris Lesquin she had banished herself to happened to be hermaphrodites and so ignored the waves of empathic aphrodisiac. Something had gone wrong from the dissolution and Bella was stuck with it. Feeling there was but only one recourse, she sent for her physician Doctor McCoy. He was the only one she wanted to share this embarassing news with.
18 months had passed before she called for his assistance. Her body had taken to throwing itself into almost seizure-like fits and she suffered nosebleeds as an affect of trying to repress her emotions constantly. She felt she could wait no longer. She sent the call out on a priority channel to Starfleet.
"Curious." McCoy said more to himself than to Nurse Chapel, even though she was present in the room.
"What is it, Doctor?"
"Dr. Bella Branzzk has requested my immediate assistance. She says it is personal." His eyebrow arched in deep concentration above his crystalline blue eye as he touched his chin in thought.
"Specifically you, doctor?" asked Nurse Chapel in her bell-like voice?"
"Yes, Christine. I think I should speak with Spock before they drop me off on the planet."
Christine looked confused but before she could think of any tactful questions he might ask, he was out the door.
Since the event with Bella, Spock had been working hard to build up his mental disciplines. Who knew when he would see someone like her again. He wanted to be prepared and unaffectd by such a creature. So he mediated with much more frequency.
Spock was in deep meditation in his quarters. he wanted his mind focused for he knew of Dr. Branzzk's request for the attendance of the Enterprise's CMO to the world of Antricis. He wished to be completely relaxed and unaffected by her presence.
McCoy had other things on his mind besides having Spock feel balanced or at peace.
Spock's door chirped, breaking his concentration.
"Enter," Spock intoned.
McCoy came jaunting in, looking a bit hunched in the hsoulders yet determined and purposeful.
"Spock, I'm going to ask you some very personal questions, and you can't lie to me." He warned the Science Officer.
"I do not lie, Doctor," he said from his seat in the floor.
"Phooey! Now don't lie to me," McCoy snarled in a warning tone, never having believed the claim that the Vulcans were completely honest.
"I will endeavor not to," Spock returned frostily.
"That's better. You know where we're headed, don't you?"
"I am aware of our present course, and our mission."
"So you know who's there."
"doctor, I believe you are attempting to goad me into an emotional response."
"Mister Spock, if I'd wanted to goad you into an emotional response I'd be more blunt. Like this: How long is the gestation period of a Vulcan child?"
"Approximately 14-18 standard months." Logic apparently was not going to help Spock in this instance. "I fail to see how the gestation period of the Vulcan race could evoke an emotional response to me."
"Really? Cause I read up on Vulcan physiology myself so I'd be prepared in the event of some abnormal dealings with you. How long has it been since Dr. Branzzk and you were friendly?"
"I believe we left on as good of terms as could be expected, considering the circumstances."
"Spcok! I refuse to believe that you are this obtuse! How long has it been since you had your romantic interlude with Dr. Branzzk?"
"It has been-" Spock paused, his eyebrow arcing and bottom lip barely quivering- "16 months, 17 days-"
"Do you see why I'm concerned?"
"You believe I may have impregnated Dr. Branzzk."
"Why else would she call me out to help her. Help her with personal medical issues."
"Our bond has been dissolved, so I do not feel her thoughts, anymore, Dr. McCoy."
"And if you could?"
Spock cocked his head to the side. "It would not benefit either of us to share our thoughts anymore."
"You uncaring bastard! You can't begin to tell me you don't care about her anymore, can you?" spat McCoy.
"Although I find her aesthetically pleasing and her publications and engrossing read, I must admit I feel no emotions in regards to her."
"That's fine, Mr. Spock. And if she ahs given birth to your child?... I know she wasn't using any contraceptives. Her and her husband were trying to have a child. There's a distinct possibility-"
"I believ it would be best if we dealt with this issue if and when it becomes a reality."
"Heartless demon!" hissed McCoy, his eyes wide with rage.
"It is illogical to mkae plans for what may not even be a future. We hsould not 'count our chickens before they hatch' as you would say."
"Fine, Spock. I'll be the one to deal with your dirty laundry." McCoy stormed out of the room faster than he had arrived.
McCoy was irate. Who would have thought Spock would be irresponsible about anyhing?!
Spock tried to return to meditation but all he could focus on was Bella's visage. So there would be no rest for the wicked.
It took three days at warp 4 to come tot he frigid planet of Antricis. McCoy was surprised to be called to the bridge immediately upon entering orbit.
Dr. Branzzk had hailed the ship. She looked quite a bit thinner than he remembered. Her simple request was to see McCoy alone, to discuss personal matters. McCoy conceded. He would have liked to surf a shuttlecraft down to the surface but it was the windy season and it was much safer to beam into the cave she resided at.
