Olivia groaned and swore under her breath. The hunger was eating her alive. She didn't care at this point what contact she got as long as she got it. Though the more she tried to avoid it, the more Olivia's mind wandered to McCoy. His lips. . .his hands. . .god damnit, it was enough to drive a woman crazy. Again she flung herself to the ground, this time on her left side but it did no good. She still couldn't silence the voices in her head pushing her to try to break from these bonds. The problem was she knew she could do it but fought to resist the urge.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" Sara's taunting voice might as well have been lemon juice squeezed into the wound made to her pride. She practically threw herself at Leo and he didn't even flinch. Well, actually, that wasn't true. He seemed to be enjoying it as much as she was even if he did sneak a hypospray in at the end. Round 1 may belong to him but there were many rounds and she was getting quite desperate.

Even though her mind was preoccupied, Olivia found the strength to keep herself under control enough to glare at Sara.

"Shut up."

"I don't understand why you're fighting this."

"Because I've already made a fool of myself once. He didn't want me then so why would he want me now?"

Sara opened her mouth to protest but quickly shut it when McCoy strode into the room. Olivia caught herself lingering on his arms and forced herself to squeeze her eyes shut and struggle to keep her breathing under control and her signs of losing control to a minimum. The struggle was a failure on both accounts, though Olivia wasn't surprised. McCoy was a medical professional after all, she bet he knew some pretty intricate things about female anatomy. The thought gave her a list of ideas, which sent her body frenzying back to the point of no control.

"Liv."

She growled, hating when he used that name. It only made her want to fight harder against the restraints he'd put her in. It was lucky Sara was there to keep her civilized side present so that she didn't go completely crazy.

"Are you two ready?"

"Sure I am. Just not sure I want to carry crazy here. Honestly I think it should be left to the big. . . strong. . . man." Olivia noticed the tiny emphasis Sara put on each of the three last words, taking a step closer.

"Sara, not you too." His hand shot back for a hypospray.

"Don't worry," she purred. "I'll try to be gentle, though I can't make any promises."

McCoy had no time to react before Sara flung herself on him. Olivia lurched forward and watched with a clenched jaw and fists. Sara had forgotten how good this felt and slowly the urge building in her stomach began to die down. Olivia watched in horror as the person she despised most snaked her arms around the man she so desperately loved.

Loved? No, that was impossible. She didn't love him. She couldn't.

Even as she repeated her argument to herself, the sight of the two very passionate lovers stirred within her a raging ocean of anger, guilt and regret.

"Please," she whispered. "Please, no. I love you. . ."

"Gellar."

She felt herself tossing her head in defiance.

"Gellar, wake up!"

Somewhere in the far reaches Olivia could feel something, or rather someone, shaking her shoulder. She slowly opened her eyes to see the silhouette of a doctor leaning over her.

"How am I doing?" He looked at her with shock. "That bad?"

The man talked furiously and in a language she did not recognize. That was then she realized no was no longer in the caves. The room was all white, sterile like an Earth hospital. The sanitation smell choked the air from her already sputtering lungs. She was no doctor but she could feel the severe lack of oxygen in the air here. There was a whoosh in the distance followed by the light sound of footsteps. There was more talking in that strange language.

"Stop talking."

The doctor figure left and returned with a tray of needles. Her eyes, like tiny daggers, followed his every move. Olivia saw the needle glinting in the exam lamplight and immediately began to struggle. Several large guards threw themselves on her. No matter how hard she screamed, Olivia could not escape. She felt the needle pierce the skin on her right arm and the liquid quickly escaped into her system. Drossiness wrapped her in its blanket of warmth, beckoning her into sleep.

"No."

"You need to stop fighting us. We're trying to help you."

Even in her delirious state, Olivia knew Sara's voice.

"What the fuck did you do to me?"

Sara stepped into the light, looking far too smug for Olivia's comfort. Her hair was pulled into a bun, which accentuated the intricate designs around her eyes and down her cheeks. Glinting with amusement, Sara's eyes danced over Olivia. They stopped on her arms. Olivia reluctantly took her gaze away from Sara and nearly screamed. On both of her arms were splotches of a bluish rash. They varied in size and hue but were consistent in being annoying and damn itchy.

"What is this?"

"Now that you're out of the caves, the substance isn't going to affect you anymore. Unfortunately for you but fortunate for us, humans are very similar to these people. They needed a test subject. You and Doctor Kolshar worked out nicely."

"You bitch. What have you done with Erin?"

"I'd worry more about yourself. This disease isn't pleasant. It'll kill you in a matter of days. That is, if Doctor Kolshar doesn't cooperate. If she does, then you just might live."

