Dis: No, I really do own Star Trek. Really, I do! *Hears voice in back of mind* No, you don't own Star Trek. Yes I do! Don't listen to my mind!!! AGGHH!
Chapter 6
The Doctor was brought to an abrupt awakening a while later, when he rolled over and fell of the couch. He landed in an undignified heap on the floor. Cursing under his breath, he got up, glancing at the chrono on his desk. He was surprised to see that he'd been asleep for a good five hours, at least. He supposed that Christine had taken care of Sickbay during his nap. He'd have to remember to thank her later.
"Well," McCoy thought as he stretched and yawned, "It's probably good that I woke up now. Spock'll be up any time now." As though activated by the physician's thoughts, his desk communicator whistled. He answered it, and tried to flatten out his sleep-tousled hair.
The voice of Nurse Christine Chapel came from the speaker.
"Doctor McCoy?"
"I'm here. Is it Spock?"
"Yes sir. He's starting to come out of his trance."
"I'll be there in just a second. McCoy out."
He closed the link and headed out of his office with a quickened pace. He began mentally willing himself to do what he knew was needed. He hated what he had to do to bring Spock out of his healing trance, but it had to be done.
McCoy entered Spock's ward just as the Vulcan sat bolt-upright, his eyes unfocused. McCoy sprinted over to Spock's side, drew back his arm, and slapped the Vulcan harshly across his face. Spock didn't even flinch. Instead, he spoke one word, in a voice as cold and hard as steel,
"Harder."
McCoy summoned up all his strength and slapped Spock again. He started to raise his arm again, but Spock's hand shot out and seized the Doctor's wrist in painful grip. But he released his hold after a moment and said, in a slightly raspy voice,
"That will be sufficient. Thank you for your assistance."
"No problem," McCoy said grimly, rubbing his wrist. "All you did was nearly break my hand. Well, at least that means some of that accursed Vulcan strength of yours has returned. You were certainly out for long enough."
Spock spoke again, his voice still sounding scratchy, no doubt a result of being unconscious for so long.
"I apologize for any discomfort I may have caused you, Doctor. I will attempt to be more gentle in the future. However-" Spock raised an eyebrow, "Judging by your current state of dishevel, I would surmise that you have also been 'out for long enough."
McCoy glared at the Vulcan, then down at his rumpled uniform. Choosing not to retort, he simply said,
"Oh, hush. I'll go get you some water for your throat." He walked off toward the replicator, grumbling under his breath, in a low voice,
"And they say that Vulcans have no sense of humor."
The physician's voice was not low enough, however, to escape the sensitivity of Vulcan ears.
" 'They' would be correct Doctor. Humor is a concept that is not relevant to us."
McCoy returned to Spock's bedside, handing him the glass.
"Oh, just drink your water."
Spock drank it, thankful for the chance to alleviate his dry throat. Aside from that, his healing trance had done him immense good. Though some believed that Vulcan healing trances were mystic rituals, Spock knew that they worked simply to focus the body's natural immunities.
After finishing the water, Spock set the glass down, and turned back to the Doctor.
"I assume that the Captain will be here shortly?"
"Yeah, Christine's contacting him right now." McCoy turned and began examining the sensors on Spock's bed. Spock began to ask about his current condition, but McCoy had anticipated it, and started explaining even before Spock could get the question out.
"Your ribs are fine, but they'll be pretty sore for a while. The same goes for that ankle injury."
Spock nodded his consent, and McCoy continued,
"I had thought that wrist wound of yours may have been infected, but all our scans still haven't picked anything up. Even so, I still plan to keep monitoring it."
Spock nodded again, then asked,
"When will I be able to return to duty?"
"Yes Bones, when?" The Captain had entered Sickbay and overheard Spock's question.
Dr. McCoy scowled, switching into his 'I'm the Doctor I make the decisions' mode. He barked,
"When I decide he's fit for it, and not a moment before!"
"Doctor, you said that my injuries-"
"-Were mostly healed, yes. However-" McCoy declared, "Just because the scans didn't pick up any poison doesn't mean that there isn't any."
"So..." Kirk prompted, still trying to get an answer, "How long?"
"At least a couple of days."
Kirk looked relieved, and Spock's concerns were similarly eased. He had been concerned that the over-protective Doctor would want to hold him for an extreme period of time. McCoy saw the look on the Captain's face and snorted.
"Don't get too excited, now. After that, Mr. Spock, you are going to be on sick leave."
Kirk's look of relief faded. McCoy gave him a wry smile.
"Yes, sick leave. You're still very weak, and you are not to be dong anything strenuous. Do whatever you like, write poetry for all I care, but so help me, if I find you up on the Bridge-"
"I think he gets the picture, Bones." Kirk interrupted. Deciding it best to change the subject, Spock asked,
"Captain, were you able to find any information about the nature of the creature that attacked me?"
Kirk shook his head grimly.
"No. Our computer banks don't have anything on it. We didn't have enough time to question the Myroians either, we were already off schedule. We had to leave for Starbase 7 to deliver the oriboriali. We're on our way there now."
"Spock...I was wondering..." McCoy spoke cautiously, as though treading on dangerous grounds, "You didn't happen to...you know, pick up anything from that beast, did you?"
Spock knew what they Doctor was getting at. Vulcan telepathic powers were not a commonly-discussed topic, and McCoy didn't want to enter into a taboo subject.
Spock was silent. He hadn't had time to give it much thought, but now he replayed the memory in his head. The Vulcan's concentration was abruptly interrupted however, by a sudden, flaring pain in his wrist. He had been trying to bring up a mental picture of the animal, when the unexpected agony had occurred. Spock managed to keep from gasping in shock, and the pain soon faded to a dull throb. Spock ignored it as best he could, and continued thinking. The moment the creature had made contact with him...yes...Spock had briefly touched it's mind. He spoke to the others.
"It was not fully sentient. However..." He trailed off, trying to find the correct words.
"There was a glimmer of intelligence, and self-awareness. A shadow almost, as though it had at one time been sentient. That was all I was able to sense, being, at the time, more concentrated on staying conscious.
The three officers were silent for a time. Eventually, Dr. McCoy spoke up, in a low voice,
"Quite....fascinating."
Sorry it took me so long to update! I've been way busy. I really should work on my LOTR story, but my Spock muse is much stronger than my Legolas muse right now. *Image of Spock standing victoriously by a nerve-pinched Legolas*
Anyways!
I don't think this chapter was as good as the others. You might be thinking, "Where's the action? The drama?" All in good time, it will come back, don't worry. Oh, and by the way, what is a beta reader?
Review please!
