Authors note: I just want to say a massive thank-you to everyone who has been following this story, and especially to everyone who was kind enough to leave a review!

I know some of you wanted this to go for another chapter or two, but this was always going to be a short fic and it feels like the right time to wrap things up. Also with this fic completed I can move on to one of the many other fics going on in my head at the moment. So I hope you enjoy this last installment :)

Kirk didn't know how long he had been asleep, but he awoke later, still in contact with Bones but he was on his side now with his friend sitting on the bed behind him. He didn't know when Bones had come into the room, or when he had sat on the bed with him, but as he awoke from another nightmare he was glad he wasn't alone. Bones knew not to hover when he had a nightmare, he had fallen into the habit of just shaking him to wake him up then getting back to whatever he was doing to let Kirk come to reality in his own way. Right now though Bones was asleep sitting up against the pillows behind them which meant Kirk had to have woken himself up – that's a first. Judging from the looks of his friend though, he doubted Bones had slept in a few days. How long was I out? He thought. He didn't want to move but he felt restless, he felt thirsty and he also needed the bathroom. He waited as long as he dared too but then he decided that if he moved with stealth he could go to the bathroom without disturbing McCoy. McCoy was normally a sound sleeper, unless he was looking after Kirk, then the overprotective mother hen in him made him wake to the slightest noise that Kirk would make. The fact that Bones had just slept through one of his nightmares meant it was a safe bet that he was exhausted and wouldn't wake up just yet.

Kirk returned from the bathroom a few minutes later feeling relieved and wearing a fresh pair of sweat pants, shirt and a jumper he had grabbed on his way into the bathroom. He would have had a shower if he had the strength but right now he settled for a clean set of clothes and curled up on his couch. He felt better, he didn't feel so out of it anymore and the room had stopped spinning which he was glad for, but his stomach still cramped and he still felt like he had been on a three day bender. He was just starting to drift back off to sleep again when he heard Bones stir…"Jim?" was that a hint of panic in his voice? He wondered. "Here Bones" he listened to the footsteps approach his comfy position on the couch, "How do you feel?" he saw Bones eyes scanning him over looking for any sign of the illness as he crouched down infront of him, he actually makes a pretty good human tricorder he mused. He contemplated going with his usual 'I'm fine!' routine, but given that his friend has probably been looking after him for who knows how long he decided it safer to go with honesty – his friend deserved that much. "Better I think. Rooms stopped spinning at least. Don't wanna vomit anymore"which got him the responce of "ah huh, that's why you're still guarding your stomach then…" can't get anything past Bones

"A bit cramped, and feel a bit washed out. That's all"

"You're dehydrated. That should go away after you have something to drink." He watched as Bones walked over to the replicator and ordered an apple juice, he pulled a face when Bones offered him the cup

"Just drink it. Your body needs the energy from the sugar" he accepted the glass and took a sip. His mouth tingled with the sweetness and satisfaction of receiving fluids again. He took a second, bigger sip and set the still full glass down on the table again. He enjoyed the cool sensation of it gliding down his throat, but he waited to see how it sat in his still sensitive stomach before he had anymore.

After a minute with no reaction he took another sip. It's not often that he vomited, so each time he did the sensation was unnerving, he wasn't one of these people who could just vomit like it was no big deal, he didn't like it one bit and would go out of his way to avoid it if at all possible. So he sat there sipping slowly on his apple juice to keep McCoy happy and to try to build up some energy so he could return to duty as soon as he got the chance.

After a while Bones deecided it was time to get him to eat something so he went with the traditional bowl of soup. "chicken and mushroom?" not exactly what he was expecting. "Its my grandmothers recipe! chicken is easy for the stomach to digest and mushroom gives you protein" Bones actually looked and sounded a little taken aback by Kirks reaction, then he added "stop being an infant and just eat your soup". That made Kirk smile so he picked up the spoon and stated to slowly eat his soup.

The next 12 hours passed with Jim drinking apple juice and eating soup in between falling asleep on the couch. The nightmares had dissipated so he could rest peacefully and regain his strength. As promised Bones cleared him for duty 24 hours later, but restricted it to light duties until he was eating solids again and back at 100%. He had not anticipated that something so innocent as a food offering could be so hazardous, but now he had learned his lesson he sent a message through to Starfleet informing them that the Drogoan's were acceptable candidates to be offered a position to join Starfleet on the condition that Lanister meat be put on the 'do not eat' list, and attaching another message that it should become standard procedure to scan all alien cuisine before ingestion when on away missions, where ever possible.

The End.

What did you think?

Sorry for the sucky ending - I know it's not the best. I got a bit stuck.

Thanks again for riding this out with me :)