Carnival

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Chapter Four

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Brandy and Ferris Wheels

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The tavern became a hive of chatter and activity as more regulars found their way through the swinging doors. Some of the newcomers sported Starfleet uniforms and managed to join into the rowdy card games and storytelling without difficulty. It was now the equivalent of midnight by Pacifica's standards, and the beer continued to roll down the bar in glasses that seemed to get bigger by the hour. The mood was friendly… almost too friendly.

Captain Kirk was engaging half the drunkards with a song he picked up on Orion. His shirt was torn from an earlier re-enactment of the brawl he managed to get caught up in on Taurus IV and some painted ladies by the piano were ogling his chest. The younger boys were joining in Kirk's discordant ballad, but none of them knew any of the words. It all came out as a sort of wail with a faint melody line. The chorus was the only thing remotely understandable, mostly because it became louder the longer the song dragged on.

Bones found himself tucked away in a grimy corner, his only company being a large tumbler full of brandy. He was perched on a barstool and scrunched against the wall while some burly alien - whose origin he couldn't quite place - kept him from having any elbow room. The doctor took a sip of what was now his fourth glass of alcohol and frowned at how the bottom of it seemed to stick to the wood of the counter. He muttered something about how coasters reflected a civilized society before running the liquid over his tongue. The taste of good brandy always reminded McCoy of Earth, and everything he had left behind.

Space never agreed with him. The cold gaping void filled with pretty lights and endless nights might sound like poetry to the average spaceman, but it was hell to the accomplished doctor. It stole him rather then enticed. It took him from his sunny days sipping cold mint juleps on his back porch. Abducted him from the simple life, where a pretty toddler sat at his feet drawing pictures of a perfect family… a broken concept that would haunt his thoughts every night till his dying day.

That devil woman took it away from him – his house, his daughter. All he had left to turn to was the emptiness. Space was his soul, and it was filled with broken things that only he could fix.

McCoy shook his head, feeling slight vertigo as he did so. Now was not the time to reminisce, and yet he caught himself in the act. He'd done enough feeling sorry for himself years ago. The man had friends now; friends he liked to torture on occasion in order to distract himself from his own misery. Where was Spock anyway?

The doctor looked blearily around the room for a pair of pointed ears. Finding none, he turned back to his drink with a frown. Maybe he had scared the Vulcan into never going on Shore Leave again. He hadn't meant to. Forcing Spock down here was similar to throwing himself into a nursery full of screaming brats. The mindlessness of it all had to be a nightmare for the poor hobgoblin.

"You're looking awfully glum tonight Doctor McCoy." Vienna said from behind him. Her fingers touched his shoulders in a light caress and McCoy found himself feeling somewhat awkward.

Women and drinking never mixed well with him. Alcohol was something to be appreciated in the company of men… like a good cigar or a dirty joke. Not that he was sexist be any means, it was just one of those old southern stand-bys he couldn't get out of his head. The doctor tried not to let his discomfort show and used his own brand of charisma to keep Vienna at bay.

"You'd be too if your drinking partner had four nostrils and more hair then a bloated tribble." Bones motioned with his eyes to the alien sitting next to him. He was met with a fearsome glare which made Bones recoil a notch. That friendly mood just turned into something sinister, but it didn't stop his tirade. "Yeah I mean you, don't you guys shave?"

Vienna tugged at McCoy's arm. "Don't pick fights… come on. Let's get some fresh air before we have to drag your captain home."

McCoy verbally resisted while his body did otherwise. He rose from his stool and swayed like a newborn deer. "Nah… Jim can drink like a fish. Him and Scotty both… they got livers of steel. I'd know... I've seen them." He was trying hard not to slur, but doing so caused his speech to slow down considerably and exhume his old southern drawl.

Vienna merely smiled and helped him stand up straight. It didn't take much, because for a man who was drunk, Bones was oddly self-aware. He took a few tentative steps as to test the ability of his legs to support his weight. When they did so he allowed Vienna to link his arm with hers and guide him towards the door. They got halfway before Bones stopped in his tracks and looked Vienna in the eyes with a curious look.

"Wait a tick, what time is it…?"

"Half past twelve, why?" Her blue eyes held his for only a moment and Bones felt fascinated by the look of puzzlement within their depths. They reminded him of the skies back in Texas…

"… S-something important…" He looked away to clear his head, but due to his alcohol intake it was nearly impossible. He spotted a woman drinking something brown out of a martini glass before it came to him. "… Spock. Spock is what it was." A mental picture of the Vulcan's stern face seemed to give Bones the clarity he required to put a coherent sentence together. "He was supposed to be meeting us with that other gal after checking in with the Enterprise. That was at 2300 hours."

