Author's Note: Based on the TOS episode 'A Private Little War'
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Life Is Not Always Easy
Chapter 21 : You Can't Kill a Computer
March, 2268
McCoy was taking plant samples, as he had found some very interesting organic compounds. Kirk and Spock were in a different area surveying a planet that Kirk has first visited as a young lieutenant. Hearing yelling, they ran to see what the problem was and discovered an ambush in the making. And one of the men about to be ambushed was Kirk's old friend Tyree. Kirk threw a rock near one of those lying in wait with a flintlock and the man fired his gun in startlement, warning those about to be fired on.
Kirk and Spock took off running, the three with flintlocks in hot pursuit. McCoy heard the commotion and called the Enterprise, putting them on alert to beam up the landing party. As he watched Kirk and Spock come into view, the lead pursuer got close enough to fire, hitting Spock in the back. Spock jerked and collapsed onto the ground, rolling completely over before coming to rest face down, completely limp.
***
On the Enterprise, Nyota jerked upright and then doubled over in pain. What had just happened? Spock was hurt! Carefully, she straightened and looked around the bridge. No one seemed to have noticed. She could still feel him in the back of her mind, so she knew he wasn't dead, but oh, the pain.
***
Kirk turned and ran back to Spock, lifting him up with his hands in his armpits, noticing the green stain spreading on the front of his shirt. He searched for Spock's phaser and found it nearby, turning to fire at the approaching men, but Spock stopped him. "I can travel." he said.
Quickly, Kirk jumped up and pulled Spock up as well, headed towards where McCoy was waiting. As soon as he got to McCoy, McCoy told Scotty "NOW, have medics stand by." Their pursuers arrived to find the clearing completely empty.
***
Nyota could tell as soon as the landing party was back on the Enterprise. Her connection to Spock was stronger. And then someone must have injected him with something, because he became all fuzzy and indistinct. Her heart was pounding and she was so worried, but she must attend to her position until she had a chance to go to him.
***
The medics were rolling a gurney into the transporter bay just as the trio materialized. Scotty ran forward, wanting to know what had happened. McCoy and Kirk quickly dragged Spock forward and bundled him onto the gurney, face down. McCoy immediately started cutting open the back of Spock's shirt, Dr M'Benga and Nurse Chapel assisting him. Dr M'Benga injected him, while Chapel prepared a pressure dressing for the wound.
McCoy commented "Lucky his heart's where his liver should be or he'd be dead by now."
Uhura's voice came over the intercom, announcing Red Alert. Kirk went straight to the transporter console, flipping the switch that would let him talk to her. Uhura informed him that there was a Klingon vessel on the screen. Her voice sounded very tense. Kirk told her he was on his way and took off, calling Scotty to come with him.
The medical personnel were still working on Spock, M'Benga now running some sort of laser over the gaping wound in his back. Just before he exited the transporter bay, Kirk turned back to McCoy. "Bones?"
"I don't know yet, Jim." His eyes never left what his hands were doing.
***
On the bridge, Chekov explained what was happening with the Klingon vessel. He did not think they had been observed. Uhura turned and stated in a clipped voice that the Klingon vessel had just sent a routine message to their home base with no mention of the Enterprise. Kirk told her to go to yellow alert.
Kirk punched the button on the arm of the command chair that connected him to sick bay. McCoy was there now and informed him that he would let him know as soon as he knew anything. Kirk hit the arm of his chair lightly, frustrated. Behind him, Uhura was focused on him, but everyone had their eyes elsewhere and did not see the look on her face.
Kirk began to pace about the bridge, talking about the Klingons and the strange advancement of weapons on the planet below. When he stated that Spock had been shot with a flintlock, Uhura's eyes blinked rapidly several times, but he had his back to her, and did not see. He asked what he thought was a rhetorical question, and Uhura answered, telling him that it had been about twelve centuries on Earth between learning to forge iron and the development of firearms. When a discussion started over the topic, Kirk became irate and stated that he had not invited a debate. Everyone stiffened and shut up, and Kirk sighed and muttered that he was sorry. He stated that he was worried about Spock and concerned about the culture on the planet below. And then he left Scotty in charge and headed to sick bay.
Behind him, Uhura tried to compose her face, sitting back down at her station and turning away from the others. She certainly wished she could go to sick bay! She could tell that Spock still lived, but not much else. There was too much pain. And he was definitely not conscious.
***
In sick bay, Spock lay on his back now, covered almost completely with a warming blanket. The bio-indicators on the wall behind his biobed were very low. Dr M'Benga informed McCoy that they had no replacement for the damaged organs. If he was going to live, his Vulcan physiology would have to do it for him.
