A/N: Warnings for violence, medical torture, and non-con
36. Unbreakable
(Listening track selections: "Midna in Distress" by Koji Kondo, "Pain Everlasting" by Murray Gold, and "The East Wind" by David Arnold & Michael Price)
"Fascinating," Spock climbed out of the empty transport vehicle with his tricorder in hand.
"What have you discovered, commander?" Admiral Morrow asked walking into the lab with Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy.
"The driver was found inside already deceased at the scene. The autopsy showed the cause of death to be asphyxiation, but there are no physical signs to indicate that he was strangled. Until his toxicology reports are completed, it is only logical to conclude that some sort of gas was utilized. Some of the surviving security officers described an odd smell in the air, but none could confirm that a gas was used, as there was already smoke in the air from the wreckage of their vehicles. In the backseat, however, I found some blood drops indicating that a struggle likely took place. My readings show that the blood belongs to both a male and a female."
"The Harrisons?" Kirk wondered aloud.
"It is reasonable to assume that it is indeed their blood, but I will compare the samples against their Section 31 database records which were recovered from Admiral Marcus' office," answered Spock.
"Commander, are you suggesting that the Harrisons did not escape but rather were taken against their will?" the admiral questioned.
"An ancestor of mine maintained that if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth," Spock again arched his brow.
"No shit, Sherlock," Dr. McCoy rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.
"Harry!" Kestra Troi appeared in the doorway trying to force her way between the two guards posted there. "Let me in!" she stomped on one of their feet.
"Kestra?" Admiral Morrow noted the commotion. "Officers, it's alright. She won't compromise the evidence or hinder our investigation," he ordered them to admit her.
"Harry," Kestra paused to catch her breath upon reaching where the admiral and his companions were standing.
"It's been quite a long time, Kestra," the admiral smiled gently.
"You two know each other?" Dr. McCoy asked Kestra.
"We were classmates. I attended Starfleet Academy for a short time until I got bored and found better things to occupy my time," Kestra explained.
"She means that she discovered men," Admiral Morrow laughed.
"Harry, what happened? Where are my daughter and son-in-law? Do you think that they're in danger?" she started to get tears in her eyes. "And don't lie to me. You know that I can tell if you're lying," she warned him.
"Really, we don't know what happened to them yet, but I have my best officers and scientists on this case," he reported in reference to Spock, Dr. McCoy, and Captain Kirk. "I'm going to do everything in my power, devote all of the resources I have available, to finding them and bringing them back home safe and sound."
"Are they in harm's way?" she wiped a stray tear off her cheek.
"Well, there's no use in lying, but it appears that it is likely that they were kidnapped and that there was a struggle," Admiral Morrow frowned.
"Please, do everything you can to bring them home. I love them both so much," Kestra started to cry freely.
"Commander Spock, update me with your findings when you learn something new," the admiral ordered. "Come on, Kestra," he led her out of the lab to leave his crew to work.
Meanwhile, in a location unknown to the Harrisons and those looking for them, Catherine shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to warm her body the thin hospital gown being ineffective in providing her with protection from the chilled air. "John, where are you? What does Dr. Zineeri want with us?" she sighed and thought to herself.
"What's on your mind?" Dr. Zineeri slunk through the door to her cell.
"How did you get us here? What did you use on us?"
"Something that your husband is quite familiar with having consorted with someone that used it to kill one of his enemies in an attack on the United Nations. I used heavily concentrated sarin gas but did put in an additive giving it an odor to ensure that if there were a leak in any of the canisters it could be detected."
"If it was so concentrated, why didn't it kill us?" she furrowed her brow.
"One of the many wonderful vaccines that you both received during your time in Section 31 is what prevented you from succumbing completely to the gas. Yours truly developed it. No need to thank me," he laughed. "You probably do not remember as you were both barely conscious at the time, but you both put up quite a fight when my men tried to take you from the transport vehicle."
"Why did you cut off my hair?"
"I didn't order it, actually. I've always quite liked your hair, so lovely and soft," Dr. Zineeri went to stroke her nearly bald head causing her to duck away in disgust. "Do not worry. Between the progesterone coursing through your veins and a couple injections of your dear husband's blood, I'm sure your hair will be growing back in no time."
"What do you want with us? I barely even know you!"
"First of all, I want your husband so I can complete the work that I started when we found him. I can't have the rest of the Augments as they are heavily protected right now, so I will just have to settle for him. I was making such excellent progress when that fool Admiral Marcus decided your husband would be better off helping him with his war mongering," Dr. Zineeri grumbled.
"You were torturing him! As much as I hated Marcus, at least it seems he got John away from you!" Catherine spat in anger.
"Space is full of disease and darkness, and I was working to make us all better! Your husband's body is like nothing I've ever seen before. We Denobulans have successfully dabbled in genetic engineering with positive results, but not to the degree of success achieved by Dr. Kaur. No, she was a genius despite the crude technology she had at her disposal. I had heard bits and pieces about the Chrysalis Project, but never in a million years did I ever think I'd get my hands on any of the Chrysalis children let alone the alpha male himself!" he rubbed his hands together in glee.
"What the hell do you want with me? I'm not an Augment. I'm not even a full-blooded human!"
"No, but you are half-Betazoid, my dear. I had hoped that Marcus could find me a full Betazoid, not a half-breed like you, but I was growing impatient and settled for you," he scrunched his nose.
