Thanksgiving Day

Tucker Hall - Starfleet Hockey Academy

"Ready to go?" Spock heard a kind voice say as he stood in front of his mirror, silently adjusting the sweater he was wearing over a t-shirt, slacks, and boots. "Bones and his mom are outside."

Spock turned to see Jim standing in the doorway with a winter coat over his clothes, "Bones and his mom are outside in the car she rented," Jim said calmly. "Are you ready to go?"

"I am required to attend the wedding first, as it is a campus-wide event," Spock whispered.

Jim shook his head, "It's not required if you don't want to," he replied. "Where's your coat?"

"I have not yet had opportunity to purchase a winter coat this year," Spock replied quietly.

Jim frowned and Spock responded by sitting on his bed, "I have rarely left my dorm since I was released except for class and I am reluctant to do so now," Spock admitted softly.

"Do you need to rest?" Jim asked worriedly. "We're not in any hurry to go to dinner."

Spock nodded, "I do, but I do not wish to keep Doctor McCoy and his mother waiting," he replied tonelessly as he picked up a small bag from the floor that contained books, inhalers, a blanket, medicine for his hypoglycemia, and his bottle of anti-anxiety medication. "I am ready."

Jim nodded and waited as Spock stood with his bag, walking behind him as they left the dorm and moved through the halls. A few students nodded to Jim, but looked wary of Spock.

"Oh, Sam flew out to join us," Jim said as they reached the door. "I hope you don't mind."

Spock shook his head, but said nothing and instead focused on the cold winter air as they walked outside to Eleanora's rental car, "Where's your coat, Spock?" Leonard asked.

Not wanting to initiate a conflict, Spock silently climbed into the backseat of the car and looked out the window while Jim climbed in next to him. The silence in the car was very much uneasy.

Auditorium

Staff and students who had no place to go for the holidays filled the chairs that were on either side of a regal looking carpet that extended from the door to an Asian arch that stood at the front of the room where lecturers usually stood. Pavel and Hikaru sat in a row with the Sulus and Captain Pike with the intent of staying for the dinner after the ceremony was over.

A grandly dressed T'Pau stood underneath the arch while Vulcan sentries stood on either side of the arch and played quiet Vulcan music with special instruments. Officer Tucker stood at the front wearing a new suit that Dean Archer had bought him as a wedding present over protests and Dean Archer himself was standing nearby in a suit, serving as Officer Tucker's best man.

Several Vulcan Ambassadors, including Sarek, were seated in the front row and all of them were wearing formal Asian attire, "Vat eez Ambassador Sarek doeeing here, Heekaru?" Pavel asked as he eyed the Vulcans warily. "He came for a vedding, but not to see Spock ven he…?"

"Spock's not even here today," Captain Pike cut in gently. "Kirk and McCoy took him out for supper with them and Doctor McCoy's mother. Spock said that he didn't want to be here."

Sarek, who could hear their words because of his expert hearing abilities, turned his head and looked at them briefly before looking back at the front. Suddenly, the music changed and everyone rose as T'Pol, who was wearing a white Vulcan marriage gown, came into view holding a bouquet of rare Vulcan flowers that Officer Tucker had gotten delivered to her.

T'Pol silently made her way up to the arch and set the bouquet in a small stand before taking Officer Tucker's hands in her own, "Charles Tucker and T'Pol Siavani, you have chosen to marry for life after a long courtship and my blessing," T'Pau said in a regal voice. "Is this true?"

"It is true," Officer Tucker and T'Pol replied in unison, both of them focused on T'Pau.

T'Pau nodded and beckoned to Officer Tucker, who slowly knelt down on his good leg and bowed his head, relaxing when T'Pau placed her hands on either side of his head and spoke a blessing in Vulcan. Officer Tucker then replied in a rusty, but respectable Vulcan.

"You may rise," T'Pau said, pleased that Officer Tucker had taken the time to brush up on his Vulcan in preparation for his marriage to T'Pol. "As he is now standing, T'Pol may kneel."

T'Pol silently knelt and remained quiet as T'Pau gave the same blessing and then replied in Vulcan when she was supposed to. When T'Pau gave her leave, T'Pol rose to her feet.