McCoy brought a tricorder and a medical kit. He thought that was all he would need immediately.
Spock had been on the bridge when the hail had gone on screen. He couldn't help but feel stirred when he laid eyeson her haunting visage, to remember their bodies entwined, despite what he had told McCoy.
And now, McCoy, the emotional one was heading to the surface dressed in a parka generated by the ship. Spock found himself secretly and illogically wishing him luck with Bella.
Upon materializing in the cave, McCoy allowed his blue eyes to adjust to the dark cave before him. It was dimly lit by phosphorescent rocks that were cultivated by the local creatures for light and food.
The green blue and purple lights were beauitufl and cast a pearly sheen on the doctor, who sat on a very primitive and unkindly looking bed.
"Dr. Branzzk?" smiled McCoy.
"Dr. McCoy, please call me Bella."
"That means 'beautiful one' doesn't it?"
"Yes it does." she smiled.
"How apt."
She beamed at his suave remark. Inwardly he flinched. Why had he said this?
"So? What seems to be the problem, 'Bella'?" he asked, having her sit on the bed.
"Um.. well.."
"Could you remove your coat, please?" he asked absentmindedly as he pulled out his tricorder.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"I do. You don't have anything I haven't seen before," he assured her playfully.
Bella, troubled as she opened her large fur coat - and to his shock and intense embarrassing arousal he saw she wore a sheer nude-colored chemise.
"Well.. uh.." he swallowed before she leaned in close to him. He managed one quick reading before she kissed him on the mouth, and grabbed under his coat, on his firm little buttcheeks.
McCoy merely was standing there at first before she slipped her tongue into his mouth.
McCoy hadnt' kissed a woman in a long while, and beautiful desireable Bella was ravaging his mouth as she threw off the furcoat and drug him to her. Pulling him on top of her, he felt his resolve to argue slip away.
Before he could readily protest he felt her straddle him, rubbing herself over his interest eagerly.
"I want you, McCoy. I want you inside me. I want you now."
He moaned as he felt the need to doctor her surface.
"Bella, Bella," he spoke as she pulled up his shirt and sucked on his nipples. "Bella, you sent a priority distress call. That can't be used just for a booty call."
"JUST a booty call," she scoffed. "I haven't had a man since that hyrbid Spock cause the people down here are truly frigid hermaphrodites. If I don't have you soon, McCoy I believe I will die of sexual frustration!"
"Me. Not Spock?" He asked for clarification.
"You. Only you." And to enforce this, she touched his interest and kissed him again.
McCoy was a generous lover, but still exhaustible and a man on a mission. He had fulfilled Bella, then insisted on speaking with her as she fondled him.
"Why did you call me, Bella?"
"I.. Spcok and I were lovers, and we decided the fair thing to do was to dissolve our union that was made by our link. Since the procedure, I don't feel... I feel as if he has poured all of his desire into me on top of all my own. I think the Vulcans made a mistake," she returned sheepishly.
"The Vulcans?" laughed McCoy, focusing intently on her words.
"Yes. You know, I want to feel you in my mouth." His body responded by leaping in her hands. "I believe the Vulcan's ceremoy was completed incorrectly. We may need to return to Vulcan."
"Can't you live with a wee bit elevated libido?"
"Can you deal with being hungry every second of every single day? It is no different for me. And I'm hungry for you, McCoy."
Now she allowed her mouth to descend to his interest and she took him wholly.
McCoy hailed the Enterprise. "Hey, uh, Jim, we might need to borrow Spock for a few weeks."
"Really? What an odd request." Jim chuckled.
"Odd circumstances. Apparently, somethings needs to be redissolved."
Kirk swallowed hard. Not THAT again.
"Alright, Bones. I'll let T'Lien and T'Pau know that we shall meet them at the appointed place."
It would take a month and a half to get to Vulcan. In the meantime, McCoy couldn't help it. His love for Bella had grown and he spent every spare minute with her. Spock had not bothered for a full week to try and see her. After all, McCoy still had not told him whether or not he had found out if Spock was a father.
So one week later, Spcok went to McCoy's room and illogically enetered without asking. What he found disturbed him on many different levels. He saw McCoy and Bella together in bed, making appreciative noise over each others bodies.
"Doctor! I scarcely see this a fitting reason to travel out of our way-" began Spock.
"Spcok! What happened to privacy?!" roared the shocked and apalled doctor recognzing his voice in his own room.
"I came to see the results of your inquest. I see no infant so I must assume-"
"Get OUT of here!"
"I belive, as you 'humans' would say: 'we need to talk.'"