"Then it was true," she frowned. "Marcus never did select me because of my professional prestige or abilities as a nurse. He selected me because I could babysit John for him and because you wanted a Betazoid."
"Now, do not be so down on yourself," Dr. Zineeri scolded her. "You've done wonderfully. Besides, I never thought or dreamed that you and Khan would hit it off and fall in love. You made it so much easier for me. I was delighted to learn of your pregnancy."
"You will not touch our child!" she stood up and put her hands over her abdomen protectively.
"Do not worry. If something does happen to this one, there will be many, many more to take its place. I simply cannot wait to see what kind of abilities your little ones will have. Now, I do not think I will let the two of you have conjugal visits very often, but there are certainly other ways of achieving conception without sexual intercourse being involved," he reached under her gown cupping her bare sex.
Spitting in his face and swatting his hand away, Catherine snarled. "Where is John?" she asked through clenched but chattering teeth not wanting to hear Dr. Zineeri's excited squeals any longer.
"Ah, yes, I suppose it's time to reunite you two lovebirds," he nodded. Taking out a small control pad from his lab coat, he punched in a code causing the one wall to turn from white to transparent exposing an adjoining room.
"Imzadi," Catherine gasped at the sight she beheld through the glass.
Just like in the video clip played during their trial, John was once again strapped to a biobed tilted at an angle so that he was almost standing. Bare except for a small loincloth that was barely adequate to cover his well-endowed loins, he had multiple pieces of medical equipment attached to his skin and tubes inserted into his various blood vessels and bodily orifices. A gastrostomy tube had been inserted though his abdomen wall and into his stomach so that he would not need to be fed food orally anytime in the near future.
On the other side of the transparent wall, unaware that anyone could see or was watching him as his side of the wall looked like a mirror, John struggled to regain consciousness. Noting that his right eye was swollen shut, he slowly opened the left wincing at the bright light in the room. While he would usually instinctually try to fight against the bonds that held him down to the table, John refrained knowing it would be best to try to determine the exact nature of his situation before making a move to escape. Noting the medical equipment and tubing, he gently wriggled side to side to test his bonds only to discover a sharp pain in his side. "Definitely have broken ribs," he determined. "Why am I so injured? Why aren't my wounds healing? Where is Catherine?"
A door opened in the wall to his side, and an Orion woman with a lab coat over her otherwise scantily clad form entered carrying a tray of syringes filled with an opaque green substance almost the same color as her skin. "That's my Marta," Dr. Zineeri explained. "She used to be the top attraction at the largest casino on Rigel II until she lost her mind. I was able to save her somewhat, but unfortunately her star will never shine as brightly as it once did."
Thinking John was still unconscious and knowing that those on the other side could not hear her unless Dr. Zineeri activated the intercom, Marta began speaking to John as she prepared some more syringes and attached more tubing to one of the ones inserted into his arm. "You poor dear. Why did they have to go and smash up your beautiful face so much? If it would help, I'd kiss you and make it better," Marta pouted. "Maybe if I'm really good and please Dr. Zineeri, he will let me have some fun with you," she forgot about the two-way glass and stroked his inner thigh briefly before returning to her work. It took every ounce of John's self-control not to lash out in rage at hearing the Denobulan's name or her touching him so intimately without his consent.
"Marta," Dr. Zineeri's voice suddenly came over the intercom causing her to jump. "Behave yourself and proceed."
"Yes, sir!" Marta's cheeks became hot realizing Dr. Zineeri saw her fawning over John.
Hooking up a small bag of clear liquid to the IV tubing, she injected the green-filled syringes and mixed it before opening a valve allowing the substance to fill John's veins. As soon as it came into contact with the inner walls of his circulatory system, John felt as if he were burning from the inside out, became drenched in sweat, and could not help but release a scream experiencing the searing pain.
"What are you doing to him?" Catherine demanded as she ran to the glass wall dragging her chains behind her. "John!" she hit at the wall with her fist.
"He can neither see nor hear you without this," Dr. Zineeri shook his head holding up the device he had spoken into earlier to give his orders to Marta. "Watch."
Still in agonizing pain, Catherine watched in horror as Marta pulled a strap over John's forehead and tightened it so he could not move his head. Pressing some controls on the wall, a device with two long needles lowered from the ceiling. After positioning a needle on each side of John's head, Marta pressed another button causing the needles to bore into John's temples and into his skull. John again screamed as his body shook within its bonds from the agony. Catherine felt as if her blood ran cold within her veins as she began to cry. "Imazdi," she wept placing an open palm over the glass hoping desperately that John could somehow sense her presence.
"Come now, stop crying," Dr. Zineeri patted her on the head and pressed a button causing the wall to turn white once again. "We wouldn't want to upset baby, now, would we?"
"Please stop it," she sniffled.
"Oh, you'll come around to me someday, my dear. Well, I think it's time for your husband and I to become reacquainted. I'll be seeing you later," the scientist walked out the door leaving Catherine sinking to the floor heaped into a ball crying.
As Dr. Zineeri joined Marta in the room with John, she reported, "I successfully obtained the brain tissue samples you wanted."
"Good girl," Dr. Zineeri beamed a wide Denobulan grin as he briefly squeezed one of her breasts through her lab coat. "Take them down the hall to the histology lab. I'm curious to see how he recovered from those wonderful Ceti eel larva of mine."