"Thee are now married," T'Pau declared as gongs were struck. "May you rely on the logic and wisdom taught by Lord Surak and also the compassion and kindness within your souls."

Officer Tucker smiled and gently kissed T'Pol, who returned it amidst applause. They then bowed to T'Pau and silently made their way back down the aisle to the reception area to a comfortable seat under a wire arch of flowers where they sat. Everyone quietly got up from their seats and proceeded to the reception area to offer congratulations to the happy couple.

"Sarek, I am pleased that your behavior has improved since the last occasion," T'Pau said as Sarek came up to the front and bowed. "I am pleased you were able to attend today."

Sarek nodded, "My behavior was unkind," he replied tonelessly. "Did Spock not attend?"

Dean Archer silently looked at Captain Pike, who was in conversation with the Sulus while Pavel and Hikaru followed the crowd, "Spock wasn't feeling up to it," Dean Archer replied calmly.

"I see," Sarek replied tonelessly. "Through meditation, I have become somewhat worried."

T'Pau raised an eyebrow and silently walked off to the reception area as Captain Pike rose and came over to talk, "Captain Pike, you have been Spock's emergency contact since he began his studies at the Academy," Sarek spoke calmly. "I do not understand why he is not here today."

Captain Pike sighed, "Ambassador Sarek, Spock attempted suicide a week ago by mixing sleeping pills with liquor," he said, deciding to give Sarek an opportunity to reconcile with Spock. "Spock is fine, but he didn't come to the ceremony today in fear of offending you."

"Where is my son now?" Sarek asked, stunned that Spock would go to such extremes.

Captain Pike sighed, "Doctor McCoy's mother came out for Thanksgiving and he and Jim Kirk invited Spock to have dinner with them at her hotel," he replied calmly. "Spock's recovering."

Sarek's eyes narrowed, "What is the name of the hotel?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Downtown San Francisco

"We must find a place to hide, you over-emotional fool," Nero hissed as he, Khan, Sybok, and Ayel hurried through the downtown alleyways. "The authorities will soon be after us and I do not know if our signal got through to my helicopter. We have to borrow some time."

Silence filled the air, as the four of them had managed to get released from prison on bail due to a hefty donation from the Romulan government. Nero had since accessed communication devices in the city, a violation of conditions, and had ordered a chopper to come rescue them.

Khan swore as Nero stopped at the kitchen entrance to a fancy looking building and forced the door open, "In here," Nero hissed, smirking as they entered the kitchen and saw staffers.

"It is American Thanksgiving," Sybok said, eyeing the food. "Nero, I am so hungry."

Nero swore and burst out of hiding with his gun drawn, prompting all workers to stop and stare at him as he waved the gun, "Go into the dining room and look for hostages, Ayel," he hissed.

Ayel grinned and allowed Khan to follow him into the dining room with their weapons drawn, prompting the few diners to scream, "Anyone who tries to contact authorities will be shot," Khan spoke coldly, giving an evil look to the hostages. "You are our hostages…"

There was a heavy silence and then Spock suddenly rose from the table in the back of the dining room that he was sharing with Jim, Eleanora, and Sam, "You may take me as your prisoner if you do no harm to anyone else," he said calmly. "I will not protest."

Ayel's eyes went wide as Nero banged into the dining room, "Ayel, the signal was heard and the helicopter is in wait at the park," Nero said coldly, his eyes widening as he noticed Spock.

"Spock, son of Ambassador Sarek," Nero said as he walked over to their table.

Eleanora's eyes went wide, but Leonard grabbed her hand anxiously to keep her from speaking because he knew how cruel Romulans could get, "If you do not harm anyone, I will ensure you get to safety," Spock said tonelessly as people stared at him. "I will become your prisoner."

Nero looked amused and grabbed Spock's wrist, "I do not believe you," he replied coldly.

"My life is of little value," Spock replied tonelessly. "I do not intend to deceive you, Nero."

Nero nodded and Jim quickly shot to his feet, "Spock, you can't do this," Jim protested. "I…"

Spock suddenly backhanded Jim to the floor with his free hand and winced as Nero hauled him off out of the dining room, into the kitchen. Khan smirked as he and Ayel also ran away.

