Title: "Aegri Somnia"
Author: tprillahfiction (2008)
AEGRI SOMNIA (Chapter 7)
Captain Kirk paced back and forth in the sickbay foyer. McCoy and Spock had been found in very bad condition; emaciated and close to death. They had been unconscious since they had been found nearly two weeks ago. Kirk was worried. This was worst shape that he had ever seen his two officers in, ever.
"Captain?"
The well mannered doctor, Geoffery M'Benga, walked out from the Intensive care ward towards the captain.
"Any change, Doctor?"
"Spock is regaining consciousness. McCoy has no change in status. They had both developed acute respiratory distress syndrome due to severe pneumonia. It does not want to release its hold on them that easily. I'm continuing intense antibiotic treatment."
Kirk walked into the ICU, with M'Benga following. He stood at the bed of McCoy, tenderly looked him over for a few moments then turned around to Spock in the next bed. Spock was awake, but could not sit up and rather quite begrudgingly was forced to submit to periodic hypos and sensor scans by Nurse Chapel. Along with the sensor web, and dressed in sickbay clothing, he was covered with two thermal blankets.
Kirk observed his friend with a kindly smile. "How are you doing, Mr. Spock?"
Spock looked up at his captain with a slight smile in his eyes. "I am improving, under the circumstances. I am certainly much warmer than I had been before."
"I should have never sent you two down there, alone."
"You could not have known that this was going to be anything other than a routine survey mission. Leonard and I, have a theory that an alien ship orbiting the planet has been affecting the weather patterns."
"Leonard...? You've never called him that-"
"Doctor McCoy."
Kirk eyed him quizically. "Uh huh. Uh, yes, we saw the ship too. For a moment at least. Till it slipped into an unstable wormhole."
"Fascinating, It is unlike any class of starship that we have seen before. It would be interesting to know where that wormhole leads to," said Spock.
"That wormhole closed up. We're scanning the area in case the ship re-appears, but it seems to be long gone."
"Captain, might I ask what happened to the Enterprise?"
"We've been in orbit this whole time looking for you. We could pick you up on the planet. But we found ourselves dead in space. We were unable to use the transporter or lift off a rescue shuttlecraft till that ship disappeared."
A moan from McCoy made the captain turn back around to the bed of the sickly doctor. 'He really looks awful', thought Kirk. 'Pale, gaunt and fragile.' "Bones?" Kirk asked softly as he picked up the doctor's hand.
As he held on to the doctor, Kirk felt McCoy's gold ring come off into his hand and he grasped it in surprise. There was no more response from McCoy.
M'Benga came into the room; stood in the corner and shook his head.
McCoy roused from his slumber and realized that he was sweating. 'God damn it, why do they have to make it so damn hot in here? Surely the power created by the Enterprise's warp core could be put to better use than keeping the heat on full blast around here, Jesus Christ.'
But at least he was able to breathe just fine now. 'Well, kudos to M'Benga. I'll have to put in a recommendation for a job well done. Well, I'm still alive, in fact I feel better than I've ever felt before!'
He decided to open his eyes...
...and realized that they were already open.
'...oh my God am I blind?...I'M BLIND!...what the hell happened to me?
McCoy then realized with fantastic relief that he wasn't actually blind. He could see a little bit; it was just really dim. Where am I? 'What the hell?'
He felt down his body and discovered that he was completely nude...
...and floating in a clear liquid. In a panic he thrust his arms out in front of him and touched the inside of a glass tube.
"...SPOCK! Spock? help me..".
Kirk had long left the sickbay ICU to allow Spock to get some rest for the night; after he had took one last lingering look at the unconscious figure of McCoy.
The sickbay's lights had dimmed to ten percent, but there Spock lay unable to sleep. Nurse Chapel had just administered the last hypo for the day and had finally left, giving him some badly needed privacy. He tried to meditate but also could not. He finally gave up and focused on the noises in the sickbay; the muted voices in the offices; and the quiet sensor beeps on McCoy's Bio-bed.
He was also able to hear the soft incoming footsteps of Doctor M'Benga making his rounds. "How are we doing, Mr. Spock," the doctor inquired.
"I seem to still be suffering some muscular weakness. I am unable to sit up," Spock replied.
"That's to be expected. Side effect of the Tryptophan. It will dissipate in a few days. You do not require a healing trance and I'm pleased to say that your recovery is progressing rather well."
Spock nodded.
"Your chest is clear. I expect you are not coughing any more?" asked M'Benga.
"Not anymore."
"Excellent. However, it is Dr. McCoy that I am worried most about," said M'Benga. "He seems to have developed a more severe form of the disease. His condition is worsening."
The bio-sensor over McCoy's bed suddenly beeped an urgent sound, and M'Benga quickly made his way over. "Nurse Chapel!" he called.
"Yes, Doctor?"
"Neural stimulant please. McCoy has slipped into a coma."
Chapel gasped and went quickly to fill the order.
...end of chapter 7...