"Now?!" asked McCoy incredulously.
"There is no time like the present." responded Spock almost gruffly.
McCoy wondered when Spock had started speaking in so many aphorisms as he illogically covered Bella up with a blanket. It wasn't as if Spock had never seen her naked before, but McCoy was still a country gentleman. Once they were both more or less concealed for modesty purposes, they faced Spock.
"I believe that Dr. Branzzk called for you, Dr. McCoy as a physician. It is inappropriate for you to initiate in a liaison between the two of you, being as she is your patient." Spock intoned as he tried to keep his eyes off of her, and focused on the doctor.
"What in blue blazing hell are you tlaking about, Spock? She called me because since the dissolution, her symptoms have increasd to the point that they are affecting her physical health!"
"Talk later. Love me now," she growled at McCoy, her hand working under the blanket over his body.
"If your Vulcan Priestess had done her job right, we wouldn't be in this position right now." exclaimed the irascible doctor.
"What you are saying is most illogical. Our bond is dissolved. Otherwise, there is not any way that she would be here in bed with you." Spock stated matter-of-factly.
"What the hell does that mean? Are you superior to me in the bedroom as well?" McCoy looked ready for a fight. "I'll whoop your ass as I am, naked!"
"I am merely meaning that the Vulcan bond would have compelled her for her to call for me, Doctor, not a physician. She would be compelled to gratify herself by my body. And no one else's."
"Brainwashed you mean. Look, Mr. Hoity Toity, I think you're jealous that she wants me now."
"I think you should reexamine this situation medically. It is possible that we have overlooked an important aspect of her physiology-"
"You and I have both overlooked her body and you're not getting the chance again, now LEAVE!"
Spcok left, and Bella kissed Leonard on the mouth before he could become more enraged by Spock's presence.
Upon exiting the room, Spock went to the wall and pressed a button on the intercom system. "Captain, this is Spock. I believe it is neccessary to speak with you."
"Well, I'm at the gym now, would you like to join me?"
"I believe this is a private matter."
"Oh well, I'll meet you at my quarters. On my way."
Spock met Kirk directly at his quarters where the shirtless gleaming Captain stood.
"Let's go inside," encouraged Kirk amicably.
The two entered his quarters.
The Captain sat at his desk and invited Spock to sit in the chair across from it. Spock instead chose to stand.
"What seems to be the problem, Mr. Spock?" Kirk asked carefully.
"I believe the doctor may require some assistance I have been unable to provide. I believe that his judgement is being compromised and afecting his clinical detachment."
"You've never questioned his professionality. What has brought upon an issue?"
"Dr. Bella Branzzk."
Kirk swallowed hard. The widow had caused some havoc on their natural functions of the ship.
"How is she affecting the doctor?"
"Apparently, the lady doctor has suffered increasing symptoms since the dissolution of our bond. I believe there may be a medical reason for her reaction. McCoy believed that she may have een gestating my child and required assistance, and that's why he agreed to meet with her." Spock explained.
"Spock, we only beamed the two doctros aboard, no infants."
"I still believed Dr. McCoy owed me the responsibility as a doctor and .. my friend to inform me of whether or not I was a father and thusly needed to plan paternal duties. My parents I'm sure would wish to know as well."
"I agree," Kirk nodded.
"He did not come to see me. I committed a faux pas by not knocking on the door before seeing Dr. McCoy and he and Dr. Branzkk were .. quite involved."
Kirk's eyes widened. "You're saying-"
"His feelings for her have completely overriden his judgement. I do not believe he has even thought of checking the tricorder readings on the planet that he took of her."
"Well I'll fix that." Kirk hit a button on his desk. "Bones, Starfleet's really haggling me for a full medical report on Dr. Branzzk. First thing when you get back on shift, you think you could sent that up to me so I can them off my back?"
"Yeah. Sure. It'll be on your desk in a few hours." Panted McCoy.
"Great!" Kirk hit the button again. "There. Problem solved."
"Sir-" protested Spockl.
Kirk raised his hand to stop him mid-sentence. "I know what I'm doing, Mr. Spock. If this doesn't take care of the problem, there's far little less actions and they most certainly will solve this problem."
Spock nodded and bowed slightly. "As you wish, Captain. I will resume my duties now."
"Yes. To the bridge. And in a little while, we will go snoop in sickbay," Kirk replied playfully.
Spock's response was to raise a carefully groomed eyebrow into an arch.
"'Snoop', sir?"
"Well," Kirk smirked, "perhaps investigate is a better term to use."
Spock nodded in acquiesence. "I will be on the bridge."
"I'll be up there in a little bit."