"How did I get here? The caves? Leo. . .what have you done with him?" She ended her sentence in a sharp gasp and several short breaths.

"Careful, Gellar. You wouldn't want to wear yourself thin, especially during the next treatment. And I got us out of the caves. I knew where the exits were the whole time."

"How?"

"I had my resources. McCoy just thought it was luck and how unfortunate luck would be that when you and I went though, the passage caved in and we were trapped. But never fear, I was able to direct him to another entrance. I made sure he got out and back onto the Enterprise before Bartal and his team snuck us here. Deep underground, even the Enterprise's sensors won't find us. "

Olivia scowled. "This is low even for you."

"Survival of the fittest my dear. I have it made here. No worries, no danger. That man who they accused me of seducing is going to marry me. He's very influential and was able to spare me your fate as long as I provided a replacement. I'd almost given up hope until the Enterprise came into communications range. I planned on grabbing Uhura but seeing as how both you and Erin were on the same ship, well, I just couldn't help myself."

"You realize how much trouble you'll be in when we take you back to Starfleet?"

"You assume I plan to go back. You also assume I didn't take care of some things back home. Trust me. This place will be left alone."

"Then you underestimate the people who are looking for me."

"Again," she took a bite from a piece of fruit she'd been holding. "Already taken care of. You should rest. The treatment can be brutal."

Olivia was about to argue when tiny explosions started ripping apart her brain. She jerked against the bonds holding her to the table and fought the urge to cry, failing miserably.

Meanwhile, two scientists watched and recorded the results.

"Perhaps not so much Barezden-B next time?"

"Yes, the patient still exhibits signs of the disease. How long until next treatment?"

"Approximately three hours. Enough time to do another test on the other human female."

They called in three guards to watch Olivia and left the room, their ears still ringing with the shrill screams.

************************************************************************

The pain was sharp and pierced through Erin's resolve. Whatever these monsters had injected her with was working quickly through her system. Patches of excruciating heat flared under the surface of her skin until her entire body burned hotter than a raging supernova. Behind a dirt and sweat caked rag, her eyes squeezed shut to stop the tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. Thick restraints dug into her wrists and ankles as she thrashed in an attempt too escape. Escape the pain, the despair, the hopelessness.

No, she screamed partly in her mind and partly through the mesh cloth that filled her dry mouth. Can't give up. Won't. . .give up. Stop. Please. Stop.

And then the unthinkable happened. The pain stopped, ebbing slowly back into the darkness. With her body left in shock, it took Erin a moment to bring her breathing and heart beat back to a normal rhythm. A rough hand smacked her face and ripped away the blindfold.

"You must stop fighting us."

Her eyes narrowed on the gangly alien who dared tried to act tough. Were she not restrained, Erin had no doubt she could take this sorry excuse of a medical scientist. See how he liked it if she injected him with this horrible substance.

"Now don't look at us like that. Wouldn't you do everything you could to save you people?"

Erin swallowed as best she could. Before strapping her down, the scientists explained that their people are suffering from a disease much like the one that had nearly wiped their population out thousands of years ago and the substance in the caves wasn't working anymore.

"We need to study your response to our cures. How do you feel?"

Even though the cloth had now been removed, Erin shut her mouth and turned it down into a scowl.

The second scientist sighed and turned roughly on his partner. "You see, Claron? Didn't I tell you that the humans wouldn't cooperate?"

Claron picked up a new vial, a new cure to test her body's reaction to. "Maybe not now. It appears that she needs to be stimulated. Another viewing perhaps?"

Erin's heart stopped and without being able to stop herself she jerked forward. The restraints allowed her enough room to be a couple inches short of reach from the monsters who justified this act of malevolence for the name of science.

The two scientists smiled, crooked and with far more pleasure than anyone should ever show. Claron turned to a small woman standing at the back of the room. "You," he ordered. "Tell Bartal to prepare the captain."

"No." Erin's screams turned into sobs. She hated herself for being so weak. Now Kirk would have to endure yet another torture session. The last time his unconscious body had to be dragged from the room. Another ten minutes later, he was awake and prepped for another round. "Please. Not another."

They stopped and turned to face Erin with those goddamn smiles that chilled her very bones to ice. "You will cooperate?"

"If you don't stop this, many more of us will come. You will be outmatched. Stop this now and the consequences won't be as bad. We can even help your people."

Claron's face softened and Erin thought maybe some progress had been made when his partner smacked him hard in the shoulder. A few words later, both scientists were striding out the door. A team of large guards came in and dragged her through the halls.

