Thirty One

The golden lights swirling around them began to disappear as they found themselves in the valves of Engineering. Pins and needles swept through Emily as she struggled to regain her footing. She would never get used to the feeling of being transported from one area to the other. McCoy always used to complain that transport pads were an accident waiting to happen. When she got a better view of her surroundings, she finally understood what he meant by that.

Scotty wasn't with them. Kirk had finally regained his footing as well and looked around anxiously when they heard a loud thump behind them. Emily knew if he was caught in one of the turbine engines, it wouldn't end well for anyone. They needed to act quickly before Scotty was either crushed by the rotor blades or he drowned.

"Mr. Scott?" he called out before glancing at Emily, "Where are we?"

"Engineering," Emily rolled her eyes. She was thankful that they hadn't ended up somewhere like the bridge. She could already imagine the explanations they would have if they ended up on the bridge. Older Spock hadn't explained what they would do if something like that should happen. "If you break the glass, you're going to cause a water main break," she added after noticing Kirk head for the turbines.

"Well what else are we supposed to do?" he demanded as they struggled to find other methods.

He'd tried hitting the glass a few times since Scotty was stuck inside. She knew he only had a few more seconds in the turbines before he was either cut apart by the rotors or he drowned. Either fate didn't sound all that appealing to her.

"There's a release hatch somewhere around here," she muttered under her breath.

Emily glanced around until she spotted a release hatch that could be used to free Scotty. Fortunately, Kirk saw it too and headed for the release hatch, prying it open in the process. Scotty dropped to the floor with a pool of water spilling around them, coughing up whatever he'd swallowed along the way. Emily grimaced at the sight, recalling all-too-soon some of the methods that were used at the compound to punish her. Scotty was lucky to have only suffered from this minor blow; if they hadn't been there, his fate could have been much worse.

"Are you okay?" Kirk asked once he reached Scotty.

Emily was already looking around for a towel to help dry him off, but she didn't see any. Getting stuck in the water turbines wasn't exactly something that happened on a normal day. Scotty just sputtered water and looked at Kirk incredulously, as if he'd asked the most ridiculous question ever.

"My head's buzzing, and I'm soaked, but otherwise, I'm fine," he replied.

"They're going to know we're on the ship after that," Emily warned them after deciding they didn't have time to sit and chat idly.

She had no doubt that Spock had already sent a security team to find them and bring them to the bridge. She just hoped that the Officers in question would be in a listening mood. After everything that had happened, the last thing she wanted or needed was to be seen as the enemy. Though after Kirk's accusation to the Council, she had a feeling that was exactly how they would perceive her.

When she tried walking on her own, only to grind her teeth and grimace in pain, Scotty reached out to offer what little help she could. Emily only brushed it off with a shrug. Years of training with SHIELD taught her to sustain whatever pain was thrown her way. Coulson would have never approved, but it was the only way to keep moving forward. She didn't want to slow anyone down, and she didn't want them to see that the pain was getting to her.

Scotty exchanged a look with Kirk, but he simply shrugged. After seeing how stubborn she was on Delta Vega, he didn't bother offering help. Though it did hurt to know that he was partly responsible for her refusal to accept it. Things would have likely been different had he not announced to the Council that she worked for SHIELD.

They didn't even make it as far as the turbolift when one of the Security Officers – she was pretty sure it was Henderoff – reached them. His face was set with a look of annoyance when he looked pointedly at Kirk. It was clear they didn't necessarily have the best experiences together. She recalled Uhura mentioning that Kirk had been in a bar fight with Henderoff and a bunch of goons before enlisting in Starfleet. That, factored in with the fact that Spock had likely sent them to apprehend the intruders explained his irritation.

"Come with me, Cupcake," he scowled.

"Look, my friend here is hurt," Kirk snapped before anyone else could say something. Emily was tempted to spit out that they were hardly friends when she thought better of it. Arguing now was the worst possible thing they could do, "She's been tortured by Nero and his men, and she needs medical attention."

