The hours went by without much change. Jim was slowly coming out of stasis, but Jaz and Seri still could not feel him. Len had been concerned, but Jaz assured him that until Jim was completely out of stasis it might not be possible to feel anything. Len watched everything, Cal never taking her hand from the tube, Seri and Jaz switching spots so one was always looking at Jim's face. This was new territory and none knew what to expect.

The rain had started again. The sound of it beating against the windows reminded the doctor of the sounds the instruments made as the clattered onto the floor during the last battle. He closed his eyes tight against the memory. The last bag emptied, singled to the room by the alarm on the infuser. Len turned it off. Christine and Carol had joined them before the alarm sounded. "Chris can you get the life support. Carol, the stasis can be eliminated." Len was watching every screen on the wall. Jim's vitals were weak, but maintaining stability. He calculated that the stasis could be lifted now rather than wait. It was lite as to be almost nonexistent. "Is there anything I need to know that you haven't shown me?"

"No, everything looks good. When you open the tube, you will see these lights change." She pointed to a panel near the controls. "They will go to red, that signals the elimination of stasis. You will want to transfer him to a biobed as soon as possible. Len, I don't know what will happen once you pull him out. This hasn't been done before."

"I know." Christine had already brought the bed over, along with a crash cart, a tray of neatly arranged hypo sprays, and intubation tray, and a neural regenerator. She was moving the ventilator to be behind the bed. "Carol, thanks. I'll let you know how it goes."

Carol knew that was the doctor's gentile way of asking her to leave. "I'll be down the hall in the waiting room." She gave him a small smile before leaving.

"Seri, can you get a couple of aides to help move him?"

"Give me a minute." She quickly walked out of the room.

Jaz walked to Cal. "Come with me baby. We can stay over here." He put his arm around her as he led her to the two chairs in the corner. Cal was shaking as she realized that it could all end in the next few minutes. "We don't have to sit. Stay with me." Jaz never took his arm from around her shoulders.

Len wanted to go to his baby sister, but he needed to stay with Jim. It wasn't long before Seri came back with the aides. She and her father would keep connection with Jim. All she wanted was to feel something, anything. The absence of him couldn't be all that was left, not yet. McCoy was ready, he had his professional mask on. Fingers danced over the controls. The lights shone red as the top slid back and with the push of a button the side closest to the bed flopped open. Alarms chimed as the aides quickly grabbed the sheet Jim was lying on ad slid him over to the biobed. Beeps pierced the room as Chris quickly moved the tube away.

Len was next to the bed in less than a second. Some alarms were silenced as he handed the shears to the one aide. Jim's clothes were cut off and discarded as the doctor and nurse programed the bed to monitor the vital signs, they deemed most necessary. As the days went on the program would be altered but for now certain systems were more vital than others. The aides threw the clothes into a bag then moved to the side incase they were needed. Suddenly the heart monitor screamed. "He's in v-fib; nurse paddles." Before he could finish the statement, Chris handed him the paddles from the cart. She already had them charged. "200." Cal turned her face into Jaz's shoulder. He held her close as she shook, tears soaked his shirt.

"Already done. Ready doctor."

"Clear." Jim's body jolted with the shock. Len immediately looked at the heart monitor. Miraculously it showed a normal sinus rhythm. "Here." Christine took the paddles, but recharged the unit just in case. The captain's oxygen saturation levels were far too low for Len's comfort. "We are going to need to put him on the ventilator." He was handed the laryngoscope blade along with the scope as he walked to the back of the bed. He thanked God he had the best nurse in the fleet working with him. Not only could anticipate his needs she knew the size of the blade he would need. The scope helped, especially with how tense the doctor was becoming, but he had visualized the larynx properly and used the scope to placate his fears. The tube was inserted and secured quickly as Chris readied the ventilator.

Once all was secured and the machine was breathing for Jim Len took a deep breath. Chris was putting in the catheter as Len looked at Seri. She had a smile on her face. "I have him. It is faint but I have him."

Jaz whispered something to Cal. "Are you sure Uncle Jaz?"

"Yes baby. He's there."