Anxiety filled the dining room as people quickly got on their cellular devices and began calling the police to report what happened, "Let's follow him," Jim said, checking his mouth as he slowly got to his feet and looked at the anxious Eleanora. "Will you call the Academy?"

Before Eleanora could reply, Jim took off and Leonard followed him through the kitchen of anxious staffers and out the back door, "The park," Jim mused. "Golden Gate Park?"

"Jim, we're not cops!" Leonard replied anxiously. "People were on their phones calling cops!"

Jim scowled, "They've got some sort of chopper coming to get them and the only park I can think of big enough to land a chopper is Golden Gate Park," he replied anxiously.

"Fine!" Leonard acquiesced, scowling and swearing as he followed Jim down the street.

Starfleet Hockey Academy

Soft Vulcan music played as several people danced while many others, including Dean Archer, enjoyed the Thanksgiving meal buffet that the canteen had provided. Officer Tucker and T'Pol had shared a first dance and were now eating, as Officer Tucker's leg didn't allow him to be doing strenuous physical activity for very long at a time and it was sore from the ceremony.

Ambassador Sarek had left to try and reach out to Spock with the intention of apologizing for his earlier nasty behavior and Captain Pike had gone along to mediate. As Dean Archer ate, he wondered how it was going and if Spock would return later on feeling calmer.

Suddenly, Dean Archer's phone went off and he quickly answered it, ignoring the looks he was getting from those who thought a cellular device was an inappropriate thing to be using during a holiday event. His smile faded when he heard Eleanora's frantic voice on the other end.

With the phone to his ear, Dean Archer quickly got up from his table and hurried over to the lockdown alarm, pressing it with vigor. A loud alarm suddenly sounded and the music abruptly stopped as he ended the call, "There's been an incident in Downtown San Francisco," he announced grimly. "I must ask everyone to remain here for the time being in lockdown."

Anxious talking filled the auditorium and Nyota shot a look at Christine and Carol before getting to her feet and hurrying over to Dean Archer, "Spock went downtown with McCoy and Kirk earlier," she spoke anxiously, a look of fear on her face. "What happened downtown?"

"You're getting as nosy as Kirk," Dean Archer replied calmly. "Just sit down and let…"

Nyota scowled, "No," she replied in an upset voice. "Tell me what's going on."

Dean Archer rolled his eyes, "That terrorist group went to a hotel and ended up taking Spock hostage," he replied in a concerned voice. "I don't know all the details yet, Miss Uhura."

"I thought they were in jail?" Nyota asked in an upset voice. "How did they get out?"

Dean Archer shook his head, "I don't know," he replied worriedly. "I don't know."

Swallowing hard, Nyota went back to her table and quickly shared what she had learned with Carol and Christine while Dean Archer walked around to each person to share the news.

Golden Gate Park

Light snow was falling by the time Nero reached the park holding Spock tightly by the wrist while Ayel, Khan, and Sybok followed with their weapons. The chopper was hidden near the trees and while Nero was glad to see it, he knew that they had to deal with Spock first.

"Ayel, go tell the pilot we will be there shortly," Nero commanded as he threw Spock to his knees on to the cold grass and smirked. "And you, Spock. What shall I do with you now?"

Spock remained silent, instead focusing his attention on the bitter cold, "I do have a small amount of Toriadol if it will make my brother speak," Sybok spoke, smiling as he reached into his pocket and produced a capped syringe that was full. "It is the last of my medicine."

Khan and Ayel stepped on Spock's arms to keep him still while Sybok uncapped the syringe, "Hurry up!" Nero snapped in an angry voice. "The pilot won't fly if it snows too much!"

Sybok nodded and jammed the syringe into Spock's neck, chuckling as Spock began to tremble out of reaction to the medication. Suddenly, Sybok felt himself being slammed into and tumbling across the grass with a blonde man he didn't recognize or even know. Another hand reached down and extracted the needle from Spock's neck while it was still over half full.

Nero swore, grabbed Ayel by the collar, and took off running to the chopper while Khan lunged at Leonard, who was holding the syringe, but Leonard dodged him. Khan swore and redirected his fury at Spock, who was beginning to convulse because his blood sugar had been lowered by the medication and yet, he was still in a state of consciousness, but soon would be out cold.

