Chapter 4
"Nooo!" Kirk shouted. He awoke with a start. "Whew! It was only a dream." He had a strange nightmare, in which a group of Romulans forced him to blow up the Enterprise. Around him, sickbay was eerily silent. "Bones?" Kirk saw Nurse Chapel coming his way.
"How are you feeling, Captain?" she inquired. He could tell by the look on her face that something had happened. He couldn't imagine what. It was probably none of his business, but he felt like he should ask.
"What's wrong, Nurse?" Kirk asked gently. "Did the ship blow up while I was asleep?" Kirk gave her a big smile, and she returned it only half-heartedly. "Well, what is it?"
"Doctor McCoy..." She started.
Kirk jumped right in. "What happened to Bones? Is he okay?" Kirk's smile turned upside down.
"He suffered a phaser wound to his head, Captain. He hasn't woken up yet, sir."
"How did it happen?" Kirk was taken aback by the news.
"I'm not sure, Mr. Spock and I found him lying on the floor, and an empty hypospray laying next to him..."
"Where is Mr. Spock?"
"On the bridge, sir."
"I am going up there now."
"Dr. McCoy won't..."
"He isn't in a position to argue is he? Help me up!" Kirk struggled to his feet. He stood still as waves of dizziness flowed through him like a river flooding its banks. Once he got himself steady, he walked out into the corridor, and rode the turbolift to the bridge. Once there, he faced surprised stares of the bridge crew. Spock strode over to him.
"Captain," Spock said.
"Spock what happened?" Kirk demanded.
"I am not entirely sure, Captain. Dr. McCoy seems to have stumbled on some intruders."
"What do you mean, intruders, and what are they here for? Who are they?"
"I do not know who they are, Captain. However, I believe the doctor might once he regains consciousness." Spock stated looking Kirk directly in the eyes.
"But what do they want, Spock?"
"They were obviously looking for someone or something. However, whatever it is, they did not find it in sickbay."
Kirk sighed heavily. "No sooner do we get rid of one, then do we pick up another intruder. Did you find out anything further about the incident this morning?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well Spock, what is it?"
"There is evidence of sabotage, Captain." Spock replied
"Substantial evidence, Mr. Spock?"
"It isn't conclusive, Captain."
"Why don't you..." Kirk grabbed the handrail and clung to it as a wave of dizziness threatened to knock him over. He shook it off, and tried to remember what he was saying. "Why don't you..." Kirk lunged for the handrail again.
"Captain, I suggest you return to sickbay. You have not fully recovered from this morning. Or at least return to your quarters. I am endeavoring to find out more about the intruders, and the sabotage. Your presence here is not required right now."
"Have you spoken to Dorian lately?" Kirk asked. He tried to ignore Spock's comment. He was determined to learn more about these so-called intruders.
"No sir."
"Have you made arrangements to continue the tests?"
"Not yet, Captain."
"Then set the time to begin testing, something convenient for Scotty and Dorian. I am not sure who these intruders are, but let's not let on that we know they're here. Let me know the time. I am heading to sickbay to see McCoy, and then I will go to my quarters and rest. Will that make you happy, Spock?"
"Captain as a Vulcan I do not feel happy."
"That's enough, I am going. Let me know about the testing schedule, and I will inform you if I learn anything from McCoy." Kirk staggered over to the turbolift, one hand on his head, and the other out to the side to balance himself. Spock watched him go, and did not embarrass the Captain further by asking if he needed help.
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"Dr. McCoy..." a voice called from the darkness, "Leonard?" it called again. "Bones?" He struggled to move, to open his eyes, to do anything, but his body refused to listen. "Bones..." the voice called again. A searing pain swept through his head, and flowed through him like a wave hitting the sand.
"Ooh! Ugh!" he moaned horribly, not unlike a sick calf.
"Bones? Can you hear me?" the voice called to him again, this time sounding closer.
"He may not hear you, Captain." another voice replied.
This time he fought with all his might, and thrust his eyes open. At first they were cloudy and unable to see. He closed them and opened them again, and it was clearer.
