This Chapter:
Apologies for the little hiatus. Thank you for your continued support. Hope you enjoy.
M for more violence (like you weren't expecting it),vibrant language, more mature themes, and sexually mature scenes. I don't own Star Trek, more's the pity. Only my original characters and plot line.
Loss
Chapter 28 - Because
After Sara was asleep for a few minutes, the doctor approached them cautiously rubbing his throat. He motioned with his eyes for Khan to step away from Sara, and Khan reluctantly complied. Marshall followed as they stepped around the corner out of Sara's line of sight.
Khan put his back to the wall dividing his focus between the main door and Sara's bed. Just then, the door slid open and Lt. Saavik entered. Walking up the three of them, Saavik ordered, "Doctor, you will explain the order of events."
"Obviously, Lieutenant, I don't know everything that's happened to the woman known as Sara Trevathan, but her body's gone through a great deal of shock and trauma."
She turned her attention to the strangers. "Gentlemen, state your names and explain this situation."
"Lieutenant Ethan Marshall."
"And you?" Saavik considered the bloodied, dark haired man and raised her eyebrow at him.
"I am Khan. This pregnant woman is from the 21st century. She was captured by Admiral Marcus who probably stunned her at the very least. Sara would not have gone willingly. Then she was placed into an ancient stasis tube – one of my stasis tubes. The tube malfunctioned, and yet she smashed her way out of it."
"The tube was on Deck 17, but she climbed all the way to Bridge Level," Marshall added. "When we materialized in the ready room, it shocked her; and she fell hitting her head on the desk." Marshall glanced at Khan who nodded in approval of his omissions.
"Then who killed the Admiral?" The doctor queried.
At that, Khan, Marshall, and Saavik turned and looked over to another bed. Carol laid on it unmoving while Kirk stood over her with a strange look in his eye.
"Doctor, Sara killed Carol." Kirk began, and Khan's glared turned deadly at his words. Only Marshall held him back by whispering, "Wait."
Kirk continued, "But the Admiral attacked her first. Sara was just acting in self-defense. Anyway, if the Admiral had lived, she would have had multiple criminal charges leveled against her. The Admiral had not been in her right mind for several years."
At that moment, Saavik strode over to Kirk and looked him squarely in the eye. The Vulcan asked, "You have proof of this, Captain Kirk?"
Kirk pulled out a data stick. "There is documentation on here proving that the Admiral acted against Khan in violation of Starfleet orders, that she sent him into the past to die, and that she planned to wipe out all the augments on the planet below us."
"I will send a report to Starfleet. Captain, if you will write a report of your version of events and add your evidence, I will send it as soon as it is completed. Until we have a response, you will be given individual quarters and be restricted to them until further notice."
"I will not leave Sara." Khan's voice rumbled darkly. "We are together. She is pregnant with my child."
Saavik considered Khan. "Fascinating. I was unaware that augments could reproduce."
"We will be the first." Khan could not suppress a small grin of pride.
"Doctor," Saavik questioned, "how is your patient?"
"Sara had a concussion, but Khan reduced the worst of the internal bleeding. However, adding that to the trauma her entire body has suffered will effect her recovery time."
"But she will recover?" Khan held his breath.
"I see no reason why not. However, I want to hold her here in observation tonight. If she is well enough, I might release her in the morning."
"And our child?"
"The baby is strong – amazingly so for all the stress Sara has gone through."
"Has being in stasis affected the baby? When Sara left me, she was no more than five weeks along. I have no idea how long it was before she was captured or how long Carol held her before putting her into the cryo-tube."
"It seems as if she's about eight weeks into the pregnancy; and if she's allowed to heal and rest, I see no reason why she shouldn't carry the child to full term."
Khan closed his eyes and exhaled the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.
"Thank you, doctor."
Marshall clapped Khan on the shoulder and smiled.
Khan turned to the Vulcan. "Lt. Saavik, I appreciate your open-mindedness in this situation, but I cannot leave Sara alone – not after just having found her again."
"I'm not leaving Sara either. Not while she's still in sick bay.," Marshall added.
"Captain Kirk, will you vouch for these men? Now that Admiral Marcus is dead, I am acting Captain. You understand the risk I will be taking if I let unknown men loose on my ship. Especially since you have already killed eleven crew members. Do I have your word that you and they will not act aggressively?"
