Chapter 5: Eying the Beholder

"Come on man! What are you waiting for!"Kirk shouted in rage.

"Jim I don't know what to do." McCoy said sorrowfully as Vaga gave another shriek.

"What!"

"If she's becoming blind there's nothing we can do." McCoy informed. "Blindness is an incurable disease."

"But Bones.." Kirk said, hearing the doctor giving up and Vaga's shrills of merciless pain he couldn't bear the moment and felt tears sting his eyes.

"There's no hope." McCoy notified sadly to his friend. Kirk fell to his knees in front of Vaga and held her hand.

"I'm sorry Vaga.." he whispered in the other language to her, Vaga didn't respond.

"She can be saved..."

"What?" Kirk wondered, the voice was barely recognizable and barely a whisper. Kirk suddenly saw green flames spread around the room, the voice spoke again.

"Use your instincts, find the way of the Balizsar inside you..free your friend."

Kirk somehow understood the voice and closed his eyes. He could see the green fire even with his eyes closed glowing, his ears heard Vaga's piercing screams for only a moment then it became silent..only his thoughts could be heard contemplating, and waiting. He then saw the man in the orange robes with a snake with two tails wound around his neck.

"Now, Kirk."

"Jim, Wake up!" McCoy shouted shaking him awake. When Kirk's eyes opened he snapped back to reality and pulled away from him, starting towards the wall and started pounding madly.

"I've got to get to the magma! It's the only way!" Kirk said pounding harder but not breaking the surface.

"Are you crazy! That's more than a thousand degrees Fahrenheit!" McCoy shouted loudly.

That didn't faze the captain, he gripped at the wall and tried to pull out a chunk of volcanic rock, but couldn't break through..his anger intensified and suddenly spat onto the wall. His saliva hit the wall and crumbled a hole in the wall like acid, he cupped his hands as the magma flowed gently into them as if it was water. Kirk slowly carried the magma in his hands and opened them slowly until a small crack was made. McCoy grabbed Kirk's arm trying to stop him.

"Jim..you'll kill her!" McCoy shouted, Kirk forced him away and droplets of magma fell into Vaga's eyes.

"I know what I'm doing Bones.." Kirk snapped, Vaga stifled another cry of pain as McCoy saw Spika, Malone and Spock enter the room.

"What's happening?" Spika demanded. "What's all this screaming about?"

"Jim..." McCoy started.

"Shh!" Kirk silenced as he stood over Vaga.

The magma covered her eyes creating an orange glow on the irises, a second later becoming ash grey. She finally blinked and the magma disappeared into small grey clouds of ash. To McCoy and the others amazement she was perfectly fine.

"I can see..Thank you captain." Vaga hesitated in English and hopped off the table.

"My pleasure." Kirk said to her, McCoy stepped towards him. "What is it Bones?"

"Who are you?" McCoy hissed glaring his clear blue eyes directly upon him.

"This is a joke isn't it?" Kirk asked.

"No joke..." McCoy replied. "You see it isn't normal practice that a man spits on the wall making it dissolve and carries lava in his hands to cure his patient's blindness."

"It's common knowledge isn't it?" Kirk stated. "Everyone knows how to cure that."

"Not in my books Jim." McCoy declared. "Why would you think that?"

"I just assumed.."

"Something poisoned you...making you rot in the brain."

"I saved a life! You should have done the same Doctor McCoy!" Kirk shouted angrily and stomped off. McCoy couldn't figure it out and left the infirmary with Spock, leaving Spika and Malone together.

"Spika..." Malone started.

"I know, It's all too familiar." Spika recalled.

"But don't you think the Balizsars.." Malone continued.

"We don't know for sure if he has..." Spika defended.

"We didn't know if Morrison had it either..until it was too late." Malone shouted.

"I know the story Malone!" Spika retorted.

"If it wasn't for you he wouldn't have died! He could have survived if your Vulcan brain had time to study his behaviour patterns instead of waiting!" Malone hissed angrily.

"I tried!" Spika replied. "And failed, I didn't know my friend's life was at stake."

"Neither do Spock and McCoy." Malone protested, "Tell them the truth Spika! I don't want to see another mutiny happen because of this."

"Get out." Spika whispered coldly. "I don't want to speak of this the rest of the evening..and that is an order."

"My pleasure." Malone hissed in the same icy tone as he left the infirmary.

Interesting game...don't you think?