"You're helpless and alone," Khan hissed as be brought his boot down on Spock's abdomen and smirked as Spock let out a painful cry while convulsing. "I would delight in killing you now!"

Spock suddenly stopped seizing and vomited blood all over Khan out of response to being stomped in the gut, "I will take pleasure in killing you," Khan hissed as he leaned over slowly.

An angry roar suddenly filled the park and Jim's eyes went wide when Sarek suddenly bolted across the grass and knocked Khan off of Spock, screaming in Vulcan. Khan tried to fight, but Sarek was too strong and within minutes, a loud CRACK echoed through the park and Khan fell to the cold grass lifeless with his eyes wide open. Sarek scoffed and moved over to where Spock lay semi-conscious and immediately removed his long coat, gently placing it over Spock.

"Did Sarek just kill Khan?" Leonard asked with wide-eyes as he looked at Captain Pike.

Sarek silently placed a hand on the side of Spock's head and began to gently massage it as if to provide relief while speaking Vulcan softly. Spock's eyes widened and then his body slowly relaxed and he drifted into a deep sleep. Sarek bowed his head and gathered Spock against him as if he were a parent holding an injured child. Sybok gaped at the two of them anxiously.

"Spock is a heathen child!" Sybok yelled as the sound of sirens filled the frozen air.

Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter taking off filled the air and Sybok swore as the helicopter left with Nero and Ayel aboard, "Ambassador is there anything I can do?" Leonard asked as he walked towards Sarek and Spock with his bag on his back and knelt down. "I'm a doctor."

"You are a human who has survived exposure to Toriadol," Sarek spoke. "I believe…"

Sybok suddenly bolted across the grass and snatched the syringe from Leonard before going for Captain Pike, determined that someone would die. Captain Pike, however, dodged Sybok and the intensity caused Sybok to stumble into the street near arriving rescue vehicles.

Jim frowned, going close to Spock as Mayweather and a female paramedic he didn't recognize came over to them with a gurney and medical supplies, "Is that Khan Singh from Botany Bay?" the female paramedic asked in a shocked voice as she recognized Khan. "His neck is broken!"

"I'm a doctor and I want to ride to the hospital with y'all," Leonard cut in anxiously.

Sarek sighed and nodded, "Ambassador Sarek, are you okay?" Officer Forrest asked as he hurried over to the small group. "We got a pile of calls saying there was something…"

"My son requires medical attention," Sarek interrupted, cutting him off. "Khan Singh is dead."

Anxious whispers filled the air as the officers hurried over to where Khan lay, "It was necessary for me to perform tal-shaya," Sarek said, watching as the paramedics slid a backboard under Spock and quickly intubated him before fitting him with a neck collar. "I had no alternative."

"Nero and Ayel escaped in a chopper," Jim said in an anxious voice. "Is Spock all right?"

Mayweather shrugged as they lifted the gurney and Leonard stood up, "Ambassador Sarek, are you all right?" Jim asked as he helped Sarek to his feet. "What exactly did you do to Khan?"

"I broke his neck using Vulcan martial arts, Mister Kirk," Sarek replied quietly.

Jim's eyes widened, "Hoshi, keep bagging him," Mayweather said in an anxious voice as they rolled Spock across the grass. "Doctor McCoy's going to ride with us in the ambulance and we're taking him to San Francisco General since it's closer than the Academy hospital!"

"Ambassador, would you like a ride to the hospital?" Captain Pike asked in a worried voice as he walked over to Sarek and Jim. "It's not warm out here and you gave Spock your coat."

Sarek nodded, "Do I need to provide a statement to the police?" he asked tonelessly.

"Let's…let's just get out of here," Jim commented anxiously. "The cops need to work."

Starfleet Hockey Academy

"How is it you're always involved when something happens, Kirk?" Dean Archer asked in a shocked voice as he faced Jim, who was seated in the chair across the desk. "How?"

Jim shrugged and eyed the clock on the wall above the dean's desk; he had come back to campus with Captain Pike after leaving Sarek at the hospital and Leonard had stayed there to help the doctors with Spock. Eleanora had decided to return to the hotel to wait for news and Sam had also decided to hang around the hospital to see if he could be of help somehow.

"It's nearly 10 p.m.," Jim commented quietly. "I wonder why Bones hasn't come back."

