A/N: Hey everyone, sorry for the delay on posting stories – I've moved to London for the summer to do volunteer work, so as you can imagine the last few weeks have been a haze of suitcases, new places, and new things to learn. I'm not getting as much writing done as I had hoped, but have no fear, I will fit it in however I can.

This story was supposed to be funnier then it actually turned out – originally I was thinking what it must have been like for Pike to wake up and find that most of his ship was blown up, all of his officer had been promoted, demoted, or replaced, and they were moving at a snail's pace home. It made me laugh to think about it, so I wrote it down for you guys. But like I said, it turned out a little more serious then I have originally planned. I hope you like it anyway though, and do let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Very much not mine.

Waking up reminded Pike of swimming in the sea on summer holidays. His family always went to the sea in the summer and once his big sister had dared him to swim as far down as he could. Never one to pass up a challenge he had gone far out and started down. It had been fine for awhile – well, for as long as he could hold his breath. Then he realised that he needed breath to get back up as well. He had started up, his lungs had been screaming for air, his arms heavy – it had felt like the sea was trying to pull him back, like it had wanted to keep him. Waking up right then felt like that, like the warm comfortable darkness wanted to keep him under, wanted to smoother him. But just like when he had been swimming in the sea he fought now, fought to get to the surface. His mind was slow, confused, but he knew he needed to wake, knew there was something, something big, waiting just out of the grasp of his memory.

Memory came flooding back just as he also won back his hearing. Noises washed over him as all that had happened in the last two days (at least it was only two days that he knew of) came crashing into his mind. The call for aid from Vulcan; the maiden voyage of his new ship; Kirk sneaking aboard; Nero's sneering face; Vulcan disappearing into an unforgiving cloud of darkness. He could feel his heart beating faster as his mind filled in more and more blanks – it was then that the noise around him started to form into actual words.

"He's showing signs of waking up." A soft female voice, Pike was pretty sure it was one of the nurses he had only met briefly in his time as Captain, "Go and fetch Doctor McCoy."

McCoy. So McCoy was in charge of his care? He was glad, the man was undoubtedly a fine doctor, though he was surprised it wasn't Doctor Pruri, who was CMO after all. Though perhaps there were more serious cases that needed Pruri's attention. McCoy would look after him, he knew. He had been the one to recruit the newly divorced, and at the time extremely drunk, doctor into Starfleet. It was only when he later found out about McCoy's phobia of space that he realised it had been entirely the alcohol and nothing of his recruiting skills that had had the younger man on that shuttle. The only black mark to McCoy's record was sneaking Kirk aboard this very vessel. Though he didn't think he'd be holding that against the good doctor, as a vague memory of Kirk's grim face and a supporting arm around his shoulders as the transport beam started, came to his mind. Now he could hear McCoy's own gruff voice.

"What is it Chapel?" Nurse Chapel, he thought, that was the owner of the soft voice.

"His heart rate is rising, and he's showing increased brain function."

Someone, presumably McCoy, called his name, "Captain Pike? Sir, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?" He'd have liked to have obliged but right now he thought that working ears were as much as his body could manage. McCoy seemed to give up and go back to speaking to the nurse. "Monitor him carefully Chapel, and notify me if there are any changes at all. I had hoped he wouldn't wake up until we got back to Earth, but Jim says it'll be at least eighteen hours before we reach home, so I guess it was too much to hope for him to stay unconscious that long. Still, this is earlier then I thought."

"He's a strong man." He could hear a smile in Chapel's voice, and a light chuckle when McCoy just grunted in response. Then Chapel's soft voice was by his ear, "Don't you listen to him, Sir, he's really very pleased with how well you're doing, he's just far too gruff to admit it."

Any other day it would have made Pike laugh, but right now he was busy thinking about what McCoy had said. Why on Earth, and all other planets one could care to name, was it going to take them eighteen hours to get home? Even at just Warp 3, not even half what the Enterprise could do, it should only take two hours to get from Vulcan to Earth. And if he remembered correctly, they had been heading towards Earth anyway when the final battle broke out. He thought leaving Spock in charge would ensure things were done properly, but now he was wondering what his First Officer had done to his ship – his brand new ship. Pike did his Captain's stripes proud when it was this thought, and not those of good health, that had him forcing his eyes open. He then closed them again quickly. He was sure the lights in sickbay weren't usually this bright, though he could remember bygone days of concussions earned on away missions that had ended in much the same way. He took a breath and opened his eyes again, this time allowing them to adjust to the brightness. As the world came into focus he found himself staring at the kind face that went with the soft voice of Nurse Chapel. She was smiling at him even as she gestured to someone across the room.

