McCoy was not the only one concerned. While the captain's behavior was only hardly noticed by most, there was one that watched it with acute attention and growing concern. While he appeared to be oblivious to the habits of his captain, Spock had watched Kirk very closely for some time now. He had watched as the captain remained in his chair even after alpha shift had ended. He'd happened up him in the science labs talking with a younger scientist about the experiments they were running in an attempt to create more real air for the ship, as opposed to recycled air. He had noticed, everyday, the captain's absence from the mess during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Oh yes, despite what everyone believed, Spock had noticed it all with quiet concern.

He knew that Kirk was attempting to make up for the time that he had lost in his coma, and the lives he had lost while being a captain. Although, he did not fully understand why Kirk felt the need to act in such a way. The deaths of those people had been the fault of Kahn and the late Admiral Marcus. Nothing Kirk could have logically and ethically done would have changed that fact that those people died. And the decision to bring him back had been one that Dr. McCoy made, not the captain. So why should Kirk feel guilty about being given a second chance when it was not his choice to receive one? All of his actions were illogical and, even though those actions got a considerable amount of work done, were achieving nothing.

So, standing on the bridge, staring at the back of Kirk's golden head, Spock made the decision to stop this. He also decided that confronting Kirk himself was not the way to achieve such an end. Their tentative friendship had only just begun and Spock didn't want it to backslide into hostility again when they were working so well together. Not only was it bad for crew resolve, but Spock enjoyed having Jim as a friend and would be displeased to lose him.

There was only one on the ship that continued to persuade the captain to do things he didn't want to do. Standing, he walked toward the captain's chair.

"Captain."

Kirk swiveled in his chair and looked at the Vulcan with a raised brow and a down turned lip.

"Mr. Spock?"

"I would like to inform you that I am leaving the bridge. I find that I need to visit the medical bay."

Wild fear and worry flared in Jim's blue eyes as his hands clenched on the arm rest, despite the pressure from his boxing session yesterday, and his entire body tensed.

"Are you alright, Spock?"

"Yes, captain. I am merely experiencing some discomfort that I believe Dr. McCoy can help me relieve." Not a lie, just a very vague truth.

Kirk looked at him with wide eyes for another second before calming and nodding.

"You are free to go, Mr. Spock. Return when you feel better." He turned back to face the dark screen ahead. Spock nodded to his unseeing form and left the bridge.

The walk to the medical wing took three point four minutes, but Spock didn't pay attention to any of it. His mind was focused singly on the blonde man on the bridge. Entering the large sick bay, Spock found that Dr. McCoy was nowhere to be seen.

"Commander Spock, what brings you to the med bay?" Nurse Chapel asked politely as she approached with a tray of hyposprays needing to be labeled. Spock regarded her coolly.

"I wish to speak with Dr. McCoy, is he here?"

The nurse nodded once and waved a hand toward the doctor's office. "He's in there, been holed up all morning."

Spock nodded and moved toward the door. When he knocked, he heard a gruff "come in" before pushing the door open.

McCoy was staring at Jim's meal history and cursing under his breath. He'd thought that maybe, just maybe, the problem would fix itself. Maybe Jim would come to his senses. Maybe Jim would crash and finally realize how important proper sleep was. Sure, the kid was eating some, but it wasn't nearly enough. After the fight, he'd seen that Kirk had started to go in his room at night. Leonard had hoped that it meant that Kirk was sleeping. However, when he looked up Jim's padd history, he saw that Jim was just sitting in his room working now. So as to throw off suspicion that he wasn't resting. Bones had been infuriated, and strangely impressed, by Jim's plan. He was sure that Jim was sleeping at some point, it was impossible that he had gone all this time without any sleep, but McCoy knew that whatever amount of sleep it was, it wasn't enough.

Still, he was reluctant to start another fight with the younger man, so he hadn't brought it up.

So, now, he sat and stared at his computer screen, trying to decide what to do now. He knew that as CMO, he couldn't allow this behavior to continue. He was allowing one of his crew members, and more importantly, one of his friends run them into an early grave. He knew that Jim was in no real danger, yet, due to Kahn's super charged blood giving him a boost, but that wouldn't last forever. He needed to do something. Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his face and muttered a quiet "damn it" before looking up to see who was here.

"Oh, Spock, what do ya need?"

"I find, doctor, that I am in need of advice."

McCoy thought he was going to fall over right then and there. Never, ever, had the pointy eared hobgoblin asked for advice on anything. Blinking for a moment, he coughed to regain his train of thought and shook his head.

"What could you possibly need my advice on?"

"It is involving the captain, sir."

The atmosphere of the room immediately sobered and McCoy sighed.

"You're worried too, eh?"

"I am Vulcan, sir, we do not feel worried because it is illogic—"

"Oh can it, Spock, I know you're just as worried as I am. You wouldn't be here if you weren't worried," McCoy snapped irritably. Spock pinched his brows for a moment before inclining his head slowly.

"I would be… lying if I said that captain's behavior didn't concern me."

McCoy grunted a reply before wiping a hand over his face.

"I tried to talk to him, you know, reason with him? He exploded, screaming about how I didn't understand and didn't know what it was like. I've never seen him like that before. Then he stormed out of here before I could even reply." He sighed heavily and scratched his stubbly chin.

"I just don't know what to do. I don't want to push him too hard because he'll feel like he's being attacked, which'll just make him work more. But if we don't do anything, he'll just keep up like this until bam! He's out."

Spock listened carefully and nodded at the doctor's words. He knew that every one of them was true, Kirk was hard headed and stubborn, and had a strange habit of thinking he didn't need what other humans needed. The Vulcan had seen it in more instances than just this.

Spock had to admit, to himself, that he was worried now. If the captain had snapped at the doctor, whom Kirk expressed was his best friend, then was there anyone on the ship that could snap Jim out of this behavior? Dread filled him for a brief moment before he suppressed it and pushed the feelings far into the back of his brain. An emotion outburst would help no one right now.

"Perhaps, doctor, it would be best if I talked to the captain then. We have both agreed that this behavior cannot be permitted to continue. It would be… unfair to the captain for us to give up trying to help him, despite the fact that he does not want the help."

McCoy looked at Spock for a long moment before the light of understand flickered in his eyes and he grinned slyly.

"Why are you so keen on helpin' Jim?"

Spock blinked at him and furrowed his brows.

"I am his First Officer; it is my function aboard the ship to ensure that he is in the best health and making the wisest choices possible. What other reason do I need to wish to help him?"

McCoy shrugged. "You might not need another reason, but that doesn't mean you don't have one."

Spock didn't have time to process that thought before he was being pushed non-to-gently from the doctor's office.

"Think about it, Spock. In the mean time, try and talk some sense into that bone headed captain we have."

The door was slammed shut behind him and Nurse Chapel jumped at the sudden noise. Hyposprays clattered to the floor as a result and she frowned. Cursing Dr. McCoy for his "childish outbursts" under her breath, she knelt to retrieve the medications before looking at Spock pointedly.

"Whatever his problem is, make him get over it quickly. I'm sick of him slamming and throwing things around here!" She was straightened and stomping off before Spock could reply that there was nothing he could do about the doctor's habits.

Because right now his only concern were Kirk's.

Leaving the medical bay, Spock considered the time and day and what shift they were in. Normally, he'd know exactly where the captain was right now, but with Jim working where ever he pleased whenever he pleased, it was harder to pin point where he might be. Deciding to talk to him during the next alpha shift, the half human headed toward his own room for meditation. He had much to think about, especially the doctor's cryptic words about the true reason he was helping Kirk.