The next two hours were uneventful, and the Captain made sure everything was A-OK on the ship before he gave over command to Scotty and stole Spock to begin their investigation in Sickbay.
Upon entering the sickbay, Kirk expected to see McCoy and Branzzk in the open front room, but there was only a mildly ruffled looking Nurse Chapel.
"Nurse Chapel, where is Doctor McCoy?" Kirk asked.
"He is in a private room with Dr. Branzzk, performing a .. physical." The nurse responded a little judgementally.
"Wel that is certainly irregular."
"Hm!" Was Nurse Chapel's irritated falsetto response. She put away some computer discs and looked at the Captain and Mr. Spock. "They're in room two."
"Thank you Nurse Chapel," She smiled then shuffled back to work.
Kirk and Spock headed to Private Room 2. These rooms were used more for quarantine situations, so it was really no wonder that Nurse Chapel thought it was irregular that they were alone in one of these rooms for her physical. Kirk knocked on the door.
"Come in!" McCoy shot out.
Kir kopend the door.
"Jim!" beamed McCoy. Then he glared, recognizing the pointy-eared hybrid beside Kirk. "Oh.. and Spock. What can I do for you?" He asked as Bella rubbed the bare portion of his arms in a very personal matter.
"Just wondering how the exam was going." Kirk returned conversationally.
"I was curious as to why this is so important to 'Starfleet' all of a sudden," McCoy asked in almost an accusing tone.
"They actually asked for an immediate response on her health, but I just figured after a week of not hearing anything from you, that I better get a report before Starfleet sends someone else to investigate. I thoght I might gently push you."
"Now you have to 'push' me to do my job? Listen, Jim, if you have a problem with the way I do my job-"
"I haven't had a problem before her. I think you should have M'Benga look her over. I think your emotions are clouding your judgement," confessed Kirk.
"And what does Spock think?' snarled McCoy.
"I disagree."
Kirk and McCoy both looked at Spock, shocked.
"I believe a female physician would be a much better candidate to tend to Dr. Branzzk. She seems to not have an attraction to females. If the medical reason for this is to be discovered-"
"Are you saying she doesn't have feelings for me? She's standing right behind me!"
"So ask her." Kirk responded.
"McCoy, how long after the time she called you down to the surface did you two enter into a physical relationship?" Spock asked, coldly.
McCoy looked uncomfortable to answer Spock's question.
"Well, anyways the answer to this question is of no importance. What question is more important is whether or not she would still be contacting you whether or not her current medical condition was present." Spock said stoically.
McCoy looked very annoyed. "Medical condition? She says since the dissolution of her bond that she feels even more .. driven. I was her physician-"
"Leonard, I need you," Bella moaned in a stirring voice, that had everyone trying to ignore the lust in her voice.
"Just wait here for a few minutes. I need to fix this problem," McCoy said gently to her.
"But baby..."
"Just a few minutes." he said softly to Bella. Then his eyes grew cold as glaciers as he returned his conversation to his two "best friends". "Let's go to my office," growled McCoy.
In a few moments they were seated in McCoy's office.
"Dd either of you ahve the desire to rape her?" McCoy asked coldly.
"Bones?" Kirk asked, taken aback by the statement.
"The reason why I ask is because as far as I can tell, she ahs been taking the shots I asked her to, using the proper hyposprays to wean herself off her addiction to her husband's hormones. So you, both being the experts on the matter, let me know why her libido is increasing. I checked the formulas for her hormones myself repeatedly. I'm not an incompetent doctor-"
"I never said that, Bones. I believe your judgement is being affected, nonetheless. She is a beautiful amazing woman, but maybe Spock is right. Maybe she requires Dr. Rosa to look her over." Kirk explained. He paused, his voice becoming more soft, and kind. "Don't you want what's best for her?"
"Won't Starfleet wonder why I'm not performing the medical workup when she asked for me specifically?" McCoy asked, his resolve weakening.
"I'm sure Starfleet will understand once they realize the circumstances. You shouldn't have to make any medical decisions regarding her, due to your relationship, anyways. You and I both know that," Kirk said in an appealing tone.
"Alright. Let's get Dr. Rosa in here." McCoy relinquished.
Dr. Branzzk's face was red with blood once Dr. Rosa had arrived. Bella was suffering from yet another nosebleed.
An hour and a half later, Dr. Rosa emerged from the private room, calling Kirk, Spock and McCoy to her.
Dr. Carlita Rosa was a short Latina with dynamic brown eyes and curly black hair pulled back away from her face with a colorful scarf. Despite her height, her presence was always known.