"Yes sir," Marta nodded and left.
"Long time no see, Khan," Dr. Zineeri patted John on the cheek.
"You sick bastard," John raged as he worked on catching his breath. "Where are we?"
"Oh, how quite rude of me. I should have told you before. Welcome home, Khan. We're in your former compound north of Chandigarh in the Himalayan Mountains. All of the equipment needed updated, of course, but I was delighted to discover that the infrastructure was well preserved despite the bombings President Bill Clinton of the United States of America had ordered to be carried out on the region. I can't believe that pathetic womanizer was the ultimate cause of your defeat," Dr. Zineeri heckled. "Anyways, I found this left behind in the armory with an ample supply of ammunition. Isn't it primitive?" he held up an antique small caliber revolver. "Quite effective, though, in getting the job done."
Sick of Dr. Zineeri's ramblings, John snarled, "Where is my wife?"
"Oh, she and baby are very close by safe and sound. I was just telling her about all the fun we're going to have. Can the kids call me Uncle Zineeri?" he mocked as he tucked the revolver away in his lab coat pocket.
"If you do anything to them, I-"
"You'll do what? Kill me? You're hardly in any position to harm a fly let alone touch me. Don't worry, I'll let you see them every once in a while. More often than not, though, you're wife will probably be pregnant when you get to see her."
"There is no way in hell we'll have more children just so that you can play sick games with them!" John growled.
"As I explained to your wife, there are other ways of bringing about conception. I think that I shall explain and even demonstrate," Dr. Zineeri began circling around John. "First, using tried and true methods, I'll force Catherine to hyperovulate and harvest her eggs."
"You're insane if you think I'll voluntarily give you what you need," John snorted.
"Oh, I know you won't, so I will force the issue," the scientist pulled on some gloves and stood behind John patting his bare behind briefly through an opening in the biobed which left it constantly exposed. "Take a deep breath," he advised before ramming a cold, wet device into John's rectum causing him to wince with the invasive discomfort. "The human male prostate is such an interesting organ," Dr. Zineeri explained as he flipped a switch causing the device to vibrate while still inside of John. "Using this method, I will merely stimulate you to the point of orgasm and collect the semen I need in order to perform in vitro fertilization and plant the fertilized eggs in your woman's womb," he turned of the device and set it down. Taking off his gloves, he walked around to face John. "I see my special formulization that Marta gave you just a bit ago is already wearing you down. That was entirely too easy," he remarked observing John's prominent erection. "Maybe I'll even let the Orion men play with you, too, since you seem to get off on it. Well, I best get going. I'll leave you with your thoughts."
"Let her go! I'm the one you want!" John shouted as Dr. Zineeri walked out the door leaving him humiliated and exposed with his arousal peeking from behind his loincloth. Not caring if anyone saw or heard, John screamed and fought against his bonds in pain and anger.
Not entirely sure how long they had been there, about what Catherine thought to be a week went by with her only seeing John during some of his sessions through the glass-like wall. Despite wanting to rebel and be uncooperative, Catherine did everything she was told in hopes that it would somehow spare John and keep their unborn child safe. Her hopes, however, were to be shattered when Dr. Zineeri and Marta walked inside her cell early one day before she got her usual meager breakfast.
"Hold still, my sweet," Dr. Zineeri advised as Marta injected Catherine with a hypospray.
"What?" Catherine barely got out before losing control of the muscles of her body as she fell to the ground. She maintained the ability to breathe and was conscious.
"The paralysis should only last about ten minutes which is just long enough to complete our first task of the day," he explained as Marta pulled Catherine's head and neck onto her lap. After having Marta adjust the positioning slightly, Dr. Zineeri pulled out a long, thin needle. Cleaning Catherine's neck with alcohol and using a tricorder with an ultrasound capability for guidance, Dr. Zineeri twice inserted the needle into the front of her neck injecting a small amount of a substance into the nerve bundles he had pinpointed. Being unable to do anything, Catherine could only express her pain within the confines of her mind. "All done," Dr. Zineeri announced. "Now we'll wait a few minutes and come back for you," he and Marta left her lying on the floor.
As the hypospray wore off, Catherine struggled and was finally able to get off the floor and onto the bench in her small cell. Part of her longed to cry, but she was still quite weakened from the paralytic Marta gave her. Soon enough, Marta and a bulky Orion male arrived. The male cuffed Catherine and unchained her ankles before lifting her roughly and plopping her into the wheelchair they had brought with them.
"Dr. Zineeri said that if you're really good today, you might get to spend some time alone with Khan later. You can probably even touch him," Marta smiled. "I know that I love getting to spend time with him. He's gorgeous."
Catherine, unable to make a sound in reply, gritted her teeth as they wheeled her into a large room with an operating table. She felt bile rise into her throat unsure as to what was soon to take place in this room. Still too weak to fight back, the Orion male picked her up and put her onto the table. Taking off her cuffs, he and Marta began strapping Catherine down starting with spreading out her arms. In the end, all she could move was her head.
Marta remained behind while the Orion male left to inform Dr. Zineeri that they were ready. As the two women waited, a few silent tears rolled down Catherine cheeks. A few minutes later, the door opened revealing the Orion male pushing John in on his biobed with Dr. Zineeri not far behind.
