It had been several hours.  Spock had awoken and been moved to leaver her in peace.  Still she slept.  This worried Dr. McCoy.  The sedatives had worn off and still she slept.  Going to check on Lieutenant Montgomery for the umpteenth time that morning, McCoy was startled to hear singing coming from her room.  He leaned in the doorway, listening to the soft, alto voice.

Hello darkness, my old friend

I've come to talk with you again

Because a vision softly creeping

Left its seeds while I was sleeping

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence."

"Tell you friend there that visiting hours are over," the doctor said, smiling as he entered the room, "it's time for your examination."  He smiled, but the words of the song disturbed him.  A vision softly creeping left its seeds while I was sleeping?  How aware was she of Spock's help?  "Beautiful song," he commented as he checked her pulse.  "Did you write it?"

Lieutenant Montgomery, who'd been positioned on her side, lifted her eyes to McCoy's kind face.  "No," she whispered.  Her eyes were tired, and her face lined with pain.  "Sounds familiar."  She moved her eyes to stare past the doctor.  "Doesn't it?"

Dr. McCoy did not try to hide his surprise.  He'd just been thinking the same thing.  Brushing the incident away, he changed the subject.  "I'm sorry about the pain.  Nothing I have seems to work."

There was no response.  The doctor prayed a silent prayer of thanks for her calm, even breathing of deep sleep as he finished checking her over and quietly left.  At least there was no more pain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Spock tried to meditate, but the effort was futile.  Sickbay was not the place.  In addition to the noise and distraction of his surroundings, Spock's mind would not focus.  Those words echoed in his ears.  The words of the song disturbed him.

I am shielded in my armor

Hiding in my room, safe within my womb

I touch no one and no one touches me.

I am a rock.

I am an island.

He got up and slid off the bed, trying not to acknowledge the thought that persisted so violently.  The song described him.

McCoy exited the girl's room, and Spock approached him.  "Doctor."

"What is it, Spock?"  The doctor was hiding his exasperation.

"I wish to be released."

Released? No."

"I will report to my quarters."

For the second time in ten minutes, McCoy couldn't believe what he was hearing.  "You're not going to insist upon returning to duty?"

"I was told to skip two shifts.  I plan to meditate in my quarters through the second, as I am unable to do so here."

The doctor sighed.  "Then I don't see why not.  As long as you rest."

Affirmative, doctor.  How is Lieutenant Montgomery?"

"Sleeping again, though still in pain.  It'll take another couple of days for her to fully heal.  Go on, before I get Christine to escort you."

Spock abruptly turned to leave, but when McCoy had settled in his office, turned again to stop in the doorway to the isolated room in which Lieutenant Montgomery had been place.

She lay with her back to him; it was bare and bandaged loosely.  Her thick, black curls had been clipped neatly up and out of the way.  She seemed to remain asleep.

"You are leaving."  It was not a question or an accusation, but a simple statement.  Her clear, calm voice startled him, but he did not show it.

"I have been released.  Therefore, I am leaving."

"I know what you did."  Lieutenant Montgomery remained motionless.  "I know about the mind meld.  You learned about me, but I also learned about you.  That was a grave personal risk."  She sighed.  "I couldn't let you do that for nothing."

Spock realized that Lieutenant Montgomery was addressing a disturbing thought he had uncovered in her mind.  He remained silent, however, still regretting his forced entry into her innermost thoughts.

"Thank you." her soft words interrupted his thoughts.

"Gratitude is a human emotion…" Spock began.

"And you are not accustomed to human emotions.  I know.  I'm sorry."

Silence settled on the room and Spock, assuming the conversation had ended, turned to leave.  He heard her begin to hum softly and stopped as it turned to words.

And a rock feels no pain.

And an island never cries.