"I have some interesting findings, gentlemen." She began brusquely. "She has contracted a virus. A virus that is severly affecting her libido. The longer she incubates this virus, the stronger her drive is. She is now suffering from seizures, dehydration, and nosebleeds. As long as she's suffering from this disease, she needs to not be having any intercourse. Am I clear on this? If she does, this will deplete her body of needed nutrients that will help her stave off this viral infection so that hopefully I can find an answer."
"What about Spock and McCoy?" asked Kirk.
"Were they intimate with her?" Rosa asked bluntly.
"Yes." Kirk replied with equal frankness.
"Than I should look them both over," she shrugged.
"Are her hormonal applications proving efficacious at all?" Spock asked.
"I believe they were the only treatment that was holding the side affects at bay," Rosa said.
"So this is my fault? This is something I overlooked?" McCoy asked broken-hearted.
"For all I know, she oculd have contracted this on Vulcan. I have no answers so far. But let's look you two over and make sure how contagious this virus is and how long this has been incubating. Who knows? She could have caught it from her husband and it just didn't start replicating until she was back on that ice planet. Maybe the cold makes it replicate faster. No more questions until I have more answers, though," she replied sternly.
Dr. Rosa called Kirk back to sickbay once she had more answers. "Hello Captain."
"Doctor. What's going on?"
"So far, Dr. Branzzk has been sedated, and given extra hormone supplements. We're going to have to find or make an anti-viral that will work for her. It may be the only thing that will save her life. She's restrained, has fluids going; and an all-female staff MUST be incurred until she even begins to recover from this. I'm treating her with a broad spectrum of antivirals in the meantime, hoping something will work."
"And how are Spock and McCoy?" Kirk asked.
"Well, it seems that the virus is spread only through empaths, and albeit Spock can be empathic, the virus does not survive in his bloodstream."
"Why did you think to look at empaths, and how would you discover this?" Kirk asked, a little confused.
"It turns out that Nurse Chapel and I are both empaths to some degree, so I took some of the virus and inserted into some random blood samples, to see if it would flourish. They did quite nicely in Nurse Chapel and my blood. The virus did not however survive Dr. M'Benga, or Dr. McCoy's blood. So, if it weren't going to kill her, she could have sex with Dr. McCoy or Spock as much as she wanted and they would nto be infected," she explained.
"How is it spread?"
"It is spread the same way as the A.I.D.S. virus of the 20th-22nd century."
"Ah what a long battle that was. Have you found the origination of her infection?"
"Believe it or not, Dr. Branzzk was correct. She was infected on Vulcan. One of the human empaths training on Vulcan to control his emotions apparently broke down and had a brief interlude with Dr. Branzzk. We may have found the beginning of an empath pandemic. Very slow incubation, but still quite deadly. I will be working round the clock on a treatment for this ailment. Hopefully, she will be cured by the time we get to Vulcan so we can help Mr. Vance who apparently is currently residing at a Vulcan hopsital. I'd sure love to beat those self-important Vulcan," she ended with a grin.
"I would love that, as well," Kirk smiled. It seemed easy to smile with her.
"Now, I"m going to need to locate all the men aboard this ship and all the females that may have been involved in such contact with Dr. Branzzk to make ou viral treatment more efficacious." She replied, getting serious again.
"Isn't that a bit of an invasion of privacy?" Kirk asked.
"Why don't we just inject everyone?" Kirk asked, entering the open treatment room.
"Sir?" Rosa asked, irritated by the interruption.
"Well, the anti-viral won't hurt the people that are immune and wil treat the people who are ill," McCoy explained.
"We still need to treate anyone else she may have spread it to outside the ship and whoever they may have infected," Dr. Rosa retorted, a bit annoyed at being questioned.
"Well, fortuantely, the planet she was on was full of hermaphrodites. I dout they were interested in having realations with her." Explained McCoy, a little amused.
"And she didn't have a child?" Kirk asked.
McCoy winced. "You should ask Dr. Rosa. She was the one to doublecheck all of my work."
Kirk turned to look at Dr. Rosa head-on. "There were signs that in the last year and a half, that she did indeed have a miscarriage." confessed Dr. Rosa somberly.
"So Spock would've been a daddy?" Kirk replied in disbelief.
"Not neccessarily. We all must understand the effect her hormonal addiction was having her body, let alone this virus. For all we know, Scotty could have been the father." Dr. Rosa explained.
"Where's Spock?" Kirk asked.
"Meditating. He has not been ablet o sleep yet. He wishes to stave off sleep until we leave Vulcan," Dr. Rosa explained.
"Why? He can sleep. It's no big deal if he gets a nap in now," McCoy protested. "We don't need a cranky Vulcan around here," responded McCoy playfully.
"Well you seem better," Kirk chuckled.
"Dr Rosa has an amazing bedside manner," McCoy teased, happily making her blush.