Dean Archer frowned, but was prevented from speaking when the door opened and a tired Officer Tucker came into the room still in his suit, "Quite a mess at Golden Gate Park tonight, Kirk," Officer Tucker said in a tired voice. "T'Pol insisted I come talk to you personally."

"It's your wedding night, isn't it?" Jim asked quizzically. "Don't wedding nights involve…?"

Officer Tucker sighed, "T'Pol is on the phone with Ambassador Sarek outside this office and they are discussing Spock," he replied tiredly. "Spock was stabilized and rushed into surgery as soon as he arrived at the hospital and Doctor McCoy ended up doing the surgery himself."

Jim's eyes widened, but he didn't say anything, "There was a tiny amount of Toriadol in Spock's system, but my guess is he threw more of it up when he puked on that Botany Bay freak," Officer Tucker continued calmly. "Spock's had surgery to remove his spleen and fix a broken wrist, but the surgery went slow because of his low blood sugar and that stupid Toriadol. I think Doctor McCoy went back to the hotel his mama's staying at cause the cops didn't want him travelling alone back to campus in the dark. The cops will want to talk to you tomorrow, Kirk."

"I'm not talking to the cops," Jim replied, not wanting to undergo any interrogation.

Dean Archer scowled, "You WILL talk the police about what happened at Golden Gate Park tonight and you don't have a choice," he replied firmly. "Trip, walk him back to his dorm."

Jim scowled, got up, and followed Officer Tucker from the building, "Why don't you wanna talk to the cops, Kirk?" Officer Tucker asked quietly. "You know, I used to be a cop and they…"

"I already know what cops are capable of, thanks," Jim cut him off. "I don't trust them."

Officer Tucker frowned, but walked Jim to and into Tucker Hall in silence. The common room was empty because most had already gone to bed, exhausted from the campus-wide dinner.

"…Just be a good boy, Jimmy," Frank's voice hissed as Jim felt himself being slammed against the wall while Frank's teeth sank into his neck and hands tugged at the shirt of his prison uniform. "If you scream, I'll break your neck and that won't be good, will it?"

Jim blinked and realized that Officer Tucker had left, presumably to go enjoy his wedding night with T'Pol. Deeply concerned for Spock, Jim silently moved to the door and quickly left.

Downtown Hilton

Leonard sighed heavily, running the towel through his wet hair once more before folding the towel and setting it in on the counter. He had operated on Spock and then turned him over to the care of the hospital staff, deeply surprised when Officer Forrest had said he was to return to his mother's hotel that evening and return to campus tomorrow. However, Leonard was tired from the surgery and didn't protest. His mother had ordered him food while he had a shower.

As Leonard combed his dark hair, the phone in the suite rang and he heard his mother answer it quietly, "Len, telephone," he suddenly heard his mother say. "It's the Academy calling."

Figuring that Jim was calling to see where he was, Leonard slipped his Academy hoodie on over his shirt and sweats and went out into the suite, "…No, Jim's not here," Eleanora said into the phone as she offered it to Leonard. "The Academy said that Jim's gone off somewhere."

Leonard frowned and took the phone, "Captain Pike, Jim's not here," he replied calmly, frowning when Captain Pike said that Jim wasn't in his dorm when Security came to do a night time check as per new regulations. "Maybe he snuck over to the hospital to see Spock?"

Captain Pike replied that he'd call over there and ordered Leonard to stay where he was, as the snow was falling harder and it was getting dangerously cold, "Okay," Leonard replied softly.

The call ended and Leonard sighed, "I know you're worried about where Jim is, Len, but it's freezing cold outside and you could get lost," Eleanora spoke softly. "Listen to Captain Pike."

Shrugging, Leonard walked over to the windowseat and sat, staring out at the falling snow.

"…The roads are being shut down and people are being advised not to travel," Officer Forrest, who had come back on duty after talking to Ambassador Sarek at the hospital, said in a firm voice, gripping his radio as he sat parked outside of a Reddi-Mart where his partner, Richard Tomlinson, was getting coffee for the both of them. "Tomlinson's getting coffee for us…"

The radio crackled and Officer Forrest sighed; he had been at Officer Tucker's wedding reception enjoying his former military buddy's happiness when he had gotten a call from dispatch about a brawl at Golden Gate Park. That brawl had ended in a severely injured Vulcan Ambassador's son and the death of a hated Ambassador at the hands of Ambassador Sarek while the only remaining assailant was in jail and having a mental breakdown at best.