Bones walked across the room to where Jim stood. "He'll live or die now, Jim. I don't know which." he looked over to where M'Benga was running a small scanner over Spock's injuries. "Dr M'Benga interned in a Vulcan ward. He couldn't be in better hands."
The two men stood there, discussing what might be happening on the planet below. Jim needed to determine whether the Klingons were actually performing legitimate scientific research into the medicinal plants on the plants or not, and Bones was the only one who could determine that. And with Spock disabled, he needed advice from someone he could trust. McCoy was not happy to leave Spock in his condition, but agreed. They informed Scotty, and agreed to set up a rendezvous schedule.
***
Kirk and McCoy dressed as locals and beamed down, headed for Tyree's camp. They had not gone far before they were attacked by a large furred creature with a large horn on its head. It flipped McCoy over onto his back. By the time he could rise again, Jim was being bitten. McCoy fired with his phaser, vaporizing the animal. Kirk shivered in the grip of the poison and McCoy tried to contact the Enterprise, only to find that they had moved out of communicator range. Several of Tyree's men came upon them then, and McCoy convinced them to carry Kirk into the village. They carried him into a cave and McCoy covered him with furs and injected him with a general anti-toxin. He had nothing specific that would help here.
***
Nyota could tell when they finished working on Spock. His presence seemed calmer. And then she could tell he did something, she wasn't sure what, but it felt much like when he was meditating. She caught only a fleeting glimpse of something that he tried to send her, but it wasn't clear, and then he was so deep, so focused, that she knew she would get nothing else from him soon.
***
McCoy watched Kirk, concerned. He was sweating, racked with fever. McCoy pulled out his phaser and fired at stones, heating them to keep the room warm. The added heat seemed to calm Kirk, and he stopped his thrashing. He was not aware that Tyree's woman had seen. Outside the cave, she threatened Tyree if he did not divulge the secrets about these men. She would let him die if she did not get what she wanted.
***
In sick bay, Spock lay motionless, dressed now in a hospital jumpsuit. The warming blanket had been removed, and he was covered with a regular blanket. Chapel stood by his side, running her hand down his arm, clasping his hand. Spock moved his head, just slightly, from side to side. She released him quickly when she heard Dr M'Benga coming. He told her not to let the low panel reading bother her, that he had seen them before, that it was a form of self-induced hypnosis, focusing all their strengths on healing. She asked if he was conscious, and M'Benga replied that he was, in a sense, but that he could not afford to take his mind from the tissue he was fighting to heal. He looked at her and smirked, telling her that he supposed that Spock even knew that she had been holding his hand. She turned to him, her face shocked. She was very flustered and tried to cover it up by pretending this was normal for a good nurse.
***
On the planet below, Tyree entered the cave where Kirk lay, bringing his wife with him. She had something in her hand, moving. Tyree cut the palm of her hand and she wove about, going into a trance. She laid the root over the bite on Kirk's shoulder and slapped her cut hand down on top of it. Kirk gasped. She continued to weave back and forth over him and he moaned and moved with her. McCoy watched, concerned. Kirk was sweating heavily now. The woman continued to mutter and weave about, finally calling out 'Return'. Tyree pounded on a small drum he held, and she collapsed. Kirk's eyes opened and he spoke briefly with McCoy before falling asleep. McCoy lifted the root from jim and found the bite completely healed, with not a trace left. There was no trace left of the cut on the woman's hand, either. She stated that Kirk was hers now, and Tyree led her away to sleep as well.
***
In the middle of the night, Nyota slipped into sick bay. This was getting to be a habit. She went straight to Spock's bed and laid her hand softly on his face, cupping his cheek. She bent down and rested her head upon his chest, lightly, not wanting to hurt him at all. She could feel him, deep in his meditation. Was he stronger? She couldn't be sure. She whispered to him, telling him she loved him, wanted him strong and well again. She could feel something, very, very faint. But she must not disturb him now, he needed to focus on healing. She had heard M'Benga, in the dining hall, explaining the healing trance to other curious crewmembers. She left one soft kiss on Spock's face and then withdrew, stealing back out of sick bay and returning to her quarters to sleep alone.
***
McCoy found a pile of furs and slept himself, awakening to find Kirk gone. He rose and looked about, finding him in another chamber, sitting beside the woman. When McCoy talked to him, Tyree bolted up from where he was sleeping. Kirk started to explain to McCoy what a canutu was, and Tyree's woman stood up, stating that she was the canutu who had healed him. Kirk asked Tyree if they could talk, and Tyree and McCoy walked back into the other part of the cave.