"Are you sure he isn't infected?' Kirk teased.
Dr. Rosa shook her head saucily. "Mayb he just has good taste."
Both Kirk and McCoy laughed and made appreciative noises.
"I am going to begin work on the anti-viral. When you're done, Dr. McCoy, if you could assist me?" she asked, batting her long eyelashes playfully at him.
"Sure thing, cupcake," he winked at her.
Once she was out of earshot, Kirk commented, "Well she's a fiery cute little thing, isn't she?"
"Oh no.. you stay out of my medical folks and I'll stay off of your bridge crew."
"I'll let you break that to Uhura. I won't be the one to break that to her," teased Kirk. He paused. "So you forgiven me yet for questioning your judgment?"
"We're all human, Jim. We all make mistakes," shrugged McCoy.
"Even Spock?"
McCoy again looked uncomfortable at the mention of his name. He shuffled his feet and then responded. "I don't feel happy with the idea that the only reason she pursued me was because of a viral infection. Doesn't do a lot for my ego. I'm sure if Spock would be willing to admit to his own emtions, he would feel that he didn't appreciate that the only reason she wanted him was because of a hormonal inbalance. I don't believe he is truly as disaffected as he allows us to believe."
Kirk lowered his head to allow his dark eyes to match more directly with McCoy's stunning blue eyes. "You didn't answer my question."
"You're asking me if I'll forgive Spock. I know Spock too well to hold anything against him forever. I'm mad at him for being right-"
"I am not an expert on human emotions, Doctor," Spock said, entering the room. "Who am I to say she does not love you or that she will not in the future?"
"I should've known you would hear me with those blasted pointy ears," McCoy returned.
"I am sorry if I made you feel that your emotions were not valid. I understand they are important to humans," Spock stated with all due sincerity.
"You may be right as well, Spock. There may be nothing there.. at all," McCoy replied.
"I'm sure there must have been at least a physical attraction, elsewise she would have allowed you to bring her to the ship and immediately found another lover. Besides, you are an intelligent, aesthetically pleasing indiviudal-"
"You gonna ask me out on a date, next?" McCoy and Kirk laughed at the look of surprise generated on Spock's face. McCoy shook his head. "It's okay. It's okay Spock. If our love is to happen at all, she must survive. And even if she survives and there's nothing that that is as it is. But for now, now I shall have to return to duty, as you two will need to."
Two days passed. Kirk assumed all as going well with Dr. Branzzk as he had heard good updates from Dr. Rosa. He was on the bridge orchestrating system checks on the ship when he received a call from the sickbay.
"Sir, sorry to bother you but Dr. Branzzk is asking for you," articulated Nurse Chapel's sweet voice over the intercom.
"I'll be right there."
It did not take long for the captain to reach the sickbay.
"Still in room 2, Nurse Chapel?" He asked with ease.
"Yes, Captain, but-"
"I'll take it from here."
"As you wish," she returned diffidently.
Kirk walked with purpose to the appointed room.
Dr Branzzk laid, strapped into the bed in room 2, looking unusually serene.
"Captain, you came!" She beamed softly.
"How can I help you?" Kirk asked.
"You, as the captain.. doesn't your word supercede any decree made by anyone else of the crew on this ship?" She asked in a coquettish voice.
"Pretty much," he returned laconically.
"Than touch me. Rub me. Right under this silly blue nightie," she breathed, squirming in her restraints.
Kirk swallowed hard. "Dr. Branzzk, this isn't you." he finally replied huskily.
"Do you think I wouldn't be attracted to you if it weren't for this virus? Of course I would be. Just rub me. You wouldn't really be disobeying Dr. Rosa's instructions if you rub me, would you? I'm better hydrated now."
"Just because one's attracted to someone else doesn't mean they respond in a passionate way. Normal people live with desire every single day, and don't respond to it. You told McCoy that you'd only been with Spock since your husband. How come Santino Vance on Vulcan is suffering from the same virus as you are? They believe that he gave it to you."
"But I didn't have sex with him.. I just.." she let her voice trail off. "I didn't want o get pregnant by him," she ended in a whisper.
"Anyone else you didn't have sex with?"
"No." She responded solidly. "I wasn't lying when I said Spock was the last. He was. And Santino.. well, he was just a mistake.. a fling."
"So it was his child, you lost," Kirk returned solemnly, feeling quite angry inside.
"That's what the physicicans believed. A 1/4 Vulcan baby boy." She returned almost coldly.
"Why did you lose him?" Kirk wanted to find a reason to blame her. It was only human to feel this way, but he at least needed to know why Spock was not be a father.