"Lieutenant, we will not be loose, but in sick bay. And, to be honest, you'd be risking more if you try to separate Khan from Sara right now."
The Vulcan thought for a moment – the wheels of logic processing Kirk's words. "Very well. Gentlemen, you may stay in sickbay, under guard, until Sara is released from medical care. Then you will be escorted to your quarters. Khan and Sara may share quarters together if she wishes it."
Khan nodded. "That is acceptable. Thank you, Lieutenant."
As Saavik left, Khan turned to Kirk. "Thank you, Kirk."
"Don't worry, sunshine," Kirk slapped Khan's back hard. "Now, you owe me," he added darkly.
Khan grimaced still sore from Kirk's beating. "And, what will I have to do in repayment?"
"Oh," Kirk's teeth flashed a smile, "I'll think of something."
When Kirk went to give his statement, Marshall moved the left side of Sara's bed. Khan sat on the right side stroking her hand and looking at her face. Marshal watched the monitors above the bed. Eight new guards made a loose perimeter around the three of them. They were unaware of the other ten guards just outside the sickbay door.
Marshall's words were soft and low. "Do you trust him?"
Khan's eyes never left Sara; but he smirked, "The day I trust Jim Kirk is the day I become a pacifist."
"What do you think he wants?"
"I have some ideas, and none of them are good. Soon, we will be in our separate rooms. I need you to stay sharp. All of this hinges on Kirk offering up evidence of Carol's insanity and criminal behaviour. If he decides to back out..."
"Sara's left as a murderer of a Starfleet Admiral. She'd be incarcerated, and the child would be taken away from her as soon as it's born."
"I will do whatever is necessary to keep Sara safe." Khan's eyes never left her sleeping form.
Marshall risked a quick glance down; their eyes meeting for a brief moment. "And I will help you."
When Kirk returned, he approached Marshall who was standing away from Sara's bed. "I understand Khan. Even from the beginning, I respected his dedication to his crew – his family. I understand him now. I understand being on the edge of losing someone that means everything to you."
Kirk looked at the Lieutenant expectantly.
"What?" Marshall responded. "I didn't hear a question in that."
"What I don't understand is you. That's not your family over there. That's not your child. So why does Ethan Marshall care so much?"
"Because I was under Admiral Marcus's command. Because the woman and her child over there could have died because I was just following orders. Who can blame me for feeling responsible for that?"
"Oh, I don't blame you. I just don't believe you." With that, Kirk smiled and moved closer to Sara's bed before whispering, "Khan."
The augment turned his head and looked at Kirk. Then, laying Sara's hand gently at her side, he stood up and moved to Kirk. "What is it?"
"Just letting you know that I've given a copy of all my data to Saavik and written a report in favour of your lady friend."
"And, what do you want in return?"
"Nothing for now. Just for you to stick around long enough to call in this debt after Sara is cleared by Starfleet."
"You are afraid to tell me what you want."
"No. I just don't want you to have the time to think of a way out of it. Don't worry too much, Khan. It's just business."
Opening her eyes, Sara searched for Khan expecting him to be close at her side. When she could not find him in her limited sight range, Sara began to panic.
"Khan." At first his name came out as a weak whisper before growing in volume, anxiety, and tension. "Khan?" Trying to sit up, Sara let out a frustrated groan.
The man in question heard Sara and left Kirk still out of her field of vision. Only when Sara saw Khan walking towards her did she begin to relax.
"Where were you?"
"Taking care of business, my darling."
Leaning down to her, Khan's large hands cradled Sara's head gently as he moved in to kiss her. Khan's lips had a metallic taste; and when Sara finally, reluctantly pulled away, she gazed at his bruised and bloodied form. It hurt her heart to see Khan so damaged.
Her voice trembled, "What the hell happened to you?"
"In order to make Carol bring me on board this ship, I had to appear incapacitated."
"But who could do this to you? They'd have to be another augment."
"That'd be me: Jim Kirk. Nice to meet you." Kirk moved in on the other side of Sara's bed and held his hand out to shake. His smart-arse grin told the dark haired woman all she needed to know.
Sara looked at him as though he had two heads. Instead of reaching out to shake his hand, Sara's right hand curled into a tight fist. Watching her reaction, Khan gently held her offending arm down to prevent her from swinging.