"I got you a hot chocolate, Forrest," Ricky Tomlinson, a person who used to be partners with Officer Tucker before Tucker transferred, said as he climbed into the car with two cups.

Officer Forrest nodded and took his cup, "Did you call your kid?" he asked worriedly.

"Robert's in his dorm and finishing some homework and he and his fiancé are gonna put their names on adoption lists after they get married," Officer Tomlinson said calmly. "Any calls?"

Officer Forrest scowled, set his cup in the cup holder, and silently pulled out of the spot where he had sat with the engine running, "People are being advised not to travel," he replied.

"Glad we got that crazy drama at the park investigated before this snow fell," Tomlinson said, a sigh in his voice as he swigged some coffee. "I hope this is an easy night for us."

The drive continued in silence until Officer Forrest suddenly saw something stumbling down the sidewalk past a set of stores that were closed, "Hang on," he said, pulling the car over.

Officer Tomlinson jammed his cup in the holder and got out of the car, following Officer Forrest as he approached Jim, "Hey, kid, what are you doing out here?" Forrest called out worriedly.

"Frank, I swear I was just walking around!" Jim yelled in an anxious voice as he turned and saw the uniformed police officers behind him. "I've just been walking around the prison yard!"

The two officers exchanged a look, "What's your name kid?" Officer Forrest asked worriedly.

Jim paled and as he backed away, he slipped on a patch of hidden ice and fell backwards on to the frozen sidewalk, "You KNOW my name, Frank!" he yelled, the cold and snow making it hard to see anything but the uniforms. "You scream it through my cell every day when you beat me."

"Son, we're not going to beat you," Officer Forrest replied softly, quickly getting his light off his belt and shining it at Jim, immediately seeing that Jim was blue with cold and probably hallucinating because he was only wearing a simple winter coat and overexposed to cold.

Jim scoffed, but found himself unable to get up because his body was cold and the fall to the sidewalk was hard and had spooked him. He was also afraid to move out of fear of the cops.

"Just…just do it already and let me go," Jim said anxiously. "It's going to be painful."

Officer Tomlinson frowned as he moved over to Jim and knelt down, "Did you hurt your neck or back when you fell?" he asked in a worried voice. "I'm just gonna check for your ID…."

Jim suddenly tensed up as Officer Tomlinson extended his hand towards his jacket pocket, "Going to strip me naked again, Frank?" he spoke in a trembling voice. "Just…just do it."

Officer Tomlinson froze and backed right off, "Hey, I've got an idea," Officer Forrest said, deeply disturbed that this guy was insinuating he'd been assaulted in the past. "Let's go for a walk."

"A walk?" Jim croaked, not trusting himself to move. "This other guy's gonna jump me."

Officer Forrest shook his head as he slowly moved over to Jim, "A walk," he said calmly, knowing that the poor guy was delirious and hallucinating past events because of the intense cold and snow. "We're going to take a walk over to my car and you're going to rest."

Jim looked at Officer Forrest wide-eyed, but allowed himself to be helped up off the sidewalk and over to the car, "Just slide into the car and close your eyes," Officer Forrest said gently.

Jim cringed and Officer Forrest silently got in beside him, unsurprised when Jim proceeded to pass out on his lap, "Tomlinson, get a blanket from the trunk," Officer Forrest said calmly.

Officer Tomlinson quickly obeyed, "Better run this one to the hospital to make sure he's okay," Officer Forrest said calmly, draping the blanket over Jim. "I'll check him for ID on the way."

Starfleet Hockey Academy

The ringing phone echoed through the bedroom as Officer Tucker slept in bed, tired enough from the wedding, reception, and turkey dinner that he had only enjoyed a brief moment with T'Pol after delivering Kirk back to his dorm. He was now asleep while she massaged his back.

Suddenly, the massage stopped and Officer Tucker felt his shoulder being tapped, "Charles, there is a phone call for you," T'Pol spoke softly. "It is a friend of yours, Maxwell Forrest."

