7.
"Everyone on alert!" Kirk barked, "Whatever that thing is, it's still here!"
The remaining crew backed themselves into a circular, defensive formation, McCoy at the centre, phasers drawn and ready. But the air had settled as quickly as it was disturbed: they were once again alone, and blind.
"I think it's gone," Uhura said after a few minutes, tentative.
Almost on cue, Kirk saw a flash of gold out of the corner of his eye, and cursed under his breath.
"Chekov — come back!"
But the months spent dashing around Engineering made Chekov impossibly quick, and Kirk's fingers missed the young ensign by millimetres as he made for the cliff. Kirk nearly panicked: it was quiet, too quiet. The lake was gaping open like an abyss, waiting to swallow the intruders whole.
"Chekov! Stop! That's an order!"
Thankfully Scotty was faster; the Chief Engineer took off, pounced with surprising agility and grabbed the ensign from behind, holding him in place.
"It's alright laddie," Scotty soothed over Chekov's string of incoherent Russian, "It's gonna be alright."
"Oh my god," Uhura murmured softly, clasping a hand to her mouth, "he was calling for Chekov's name..."
Kirk's heart wrenched. It had happened too quickly; there was no long drop to Earth this time, not even a buffer period, no way he could've caught up — Sulu was a friend. The gnawing pain in his stomach only worsened from watching Chekov's struggle against Scotty's iron grip.
"Spock, pinch him if you need to," Kirk ordered lowly. Closing his eyes, he murmured, "God, I hope Sulu can swim..."
He darted a look towards the lake, where the water remained still, as if nothing had happened. There was no sign of a struggle, not even bubbles that would indicate a spent breath. An ominous calm.
"I do not think there is need," Spock said. Kirk blinked, then realised the Vulcan was talking about the nerve pinching; he whipped around to see Chekov staring at the lake, no longer trying to make a jump for it, but was instead muttering something under his breath.
Scotty caught his gaze and shook his head minutely, eyes afraid. Kirk knew what he was thinking: trauma and grief could strike a grown man mad, let alone a nineteen year old kid.
"Pavel..." Kirk began, but he had no idea what he could say. Chekov had always looked up to Sulu as a mentor and a best friend; Kirk couldn't even remember the times he had to clear his throat and pretend he didn't hear the shared whisper of a joke between his navigator and helmsman during the dry milk runs. God, it was Sulu.
Chekov turned around. His features were even paler than usual, but there was a steely expression on his face and a fierce look in his eye. "Ne ostavlyaite samuraya," he said in a strange tone.
"I'm sorry?" Caught off guard, Kirk worried momentarily for Chekov's sanity, "Say that again?"
Beside him, Uhura gasped. "Yes!" She hissed, quickly stashing the phaser, "That's it!"
"What's — " Kirk frowned furiously, then, in a completely different state of shock, "The writing on the wall? Seriously?"
"Don't give up the Samurai," Uhura recited as Chekov stared at them with wide eyes, "Captain — come on, that's got to be what it means!"
Kirk's mouth closed with an audible clack. He had been joking, of course, when he asked everyone to remember their 'haikus', but his mind was now rapidly forming impossible connections between events. First the warning about the shadow, then they were led by Uhura's hand; afterwards McCoy was attacked, ...
"... oh my God, Bones must've fallen asleep," Kirk muttered, running a hand through his hair. A shiver traveled down his spine despite the sweat that he worked up in the frenzy. "And now Sulu's disappeared..."
He trailed his gaze over the large boulder, where McCoy was still lying, unconscious, and the cliff edge, where Sulu stood just hours ago, looking up at the sky.
"Go towards the sun," Kirk breathed. "Oh for..."
He ran towards the cliff and flopped down on his front, hands grabbing at the ledge. Poking his head over the cliff and tipping his chin downwards, Kirk stared at the water underneath: it was not calm like the rest of the lake, but swirling.
A whirlpool.
"How is this even possible?" Kirk muttered to himself, incredulous. The lake was dark, much too dark, and no matter how hard he searched, there was no sign the whirlpool affected the water outside of its immediate radius. He picked up a pebble and skipped it into the water — the stone barely made a ripple before it got sucked into the vortex and disappeared. At the crisp dip of the sound, two of the strange creatures they encountered before fluttered their spiky wings from the far wall; but they did not come close, choosing instead to perch watchfully on a small stalactite.
"Captain?" Spock's voice came from over his shoulder, concerned.
Kirk jumped up and turned towards Chekov. "Is Sulu a good swimmer?" he asked, completely out of the blue.
Chekov seemed taken aback, but nodded firmly. "Yes keptin, he won seweral competitions during shore leave."
"Then we should follow," Kirk said with a terse jerk of his head. "There is a good chance that Sulu got sucked into this whirlpool here, which would lead us out of the cave. Spock?"
Spock knelt down next to him and studied the slow spinning water. "While I do not understand the formation of this vortex, the speed is slow enough and the diameter wide enough for a man to safely pass," he concluded.
"Great," Kirk muttered, sarcastic, "Doesn't feel like a trap at all."
