Kirk awoke in sickbay, this time attached to a heart monitor. He looked at the clock opposite the mirror, it was the exact time the crew had stepped foot on Timon's ship (give or take a few minutes), except it was the following day.
He sighed "24 hours..."
McCoy entered the room, carrying a letter. His smile was sincere, yet unsettling. "Have a nice dream?"
"Bones, we're too late... Spock and I should be experiencing phase 4 and-" he stopped talking when he saw the Doctor laughing.
"You haven't seen yourself yet, have you?"
Kirk smirked "why, do I look worse?"
He got out of his bed and looked in the mirror.
"I wouldn't say /that/" Bones replied.
Kirk smiled as he gazed upon his sandy blond hair, normal-human ears and his usual eyebrows. He was back to his original height and weight. He sighed from relief that everything was back to normal.
"After you passed out, Scotty, Timon and I helped put you two in the pod. Spock woke up a few hours earlier, gave his blood to Kal, and we've been playing the waiting game for you to wake up ever since." Bones explained.
"Hmm." Kirk nodded "what's that in your hand?"
"Elena Lee wrote you a letter." He handed the piece of paper to the Captain.
It read: Dear James Kirk of the USS Enterprise.
Hope you're doing better.
Sorry for putting you and your friend though that. I didn't think you'd go insane, I mean, my dad hid his insanity so well.
Speaking of my dad he's set a course to go home.
Kal is fine too, he apologized for not liking me before.
See, Kals wife was one of the first to sign up for the lottery to get a vaccine.
But she was already infected so she was unable to get one.
Instead, the government told the hospitals to administer the first vaccines to children, then send leftovers out in a lottery.
But Kal is okay now.
He wants me to help sort his library books when we get back home.
The very nice Doctor McCoy made extra vaccines to give to people back on our planet.
Thank you for complying with my distress call.
Sorry it almost ruined your life.
Signed, Elena Lee.
"You made extra vaccines?" Kirk faced Bones.
"Mr. Spock told me to. He said it was the right thing to do." McCoy shrugged. "Jim, when you said you'd rather die than live in a mental institution, did you mean that?"
"Well, no, you're taking it out of context. I didn't mean that I'd rather die if put in a mental institution. I mean that if I'm anywhere but the Enterprise, being her captain and doing my job I'd rather die." Kirk explained. "It's a miscommunication on my part."
"Oh, okay. Are you sure you and Spock didn't come out changing traits? Like you getting his brains or anything like that?" McCoy seemed concerned.
"Bones, come on." Kirk laughed "that's completely illogical."
McCoy took a moment then shook his head "it's good to have you back, Jim."