Cal went to the bed as Seri went to Jaz. This was the first of many steps, but at least he wasn't lost. Christine put a gown on Jim after she secured the foley and made sure the bag was hung correctly. Len looked at his sister. "You can touch him. We will need to wheel him over to there, but you can hold his hand." He was doing that as much for Jim as for her. Maybe on some level he would know she was there and want to come back.

The bed was placed at the far end of the room, monitors on one side and windows on the other. Christine left, when she came back, she brought a taller chair with her. She placed it next to the bed for Cal. "Here you go. We'll lower the bed later, but for now this will help."

"Thank you." She was uncharacteristically quiet.

Len finished calibrating the portable monitor when he looked up to see his sister. She was whiter than usual. He noticed the dark circles that were starting to form under her eyes. He heard she had been volunteering at the civilian hospital. "Callie."

"I should go. I'm sorry Len."

"No baby, you can stay as long as you like. If you do, you need to stop volunteering. You look beat and the next days aren't going to be easy. You can't help anyone if you don't take care of yourself."

"Look who's talking."

"Do as I say not as I do." He tried to smile.

"I promise." She turned to Jaz and Seri. "You're sure he is still there?"

Jaz walked to her. He pushed a stray hair out of her eyes. "I can feel him. It's weak, but he is there. Little one, I think he will be able to feel you." Jaz didn't know if Jim could feel her, but he wanted to help her feel useful.

"Thank you." He kissed her forehead before going back to the corner. He and Seri would work in shifts. Until Jim woke up, or Len determined he would never awaken.

The next forty-eight hours showed a strengthening of Jim's vital signs. Len, Seri, and Cal stayed at the hospital. What little sleep they got was either in a chair or on one of the on-call bunks. Len looked at the ladies. "You two need to go home, get some real sleep. Peaches, when your dad gets here you should leave with Cal."

"You need a decent night's sleep Imzadi. Why don't you come with us?" The door opened; Jaz walked in and took the seat next to Jim.

"I have a few things to do, but I promise I won't be long." He smiled at the ladies as they left for the bungalows.

"Lenny, you really do look bad." Jaz looked concerned.

"I know. Have you been able to feel anything?"

"I can feel him and it is getting stronger. Once in awhile I catch a glimpse of a memory. Nothing concrete, but there is something there."

"Seri hadn't mentioned any memories."

"She might not be able to sense them. She is exhausted and as long as she is in this building, she stays linked to him."

"I'll make sure she goes home more often."

"Good luck with that."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"This, this wasn't what you signed up for when you said you would come."

Jaz got up and walked to Len. He led the doctor to the windows. "See those lights?" He pointed to the bungalows.

"Yes."

"Those buildings are filled with a family. We are all in this together. No matter what we are here for you and Jim. I've been talking to Spock. You should talk to him."

Len noticed the concern in the older man's eyes. "I haven't really seen him. I'll try to catch up to him."

The door slowly opened; Kat walked in. "Young man, you need to get some sleep. Get going."

"I have a couple of things to do before I leave."

"Potoropis!"

Len loved it when Kat treated him like her own son. "Yes, ma'am I'll hurry." With that he made some adjustments to the fluid flow rates and checked the urine output. Everything looked good. He was grateful they all kept up their shifts even when he was there. The support was welcomed. "I'll be back in a couple of hours."

"If you aren't gone for at least six hours I will come back here and drag you back to bed."

"Yes ma'am, six hours."

Kat walked to Len. Her hand cupped his cheek as she looked deep into his eyes. "You need sleep. We are here. I promise you, if anything changes you will be commed immediately. You've done good, you're a good boy." She stretched up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. "Good night Lenny."

"Good night Mrs. Chekov."

"It's Kat. How many times do I have to tell you?" Her voice held a playful lilt.

"Probably many more times." He gave her a kiss before leaving the room. She had said goodnight, but it wasn't night, not yet. As he exited the elevator the building seemed to close in on him. He was starting to find it hard to breathe. The past days were catching up to the doctor.