Henderoff's eyes widened in disbelief when he realized that for once, Kirk was telling the truth. Emily bit back a groan as she was guided back to the medical bay for immediate attention. The problem was, she couldn't bring herself to face McCoy after all was said and done. Something in the back of her mind told her that would only lead to disaster. He was either going to ream her out for choosing to go along with Pike's plan, or for going so long without getting medical treatment. Either way, she dreaded the moment she faced him again.

To her surprise, and relief, she noticed that McCoy wasn't around. Instead, medbay had few biobeds open with nurses running to and from their stations. Most of the beds were filled with Vulcan elders or Cadets who sustained earlier injuries. Emily suddenly felt more like a nuisance than someone who needed treatment. The last thing she wanted was to get in their way.

She was about to turn and head back for the bridge when she nearly collided into someone else. Emily blinked a few times when she saw that someone was Sarah. Her sister looked equally surprised to see her standing there. And for a moment, neither of them were sure what to say. It was almost as if time stood still as the two sisters looked at one another, seizing each other up. She had a feeling that was what Sarah had been doing the whole time.

"Christ woman, if you wanted attention, there are easier ways of getting it," Sarah finally rolled her eyes. Emily was ready to spit something in response when Sarah cut her off with a wave of her tricorder, "Don't bother trying to run; McCoy would have my head if I let that happen."

Emily grimaced at the mention of McCoy. She had been trying to figure out what she would even say to him if she survived this. Her heart sank even further as she imagined what he would say upon seeing the injuries that were inflicted upon her. He didn't have any restraint on what he said, and while she knew he meant well, there were times when she preferred silence over shouting. It didn't help that she could already feel whatever he was feeling the moment they were on the ship. She tried closing off the link between them, knowing full-well that wasn't going to make things any better.

"I can think of a hundred people I'd rather see than Leonard," she muttered under her breath as Sarah gestured for her to head for the nearest empty biobed.

Biobeds themselves were few and in between. Emily noticed with a start that most of them were occupied. She truly did feel more like a burden than anything else. Most of the nurses were already too busy doing what needed to be done to preserve the lives on this ship. She hadn't missed how many older Vulcans were also sitting on the biobeds. Most of them looked as if they had seen better days, while others tried to retain what little dignity they had left.

Pity for the Vulcans suddenly swelled within her. She couldn't imagine what that must have felt like, to lose an entire planet and billions of innocent lives. The worst part was, some of them were connected by a telepathic link. Not for the first time, a surge of pity swept through her as she imagined what they were going through the moment that connection was severed.

"Yeah, well, believe it or not, he seems to care more about you than we realized," Sarah retorted. "You should've heard the way he reamed Kirk out earlier. He even promised not to treat Kirk for further injuries after what Pike did to you."

That was enough for Emily to nearly gape in surprise. She knew McCoy could be crude and had terrible bedside manner. But, he wasn't the type of person to leave anyone untreated. As much as McCoy would hate to admit it, he cared too much to let anyone suffer. Those were some of the many attributes that she admired out of him.

Her head was already beginning to spin as the tricorder beeped more than once to show there were numerous injuries. Sarah's eyes narrowed the further she dug into those scans. By now, the throbbing from her shoulder had finally turned to a dull pain. Her whole body felt numb from the effect of the toxin. Emily doubted that she would have survived on Delta Vega much longer if older Spock didn't send them away.

She clenched her fists every now and then to keep the pressure from building in her head. As much as Emily hated to admit it, getting treatment sounded like a better option than letting hundreds of innocent people die. She was on the verge of losing control again. The lights had begun flickering on and off, causing more than a few nurses and Vulcans to look around in surprise. Her teeth ground together when Sarah finally noticed that something was wrong.

"Shit," Sarah swore under her breath and reached for the nearest com. She'd already started working on a sedative when she noticed that Emily was grimacing in pain. The treatment she received on the Narada was finally taking effect. "Hayes to bridge, I need Doctor McCoy in the medbay ASAP!"