"Captain, we don't even know what we are dealing with yet, and we are already two men down!" Scotty cried. "Ye are not seriously thinking of jumping into that infested water, are ye?!"
"I am," Kirk said firmly. "We are not abandoning Lieutenant Sulu. But," he paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "We can't leave Bones like this."
"With all due respect to ze doctor, Keptin, but I'm coming with you," Chekov said, stepping forward.
Kirk glanced at him and simply nodded. "Standby, ensign," he ordered, making a climb onto the rock where McCoy still lied. "Is anyone else trained in advanced first aid?" he asked, crouching down next to his friend.
"Only Lieutenant Sulu," Uhura said, shaking her head.
Kirk stared down at McCoy's face — scowling, even as he was unconscious — and sighed. "I need to revive him."
"If we are to attempt a rescue of Lieutenant Sulu we should not wait too long," Spock said, following in Kirk's wake. "I do not know what mechanism is creating the vortex but the momentum of the water is weakening. I suspect the outlet underneath is closing, and will fully close in approximately twenty two point seven minutes."
"Well, that doesn't leave me with a lot of choice," Kirk said, purposefully avoiding eye contact with Chekov as he rummaged around in McCoy's medical case. "But, as you very well know Mr. Spock, I do not believe in no win scenarios."
Spock's eyebrow shot up. "Indeed?"
"Indeed," Kirk emphasised, surfacing with a hypo and eyeing it in the thin light. "Here's to karma, Bones."
He plunged the hypo into McCoy's neck.
One second, two — Kirk's palm became uncomfortably sweaty, and he absentmindedly wiped them on McCoy's jeans — then, the sound of a huge indrawn breath.
"Bones!" Kirk exclaimed, just as McCoy struggled upright onto his elbows.
" — God dammit — I'm a — cough, splutter — doctor, not a — cough — lab experiment!"
Kirk let out a breath he did not know he was holding. "Doesn't it feel nice when it's done to you, Bones," he said sweetly.
McCoy flipped him the bird as he rolled over and dry heaved into the ground.
"Just like that!" Scotty watched, awed. "I thought he was a goner for good!"
"Sorry — to disappoint," McCoy said when he surfaced, looking pale and shaken, yet grumpy as ever. "I'm not leavin' you — my Andorian Ale, if that's what you — were hoping."
"He's gonna be okay," Kirk said, rolling his eyes.
"Doctor," Spock spoke up, "Can you provide an explanation for your altered state?"
McCoy tentatively pressed a hand to his neck and grimaced. "Ergh. I guess I did fall asleep?" he said, slowly testing the skin for tender areas.
"And are you always in the habit of asphyxiating yourself when you sleep?" Spock said, flicking a skeptical brow.
McCoy visibly bristled. "What? You green — "
"O—kay," Kirk interjected forcefully, "He's glad you are back, Bones, just take my word for it. Spock, lower your eyebrows before it flies off. Bones, that was not just falling sleep and having a nightmare."
"Who said anything about nightmares?" McCoy said, still giving Spock the stink eye, "I gave myself a little something to keep my eyes open, y'know, and the next thing I know, I — "
"What," Kirk said, alarmed.
" — Blacked out," McCoy finished, frowning. "It was like instead of a pick-me-up, I gave myself a strong sedative. Couldn't remember anything after that. And who shot me in the hand!?" he winced as he rotated his wrist, giving his friends a crabby look.
Kirk grimaced as Uhura coughed something suspiciously like 'Captain' into her hand. Luckily, McCoy was over taken by another coughing fit before he could pursue the subject.
"Perhaps you should examine the content of your medical case again," Spock said, when McCoy quietened down. "Is it possible that you accidentally injected yourself with something that could have caused strong hallucinations?"
Kirk made a wild slice-across-the-throat gesture as McCoy rose fully to face Spock, face stormy. "Is it possible that you suddenly want to wear your heart on your sleeves?" he bit out.
Spock's eyes widened imperceptibly. "I do not understand," he said, casting a fleeting glance at Kirk, who was making a wiping 'NO' gesture behind McCoy's back.
McCoy took a menacing step forward. "Now see here, Spock, I might be hacking up a lung, but somethings do not change — "
"Gentlemen!" Kirk said, stretching his arms wide and wrapping his two best friends in a forceful hug from behind, "While I appreciate the friendly — yes, Bones, friendly — reunion, time is of the essence. We really need to go after Sulu."
"Sulu? What's happened to Sulu?" McCoy said, finally noticing that they were one man short. His gaze landed on Chekov, who was still standing on the cliff edge stiffly, staring into the lake. "Oh hell." McCoy sighed and made a gesture, mouthing, 'really?'
Kirk nodded grimly. "But don't worry, we are going to listen to the haikus on the wall and follow him," he said with false cheer, jumping down from the rock swiftly and lending a hand to McCoy.
"Why am I not surprised," McCoy grumbled.
Kirk wrapped his arms around McCoy and helped him down. "Are you feeling okay?"
"No," McCoy coughed again noisily and gave him a dirty look. "I'm in pain all over. Dammit kid, I'm not twenty five any more."