"Bones!" the voice, which now had a face, told him. His memory escaped him as he attempted to remember whom it was that was speaking to him. "Bones?" the man sounded scared, as if he should know who it was. He racked his brain for his name, any name, or a name. Then one came ever so slowly.
"Jim?" he said in a scratchy, quiet voice.
Kirk relaxed visibly. "Bones? What happened?" He saw the pain on McCoy's face as he tried to recall something.
"I...Jim, I..." He crinkled up his face in remembering, and tried to dull the pain in his head long enough to think straight. "I don't remember anything!"
"It's alright, Bones. You had quite a phaser wound on your head. I was scared you would never wake up."
"How long was I out?"
"Oh, about twelve hours or so. Wouldn't you say?" Kirk turned to M'Benga standing next to him.
"Yes, that's about right." He replied
"You don't remember anything? Neither do I. Apparently, I was sleeping in sickbay during the whole thing." He smiled at the irony of the situation. "We seem to have an intruder, or intruders, loose on board."
"Intruders?" McCoy frowned. He winced as another wave of pain hit him like a tornado. "What? How?"
"Shhh. Just rest, ok? We'll talk again later." Jim replied gently.
McCoy needed no coaching and was asleep for hours.
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As Kirk entered his quarters, he felt something was wrong. He didn't know what it was, but something had happened. He used his communicator to call the bridge.
"Spock Here." Spock answered.
"Is everything all right up there?" Kirk frowned.
"Yes, Captain. Why do you ask?"
"No reason, Spock. Carry on. Kirk out." Kirk sighed, and flopped down on his bed. The events of the morning were still going around in his head. Sabotage? That's impossible! Or is it? What was it that someone wanted so badly, and why did they look in Sickbay? Kirk's head ached with all the questions he needed answers for. He just wished he could think clearly. In minutes, Kirk would be asleep, and be dreaming of Romulans.
When Kirk awoke, he had one thought, Bones! What was it that McCoy knew that made an intruder want to harm him? Who would want to kill him? Why didn't they harm me? Kirk changed into a clean uniform, and made his way to sickbay.
"Nooo!" Kirk shouted. He awoke with a start. "Whew! It was only a dream." He had a strange nightmare, in which a group of Romulans forced him to blow up the Enterprise. Around him, sickbay was eerily silent. "Bones?" Kirk saw Nurse Chapel coming his way.
"How are you feeling, Captain?" she inquired. He could tell by the look on her face that something had happened. He couldn't imagine what. It was probably none of his business, but he felt like he should ask.
"What's wrong, Nurse?" Kirk asked gently. "Did the ship blow up while I was asleep?" Kirk gave her a big smile, and she returned it only half-heartedly. "Well, what is it?"
"Doctor McCoy..." She started.
Kirk jumped right in. "What happened to Bones? Is he okay?" Kirk's smile turned upside down.
"He suffered a phaser wound to his head, Captain. He hasn't woken up yet, sir."
"How did it happen?" Kirk was taken aback by the news.
"I'm not sure, Mr. Spock and I found him lying on the floor, and an empty hypospray laying next to him..."
"Where is Mr. Spock?"
"On the bridge, sir."
"I am going up there now."
"Dr. McCoy won't..."
"He isn't in a position to argue is he? Help me up!" Kirk struggled to his feet. He stood still as waves of dizziness flowed through him like a river flooding its banks. Once he got himself steady, he walked out into the corridor, and rode the turbolift to the bridge. Once there, he faced surprised stares of the bridge crew. Spock strode over to him.
"Captain," Spock said.
"Spock what happened?" Kirk demanded.
"I am not entirely sure, Captain. Dr. McCoy seems to have stumbled on some intruders."
"What do you mean, intruders, and what are they here for? Who are they?"
"I do not know who they are, Captain. However, I believe the doctor might once he regains consciousness." Spock stated looking Kirk directly in the eyes.
"But what do they want, Spock?"
"They were obviously looking for someone or something. However, whatever it is, they did not find it in sickbay."
Kirk sighed heavily. "No sooner do we get rid of one, then do we pick up another intruder. Did you find out anything further about the incident this morning?"
"Yes, sir."
