The morning after Jim regained consciousness, I was on duty in Sickbay early. Jim was still asleep, so I figured he should stay that way for a while. He must have been so damn tired after all that he'd been through in the past week or so.
I decided to go over some recent reports while I waited, but I didn't get to even start. Jim's life-sign monitors went completely nuts as soon as I sat down, and I was on my feet in a flash and over next to the biobed in the next second. I looked up, expecting to see a major decline. Why else would the alarms go off?
I glanced at it, then took a double-take. I swear, my jaw hit the carpet.
"What the HELL?"
All his readings were off the chart. WAY over normal parameters. And too add to that bizarre phenomenon, his pain levels dropped all the way to zero.
I ran and grabbed a tricorder, and ran it through the air around him. I looked at the readings and blinked in confusion. "What the hell is going on with you, Jim?" I made an adjustment to the machine and scanned again, then hit it when I got the same read-out.
"There's nothing wrong with it, you know."
The voice startled me so much I almost jumped through the ceiling. Jim was awake and watching me in amusement, his readings back down to normal.
I glared at him. "What in tarnation was THAT all about, if you don't mind my asking?!"
To my surprise, he sat up and took the tricorder from me. He twisted a dial, punched a few buttons, and handed it back. "Try it now."
Still in shock after seeing him obviously stronger than he should have been at this point, I complied and scanned a third time. What I saw stunned me yet again. I met Jim's amused gaze, and took a deep breath. "What the hell is that?"
He slid off the bed and stood, steady and unwavering, on his own two feet. "A miracle, Bones." He grinned, as if remembering something. "By the way, Henoch told me to tell you and Spock that I was right all along."
I sputtered incoherently for a few minutes, thoroughly flabbergasted. "Henoch?"
"He's gone, Bones. Forever. We beat him, and I got something along with it." He grinned again. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a ship to run." With that, he turned and left Sickbay.
After a moment, my brain caught up and I ran after him, catching the bridge turbolift just in time. He turned to me as the 'lift began to move, amused. "Decided to tag along, Doctor?"
"Oh, shut up." I was still trying to understand exactly what had happened. All his injuries, healed. All his blood replenished. He was the image of perfect health, except for a strange gem imbedded in his left shoulder. THAT was what really got me. It seemed almost perfectly natural that it was there, and Jim seemed to know it.
The doors slid open as the 'lift arrived on the bridge, and there were loud gasps as Jim stepped down to sit in his command chair. "Mister Spock, give me a science report," he ordered.
Spock merely raised an eyebrow before responding. "Science teams have recovered the body of the canine which attacked you, Captain. It appears to have died of a massive mental attack and is dead beyond a doubt. No other specimens have been found." He looked puzzled. "It should also be of note that the large yellow circle on its forehead was missing when it was discovered."
Jim only smiled slightly. "Ship status?"
"Fully operational, Captain. We may leave any time you wish."
"No, I think we have some shore leave that's long past due. Mister Scott, if you would proceed beaming down leave parties?"
"Aye, sir!" Scotty smiled broadly and left the bridge, heading for the transporter room, no doubt.
"Jim, I still don't understand how you recovered so quickly!" I objected. "What happened? And how did you know Henoch was dead?"
"I, also, am curious to hear your explanation," Spock agreed. Well, what do you know! That green-blooded calculator was actually siding with ME for a change!
Jim opened his mouth to answer, but before he could say anything there was a cry of surprise from the navigations console. "Sir! A Klingon Bird-Of-Prey is decloaking off the port bow!" Lieutenant Arex said.
"Onscreen!" Jim said instead.
The starfield shimmered into view, soon followed by a green hawk-like ship. The same damn one that had attacked earlier, with Henoch commanding.
"Hail them."
"Aye sir. Hailing frequencies open," Uhura replied.
"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation starship Enterprise," Jim said. "Please state your intentions."
The answer was a bolt of disruptor power into the front saucer section of the ship.
"Well, their intentions are pretty clear, ain't they Jim?" I asked, holding onto the railing as the ship shuddered under another blast.
"Crystal," he agreed.
"Do you want me to charge phasers, sir?" Sulu asked. "Sir?"
When there was no response, I looked at Jim. He sat in the chair, perfectly still, a positively serene expression on his face. And as I watched in startled amazement, a yellow haze began to surround him. "Oh my-"
"Lower shields," Jim said, eyes closed.
"Sir?!"
"That's an order, mister!" Jim said sternly.
"We're gonna die," I moaned, wondering what the hell was going on.
Our shields dropped.
The yellow mist around Jim blasted forward out the viewscreen, passing through it with no damage. I glanced at the Klingon ship as the golden bolt struck it. It stopped firing and began to drift listlessly.
Jim laughed. "Uhura, tap into their communications system."
There was a click, and terrified Klingons voices shouted over the intercom. Some were crying, some were furious, but it was clear that they were all helpless.
