I do not own Star Trek. Many thanks go to the 'great bird in the sky' for creating Star Trek and the memorable and beloved characters.
Chapter 1
Captain James T. Kirk opened his eyes and stretched luxuriously. His sleep had been uninterrupted and no alarm had been set to wake him. Dr McCoy had overridden the computer's standing waking orders, very much against the younger man's arguments. The various bruises and freshly healed cuts protested at his movement. Ignoring the not inconsiderable pain, Kirk sat up and swung his legs off his bunk. He rested a moment rubbing the sleep from his face and he yawned again.
„Computer, date and time", he requested.
„Stardate 6251.2, ship's time 1030 hours."
His jaw snapped shut mid-yawn. „What?" he exclaimed in a loud voice. The computer, as programmed, patiently repeated its information.
„I don't believe it!" he mumbled. „Status!" he managed to say crisply.
„Ship is running on skeleton crew. All systems functioning normally." So what was the rest of his crew doing? The captain decided to investigate.
He pulled on a neatly pressed uniform, slicked back his hair and grinned at his reflection. He did look a lot better than the last glimpse he had had of himself - in fact he could hardly remember when he had last looked so rested. Not surprising, he thought, considering how long he had slept.
The doors to his cabin slid apart and he stepped through - or rather he tried. Standing in his way was the ship's doctor.
„Where do you think you are going, Sir?" he snapped.
Kirk opened his mouth to answer when he realized McCoy was only asking rhetorically.
Without giving him a chance to reply the older man had added: „I meant it when I said bed-rest!"
„Which you ensured I got", the captain grinned.
„Too right!" McCoy was still angry.
The captain put his head on one side. „So what did you slip me?"
The doctor sensed the underlying anger in the quiet tone.
„I don't know what you are talking about!" The doctor's face was just slightly flushed.
„C'mon, Bones!I just slept thirty-two hours without stirring." The blue and hazel eyes met. Neither gave an inch.
„And how do you feel?" Leonard McCoy asked, all medical man.
„Rested." Jim Kirk could be just as obstructive as his friend. „Fit for duty", he added, challengingly.
„That's for me to say!" The triumph in the doctor's voice was unmistakable. „Sickbay, Jim!" Kirk sighed and reluctantly accompanied his friend to what he privately thought of as a torture chamber.
„Good morning, captain", Nurse Chapel greeted him. He nodded at her. McCoy patted a diagnostics bed.
„Hop up here, Jim!" The younger man scowled - but he had no choice. The doctor didn't miss the wince as Jim heaved himself onto the hard bed, but he pretended to ignore it, just as the captain ignored the concerned look the older man gave him.
Jim lay impatiently while his doctor studied the read-outs and made „Mmm" noises with a serious face. At one point he shook his head. Kirk couldn't contain himself any longer.
„Well?" he prompted.
„How are those bruises, Jim?"
„What bruises?"
McCoy poked him. „That one and that one, for starters."
The captain winced and grinned boyishly. „Ouch?"
„I thought so. Take your shirt off - I want to look at those cuts."
„Fuss, fuss, fuss", Kirk muttered. The doctor prodded his bare torso some more and smiled in satisfaction as his reluctant patient winced.
„All right, Bones, you've made your point!" Kirk's patience was running out fast.
„You should take things easy for a couple of days. Even your body needs time to heal."
„I'm fine." The idea of resting up horrified the dynamic man.
„Well seeing as there is no red alert - right now - I suppose I could pass you fit for light duties - like that stack of paperwork I noticed on your desk." Jim groaned. „Doctor's orders!" McCoy grinned. „I'm not allowing you back on that bridge until you've dealt with it. - Some of it could be important."
They locked eyes - and Jim knew that McCoy meant exactly what he said. Raising his hands in defeat, he muttered: „Okay, okay!" The doctor raised an eyebrow but said nothing as his captain slid gingerly off the bed and pulled his tunic back on.
Kirk paused in the door, looked back and asked: „Do I at least get breakfast before I start?"
