Gidday all - sorry about last time I put this up - having some major computer problems. Think it heard the televised election debate and was having a hissy fit. Hope this proves worth the wait for me to straighten out.


"Tis nay what ye would be doing with one as what it seems ye did."

The room darkened and in the screen before them they saw Spock and Chekov obviously, to Kirk, on Hyterra Four where they had been. Kirk smiled to himself. He knew Spock would find something. Spock was letting him see what happened and would be waiting to discuss it with him later. He sat back in his chair and watched as the recording showed Chekov and he Vulcan looking around. Methodical and slow. Showed the odd patterns of the shadows, they could hear the unusual sounds of the wind, heard Spock say how he knew the Captain would not react to things like that. Saw how excited Chekov had been when he found something. Heard Spock say, "If I am not mistaken it is the spent shell casing from a projectile used in an old Earth rifle." and they all saw what appeared to be what Spock had said, a spent shell case from an old earth rifle. Kirk smiled to himself, he knew he had seen a rifle. Then Spock had said there would possibly be fingerprints on it. They had started walking back. Spock had suddenly stopped and pushed Chekov then there were five bangs, Spock had slightly turned, green blood staining his top, and started to fall, Chekov had rushed off yelling something obviously in Russian, the rifle in the grass, returning to Spock, hearing the faint, "Jim." then nothing.

Kirk was not aware of saying, "Spock!" as he had jumped to his feet, nor of rushing to the door, pausing to look back, giving the order "Thoroughly check that rifle out.", nor continuing his rush to Sickbay knowing only that he had to get to Spock and knew McCoy would be with him.

Just for a moment, as he entered Sickbay and first saw Spock, his world and time seemed to stop. His mind refused to believe what he saw. He felt his mouth move a few times but no words came out. A hand clamped over his mouth, stunning him even more as he heard a familiar Scottish brogue speaking softly but firmly in his ear.

"Ye will nay say his name, Captain. McCoy has had him hold on this long believing in ye coming. He is believing ye are still coming. The longer he believes that ye are not here the longer he will hold on and McCoy thinks it will help keep him with us."

As he looked from Spock to McCoy he saw his friend nod and point to the panel. The readings were low, too low, yet they were registering life. McCoy nodded again and Kirk nodded back, felt the arms holding him release him and the hand over his mouth be removed then he slowly walked up to the bed and started to put his hand on Spock's arm but McCoy gripped his wrist and pulled his hand away, "He'll feel you and know it is you. Outside."

Out in the corridor McCoy looked at him, "Now, before you ask, I don't know. Twenty-two times he has called your name. He had a brief moment of awareness and I told him you were coming, I have kept telling him that and he has held on. His condition has improved slightly, very slightly but it has improved. He, he at one time looked, really looked at me and said I am his good close friend and you are his t'hy'la."

"Can, can I just sit with him, Bones? No talking, no touching, I promise, just, I just need to sit beside him. I'd just be sitting there, just being there."

McCoy put a hand on his shoulder, "Jim, Captain, I think you have another matter to tidy up first. I believe you should be getting back to your hearing. Get that all sorted out and then come back, I will be with him. Go." When he hesitated and looked back in the room at his best friend on the bed, McCoy gripped his arm, "You go get your captaincy back and make sure that that thing who did this does not get near me."

"You, you'll."

"I haven't left him since it happened and there is no way I am about to leave him now."

When Kirk got back to the briefing room it was obvious that Captain Alliness had been verbally cutting Korpah to pieces and was still in the process. It was also obvious that neither of them were thinking of those present. " Captain Alliness was only just holding himself in check. "You, you gave them the rifle and thought it would not matter? You gave them a rifle, something they were at least a century behind developing on their own, showed them how to shoot it, and thought it would not matter as nobody would know? You knew the bullets were altered. You knew it would kill."

"I did not know the Enterprise would go back, that that would happen. As per official regulations Mister Spock had absolutely no right to go back."

"He went back out of loyalty to his captain, to clear his captain. Would you not do the same?"

"I am a senior Star Fleet officer and I follow the regulations. Mister Spock clearly disregarded them. The landing party only saw the crossbow. I was told there was no way,"

"Told? So Lieutenant Uhura was correct. It was you."

"She could not know, she does not know what I sound like. A guess." There was a touch of panic in Korpah's voice.

"She recorded just a small portion of what she thought was idle chatter. It was you telling somebody that the rifle had worked and you had the entire prize."