"This is Kirk to medbay. McCoy's already on his way. We noticed the lights were fluctuating again," Kirk finally answered. Sarah sucked in a breath as she wondered what went down on the bridge. Normally, it was Spock who would have answered. "Nurse Hayes?"

"Yeah, I think I may know the reason behind that," she replied after he called her out again. Sarah glanced over her shoulder in time to see McCoy reach the medbay. Not for the first time, he looked anxious and annoyed all at the same time. She knew after seeing how close they were that he would worry about her survival more than anything else. Though, she wasn't entirely surprised by that notion. "Hayes out."

"Dammit!" McCoy swore out loud when he noticed that Emily's vital signs were off the charts. Sarah's heart sank even further after she saw Emily's face scrunch in pain. Even if she was a sister that she never knew, she would have never wished this kind of pain on her. "We need to move her to the surgical suite and pump the toxin from her blood."

"She's got a dislocated shoulder as well," Sarah put in helpfully.

McCoy scowled in annoyance at that, but he didn't say anything as he immediately went to work. The only thing Sarah could hope for was that Emily would survive this ordeal. Otherwise everyone was in for a long haul.

.

.

Surgery had taken more than a few hours between Captain Pike and Emily. Between the two of them, and the mental strain that had begun tugging at his heart, McCoy was utterly exhausted. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn't bring himself to rest. Guilt over what had happened suddenly came rushing back as he thought of Emily and the condition she was in.

He'd treated countless patients throughout his career as a doctor. But none of those patients had endured the kind of injuries she bore. And McCoy had been furious upon finding out that the Romulans used some kind of Nero-toxin on her. As if what she had suffered from wasn't bad enough already. He'd seen the kind of injuries she suffered from over the years, but nothing could compare to the injuries she'd suffered on that ship. He was only fooling himself into thinking that she would recover quickly from those kind of injuries.

The worst part was knowing that he'd broken his promise to keep her safe. He could still remember the deal he struck with Coulson that afternoon on the Hellicarrier. The man had been infuriated when he treated his injuries, despite everything that happened. But not treating his injuries would have taken a toll on his morale, especially after he'd witnessed something similar happen to his own father. He'd promised to keep her safe, regardless of the distance between them. It was only now that McCoy realized just how daunting that promise was.

She didn't deserve the shit that Kirk and the rest of the Fleet had thrown at her. McCoy couldn't help but grimace at the thought of how she would recover once this was all said and done. He hated to think of what he would do if she didn't recover. The thought left his heart wrenching, especially knowing that all of it could have been avoided if Kirk hadn't been acting like a complete child the whole time.

"How are they?"

McCoy had finally taken a seat in the makeshift office he built for himself when Kirk arrived. He looked at Kirk warily, still feeling a hint of anger after everything he'd done. Kirk was only just beginning to feel the effects of what he'd done. Most of the command crew under Pike had been furious with him for giving away Emily's position. Or for using his blatant accusation during his own trial as an excuse.

"Pike's already begun recovering from his surgery," he explained warily. Kirk gave a nod of relief at that. Pike's surgery hadn't been nearly as intense as Emily's. There had been some alien slug that caused paralysis through his legs, but at least he'd get by with a cane or a wheelchair. "I'm not sure about Emily…"

He added the last part with a heavy sigh, realizing that as much as he hated to admit it, there was no guarantee that she would even survive. She might have been stubborn as all hell, but that didn't mean she would survive this incident. The only thing he could do was hope and pray that she survived. After everything that had happened, she had to.

"Bones, you said yourself that she's too stubborn to die," Kirk pointed out knowingly. McCoy threw him a withering look, and Kirk was smart enough to shrink back guiltily. "Look, I haven't even had the chance to apologize for the way I acted… I know I've been an ass to her, and she deserves better."

