Kirk waited patiently for the landing party to arrive. He wanted Spock to come down with them, but he knew that his first officer was in no condition to take landing party duty. He also knew that if he even hinted at it, McCoy would probably jump down his throat.
As he thought this, McCoy came storming in. "Captain, how could you?" McCoy yelled, in full temper.
"How could I what, Bones?" Jim said, hackles raising at the noise.
McCoy was right furious. "Discuss a landing party that you know very well he usually goes on. You rubbed it in real hard, with him barley able to stand on his own, let alone return to duty."
The captain was confused. "Bones, I called you…."
"… over an open broadcast cast. Half of Sickbay heard you, you idiot."
Kirk realized why Bones was so angry. "He heard, didn't he?" he said quietly.
McCoy's eyes were like blue ice. "Yeah, Jim, he did." He turned away. "Let's get this over with."
The team arrived in a dense fog within a forested area. The four security guards fanned out in all directions as Kirk, McCoy and Chekov took a look around and tricorder readings. "Captain, there is a landing party 2 kilometers due north," Chekov announced.
"Let's proceed then. Make any readings you can." Kirk ordered as they started north. The group moved quickly forward. Kirk noticed that they pasted over a small streamlet, warm water with broken logs all around it. They stopped near a tree stump that had seen better days. "Chekov, where are they?" Kirk ordered, scanning the trees with his eyes. A second later, the tree stump exploded, laser fire sending chunks everywhere. Kirk flew across the clearing, landing hard on his back. The security chief helped him up. "Maybe we should be leaving now," he said shakily as another shot came from the underbrush.
"No kidding," McCoy drawled as he hurried back the way they had come. "That's why you take your first officer with you on these little picnics." They had returned by this point to the clearing by the streamlet.
"Now what do you suggest we do, Captain?' Chekov asked, winded.
Kirk nodded. "That, mister, is a very good question."
"Mister Spock," Scotty exclaimed. "What are you doing here, sir?" He paused. "If I may know, sir," he added.
Spock leaned slightly against the panel, breathing shallowly. "I request to be beamed down to the planet's surface."
Scotty looked at the other in disbelief. "But, sir, aren't you suppose to be in sickbay? That's where the doctor said you were."
"I am … recovered enough to join the landing party,' he said stiffly.
Scotty looked doubtful at that. "Aye, but sir…"
"Doctor McCoy was also beamed down in the landing party, was he not?"
"Aye, he was, sir."
Spock recoiled inwardly at the implied lie, but he forged ahead. "Then, if the good doctor does not agree with my healing, he will contact you to you to remove me from the planet's surface."
"Aye, sir. That he would do," Scotty said. "Well, I guess I'd best send you down, sir."
Spock nodded and stepped onto the pad. "Energize."