Amanda had a nagging headache at the back of her head. She was queasy too.
Wait, she was alive?
The lights were unnecessarily harsh, she noticed even before opening her eyes. She squeezed her eyes in an effort to make it darker but it didn't work.
In the distance, she could start distinguishing sounds. The familiar beeps of machines she had gotten used to when she was on board the starship. Instrumentation that was needed to keep the ship running. It was like it was playing a high-pitched melody, beautiful sounds she wasn't sure machines should make.
She was so thirsty, like she hadn't had anything to drink in days. She lifted her hand to her throat but couldn't. Why did her limbs feel so heavy?
Why did it feel like she was running a fever?
Eventually, she was able to open her eyes though they felt incredibly heavy.
Through the haze, she could see she was in a large white room. A hospital?
But all the equipment seemed different from anything she had ever seen. Pristine, stainless metal instruments lined the shelf next to her. Her arm had a long plastic line that connected to an IV bag next to her.
She wasn't on the starship like she thought. It seemed that the instrumentation monitoring her progress made similar sounds to the starship. Beyond the window she could see greenery. It looked like it was a beautiful day, couples were lounging beneath the trees. It seemed idyllic.
In the corner of the room, she saw her sister sleeping. Arms crossed in front of her, head dropping forward as she sat on the chair, sleeping. Though a little worse for wear, she was in one piece. It looked like she had taken a shower, changed and ran a comb through her hair. Very much Doris-like.
Amanda smiled and let out a long breath she didn't realize she was holding. Finally seeing her sister safe after days and weeks of wondering how she was, finally let Amanda breathe easy. Amanda moved carefully and realized she wasn't as much pain anymore. Groggy. Sleepy. But at least not in pain.
The last couple of hours that she could remember she had been in so much pain she could barely stand it. But now?
She was somewhat better, though the pain was not completely gone, it was more manageable.
Was she cured?
Without meaning to a violent cough escaped her lungs.
Doris woke up immediately and ran to her aid.
"Shh, it's okay," she soothed. "Let it out, have some water."
Once Amanda could manage to breathe easier, she took a sip from a cup of water Doris had handed to her. She rubbed a soothing hand on her back as she drank. "Better?"
Amanda nodded but couldn't speak. Once under control, she mouthed to her sister. "Mom and Dad?"
"Sleeping, they've been in here for days."
At the thought of being asleep for days, Amanda's eyes widened.
"It's okay," she whispered. "Your job is to get better."
After a couple of minutes, she was able to speak again but barely whispered, "What happened? I just remember David grabbing me-"
Doris nodded. "Yes, we were outnumbered. Out-gunned."
Amanda thought back to the ship, remembering the moment she described. The mercenaries surrounding just the two of them.
"He grabbed you around your neck and started strangling you. You were already so weak."
Amanda's hand went to her throat, it did feel sore. She remembered him grabbing hold of her- her toes dangling over the ground.
"He asked for the key and I really had no choice, I had to-"
Amanda placed her hand over Doris's, urging her to continue.
"I begged him to let you go, he would only do it if he had the key in his hand. So I told them where I hid it and some of them went – It was so awful, Amanda, watching you there as he held you, helpless. I couldn't do anything."
After a moment, she continued. "The distress signal worked, they were able to beam aboard. A rescue party from the Kelvin, the ship you were in. It was a rescue party led by Sarek himself!"
Amanda frowned, Doris seemed to read her mind.
"Yes, Ambassadors only get involved in political situations, never in a firefight and yet, here he was! And then he saw you, barely hanging on, seeing the life being choked out of you –" She paused. "He tried to reason with him but it didn't seem to work." Doris laughed. "You should have seen David! I'd never seen him so scared. I don't think he thought he could get away. And then we fought." She paused again, Amanda could see the worry on her face. "We all did, Sarek, he showed up with almost ten other men. We all attacked the other men and in the scuffle, David dropped you."
Doris took a deep breath and Amanda realized she was trying to hold back her tears. She failed. They fell down her cheeks freely.
"When he dropped you, you started convulsing, foaming at the mouth, eyes rolling back. I had never seen anything like it, I had never been so scared in my life. And Sarek – oh, I had never seen anyone so scared either. I had never seen a Vulcan express themselves in that way, ever, and I've worked with Vulcans for years. He was so scared for you, Amanda.
"I rushed towards you to try to help you and Sarek – he leapt towards David. David shot him, Amanda."
Amanda looked at her sister alarmed but Doris continued before she could ask her about him. "But he's fine. He pushed right through it and put his hands around his neck and beat him and eventually David was unconscious. But, goodness Amanda, I had never seen anything like that."
Amanda hoarsely whispered. "Where is he now?"
Doris picked up a tissue from the table at her side. "He's fine, barely a graze on his shoulder. He was able to get us to Starbase Earhart where we could administer your medicine and get the traitors arrested and eventually transported to a holding facility." Doris blew her nose. "He's on his way back to Vulcan now to a disciplinary hearing."
Amanda froze. Leaving? He was leaving? She felt her heart break.
After everything he had done for her, he was leaving without saying good-bye?
After what she finally realized about him?
And a disciplinary hearing for what? For saving her and her family? What kind of fall out would happen now that they took a ship to save her family against Starfleet's orders even if there was something out of the ordinary going on.
Even if they saved "a world from ending", as Doris had put it.
She had to get to him before he left.
Though the pain wasn't as unbearable as it had been, it still hurt to move. Slowly, she turned to get off of the bed but Amanda pushed her back on the
Doris leapt to her side. "No, Amanda, you can't get up! You still have your treatment!"
Amanda pushed her away as hard as she could. Considering how weak she was, it wasn't much and Doris overpowered her easily. She gently placed her back in the bed. "I have to get to him, I need to talk to him!"
Amanda saw new determination on her sister's face. "You will not. You will finish your treatment."
Doris turned her heard towards the closed door. "Nurse! Someone! Come here quick!"
Amanda couldn't fight her sister. "Please Doris! I need to get to him –"
Doris wasn't having it.
A nurse rushed into the room. An android, Amanda noticed.
"Miss Grayson, you cannot leave your bed. Your current situation-"
Amanda fought her too but was overpowered very quickly. Where Doris might have been afraid to push her down, the nurse was not. It was like she knew just how much force to use to keep her down on the bed.
While she kept her in place with one hand with the other she pressed buttons on the console that was connected to her IV.
Doris was putting the blanket over her feet again.
Amanda continued to struggle. "No! Doris, I need to see him! I have to thank him!"
Suddenly Amanda felt groggy again.
They had placed more drugs into her system. "Doris, what's-"
"You need to sleep, Miss Grayson, it is essential." The nurse placed the blanket up to her chest. "I increased your dosage so you can calm down and sleep."
Doris nodded. "It's for your own good."
Amanda sighed, powerless. "Doris." She reached a groggy hand to her sister, pleading. "Please, I need to tell him."
Doris shook her head. "Not now, Amanda."
"I love him."