Chapter 3
By: rebel1nebula
Disclaimer: I do not own.
Author Note: I'm grateful for the positive reviews. Thanks! If there's any room for improvement feel free to make suggestions. Thanks again for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
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"The bacterium has been isolated, and analyzed, but making an antibacterial is proving to be difficult," Spock shared with Nurse Hollis who was leaning over a microscope. The entire time they had been in the lab together the young man had been surprisingly helpful and seemed just as driven as he was to find some means of helping Doctor McCoy.
When the nurse found that there was nothing to be found in his sample as well he scratched his head with an annoyed sigh. "What are we going to do, sir?" Hollis fixed his green eyes on Spock, determination reflecting back at him with immeasurable intensity.
Spock remained silent as he flipped on a computer to begin checking the Starfleet database. It surprised him just how recklessly eager he felt to find a cure though mentally he kept reminding himself to not let his emotions hinder his ability to do his job.
Hollis gathered the remaining blood samples to place them in the freezer and pulled out some of the lymph samples that had been gathered. He picked a tube that seemed to have snow in it and took a few flakes in order to place them on a slide. When he checked the sample under a scope he was startled to see the bacteria dead. "Uh… M-Mr. Spock, come have a look at this!"
Spock looked through the scope and was just as surprised to see the bacteria incased in ice. However as the liquid began to melt he noticed that the bacteria was coming to life. "Apparently the ice on Sagittarius Ten has kept this particular bacterium dormant. Nurse, if we cryogenically freeze Doctor McCoy that may give us some time to produce an antibacterial."
"I'll send a message to Nurse Chapel."
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'I don't like this Spock!' McCoy projected, sitting up forcefully only to have the Vulcan push him back down with greater force.
"Like it or not doctor, it is what we must do," Spock said and looked down at the man as they prepared the apparatus they would be using to freeze him. He allowed his hand to linger on the doctor's shoulder, grasping tightly so he could not try to rise again. Beneath him Leonard H. McCoy looked petrified by the thought of being kept in suspended animation while he was still in the process of dying. His bright blue eyes were bewildered while his finger shakily grasped around Spock's wrists.
'Spock,' the doctor attempted to project his thoughts but there was just so much occupying him that it was difficult for Spock to pick up a single sentence. Recently the doctor's thoughts had been similar to speech, however in his present panicked condition he was having difficulty controlling what he wanted to project.
"Doctor," Spock seized the man's attention and lifted a hand lightly brushing the tips of his fingers against McCoy's meld points. "Perhaps I can put you at some ease."
'Nonoyoucan't,pleasedon't. Idon't. Idon'twantyouinmyhead. NoSpock. I'mgonnadie, I'llbealonefrozenwithoutyouorJim! Dontentermymind. Youcan'tknow,I'mnotreadyyet.' The doctor shook his head rapidly and Spock was jolted by the flood of thoughts that bombarded his mind. Logic told him that it would be unwise to try such a thing again, but there was a part of him that wanted to ease the man's panic.
Christine stepped up with a hypo in hand and jabbed it into McCoy's neck causing him to wince briefly before he quickly lost consciousness. Spock frowned more sternly when he felt the fingers around his wrist go slack. He shifted McCoy's arms so that way his wrists were crossed over his chest, his longer fingers briefly caressing the back of McCoy's hands. Already he found himself pondering the doctor's bright blue eyes, and unusual phraseology.
Nurse Hollis and another doctor proceeded to commence the freezing process, just as Kirk stormed into the room. He must have rushed in from the bridge judging by his hard breathing and sweat coated brow, silently he looked over at the canister McCoy was laying in and forced to suppress the urge to rush over in order look at his friend's sleeping form.
"Mr. Spock," Kirk said in a low demanding voice, his brown eyes shooting over at the Vulcan who seemed strangely exhausted.
"There is no need to make it an order, Jim. We will find a way to construct that counter bacterium."
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Hollis and Spock spent little over a hundred hours in the lab with every medical and science personnel the Enterprise could spare. They examined all the samples, memorized every report that had ever been made regarding Serian Strep Throat or any related variation.
Spock stared at the rapidly multiplying bacteria and reduced the temperature of the sample to cause a particular specimen sample to slow down. They had attempted multiple times to find some means to counteract the bacteria as it continued to eat away at various tissue samples. Hollis was conducting a few experimental tests, bags forming under his eyes due to lack of sleep. Even when Spock dismissed him the young man seemed to linger, possibly spending all night in his quarters brainstorming some means of curing Leonard.
