"I can't believe this!" Dr. McCoy exclaimed, pounding his desk with a clenched fist. Several disks jumped and two fell to the deck.
"Doctor," McCoy's ranting was interrupted by Lt. Uhura's voice.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Captain Hanson to speak with you, sir, as you requested," she replied.
"Right. Thank you. Put him on." McCoy subconsciously straightened his desk as the captain's image appeared in front of him. "Andy!"
"Leonard, good to see you again."
"You too. Andy, I need some help."
"What can I do for you, Doctor?"
McCoy became serious. "Tell me about Lieutenant Montgomery."
Captain Hanson frowned, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Lieutenant Montgomery…" he repeated, his voice trailing off.
"Alexia Nicole Montgomery," McCoy offered, "Lexxi."
"Lexxi? Yes, Lexxi!" Hanson's eyes lit up. "I remember now. Why do you need to know about her?"
"Never mind that now," McCoy replied hurriedly, "What can you tell me about her?"
"Not much, I'm afraid, Leonard," Hanson stated, "she was on this shop for two months before I recommended her for transfer."
"You recommended her for transfer?"
"Yeah, she was chief of communications. But she was so good with words and knew so many different languages and, I don't know, something in the way she handled other species. She was so perceptive and sensitive; I thought she was being wasted on a lowly freighter. So I told Admiral Connell, and after a sub-space interview, he requested she be transferred to Earth."
"That makes sense," McCoy commented. "Anything else? Personality? Personal history?"
"I just don't know, Leonard," Hanson answered, "she was so closed and enigmatic. Only seen for duty. Never talked about herself."
The doctor sighed. "That, unfortunately, makes sense too. Thank you, Andy, you were a big help."
"No problem, it was nice talking to you again." With that, the screen went blank.
"Any luck, Doctor?" Lt. Uhura came back.
"No, not much. I need to speak to the captain."
"One step ahead, Doctor," Uhura replied, "he's waiting to talk to you."
"Thanks, put him on."
"Yes sir. Oh, and Doctor?"
"Lieutenant?"
"I believe I speak for everyone on the bridge when I say, good luck."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Aye, sir, I get ya," Scotty replied, "Sounds like one confusing lass."
"Aye, Scotty," Kirk replied, mimicking the Scotsman slightly, "she is."
"But I gotta tell ya, Cap'n, there's no getting' in that room short of blowin' the door down."
Kirk glanced around engineering is if looking for something before his eyes stopped on the Chief Engineer. "Then we'll do that."
"Captain," Lt. Uhura called over the intercom, "Dr. McCoy is ready to speak to you."
"Put him on. What's with this, Doctor, now I have to wait for you?"
"I'm sorry, Jim, I was talking to…"
"I know, Bones, don't worry about it. I need you outside Lieutenant Montgomery's cabin with everything you have."
"That's the thin! I don't have diddlysquat! Lexxi is the ultimate introvert, nobody knows anything!'
Silence descended as the doctor's words echoes in Kirk's mind. The hope that they could dissuade the girl had been dashed, and for the first time the captain of the Enterprise stopped to think. To really think, not to instinctively strategize on his toes, but to ponder. Why did those words hurt him so? Why was there that sinking sense of despair? Why did he care? It was his duty to care. This was a life form in trouble. It was his duty to save it, to save her. But what was the danger? Herself. Lexxi was in danger of falling into her own hands. He had never dealt with this before. Suicide. He couldn't let anyone end their own life, for any reason. Something in him rejected the idea. That was it, but there was more. Why? The first time he looked into her eyes, gazed upon the pain and suffering. As he held her, so thin and fragile and broken, her life seeping from her as his shirt slowly soaked with silver. He wanted to bring her close, enclose those delicate shoulders in his strong arms, stroke her silky curls, tilt her head, and kiss the pain away. Bring the sparkle back to those emerald eyes and a true smile to those champagne lips…
"Jim!" McCoy's rough shout broke into Kirk's wandering thoughts. "What's happening? Do you need me down there?"
"No, nothing," Kirk replied.
"Where'd you go?"
"Just thinking, Bones, I'm sorry." Kirk sighed, "Yes, report to Lieutenant Montgomery's quarters immediately." He froze as a though suddenly hit him. "We may already be too late."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As Dr. McCoy strode quickly down the long hallway, he cursed. Kirk's last words still rang in his head.
Already too late…
Bring your black bag…
May be needed…
Hurry…
Well, he was hurrying. His med kit jangled as he broke into a jog, rounding a corner and stopping dead in his tracks as he came upon Kirk and Scotty, both aiming a phaser straight at the cabin door.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked very loudly.
"Quiet, Doctor, stand back," Kirk ordered crisply, tensely shifting his weight. "Be ready for anything." He looked to McCoy, his eyes pleading.
McCoy caught Kirk's pained hazel gaze and quieted, taking a step back. This was the last option, and Kirk didn't like it either.
Ready for anything? McCoy wondered. Where was Spock? Hadn't he done his job? That pointy-eared hobgoblin should have analyzed everything in the room, should have known what she'd use. The doctor stood off to the side, numb, as Kirk ordered, "Fire."
Two bright beams shot from the carefully aimed weapons and hit the locked door. The metal began to warp and then to melt away. Someone would not be happy about that mess, McCoy couldn't help but think as the firing stopped and Kirk dropped his phaser. The captain stepped through the hole.