The torture room was not unlike anything Erin had ever seen. It was bare save for the device and another chair where Erin was strapped to and forced to watch. In a moment the double doors at the other end of the room would open and Kirk would be carried in. What surprised Erin was that even through this experience, every time Kirk was brought in, his face was contorted into one of taunting. Even his lips, curved into a half-smile, seemed to defy the pain that was evidenced by the cuts and bruises covering nearly half his body.

"What's the matter, Doctor Kolshar? Miss me already?"

Erin couldn't stop the smile tugging at her lips. But of course it died when her gaze caught Kirk's grossly mangled body. Half his fingers on each hand had been broken and crudely shoved back into their sockets. Bruises trailed the side of his face and down under his torn to shreds shirt. Blood and sweat mixed together on his face, neck and chest, which heaved noticeably from the lack of oxygen this far underground.

"Are you ok?"

He winked, "Never better."

Bartal barked something to the other guards who ripped Kirk away and shoved him into the chair of the device.

"So Doctor Kolshar. Will you cooperate?"

She hadn't the chance to answer before Kirk started laughing. "Of course she won't. What, do you think she's an idiot?"

"Captain Kirk. . ."

"Don't talk Kolshar, that's an order."

Bartal began to laugh and grabbed Erin by the chin. "Oh you will talk. Even if I have to make you myself. I don't like to lose."

His face was close enough that Erin could describe what he had for dinner for the past thirty years. Thick and coarse fingers ran through her hair, pulling her face dangerously close to his. A small squeak breached her throat, showing fear for the first time. Bartal laughed; it was a sick and sadistic sound that brought Erin dangerously close to tears of fear.

"Let her go."

Bartal turned around to a pair of brilliantly flashing blue eyes. Kirk was jerking against his restraints. With a mere wave of his wrist, the two guards by Kirk slammed the ends of their weapons into either side of his ribs. A sharp and sickening crack echoed throughout the chamber that Erin knew to be Kirk's ribs breaking.

Short gasps of pain gave way to horrific screams, which broke Erin's heart in two. Try as she might to struggle, she still could not break the bonds holding her in the chair.

Suddenly a blast filled the air. The doors behind Erin burst open. A couple of bodies flew back into the room among the rubble, unconscious but still alive as far as Erin could tell.

"Lower your weapons."

She knew that voice. That was Commander Hallon's voice.

"Drop them now, damnit."

That voice. It couldn't be. That was Doctor McCoy's grumbling voice. She could just see his scowl and imagined the anger behind his dark eyes. She heard footsteps to indicate a great number of security officers. They quickly took down the remaining guards in the room, including Bartal and his once smug look was replaced by one of anger and fear.

"Erin!" Hallon jumped to her side and tore at her restraints. A sense of relief flooded her wrists as she rubbed the sore area. Her eyes darted to Kirk who still sat limp in the chair. His nose had been broken and dried blood filled most of his face.

"Help me with him."

"Non-sense. Hallon, get her out of here."

"With pleasure." He scooped Erin up in his arms and waited for McCoy to release Kirk and help his friend limp from the chair.

"Not so fast."

A shot from a phaser flew by Hallon's head. Four pairs of eyes turned in horror to Bartal who held a phaser tightly in his grasp. He shot again, this time hitting Hallon square in the chest. He fell against the wall and took Erin with him down to the floor.

"Go," Hallon gasped. "Get out of here."

Bartal was advancing quickly, phaser aimed directly at Hallon. Erin's heart began beating wildly against her chest. "Get Kirk out of here. Now!"

Bartal's hand enclosed around Hallon's throat. Slowly Hallon's breathing became shallower until his strength began to fade. Bartal smiled and pressed the phaser against Hallon's cheek about to fire when Erin shot out her leg to catch his knee. She applied enough force that another sickening crack filled the room. Screaming, Bartal went crashing to the floor. She pounced on him and together they went tumbling into the chair.

Bartal shook his head. "You are foolish." Laughter filled the space between them. "You let me lead you here. You see, our intention was never to let you go. It's nothing personal. . .just orders." Using his obviously superior strength, Bartal aimed the phaser at the control panel and fired.

A bright light filled the ceiling and descended onto the chair where it created a small force field around the two of them. This was new and the realization made Erin's heart double its pace.

"What are you doing?"

She didn't have to wait long. Her question was answered when a new panel in the ceiling opened up and a green liquid came shooting in. Within a minute the mixture had covered both of them. Immediately Erin stood when the mixture created a burning sensation against her skin. Not water but not acid.

"Erin."

