A/N - Ok, so here is chapter nine. It gets a little dramatic and OOC in some places so forgive me. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Jim was determined to make this go differently than his dream had. So he started with changing how they went down to the surface. Instead of having Spock on his right he placed McCoy next to him and Spock on his left and slightly behind him. He felt the unwelcome but familiar tingling sensation and felt his body tense.
"Captain there are no - "
"Indications of life." Jim finished for Spock. "I know. Both of you stay next to me."
McCoy and Spock flanked his sides, their eyes glued to his face. Normally Jim was excited when they explored a new planet, but today he was cautious and silent. "Jim, I'm sure everything will be fine."
"It's the same damn planet. Dry and fucking hot." he growled. He looked around, not letting his friends leave his side as he kept his hand on his phaser. He was silent when he heard the sound he was dreading. Jim, Spock, and McCoy turned and faced the creatures that had been haunting Jim's mind for weeks now.
They were exactly like he remembered seeing them in his head. They were taller than he was, the angles in their faces were much sharper. The robes they wore hung to the ground and were black and deep blue. There was only one way to tell the two beings apart, and that was their eyes. One had story grey and the other had crystal blue. Jim shuddered at the sight.
He swallowed before he spoke, "I am - "
"Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. Spock, First Officer and Science Officer, and Doctor McCoy, Chief Medical Officer."
Jim narrowed his eyes slightly, not able to keep the peaceful and friendly look on his face. "We come with friendly intentions, we received a distress signal from this planet and came to investigate." Keep changing it up Jim, he told himself, don't let them win.
"Yes, we sent the signal in hopes that you would come."
"Nothing seems…" he heard the click. "I'm not even going to finish the thought." he said bitterly. His eyes went to Spock and McCoy and he gave his friends a soft smile.
The two watched Jim carefully, both knew what was coming and they were preparing themselves for it.
"Something's wrong." Jim said softly. By now they should be in their cages. He looked around, not daring to move. The darkness around him was vast and never seemed to end. Normally darkness like this was a comfort; it was one of the reasons he had gone into space, besides the challenge from Pike of course.
"Captain, maybe you were wrong." Spock said taking a step towards him.
Jim glanced at him but saw the three were feet apart and encased in the tubes that became their personal hells. Without even touching it he could feel the rush of the water and the chill that came with it. His blue eyes looked over and he saw McCoy standing straight and stiff, his eyes closed and holding his breath. Spock was banging on the glass, his eyes narrowed.
He sighed and stood perfectly still trying to fight the feeling of being closed in, of water entering his lungs. It's an illusion…he tried telling himself but he felt the fear taking over his mind as the water climbed higher and sucked him under. He struggled against the water, his mind going to his childhood.
McCoy hated rats, couldn't stand the diseased creatures for as long as he could remember. When he felt himself separated from Jim and inside this tube he knew what was coming. His body tensed instantly and he felt something crawling at his feet. He refused to look down and soon he could feel small claws digging into his clothes and skin.
He clenched his fists and cursed, the little shits were hungry. They gnawed at his skin and he could feel small streams of blood flowing over his skin. Damn rats. He shuddered as he felt tails wrap around his lag and claws dig in deeper. McCoy forced his mind to think of something else.
Spock started off stiff and rigid like always. His face was calm and stoic, expressionless; all that changed when he heard a familiar scream. Silently he raised his gaze and saw Jim in front of him, a whip coming down on his bare back. From where he was he could see the pain on Jim's face and smell the blood that had already fallen. He could see that his lover was trying to fight the pain, but lash after lash was breaking his will slowly.
He felt the rage boil inside him and Spock banged his fist on the glass, feeling it crack under his force. He would not yell, but he would do everything in his power to get out and help Jim. With all his strength, he pounded his fists against the glass, feeling shards push deeper into his skin. He pushed the pain into the back of his mind when he remembered what Jim said. These people played off of your fears. He clasped his hands behind his back and closed his eyes.
Spock heard the yelling fade and McCoy felt the gnawing cease. Both looked over and saw Jim struggling against non-existent water. They watched as the tube disappeared and Jim fell to his knees shaking.
Spock reached him first, McCoy just seconds after. McCoy rubbed his back, trying to get him to breath normally Spock watching with his eyebrow raised. "Come on Jim." the Doctor said gruffly. Almost asking for permission McCoy looked at Spock who nodded.
McCoy sat behind Jim and put his hand on his chest. He shivered at how cold his skin was but forced that from his mind. "Come on Jim, breath with me." He counted softly, measuring their breaths. Slowly but surely he felt Jim's heart rate slow down and his breathing even out. "There you go." He smiled at Jim who gave him a weak smile. "Go see Spock, you need to warm up."
