Jim sat silently waiting for Spock to finish composing his message. His mind was already running over potential escapes and logical courses of action. The Pike he knew wasn't this paranoid, but there were other people aboard who hadn't changed that much.

If he could get Bones in here, explain what was happening, Jim was certain the doctor would see reason. The real problem was actually getting Bones near them. There was only one way he could think of, a ploy he had been part of once. He went over to the shared lavatory and started searching the cupboards.

With Spock encoding the message to his father, Jim found what he was looking for and knew would be there. His Spock never failed to keep it around, and this one was no different. He paused at this thought. The two Spocks were exactly alike, yet he still referred to them as his and the other. Jim shook his head to rid himself of that confusing idea and moved out of the lavatory with the hypo in his hands.

"Spock, you finished yet?" He looked over the Vulcan's shoulder, seeing the message being sent. "Great. I need you to stab me with this." Jim set the hypo down next to Spock, watching as his eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Excuse me, but the complexities of human pranks escape me. Is there a specific reason you want to be injected with Vulcan sensory supressors?"

Jim could have laughed at that. "I'll have an allergic reaction to it and will have to either be seen by my attending physician here or be escorted to sickbay." He smiled at Spock, a conspiratorial grin plastered on his face. "I know at least one person who will help us."

Spock gave him a look that clearly said he thought Jim was out of his mind. "Captain Pike will surely see through such a ruse."

"Captain Pike is emotionally compromised," Kirk countered. "But he won't be able to argue with the rules governing the treatment of war criminals. He has to allow medical assistance."

"If we wish to prove him emotionally compromised-"

Jim stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Okay. Right. I need to explain the plan. Starfleet protocol 49.09 regarding the ethical treatment of prisoners of war states that in a time of medical emergency a physician must be sent for. If I can manage to convince Bon-McCoy that Pike is emotionally compromised, as a senior medical officer, he can remove Pike from duty."

"Starfleet regulations also state that in the case that a captain is incapacitated, the first officer assumes the-"

"No." Jim knew Spock hated getting interrupted like this, but he knew something else Spock didn't. "Number One is too close to Pike and won't take that responsibility. Which will leave the Enterprise without a captain. And who chooses the next captain?"

If Vulcans smiled, Spock was doing it now. "That would be the Starfleet council, which is currently the Vulcan high council."

Jim smiled. "Exactly what I was led to believe. Who of course is the closest council member to us now?"

"The ambassador is still on board." Spock watched Jim as he paced around the table. "He would choose the new captain."

"All we need to do is inform McCoy, then sit and wait."

"If I may inquire, this sequence of events is reliant upon Doctor McCoy believing you. How do you propose that goal is achieved?"

With an exasperated smile, Jim pressed the hypo into Spock's hand. "Just watch. It'll work." He took a step back, the close proximity of the Vulcan's body distracting him.

Spock's lips pursed for a moment before the hypo was pressed into Jim's neck. The human winced away from the needle and blinked against the almost immediate effects. His knees buckled, but Spock grabbed him before he could hit the ground, lowering him slowly to the carpet. The Vulcan moved with amazing speed to the door, tossing the empty hypo aside as he pressed his hand against the comm unit.

Kirk couldn't make out what was being said, he felt his tongue swelling and his face growing numb. About the time his vision blackened another hypo was pressed into his neck and the symptoms started going down.

"Dammit, Kirk! Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Jim smiled up at Bones as he came around. "Just the doctor I wanted to see," he croaked out. At McCoy's frown, Jim sat up slowly from the floor, becoming aware that Spock had slid behind him to steady him as he sat. "We need to talk."

"Are you out of your mind?!" McCoy said as he sat back on his heel. "You nearly kill yourself just to talk to me?"

"Uh...yeah." Jim looked at his friend as he stretched his jaw. Every time this happened, his joints felt abused. "There wasn't time to get a message to you. You need to inform the CMO that the captain is emotional unstable."

McCoy made an incredulous noise and growled under his breath. "Honestly kid, I can't see why I should be jeopardizing my position for you."

After taking a deep breath, Jim gave Bones a serious look. "Because if Pike gets his way, Vulcan will no longer be a potential home for the humans there. That includes your wife and daughter."

If anything could get through to McCoy, it was telling him how his family would be in danger. The doctor took a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine. I'll help. But if this doesn't work, you're on your own."

After Bones left, Spock helped Jim off the floor and half carried him to the bed. Jim stretched out as Spock sat down on the edge of the small bunk. He couldn't help smiling at the Vulcan as he lay there in a state of lethargy. Using his allergies always meant he felt like complete shite after.

But he never realized how relaxed he became with Spock sitting next to him. When his closest friend was with him, Jim had every confidence that this would work. His smile faded as he realized Spock was looking at him almost softly. Jim swallowed and felt his breathing slow.

"You need to rest," Spock said suddenly, standing and moving around to the desk. If Jim didn't know any better, he would swear that Spock had felt the same thing in that moment. And that simple fact gave him greater faith in what they were doing.

A/N: Protocol 49.09 was mentioned while Jim was stranded on Delta Vega in ST 2009. Kind of taking some liberties with what might be included in that particular regulation.