Unfortunately for Kirk, Sara's left hand was too quick as she launched a powerful slap that connected to his right cheek. The captain stumbled back muttering, "Son of a bitch!"
Before Sara could stand up and go after him, Khan placed the tips of his fingers on Sara's chin and tenderly turned her head to face him. "Kirk was only doing as I commanded."
"But, he enjoyed it."
"True. However, Kirk has just now helped us more than you can know."
Sara was matter-of-fact and stubborn. "That's not true. If you explain it to me, then obviously, I will know."
"I do not want you to worry about any of this. I want you to rest."
"Well, then, you'll have to tell me everything that happened because I won't rest until you do."
"Perhaps, you'd like to continue this in a more private setting? I believe that Sara is capable of going to her own room." The doctor stood well out of Sara's arm length as he made his suggestion.
"What does that prick mean, my own room? I want to be with you. They're not separating us, are they?"
"They would not dare. Doctor, I believe Sara has given her consent to share a room with me. Please give us our room designation."
"Gladly. Level 7, Room 9."
"Excellent." And, with that, Khan turned down Sara's covers, placed his arms in the crook underneath her knees and around her back, and lifted her up in one powerfully graceful movement.
Sara's cheeks reddened, but remained silent until she saw the doors of the turbo lift close around them and the guards.
"Khan, what are these wankers doing?"
"Simply escorting us to our room. Do not worry, Sara. All is well."
Sara looked at him incredulously.
"I promise, Sara. All is well."
She nodded, "Ok, Khan." Then she breathed in his ear, "But, I'm not an invalid. You know you don't have to carry me."
Khan met her eyes with his intense, but honest look. When he whispered, all the bravado he put on when others could hear was gone. "You are the strongest woman I have ever or will ever know. That being said, I will carry you – not because you need me to, but because it is what I need. I need to know that you and our child are safe. The easiest way to ensure this is having you in my arms."
How the hell could she argue with that? "Oh, alright then."
When they were safely in their room with the guards and the rest of the world shut out, Khan set Sara down gently and turned briefly to the door securing their privacy. As he found her gaze again, the taller man saw the moisture starting to glaze over her eyes.
"Sara? What is it? Are you ill? Is it the child? What do you need?"
"You. Just you, Khan." Sara leaned into him, and Khan rested the bottom of his chin on the top of her head. It was a perfect fit. They were a perfect fit.
After a moment, Khan spoke, "You need a shower."
"Are you telling me in so many words, Khan Noonien Singh, that I stink?"
"Absolutely not. I am merely suggesting that it would make you feel better. It is also very likely in your state that you may need my assistance."
"Oh." The penny dropped, and Sara smiled. "But what about you? You look like shite."
"All the more reason to get clean then."
"But, aren't you tired?"
"My darling, I am never tired of loving you."
Sara gasped and then giggled.
Khan looked down at her, "What?"
"That's the title of one of my favourite Nina Simone songs."
Khan fingered the bloodied hem of the bottom of Sara's shirt. "I . . .I have never been more afraid than when I saw your blood here."
"Khan?"
With more care than she'd ever seen him show before, Khan gently ripped the offending fabric from the bottom up. Only when it was off of Sara's body did he fling it away from them with disgust leaving behind her thin tanktop. As he did this, Sara stepped up and reached for the hem of his own shirt – her frustration fuming as it would not yield to her.
"Off! Get this damn thing off!"
Khan complied and his shirt found its way to the floor as well. Sara wiggled out of her leggings, and Khan commented, "Those were new."
"Well, I grew out of my jeans before she . . .", Sara hesitated closing her eyes unable to finish the thought. "Before she..."
"Stop, Sara." Khan ran his hands through her hair. "Do not think about her. She is gone. And you killed her. My love, I am so proud of you."
"Really?"
"You fought so hard to survive, to keep our child alive. I did not think it was possible to love you more, but, you, Sara, keep surprising me. You keep making me more than what I was."
"I guess that makes two of us then. Or rather, three of us."
At that, the face that could easily express rage and hatred, coldness and revenge did something unheard of because Khan's face broke into a smile and laughed.
Many thanks for your continued patience and to you all who have encouraged in your own way by favouriting, alerting, or reviewing.
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Thanks to those who commented on the last chapter:
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Thank you so much, you wonderful, lovely people.