"Welcome back, Sir," was all she said before she was replaced by McCoy – or more accurately, McCoy's hand waving a tricorder around his head. It was moving too fast for his tired eyes and he tried to swat it away. His arm only twitched. He wasn't sure if McCoy noticed the look on his face, or the increase in his heart rate, but either way he found a reassuring hand on his arm, and the doctor's face lost some of it's usual scowl.

"Easy there, Sir, give your body a minute to wake up. Do you remember what happened?"

Pike didn't bother trying to nod. He would never admit it but he was scared that even that simple movement wouldn't work – because yes, he did remember what happened, "Yes, I remember." His voice sounded rough and unused, but he hadn't been asleep that long, had he? If it was going to take them eighteen hours to get back to Earth from here then he surely couldn't have been out that long. "Just tell me the damage, McCoy – then I've got questions of my own."

McCoy gave him the cliff notes version – damage to the lower spinal cord, surgery required to remove the creature, legs none responsive for now, arms just weak, a whole lot of rehab in his future. McCoy then stopped staring at the monitors and machines to look right at him, "Now I know you have questions, Sir, so I'll do my best to answer them."

"What is wrong with the ship that it's going to take us so long to return to Earth?" McCoy was obviously expecting medical questions, if the look that graced his face was anything to go by.

"Sir," The Doctor ran a hand through his hair and Pike noticed for the first time how tired he looked, an untreated cut above his eyebrow, "Is there any point in telling you to let the crew worry about that and you just worry about yourself?"

Pike almost laughed, but it was just slightly too grim a situation for it, "None at all, Doctor."

McCoy shook his head, "Of course not, no wonder Jim looks up to you. Well, in answer to your question I don't really know why we're going what you call 'slow', though judging by how fast the stars are flying by the ports, I'd say we're going plenty fast enough thank you." Pike tried not to roll his eyes. Even three years at the Academy hadn't completely cured McCoy's phobia. "But Jim did say something about dumping out a warp core or something to make an explosion big enough to get us out of the black hole – I don't know, I wasn't really listening, it's been kinda hectic in here you know."

Pike almost sat up, but caught himself before McCoy had to restrain him, "What do you mean – they dumped the warp core? But that could have vaporised the whole ship! What the hell is Spock playing at? I left him in charge because I thought he'd take care of the Enterprise, not pull ridiculous stunts like that!"

McCoy just frowned at him, "Calm down, Sir, I'm not about to let you undo all my hard work. And as for Spock," The frown turned into a slightly sheepish look, if Pike could ever really associate that term with the doctor, "You see, about Spock-" He was cut off as the doors to medical slid open and Jim Kirk came in.

Pike rolled his head to the right at the noise, and was struck with the difference in the young man who just a few hours ago had been on his bridge, having stowed away but still defiantly arguing his point. Kirk was, for want of a better phrase, a firecracker. He never entered a room with anything less then a dramatic bang, and was known to not so much walk as bound around. He was always ready with either an easy smile or a fast fist. That was the James Kirk Pike had picked up in a bar in Iowa three years ago. That was the James Kirk he had watched excel and fail in almost equal measure at the Academy. But it was not that James Kirk that entered Medical Bay now. The James Kirk who entered through the dull metal doors was dressed in a black under-shirt, dusty and dishevelled; his face was sporting bruises that rivalled the ones Pike had first seen on him; and he looked dog tired. He still filled the room, but now it was with an undefinable sense of command that Pike had once admired in his first ever Captain, and that he knew people admired in him. As Kirk made his way in, the staff around him straightened to face him and he dipped his head to each of them as he walked by. He no longer bound, but more strode, a finality in his step, (though judging by the way he was holding himself, he had far too many injuries to think of bounding anywhere). His face was stern, older, but his back was straight, his shoulders stiff. He was making his way over to McCoy when he noticed Pike's eyes on him, but rather then the thousand watt grin he was known for, just a small smile made its way onto his face, as he slapped a hand on McCoy's shoulder.

"It's great to see you awake, Sir. Well done, Bones." McCoy just scowled in his direction as he once more pulled out his tricorder.

"Maybe now that you're here you'll stay still for five minutes so I can check you out," he said, trying to scan Kirk, only to have the younger man duck around him, still moving gingerly around what Pike was sure were broken ribs.

"Not now, Bones! I want to talk to Pike – that is Captain Pike, sorry Sir." He gave Pike a not really apologetic look.

McCoy just frowned some more, "I don't want you tiring him out Jim, he's only just woken up. And if you're going to talk to him then it won't be a problem for you to stand still long enough for me to scan y-" He was interrupted by a call from across the room, where a dark-haired nurse was standing by another bed.

