McCoy was led down a corridor by one of the prison officers, when he rounded the final corner he could hear the sounds of Kirks anguished screaming and a voice yelling at him to "Confess"

"What the devil...' He yelled before breaking into a run towards the sound

"Wait.." The guard behind yelled as he raced to catch up to McCoy "You can't go in there yet, not whilst the interrogator is in there"

"To hell with you and your laws, you better bloody let me in that room right now or I swear I will make sure you're screaming too !"

The guard had a look of fright pass across his face, the man in front of him was tall and clearly mad. He wasn't paid enough to to deal with this kind of crazy so he reached over to hit the button that opened the door to the prisoners room.

"Thanks" McCoy responded before racing into the room and skidding to a halt at what he saw.

Kirk was curled up in a ball, his arms wrapped around his head as he screamed like an animal caught in a trap. Above him stood, McCoy guessed, the interrogator yelling at Kirk to confess. McCoy couldn't stand to watch anymore and he raced over to Kirk shouldering the interrogator out of the way and falling to his knees in front of Kirk.

"What is the meaning of this" The interrogator yelled, turning to the prison guard he yelled again " You know no one is supposed to see the prisoner until after he confesses"

"Sir, the Commander gave the order to let the prisoners doctor see him"

"The commander huh, I'll see to this..." The interrogator growled before storming out of the room. But McCoy was oblivious to all that was going on around him, he only had eyes for his commanding officer and friend who was lying in a ball screaming with agony gripping his hair like he would pull it out from its roots.

"Jim" he whispered prying the Captains hands away from his head "Jim, it's McCoy. Can you hear me?" Kirk just rolled himself away from McCoy, the pain he was feeling etched on his face. As he rolled his back to McCoy the patch where his head had been laying on the floor was stained with blood. McCoy knelt up and leaned over and noticed the blood seeping from Kirks ears "Shit"

McCoy hadn't been allowed to bring his medkit with him. Reaching over he grasped Kirks wrists that we now held tight against his chest and used them to turn Kirk back over on to his other side to face him. "Jim, please it's me Bones"

At the sound of that name Kirk stopped screaming and McCoy heard the faintest whimper of "Bones"

"Yeah Jim, can you sit up?"

Kirk nodded and pushed himself up. His face was a mess of bloody scratches, passing a glance over Kirks hands McCoy noticed the blood stains under his finger nails he had obviously been scratching himself. Blood was also leaking from both ears and his eyes were blood shot.

"Shit Jim, damn it all to hell. "

"Bones, I didn't do it. "

"Of course you didn't you idiot, Spock is working on getting you out of here and we'll get you fixed up ok. You've just gotta hang on"

Kirk gripped the front of McCoys blue shirt with his bloody hands, leaving streaks of red on the bright fabric "I can't Bones, I can't. The pain...my head ...I keep seeing it, her eyes. Fuck it, I didn't do it, why won't anyone believe me"

Kirks head dropped till he rested his forehead on McCoys chest, his hands still gripping the shirt like McCoy was his life line "I believe you Jim, and so does Spock. We'll get you out of this I swear"

Just then footsteps entered the room and McCoy felt hands under his arms pulling him away from Kirk

"No, I'm not going anywhere. Let go you tortuous bastards. Get the hell off me." McCoy struggled against the grip as he felt Kirk hanging off his shirt but it was no good. He was yanked out of Kirks desperate grasp and manhandled back out of the cell.

The door was slammed shut again and McCoy could hear the sounds of his best friend crying in despair.

...&...

Spock knew that the PA was lying almost the instant the words started to come out of his mouth, there was a reason Kirk called him his Vulcan lie detector. The biological tell tale signs of a person lying were pretty much consistent across most species. Quickened heart rate and respirations, sweating, avoiding eye contact or keeping eye contact too much. Now it was just a matter of breaking down the lie until all the remained was the truth.

"So, you found the Captain unconscious on the bed?"

"yes sir"

"and you entered the apartment why?"

"what do you mean?" Spock watched as the PA shifted in his chair in obvious discomfort

"I mean for what purpose were you visiting the apartment. Captain Kirk had a dinner appointment with the Prime minister and his wife, why were you there?"

"Oh, errrrm. The Prime minister was running late, I was going over to let Captain Kirk know"

"I see" Spock stood up and started pacing across the floor, his hands clasped behind his back "when did the Prime minister arrive?"

