Authors Note:
My apologies that this has taken me so long to write! I've been grabbing any chance I can to catch up with some sleep.
Please review and let me know what you think! (If you're still reading!)

You are all my muse, my inspiration and my friends.
Thank you.
Not long to go now!
Oh and also, I finally have a beta! They are reading through past chapters first, so this chapter is currently unbeta'ed, but I wanted to share it asap! Thank you Afroz.

Chapter Ten

Leonard McCoy didn't even notice the usual transporter nausea he suffered this time. The second his vision came into focus he was ready to move out. He took one step forward and froze.

The clearing that they originally beamed down to was now nothing but smoking tree trunks and flames of burning leaves. The smoke took him by surprise and he instantly started coughing before he had the chance to cover his mouth.

Spock grabbed McCoy's arm and pulled him forward, "We must move, Doctor."

They managed to escape the remains of the open space unharmed. Just a small amount of smoke inhalation, nothing they both couldn't handle. It was Jim that needed them now.

"What happened back there?" McCoy rasped as he caught his breath. They were now safely on their way towards the metal mountains. With Spock leading, he didn't think it would take long to find the Hummanius.

"I do not know. However, if I was to make a logical assumption, I would say that the Yamanian were unimpressed that we rescued their prisoner."

McCoy raised an eyebrow and cracked his biggest smile. "Did I hear that right? You just made a guess!"

"Guessing is not in my nature Doctor."

"Well, nobody's perfect." Clearly Spock didn't understand the humour of him making a guess like McCoy. It made him think how if Jim was here, he would have laughed. He slipped back into Chief Medical Officer mode when thoughts of his friend laying on the bed in sickbay entered his mind.

Nurse Chapel couldn't help but stay right next to Jim's side. She was sick with worry for her boss, Doctor McCoy and her Captain, Jim Kirk. She sat close to Jim as he laid peacefully sleeping in his induced coma. So far this was the only thing that would slow the poison from travelling around his body. They had to keep his heart rate as low as it was possible without killing him.

She reached out and held his clammy hand. She had always said a good nurse always shows her patients that she cares, regardless of who they were. She watched as the Captain's lips started to shiver, even though she had just wiped the beads of sweat off his temple, minding the bandage that was keeping that slash dry and sterile. Even though she was currently off duty, she couldn't stop her caring and made notes of Jim's, now rising, fever.

She let out a sigh, "Keep fighting it, Captain." She whispered under her breath.

McCoy and Spock stood still in front of the Hummanius cave. The mountain's metal still sparkled in the sunlight. A pile of rubble lay around the edge of the mountain that McCoy didn't remember seeing before, although he didn't remember much from the cave as he was too busy thinking about the trouble Jim had got himself into.

Spock whipped out his tricorder and began to scan the mountain. McCoy just looked puzzled.

"I could have sworn this was it? Spock?"

Spock looked up and began following the edge of the glistening mountain, without speaking.

McCoy watched as the Vulcan started moving around the mountain. He decided he didn't need to follow him. "Spock, is this it or not? For all I know Jim's organs have already started to fail. Time is of the essence now."

Spock didn't answer, he dropped his tricorder and placed his hand on the mountain surface, spacing his fingers perfectly.

"What? You're going to try and fucking mind meld with the mountain?! Is that even possible? Spock!" McCoy was getting pretty darn fed up with this 'ignore the doctor' game.

He stormed up to Spock. "Are you out of your Vulcan mind? You can't mind meld with a mountain."

Spock's eyes quickly flashed open. "Doctor. We are in the correct position. I can sense that there are people trapped inside."

McCoy was more confused than ever. "People? In there?" He pointed to the mountain. "So where's the entrance?"

Spock didn't even need to speak before it all clicked in McCoy's head. "We better start digging then." He whipped out his phaser off his belt and aimed at the rock before Spock stopped him.

"Doctor, we cannot use our phasers. I have calculated the risk of the vibrations on the metal and it would cause the whole cave to collapse in."

"Well damn, Spock. Is there at least a way we can tell if anyone is still alive in there before wasting more time?" McCoy placed his phaser back onto his belt. At least he tried.

"I have already informed you that I was able to perform a mind meld through the mountain wall. I was able to communicate with a Hummanius, who was quite alive, although the meld was extremely faint due to the metal."

McCoy fell to his knees and began slowly moving the rubble with his hands. "We are coming!" he called out to the cave, not expecting an answer.

Spock began to help move the rocks. Of course this was an easy task for a Vulcan. The sun was still just as hot as before, causing McCoy to stop every now and again and wipe the sweat from his hairline. He took his blue shirt off in an attempt to cool down faster.

"We should have brought more water down." He gasped, "Now I know what Jim meant when he said he was spitting sand."

"Doctor, if you need to rest, then you may. I am quite capable of moving the rocks."

McCoy sat and panted as he gathered his breath. "What are you talking about? I'm fine. In the peak of fitness!"

Spock didn't stop moving the rocks, ignoring the doctor's wit.

"And anyway Spock…" McCoy was going to remind Spock that he passed his recent medical with flying colours but he was interrupted by the distant calls of help.

"Do you hear that?! Hello! It's Doctor McCoy! Can you hear me?" He quickly began to pick up the pace with moving the rocks. "They are close Spock."