Len half ran out of Medical. He needed to breathe. The serum was transfused and Jim was out of stasis and on life support. Again, he was playing a waiting game. This wasn't supposed to be happening. Footsteps fell behind him, matching his as he crossed the green. "What is it Spock?"

The Vulcan caught up to him. "Doctor, I was just…concerned."

"About Jim? We'll know within the next few days. I'll keep an eye on his readings. His vitals are stronger and he is stable, but that is all for now. I want him off of life support as soon as possible. Only when he is off of it will we know if the treatment is working the way we need it to work."

"No, Leonard I was concerned about you."

"Since when did you care about me?" His voice dripped with venom. Spock tried to hide it, but a look of shock and hurt played in his eyes. "Fuck, Spock I didn't mean that. I'm sorry. I just feel useless. I know you care."

"I understand." Len could see Spock's countenance change. He was scared, something Len hadn't seen before. Or rather something he had more than likely overlooked these past days. No wonder Jaz wanted him to talk to the Commander.

People were starting to stare at the two as they stood in the middle of the busy courtyard. Len needed to get Spock away from them before they could see what the doctor saw too clearly; before Spock lost the little control, he had left. With a hand on the Vulcan's shoulder the two men walked quickly to the back of the crew bungalow. The trees offered privacy, and privacy was needed.

They stood under the large oak, hidden from the eyes in the house as well as those in the courtyard. "It's alright Spock." Len could see the other man shaking as he tried to maintain control. "It's me. You don't have to worry. I know." He put his hand on Spock's shoulder as the tears started. Len had never seen Spock like this. He had heard about his reaction after Jim died, but this was different. Now there was no anger, this was pain and fear. "Come here." He held his friend as Spock released all of the emotions, he was trying so hard to repress.

Vulcan emotions were stronger than human and they had to be controlled. That is what Spock had been taught all his life. Now this man told him it was alright to feel, it was safe. Len would keep him safe. Spock hadn't cried like this since he was a boy being held by his mother because the other children tormented him to his breaking point. Now he had a family that accepted him as he was. With them he wasn't a half-breed as the children of his youth called him. With them he was just Spock. Now he was losing one of them. No, now he was losing a person he saw as a brother and he wasn't prepared for the pain.

He clutched onto Len's back, digging his fingers into the back of McCoy's jacket. He held on as tight as he could trying desperately to ground himself. Len didn't move even though he could feel the fingers break his skin. Seri could fix the damage when they got into the house. The pain Spock was unknowingly inflicting on the doctor was nothing compared to the pain the Vulcan was feeling. Len held him tighter. Words weren't necessary, just compassion and love. Len loved the hobgoblin, though he would never admit it. Spock was family.

After he calmed Spock stood straight. "I am sorry Leonard." He wiped the tears and straightened his jacket.

"There is no need. We are all on edge. Let's go in. Kat made me promise to sleep. I'm not allowed back for at least six hours."

"You do need rest. I have talked the admiralty into skipping your debriefing."

"How'd you manage that." He opened the back door for Spock to enter the house. The family was scattered though out both homes, but Seri and Nyota were in the crew one and Len knew they would be looking for them.

"I merely stated that your talents were needed at medical if they were going to have any chance of recovering their most valuable captain. They came to the logical conclusion."

Len was smiling. "Thank you for that. I hate getting the star chamber treatment."

"You are welcome. Seriana looks concerned."

"She knows how tired I am. Goodnight Spock." He patted the man on the back.

"Goodnight Leonard."

Len followed Seri into their bedroom. Without a word she got the med kit from the top of the dresser and took out the small regen unit. "You could feel me?"

"Oh yeah. Take off your shirt." Len took off his shirt then sat on the bed. Seri knelt on the bed behind him then slowly ran the regen unit over the wounds.

"This won't take long. You're a good friend."

"He needed someone to listen."

"He needed someone he trusts. There, done." She wrapped her arms around his neck. "We both need some sleep.

He leaned back into his fiancé. "Mmmmm." They both undressed. Len locked the door, they slept better without any clothes. He crawled under the covers and into her arms. It was only minutes before they both slept. For now there was peace that would change when they woke.