"Right," Kirk said, curving his lips in a faint smile. "Which is why you are staying here, while Spock, Chekov and I are going after our helmsman."
Uhura exchanged a look with Scotty and said, "Sir."
"Lieutenant," Kirk acknowledged, sobering up. He straightened his back and sharpened his gaze, voice dropping into a level, authoritative tone. "I'm going to need you to take care of our CMO until either we are able to retrieve Lieutenant Sulu or we find a way out. Do not let your guard down — it is very possible that whatever foe we were dealing with, it's still here."
Uhura took over McCoy's elbow and tipped her chin, firmly, once.
"Scotty!" Kirk continued, whirling around, "In case we do not return, you will be Acting Captain and I shall trust your judgement. Once again, if we do not return, focus on fixing the communicators and beam yourselves up the first chance you get. Is that understood?"
"Aye, sir," Scotty replied with a curt nod.
McCoy took a deep breath wetly and grabbed Kirk's arm. "Now look, Jim, I really don't like this — "
"Relax, Bones, I've got Spock with me," Kirk said, patting his friend on the back with forced bravado. "Now give me a few hypos for the road, and we'll be good to go."
McCoy searched his face for a moment, then nodded grimly. But the simple motion of bending down sent him coughing and groaning again, which made Kirk distintly uneasy. "Are you sure you are okay?"
"I'm gonna be no use to anyone any time soon," McCoy groused, rubbing his throat and tossing a few hypos Kirk's way. "To be honest, I'm surprised at the strength of my own hand," he said, rolling his eyes.
"Perhaps I may be of assistance," Spock said, stepping close before Kirk could reply. "I can employ Vulcan mind techniques to block out the pain and enhance muscle function for a temporary period."
"You can do that?" Kirk said, amazed, "Will it hurt?"
"No more than the pain Dr. McCoy is current in, no," Spock replied.
"Good to hear but no — I mean will it hurt you," Kirk said, staring at his First Officer pointedly.
Spock lifted a brow. "It will not."
Kirk searched Spock's face for a few seconds and a second brow joined the first: the meaning was clear. Vulcans do not lie.
Despite himself, Kirk grinned.
"Well?" he patted McCoy on the shoulder, "How 'bout that? A Vulcan mind booster, Bones!"
"Kill me now," McCoy grumbled, but tilted his face willingly forwards nonetheless.
Kirk watched with fascination and something else at the bottom of his stomach he could not quite identify as his CMO and First Officer engaged in a light mind meld. As Spock pressed his finger against McCoy's psi-points, Kirk felt a phantom tingle on his face: memories of warm, wrinkled fingers against his temple suddenly sharpened itself and floated to the forefront of his mind. He wondered briefly how the older Spock was doing and whether they had encountered this planet on their timeline, but Spock had always just given him the fond eyebrow when he tried (not so subtly) to needle for information. The most Kirk was able to get was fleeting images he caught during the meld on Delta Vega, along with a torrent of feelings as a result of the emotional transference...
They separated, and McCoy gave Spock a strange look.
"What is it?" Kirk blurted, darting his eyes between them.
McCoy gave him the same strange look and said nothing. Bewildered, Kirk turned to his First Officer, "Spock?"
Spock ignored him. "Are you in a better condition, Doctor?" he asked, clasping his hands behind his back.
"Yes," McCoy mumbled, stretching his arm and legs, "But I have a sneaky feeling I'm gonna pay for this ten times later."
"You will," Spock confirmed matter-of-factly. Kirk grimaced.
"Bedside manners, Spock."
Spock's eyebrow jumped again but he made no further comment as they approached the cliff. Chekov turned towards them: his eyes were clear.
"I hev been studying the wortex, Keptin," he said, waving his PADD. "Ze flow of the vater underneath the surface is steady, and calm. I do not understand why or how, but it is. Ze creatures do not seem to be interested in this area either, so our passage should be safe."
"An unsettling convenience," Spock said lowly.
"Yeah," Kirk breathed, "But I've long since learnt not to look at a gift horse in the mouth. We should probably grab this opportunity before the spiky things decide to make a charge for our eyeballs again."
Spock inclined his head in agreement. Behind him, McCoy sighed heavily.
"Just... be careful," the doctor said, when Kirk turned to face him. He looked worried: the lines and shadows around his eyes becoming more pronounced under the dim light. Uhura and Scotty held up a hand each, their faces similarly troubled by thinly masked concern. Kirk gave them a small smile, and straightened.
"Chekov," He called suddenly, and the young ensign snapped to attention. Once again Kirk's voice dropped to the level, authoritative tone that allowed no argument, and he locked onto Chekov with a steady gaze. "I know you want to help Sulu, we all do, but you must not act before you think, are we clear? If Mr. Spock and I give you a direct order, you must obey, can you do that?"
"I can do zat," Chekov said, nodding firmly, lips pursed into a thin line.
Satisfied, Kirk exchanged a look with Spock, who also nodded solemnly to him in return. He spared a selfish moment to revel in the quiet confidence the Vulcan exerted by his side, and took a deep breath.
"For the Samurai," Kirk said with a lopsided grin, and plunged into the lake.