„Of course, I'm not a monster!" The captain remained silent, but the look he sent his friend spoke volumes. Then he shrugged and strode stiffly towards the nearest turbo-lift.
He entered the mess-hall which was surprisingly full for this time of day. As he made his way to the food synthesizers, he was aware that the subdued babble of voices faded to silence. When he ordered his coffee and toast, his voice sounded loud in his own ears. He turned to face his crew, breakfast tray in hands and was uncharacteristically abashed at the broad grins that greeted him. Somebody started the clapping, and his cheeks pinkened at the sudden applause.
Then as suddenly as it had begun the applause stopped at the crew came to their feet at attention as a man. Kirk found his voice. Huskily he said: „As you were. - And thank you."
The adoration in which his crew held him never ceased to move him, as well as make him aware of the responsibility to live up to their expectations. The babble resumed again, this time the usual excited buzz he was used to hearing.
The captain settled in a quiet corner and munched his toast. He wouldn't have admitted it to anybody, but the brief amount of time he had been up so far had pretty much exhausted him. He drank the coffee, and grimaced. He had almost forgotten how bad this stuff tasted in comparison to the real coffee his yeoman brought him.
Most eyes followed the captain as he left the mess hall and as gatherings broke up as people went about their business there was an atmosphere of purpose that had been lacking ever since the captains unconscious form had been brought back to his ship. Within an hour of Kirk's appearance, the whole ship knew that their commander was back on his feet, with the exception of the bridge crew.
That was rectified as the captain's yeoman stepped through the doors and started to pull reports from the captain's conn onto her conn-padd. Spock looked up from the science screen where he was monitoring an experiment taking place in the science lab. He stifled the question that sprang to his lips - asking what she was doing was illogical.
Janice Rand looked up and met the first officer's dark eyes. He had raised a querying eyebrow - the closest he would get to enquiring her business, she knew. She smiled at him. Spock dropped the eyebrow and went back to his monitor. Yeoman Rand realized that the bridge crew hadn't yet been informed of the latest developments. They all looked glum, even Uhura who was usually so cheerful. Loud enough for all to hear, she said:
„Captain Kirk was seen in the mess hall an hour ago."
The results were electrifying. Uhura straightened and her lips curved in a warm smile. Sulu swung round to grin at Chekov who whooped and then ducked his head in embarrassment, his eyes sliding sideways to the figure in blue still bent over the monitor. Spock felt a flash of relief - and stamped it down hard. He waited a moment before straightening and saying calmly:
„That is - gratifying to know, yeoman. However, Mister Chekov, the state of the captain's health does not require you to make such a display."
„No, sir." The navigator risked an open look at his superior officer. Was he imagining it, or had Spock's face lost some of the tension everybody had noted since the incident five days ago when he had carried the injured captain off the shuttlecraft and to sickbay? Uhura exchanged a look with Sulu.
Uhura said carefully: „Mister Chekov was just expressing our pleasure at the captain's recovery. - After all, Mister Spock, we are only human."
„That is so, Lieutenant", Spock said gravely, but the communications officer was sure she saw a flash of the same sentiment in his eyes.
It was an open secret on board the Enterprise, that Spock did have emotions, for all he denied them, and that over the years he had developed a closeness to both his captain and the ship's doctor that the humans could only define as a affectionate friendship. None of the three men ever referred to it in any way and the rest of the crew took it as a fact of their existence. Only new crew members might make a remark about it, but soon the strangeness wore off.
None of the senior officers were surprised when Spock left the bridge after a few minutes, leaving Sulu at the conn. They didn't need to comment on it, and they all knew without being told, that the first officer would now be heading towards the captain's cabin. Sulu touched a few buttons and the view from the main screen changed.
„Pavel, plot a course round those three yellow stars on the right, but no sudden moves to alert Scotty." Chekov grinned. If Hikaru was ready to take up the game of wits against the engineer, things were back to normal. Uhura shook her head.
„I'm the one who gets the earful!" she complained good-naturedly, and turned down the volume for the direct link to engineering in preparation for the Scotsman's outburst.