"No. No there was no way."

"Clearly there was a way and the First Officer found it. Would you not also want to know the truth."

"If they had followed regulations and order they should have accepted the attack as the truth! Others would have."

"So you," Kirk noticed how they were standing and how Alliness had his hands in tight fists as he looked directly at Korpah, "you and not Kirk, broke the Prime Directive. They saw you beam up, you showed them technology beyond their understanding, you gave them a weapon that they are years from developing."

"That blasted Vulcan First Officer. I had heard of the loyalty of Vulcans, had heard that what he and Kirk have was special but he should have stayed with Kirk. He should not have gone back. There was nothing logical about what he did."

Kirk slowly walked over to stand in front of Korpah, "That is because Mister Spock is also half-Human and it is his Human side that often gets him in trouble. It is because of his Vulcan side that I do not do to you here and now what I so want to do to you as he would not understand it. Do you know how many ways there are to, without a weapon, slowly and painfully kill another being? If your prints are on those bullets and Mister Spock dies can be assured we will meet again and we will be alone."

"I only gave them the rifle, I did not shoot him."

"He would not have been shot if you had not given them the rifle."

"None of you, not one of you, know what it is like. I have been on starships for over ten years, I have been First Officer for eighteen months, and this was my way, my only way of getting a promotion. I told them to injure the Security officer in red as I was sure you would react as you did by asking for a beam up in their presence, you using your phaser was even better. But that blasted Vulcan,"

"Right now, Mister, you are on," Kirk stopped. What was he on? This had been his ship, he had not been reinstated, he was still.

The three panellists looked at one another then the one Kirk recognized as Wayne Hanson, one of the most by-the-book and knowledgeable man on Star Fleet and Federation law, looked at him, "James Tiberous Kirk, you are hereby reinstated as full Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise it appears that a great injustice has been done to you. This will be expunged from your records. What is Miser Spock's status?"

For just an instant Kirk closed his eyes, he did not want to think about that. "He is in the care of Doctor Leonard McCoy, a doctor who knows more about Mister Spock's medical history than any other living being. He was uncertain," he paused and calmed himself, "Doctor McCoy could not state if Mister Spock will survive his injuries."

"We will require you to return to Star Base Four with us for approximately three hours to formalize everything and then you will return to your ship and await further orders. We will also require the recordings your Communications Officer made. It is unusual for officers to do what was done by your Communications Officer. You do have the best crew in the fleet."

"Thank you, Sir. Sirs, if I may I will meet you in the transporter room as I would like to tell Doctor McCoy, in person, in person, that I will be away for just over three hours."

"Perfectly understandable."

At the door to Sickbay's intensive care unit he motioned to McCoy, "They've reinstated me, expunged my record of this and need me for three hours."

"That's great news, Jim." McCoy smiled and gripped his friend's hand then saw the unasked question in the way his friend was looking at Spock. "He is still with us There has been a very, very slight improvement since we got him aboard. He still thinks you are coming and is holding on, not fighting the medication I am giving him. We've used up all the spare blood we had for him: I've come up with a copper and saline drip that had helped with blood flow, plus a a substance one of my and his officer's has come up with that helps Go take care of what you have to. I'm not leaving him."

Kirk had taken care of all the formalities and been introduced to two of Star Fleets doctors he was asked to take for a discussion with the Chief Medical Officer. He was not in favour of the idea but knew it was one of the things that was expected in such circumstances.

When they beamed aboard Kirk had seen Scotty look at him oddly and then said, "Ah, Captain, ye have ta remain here for a minute as with the modifications we have had the odd smell of gas in here. It'll nae take a minute. Connors, check with Wilkens about checking the gas McCoy mentioned."

For a moment Kirk just stood then turned to the two doctors, "It is best to wait, as you may know with the systems on a star ship it is best to make sure so that nothing spreads." Although he did not fully understand how Kirk knew that McCoy would be informed of the arrivals, would be prepared for them.

Informed was one thing but for him to be waiting just outside Sickbay was a surprise as was seeing two armed officers by the door.

"I'm Doctor Leonard McCoy Chief Medical Officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise, what can I do for you?"

"I'm Doctor Letop from Star Base Four and this is Doctor Harold Gelbirth of,"

"Nice to meet you, Doctor Letop and" there was no mistaking the look of loathing on McCoy's face, " I have met Doctor Gelbirth before. What the devil do you want?"