"Doctor McCoy! Jackson's pressure's dropping." The nurse had just finished when another one popped out from a room to the left of Pike, "Doctor – we're running out of Tyoxidol – is there more in the stores?"

McCoy sighed heavily as Jim grinned, "Looks like I'll have to wait Bones – duty calls!" The doctor made his way to the other side of the bay, no doubt prioritising patient care over store problems. Pike frowned, as Kirk turned back to him.

"McCoy seems to be running the place – where's Pruri?" Jim's face fell and Pike didn't need to hear the answer. He had enough years in Starfleet to know exactly what it meant. Jim told him anyway, as he had less years experience – none in fact.

"He was on Deck 6, Sir, it took a direct hit." Jim's voice had assumed the soft tone of regret that was the first thing Command track cadets learnt when they got on a ship, "Bones – that is McCoy – has taken over as CMO until we reach Earth."

"He's more then up to the job at least." Jim just smiled softly and nodded as he looked around at his best friend directing the flow of chaos that was Medical Bay. Pike allowed him a short silence before getting down to what he wanted to know, "Speaking of returning to Earth, Kirk, I have been informed of how long that it going to take us, and the reason for it. Presuming McCoy was correct, and I really hope he wasn't, we have lost our warp core – or more accurately it has been dumped."

Kirk had the good grace to look somewhat sheepish, though if there was one thing Pike had learnt about the younger man in the last three years it was that he simply didn't ever truly show remorse, regardless of the actions involved. Now he seemed to take a deep breath before addressing his mentor, "It was necessary, Sir, I assure you. I would never have harmed the ship if I'd have another choice. I take full responsibility for it, Sir, I gave the order."

Pike raised an eyebrow. Well, at least that explained the measure – it had Kirk written all over it after all, "So you gave the order, did you? And what of Spock? He approved this?"

Kirk got that same look that McCoy had been wearing just a few minutes prior and opened his mouth to speak when Chapel interrupted them. "Captain?" Both men turned to her with expectant looks on their faces, which turned to confusion from Pike after observing Kirk. Chapel smiled at him, "Sorry Sir, you're in no condition for any stress – I was referring to our Acting Captain." Here she turned to Kirk, holding out a comm devise, "It's Engineering, Sir, he says it's urgent."

Kirk nodded his thanks and took the comm, turning back to Pike, he simply said, "If you'll excuse me one moment, Sir, this can't wait." Then left a very confused and not very happy Pike as he took a few steps away to take the call. Pike stared after him, his ears hearing that Kirk was Acting Captain, but his mind not yet well enough recovered to process the information. Where was Spock? Surely the young Vulcan hadn't been injured? Pike hoped not, he had liked his First Officer, who was both efficient and fast-thinking. But there was no other explanation. He moved his head a little, looking around the Medical Bay, but couldn't see any sign of Spock in any of the beds, though there were plenty obscured by curtains or equipment. Pike sighed, it was pointless to wonder, he would simply have to ask Kirk for a full update when he stopped dealing with Engineering. Speaking of which, Kirk was still close enough to hear the conversation, and Pike wasn't above a little eavesdropping. Jim was not talking right now, instead he was listening to the man on the end of the line explaining something.

"Aye, laddie," the voice at the other end was saying, "I'm doing my best down here, but the girl ain't got any more in her – I'm pushing her as it is. We cannae keep going with so many drains on power, I'll have to take it from somewhere." Pike was momentarily stunned by the strong Scottish brogue that was coming from the conn device. Who was that? The head of Engineering had been Olsen, who had space-jumped with Kirk. Whether or not the boy had come back – and Pike did hope that he had – there was still no one on the Engineering crew with an accent like that. Pike had already picked his Engineering crew when this whole mess had started, as they had been working on with the ship builders for some time. Only a few cadets had been added to the crew, and Pike knew none of them were Scottish as he had known all of Kirk's class. So who was this now? His head was starting to hurt with all the unanswered questions filling it up. Whoever it was, anyway, Kirk was now replying.

Kirk seemed to sigh a little as he held the comm up to his mouth, "Is there still power being sent to Deck 6?" An answer in the affirmative, "Redirect that to the main engines, there's no one left up there; and take the power from the shields as well – but I need to be able to get those back at a moment's notice, Scotty." He ran a hand through his hair and he looked even more tired and old then Pike had thought before, "And where else can we spare it? What about the officer's quarters – they're all up on Deck 9 aren't they? I don't see any officers sleeping any time soon, and the Vulcans are already set up in the multi-bed quarters on 3, so there's no need to keep those powered up, you can redirect that too."

