Kirk grabbed his left arm to make it stop twitching at the sight of McCoy's hypo. He looked up bewildered for a moment. "What…what happened?"
He was breathing heavily. Spock looked at him. "Captain…no, actually there's no time to explain," turning to McCoy he continued, "Doctor, quickly, we must administer the rest of the cure."
McCoy nodded. He started to refill his hypo when he whirled and grabbed Spock's arm. "Look, Spock, some, no actually, a lot of people, are unconscious and didn't have a chance to get to sickbay. For all we know we could be the only ones alive on this ship. If we go around one by one, a lot more people will die…"
As if he understood Spock mumbled, "The air vents."
"Exactly." They booth stared at each other for a moment then turned towards putting the cure through the air vents. Several minutes later McCoy went toward the back. He returned with three mask like items. "Here, Spock, Jim, take these, they'll let you breathe without inhaling the cure. We don't need to relive this thing again. I put a timer on the cure; it'll go off in one minute."
Still some-what dazed, Kirk nodded and put the mask on as Spock did the same. They looked twoards the unfurling red somke from the air vents and hoped.They could hear the respunding scream of surprise from the crew members out in the hall.
As the gas was shut off McCoy turned twoards his friends smiling. "Well," he shurgged, "here's the question of the night: what's your worst night mare?"
o-o-o-o
Kirk heard the full story from Spock over a warm dinner on the cafeteria. Shocking as it was, he didn't really have the energy to repermand his first officer for holding illegaly experiments...among other things.It was late at night, he rubbed his head, and said, "Well, thanks Spock, and g'night…see ya on the morning shift?"
He went to his quarters, sat down on his bed and started to think. It was so very real, but he shook his head and tried going to sleep. The images surged through him, leaving no room for a restful sleep.
Meanwhile, in his own quarters, Spock couldn't quite get down to deep mediation. The images of illogic kept haunting him. He even tried lying down, on a bed no less, for a more human try at resting.
Uhura, in her room, hugged to Sulu closer, before shutting her eyes again.
This continued through much of the ship. They all had quite a scare. And it would be a while before they could forget their nightmares.
o-o-o-o
By the next morning the ship was shaken, slightly nervous, but normally running. There were a lot less red shirts due to test cures 1- 12. The morning bridge crew circles under their eyes, McCoy was up there to give them all stimulants.
"Ruff night?" he joked, although circles were very much apparent under his eyes.
"Yeah, ha ha Bones." Some what paranoid around the bridge's occupants, Kirk turned to Spock. "Well I guess no one can be affected any more, but Spock, what did you do with that…that disease?"
"I destroyed it Captain, it was only logical."
Kirk sighed a breath of relief. "Thank goodness for logic," he mumbled sinking into his chair.
o-o-o-o
Meanwhile in the science officer's room a small amount of smoke frothed from the top of the container carefully locked in a secret compartment. Small and grey, a frightening gas was locked inside. A warning label was tapped to it's side to caution the curious gazer.
It's destruction was nearly impossible: it was a gas. Who knew what it would do in the vacuum of space? Until a demise was available, here it would lie dormant.
After all, who has to know?
o-o-o-o T H E o-o-o E N D o-o-o-o