Spock knocked on Kirk's door.
„Come in!" The door slid to one side and allowed the first officer to enter. The cabin was warmer than usual. The Vulcan's face remained impassive, but his eyes narrowed as he studied the man sat at the desk.
„Don't look like that, Spock! I've had enough scrutiny from Bones to last me a good while!" Kirk waved a hand at the empty chair and Spock sat.
„I'll be right with you." The Vulcan inclined his head and watched as Kirk made a few notes on his conn-padd and then set it aside with a sigh. The captain looked weary. Spock leaned forward.
„Are you alright, Jim?" he asked. Here, alone, he could show his concern for his friend. Kirk nodded.
„I feel as if I was run over by a Horta." He met the dark eyes. „What happened down there? It's a blank."
„We beamed down into the middle of a planet tremor. You were hit by a falling rock as we materialized. The impact catapulted you into a fissure which had formed during our transport." Kirk shuddered.
„Who else was hurt?" „All the landing party sustained minor injuries."
„All?" The captain's eyes were suddenly alert as he ran them over his friend. Spock gave an almost imperceptible nod.
„Minor", he repeated softly.
Kirk shrugged. There were some things Spock still kept to himself.
„How did I get back aboard?" He did vaguely remember lying in pain, bleeding and unable to move a limb. Spock refused to give into his embarrassment. Matter-of-factly he told his friend that he had climbed down to the bottom of the fissure, carried the captain up strapped to his back, and then that they had been brought back by shuttle-craft.
The hazel eyes opposite him darkened. „Shuttle-craft?"
„Doctor McCoy felt beaming would be unwise as he did not know the extent of your injuries."
„That bad, huh?" The lack of reaction told the human more than Spock had intended. Softly James T. Kirk said:
„I owe you again, Spock. Thank you." A faint smile touched the corners of the austere mouth.
„I believe the correct response is: You are welcome."
„Did the science department get the data they wanted?" Kirk changed the subject slightly.
„Yes. The computer is making the calculations. The data is very - instructive."
„Well it was worth it then", Kirk murmured. The Vulcan looked quizzically at the stack of computer chips and then back at his friend. Weariness settled back onto Kirk's face.
„Bones is using his medical prerogative to get me to do my paperwork." The raised eyebrow prompted the explanation: „He won't pass me fit for duty until it's taken care of!"
Practice enabled Spock to hide the flash of amusement he felt. He knew as well as Kirk that Doctor McCoy would carry out his threat. But the captain wasn't finished:
„Somebody must have complained to him. - I'm still trying to work out who, but there's no clue in this lot!" He indicated the discs piled haphazardly on the far left of his desk.
There was a knock on the door.
„Who is it?" the captain asked.
„It's me, Jim!" „What do you want, Bones?"
„Let me in, dammit!"
„Temper, temper!" James Kirk was enjoying a bit of revenge.
„Jim!"
„Oh, all right. Come in!" The door opened to reveal McCoy and a bottle of Romulan ale.
„I should have known you'd be here!" he grumbled at Spock.
„Illogical", the Vulcan returned.
The doctor snorted. „Illogical, my foot! I'll bet my last credit you were down here the moment you heard he was up. - Which would mean you've been here fifteen minutes."
Neither the human or the Vulcan reacted. The blue eyes sparkled at the alien.
„So now you've reassured yourself that Jim is okay, its business as usual, is it?"
„I am here on ship's business, doctor." McCoy didn't miss a beat:
„You cold-blooded machine! Jim nearly dies, and you come to talk about ship's business!"
Spock raised an eyebrow.
„I am not a machine, and Vulcan's have warmer blood than humans, which would make you the cold-blooded one."
McCoy spluttered and was about to retaliate, when Kirk said:
„Cut it out, you two! I'm not up to it. - And there's no need to exaggerate, Bones. I got a little bit banged up. Not for the first time."
