A/N Wow! Some reviewers really know how to stick the knife in. You are entitled to your opinion but perhaps you could be a little more thoughtful in how you express it. For everyone else tho, thanks for the love.
The lobby of the linguistics building was crowded and the lack of air was oppressive. Nyota made her way towards the doors, clutching the strap of her bag tightly and taking deep breaths. She was shaking with suppressed anger, a fierce scowl painted across her face as she squeezed past the bodies and out of the door. She staggered down the steps, propelled more by the force of gravity than anything and as she followed the path across the quad her legs felt like jelly. Her head was spinning and she blinked rapidly, trying to swallow but her throat felt constricted. She came to a stop under an archway and leaned back against the wall, a disturbing sense of unreality taking over her as she cast her eyes over the people passing to and fro the buildings around them.
"Miss Uhura," a voice chirped and Nyota turned to meet the smiling face of Christine Chapel standing a few meters away. "It's been a while. How are you?" Nyota blinked and stared at her for a minute with unfocussed eyes. Christine's smile faded a little. "Are you okay?"
"Huh...I..." Nyota breathed. "I'm..." Before she could finish she swayed a little, hunching forward and taking a gasping ragged breath. Christine stepped closer and caught her arm.
"Goodness, I think...come on you better sit down," she said, guiding Nyota to a stone bench close by.
"I'm fine, thank you," Nyota choked as they sat down.
"Are you sure?" Christine asked with concern. "You seem to be having some kind of...episode."
"I ah...I'm just a bit tired," Nyota explained breathlessly.
"Hmmm, it's a stressful time of year," Christine said in a sympathetic tone.
"Yeah," Nyota said, forcing a smile she did not feel. Christine looked her up and down with a gentle look in her eyes.
"You need to take it easy," she said softly. "There's no point running yourself ragged now."
"I'm okay, thanks," Nyota said with as much sincerity as she could manage. "I just need to sit down for a minute."
"If you don't mind me saying but you look like you could do with more than a sit down," Christine said cautiously. "Have you been to the medical center?"
Nyota shook her head. "No, no, really I'm...fine...I just..." she stammered, hiccoughing as she struggled for breath. "I'm...just..." she choked. Her face screwed up and she hunched forward, clasping her palm to her chest.
"I think you're having a panic attack," Christine told her anxiously. "It's okay, just try to relax." She squatted down in front of her and took hold of Nyota's hands, squeezing them gently.
"I don't feel so good," Nyota confessed with some difficulty. Christine smiled a pained smile.
"No, you don't look so good either," she told her gently.
A little while later and Nyota was sitting on the edge of a bed in the Medical Centre, her hands clasped gently in her lap and her legs swinging back and forth.
"Right then Miss Uhura, Nyota C," a cheerful voice intoned and Nyota raised her head to be greeted by the gentle smile of the doctor. She gave him a small smile and shifted slightly on the bed. "I'm Dr McCoy," he said, stepping closer. "Now what seems to be the problem?"
She swallowed and stared at the wall behind him. "I...ah...I'm not sure," she stammered and he nodded.
"Hmmm," he uttered. "Nurse Chapel tells me she found you having some kind of attack."
"Yeah," Nyota breathed. "I felt...dizzy, like I couldn't breathe." He nodded.
"Hmmm mmm, has this happened before?" he asked, tapping a stylus against the PADD in his hand. She gulped.
"Yes," she whispered, hanging her head. Dr McCoy regarded her thoughtfully for a moment.
"How's your diet?" he enquired softly. Nyota shrugged.
"It's...alright."
"Well you're underweight, I can tell just by looking at you," he told her in a firm but gentle voice. "How about your sleeping habits?" She blinked and met his eyes.
"Not so great," she admitted. "I...haven't really been sleeping very well lately." He nodded.
"I expect you're under a lot of stress at the moment," McCoy told her sagely. "Commissions coming up in a month or two." Nyota forced a smile. "You hoping for a posting on a Starship?"
"Yeah," she replied, sitting up a little straighter.
"Well you're not doing yourself any favors running yourself into the ground." She looked away bashfully. "Alright, well just lean back on the bed and we'll take a look at you," he said a moment later. Nyota complied, leaning her head back on the pillow behind and staring up at the ceiling as he flicked on the scanner.
"Hmmm," he murmured as he glanced at the readings. "Well your heart rate and blood pressure are okay, if anything they're a little on the low side but nothing too unusual." Nyota licked her lips and strained her eyes in a futile effort to see the monitor on the wall above. "There's no indication of any viral or bacterial infection," he continued, his brow furrowing slightly. "Your brain activity is..." He hesitated and met her eyes. "Now you know everything you tell me is confidential but I have to ask, have you been abusing any substances?"
Nyota quailed at the inference. "No!" she said vehemently and McCoy's brows went up a little way. "I have a drink sometimes and maybe on occasion a little Orion food," she explained and he tilted his head to one side. "But only the legal stuff and not for weeks!"