The voice was dim like Hallon was at the end of a very long tunnel. She looked up to see McCoy pounding at the force field while Hallon analyzed the control panel. She heard him swear and smash his fist against the nearby wall.

"Come on! Think Erin! Which one is the force field? Erin!" Erin stole a glance to Hallon. Their eyes met across the room. Taking in whatever breath she could muster, Erin pounded against the force field and said only one phrase. Three words over and over again.

"I love you." She repeated it for the third time before the mixture went above her head. She desperately clawed against the field and tried to push up to get air but it was no use. She always fell to the bottom where the solution fought to gain entrance to her body. A light-headedness feeling captured her senses, sending her into a spiral of weakness.

Meanwhile Hallon's eyes poured over every symbol, every switch, every button but nothing seemed to resemble a force field. He pulled at his hair and clutched the weapon at his side tighter. He couldn't shoot the cage without possibly injuring Erin. Still, he had to do something. His fingers went to work typing in the codes that he hoped would work.

"Damnit! Come on!" His shouts were meaningless and just earned her more time of listening to Erin's half screams half gurgles echoing from inside the force field.

"Commander!"

"I know. I know." Hallon continued to type furiously in the hopes of finding the correct combination of commands. "One minute."

"She doesn't have a minute."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Hallon's mind wandered over all the symbols and managed to compute a decent set of commands that wouldn't end in failure. He typed them in and held his breath but nothing happened. McCoy watched Erin's open hand slap against the field and slide down as her strength faded away into nothing.

"Wait. I've got it!" Hallon tried again and this time was met with success. The mixture came shooting out, carrying with it Erin's limp body. McCoy was there first, analyzing her with his tricorder. Hallon fell to his knees and tried wiping away the green liquid. Her skin was red from the contact and moved like something was underneath it and trying to break through. Wide, blood shot eyes stared straight down at the floor.

"Erin." Hallon's voice shook. "Erin."

"Get her. We need to get out of here now." McCoy pulled Kirk's arm over his shoulder and stood with his communicator opened and active. "McCoy to Enterprise. Four to beam up."

Once safely aboard the Enterprise, McCoy went to work repairing the damage done to Kirk and Erin. He swore heavily with each minute as new discoveries were made and the list of injuries went on. He couldn't wait to get his hands on whoever had done this. His thoughts then shifted to Olivia. How could he have just left her on the surface of the planet like that?

Meanwhile Commander Hallon reported to Jackson and Spock.

Jackson's anger multiplied when he learned of Olivia's fate. "I just can't believe one of our own would do this."

"Sara was not part of either of our crews."

"She is human. No human would dare. . .what could she have been thinking?"

"It would seem futile to dwell on this especially when Lieutenant Gellar is still down on the planet. According to McCoy's report, she has only three hours and six minutes before. . ."

Hallon threw up a hand. "Please, don't say it."

Hours later McCoy was washing up from one of the nastier, more complicated surgeries he'd ever done. Kirk now lay on a biobed and it was up to his body what their next move would be. At least McCoy could be comforted knowing his friend was a fighter and would not give in so easily. It was a small comfort but a comfort nonetheless.

He was called down to the bridge where Spock filled the chair, which only emphasized Kirk's absence. Captain Jackson paced back and forth, looking like an old man more than an authoritative commanding officer. His eyes were tired, slipping half closed as if he were fighting off sleep.

Spock was on the bridge and could hear McCoy's disconcerted approach. "How is the captain?"

McCoy rolled his eyes at the goblin's flat tone. "Your concern is smothering me."

"I do not believe an emotional response will increase the rate of Captain Kirk's recovery."

"How is he, doctor?" Even though Jackson's voice was scratchy and weak, he maintained an air of command unseen in either of the two officers.

"It's up to him. I've done all I can."

"When do you think he will regain consciousness?"

McCoy's fingers massaged throbbing temples. "Hell if I know. Not for another ten or so hours if he's lucky." McCoy shifted his weight and ran a steady hand through his hair. "Have you contacted Starfleet?"

A tension fell between Spock and Jackson. "Captain Jackson and I spoke with them. They have given us our orders."

"Orders," he repeated the word slowly and with a suspicious hesitation. "What orders?"

"We are to leave the planet immediately and never return."

*

Author's Note: dunh…Dunh…DUNH!!!!!!! Yay for cliffhangers. I'm really sorry I haven't been updating as regularly but college has been busier than I thought it was going to be. I'm going to focus all my efforts on Hunger and then switch to my other stories. Updates may be few and far between but I'll try to make them as high quality as I can.

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Thanks to all my reviewers!!!! You guys make my day when the teachers pile on the homework!!!!

-Trekky18