"He's a good man," Hollis said to the science officer as he rubbed wearily at his eyes. "Doctor McCoy."
"Is that why you are so eager to cure him?"
"Well it is my job as a nurse to help heal the sick," the young man stretched and paced towards one of the computers. "I guess with Doctor McCoy I also sort of see this as my chance…" he trailed off and Spock felt obligated to inquire.
"Are you hoping for a promotion?"
"No! I don't expect any sort of professional recognition for this."
Spock noted the young man's careful choice in words, "So you wish for personal recognition?" he adjusted the focus on his scope all though it was already set at max. In this particular lymph sample the bacteria was easily evading any attempts at its destruction.
"As I said, Doctor McCoy is a good man. However sometimes he seems to forget the sort of impression he leaves on people. He's charming and out spoken… but he's also very reserved and private. Like you Mr. Spock."
The Vulcan lifted his head and stared over at the nurse, "Doctor McCoy and I are far from alike." He corrected the young man forcefully though he seemed unconvinced of the chief science officer's claim. There was a brief moment of tension before Hollis took one of his test samples and brought it under a scope. With each failure the young human seemed to become disheartened, but whenever he saw Spock working so meticulously at his place in the lab Hollis felt overcome by the desire to somehow outperform the Vulcan.
In order to suppress a yawn he puffed his cheeks and placed the second to last slide under the scope. He was surprised to find that the decay of this particular tissue sample had ceased. "Spock… I think I got it. I think we found some way to severe the bacteria's reproduction, using a specialized necrosis targeting the reproductive protein," Nurse Hollis excitedly looked at another sample that he had also laced with this experimental antibacterial. When he found that his observation had been correct he stood up abruptly. "Ensign," he called over to a junior science officer and gave a portion of his sample over to be tested further.
Spock strode over and looked through the scope surprised to find that the nurse's observation had been correct. The deterioration had slowed, and by the second he was halting exponentially. "Once the tests are completed we will have Doctor McCoy unfrozen."
"Understood, sir," Hollis said in a slightly disappointed tone. His face was very expressive, similar to that of McCoy, though the young man's black hair was shaved close to the scalp, and his eyes were a piercing shade of green.
"You did well Mr. Hollis, I'll have word sent to you when we are prepared to revive Doctor McCoy."
"Thank you, sir. I'll finally be able to rest easy…"
Spock watched the young man leave and leaned over the microscope to find that all the bacterial activity seemed to cease. With the assistance of the other science officers he proceed to test the antibacterial for any adverse affects, and when everything checked out he also felt a wave of relief come over him.
"Spock to the bridge. Jim, we found it."
"Excellent Mr. Spock… when will we be ready to defrost Bones?"
"Ten hours, fifteen hours at most," Spock explained and sat slouched in his seat. "I would like to submit a commendation for Nurse Hollis. He proven a capable healer, and scientist," he said in steady voice, though Jim could tell that Vulcan was exhausted.
"Get some rest Spock."
"But Captain-"
"That's an order Spock."
"Yes Captain," Spock turned off the intercom and stood up, leaving instructions with the remaining staff before heading to his room. He passed the doctor's room on the way and stopped for a moment to look at the door that stared back at him mockingly. When he approached it he was not surprised to find that it opened, despite the doctor's absence. Leonard McCoy believed in an open door policy, gladly offering any time for friends and colleagues to come see him.
There was a strange emotion bubbling at the pit of his gut as he stared into the void that was Leonard's room. Lightly he touched at the door frame, his gaze following his fingers. It was not until now that he noticed how the doctor never invited people to his place for more private endeavors. Of course the doctor had proven to be a charming gentleman, causing women to blush with smooth words and men to fluster from his sensual remarks. However despite his obvious appreciation for intimacy it never seemed that he indulged in any sort of long-term relationships himself.
When Spock heard voices coming from down the hall he stepped away and watched the door close in front of him. It was then that he remembered Hollis. The young nurse also had a great deal of what humans seemed to consider appeal. Hollis was young, attractive, good at his job, and more importantly Hollis did not keep a tight rein on his emotions, all of these qualities were undoubtedly things that McCoy would appreciate.
Sulu and Chekov came down the hall side by side, the young Russian ensign wiping his neck with a towel as he explained some of the finer points of the Sambo martial art style. They noticed Spock standing in front of the doctor's quarters, and offered him a sympathetic glance as they walked by.
'I am in control of my emotions,' Spock thought to himself as he took another step back from McCoy's door and proceeded towards his room.