"Yes Doctor." Jim forced a smirk and moved into Spock's side and took in the warmth. His blue eyes went back and forth between them. "We aren't done yet." he said softly.
"Jim, you have altered the outcome of the dream. Maybe they have learned what they wanted."
"On the contrary, we have not yet begun the experiment." James looked up and saw the blue eyed being looking at him. "Captain, your strength and courage has been discussed across the galaxy, we wish to test it ourselves."
Slowly Jim stood up pushing Spock and McCoy behind him, the gesture too familiar and he knew it would do nothing to spare his friends. "Let them return to the ship, do what you want with me."
The grey eyes creature looked at his friend, "Noble is he - "
"No I am not noble." Jim's voice a growl that caused McCoy to jump and Spock to raised his eyebrow. "I do not want my friends hurt because you guys want some entertainment."
The two alien creatures gazed at Jim, their eyes shocked, if they could look shocked. They turned their heads towards each other and discussed something. Spock and McCoy both gave Jim a reassuring smile, Spock gave him a loving glance and McCoy patted his shoulder; things were definitely going different.
"Captain," grey eyes said, "While we appreciate your efforts to protect your friends, we also want to observe your strength."
Jim heard the soft click and felt the water surround him again. Instantly he started pounding on his tiny cell, "No! NO!" His words merely came out in bubbles and he felt himself struggling against the water. He looked ahead of him and saw Spock and McCoy struggling against chains, pain written on their faces. They were trying to be strong for him.
Outside of the cage, the two creatures watched Jim with interest. "Your Captain cares deeply for you."
McCoy and Spock were detained, but no harm was coming to them. They were in their cells, but they watched and listened as Jim struggled in his. "Stop it! Can't you see what you're doing to him?!" McCoy demanded.
Spock remained ever silent, allowing concern to seep from his gaze as he watched Jim battle the water that he thought he was going to drown in. "Jim can survive this Doctor." McCoy noted the hint of uncertainty that hung in his voice.
Jim watched, feeling helpless as he watch Spock and McCoy struggle for their lives. All his time in the water, all that time torturing himself and he was going to let them die. He held back the tears and gritted his teeth. He put his feet against the back of the tube and jammed his shoulder into it, trying desperately to break free.
His feet slipped when he felt his should split, the joint separating. He scream burst from his mouth. He looked up and saw McCoy fall to the floor.
From the outside all four could see the anguish the came across his face, some of the light fading from his eyes. "Bones get up! BONES!" Jim just saw the bubbled rise from his mouth, but his friends and captors heard him.
"Dammit Jim I'm right here! Let him out of there!" he yelled at the ones conducting the so-called experiment.
"BONES!" he screamed again.
McCoy watched heart broken as Jim started to give up. "Hey, he's still got you to live for Spock."
He looked at the Doctor and raised his eyebrow. "Doctor?"
"Heh…thought he told you."
Inside his prison Jim watched the limp form of McCoy on the ground before returning his eyes to Spock. Spock was still there. He still had someone to cling to. The water surrounding him was numbing his body, making it harder for him to keep his head above the water.
With his shoulder being numb, though it wasn't the best idea, he went back to ramming the cage with a new force. He would not lose Spock to. Losing McCoy had vanished half of his heart, if he lost Spock he wouldn't be able to go on.
His face still contorted in pain as he jumbled the damaged nerves in his arms, so he put his back against the wall and started pounding his feet against the cage. Jim smirked and his eyes narrowed slightly as cracks formed. His knee caved but he was almost there.
Jim looked up to give Spock reassurance, to let him know that he was coming, but he felt what air he had leave his body. Spock was falling from his chains, green blood staining his skin and shirt.
"SPOCK!" Jim watched as the half-Vulcan fell to the ground. "NO!" With all the might that he could muster he fought his cage. The glass around him shattered and he fell to the ground. "Spock." he whimpered his eyes closing as he body gave in.
Once Jim had broken free the cages disappeared from Spock and McCoy, the latter find his medical scanner back on his person. As usual, Spock got to Jim first but McCoy wasn't far behind.
"He should be ok, we need to get him back to the ship." As he finished speaking he saw Jim laying in the hot dirt, him and Spock kneeling next to him on the surface of the planet.
Without missing a beat Spock pulled his communicator off his belt, "Spock to Enterprise."
"Scott here Mr. Spock." came the reply.
"Beam us up Mr. Scott."
Spock picked the Captain up gently and a painful groan escaped the soaking wet human. He could feel the chill coming from Jim and he pulled him closer. Spock felt himself dematerializing and once back on the pad he and McCoy wasted no time in running to sickbay.
Not because he was cruel, but for sanitation purposes he kept Spock out of the operating room; the half-Vulcan's hand needed to be cleaned and bandaged anyway. Spock knew McCoy needed to have the bites looked out, but neither Spock or the Doctor trusted Jim's life to anyone else. McCoy allowed himself to be sprayed with disinfectant and was in proper scrubs before he started on Jim.
