16 years ago

"We got a distress call from a starfleet ship the Gilian. On 03.14 the ship was attacked. An explosion was heard and they lost control of the ship. They crashed on a nearby planet. We are the closed to the planet they crashed on." Captain Tailian told them in the debriefing room.

"So we are going to the planet. Look for survivors and investigate who did this?" Lieutenant Chris Pike asked.

"Our first priority is to look for survivors." The captain said.

"Triage the victims." Doctor Clauds told them.

"Yes, more ships are coming our way but we are the first to arrive. Doctor I want you to get your team ready and to let them know what to expect. More information will follow. Alright if that were all the questions, get your team ready. We will arrive in an hour."

They all nodded before they left the room.

"Good God. It's a wonder if we would find someone on this side of the ship. It's been three days." Mike said, a security guard who went with Chris to investigate this part of the ship.

"Well there are wonders. There could always be a survivor somewhere."

"We went past dead bodies Chris. We are talking about miracles and angels. Maybe... hey Oww... why are you stopping?"

Chris had his finger to his lip. "Sssh, I heard something."

"What are you talking ab..."

"Shhh," they both went silent before they heard the noise again. Crying. Whimpering. Slowly they made their way to noise.

A cabin lay blocked but the noise came from inside. Chris and Mike shared a look.

"Come on quick. Someone is inside."

A couple of minutes later they could open the cabin. Chris went down on his knees to look inside. There he saw a child curled up in the corner. Blood was covering his face, arm and legs.

"Hello? Hey kid, my name is Chris. I am here to rescue you." Chris said softly. It took a minute but finally the kid looked up. He was analyzing him, Chris realized. The kid went through hell. He probably didn't trust anyone easily anymore. It took a couple of minutes but finally the kid turned around fully.

"Can you come out so I can take a look at you? I see you are hurt."

The kid crawled out slowly. Chris stood back to give the kid space. Finally the kid was out. He looked afraid, scared. He looked at Chris before he looked at Mike before looking back at Chris.

Chris smiled. "That is Mike. He is also helping to rescue. We are starfleet. Can you tell me your name?"

"Jim." He said softly.

"Hey Jim. Nice to meet you. Can I take a look at you? You are bleeding."

The kid shook his head. "It's not all mine." Jim then looked at Mike who gasped. "You found Sasha?"

"Sasha?" Chris asked confused and looked at Mike.

"Uhmm Chris I think we better get out of here. We don't need to stay here longer then necessary. You don't need to see."

"What are you..." Chris wanted to stand up. Before he felt a small hand on his arm. Jim.

"He is right you don't need to see. I couldn't protect them."

"What are you... you are a child you don't need to protect. You need protection."

Jim shook his head. A tear escaped his eye. "I was only left. You see Marcy?"

"Who is Marcy kid?" Mike asked.

"My teacher. She told us the hide. There was yelling... and and the... lights...and then then the ship shook. Fire and smoke and then... then the explosion. Chris there was so much noise. We hide here but the ship shook and then...then we crashed. We lost each other en then stuff fell... all over... I hide in there but the others coul...couldn't. I got stuck. They...they died.." Jim was crying and his breathing was getting worse.

Chris couldn't stand it anymore, he took the boy in his arms. Shushing him. "Your safe now kiddo. You are safe. Nothing will happen to you again. We are here to protect you now. Ssshh."

Mike looked sympathetic at them. He was glad Chris was here. He didn't know what to do with a crying child. "Uhmm we better get back now. He was stuck here for at least three day's."

Chris nodded but kept swinging from side to side with Jim in his arms still shushing him. It took another two minutes before they moved. Jim was holding Chris tightly. Hands around his neck and legs around his middle. Chris held a comfort hand on Jim's back and one hand running through his hair while they walked back.

"Chris, Mike. Took you awhile to get back. Who do you have there?" Captain Tailian asked.

"This is Jim. We found him in the back." Mike told the captain when Chris didn't answer but kept whispering to Jim.

Tailian shared a look with Mike before turning back to Chris.