"Imzadi," Catherine hoped that he could communicate with her.
"Catherine," John nearly wept at the sight of her strapped to the operating table. "What are you going to do to her?" he roared at Dr. Zineeri as Marta pulled up Catherine's hospital gown exposing her abdomen.
"Do not worry. You will not have to listen to her screams. I temporarily paralyzed her vocal cords to spare you," Dr. Zineeri smiled maliciously. "Marta, if she's ready, you may proceed."
Nodding with Dr. Zineeri's command, Marta went to the control panel and punching in some commands lowered and started a device. A long, needle-like object pierced Catherine's lower abdomen as tears began to run in streams from her eyes. She opened her mouth in a natural reaction to scream, but all that came out of her throat were quiet, raspy breaths. She turned her head and looked to John with fear and pain in her eyes. John, powerless to help her, fought back his own tears as he looked at a large monitor showing their child within Catherine's womb. As the needle reached the baby, it started to squirm with the invasive prodding. Catherine's face contorted in pain both her own and her unborn child's. Although she could not yet communicate with the child telepathically, they still shared a deeper bond than what humans could experience.
"Stop! You're hurting them!" John screamed. "Please, let them go! I'll do anything you want. You can keep me forever. Just stop this," he pleaded through his tears.
"Did you get the tissue sample?" Dr. Zineeri ignored John's pleas.
"Yes, sir," the green-skinned Orion woman replied.
"Very well, you may finish the procedure. Get her cleaned up and take her back to her room," he pulled off the gloves he had donned and sauntered towards John. "They're quite alright. Besides, if your child is as augmented as we suspect, it is probably already healed. And if not, well, it will give me the opportunity to experiment on treating congenital deformities."
"They do not deserve this. They are not heartless animals. They're not like me," John frowned as the Orion male unstrapped Catherine, rebound her hands, and forcefully sat her back in the wheelchair before taking her away back to her cell.
"You are always such a gentleman. Oh well, now it's your turn," Dr. Zineeri motioned to the operating table.
A few hours later, Catherine finally regained her ability to speak as the medication wore off that had paralyzed her vocal cords earlier. Marta stopped by to check on her and bring her something to eat, but all Catherine could do was sob and hold her abdomen, which was still tender where the needle was inserted. Despite her madness, Marta could not help but feel a little sorry for her part in what happened to Catherine.
"Don't cry, honey," Marta pulled Catherine's head to her chest and gently stroked her hair, which was now growing out quite quickly as they had given her a couple injections of a serum made from John's blood. "Your baby is okay. We didn't hurt it. We just needed a tissue sample," she tried to reassure her only succeeding in making her cry harder. "You're not making it easier on her, you know!"
"Her?" Catherine gasped and sat up.
"Your little girl," Marta smiled. "She's very strong, but all of this crying is surely upsetting her."
"You mean that I'm having a little girl?" Catherine wiped away her tears.
"You didn't know?" the Orion woman gawked at her.
"No, John and I were going to let it be a surprise," she looked down at her lap thinking of her husband.
"Oh, I'm sorry about that," Marta felt embarrassed for ruining the surprise.
"It's okay. You didn't know. God, what I'd do to get out of here," she sighed and thought aloud.
"I can't let you do that!"
"I know you can't. It'd be nice to at least be able to see John like you said earlier."
"I'll see what I can do," Marta smiled before getting up and leaving.
"I just want to go home. We thought Marcus was cruel. Even our cell with no privacy was more humane and tolerable than this!" Catherine struggled not to start crying again.
The next morning, Marta brought Catherine her usual breakfast and had a big grin on her face. "Good news," she reported. "Dr. Zineeri said that I can take you to see Khan this morning."
"When?" Catherine's face brightened.
"Once you're finished eating. He said you have to eat all of it. He's noticed you've lost a couple pounds," Marta explained.
"Oh, poor appetite," she conceded.
True to her word, Marta bound Catherine's hands and took her around to the entrance to John's adjoining room where Dr. Zineeri was awaiting them. "I'm taking these off, but do not think of trying anything," she warned Catherine.
"I won't," Catherine agreed looking to her then Dr. Zineeri.
"Okay, go ahead," Marta opened the door letting her go inside with Dr. Zineeri following her.
"Imzadi," Catherine took a few steps and stopped in front of him almost afraid to touch him out of concern that it may cause him pain.
"Catherine?" John looked in the direction of her voice, but she noted that his eyes were not focused directly on her.
"Why aren't you looking at me?"
"Catherine, I can't see you. I am blind," he reported.
"What the fuck did you do to him? You sick bastard!" Catherine barked at Dr. Zineeri.
"Now, now, do not be so quick to judge," Dr. Zineeri snickered. "I induced cortical blindness by causing lesions to his temporal cortex. It will only be temporary. Would you rather I gouged his eyes out to see if they regenerated?"
"No!"
"Catherine," John called for her his voice quivering as he longed to feel her touch.
"Can't you just leave us alone for a little while? I've cooperated with you and have done everything you've asked of me," Catherine noted.
"Very well, you may have five minutes," Dr. Zineeri agreed and walked out of the room.
"Have you overheard anyone say where we are?" Catherine asked as she carefully stroked John's cheek.
"We're actually being held in one of my former compounds. We're north of Chandigarh in Nepal in the Himalayan Mountains," John replied. "Please kiss me. You won't hurt me."