"Not until after the law officers arrived"

"So you were the only one to see Madam Melor slain on the floor and you proceeded to find the Capatin"

"That's right"

"Except the door scanner shows you as having entered the building a full 30 minutes before Captain Kirk'

"wha...well those scanners are well known to be inaccurate" The PA spluttered

Spock stopped walking and turned to face the PA "I do not believe that to be the case here Mr Greig. I surmise that you went to visit Madam Melor before the meal knowing that the Prime Minister would be late. You and her were having an affair and she had told you that night that she wanted to end it and in your rage you brutally murdered her. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your point of view Captain Kirk came upon you shortly after you had committed the murder and you proceeded to attack him, and left him unconscious on the bed for the law officers to find. You then insisted upon retrieving the engrams yourself, taking them from your own memory and imposing them on the Captains. Quite how you managed to wipe his own memory of the events I do not know. Does that sound about accurate Mr Greig?"

The PA sat there for a moment dumbstruck, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Eventually he found his composure and stood in front of Spock, matching him eye to eye. "Very smart Mr Spock, I would tell you to prove it but we both know that is impossible. The memories are the Captains now, and since he refuses to confess, the procedure necessary to keep repeating them will kill him shortly and before you can persuade anyone to believe off worlders over that of the Assistant to the Prime Minister.

Spock cocked his head and even with his Vulcan control part of him wanted to let a big grin spread across his face "except, the Commander and Prime Minister have been listening to this the whole time and your confession has been recorded"

Spock couldn't help but feel satisfaction at the look of shock that crossed the PA's face as the door leading off from the PA's office opened and in walked his boss and the Law commander.

The Prime Minister was the first to approach his staff member "Alston, how could you? She was my wife and I loved her".Alston Greig said nothing, just hardened his jaw and looked into the eyes of his boss. He knew that it was over and he didn't want to lose face "Take him away commander and ensure Captain Kirk is released into the care of his Officers as soon as possible.

"Aye sir" The commander responded and with a nod in Spocks direction he walked the real perpetrator out of the room.

Spock turned back to the Prime Minister who sighed and collapsed into the now vacated chair "I'm so sorry Mr Spock, if there is anything we can do to help"

"I thank you Prime Minister, but I think you have done enough. Now if you'll excuse me..." And Spock turned to leave and locate Doctor McCoy.

...&...

McCoy and Spock walked as fast as they could to the cell Kirk was being held in, The prison Doctor had assured McCoy that provided the engrams were removed quickly there would be no lasting effect and had offered to go to the Enterprise with his equipment to carry out the necessary procedure. McCoy had laughed at that last sentence "No damned lasting effects, you tried to make him believe he was a murderer and made him relieve it dozens of times, I think it's safe to say they'll be lasting effects"

McCoy was relieved to hear no screaming emanating from the cell on this occasion, as the door was unlocked Spock and McCoy raced in to retrieve their friend.

They found him laying on the floor facing the wall not moving. "Shit" McCoy hissed as he raced over and prayed that his friend was alive, turning Kirk over to face him McCoy pushed his fingers into the side of Kirks neck and breathed a sigh of relief as he felt the thready pulse beating under his finger tips.

"Jim, Jim can you hear me" But those bright blue eyes didn't react, they just stared at something unseeing. McCoy felt Spock drop down onto one knee beside him

"Doctor, we need to move him. This building is shielded, if we can get him outside we can use our transporters to get him back to the ship"

McCoy nodded "Jim, listen. It's over now, you're free. We're going to get you out of here ok, and back onto the ship. Jim, do you understand me, you're free"

Bright blue eyes glanced in McCoys direction but still Kirk didn't speak, instead a silent tear slid down his friends cheek and then his eyelids closed shutting out the world around him.

Spock and McCoy each took one of Kirks arms and lifted it around their shoulders. Kirks head drooped forwards like he just didn't have the energy to keep it upright and it occurred to McCoy in that moment that he had no idea when Kirk had last eaten and drunk anything. Given he had now been held for 72 hours it could have been a long time if these bastards had continued the torture by trying to starve an admission out of him.

"Come on Spock, let's go" and between them they carried the Captain out into the courtyard of the prison and called for transport. McCoy felt relief as the familiar tingle of a transporter engulfed him, but he knew the trials weren't over yet.

...&...

Thank you to HeartOfFyrwinde for pointing out my misuse of a word, I should have it corrected now.

I think this story has more to give so I apologise for its length, again, not the one shot I had planned when I started this A-Z but if it's ok with you guys I'll write another chapter for Kirks treatment. Let me know in the reviews if you'd like me to carry on or just move on to the letter J.