"Well Spock, what is it?"
"There is evidence of sabotage, Captain." Spock replied
"Substantial evidence, Mr. Spock?"
"It isn't conclusive, Captain."
"Why don't you..." Kirk grabbed the handrail and clung to it as a wave of dizziness threatened to knock him over. He shook it off, and tried to remember what he was saying. "Why don't you..." Kirk lunged for the handrail again.
"Captain, I suggest you return to sickbay. You have not fully recovered from this morning. Or at least return to your quarters. I am endeavoring to find out more about the intruders, and the sabotage. Your presence here is not required right now."
"Have you spoken to Dorian lately?" Kirk asked. He tried to ignore Spock's comment. He was determined to learn more about these so-called intruders.
"No sir."
"Have you made arrangements to continue the tests?"
"Not yet, Captain."
"Then set the time to begin testing, something convenient for Scotty and Dorian. I am not sure who these intruders are, but let's not let on that we know they're here. Let me know the time. I am heading to sickbay to see McCoy, and then I will go to my quarters and rest. Will that make you happy, Spock?"
"Captain as a Vulcan I do not feel happy."
"That's enough, I am going. Let me know about the testing schedule, and I will inform you if I learn anything from McCoy." Kirk staggered over to the turbolift, one hand on his head, and the other out to the side to balance himself. Spock watched him go, and did not embarrass the Captain further by asking if he needed help.
********************************************************************************************
"Dr. McCoy..." a voice called from the darkness, "Leonard?" it called again. "Bones?" He struggled to move, to open his eyes, to do anything, but his body refused to listen. "Bones..." the voice called again. A searing pain swept through his head, and flowed through him like a wave hitting the sand.
"Ooh! Ugh!" he moaned horribly, not unlike a sick calf.
"Bones? Can you hear me?" the voice called to him again, this time sounding closer.
"He may not hear you, Captain." another voice replied.
This time he fought with all his might, and thrust his eyes open. At first they were cloudy and unable to see. He closed them and opened them again, and it was clearer.
"Bones!" the voice, which now had a face, told him. His memory escaped him as he attempted to remember whom it was that was speaking to him. "Bones?" the man sounded scared, as if he should know who it was. He racked his brain for his name, any name, or a name. Then one came ever so slowly.
"Jim?" he said in a scratchy, quiet voice.
Kirk relaxed visibly. "Bones? What happened?" He saw the pain on McCoy's face as he tried to recall something.
"I...Jim, I..." He crinkled up his face in remembering, and tried to dull the pain in his head long enough to think straight. "I don't remember anything!"
"It's alright, Bones. You had quite a phaser wound on your head. I was scared you would never wake up."
"How long was I out?"
"Oh, about twelve hours or so. Wouldn't you say?" Kirk turned to M'Benga standing next to him.
"Yes, that's about right." He replied
"You don't remember anything? Neither do I. Apparently, I was sleeping in sickbay during the whole thing." He smiled at the irony of the situation. "We seem to have an intruder, or intruders, loose on board."
"Intruders?" McCoy frowned. He winced as another wave of pain hit him like a tornado. "What? How?"
"Shhh. Just rest, ok? We'll talk again later." Jim replied gently.
McCoy needed no coaching and was asleep for hours.
********************************************************************************************
As Kirk entered his quarters, he felt something was wrong. He didn't know what it was, but something had happened. He used his communicator to call the bridge.
"Spock Here." Spock answered.
"Is everything all right up there?" Kirk frowned.
"Yes, Captain. Why do you ask?"
"No reason, Spock. Carry on. Kirk out." Kirk sighed, and flopped down on his bed. The events of the morning were still going around in his head. Sabotage? That's impossible! Or is it? What was it that someone wanted so badly, and why did they look in Sickbay? Kirk's head ached with all the questions he needed answers for. He just wished he could think clearly. In minutes, Kirk would be asleep, and be dreaming of Romulans.
When Kirk awoke, he had one thought, Bones! What was it that McCoy knew that made an intruder want to harm him? Who would want to kill him? Why didn't they harm me? Kirk changed into a clean uniform, and made his way to sickbay.