"I told you you'd pass." Nyota said smiling near Janice's shoulder.

Janice just stood beaming in the ship's rec room, staring at the results of the yeoman's test displayed prominently on the vidscreen.

Atkins, Doris

Barrows, Tonia

Burke, Brandon

Jamal, Zahra

Landon, Martha

Rand, Janice

Closing her eyes, she let out a long, slow breath. She'd made it. From across the rec room, she noticed the ship's personnel officer approaching.

"Congratulations, Yeoman Rand," Ensign Wong said, handing her a padd. "Here's your new orders. Your new room assignment is 3F 125 on Deck 12. You'll be bunking with Yeoman Barrows."

Janice was still grinning as Wong strolled off. She said goodbye to Nyota and headed for her quarters to pack as she began to scan through the orders on the padd.

The Captain hadn't moved from his command chair since just after the fight with the Romulan ship. Around him, the members of the bridge crew were quiet as they went about their duties. It was odd. The Bridge was usually a riot of noise and activity. Now, in the wake of the battle and with shipmates missing aboard the Sarah Spencer, a stillness seemed to hang in the air. There were a few reports exchanged as repairs were made, but otherwise the room was uncomfortably silent.

Janice cleared her throat from behind the Captain, several padds clutched in her arms.

"Yes?"

She stepped forward and held a padd out to Kirk, "Casualty reports from Doctor McCoy, Captain."

He took the report but didn't look at it, still staring out at the expanse of the Iota Virginis system stretching out before the ship.

"Did we lose anyone?"

It had been little more than a week since Janice had become a yeoman, but the Captain had already seemed to notice her attention to detail and flawless memory. He was right, she'd already glanced at the report and quoted it without referring to her notes.

"No deaths, sir. Four crewmen from Damage Control Team Alpha are in Sickbay with second-degree burns. Lieutenants McCormack and Nagata are in still in intensive care, but the Doctor is confident they'll pull through. There are fourteen other injuries, but McCoy has deemed them minor and turned them over to Doctor M'Benga."

Kirk nodded, and turned his gaze back to the viewport. "Keep me informed."

Janice cleared her throat again, and Kirk swiveled toward her as she offered him another padd. "Update on the repairs to the warp drive from Lieutenant DeSalle, sir."

This time Kirk took the report and hurriedly began scanning through it. Janice waited patiently next to the command chair. As Kirk read, she considered the man.

She'd certainly been struck by his charm when she came aboard, and his looks certainly hadn't hurt either. In the week since she'd become a yeoman, he'd playfully flirted a few times, but she'd quickly realized he took that casual attitude with most people.

Now though, she was seeing a new side of him. With the ship in trouble and members of his crew in danger out on that freighter, he was all business. Now she was recognizing why Starfleet Command had let him keep the Enterprise after the incident with the Narada. Whatever his command style may be, he truly cared about his ship and the people on it.

Kirk finished reading and sprang out of the command chair. He handed the reports back to Janice as he started for the turbolift.

"You're with me, Yeoman. You have the bridge, Spock."

"Aye, sir." Janice hurriedly said as she followed the Captain. He impatiently took hold of the lift handle and was already speaking as she got inside.

"Main Engineering."

He crossed his arms and stared at the level indicator as the lift took them away from the bridge. Janice glanced over at him. At the hard look in those blue eyes as the indicator counted down.

"Are you all right, sir?" she chanced.

What are you doing! she thought.

Kirk was silent for a moment, still staring at the lift indicator as the car slowed and approached Main Engineering. Finally he spoke, not meeting her gaze.

"They're my responsibility, Janice." he said, startling her by using her first name. "Scotty and the others are my responsibility and I left them. I'm not resting till we have them back."

Janice nodded. "Yes, sir."

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, she thought. Tentatively, she reached out and put a hand on his arm. He met her gaze then, and gave her a small smile while she stared at his stunning blue eyes.

She jerked her hand away as the lift doors opened, and Kirk stormed out into Main Engineering.

"What's this about another delay, Mr. DeSalle? We have people out there..."

Janice tried to slow the heart she hadn't known had been racing, and followed her Captain.