Wordlessly Leonard McCoy reached across the captain and brought a file up on screen. He turned the readout so Kirk could read it and folded his arms, still clutching the flask of ale. The younger man looked up at his friend and then studied the information. He swallowed twice before he found his voice:
„Isn't that a little melodramatic, Bones? I mean a four-hourly update because of a bit of concussion is going too far."
The doctor swung the captain's chair round. Sternly he said:
„Jim, you didn't just have concussion - you broke your skull, dammit! And five ribs, your collarbone and added to the damage in your knee. Posting a bulletin meant I could get at least some work done rather than answering the crew's enquiries. I'm a doctor, not a information bureau!"
Subdued Kirk shrugged. „Point taken."
„Until the next time. If it's not one of you brought back for good old Bones to put back together, it's the other! One day I won't be able to undo the damage - I nearly didn't this time! Just be more careful in the future! Why I gave up a quiet country practice I'll never know!"
Suddenly Kirk grinned. „I know - it was so you could get an unlimited supply of Romulan ale. - Have you brought that here to torture me, or were you intending on sharing it?"
McCoy scowled but he placed the flask on the desk at got three glasses off the shelf behind him.
„To you continuing health, Jim!" All three drank.
„The captain's health is ship's business, doctor", Spock said calmly.
The human looked abashed and quickly took another drink. Kirk hid a grin. One day he might actually get used to the pair of them winding each other up. They both enjoyed the battle of wits, and it was unusual for Spock to concede to McCoy as he had just done.
The three men finished their drinks and discussed some of the business the captain had been catching up on. Most of it was mundane stuff, and Kirk couldn't see what all the doctor's fuss was about. Finally the Vulcan stood up and excused himself citing bridge duty.
Kirk also rose and said: „I'll come with you."
The doctor snapped: „Oh no you won't! I meant it! If you even so much as stick your nose through the doors before I allow it, I'll have a security guard posted outside your door!"
Kirk sat again, but he sent a look that boded ill for his friend once he was back in command. Spock left, masking his amusement with his normal serenity. Jim was recovering. That was all he needed to know. No longer needing to fear the sudden severance of their unique link, the Vulcan cautiously opened his shielding to pick up the resonance which was James T. Kirk.
In his cabin, Kirk hesitated mid-sentence as he felt the warm presence return. He saw McCoy's sharp look and covered with a cough. Not even Leonard knew about the tenacious telepathic link he and Spock maintained. All of the Vulcan's being required this to be so. Kirk respected that. He wasn't so sure himself that he wanted Bones to know.
„Okay, so what's so special that I have to sift through piles of old information?" he asked, hoping to trick his friend into revealing what was going on. But the older man grinned and stood up.
„I'll leave you to find that out for yourself. - And Jim - make sure you get plenty of rest."
„Yes, Doctor."
Sulu punched the air in triumph.
„Pavel, tell Scotty he owes me ten credits!"
„I vill not! You tell him yourself!"
„Coward!" the helmsman teased.
Chekov scowled. „I don't see vy I should do your dirty vork!"
„Practice for when you take over as chief of security." „Qviet!" Chekov hissed. Sulu laughed and winked at Uhura.
„Will you tell him?"
„Why should I steal your moment of triumph?"
„I thought you two were my friends!" Sulu grumbled. He crossed to the communications panel and toggled the switch.
„Bridge to engineering."
„Engineering. Riley here."
„Kevin, is Scotty there?"
„No, he left here about three minutes ago, swearing in Gaelic."
„Thanks. Bridge out." Sulu's voice sounded doubtful. Pavel swallowed.
„Three minutes? That means he'll be here right -" He broke off as the doors parted to reveal the chief engineer. „-Now", he added and concentrated on the viewing screen.
„Mister Sulu, just what do you think you are doing?" Montgomery Scott bellowed.
„Flying a ship?"
„Dinna be fatuitous with me, boy!"
„No, sir!" Sulu straightened. The chief engineer out-ranked him, and in situations like this it was good policy to remember that.
„Of all the underhand, sneaky, spineless...!" Scott spluttered.
„Sir?" Sulu ventured.
„Dinna 'sir' me!"