"Are you quite through?" Jim asked them.
"Kirk, I don't know what you are, but this will not go unpunished!" an angry voice exploded over the speaker.
"I'm sorry, Commander, but you simply have no choice at the moment. The Enterprise has a new weapon that not even your Bird-Of-Prey can withstand. Withdraw or we will destroy you."
My blood froze at that. "Jim, you can't be serious."
"I am perfectly serious. Well, Klingon Commander? Should I order the destruction of your ship?"
There was a moment of silence, then a reluctant Klingon replied, "We will stand down."
"Good." That odd yellow glow formed around Jim's fists, and he waved a hand at the screen. The alien ship steadied and sped out of the sector at high warp.
There was silence on the bridge for a full minute. "I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself," I finally said, staring at Jim. "What did you do, and how the hell did you do it?" A sudden thought struck me. "It's that gold thing on your arm, isn't it?"
"The Gem of Romula," Jim mildly corrected, tapping his left shoulder. A soft clink came from where he touched. "Solid, magic gold. A going-away present from Henoch."
"And you actually trusted him?!"
Jim stood up and turned to face me. "I don't know what you think Henoch was, but at the end he was no enemy. His death was unfortunate, but necessary."
"Unfortunate, Captain?" Spock asked, raising an eyebrow in curiousity.
"Remember that 'mental attack' you said Henoch died of?" Jim said, dropping a MAJOR clue on the whole thing. The last of the golden glow dissolved into his shoulder as he walked up to the turbolift. "Think on that one." Then he was gone.
I stayed on the bridge for a few minutes, then left for Sickbay again. I needed something for my headache.
~~~~~~~
A few hours later, I was back down on Sherok. But this time, it was simply peaceful and relaxing. No flying wolves, no Klingons, and no energy creatures. A real shore leave.
"Now THIS is what the doctor ordered," I commented to Jim, who was twenty feet up in a nearby tree.
"Sure is," he called back down, standing on a high branch.
I frowned. "Jim, don't fall."
He laughed. "Oh, you don't have to worry about a thing, Bones. Even if I fall, I won't hit the ground." He slapped his left shoulder. "Remember this?"
"How could I ever forget?"
He grinned. "Watch." A yellow glow, like liquid gold, spread down his arm and across his back. Two large, tawny wings appeared, nearly six feet long each. The glow disappeared, leaving the wings behind.
"Jim, I dunno what you think you are, but you ain't no angel."
He laughed. "Whatever. See you later, Bones." And with that, he spread his wings and took off.
"Dammit Jim, stop doing that!"
I decided to go over some recent reports while I waited, but I didn't get to even start. Jim's life-sign monitors went completely nuts as soon as I sat down, and I was on my feet in a flash and over next to the biobed in the next second. I looked up, expecting to see a major decline. Why else would the alarms go off?
I glanced at it, then took a double-take. I swear, my jaw hit the carpet.
"What the HELL?"
All his readings were off the chart. WAY over normal parameters. And too add to that bizarre phenomenon, his pain levels dropped all the way to zero.
I ran and grabbed a tricorder, and ran it through the air around him. I looked at the readings and blinked in confusion. "What the hell is going on with you, Jim?" I made an adjustment to the machine and scanned again, then hit it when I got the same read-out.
"There's nothing wrong with it, you know."
The voice startled me so much I almost jumped through the ceiling. Jim was awake and watching me in amusement, his readings back down to normal.
I glared at him. "What in tarnation was THAT all about, if you don't mind my asking?!"
To my surprise, he sat up and took the tricorder from me. He twisted a dial, punched a few buttons, and handed it back. "Try it now."
Still in shock after seeing him obviously stronger than he should have been at this point, I complied and scanned a third time. What I saw stunned me yet again. I met Jim's amused gaze, and took a deep breath. "What the hell is that?"
He slid off the bed and stood, steady and unwavering, on his own two feet. "A miracle, Bones." He grinned, as if remembering something. "By the way, Henoch told me to tell you and Spock that I was right all along."
I sputtered incoherently for a few minutes, thoroughly flabbergasted. "Henoch?"
"He's gone, Bones. Forever. We beat him, and I got something along with it." He grinned again. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a ship to run." With that, he turned and left Sickbay.
After a moment, my brain caught up and I ran after him, catching the bridge turbolift just in time. He turned to me as the 'lift began to move, amused. "Decided to tag along, Doctor?"
"Oh, shut up." I was still trying to understand exactly what had happened. All his injuries, healed. All his blood replenished. He was the image of perfect health, except for a strange gem imbedded in his left shoulder. THAT was what really got me. It seemed almost perfectly natural that it was there, and Jim seemed to know it.
The doors slid open as the 'lift arrived on the bridge, and there were loud gasps as Jim stepped down to sit in his command chair. "Mister Spock, give me a science report," he ordered.