***
In the sick bay, the bio-indicators above Spock's bed began to register higher readings, fluctuating up and down. M'Benga leaned down and spoke to Spock, telling him that someone would be with him constantly and that he would be called 'when the time came'. Chapel looked at him in confusion. M'Benga told her to call him immediately if Spock showed any signs of consciousness. And then he told her that if Spock spoke, she must do whatever he said. She was still confused. This made no sense.
***
Jim and Bones sat with Tyree, discussing the villager's weapons. Tyree stated that he had seen them making the firesticks themselves. Jim asked him to show him. Tyree's woman came in and started an argument, demanding that Jim make Tyree strong and give him many weapons. She was very angry when he refused.
They left, under cover of darkness, to find the village. When the way was clear, they headed for a certain building. Kirk overpowered the guard and told Tyree to take the gun and ammunition from him. Kirk and McCoy proceeded ahead and found the raw components of gunpowder. They slipped into a forge and found the tools needed to produce the weapons. They found things that could never have been made on the planet. When they heard voices approaching, they hid. The leader of the village came in with a Klingon. Unfortunately, McCoy had forgotten to turn his tricorder off and it made a noise, alerting the other occupants of the room. With luck, they were able to break free and ran back to where they had left Tyree, escaping back into the forest.
***
In sick bay, Spock gasped and called for the nurse. Chapel came running to his side. He demanded that she hit him, needing the pain to come to full consciousness. Instead of doing as he asked, she argued with him. He cursed at her and ordered her again to hit him. Where was Nyota? She would have done as he asked!
Chapel patted his cheek. He cursed again and she slapped him. "Again!" She slapped him again and again. Scotty stepped through the door and saw her and yelled at her, then ran over, pulling her off of him. She yelled back at him. M'Benga, hearing the commotion, ran in and ran straight to Spock, pulling him upright and slapping him hard several times, until Spock reached out and grasped him wrist. "That will be quite enough."
Spock looked at M'Benga. "Thank you, doctor."
M'Benga ordered Scott to release Chapel. Then he explained what had happened to Scotty. Chapel went to Spock's side and offered to help him. He waved her hands away and stated that he was fully recovered. In his mind, he could hear Nyota laughing. It was delightful to feel her again.
***
Kirk had Tyree's men lined up, teaching them to fire the stolen flintlock. Bones was angry with him for doing this. Kirk tried to explain that is was necessary to equalize the status between the villagers and the hill people. He intended to do this by giving the hill people the same weapons the villagers had. Bones did not think that furnishing them firearms was the answer.
***
Spock returned to the bridge, and Scotty rose from the command chair. Behind him, Spock could feel Nyota's eyes on him. She was still concerned about his physical condition, even though he felt that he had demonstrated quiet conclusively to her the previous evening that he was entirely healed.
The Enterprise had returned to close orbit around the planet. It was time for the pre-scheduled rendezvous with the captain.
***
On the planet below, Kirk was waiting to establish contact, when he saw Tyree's woman. He approached her to talk to her about his proposal to furnish weapons. But she used her herb to distract him. She was giving him very leading suggestions when Tyree came around the corner and heard her. Kirk got dizzy and staggered off, the woman following him. And then he fell completely under the power of the suggestions she had given him and began to kiss her. Tyree aimed the flintlock at them, furious, but he could not fire. He threw the weapon from him and ran off.
The sound of the mugato frightened Tyree's woman, but Jim was so under the spell of the herb and her suggestions that he could do little. Finally he drew his phaser and shot the mugato. Tyree's woman took a rock and hit him over the head, stealing the phaser.
Tyree went back to the caves, and Bones demanded to know where the flintlock was. He forced Tyree to show him and they found Kirk, on his hands and knees, groaning in pain. It did not take long to find out what had happened.
Nona had run toward the village and found herself captured by three villagers, who had no intention of doing anything honorable with her. As they flung her about in their circle, she screamed and kept offering the phaser to them, but they did not understand what it was. Kirk, Bones, and Tyree came into sight and saw them, and a fight ensued. One of the villagers took his knife and slashed her throat. McCoy was hit in the arm by flintlock fire. When the fight was over, Tyree rocked back and forth by her side, and then demanded many flintlocks.
Kirk faced Tyree and thought about what had happened, and what might happen. McCoy found his phaser on the ground and brought it back to him. Kirk reached into McCoy's bag and pulled out the communicator, calling the ship. Spock answered. McCoy was delighted. "Spock, are you alive?"
Spock answered with his typical dry wit. "An illogical question, doctor, as obviously you are hearing my voice."
"Well, I don't know why I was worried, you can't kill a computer."
Spock's brows drew together. Had he just been insulted?