"Paul – I have a patient who must stay on the Enterprise. I am contacting you as I am afraid I may have to hand him over either to the higher echelon who would just put him in a room and give him only the required basic care, which we both know means basically leaving him alone for hours on end, or to some blasted Vulcan healers who would see him as little more than an experimental case study. He has suffered what could be irreversible brain damage saving two senior command bridge crew of this ship from highly developed mind strippers. I know you have seen what mind strippers can do. Yes, I said what could be. I have an idea for a new treatment regime but need him aboard the ship while I try it out. Of course I would write a paper on whether the treatment I am going to attempt with the aid of other crew members works. We both know Starfleet uses many of my papers as part of their medical training units now and this would be a different way of treating patients with severe brain damage. I must keep Officer Steven Ian Harris aboard the Enterprise in order to initiate and continue the treatment regime. Had we not been at a Starbase but still well out of range of any immediate danger of me losing the opportunity to advance our medical knowledge I would have had no need to contact you but I MUST keep Officer Steven Ian Harris aboard the ship without fear of intervention by the Vulcans or other Starfleet medical personnel. I am so certain my findings will offer hope for alternative treatments to such severely brain damaged officers that should he be taken from the ship I will not only stop sharing any my future findings but will also limit my treatment to that which is standard Starfleet practice. As the records show the Enterprise has the lowest number of crew taken off the ship and put into Starfleet medical facilities for treatments we again both know it is because I take care of matters on the ship despite them often being well outside the guidelines set by Starfleet. You have my reassurance that keeping him aboard will not impact on the smooth running of the medical department nor the ship and it will neither put lives at risk nor require additional medical personal. None of the existing medical personnel be required to alter their shifts or duties. I need a reply within twenty-four standard hours on this. Leonard H. McCoy, Enterprise.
"Leonard – I have read and reread your request to keep Officer Steven Ian Harris aboard the Enterprise and am sure that your paper on any new treatment for severely brain damaged officer would be of tremendous benefit. We are all aware of the great advances in the treatment of officers so far from the more advanced medical facilities as are found at Starbases and know that a great proportion of those advances have been due to your work. We are also well aware of the way the crew of the Enterprise care for one another. I could tell from not just your wording but also the use of your middle initial how much this matters to you as a person and the highly skilled physician you are. We have noted on his records that Officer Steven Ian Harris is to stay under your care on the Enterprise until further notice. Paul Fields, Starfleet Command's Medical Board
Momentarily Spock just sat after he had switched off the screen. McCoy had used his usual form of subtle blackmail. Friends and people who care. Spock nodded to himself. Even McCoy was acutely aware of the difference between friends and people. He wondered if either Jim or McCoy had any idea what it was like not to really have had a friend till almost their adult years. Like a fool he had not seen Steven as a friend back then. Back then Steven had been a Human senior cadet he shared quarters with. That was all he had allowed himself to see Steven as he. Spock let out a slow sigh as he realized what he had done to Steven back then, he had hidden behind that Vulcan wall that had been reinforced by how others had treated him, by how he had been treated by his peers on Vulcan and how many at the Academy were towards him. To him back then Steven was just a Human he shared quarters with and nothing more.
Steven had his eyes open when Spock walked back into the sleeping area and he saw the muscles around his mouth try to move. Quickly he sat on the bed, took his hand, and saw that Steven was looking at him, his eyes had followed him as he had entered. There was a clear recognition there. "Steven?" the hand in his tried again to grip his and the eyes closed. .
McCoy could tell when he walked in carrying the salad that something had happened; something that shone from those dark eyes let him know there had been a change. "Want to tell me what's happened or do I have to guess?"
"Steven was aware for only a few moments but he recognized me and his eyes followed me." Spock looked at the tray with the salad and saw there were also two types of small Vulcan biscuits. "I thank you for the lunch and the biscuits."
"No, that's too easy. There is something else. What?"