Chekov looked guiltily at his friend. Had they damaged the engines with their little stunt? Even as the engineer took a deep breath to continue his tirade the doors wooshed again and the slim, tall figure of the first officer entered. He paused and asked:
„What is going on?" Chekov looked at Uhura and she shook her head.
„Mister Scott?" The engineer had himself under control again.
„Nothing's the matter, sir!" he said stiffly.
„Then for what reason are you on the bridge?"
„I was just going, sir."
Scotty stalked out and all three conspirators relaxed. Spock bent over his monitor and Sulu returned to his seat. Conversationally Spock's voice broke the silence:
„I see congratulations are in order, Mister Sulu, Mister Chekov." Both men tensed.
„Sir?" the helmsman ventured.
„Mister Scott has just transferred ten credits to each of your accounts." Both men flushed. They hadn't been aware that the first officer knew about their little bet.
„The Captain will be pleased."
„The keptin?" Chekov blanched.
„He had his money on you, this time." Spock said it stiffly, unused to the idiomatic expression, but wanting to relay his respect at their being able to outwit the engineer. Chekov groaned. Was there anything that escaped the two senior officers' attention? A sideways glance at Sulu told the navigator that his friend was just as taken aback at that information. He refrained from twisting to look at Lieutenant Uhura.
The habit the bridge crew had of scanning any planet which appeared on their sensors had become so ingrained that Chekov wasn't even aware he ran the diagnostic program on the inert mass which appeared on his readout. Idly his eyes swept over the information. Nothing unusual for a planet without sentient life.
Suddenly he jerked upright. „Mister Spock - there is something here you should see!"
The first officer left his position and came to stand beside the young man. He had heard the suppressed excitement. He peered at the data and then said crisply: „Transfer to science station!"
The navigator complied. Sulu and Uhura also snapped to attention, the communications officer scanning more detailed patterns.
Sulu leaned over to his friend.
„What is it?" he whispered.
Spock's sharp ears heard him. „There appears to have been some form of natural disaster which caused the extinction of whatever race populated this planet."
There was no indication of the curiosity which had been woken in the deep voice.
„Increase to warp five, heading three-two-five and then initiate standard orbit Mister Sulu!"
„Aye, sir!"
„Mister Chekov, continue scanning."
„Aye, sir!" At least he now had something to do.
„Lieutenant Uhura -" „Scanning all frequencies, sir!" Silence returned to the bridge but it was a busy quiet. Until an irate voice squawked:
„Mister Sulu, what the divil are you playing at now?"
Spock crossed the space to Uhura's panel.
„Mister Sulu is following my orders, Mister Scott."
„Oh, aye, well that's alright then."
Even the chief engineer refrained from arguing his point with the first officer, however much he would have disputed with the captain.
„Kirk to Spock. What is going on up there?"
There were three relieved chuckles.
„Mister Chekov has discovered something interesting." „I'll be right up."
„Sickbay to bridge. Spock, if Jim sets one foot on the bridge I'll clap him and you in irons! - What happened?"
„Nothing that concerns you, Doctor."
There was a short pause and then the testy voice informed the bridge that he would be right there. Sulu, Uhura and Chekov snickered. At last the monotony was relieved!
The captain stepped out of the turbo-lift and breathed in deeply. This was where he belonged! He made his way shakily to his chair and sat down.
„Report, Mister Spock." As his first officer filled him in, the doors wooshed open and McCoy stalked onto the bridge.
„Jim, get out of here!" he ordered, ignoring the rest of the crew. Kirk swung his chair round and stared at the doctor.
„I beg your pardon?"
His voice was very quiet, but there was a steely glint to his eye. Everybody froze in anticipation of another of their famous exchanges. Leonard McCoy swallowed. He knew, better than most, that Kirk could only be pushed so far before he exploded. Even he was not immune to blasts of the Kirk temper in full flow. And that was something that neither he or Jim needed right now.
„Alright. But afterwards you get back to your bed!"
Satisfied, Kirk nodded and swung back to Spock.