"Pike get back to the ship and bring Jim to sickbay. Mike here could do the debriefing. Then I want you back here for your own debriefing." Chris nodded before he returned to the ship.

"Chris. Long time no see." Phil Boyce said when he entered sickbay.

"Could say the same."

"Who do you have there?" Phil asked as he tried to look at the sleeping child in his Chris arm's.

"This is Jim. He got hurt and was stuck in a cabin. Need someone to check him out."

"Okay then. The biobed almost at the back is free. You can put him there. I will be there shortly. Hopefully. Man it's a madhouse here." Phil said before someone called for him again.

Chris walked to the biobed and sat down with Jim still in his arms. "Lieutenant? Are you hurt?" A doctor asked.

"Oh no. Jim here was just rescued. He needs to be looked at".

"Okay let's put him on the bed shall we." With the two of them they managed to get Jim to let go of Chris and to lay him down on the bed. Chris watched patiently while the doctor examined the kid. Chris didn't noticed his surroundings anymore. All his focus was on the kid. But the doctor did.

"Lieutenant as much that I appreciate for you to bring the child in and to get him help, I must ask you to leave now."

Chris looked up in shock. "What? Why?"

"Look around Lieutenant. We are busy. It's a madhouse. We need every space this place got. We can't have you walking in the way. We got the child now. He gets the care he needs. He is asleep. You can go."

"Look doctor he..." suddenly Pike's comm went off.

"Look's like you are needed elsewhere. Get out of sickbay Lieutenant. You can come back if you are injured or if everything has calmed down."

Chris wanted to argue but he knew it was useless. He walked out of sickbay and answered his comm. He was needed back down again.

Jim opened his eyes. The noises. He didn't knew those noises. A bed? Not his bed. He looked around again. Something was in his hand. Jim shook his head and looked around again. Doctor's and nurses were walking around. Hospital. Jim trembled. He didn't knew how or why he was here. He quickly worked to remove the needle that was stuck in his hand. When he got it out, he slide slowly down to the ground so no one saw him. Now it was time for his escape.

No one saw him. At least he thought. He walked out of sickbay and saw a long corridor. He looked to his left, then right. Until someone called him.

"Hey kid. Get back here! You can't walk around here." A doctor yelled.

Jim shook his head. He quickly made the decision to go right and ran. Unfortunately the doctor was faster and grabbed him.

"Let go of me!"

"Not a chance. This is not a kindergarten. This is a ship and you are staying in sickbay because your are sick and hurt."

"Let go! Let go!" Jim kept kicking and screaming. Soon there was a nurse and felt a hypo against his neck. He quickly slowed down. But breathing was also getting harder.

"Hey kid. You okay? Talk to me... Hey kid? Shit he was probably allergic to the sedative! Get an Epi Alice quick!"

After a couple of minutes he felt his breathing was getting better again and Jim soon lost consciousness.

"How is sickbay? Calmer now that we split the victims?" Captain Tailian asked his CMO.

Doctor Clauds sighs. "Some. My people are tired but they are still doing a good job."

"And how is prison break?" Tailian asked laughing.

"Oh you heard the nickname some of my people gave him."

"Yes who didn't? So how is he?"

"He is an angry scared kid. Can't get him to eat. Can't treat him if he is awake. And every time you turn around the kid tries to escape again."

"So prison break."

"Yes prison break."

"How many times has Chris Pike come in to check on him?" The captain asked after awhile.

"As many times Phil Boyce has."

"Are they getting too close to this?"

Clauds sighs. "As much as I want to say yes, I want to say no. Yes they are getting too close but they also are a calm influence on the kid. I don't let Boyce treat him though. If you take them away we can't treat the kid at all. The little bit we can do, is still some and that I want to keep."

"Understood."

"Shit the kid ran away again. What does he think every time he does that?" A doctor asked.

"Well probably to get away don't you think." Phil said sarcastically.

The doctor rolled his eyes. "Well he must understand he has nowhere to go by now. He will be brought back eventually."