Her heart aching for him, Catherine carefully stepped onto the bottom of John's biobed before leaning up and kissing him gently on the lips. "John, I can't stand another moment here," she struggled to maintain her composure.
"Kiss me harder, and I will tell you the plan I've been formulating," he bargained with her.
She complied and kissed him passionately before gently brushing his now quite greasy, dirty hair out of his face. "Well?"
"I know our exact location in the complex, and being of my own design, know each and every way out of here. I have successfully loosened the binding to my right wrist. Using her lust for me to my advantage, I have learned from Marta the location of stores of food and clothing. If we are to survive the harsh conditions of the area, we will need those items. There is only several other staff here at all times. Marta also carries a phaser inside her lab coat which she enjoys running up and down my inner thighs in attempts to bring me to arousal."
Catherine grunted.
"She's been unsuccessful every time," John grinned. "If we are to do this now, time will be of the essence. If needed, I will stay behind to give you a better chance of escaping."
"Absolutely not! You're coming with me!"
"I will do my best then," he nodded. "There are scalpels in the drawer to my right, so arm yourself with one to start out. Let us hope those phaser lessons I gave you when Carol Marcus was being a voyeur will pay off," he managed to tease. "I'm going to need you to be my eyes."
After five minutes, Dr. Zineeri returned as he said he would. "How are my two favorite lovers?" he asked as Catherine pulled away from John.
"Something's wrong with his wrist," she insisted. "His right wrist."
"What could possibly be wrong with it?"
"Here, look," she encouraged the scientist to look closely at John's arm.
Peering closely, Dr. Zineeri suddenly found John's fist making contact with his throat causing him to choke. John then punched him in the face knocking him out quite soundly falling in a heap to the floor. "Marta!" Catherine shouted. "Something's wrong with Dr. Zineeri!"
Marta came running inside, "What happened?" As she bent over to check on him, Catherine stood behind her and using one of the scalpels from the drawer, slit her throat from ear to ear.
"That's for hurting my baby, you bitch," Catherine spat before pushing Marta's lifeless body over onto its side. Successfully finding the phaser, she grabbed a spare lab coat that was hanging by the door and put it on placing the phaser in one pocket and the scalpel in the other. After cuffing Dr. Zineeri's hands with the shackles Marta had used on her earlier, Catherine then rushed to John's side to help him finish removing his bonds and disconnecting him from the various tubing connected to him. "Careful, John," she warned him as he took a tenuous step down off the biobed.
"I'm alright," John reported noting the strength in his legs to be adequate. "Practically naked, but fine."
"You know that's how I like you best," she jabbed before pulling the phaser out of her pocket. "Ready?"
"Yes," he took hold of her left upper arm so she could lead him.
Cautiously peering out into the corridor, Catherine reported, "We're a go."
"Turn right," John began to direct her. After a few uneventful twists and turns, they successfully found their way to the supply room. Catherine found adequate clothing boots and quickly dressed herself before helping John to dress as well. Packing a knapsack with as many supplies as she could, she put it on his back over his heavy coat with which she bundled him up for the cold mountain weather. After packing a bag of her own, John held it up for her so she could get it onto her back. Overjoyed to find one, albeit it was outdated compared to the one she had while she was with Section 31, Catherine strapped a tricorder over shoulder. They then continued their escape knowing that by now someone had probably discovered Dr. Zineeri and Marta.
As John continued to provide Catherine with directions, their suspicions were correct as they encountered a few of Dr. Zineeri's minions. Quickly and easily taking them out with her stolen phaser, Catherine continued with John in tow as they finally reached an exit. Bursting outside, Catherine felt a chill go down her spine as the cool mountain air hit her in the face. "This is going to be hard, John," she sighed noting the rocky terrain.
"I trust you to lead me, but we need to be quick as possible. If I start to lag behind, keep going."
Using her tricorder to determine their coordinates and John's recollection of the area, they carefully made their way through what were actually only the mountainous foothills of the Himalayas. As the sun started to set, they determined that they needed to find shelter for the night.
About half an hour later, Catherine grinned, "I see a cave, John. It's quite large, too."
"Have your phaser ready, Imzadi. Who knows what may be lurking inside," he advised.
Finding the cave empty, they slung off their bags placing them on the ground. Catherine quickly unrolled two small slumber bags they had brought with them and spread them out before having John sit down to rest on one.
"I'm going to find some items to use for fuel in the event that we need it. I also heard a stream nearby, so I will fill our canteens. I'm taking the phaser with me," Catherine reported.
"Be careful, my love."
Upon returning, Catherine found John lying on his back covered in sweat and shivering. "John, are you alright?" she asked setting down the canteens and some kindling.
"Something isn't right. I feel so odd," he replied.
"John, you're burning up with a fever," Catherine felt his forehead with the back of her hand. "Damn it! If only I had a basic med pack with me, I could give you an antipyretic. We need to get this fever to break," she sighed.
"So this is what it is like? I've never been ill before in my life. It's horrible," he shivered.
"What exactly were they injecting into you?"
"I don't know. It felt like they were pumping me full of acid. My veins and arteries still burn. I'm so thirsty," he reached up weakly.
Handing him one of the canteens, Catherine gently propped up his head to help him to take a drink of water. "Drink slowly," she cautioned him.