Jim was being warmed up as the Doctor put his should back in place and set the tiny fractures to mend. Jim's knee was shattered by the amount of force he had been putting behind his kicks. Slowly and carefully he mended the knee before taking care of the minor cuts and bruises that Jim had acquired on the planet.
Exhausted he walked out to the main room of his sickbay and saw Spock sitting up on one of the bio beds. McCoy gave Spock a rare smile, "Give me a minute to change and I'll tell you everything." He disappeared in his office and changed after he received a nod from Spock.
McCoy called him in after he poured himself a drink. Spock sat opposite of the Doctor, his gaze unwavering as he waited.
"Jim had very little water in his lungs, which is surprising for the amount of time his head was under the water. I don't think that they really wanted to kill him just test him, sure picked one hell-of-a-way to do it though."
Spock nodded in agreement, though he did not pleased at the fact. "I have come to the same conclusion Doctor. I do not agree with the way the Captain was handled, of the way that we were treated, but they did not intend to kill us."
McCoy observed Spock and went on with his report after a few moments. "While in the…cage he managed to dislocate his shoulder and fracture it in several places. He all but shattered his knee, I did what I could for the injuries. All in all physically, he should be fine. He'll be sore when he older and maybe ever occasionally now, but fine none the less."
He looked at his desk, "I'm worried about his mental health though. He doesn't know that we survived, he believes he saw us both die. I've never seen his eyes so dull Spock, I think he might give up."
Spock listened to the Doctor go on, his eyebrows coming together in frustration. "I may be able to help there Doctor. Would you object to a mind meld?"
Silently McCoy tried to read Spock's expression, and he prided himself on the fact that he was getting better at it. He had watch Spock meld with Jim before, and while he trusted Spock and would do anything for Jim, he wasn't looking forward to it. Mutely, he nodded.
He led Spock to Jim and watched him. Spock obviously cared for Jim and as he watched the first officer stroked Jim's cheek he knew that he needed to be out of the way. Spock and Jim were meant to be. A sad smile graced his face, but he shook his head when he saw Spock watching him.
"Are you ready Doctor?" With McCoy's nod Spock proceeded to place a hand on his face and one on Jim's placing his fingers in the correct place and speaking the correct words, both Spock and McCoy were granted access to Jim's unstable mind.
McCoy was amazed, it was as Jim was wandering around aimlessly without even trying find his way back to the surface. He didn't' even realize their presence. Spock and McCoy heard him mourning them, heart breaking sobs ripping through his mind and McCoy couldn't take it any longer.
"Jim?"
The sobbing stopped and McCoy smiled lightly, "Jim?" he called again.
"B-Bones?"
"Yeah it's me and Spock."
"It can't be." he voice sounded like a frightened child's. "I saw you die."
"It was all an illusion Jim. It was meant to test you." Spock's clear voice chimed in. "We were not harmed."
Everything was silent for moment, but the blackness that was Jim Kirk's mind seemed to dissolve at hearing their voices.
"Bones…Spock." he muttered. That atmosphere lightened and it was a blinding mix of blue, green, and gold. Neither Spock or McCoy knew the significance of the colors, but Jim did. They were the colors that he associated with the three of them.
Blue was McCoy, his Bones. Blue because of the color he wore, a brave color, a color that was regal and loyal.
Green was Spock. Green because it was one of Jim's favorite colors, it was the color of Spock's blood, it was the color he blushed when Jim said something inappropriate.
Gold was Kirk. Gold because Kirk was the golden boy no matter what he did. His hair was gold, his skin was golden, it also showed his power and his strength.
The explanation coming from Kirk's mind made them smile, even if McCoy's faltered a bit, but he had already made that choice. They could feel the smile coming from Jim, "You guys made it." they could hear his voice even if they couldn't see him.
"Don't you fucking die on me Jim." McCoy said in a playful growl.
"We will be waiting Jim." Spock added.
He pulled his hands away from McCoy and Jim. His dark eyes landed on McCoy who stood up and nodded towards his office so that he could talk to Spock without disturbing Jim.
"He's your's."
Spock raised his eyebrow, "Excuse me Doctor?"
"Jim and I…we had an informal relationship. He couldn't chose between us. "
"I see." he said, his eyebrow still raised.
"But he's your's. I won't fight for him."
"Fascinating."
McCoy could have sworn that the damn half-Vulcan's eyebrow disappeared off his head.
A/N - Sooo…whatcha think? Let me know. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter and torturing poor Jim. Yeah, I'm twisted. Anyway leave a review and let me know. I hope to have another chapter up by this weekend.
L.A.