The woman set a reassuring hand against the man's cheek and continued to smile as If nothing was wrong. "Then he must be running late. T'Lai is most likely keeping him busy."

Bones pulled away from her hand absently, his mind was on the missing Science Officer and nothing else. "You don't know Spock. That stiff necked son of a bitch would commit suicide before he sacrificed something like punctuality." He untangled his arm from Vienna's and spun around to find the Captain. Vienna's face warped into one of extreme annoyance before she followed after him. "I'm sure he's just delayed…"

Her words were drowned out by the collective voices of eleven caroling men being led by Kirk. They sounded like cats in heat, and the doctor was forced to cover his ears before getting close. "Jim! We may or may not have a situation!"

The Captain cut the chorus short with a look of slight confusion; the rest of his terrible choir continued without him. Jim jumped down from the table he was using as a stage with all the grace of a wounded elephant, before careening into a group of Andorians. Some of the nearby ensigns laughed and grabbed his arms to get him back to his feet. Jim chuckled along with them before correcting himself and making his way next to Doctor McCoy. "What did you s-say Bones?" He was hiccupping, and his eyes were dilated.

"Spock is late." McCoy said tersely, his volume barely making it over the background noise. A small headache was developing just above his eye due to the need to shout in order to be heard.

Jim's glassy eyes became a tad more focused at the news, but was obvious he was tipsier then Scotty on his day off. "That doesn't s-sound like Spock. That man is like clockwork… "

Bones rolled his eyes, "Glad we have that sorted out. Listen, we should check in anyway. I had enough fun and games for one night and you look like a breeze could knock you over. Damn, I'm getting dizzy just from smelling your breath."

"Ha ha doctor. Next time I need your opinion I'll… I'll order it or something. I'll contact the s-ship… just need some quiet…" He hiccupped and laughed at Bones' face when he did. "All right, I'm more then a little… intoxicated. I'll find Spock though; it'll be top priority. He'll order me to bed and we'll all be happy. Happy?"

McCoy slapped his hands on the Captain's back in response before pushing him towards the exit. They both wobbled their way through the restless crowd, tripping occasionally over a wayward foot. "Happy? Not at all. I just realized the amount of patients I'm going to have tomorrow sporting hangovers. I don't think we're equipped with that much acetaminophen."

"Just gotta smile Bones. I bet it's your constant complaining that causes half the headaches aboard the ship."

"Ha ha captain." The doctor buried the urge to kick Jim in the shins and instead pulled out the man's communicator and put it in his hands. "I suggest you get to your bunk as soon as possible before I deem it necessary to hypo you into a nice restful slumber."

"Is that your answer for everything? A jab in the neck?"

"Works for Spock, so why not?" McCoy replied as he took out one of his syringes and waved it threateningly at Kirk.

Jim gave Bones one of those looks that said, 'you wouldn't dare' before opening his communicator and dialing in the proper frequency. "Enterprise, this is Captain Kirk." He was trying to sound as sober as possible and was pretty good until he couldn't keep the smile out of his voice. "Come in Enterprise."

Static answered. Kirk tried adjusting the frequency until a faint voice could be heard within the mess of sound but their exact words were lost in the distortion. Kirk's grin began to slip, "I don't think this is a good p-point… too much interference."

The Captain looked around for a higher position. The entire carnival was a level plane, the only gains in height were from the buildings and amusement rides. He spotted a Ferris wheel nearby, and in the haze of his intoxication, the grin came back onto his face. "Hey Bones! Wanna go for a ride? We could get Vienna to let them s-stop us at the top for a minute or two while I get a clear s-signal." Jim hiccupped all the way through his words, making Bones shake his head and wave his arms in a dismissive gesture.

"Hell no. You are NOT getting me on that death trap. No way." He stubbornly crossed his arms and firmly planted his feet as if to say they were never going to leave the safety of the ground. "Your mind is in no state to be planning anything Jim. Let's just… wait out the static."

Vienna smiled at the both of them. "On the contrary, that sounds like a perfect way to end the night…"

"See! Vienna agrees with me. Up there it's quiet and we'll most definitely have the clearest s-signal possible. We can even beam out from t-there."

