Chapter 3

by Starsinger

Finney's views are starting to wear thin, even the most patient crewmembers. Don't own them.

Someone was at the door. The buzzer's persistence dragged Jim out of bed and into a robe. Bones stirred, briefly opening his eyes. "Go back to sleep," Jim told him. "I've got it. If it were a medical emergency they'd just call your comm." Bones settled back down as Jim exited the bedroom. Jim opened the door to his quarters only to find Spock standing there. "Commander," Jim said quietly. "Come in."

"Thank you," Spock responded as he walked into the room. He walked over to the kitchen table and waited for Jim to seat himself before taking a seat himself. "Jim, I am…concerned."

"About…" Jim asked.

"Captain Finney," Spock told him. Jim let out a breath. "You have known him longer than any of us."

"We were roommates in college," Jim told him. "We both took the VSA entrance exam. He was incensed that I passed it and he didn't. It didn't matter that I was the ONLY one who passed it. He was convinced it was a conspiracy against him."

"He felt he should have gone, not you," Spock said.

"I don't think he would have cared as long as he got in," Jim said. "He wouldn't have lasted long," Jim said. "His temperament is ill-suited for Vulcan." Jim looked at Spock. "You're troubled."

"When we swing by New Vulcan on our way back from Earth, he wants to go down and explore the planet, and…" Spock's voice trailed off.

"It's not Vulcan," Jim replied. "Gary, Bones, Nyota and I will be down there. Or does he take that as an affront because we've either been to Vulcan or are close to Vulcans."

"Gary has been to Vulcan?" Spock asked.

"Yeah, he came for a weapons conference in my second year. He and my former girlfriend, Dr. Carol Marcus," Jim smiled. "It was good to see her and David."

"David?" Spock asked, even more confused.

"My son," Jim replied. "Yes, T'Nara knows who Carol is. They've become friends over the years."

"Quite remarkable," Spock responded. "Is she related to Admiral Marcus?" Spock asked.

"Her father," Jim responded. "He's never quite forgiven me for knocking her up and leaving her. I pay child support, and my father's death benefits guarantee that he will be taken care of if I should die, but Alexander Marcus sees red every time he sees me." Jim turned the subject back to Finney. "What did he do now?" he asked.

"He gave a compliment to the Telarite Ambassador," Spock told him.

Jim ogled Spock. You did NOT compliment the species. "We're not at war, I hope," Jim finally choked out."

"No, Gary was able to diffuse the situation…" Spock's words trailed off as the door buzzer sounded again.

"Enter," Jim called. Speak of the devil. It was Gary Mitchell who stormed into the room. He radiated anger and frustration. Jim just hoped T'Nara would continue to sleep. "What is it, Gary?"

Gary's hands were held in front of him in a cupped position as if were about to strangle someone. "How did that man become captain of a Starfleet vessel," he said. His energy fairly quivered as he managed to keep his voice down. "He almost started a brawl down in the dining hall with the Barolian Ambassador."

Barolians were a normally taciturn species who occupied many roles in Starfleet. In eighty years one would attempt to cut Captain Picard's hair being the ship's barber. "How did he accomplish this?" Spock asked.

"He punched him!" Gary spat out.

"Oh dear," Jim said hurrying out of his quarters and heading for the dining hall. "What were they doing in the dining hall at 0200?" Jim asked.

"Drinking," Uhura replied as she joined the rush for the turbolift.

"Alcohol?" Jim asked. Everyone of them nodded as they piled into the turbolift. "You don't give Barolians alcohol, it's poisonous to them." They all stared at him as he exited the lift and headed for the dining hall. Sure enough, both Finney and the Barolian Ambassador were passed out on one of the tables. A bottle of whiskey clutched in Finney's hand. Jim started slapping the Barolian's face. "Johntur, can you hear me?" Jim asked.

"Sickbay, we need a team in the mess. We have reason to believe the Barolian Ambassador has suffered from alcohol poisoning," Uhura said into her comm unit. Minutes later a team arrived.

M'benga examined Finney and gave him a hypo, telling a crewman to get the captain to his quarters to sleep it off. Geoff carefully set down the tricorder and examined Johntur. "This is close, but I think we got here in time," Geoff told them. "I'll let you know, Jim," Jim watched as they hurried off.

"What now?" Gary asked.

"I'm going back to bed," Jim announced. "Then, I'll call Chris in the morning. He'll want to know about this." No one disagreed.