"Why you get to work on the kid and I don't is something I really don't understand." Phil said and walked away.

"Hey where are you going?"

"Looking for Jim." Phil said as he walked out of sickbay.

It's been an hour and Jim was still missing. The ship is now told to look out for him.

"Hey, find something? A clue?" Phil asked Chris in the corridor.

"Nope. But we will find him."

"Of that I am sure."

"So how come you could help finding him? I thought doctor Clauds kept you away from his case."

"Didn't ask him. Just went looking. The actual doctor who is treating him is a dick." Phil said angry.

"Amen to that."

Phil grinned before he suddenly heard something. Chris looked at Phil, he heard it too. And soon they found Jim coming out of a door and ran away. Unfortunately Jim ran straight into Phil arm's.

"Wow little ninja. Calm down it's me and Chris." Phil said and held Jim closer.

"PHIL!" Jim said and put his arms and legs around him. Jim turned his head on Phil shoulder and looked at Chris. "Will you protect me?"

Chris lay a hand on Jim's back. "Of course kiddo. We will protect you. You okay?"

Jim snuggled closer in Phil's arms. He was trembling slightly. "Am now."

Phil looked at Chris who also noticed the trembling. "What you say we go somewhere quiet and beautiful?" Chris asked and Jim nodded softly.

They stepped inside the turbolift and arrived at the observation deck. There was a big couch and view to the stars. Chris send a silent message to the captain that they found Jim while Jim was observing the room.

"So how do you like it?" Phil asked.

"It's beautiful"

"It is, isn't it? Let's sit down. It's a pretty comfy couch" Chris said.

Jim sat between Chris and Phil. Jim didn't wanted to let go, so his back was leaning against Phil chest and his legs were in Chris lap. Both of them were holding him and calming him down. Before Christ starts to question Jim.

"So why did you ran away again Jimmy?" Chris asked softly.

"Is scary."

"What is scary? The treatments? Sickbay? The doctor's?"

"All."

"Yeah? Can you explain so Phil and I understand?"

"They took me away. They don't talk to me. I don't know what they are doing to me. I suddenly wake up but don't remember falling asleep. Sometimes it's hard to breath before I fell asleep and sometimes there is something in my hand."

"No one told you what it was for?"

Jim shook his head no. "Doctor gets angry if I asked. And there are many faces. They don't talk. Don't ask, they just touch me and hold up a de...dev..device."

Phil shook his head angry. Muttering something that was not for children ears.

"No one touch you again or treat you without my knowing. I will be your doctor."

Chris looked at Phil. "Phil are you sure..."

"Yes Chris. I don't care what our CMO says. Look how they treat him. You get me now kid. I will take care of you."

Jim looked up. "Really?"

Phil ruffled Jim's hair. "Yes really."

Chris smiled. "Shall I get something to eat for us?"

"Yeah sure." Phil said. Chris then looked questionable at Jim and then back at Phil. He didn't know what the kid could eat yet.

"How about soup? Easy on the stomach. What you say Jim?" Phil asked.

"It's okay." He answered sleepy.

"Hey, not going to sleep yet. First soup then sleep okay?"

"Kay."

Soon Chris returned with three soup. Jim drank half of it before his eyes began to close. Chris took the soup away. Jim shook his head to stay awake again.

Phil ran his hand through Jim's hair and rocks Jim a little in his arms. "Sleep Jimmy. We got you. We will protect you. We keep watch." Soon Jim closed his eyes and fell asleep.

"I think I never saw him so peaceful asleep before." Christ whispered.

"It is because he knows we are here honey. He never fell asleep on his own in sickbay. They sedated him." Phil said sadly.

Two hours later they still sat in silence watching the view and keeping watch over Jim. Suddenly Chris comm went off. Phil looked alarmed at him before looking at Jim. Chris nodded and quickly took his comm and went to the end of the room so he wouldn't disturb Jim.

"Chris here." He answered.

"Pike, where the hell are you. It's been two and half hours Lieutenant!" Captain Tailian yelled.

"Sir, we are..."

