21. Ice
"Captain! Cap-Lad! Jim!" Montgomery Scott shook his friend by the shoulders, trying not to focus on the slain security officer lying on the ground nearby. "Come on Captain, wake up…Lad, please…"
Jim groaned and blinked groggily up at his Chief Engineer as the older man hauled him onto his shoulder. "Scotty…"
"It's alright Jim, we're getting to shelter…Come on…"
"Bones thinks I'm cursed…Am I cursed?"
Scotty laughed slightly as he pulled Jim into a cave, searching for anywhere that had no snow and the man could lay the younger man down. "Maybe y' are, Captain. We can discuss it once that Vulcan of yours gets up beamed out of here."
"He's not my Vulcan…" Jim was feeling woozy as Scotty sat him up against the wall of the cave. "And…they can't get to us until that storm clears up."
"Yes Jim, I know. Just staying positive…" The man sighed and threw an arm around his commanding officer's shoulders, feeling the younger man shiver.
"Shoulda' listened to Bones and Spock… This was a bad idea." Jim curled up in a ball and rubbed at his arms. "Very bad idea… I think Spock let us go to teach me a lesson."
"He wouldn't do that, Lad."
Jim sighed, "I know… But this was my fault and now we've lost Kelly, Edgar and Mario."
Scotty hid the fond smile that threatened to break free as Jim effortlessly rattled off the ensigns and lieutenant they'd lost and instead pulled out his communicator. "Scott to Enterprise? Come in Enterprise!"
There was no response and Scotty closed the phone sulkily. "They'd better not be messing with the reactor without me. I swear, I'll murder those kids if they…"
Jim laughed and shook his head. "Easy Scotty… They're good at what they do; after all you trained them. They'll take care of our lady…you'll…see…"
As the young man fell into slumber, Scotty nodded to himself and stared out into the swirling storm as they waited for word from their friends. "Bloody Delta Vega… No more missions on stupid ice planets…"