Bella shrugged. "Just one of those things. It's just as well. I'm in no shape to have a child right now," she laughed bitterly.
"Then you agree you should be given the proper precautions by Dr. Rosa," Kirk pushed.
"Yes. Yes. Fine. Fine. Can't I see Leonard though?" She asked, wiggling in her restraints, seeming quite distracted.
"No. He's too affected by you."
"How about Spock?"
"I don't see how he would help with this situation at all." Kirk replied, deliberately remaining obtuse on this matter.
"Maybe even Scotty," she breathed.
"How is my Chief Engineer going to help?" He returned, his voice edged with just a frosting of frustration.
"Rub me dammitt! Or get me a vibrator, if you must!" There's the reaction he was waiting for. That's what he knew she really wanted.
"You getting nothing but bedrest. If you cannot comply, you will be sedated repeatedly. You need rest or the virus will replicate faster, and give Dr. Rosa less time to find a cure. Do you want to die of this? Do you want to live like this for the rest of the time you have left?"
"I need someone to finger me!" she shrieked.
"As appealing as that may be, I'm afraid that no one is going to be playing with you until you get better." Kirk replied perfunctiorily before hitting a button on the wall intercom. "Nurse Chapel, Dr. Rosa, I require your assitance with Dr. Branzzk."
The two females rushed in quickly, expecting an emergency.
"I believe she has become hysterical," Kirk explained almost with a Vulcan composure.
"I said there was to be no men allowed in here!" growled Dr. Rosa.
"It's my fault, doctor. She specifically requested the Captain's presence," explaind Nurse Chapel.
"I don't care if Jesus Christ is on his way for the second coming, no man is allowed in this room! Now, out!" shouted Dr. Rosa as she sedated the shrieking thrashing patient strapped to the biobed before her.
Once Branzzk was sedated again, Nurse Chapel tended the sick doctor as Dr. Rosa pulled the Captain out of the room by the arm not gently into another private room.
For one brief over-hormonally-charmed moment he thought that this fierce vixen was going to kiss him. Or slap him. He was wrong on both accounts.
"Look, just because you are the captain does not mean my rules don't apply to you," sneered Dr. Rosa. "I will let you and every person on the staff know - if need be - that no man is allowed near that damn room, let alone that damn door. Didn't you undertsand my intent when I switched to an all-female staff - excepting the boys working in the lab - or you ahve problem with me in charge because I'm a girl?"
"As long as I have someone pretty running my sickbay, I don't care if they are a man or a woman," Kirk replied aloofly.
"Don't play dickgames with me, Sparky McSparkspark. I'll win. I don't care if you've got the hots for me, Dr. McCoy, or Dr Branzzk-"
"I am a professional, Dr. Rosa," bristled the Captain. "I only let my professional guard down once, and that was back in the 1930s and I still let the time line be uncompromised." Kirk replied, a little bit hot-headed. "You would know that if you knew me, or had heard half of what I told your patient in there."
"You need to follow my instructions. I don't care who you are. You have a dick so you're not allowed in there. Are we clear?"
"Oh we're clear. I guess I overestimated your healing abilities. I believed that you would already have her healed and that she was calling because she wanted to apologize for her recent indiscretions. I will never overestimate you again," he returned coldly. "Now, she and I agreed that she should be on birth control. I suggest you administer the three month before she awakes. If you doubt THAT agreement, you may check with computer records. Now if there's nothing else, I'm going to the bridge." He returned stifffly.
He didn't wait to see if she had anything else to say. He just left.
Leaving the room, Dr. Rosa fanned herself with her hand, trying to cool off. Once he had left the sickbay, she whispered, "What a hot and exasperating man."
After this even, Kirk felt on pins and needles all the time. He always worried that there would be another call from that Dr. Branzzk from sickbay, but he did not hear anything until 6 days till they were to arrive at Vulcan.
He finally heard the call from Dr. Rosa herself.
"Captain, would you please join me in the sickbay once you have the opportunity?" asked the unusually sweet voice of the Latina doctor.
Kirk bit his lip to keep away a snarky reply. He wanted to tell her he was too busy. He wanted to ask her if it were fine if he walked into the sickbay seeing as he still owned a penis. Instead, he told her laconically, "I'll be down in 5."
Spock raised an eyebrow at Kirk.
"Spock, you have the bridge."
Spock rose wordleslly from his station and took the position at the Captain's Chair as Kirk entered the turbolift.
When Kirk reached the sickbay, he saw that Dr. Branzzk was in the front room with McCoy by her side, holding his hand and smilin gently. Kirk was pleasantly surprised.
"Jim!" McCoy beamed, about to walk to him. Kirk raised a hand for him to halt. He thought it best for those two to enjoy their moment.