If it wasn't for the fact that he had been sitting, McCoy would've fallen over in shock. It was obvious that this had been eating at Kirk for some time. McCoy eyed him thoughtfully before gesturing for Kirk to grab a chair and sit across from him. He knew the kid well enough to know that this wasn't something he would forget anytime soon. Kirk had only just begun to realize that what he did was incredibly wrong and immoral.

"I'm not gonna sugarcoat it Jim, but we could still lose her," he admitted. He winced at the thought of losing her. There was still so much that needed to be said and done. Hell, he never even had the chance to propose to her properly. He'd been terrified of taking that step in the past, and that was what led to the bitter divorce between himself and Pamela. "She's been through worse, but that toxin took a toll on her."

Kirk's face fell when he realized what McCoy meant by that. The last thing he wanted was to lose someone he cared so much about. Emily meant more to him than he could ever admit out loud. His heart wrenched at the thought. She had always been there for him when he needed her the most, and now it was time to return the favor.

"You really do care about her," Kirk muttered thoughtfully.

McCoy's brows furrowed together as he thought of how it ever came to be in the first place. The first time they met had been when she and Coulson moved next door. While they weren't exactly happy knowing each other, he'd grown fond of her over the years. Asking her out had been one of the best decisions he could've made. The only regrets he had was that he'd chosen Pamela over her, and he still lived with that regret.

"Yeah, I do," he nodded in agreement. "Now get out of my office and go make yourself productive. I've got work to finish," he suddenly added after realizing too late that Kirk was delving deeper than he should.

Luckily, Kirk just gave a mock salute, stood up and left the room without another word. McCoy sank deeper into his own chair and rubbed the temple of his forehead. These next few hours were going to try his patience. He was sure of that.

.

.

It wasn't the howling wind or the biting cold that had woken Emily up. Her eyes twitched a few times when she heard a beeping sound ring in her ears. The noise had become so distracting that she gave up trying to sleep. She knew that she was going to have to wake up and face the music sooner or later. As it was, she could feel whatever McCoy was feeling the moment her senses came rushing back. The mental link between them was wide-open, and it took a few seconds for her to calm down. She knew it wouldn't be long before he came rushing into the room, so she tried making the most of her free time.

Though at first, she thought that she might have been dead from the room she was in. Sterile white walls surrounded her. She was lying on a biobed that scanned her vitals every few seconds. The beeping sound came from the alert that she had begun stirring. The biobed was constantly scanning her vitals, making sure that she was still alive. Though a small part of her had secretly hoped that wasn't the case. She wasn't in any hurry to face McCoy once all was said or done, or the rest of the crew for that matter.

Emily bit back a groan when she noticed that she wasn't alone. Sure enough, Sarah was there checking to make sure that her vitals were clear. The look written across Sarah's face told her that a lot needed to be said before they headed back to Earth. If they were headed back at all. She grimaced when she noticed that the suit she normally wore wasn't on anymore. The suit itself had sustained heavy damage, and she left it behind on Delta Vega. To say she wasn't embarrassed by the looks Sarah threw her was an understatement.

"You should consider yourself lucky to be alive," Sarah muttered halfheartedly after noticing that she was awake. Lighter brown eyes met her dark brown eyes, and for a moment, Emily thought she saw sympathy clouding them. "That much toxin would've killed any normal human."

"I think we can all agree that I'm not what people consider 'normal'," Emily rolled her eyes. She was surprised that she didn't feel any pain. She supposed that was from the hypospray used to keep her body from swelling up like a balloon. "I'm surprised you're willing to talk at all."

"Yeah, well, mom and dad pretty much lied to me my whole life, so…" Sarah added the last part with a shrug and finally looked down at the floor guiltily. "They always told me that I was an only child. But I had a feeling they were lying. There were stories done on the Kelvin, and they mentioned that a four-year-old was on board at the time it was destroyed."