Officer Tucker groaned, but sat up and accepted the cell-phone, "Tucker," he said sleepily.

There was a silence as Officer Forrest explained that he and Tomlinson had been patrolling and had found Kirk delirious and hallucinating from the cold and snow. Officer Tucker frowned as Officer Forrest gave brief details about their encounter and then said that he and Tomlinson had managed to get Jim to the ER for treatment, but he needed Kirk's emergency contact.

"I'll call Kirk's contact," Officer Tucker replied calmly, fully awake. "Keep an eye on Kirk."

Quickly ending the call, Officer Tucker pulled his body over to the video-phone and swore as he tapped in Captain Pike's number, "Chris, get up!" he snapped as Captain Pike appeared.

"It's midnight, Tucker, what do you want?" Captain Pike asked in a groggy voice.

Officer Tucker scowled, "The cops found Kirk downtown," he replied. "He's at the hospital."

Captain Pike's eyes widened in shock, "What?" he asked in a shocked, terrified voice.

San Francisco General Hospital

"It's 5 a.m. and the city's a blanket of snow," Leonard grumbled in a tired voice as he followed Captain Pike into the Emergency entrance of the hospital. "Why was Jim even out in this?"

Captain Pike sighed, "Probably to visit Spock," he reasoned, although he didn't know for sure.

There was a silence and Dr. Cutler suddenly came out of an exam room, "Ah, Captain Pike, I'm glad you're here," she said calmly. "We've been treating Mister Kirk since midnight…"

"Why was he out in the snow?" Captain Pike interrupted. "He was found downtown."

Dr. Cutler shrugged and motioned for them to follow her into the exam room, which they did in silence. Jim was lying in bed asleep with a gown and several blankets covering his pale body while a tube sat in his noise and IV's littered his arms. His glasses, gloves, and wallet sat on the portable table while his clothes and coat sat folded in a pile on a nearby chair.

"Forrest and Tomlinson brought Mister Kirk in and it took quite a bit of talking to get Kirk in the car, according to them," Dr. Cutler explained softly. "Kirk kept calling Officer Forrest 'Frank' and asked Tomlinson if he was going to strip him naked and make him hurt…said it would be…"

Jim suddenly stirred and groaned, freezing as he opened his eyes and saw Dr. Cutler in the room with Captain Pike and Leonard, "Where am I?" he asked groggily. "What time is it?"

"You're at San Francisco General, Mister Kirk," Dr. Cutler replied calmly. "It's 5 a.m."

Jim frowned, "5 a.m.?" he asked groggily, making no effort to move. "How'd I get here?"

"The police brought you in from the cold," Dr. Cutler explained quietly. "How do you feel?"

Scoffing, Jim looked away, "I came to visit Spock, not get messed up by more cops," he said in a tired voice. "I'm fine except for being super sleepy. Can I get out of here now?"

"Jim, what's going on?" Leonard asked in a worried voice. "Why'd you wanna see Spock?"

Jim sighed, but didn't turn back, "They took him and I wanted to see if he's still alive," he spoke in a sleepy voice, beginning to tire. "I was sent back to my cell like a prisoner and I got out."

"Cell?" Leonard asked quietly, wondering if Jim was okay. "Doctor Cutler, did you order a CT?"

Dr. Cutler frowned, "Jim had some brain surgery to remove non-cancerous tumors in April and I just want to make sure he's okay in the head," Leonard replied worriedly. "Can you do it?"

"I do not need a head scan," Jim replied as he drifted off. "I'm just really, really tired."

Leonard scowled, "His body temp's still low," he said, eyeing the machine. "Keep him."

Captain Pike sighed, knowing that Jim had never really been to counseling and had been blackballing his Academy diet since before the brain surgery, "I'll stick around til he's ready to be released," he said calmly, taking a chair. "Jim…Jim's gone through things in the past."

"What things?" Leonard asked quietly. "I know all there is to know about Jim…."

Dr. Cutler silently left, "You helped Phlox with Jim's physical on the first day, right?" Captain Pike asked in a calm voice. "You know about Tarsus because I know Jim told you."