"Yes doctor, I calculate only 3.6 meters away now."

McCoy didn't even stop to look at Spock to roll his eyes. He could feel the trapped cave air rushing through the gaps in the rocks. Feeling the air made him move faster and faster until finally he heard Isabella's sweet voice.

She stood in front of her family and placed her hands on her hips. "Spock! You took your time!"

McCoy bowed his head in relief and smiled as the sweat dripped off his face. They were alive.

Nurse Chapel still hadn't moved. She held Jim's hand even tighter as he mumbled and shook in his sleep. Suddenly, an alarm bell rang on the monitor above his head.

M'Benga rushed over with the on-duty nurse. He whirled a tricorder over Jim's whole body as he shook. She would do anything to see him open his eyes now, even though they were both nearly black as space from his broken nose, the whites of his eyes would be enough to light up his whole face.

"It's not good Christine. His kidneys have started to fail. It won't be long until his lungs and heart give out. I can't lower his heart beat anymore without possibly causing brain damage. Kirk might not ever wake up. Nurse, prepare to intubate. We need to be ready."

Nurse Chapel stepped away from Jim and took in a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"C'mon doctor McCoy… please hurry." She whispered into her hands as she rubbed her face.

McCoy just had Charlie left to check over. Who was being as stubborn as ever.

"I do not need your help. It is too much to ask."

McCoy wouldn't take no for an answer. He grabbed Charlie's arm and helped him out the cave.

"We don't have time for that right now, this cave is coming in."

Nurse Harriet could see McCoy struggling, moving the rocks had fatigued him. She grabbed Charlie's other arm and assisted in moving him out the cave.

They had taken two steps out of the crumbling cave when they heard an explosion. It made the ground shake and caused Isabella and Adam to instantly cover their ears from the noise.

The whole cave collapsed in, coating them all in dust.

"Well. That was lucky." McCoy coughed as he breathed the dust in.

Charlie fought his way out of McCoy's grip and collapsed to his knees.

"Our home… our sanctuary. We are no longer safe."

Isabella ran and hugged her grandfather. "It's okay, Grandpa. Spock can take us to safety."

Charlie looked back at her granddaughter. A tear ran down his face. "I have failed you Isabella. You and your brother. I promised to keep you safe."

Isabella wiped the tears off her grandpa's face. "Let them help us then."

She did not understand the Hummanius way.

Charlie rose to his feet and stared around at what was left of his race.

Nurse Harriet, Adam, Isabella and himself.

"We are now a part of an endangered species. It is time to change our ways to protect ourselves. We have suffered enough loss." He spoke proudly of his race.

McCoy watched on as the ancient laws of the race disappeared. He couldn't help but feel relieved that they were finally going to let them help him and his family.

Charlie turned to Spock. "Take us to your ship. We will cooperate with whatever you have in store."

McCoy quickly butted in. "You make it sound like a prison sentence. I can promise you, the Captain will do his best to get you and your family relocated on a safe planet."

Charlie smiled back at the doctor who had previously saved his life. He moved closer and took him by the arm, steering him away from the children.

"Doctor McCoy, we were entrusted to protect this planet from harvesters. We have failed. This is now punishable by death."

Doctor McCoy's eyebrows nearly shot up into his hair line. "You've got to be kidding me! Starfleet would never kill, if you failed a mission."

Charlie sighed. "Starfleet did not assign us the mission. The Orion did. Once they find out we failed to protect their metal, they will activate the slow poison that was injected into our system and kill us. Well, Nurse Harriet and me. The children have not been injected."

McCoy turned to Spock, seeing red with anger. "Did you know about this? Does Jim know?"

Spock walked over to them both while the children cuddled up to Nurse Harriet.

"I was informed. The Captain does not know. It is written in the classified PADD I gave you, to give to him once he was recovered."

All the hairs raised on the back of McCoy's neck.

"We have to protect these people dammit. They are Jim's only hope."

Charlie was struck with confusion. "Jim? Your Captain?"

McCoy hadn't realised how much time had passed, he quickly informed Charlie of their Captain's situation. "…If we don't help him soon, he will die."

Charlie rubbed his bearded face. "Sounds just like the river leeches in the water here. Highly poisonous, even to us. You are in luck. Nurse Harriet does know the antidote to this particular poison.

Nurse Harriet left the children sitting by the rocks that McCoy and Spock had previously moved. She walked over to the other adults. "Unfortunately all my medical herbs were in the cave. We will need to find more quickly before the sun sets or we will be in even more danger."

"We cannot beam up here either, doctor. We must travel to the clearing and contact the ship first." Spock spoke in a logical manner. "Nurse, is it possible to gather the herbs on the way to the clearing to the West of here?"

Nurse Harriet nodded to Spock. "The herbs grow in the lake, so quite easy to obtain, as long as the Yamanian aren't about."

"It's a risk we are going to have to take." McCoy interrupted. "We need to move, quickly. I don't know if Jim's even still alive without speaking to sick bay."

"Then we shall attempt to contact the ship on the way, Doctor. Can you walk, sir?" he spoke to Charlie who was moving back towards his grandchildren.

"Don't worry about me, tough as old boots!" Charlie cheered as he waved his broken root walking stick in the air. He was already walking to the clearing.

To Be Continued...