A lump formed in the back of her throat as Emily recalled the events that unfolded during her time aboard the Kelvin. So much had happened that she was surprised to have survived at all. Then again, Emily had George Kirk to thank for her survival. She would never forget the fact that he had sacrificed his own life to save hers along with thousands of other lives.

"SHIELD offered to weave a story about my 'untimely' demise after my parents decided I wasn't worth keeping," Emily explained when she caught Sarah looking at her again. Her sister's eyes widened in disbelief at the mention of SHIELD and the fact that they were willing to cooperate. "It was a deal they made to keep them from taking me back, because I would've likely been on the streets if they kept me. Or in a worse place."

Sarah gave a nod of understanding as realization dawned on her. Emily couldn't brush off the feeling that things would have been worse had her parents decided to keep her. Not for the first time, she was grateful that Coulson had gone out of his way to adopt her. She knew she would have been far worse had her parents kept her. Or if she had been out on the streets.

"Well, as much as I hate to admit it, they probably made the right choice," Sarah murmured. Emily rose an eyebrow as she set the tricorder she had been holding on the stand beside her and crossed her arms. "I don't think mom and dad are capable of handling anything out of the ordinary."

Emily could only laugh in agreement to that. Their parents were definitely not the type of people who could handle someone like her on a daily basis. She was just thankful that Sarah hadn't felt any resentment towards the fact that their parents kept this from her for so long.

"So… are we good here?" she asked warily.

She didn't want to leave things on a sour note. Now that they finally had the chance to talk and smooth things over, she hoped that things would get better from there.

"Yeah, I think so," Sarah replied with a nod. "I'm a little jealous over the fact that McCoy chose you of all people, but… I can see why."

It took Emily a few seconds to register what Sarah meant by that. Before she could ask, Sarah grabbed her tricorder again and left without another word. The moment of silence didn't last long when Sarah was replaced with McCoy himself. Emily grimaced when she caught the look written across his face. She didn't need to read his thoughts to know how relieved he was in that moment. Or how annoyed he was at the fact that she had gone with Pike.

"I'm glad to see that you're awake," he remarked after making sure that her vitals were clear.

"How long was I out?" she asked warily.

McCoy was quiet for a few seconds, as if he wasn't sure how to answer. It wasn't until glancing at him that she noticed just how worried he really was. The relief written across his face was unmistakable. Emily couldn't help but tilt her head to one side as she thought of what to do or say from there.

"Em, you were out for nearly two days," he explained after pulling up a chair so that he could sit next to her. "Pike is already awake after his surgery was over, but compared to you, his injuries were nothing."

She grimaced as she suddenly understood why he was so concerned. If it had been anyone else who sustained the injuries she was given, she knew they wouldn't have likely survived. She knew it wasn't just some miracle that she survived the injuries Nero inflicted upon her.

"I did warn you going into this that I'm not exactly normal," she reminded him, hoping to cut through the uneasy tension that filled the room.

The doctor just rolled his eyes at that, though he made no comment. Instead, Emily felt his gaze boring through her when an uncomfortable silence followed. She had been bracing herself for what he would say when they returned to the ship. Now that they were there in that room, she had no idea what to expect. And she realized how much she hated that.

"You scared the shit out of me by going with Pike." Emily rose an eyebrow in surprise when McCoy looked at her pointedly. "I thought I was gonna lose you."

She couldn't help but tilt her head to one side in surprise as she realized what he meant by that. The sudden rush of emotions from earlier came rushing back when his eyes met hers. Not for the first time, Emily found herself wondering how she had been so lucky to meet someone like him.

"Leonard," she let out a quiet sigh when he leaned forward and captured her lips with his, this time without hesitation. For a moment, neither of them moved as a familiar spark swept between them. All she could do was relish the moment as she felt his hand grasp hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You know I'm too stubborn to die."

McCoy only laughed in response, though she had a feeling he still had a few choice words for her rash behavior. The good news was, she wouldn't have to face them until after she left the surgical suite. Until then, they were left to decide what they would do with themselves once this was all over.