After pulling out some space blankets that John had pilfered from NASA in the 1990's, she covered him and used the phaser to heat up some nearby rocks. She then wet a cloth and placed it on his forehead trying to break the fever.
"You know how you've told me that you wish that you were like me, an Augment?" he asked quietly his voice slightly raspy.
"Yes," she nodded.
"Before this I never admitted it, but I've always been jealous of you," he said with tears starting to form in his eyes. "I wish that I could have lived a normal life, had parents to love me. With you, despite our harrowing circumstances, I almost got to have that sense of commonness, having parents and my own little family with a wife and child. Now I likely will not even live to see that day," he closed his eyes as he started to weep quietly.
"John," Catherine felt unsure what to even say. Deciding against saying anything, she lay down next to John, and to the best of her ability given the size of her stomach, kissed him on the temple and had him lay his head on her shoulder gently stroking his hair to comfort him.
"Promise me," he said his voice shuddering.
"Promise what?"
"Promise me that if you make it out of this alive, tell our child about me, the good and the bad."
"Imzadi, don't talk like that," she scolded him. "Don't you dare give up on me!" she held him tightly.
"I'm not giving up. I'm just trying to be realistic. Catherine, I can feel my body growing weaker. Whatever they've been injecting into me, it is slowly killing me. I do not know how long my body can hold up before I cannot go any further. In the morning, you should go and try to find help. The longer we tarry here, the higher the chance that Dr. Zineeri will find us. At least if he has me, he will not be in such a hurry to find you."
"He wants both of us. He's told me himself. John, he's going to use us as long as he can, and when we're gone, he's going to use all of the children he will have forced us to have. I'm not leaving you behind."
"I just wish that I could see your face one last time," John began to sob.
"John, shh," she did her best to comfort him. As he started to grow quiet exhaustion taking hold of him, she hummed the Indian lullaby that his mother used to sing to him as a child. Finally noting him to be asleep, she gently kissed him on the forehead still covered in a sheen of sweat, "Get some sleep."
Early the next morning, the sun starting to rise, Catherine shivered next to John under the space blanket they currently shared. Although she preferred to stay next to him, she crawled out and heated up the nearby rocks again with the phaser. Noting that John was still asleep, she took the phaser and went outside to do her business. Upon returning, he was awake and still quite ill.
"Catherine, that east wind blowing into the cave is so cold."
"I'm sorry, John. Let me get you another blanket," she started to root through one of their bags.
"I'm not getting any better," John said weakly before wincing in pain.
"What is it? What's hurting you?" she knelt down beside him.
"This damn gastrostomy tube keeps getting tangled up and tugging on my flesh," he lifted up his shirt showing her the tube still protruding from his abdomen. "What were to happen if it were removed?"
"The opening would just need a bandage placed over it, and it would close spontaneously. But we can't just pull it out, John, there's a small balloon holding it inside of you," she warned him.
"If you won't do it, then I will," he reached and took hold of it. Before she could stop him, he yanked with all the remaining strength he had left and pulled it out before crying out in pain. After calming down, he advised, "Go on, bandage my wound."
"Stubborn man," she huffed and fetched the first aid kit that she packed. As she cleaned the opening and bandaged it, she bit her lip noting just how pale he looked.
"Did you miss me?" a voice suddenly asked from behind them. "I certainly missed you. You two made quite a mess of things back at the compound, but it's okay. If you come back with me, I will completely forgive you, and we can start all over again. Now, you did kill my sweet Marta, but I'm sure you can make up for her loss in your own way," Dr. Zineeri grinned. "Ready to come back home, my sweet pets?"
"No, we're not coming back to your den of torture devices!" Catherine shouted in defiance.
"As if you have any choice in the matter," Dr. Zineeri frowned and shook his head as he pulled his antique revolver out of his lab coat and aimed it at the couple. Catherine looked for the phaser, and just as she locked eyes on it, Dr. Zineeri shot it into hundreds of pieces along with Catherine's hope. "You do not have the adequate medical equipment or supplies to deal with his current condition, and if you continue to resist, you most certainly won't be able to deal with what else I can inflict upon you both if you remain here."
Squeezing John's hand tightly, something akin to primal rage awoke within Catherine. Dropping his hand gently at his side, she got up and suddenly rushed towards Dr. Zineeri with an animalistic scream. Launching herself at the scientist, they both struggled with one another over the revolver until Dr. Zineeri managed to push her causing her to trip and fall backwards over John's body. She struggled to get back up and knelt with John between her and Dr. Zineeri.
Steadying the gun in his hand, Dr. Zineeri quickly aimed at John and pulled the trigger. A loud gunshot echoed throughout the cave and John cried out in pain as the bullet pierced his torso, his blood splattering in a mist onto Catherine's face.
"No!" Catherine shouted.
"Now look what you made me do, you stupid woman!" Dr. Zineeri struggled to keep his grasp on the revolver his hands now shaking.
Catherine got up leaping over John and began struggling again with Dr. Zineeri who dropped the revolver. Managing to reach into the pocket of her coat, Catherine pulled out the scalpel that she swiped from the lab and earlier slit Marta's neck during their escape. At the opportune moment, she plunged the scalpel into the Denobulan's neck multiple times before leaving it within his flesh and twisting it, his blood spurting all over her with each of his ever weakening heartbeats. Dr. Zineeri gurgled briefly on his own blood before collapsing dead at her feet. Standing still a bit in shock at what she had just done, Catherine returned to reality upon hearing John moaning in pain.