„Continue reporting." Spock suppressed anything but scientific curiosity as he picked up where he had been interrupted.
„Our maps show this planet as a class P planet. There is abundant vegetation but no sentient life. However, our sensors have picked up evidence of impulse drive signatures and disruptor traces. A more detailed scan has shown evidence of dwellings and some artifacts discarded nearby."
Spock decided the captain didn't need to know all the details - he wasn't in a fit state to deal with it all.
„Thank you, Spock. Kirk pushed himself out of his chair.
„You have the conn."
He fought to stay upright until he and McCoy were in the turbo-lift, then he sagged against the wall. He didn't protest when the doctor put an arm round him and helped him back to his bed. Before McCoy left, Kirk opened his eyes briefly:
„Go on, say it!"
„Say what?"
„I told you so!"
„Well I did - so what's the point in saying it? - Get some rest, Jim, you've a while to go yet." Kirk was asleep before the door closed.
Spock and Chekov completed their scanning and filed the data for future use. Sulu had taken the Enterprise out of orbit and set her on her way again. Their shift ended and once they had been relieved by their colleagues they headed to the mess-hall together to eat and discuss what had happened. They were joined by Scotty who wanted to know exactly why his 'bairns' had been put to the sudden stress.
Spock went to his cabin and finally allowed himself deep sleep. Even the Vulcan was feeling fatigued after several days without real rest. Meditation was relaxing, even invigorating, but no substitute. Even in sleep, something nagged at his conscience, but it would be several days later, after a chance remark of the captain's, that he would make the connection.
Kirk woke, feeling stronger. After checking the time with the ship's computer he acknowledged with a rue grimace that he had slept for another sixteen hours. He pushed the intercom button.
„Kirk to sickbay."
„Yes, Jim?" McCoy's voice was full of concern.
„What did you slip me, Bones?"
„This time? Nothing. - How long have you been up?"
„I just woke."
„I'm coming over right now!"
Kirk was still contemplating standing up when the door to his cabin opened - without his sayso.
„Have you over-ridden my commands?"
„On this door, yes." Even as he spoke, McCoy was running a scanner over the captain. „How do you feel?"
„How do you think I feel?" Kirk winced at the resentment in his voice. He took a deep breath and added: „Better than last time I got up. But I still feel as if a herd of buffalo ran over me."
„Buffalo?" „Old Iowa saying."
He eyed the hypo in the doctor's hand. „What's that?"
„A bit of this and a bit of that." McCoy pressed it against his patient's upper arm and Kirk winced as the cold liquid was projected into his vein.
„Well?"
„Mainly vitamins and something for that raging headache."
The captain rubbed his temples. „Is there anything those damned things can't discover?" he complained. The doctor just laughed.
„Come with me for some breakfast - something a bit more substantial than yesterday's. And I'll get yeoman Rand to bring us both some of that wonderful coffee she makes."
„Bones - am I going to shake this off?" McCoy's head snapped round.
„Of course! What makes you ask?"
„No reason."
But the doctor had scented a problem. „Jim!"
Kirk sighed. „I had this nightmare - only it didn't feel like a nightmare." He laughed shakily. „It was pretty scary to tell you the truth."
„Another parallel universe?"
„No - it was vaguer than that."
Awake properly and in a fresh uniform the captain stepped out of his quarters. His eyes widened slightly as he registered the red shirt of a security guard. The man snapped to attention at the same time and in a very apologetic voice began: „I'm sorry, sir. Doctor's orders are that you-"
„It's okay, Ensign Lewis. He's with me."
„Yes, sir."
„Fall in, Ensign! The ban on the bridge is still in force."
The security man followed them at a distance of three paces. In an angry whisper Kirk berated the doctor, who shrugged.
„You ignored my orders, Jim. I wasn't kidding, and you're still not fit for duty. The other solution is I confine you to sickbay."
Kirk scowled. „With you as my personal jailor? Forget it!"
McCoy winced. He had known the captain wasn't going to be happy - now he had to live with the fallout.