Flickering candlelight spread like stars as far as he could see.
"Look at it, Bones. Isn't it glorious?"
Faces of his people all turned to watch him as he entered the room.
He knew Leonard was there, he was always there. He turned to face him.
He wanted to say so much. He wanted to tell him that he was grateful for his friendship, grateful for his constancy here at his side.
But when Jim looked the doctor wasn't there. Jim searched around him and found that no one stood there at his side.
Then he raised his eyes and met the 458 crewmen as they stared in admiration oblivious to his helplessness. He searched among them for Leonard.
Finally he glimpsed the doctor at the end of the room near a door. He appeared to be totally at ease there near the exit, as if he was waiting for something or someone. With a friendly nod he smiled across the room to Jim, but did not move.
The crew continued to stare at the captain where he stood, now inexplicably in the center of the room. They were waiting for something. Waiting for him to stop this now before it went too far.
Jim felt lost for a moment, confused. What was it that he needed to stop? What did they expect him to do?
He turned to ask Spock, but Spock wasn't there either. He scanned the crowd of anxious faces. Where was Spock? Where was everyone? What the hell was going on?
He didn't even see him enter the room. He didn't see the President of the Federation move to greet his First Officer.
He only saw the crowd part and turn away from their captain to watch his First Officer dance.
He couldn't see him in the sea of bodies but he knew he was there. He knew he wasn't alone in the crowd, but he couldn't see him.
And he didn't see them disappear.
A woman screamed.
Uhura.
The crew stared stunned at the spot where they had stood.
He heard a voice shout, "Battle stations! Man your posts!" It was his own voice, it sounded strangely foreign.
The claxons blared, red lights were flashing everywhere. The ship shuddered under his feet. They were under attack now.
No, not possible!
This was Earth.
They were home.
They were safe.
No, this was wrong, there had not been an attack that night, not on Enterprise.
He spun around looking for Bones and Spock but they weren't there.
Across the room he saw Bones raise his head, a sad smile crossed his face. He looked right at him and waved. He could hear his voice as if he stood at his side, "You might need a friend someday, Jim." And then he turned to the door.
As it opened Jim could see a field of stars beyond.
He wanted to stop his friend from going, but he couldn't get across the floor to him. There were too many people who were lost and needed direction. He barked orders at them and they popped away like balloons.
He needed to find Spock. Had to find him. He pushed each and every person away, ordered them away until he was exhausted. It seemed like there were thousands of people here.
Now he cried out for his friend in the crowd "Spock!" and his voice suddenly woke him from the nightmare.
He was lying on the floor of his bedroom, a sheet tangled around his leg. He was sweating with the efforts of his dream.
"Damn." He sighed and rose painfully. It had been over two months since he'd had the dream. He'd actually believed it had gone away. He moved painfully up off the floor. He'd wrenched his back again.
0410 on his chrono. He would have to get up in an hour anyway.
He sighed again and went into the bathroom, determined to wash the sensation of frustrated panic away with a hot shower and a hypo spray.
Damn.
It was going to be a long day.