"I don't want to hear why and where you are now. You and Boyce get your butts to sickbay and you better bring that kid with you!"

"Sir, he is..."

"Sickbay now! Or I call security on the two of you." The captain said and ended the call.

Chris looked at his comm and sighs before he walked back to the couch.

"Hey, everything alright?" Phil asked softly.

"We need to get back to sickbay."

"What? But he is..."

"I know. We got orders. Captain was not happy. We better get going."

Phil sighs and looked at the sleeping child. "Alright, give me a hand will you?"

Chris took Jim for a moment out of Phil arms so he could get up.

"No no, no go." Jim muttered.

Phil took Jim again from Chris arms and held him close. "Ssshh Jimmy. We got you, but we have to get back to sickbay. We stay right with you." Phil told him while Chris ran a hand through Jim's hair.

Soon Jim was asleep again. Chris and Phil shared a look. "Well let's go then."

"You two. My office now!" Doctor Clauds said when he saw them entering.

Chris entered first but Clauds stopped Boyce. Boyce looked confused.

"Bring to the kid to Alex first. He is his doctor." Clauds said softly.

"No he is not. Not anymore."

"Yes he is. Now you got two seconds to..."

"Clauds let him in. We can work this out in your office." Captain Tailian said from behind them.

Clauds sighs. "Fine"

When they were all seated Captain Tailian decided start.

"Well I think we all know why we are here. You two are getting too close to this. And apparently keeping you away was not working so we let you to find him. But that doesn't mean you could disappear for almost three hours."

"Sir, we did what we could do best." Chris said.

"And what was that Lieutenant Pike? Your job was to find the kid not disappear for almost three hours. Can you explain why you didn't get him back when you found him?" Doctor Clauds asks.

"We gave him the care he needed at the moment, sir." Phil said.

"He was hurt? Injured? If he was then you should have brought him immediately to sickbay. You are a doctor, Boyce." Doctor Clauds said.

"He was not injured, sir. He was in distress. He needed comfort. Doctor Boyce did what he could do best at the moment sir and that was not bringing him to sickbay." Christ said.

"And why was that Pike?" Captain Tailian

"He was afraid of what they were doing to him in sickbay. He didn't understand if they were treating him. They didn't explain. They were sedating him constantly. So every time he woke up he was confused en distressed." Christ said angry.

Phil took over. "That is not the right care he needs. He went through hell, lost his friends. He is traumatized. And what are they doing in sickbay? Making it worse."

"Doctor Boyce..."

"That true Doctor Clauds?" Captain Tailian asked.

Doctor Clauds looked shocked. "What? Of course... sickbay was busy so yeah sometimes somebody else took over his care or hadn't had the time to explain it all... but he got the right care..." Clauds drifted off for a minute to process what he just said. He then looked at Boyce. "He got the right care right?"

"He needed safety. Somewhere he got comfortable. Then he could get the right care."

"I must say I never saw him so peaceful asleep before." Clauds said.

"He knows we will protect him and keep him safe." Christ said as he ran a hand through Jim's hair.

Captain Tailian looked at them all. "Alright. We need to do what's best for Jim here. Boyce you can be his doctor and Chris you can visit him again if he needs you. But we still want to warn you two. We see how close you got but Jim might have family down on earth. Keep that in mind."

"Yes sir." They both said.

Present

"So you two took over his care and he lived with you?" Spock asked.

"No. That was just how we met and we could take care of him on the ship." Christ said.

"I never knew Jim had an accident like that. It's a wonder he still likes to be on a ship with what he went through." Uhura said.

"Yeah well he got people he trusts. His family is with him." Len said tiredly.

"How did Jim got on the ship in the first place?" Spock asked.

"And how did he come to live with you?" Uhura asked.

"We will tell you later. Now our captain and our doctor need to get some sleep. Len go lie down on the couch." Phil then looked at Spock and Uhura. "Why don't you two come back by dinner time? We tell you the rest of the story."

Spock and Uhura nodded and stood up to leave. "We will see you later then. Sleep well." Uhura said.

To be continued...