Spock merely raised an eyebrow before responding. "Science teams have recovered the body of the canine which attacked you, Captain. It appears to have died of a massive mental attack and is dead beyond a doubt. No other specimens have been found." He looked puzzled. "It should also be of note that the large yellow circle on its forehead was missing when it was discovered."
Jim only smiled slightly. "Ship status?"
"Fully operational, Captain. We may leave any time you wish."
"No, I think we have some shore leave that's long past due. Mister Scott, if you would proceed beaming down leave parties?"
"Aye, sir!" Scotty smiled broadly and left the bridge, heading for the transporter room, no doubt.
"Jim, I still don't understand how you recovered so quickly!" I objected. "What happened? And how did you know Henoch was dead?"
"I, also, am curious to hear your explanation," Spock agreed. Well, what do you know! That green-blooded calculator was actually siding with ME for a change!
Jim opened his mouth to answer, but before he could say anything there was a cry of surprise from the navigations console. "Sir! A Klingon Bird-Of-Prey is decloaking off the port bow!" Lieutenant Arex said.
"Onscreen!" Jim said instead.
The starfield shimmered into view, soon followed by a green hawk-like ship. The same damn one that had attacked earlier, with Henoch commanding.
"Hail them."
"Aye sir. Hailing frequencies open," Uhura replied.
"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Federation starship Enterprise," Jim said. "Please state your intentions."
The answer was a bolt of disruptor power into the front saucer section of the ship.
"Well, their intentions are pretty clear, ain't they Jim?" I asked, holding onto the railing as the ship shuddered under another blast.
"Crystal," he agreed.
"Do you want me to charge phasers, sir?" Sulu asked. "Sir?"
When there was no response, I looked at Jim. He sat in the chair, perfectly still, a positively serene expression on his face. And as I watched in startled amazement, a yellow haze began to surround him. "Oh my-"
"Lower shields," Jim said, eyes closed.
"Sir?!"
"That's an order, mister!" Jim said sternly.
"We're gonna die," I moaned, wondering what the hell was going on.
Our shields dropped.
The yellow mist around Jim blasted forward out the viewscreen, passing through it with no damage. I glanced at the Klingon ship as the golden bolt struck it. It stopped firing and began to drift listlessly.
Jim laughed. "Uhura, tap into their communications system."
There was a click, and terrified Klingons voices shouted over the intercom. Some were crying, some were furious, but it was clear that they were all helpless.
"Are you quite through?" Jim asked them.
"Kirk, I don't know what you are, but this will not go unpunished!" an angry voice exploded over the speaker.
"I'm sorry, Commander, but you simply have no choice at the moment. The Enterprise has a new weapon that not even your Bird-Of-Prey can withstand. Withdraw or we will destroy you."
My blood froze at that. "Jim, you can't be serious."
"I am perfectly serious. Well, Klingon Commander? Should I order the destruction of your ship?"
There was a moment of silence, then a reluctant Klingon replied, "We will stand down."
"Good." That odd yellow glow formed around Jim's fists, and he waved a hand at the screen. The alien ship steadied and sped out of the sector at high warp.
There was silence on the bridge for a full minute. "I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it for myself," I finally said, staring at Jim. "What did you do, and how the hell did you do it?" A sudden thought struck me. "It's that gold thing on your arm, isn't it?"
"The Gem of Romula," Jim mildly corrected, tapping his left shoulder. A soft clink came from where he touched. "Solid, magic gold. A going-away present from Henoch."
"And you actually trusted him?!"
Jim stood up and turned to face me. "I don't know what you think Henoch was, but at the end he was no enemy. His death was unfortunate, but necessary."
"Unfortunate, Captain?" Spock asked, raising an eyebrow in curiousity.
"Remember that 'mental attack' you said Henoch died of?" Jim said, dropping a MAJOR clue on the whole thing. The last of the golden glow dissolved into his shoulder as he walked up to the turbolift. "Think on that one." Then he was gone.
I stayed on the bridge for a few minutes, then left for Sickbay again. I needed something for my headache.
~~~~~~~
A few hours later, I was back down on Sherok. But this time, it was simply peaceful and relaxing. No flying wolves, no Klingons, and no energy creatures. A real shore leave.
"Now THIS is what the doctor ordered," I commented to Jim, who was twenty feet up in a nearby tree.
"Sure is," he called back down, standing on a high branch.
I frowned. "Jim, don't fall."
He laughed. "Oh, you don't have to worry about a thing, Bones. Even if I fall, I won't hit the ground." He slapped his left shoulder. "Remember this?"
"How could I ever forget?"
He grinned. "Watch." A yellow glow, like liquid gold, spread down his arm and across his back. Two large, tawny wings appeared, nearly six feet long each. The glow disappeared, leaving the wings behind.
"Jim, I dunno what you think you are, but you ain't no angel."
He laughed. "Whatever. See you later, Bones." And with that, he spread his wings and took off.
"Dammit Jim, stop doing that!"