"John," she whispered to herself before running to his side.
"Imzadi," John rasped quietly wincing in pain.
"No, stay quiet," she admonished him putting her now bloodstained fingers over his lips. After gently pulling aside his coat, she tore through his blood soaked shirt swearing to herself under her breath as she examined his wound. Quickly pulling off her coat and the sweater she found in the supply room, she balled up the sweater and advised him, "I'm going to apply gentle pressure to the wound. Then I'm going to help you to try to roll to your side so I can determine if there is an exit wound. Do you understand?"
John nodded his head "yes" and proceeded to roll with her help to his side.
"Good, go ahead and lay on your back. It didn't go all the way through. If I can keep you from hemorrhaging to death, then you'll at least have a chance," she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand smearing blood on it. She picked up the tricorder that she stole from the lab and started scanning him with one hand as she held pressure on his wound with the other.
After some time passed, John spoke quietly, his breath ragged, doing his best to ignore the burning pain spreading throughout his chest, "It's alright, Catherine. You're not a doctor, and you certainly have no experience in treating a wound such as this. I'm not afraid."
"Don't talk like that. Don't leave me here alone," she pleaded as she lifted the sweater to check his bleeding. "You might have internal bleeding, but you're not bleeding out anymore. I think your lung might collapse, too, if you aren't careful. So stay quiet!" she used a piece of gauze left out of the first aid kit from earlier to wipe the sweat off of his forehead. "If only I had something that I could give you for the pain," she thought aloud as he started to struggle more and more to breathe. "Keep breathing, John. Just keep breathing," she urged him.
"Yours is superior," he gasped out before losing consciousness the tricorder indicating that his heart was slowing down and starting to stop beating.
"No you don't!" she struggled to start performing chest compressions due to her stomach being in the way. The beeping on the tricorder continued to slow despite her ministrations, and growing frustrated, she paused to take a break before slapping him across the cheek in hopes that it would startle him and somehow stimulate him. "Don't you dare, John!"
Just as exhaustion was starting to set in and the tricorder was barely registering a heartbeat, Catherine could hear shouting outside the cave entrance. Torn between helping John and whether or not she would need to defend herself, Catherine scanned the cave floor for the revolver Dr. Zineeri dropped. Footsteps growing closer, she spotted the gun, got up and grabbed it, and took aim towards the oncoming intruders. "In here!" she heard a vaguely familiar voice shout.
"Stay back!" Catherine shouted aiming the revolver at the first person to come in line of her sight. "We're not going back to that living hell!"
"Lieutenant Harrison, we're not going to harm you," Spock held up his hands and slowly bent down to put his phaser on the ground.
"Sir?" she choked back a sob upon realizing who it was.
"Please, put down the gun," Spock requested.
"Oh God," Catherine dropped the revolver and collapsed to her knees upon realizing that they were finally safe. "Is Dr. McCoy with you?" she asked frantically.
"Yes, he-"
"John's dying! He needs Dr. McCoy's help!" she crawled on her hands and knees back to John's side to resume performing the chest compressions.
"Captain, they are inside the cave. We need Dr. McCoy's assistance immediately. Commander Harrison is severely wounded and in critical condition," Spock spoke into his communicator. In a matter of a few seconds, the cave was filling with the blue light of several people being transported inside it. As the blue light subsided, it revealed Dr. McCoy and his medical team.
"Catherine, what happened?" Dr. McCoy rushed to their side. Spock gently pulled Catherine away so the medical team could start working on John.
"Dr. Zineeri shot him with an antique revolver," she panted trying to regain her breath. "It's a long story," she started to hyperventilate.
"Spock, get her out of this filthy place. We'll be behind you shortly once I can get him stabilized," Dr. McCoy barked.
"Please don't make me leave him," Catherine cried in the midst of hyperventilating before passing out as Spock scooped her up and had them both transported to one of the awaiting shuttlecraft which then sped with all due haste towards San Francisco.
"Catherine, it's time to wake up."
"Hmm?" Catherine started to stir.
"Come on, little one, open your eyes."
Catherine slowly opened her eyes. As her vision came into focus, she registered that her mother was standing over her. "Mother? Where am I?"
"You're back in San Francisco, honey," Kestra stroked Catherine's short hair out of her face.
"John?"
"We nearly lost him. He's had a hard time of it, but Dr. McCoy thinks that with his Augment resilience, he's going to be just fine," the Betazoid woman explained.
"Where is he? I need to see him."
"Over there," Kestra motioned to the bed next to Catherine's. "Try not to be upset with all of the equipment. Dr. McCoy has him in an induced coma at the moment to give his body adequate rest," she warned knowing Catherine would be concerned given that John was currently on a ventilator.
"Dr. McCoy is a wise man. If he didn't have him sleeping like this, John would be doing nothing but worrying over the baby and me. Oh, the baby?"
"Is also fine," Kestra nodded. "Thanks to mama bear," she smiled gently.
"Physically, we're going to be okay. Mentally, oh mum, it was horrible," Catherine started to cry.
"Try not dwell on it right now. Just worry about regaining your strength and helping John get well. Once your bodies are healed, we can focus on healing your hearts and minds."
"I will do my best. Do you think Dr. McCoy would let me get cleaned up if you were to help me?"
