AN. I do not own Star Trek or any of the Characters. This story is dedicated to my long time friend and beta, Wesley E. Matillies who has coached me through writing a story about a movie that i have seen once and knew nothing about!

The entire way to the sickbay, I remained silent, gathering my strength for the inevitable fight and resulting fury. Bones was also silent and I could not help but wondering what was running through his mind and hoping in vain that it had nothing to do with me. Thankfully the journey was uneventful and we did not cross paths with anyone.

As we approached the sickbay entrance my stomach lurched and I could not stop myself from gasping quietly, hoping that Bones did not hear. He didn't mention anything but imperceptibly sped up. Bugger, I am giving him ammunition, I thought as we finally arrived at the automatic doors. I groaned again at the sight of them, Bones just patted me on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Jim, we will sort it out soon then you won't be in anymore pain. Just hang in there."

Crap, he thinks that I was groaning in pain not in protest of the forthcoming gloom and pain that existed beyond these doors. My protests were overcome by an overwhelming fatigue and sense of numbness. Bones left me near the main bio-bed and continued over to the cupboard, no doubt getting all manner of diagnostic tools and vials for that damn hypospray which was sitting a foot away from me. All I wanted to do was get it and either hide it or throw the hypo away. Far away. The movement however sent my stomach into spasms and I went involuntarily limp on my gravity stretcher.

Bones, finished with what he was doing, came back over to me and was about to tell me to get my self onto the bed when he took a good look at me. Not saying a word, he turned to a nearby orderly and together they lifted me off the stretcher and onto the nearby bio-bed. Thanking the woman, Bones turned to me. Pulling out his tricorder again he ran it over my body, frowning at the read out. Taking a step closer he checked my carotid pulse and his expression did not change.

"Jim, you have low blood pressure, a rapid and weak pulse, you are pale, cold and clammy to touch and are obviously extremely weak and dizzy and have a reduced level of consciouness. All the normal symptoms of shock but no cause. You need to tell me what is wrong."

I opened by mouth to tell him once again that there was nothing wrong when I felt the nausea that had plagued me since I woke come to the surface.

"Bones…"

My voice trailed off when he interrupted me.

"Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor not a mind reader!"

I was about to vomit when he saw my green tinged face, swore and quickly shoved a bucket into my lap. After vomiting for what seemed hours, I was finally finished. Bones gave me a glass of water and a cloth to wipe my face and hands whilst he went to dispose of my waste. I sneaked a look at my stomach and realised that my shirt had acquired a stiff, dried blood coating. Bones was going to notice and there was absolutely nothing I could do about it.

As he returned the irritation on his face was replaced by utter concern.

"Jim, there was blood in your vomit and you are slipping further into shock and you will still not tell me. So, you will be getting that physical that you have been avoiding."

My secret that I had kept for the last two days was about to be revealed and right at the moment I could not care less. This had gone far enough, yet I was not going to make it easy for him.

Bones took my boots off then came round the bed to help me with my shirt. The concern on his face changed to confusion when he touched my shirt but proceeded to remove my shirt. As I was completely numb and could not help him, he just cut it off, the shirt slowly peeling away to reveal a bright red bandage covering the area between my breast bone and my hips. It was saturated. Bones just left it there as he continued to strip me down to my under shorts. By that time I was violently shivering and crying due to the pain of moving.

"Jim, why is there a bandage that is saturated in fresh blood wrapped extremely tightly around your chest and abdomen?"

"Oh, that, it is not bleeding that much, I didn't want to worry you, you had so many other things to do with your time then worry about some small insignificant scratches. I can deal with them."

My brave words were in stark contrast to the picture I probably made on that bio-bed. And I tried to laugh but my body was not responding to my intentions.

Bones slowly undid the bandages and as the last bit pulled at my cuts, I screamed as it felt like my body was being ripped into shreds. Bones gasped as blood started to flow over my pale skin.

"Yes, Jim, they are insignificant, very insignificant, was this what you were hiding from Spock and I, when we got separated during the last mission? You should have come to me sooner and this would not have happened. Now, I am going to have to keep you here for longer, and you are definitely going to need surgery, and oh, sorry about this."

And with that, Bones brought the hypospray that he was holding, to my neck and depressed it, I groaned and everything went dark.

TBC