No. 12 What could go wrong? (cave in)

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When the ceiling started to crash down, Keenser tried his best not to panic. He hurried over to a close by table and hid beneath it, hoping for the metal to carry the weight of the debris.

His heart was racing when he opened his eyes. It was dark. Even though his eyes could see better than those of human's, he couldn't make out any features of the room.

Well… there weren't any features left. The laboratory had collapsed in on itself. Keenser was caved in. Nothing but stone around him.

He tried to breath, calm and shallow. He couldn't use up too much air right there and then.

Time passed by. Minutes, hours - he couldn't tell.

The Enterprise knew that he was here. He had been working down here with other engineers.

Dead engineers.

Keenser was horrified by the thought that all these crewmates had been crushed. People he had worked with for years. People he had called friends.

His mind wandered off to Scotty.

Thank goodness the CEO hadn't been with them. He was aboard the ship, lying in sickbay with a minor injury.

Keenser couldn't imagine to lose his best friend. Scotty was everything to him. He was like a brother. And he was the man who had saved him and brought him to the Enterprise.

But… did Scotty feel the same?

He had so many friends. The captain, the doctor… What if Scotty wouldn't even realize that he was gone? What if he wouldn't miss him?

Keenser was scared by that thought. He was just a Roylan. He wasn't one of them. He was no human.

So maybe it wouldn't bother them if he was gone.

No… that was nonsense, wasn't it? The lack of air was making him confused.

Keenser shook his head slowly. It was getting harder and harder to breathe.

And when he eventually fell unconscious, his last thought belonged to the crew. The people he had lost… and the people that he hoped would find him.

"Keenser? Keenser! Wake up, laddie."

He woke up to a familiar voice and blinked in confusion. Where was he? It was so bright.

A face appeared in front of him and suddenly he was pulled into a hug.

"Oh thank god! Yer awake!"

Scotty. It was Scotty!

Keenser grunted, getting squeezed too hard.

"Whoa, why don't you let him breathe, huh?"

Another voice. McCoy pulled Scotty away from Keenser. Then he looked at his patient.

"Okay buddy?"

Keenser nodded. Yes… he was okay.

"I was so scared! Don't ye ever scare me like that again!"

A soft smile formed on Keenser's lips and he felt tears in his eyes.

Scotty… had missed him after all.