"No offense, Bones, but Dr. Rosa I believe wishes to speak with me. I'll go see her in the office. You visit with Dr. Branzzk."
Kirk strode to the office, completley unsure what to expect with the volatile Dr. Rosa.
He knocked at the office door.
"Come in!"
He entered the office and saw the beautiful Dr. Carlita Rosa with a pink scarf tied in her hair.
"Hello."
"Good morning, Captain. Please, sit down."
Determined to be polite, he sat down across from her. She threaded her hands together and looked at him with unusually jolly eyes that were hard to look away from.
"As you have probably guessed, I have isolated (with the help of the rest of the medical staff - especially Nurse Chapel) the virus responsible for her symptoms and formed a proper treatment. I shall implement innoculations today, if that's alright with you, setting up several stations on the ship for maximum speed. If we'd waited much longer, I believe the virus would have mutated into an airborne virus, and who knows, after that point, may have infected the whole crew."
"I don't imagine much work would be accomplished were that the case," Kirk replied stiffly, trying not to warm to her friendly front.
She let her guard drop for a moment and looked briefly embarraseeed, and fidgeted visibly. "I'm sorry for disappoint you, sir. I would have liked to have the answer earlier to this problem. It was especially difficult considering that Bella's my little sister." She confessed.
Kirk's eyes widened. This was obviously something he had overlooked. "I must apologize. I would never have assigned you to this assigment if I had known.. You look nothing alike."
"It wasn't well known. She and I fight a lot. Never have really seen eye to eye. Bresides, don't beat yourself up. I was the only female physician on staff. I was the only.. logical decision. But I thought maybe I could make this up to you. Maybe you would allow me to take you to dinner?" She said with a soft smile.
"I believe you'd have to clear that by Dr. McCoy. He distinctly told me that he didn't want me corrupting his medical crew, and in turn he'd leave my bridge crew alone," Kirk returned with a smile.
"Well, I figure he owes me," She smiled flirtatiously.
Kirk had a crazy image of the tiny lady straddling him in that very chair he was sitting at. He let the image escape his head with a shake. After a long deliberate pause, he assented. "Alright, Dr. Rosa. Dinner. Tonight."
"My place. And it's Carlita."
"Looking forward to it. Now I must ask, are Bones and Dr. Branzzk.. okay?"
"Well, who knows? They were always very close when they worked together on the Enterprise. She has expressed remore in responding to the empathic link forged with Spock, feeling it may have ruined and chances she had with McCoy. I insisted that she need not flirt with McCoy; it was not a good idea. It's always a bad idea to get involved with a coworker, or at least in the same departmetn. When she was with D'Maryp she forgot her feelings for McCoy, but then she transferred back here with him a few years later and the accident happened.." She paused. "I really liked D'Maryp. I thought he was really good for her. They grew up a lot together. But I know Leonard's a much more mature man, and a little bit more playful. I think he would be a good man for her, if they could make it work."
"Even though the whole Spock thing happened?" Kirk asked, almost innocently.
"You and I both know taht their bond would never have been born withou the events that occured in the transporter room following my brother-in-law's death. This was not a natural occurence."
"And yet they would have had a child together if it hadn't been for her miscarriage," Kirk pointed out.
"And she would have loved him."
"Regardless of the fact that she is admittedly not in any posiotn to have a child, mentally, emotionally, or at this point, physically."
Dr. Rosa shrugged. "I'm not saying this from a physician's standpoint. As much as we have always disagreed, she's sitll my sister and I must speak from that facet as well."
"Ah, you're not the firequeen," teased Kirk.
"Oh I am," she replied with a splash of somewhat strangely familiar inneundo. "Just not as much anymore when it comes to my sister."
In the next few days, the medical crew worked together to make the anti-viral into a gaseous form, so that it could be dispersed over planets that had empathic residents.
T'Pau didn't really admit it directly, but she was very grateful that Dr. Rosa and her crew had found a solution to their problem on Vulcan. What an embarrassing development it would be, were all the non-Vulcan empaths to dissolve into passion-driven creatures, and disrupt the delicate balance of mental barriers the Vulcans had erected over years of training and discipline.
Santino Vance himself, barely survived the virus. The virus had been a lot further along in his system than Dr. Branzzk's. He didn't even remember having an interlude with the Doctor. He had been experiencing dementia and intermittent amnesia. Maybe it was just as well. Once innoculated, it still took him 2 weeks to get out of the Vulcan infirmary.
Perhaps this is another story for later, but Bella Branzzk transferred back to the Enterprise, and Dr. Rosa continued to see Captain Kirk, despite all the ribbing that Dr. McCoy gave him.