Leonard nodded, his expression grim, "What you may not know is that Frank, Jim's stepfather, has been sending Jim emails and letters since January and they've all been rather crude and vulgar in nature," Captain Pike spoke sternly. "I don't know how Frank is allowed to be doing that, but Security's been flagging everything and has been letting Jim know about them since he's not allowed access to that mail. From what Security's been able to figure out, Frank managed to get a hold of Jim's current location from the media surrounding Winona's death."

"Is Jim in any danger?" Leonard asked worriedly. "I mean, I don't know a lot about Frank…"

There was a faint sigh, "The Academy's handling it, Bones," Jim's voice spoke.

Leonard's eyes widened and he moved around the bed to see Jim awake, having heard the small conversation, "I can't leave campus by myself and I have to check-in nightly with Captain Pike before I go to bed," Jim replied sleepily. "My emails and mail are also screened daily…"

"You've been skimping on the diet Doctor Phlox put you on," Captain Pike spoke softly.

Jim sighed and shrugged, "I eat enough to get by," he replied softly. "Not excess."

"This isn't prison, Jim," Captain Pike replied calmly. "You can eat when you are hungry."

Jim scoffed and rolled over, "Can I get out of here?" he asked quietly. "I'm fine."

"I will ask Doctor Cutler," Captain Pike said softly. "We are going to have another talk."

Captain Pike silently stood and left the room, "Jim," Leonard said in a quiet voice.

"Go ahead and flip out and sic your mom on me," Jim said tightly. "I don't care."

Leonard sighed, but didn't say anything further because Jim was definitely very upset.

Starfleet Hockey Academy

"I want you to stay in bed and rest for a while," Eleanora said in a kind voice as she covered Jim, who was in clean clothes with his IV's out, up with a blanket. "I've got plenty to do."

The clock on the bedside table switched to 6:30 and Jim nodded, still full from the breakfast that Pike had insisted he eat before being discharged. Leonard had gone to the common room to make tea and he and his mother were going to sit out there and chat while Jim slept.

"I will," Jim promised softly, heavily fatigued because of the snow. "I apologize…"

Eleanora smiled and gently kissed Jim's forehead before moving away from the bed, "Sweetie, don't apologize," she said in a kind voice as the computer suddenly beeped. "What's that?"

"That says I have a new email, but I can check it later," Jim replied in a tired voice.

Just then, Leonard came in with his laptop computer looking worried, "Campus-wide email," he explained, sitting on Jim's bed and opening the laptop so Jim could read. "It's from Spock."

To the staff and students of Starfleet Hockey Academy:

Due to a terrible incident I was involved in on Thanksgiving Day, I am now in hospital for the next two weeks recovering from serious injuries and illness. If you are curious about the incident I am referring to, it will be in the newspaper this morning and perhaps for the rest of the week; otherwise, the Vulcan Embassy will release a statement over the news in the next few days.

I have dictated to my father what I wish to say, as I currently have the use of only one hand and cannot type, so he is serving as my hands and typing for me. Once I am released from hospital, I will be continuing my recovery at the Vulcan Embassy in San Francisco and be submitting my coursework online. I have already requested a medical leave for the remainder of the semester and I have little doubt that it will be granted due to the seriousness of what has transpired.

The dean will no doubt be able to find a suitable substitute teacher to cover my classes for the remainder of the semester. Visitors are, of course, welcome to come see me during my hospital stay and during my time at the Embassy. If you desire to visit, talk to Dean Archer and he will arrange any visits with my father, who will inform and prepare me. Live long and prosper.

Spock

Addendum from Ambassador Sarek: Spock is quite fatigued and in need of continuous rest, so if you desire to visit him during his recovery, please arrange your visits 24 hours in advance so that Spock may be able to entertain company as he desires to. Thank you for your compassion and maturity in this manner.

Jim blinked as Leonard closed the laptop, "I don't understand, Bones," he said softly.

"What Spock went through is more than physical, Jim, and I half expected him to take a medical leave of absence from campus because he's not only recovering from this, but also from the accident at the Embassy that took his mom," Leonard explained quietly. "He needs this time away from everything."

Even though Jim didn't quite understand what Leonard meant by Spock needing to be away from the Academy for the rest of the school semester, his need for sleep didn't allow him to dwell on it. As he turned on his side and closed his eyes, he heard Leonard leave the room.

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