Bones could not believe what he was hearing. "Are you out of your mind!"

"Yeah... a little bit... but that's what makes it fun! C'mon Bones, you're as tense as Spock. Live a little. It's only a Ferris Wheel."

"You'll throw up on me."

Jim managed to sigh and keep that grin plastered on his face. "Don't make me order you on there. It's a possible s-solution and I'm going to take it."

"I'll order you unfit for ordering me anywhere. I'm staying on the ground where I won't die from transfiguring myself into a pancake. You can barely stand without toppling, and you're going to put your ass up there?"

Vienna put a hand on each of the officers. "Now boys, how about the Captain and I go on the Ferris Wheel while the doctor waits for us on the ground? Then we'll get the message to your ship, tell them that you're going to beam out in five minutes from the point you arrived at earlier, and then do so. I can keep an eye on Jim the entire time to make sure he doesn't do anything silly." She winked at McCoy.

The captain nodded drunkenly, "Spoken like a true sober person. If Spock were here, he'd probably be you…" He pointed at Vienna, but distracted himself in mid motion by catching one of her golden curls and rubbing it between his index finger and thumb. It was like silk. The woman kissed Jim on the cheek like a mother would a distracted child before steering him in the direction of the Ferris wheel. "Let's go then, I'm worried you're going to pass out on me."

"Wouldn't that be a relief…" Bones grumbled as he followed, feeling perfectly functional when compared to his captain - despite nearly walking into a pole after his first three steps.

The Ferris wheel was one of the largest things in the Carnival, standing at an impressive 600 ft. It had circular platforms with a ring of comfortable looking seats on the outside for the passengers to enjoy. By the looks of it, each platform could carry about eight people.

The operator of the ride was a thin man who reminded Bones of a weasel in a suit. As soon as the three of them approached, he raised a hat and strolled over to Vienna.

"My dear! How good to see you again." His voice was as smooth as butter, instantly making the doctor dislike him; McCoy could sense a salesman a mile away by voice alone, and this man was selling something. "Who are your charming friends?"

He looked to the very drunk Captain and the cranky doctor with a bit of a nervous twitch. Jim launched into his regular introduction as if he were hailing a foreign vessel. "I am Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. We mean you no…" He hiccupped, but this time it sounded like he had to suppress the urge to vomit before continuing, "… harm."

Bones looked from the Captain to the operator with a bemused smirk. "I'm his doctor."

"Then shouldn't you be seeing to… err… his… illness?" The man sounded like the type of coward who would get queasy looking at any fluids meant to be inside a body, and not out of it.

"Are you kidding? This is karma at work, and I'm not one to mess with forces beyond my profession." He meant to say that with a serious face, but it was difficult keeping the maniacal grin off his features.

The operator seemed to stare through the both of them as if looking for the light at the end of the tunnel. Bones mentally snickered and reveled in the fact that nothing would save the man now except for a very good steam cleaner. Vienna looked apologetic. "Bernard, they need to contact their ship, but there is too much interference. Do you mind giving us a boost? It will only take a minute… and you can put it on my tab."

Bernard's mouth swallowed air like a fish. Her request made him speechless as he looked to the now queasy Jim Kirk. "Him? My beautiful cradles will be ruined by his… upheaval."

"Charge it to me dear."

She took the man's hands in hers and leaned in close to his face. Bernard was no match for those long lashes and pouty lips and soon waved them through, though he did not look pleased.

Jim hopped over to where a platform was waiting and nearly stumbled into it when he didn't see the small steps leading up to the posh flooring. Vienna assisted him into a padded seat like a patient nurse before waving to Doctor McCoy. "We'll be back before you know it."

McCoy leaned against a pole that supported a string of wires that no doubt powered the large machination. "Just don't let him near the edge, even if he needs to regurgitate…!"

Vienna nodded and sat down next to Jim; He was looking like an excited child. The wheel began to turn and Kirk felt his stomach leap up into his throat. Vienna put a hand on his thigh and cocked her head slightly. The lights of the Ferris wheel seemed to shine off her hair like diamonds on a sea of honey. The disco ball effect did nothing to sooth his sudden nausea.

"So Jim, tell me… now that we're alone... what are you afraid of?"

Jim laughed at the oddity of the question. The action was strained since he was beginning to feel very sick and he worried the action would make a literal mess of things. "I'm a Captain of a Starship. I don't fear anything." Maybe it was his slurring that gave him away, because Vienna didn't buy a word of it.