"Aye, sure thing," There was a slightly uncomfortable pause as Pike wondered if this man was named Scotty or if that was just what Kirk was calling him, then he spoke again, sounding like he was trying to not be overheard, "And if the worst comes to the worst Captain?"

This time Kirk gave a heavy sigh, almost as though he was in pain – which he probably was – "If the worst comes to the worst, Scotty, I want gravity; life support; Medical and the Bridge kept going at all costs, and then we'll find a way home."

Scotty sounded sad as he replied, "Aye, Captain, I can promise you that, at least, she's a good lassie, this one."

Pike looked up in time to see a soft smile grace Kirk's face, a more sincere expression than Pike thought he had ever seen on the boy before, "She sure is, Scotty, she sure is." He then ended the conversation and dropped the comm onto the table as he made his way back to Pike's bedside.

By now Pike was at the end of his tether and levelled Kirk with his 'no nonsense' stare. It had never really worked on Kirk before, but it was the best he could do lying on his back in a hospital bed. "Alright Kirk – no more distractions. I want a complete update on my ship. Who was that man you were talking to? And where is my head of engineering? What has so damaged this ship that you're even redirecting power from the quarters to keep her going. Why are you in charge anyway? And what has happened to Spock?"

Kirk held up his hands in mock surrender, a shadow of his old grin coming back to his face. "Woah, sir, one at a time." He pulled up a seat as Pike continued to stare at him. "It makes a great story, sir, which I won't tell you now, one – because I don't have the time, and two – because Bones would kill me for stressing you out – it's a very dramatic tale."

"Isn't everything you're involved in, Kirk?"

Jim grinned properly this time, and it felt more like the talks they used to end up having when Kirk would be pulled up in Pike's office for one thing another, every other week in the academy. Except nothing was really like back then in the academy. Back then, Pike almost snorted – Kirk had been in his office just last week. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Now Kirk was levelling him with his own stare, "So, what would you like to know, sir? – and remember, one thing at a time, please."

Pike sighed, he was already tiring, his body not yet up to the challenge of a starship under Kirk's command. "Why are you Acting Captain when I made you First Officer? What is wrong with Spock, is he dead?" He asked the last with a heavy heart.

Kirk just shook his head, though, a slightly rueful smile on his face as he rubbed at the bruises on his neck, "He's most certainly not dead, Sir, I can assure you of that. As for the promotion, ah, well," Kirk wasn't looking him in the eye, and took refuge in formality "Given the events of today, or yesterday I suppose, Mr. Spock was unable to continue his command, so he has returned to his position of First Officer and I have taken over as Captain, in your absence sir."

Pike took a moment to realise what that meant, he then threw Kirk a disbelieving look - "You're telling me Spock – our Vulcan First Officer – gave up command because he was emotionally compromised?"

Kirk still wasn't looking him in the eye, "Yes, sir, that's what happened."

"Kirk." Jim reluctantly looked up, "I will be getting the full story at some point, you know that right?" Jim just nodded. "Right, then tell me what happened to Olsen and who you were talking to on the comm."

Kirk shook his head at the mention of Olsen and Pike let his rest back on the pillow – so many good people lost, so many funerals to plan when they returned. But then Kirk's posture lightened a bit as his face gained a little animation, "I was speaking to Scott, sir, Montgomary Scott – he's our new head of Engineering. He's a genius sir, you'll like him."

"Scott?" So that was actually his name, "What was he doing on board, Kirk, I didn't have anyone called Scott on my crew."

This time Kirk's face took on the 'I'm not about to apologise for this because I'm glad I did it' look that Pike knew so well. "He and I beamed back on board, sir, and that was when I took command. Scott took over Engineering as I needed someone I could trust when Spock and I went onto the Romulan ship to get you, sir."

"Beamed back on board?" Pike's head was starting to really ache now, and he could see McCoy returning out of the corner of his eye, "What were you doing off the ship? And how did you get back on board? Were you on Vulcan?" McCoy appeared and grabbed hold of Kirk's shoulder before he had a chance to bolt, "And what did happen to you, Kirk? You look like you went ten rounds with a Klingon." McCoy and Kirk exchanged a glance and the doctor muttered something about 'Green-blooded hobgoblins'. Pike's head gave another twinge and he held up his hand before Kirk could even attempt to explain. "You know what – never mind, I don't even want to know. I should have known you in charge of a starship would lead to utter madness that I could never understand. I'll leave you to it, Kirk, do whatever you want. McCoy," The doctor left Kirk to stand beside him, "My head is killing me, give me some of the good drugs and don't let me wake up until we get to Earth and everything goes back to normal." McCoy just smiled a little as he reached for a hypo. Then the world went blissfully black.