The most recent mind meld did nothing to damage the relationship between Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy. If anything, it helped strengthen it. The two, who seemed inseparable before, were even more so now. Even the Captain took notice.
"If I split you two up on this away mission are you going to be alright?" he joked one morning as they were headed to the transporter room.
"We shall manage," responded Spock who obviously wasn't sure it was a joke. McCoy simply rolled his eyes.
"Good," Jim responded. "Cause you're going to need your wits about you on this one. Not sure what could possibly go wrong on just a diplomatic mission, but these people aren't known for their good nature, I'll put it that way." Spock took this lecture very seriously. McCoy was more concerned about stepping into the transporter as always.
But something did go wrong. What happened though was a mystery to the doctor. They had been standing nearby while Jim signed something like a treaty and suddenly there was a huge blast of light, sound, and smoke was filling the building they were in.
Leonard hit the deck as quickly as possible, but not before being knocked off his feet. Before he could register where he was he noticed Spock was gone. He tried to wave dirt out of his eyes so he could see properly, but to no avail. All he was certain of were the screaming commands of his captain. He had to concentrate on that for the time being and worry about Spock later.
Easier said than done.
"Beam us out of here!" Kirk was screaming, presumably into his communicator. He wasn't sure if there was a response, Jim was too far away to hear. Finally, Leonard stood up, coughing through the white dusk that filled the air. He was about to go searching for Kirk when he felt something press to the back of his head and a deep voice command something in an alien language. Oh great.
He turned slowly to see some sort of phaser pointed directly between his eyes and a great, ugly beast of a man with a nasty expression on his face. Probably some terrorist. Great. McCoy raised his hands in surrender as slowly as possible and sputtered some apologies in English. The creature didn't seem to understand. But just as quickly as it had started, the threat was over and the creature was on the floor.
Leonard watched his body as the dead weight dropped to the floor. In his place stood a wonderfully familiar face, stoic as ever. "Thank God for you, Spock," Leonard said wondering how long that Vulcan nerve pinch was going to last on the alien.
Spock took him by the arm and started to tug him in some definitive direction which was better than McCoy had come up with. They could barely see through the thick smoke and dust and they didn't get far before a phaser shot out of the fog hit Spock in the left shoulder and he was down for the count. McCoy turned quickly, drawing his weapon, but someone from their team had taken care of the creature already.
He immediately dropped to Spock's side, sick with worry when he saw green seeping through his blue Starfleet Order uniform. "Spock!" He ripped open the officer's shirt and began to do a preliminary examination. The wound was fairly bad. He flipped open his communicator. "Beam us up damn it!" Some response sounded from the other end, but he didn't hear. He looked around for some cover to drag them to, but before he could find anything his surroundings started shimmering and soon they were standing in the transporter back on the ship.
"Get this man to sick bay now!" he shouted and the waiting nurses that were called ran forward to help as McCoy pulled Spock over his shoulder. It was just a minor wound, why couldn't he walk? "Spock, help me here!" He managed a glance at the Vulcan while they struggled to get him out the door and saw green blood dripping from a rather large gash on his forehead. He was knocked out cold.
McCoy watched, shocked, as M'Benga and Chapel took the first officer and directed him to sick bay. The door slid shut behind him and Leonard stood uselessly in the transporter room looking after them.
"Doctor." He heard Scotty's voice behind him. "Perhaps you should go too. Yeh look a little scratched up." McCoy nodded absently and he allowed his feet to shuffle automatically through the halls of the ship all the way to sick bay.