"You're lying to me Jim… I see it in those eyes of yours."

Her words made him look to the floor of their private capsule. "Vienna, I have hundreds of lives at my fingertips. I have lost handfuls of men to miscalculations as well as my own tendency to get into trouble no matter how harmless a mission seems to be…"

The woman's face drank in the information with an eagerness that made Jim's smile twitch. "Yet, I wouldn't call that fear. Fear is only of the unknown… and I know death, Vienna." The seriousness that crept into his voice noticeably stunned the Doll, and she tried to comprehend a way to get him to elaborate. Jim gave a cocky smirk in response and changed the subject. "I bet you thought I was just some sailor coming to harbor; all smiles and stripes, looking for a girl to make him feel alive…"

His hazel eyes were smoldering, and for once Vienna was caught in someone else's net. "But…" Jim put his hand over hers and leaned in close, "I always feel alive Vienna. I'm looking for a girl to make me feel like I've died..." His lips hovered over hers, "… and gone to heaven."

The moment was too much for her. She froze and refused to look him in the eye.

"McCoy was right… that breath of yours is something amazing…" Vienna pulled back, a reddish tint to her cheeks. "We're near the top; you probably should ready your communicator…"

Jim looked up and his eyes widened. They were only a few meters from the inner surface of the bubble that separated them from the suffocating depths of Pacifica's ocean. Phosphorescing figures darted in the water like fireflies, making the Captain think of home. The lights of the Ferris wheel illuminated a few meters of the inky blackness, and Jim swore he saw a Selkie, one of the native species on the planet, staring back at him when they reached the top.

"Jim, the message?"

Kirk tore his eyes away and flipped the communicator open. "Captain Kirk to the Enterprise."

Immediately a clear response came through. "Captain, this is Ensign Phillips from communications. I read you loud and clear."

"Ensign, tell Mr. Scott that there will be two to beam aboard in ten minutes at the co-ordinates we used to first beam down. Copy that?"

"Copy. I'm to tell Mr. Scott, two to beam back in ten minutes at the old co-ordinates." The voice sounded a little uncertain, making Kirk wish that Uhura was the one at her station. "Good. Has anyone seen Mr. Spock?"

The signal started to wane was they descended. "He hasn't been - bridge for the last six hour – he was cle- board a little more then an hour ago. I think we're breaking up… -tain."

Jim looked at his communicator as static re-emerged. He frowned. "Strange… the closer to the Carnival we get, the more it's effected. I wonder if it's the water or if it's whatever the place was built on." He placed the device in his pocket before staring at Vienna. "So… where were we?"

"Talking about your fears."

Jim shook his head. "Can't tell all the pretty faces I see my weaknesses. I have this annoying trend of attracting the ones that want to kill me." His hiccups were wearing off, but the urge to vomit was still there.

"I thought you trusted me…" Vienna looked hurt by his comment. "I thought your friend Spock was the paranoid one out of the lot of you."

"Spock is never paranoid. He is careful… meticulous even, but never paranoid." Jim took a deep breath to steady his stomach then went to stand. The vertigo nearly made him topple over. "Here I was thinking I'd be getting more sober!" He laughed like a giddy teenager, "Shoulda known…"

The platform came back to the ground and Vienna assisted the Captain out of the capsule. Bernard looked relieved to find that it was vomit free. Kirk patted the man on the back, "Thanks for the ride Bernard, I owe you one." He wobbled down the steps to the pole they left Bones by, but Jim stopped in mid-stride. His heart seemed to sink into his churning stomach as he realized no one was there.

McCoy was missing.

Authors Note:

I apologize ahead of time for the terrible proof reading. I keep messing with this chapter, and I decided just to put the sucker up and hope for the best. I was having fun writing for Kirk. As much as I adore Spock, I can relate to Kirk easier. He's my least favorite out of the trio, but if I had to compare myself to any of them... I'm definately a Kirk.

On the suject of the story. Both Spock AND McCoy are "missing". What is drunken Kirk going to do now? Next chapter is going to be interesting. A lot of questions will be answered, and maybe some dolls will get what they deserve.

Please review. I'm a sad panda and dependant on your little rays of sunchine.

EDIT: Forgot to mention. Pairings for this story are up to reviewers. Lack of pairings too as well as "please for the love of god not 'blank/blank'". I've set it up any which way and now I'm not sure which way to lean.