"Hmm, alright," he said, turning back to the monitor. "Well there's nothing in your bloodstream but I had to ask. These readings are...off the chart. I can't explain it." He hesitated. "Nurse Chapel," he called and Christine appeared in the doorway a few moments later.
"Yes doctor?" she asked, giving Nyota a small smile.
"Who's the other attending physician today?" he asked, turning to face her.
"Dr Mbenga, I believe," she replied and he nodded.
"Could you ask him to come in please, if he's available."
"Of course," she said before disappearing once more.
"Is something wrong?" Nyota asked with concern and McCoy smiled again.
"Oh I'm sure it's nothing, I just want to get a second opinion," he assured her. "So, what's your specialty?" he asked, changing the subject. Nyota licked her lips.
"Xenolinguistics," she told him.
"Aah, comms huh?" he said pleasantly. "Well your brain seems to be broadcasting on all frequencies at the moment," he added playfully and she chuffed a breath of amusement in spite of herself.
"Dr McCoy," a voice intoned from behind. "How can I help?"
"Aah Dr Mbenga," he replied. "If you would be so kind as to cast your eye over the monitor," he continued, gesturing at the screen above. Dr Mbenga stepped closer and gave Nyota a smile.
"Okay, heart and blood pressure are fine," he observed. "But that brain scan, that's...unusual." Nyota glanced nervously between the two men looming over her and gripped the hem of her skirt.
"What's going on?" she asked nervously. Dr Mbenga's brow furrowed and he let out a little huff of breath.
"Well your brain activity," he said eventually. "It's...not right for a Human. It's almost like..." he hesitated. Nyota stared at the ceiling and felt a funny feeling take up residence in her stomach.
"Like a Vulcan," she whispered after a minute as a light went on in the back of her head.
"Well, it's funny you should say that," Mbenga said. "I conducted my residency on Vulcan."
Nyota glared at him and after a second, pushed up on her elbows. "Thank you doctor," she said abruptly.
"Well hold on just a minute there," McCoy said, gently clasping her by the arm.
"It's alright doctor, I'm feeling much better now," Nyota drawled, swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
"Dr McCoy," Dr Mbenga said. "Would you be so kind as to give us a moment?" McCoy scowled but on meeting Dr Mbenga's wide eyed look he relented.
"Well alright but I don't like it," he groused, handing over the PADD and stalking towards the door. Nyota watched his back disappear into the corridor outside and avoided Dr Mbenga's eyes.
"Now Miss Uhura," he said softly. "I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable but I have to ask." She shifted and coughed a little. "Have you been...engaging in any...unusual... practices lately?"
She closed her eyes. "Define unusual," she muttered tiredly. His brow furrowed.
"With a Vulcan perhaps?" he pressed gently. Nyota slouched in defeat.
"It all makes sense now," she murmured and Dr Mbenga gave her a tight smile.
"This is the first time I've encountered this...phenomenon with a Human," he told her quietly. "Although I understand it can happen."
"What? What can happen?" she asked anxiously, looking him right in the eye. He coughed and turned to sit on the bed beside her.
"Vulcans don't really discuss it, even amongst themselves but from what I gather, I think it's some kind of side effect from...," he paused, clearly as discomfited by discussing the matter as somebody else she was acquainted with. "The joining of minds," he finished eventually. She stared at the floor for a long moment.
"I...we..." she began, struggling to find the words. Dr Mbenga winced a little and patted her on the arm.
"It's alright," he said gently. "But I suggest you talk to the Vulcan in question."
She nodded. "I had a feeling you were going to say that," she sighed. He stood up and smiled at her.
"I'm going to ask Nurse Chapel to come in and give you a shot," he said, tapping the stylus against the PADD. "I'm signing you off for a day or two, to rest. And please, try to eat something, you're like a stick." Nyota met his eyes and forced a smile.
"Thank you doctor," she replied dejectedly.
"Well at least you're not pregnant," Christine teased gently a little while later, fiddling with a hypo on a small tray in front of her. "That would really put the kibosh on going into space." Nyota huffed.
"To get pregnant you need a man," she quipped and Christine smiled.
"And you don't have one of those?" she queried and Nyota rolled her eyes. "That's a shame," Christine commented. "It's not nice, being alone. I miss my fiance so very much." Nyota glanced up to see a glint of sadness in her eyes. Christine coughed and stepped closer wielding the hypo. "Now this will make you drowsy but that's sort of the point," she explained. "Doctor wants you to go straight home to bed alright?"
"Alright," she murmured.
"I'm going to bring you something to eat too and I want you to finish it before you leave," she continued, pressing the hypo against Nyota's neck. She grimaced as the needle pricked her skin, feeling a strange cold feeling seep down her neck as the drug entered her system.
"Okay," she replied and Christine smiled. "Thankyou," Nyota said after a minute. "For taking care of me today."
Christine dropped the hypo onto the tray and picked it up. "You're welcome," she said gently, reaching forward and squeezing Nyota's bicep fondly before turning out of the room.
A/N The appearance of Bones is dedicated to 'Guest' in homage to your freakishly accurate foresight that he was going to make it into the story. Xx