"I'll go and ask him," Kestra kissed her on the forehead. "No offense, but you could use a good scrub."
"Oh mother," Catherine rolled her eyes.
A few minutes later, Kestra was washing Catherine's back when she suddenly noted that her daughter was holding back a sob. "Little one, what is wrong?"
"My hair!" Catherine let out a cry before alternating between crying and laughing at such a little problem in the grand scheme of things.
"Sweetheart," Kestra joined in also crying and laughing in joy to have her beloved children back where they were safe.
In a couple days, Dr. McCoy cut back on the medications he was using to keep John in the induced coma. Once he felt that John could breathe on his own, he extubated him letting him breathe freely on his own. Despite some slight malnutrition and minor wounds, Dr. McCoy treated Catherine with some prophylactic antibiotics and discharged her thus allowing her to stay at John's side at all times.
One evening as she sat next to him reading holding her PADD in one hand and holding John's hand in the other, Catherine felt his hand twitch before noting him starting to stir. He groaned slightly as his brow furrowed in slight discomfort and confusion. After rubbing his eyes, he opened them and struggled to focus his vision.
"Darling?" Catherine quietly stood at his side.
"Imzadi," John looked directly at her making eye contact.
"Can you see me?"
"Yes," he nodded. "A bit blurry still," he squinted, "but I can see you."
"How do you feel?"
"Like I got hit by a shuttlecraft," he grimaced as he shifted to try to make himself more comfortable on the biobed. "I feel terrible, but much improved compared to how I felt before this."
"My mother told me that we almost lost you," Catherine started to sniffle. "Admiral Morrow's team is not finished with the investigation yet, but Dr. McCoy reports that Dr. Zineeri was testing a compound to see if it could inhibit your immune system."
"Well, apparently he was successful. It would explain why my injuries were not healing and why I became so deathly ill," John closed his eyes briefly. "I hope that I never get ill like that again."
"Dr. McCoy believes that your illness was inadvertently my fault," Catherine frowned. "You were probably fine up until the moment I kissed you. Since your immune system is usually so good at just outright destroying invading organisms, it never had any reason to build up antibodies before this outside of the vaccines that Dr. Zineeri gave you. I exposed you to anything and everything that I've ever been incubating in my body during my lifetime, and you had no chance against them without the right antibodies in your system."
"It was never your fault. None of this was your fault," he squeezed her hand causing her to smile as she noted his former strength returning in his grasp.
"I know it's not directly my fault," she nodded.
"I couldn't see at the time, but, did you?" he hesitated to ask her.
"Yes, I killed Marta and Dr. Zineeri. I don't know what came over me at that time, but I did it," she swallowed hard.
"You did what you had to do to get us to safety."
"If Spock hadn't found us just in time, you wouldn't have made it," she wavered.
"Catherine," John suddenly changed the subject, "I know you've always thought that I'd be resistive to going to counseling. I just want you know that after this, I will go willingly. I do ask, though, that you be at my side."
"John, what has caused you to change your mind?"
"Outside of you and whoever is our therapist, I don't ever want anyone else to know this," he warned.
"I won't way a word without your consent," she agreed.
"Dr. Zineeri, that damn Denobulan," John cringed, "he violated me in a way that no one ever has, in a way I never thought could happen to me."
"John, he raped you," she began to cry in realizing what he was getting at. "You do not have to go into detail," she wept as she leaned over and held him tightly.
John wrapped his arms around her just as tightly and wept quietly into her shoulder. "I have been through much, but I never felt so degraded and emasculated as I did then. Even worse was the fact that my body betrayed me in its weakened state."
"I will help you through this, my love," Catherine wiped away his tears. "We'll take things as slowly as you need."
"I have no fear of your touch," he managed to smile. "Your touch, the touch of an angel, always heals me."
"But as I'm always so eager, as you would say, please do not be afraid to tell me to stop if you're not ready."
"Our child!" John suddenly exclaimed recalling the horrible day he witnessed Catherine strapped to the operating table. "Catherine, is our child healthy and unharmed?" he held his breath awaiting her answer.
"She's perfectly healthy," Catherine smiled gently rubbing her abdomen causing him to sigh in relief.
"She? I thought you wanted it to be a surprise."
"I did. Marta let it slip," she frowned at the memory of her once captor. "Dr. McCoy confirmed it at my request. Besides, after all of this, I just didn't feel right constantly saying 'the baby' or 'the child.' At least 'she' feels a little more personal, connected," she smiled. "I hope you're not disappointed."
"Not at all," John beamed. "I have the perfect name for her when she arrives."
"I can't wait to learn what you have in mind."
"I can't wait to meet her and finally hold her in my arms. You've had her all to yourself for all this time," he feigned pouting.
"John?"
"Hmm?"
"While we were in that cave, I was thinking. I didn't have a chance to ask you then."
"What would you like to ask?"
"John, when this is all settled and over, will you marry me?"
"But we're already married," he arched a brow in bafflement.
"I know, but this time it will be with a proper ceremony surrounded by our friends, and hopefully, all of our loved ones past and present."
"Of course I'll marry you. Perhaps we can even have proper rings this time," John cupped her cheek. "I love you, Catherine Harrison."
"I love you, too, John Harrison," she leaned in and passionately kissed him knowing that at least this time she would not make him deathly ill.