Spock and McCoy had little conversation has they trudged through the Vulcan desert, towards the city. They were almost there. Spock could see more of it now as the sun set.
"Spock…I…don't know what to say. I don't know what I would have done if you…well…I would never have been able to carry Jim this far by myself." McCoy mumbled.
Spock ignored the Doctor's statement. "It is getting dark. You should rest, Doctor." He said laying Kirk down gently.
McCoy grunted, "I was trying to thank you," he muttered under his breath. He took out his medical tricoder and started scanning Kirk. Spock sat on the other side of Kirk.
"Damn, he's getting worse. He's slipping deeper into shock…" McCoy administered medication to Kirk's neck. "That's all I can do. Damn it." He cursed. He studied his tricorder and sighed. He yawned shortly afterwards. "I'm gonna hit the hay…there's nothing more I can do for him tonight," He turned on his side, yawning again. "What about you?" he asked looking at Spock.
"I do not require rest," Spock answered.
"Oh really? Well…you could have fooled me," He grumbled. Within minutes, the good Doctor was asleep.
Spock picked up the Doctor's tricorder and scanned the Captain.
The results were not reassuring. He looked at Jim, worriedly. Jim was pale and his face was covered in beads of sweat. He was moving restlessly in a feverish sleep. Spock gently put his hand on Jim's forehead. This was definitely not a Human's normal temperature. Spock put his index finger and middle finger on Kirk's temple, sinking into his friend's mind.
Waves of pain and heat hit Spock through the meld. Spock concentrated on lowering Jim's temperature. He absorbed as much of his friend's pain as he could, but white-hot pain shot throughout Spock's mind and he was forced to quickly dissolve the meld.
Spock gasped, recovering from the meld. He again felt the Jim's forehead. The human felt cooler now.
Spock moved closer to Jim. Settling down with the tricorder and medkit close at hand. He dared not go to sleep. He had to ensure that the Captain was safe throughout the night.
Jim was yet again, restlessly tossing in his sleep.
Spock remembered when his mother was ill at one time; she was sleeping quite restlessly as well. Amanda had requested that Spock holder her hand. She told him that Humans were comforted by the gesture when they were ill or frightened.
Spock gently took Jim's hand. He wished to calm his friend, to comfort him. And almost immediately, as if Jim knew who was holding his hand stilled and started to rest peacefully.