Chapter5
Bluetiger42: Thanks to matchboxcars for the great encouragement and constructive criticism that helps me to become a better writer. Thanks also to Darkhand27 for the positive review and for your good detective work. Thanks also to aquamarine for encouraging me to write more! I've been updating my story a lot, but I really should be working on my English paper, maybe later (cough cough). Now, onto the story! Tallyho!
McCoy reported to the bridge, where Spock had taken the Captain's place while he rested.
"Doctor McCoy, why are you not attending to the Captain?" Enquired Spock.
"Let's just say the Captain isn't exactly himself," McCoy grumbled.
Spock looked curiously at the Doctor, "How so?"
"For one thing he's acquired a rather rude sense of humor! And his face was flushed and perspiring, and yet he ordered me to leave him be!"
Spock stood up, "Doctor, there is clearly something wring with the Captain. We cannot allow rash emotions to cloud our better judgment. He must undergo special treatment right away."
McCoy looked up at Spock, "Do you think he's all right?"
They looked at each other for a moment, and then hurried away to the Kirk's cabin.
- - - - - - - - - -
Meanwhile, Kirk was still in bed; however he was now wide-awake. His temperature had just shot up, and he was sweating more than ever. He kicked off the blanket in an attempt to release the trapped body heat, but to no effect. He tossed and turned in his bed as his heart began to beat faster and faster, his breathing slowly turning into deep, heavy pants. The stinging pain in his body worsened until it became too unbearable for any man to handle. Kirk screamed, thrashed, scratched his arms, but nothing would ease the burning that seemed to be etched into his skin. The Captain was now in a complete state of hysteria. But it was the inhuman, blood- curdling screaming that chilled you to the bone. So loud was the screaming it was as if you could feel the pain yourself!
"JIM! JIM, OPEN THE DOOR!!" Came the sound of McCoy's urgent voice over the screaming, "Spock, it's no use, he locked the door!"
Spock calmly but quickly walked over to the speaker on the wall and pushed a button to contact the bridge, "Mr. Sulu, please terminate the inside lock on the Captain's cabin door immediately.
"Yes, sir." Said Mr. Sulu, sensing the urgency in Spock's tone. The five minutes that passed seemed an eternity, but the doors remained closed. "Mr. Spock, we can't open the door, someone must have locked it from the main control room, and that room seems to be locked as well!"
A crowd of onlookers now mulled around the outside of Kirk's room, clearly concerned for the safety of their beloved Captain.
Spock then proceeded to contacting the engine room, and described the situation to Scotty, who immediately arrived on t he spot with a tool kit. Scotty assembled his laser, and began to cut through the wall in order to disconnect the circuits that kept the door tightly locked.
"If I can get through this wall and into the circuits, I should be able to disengage the lock." Scotty explained to the others.
"Can't you go any faster? Can't you see we need to save the Captain?" McCoy demanded.
"Aye Doctor, I think we all want to help the Captain."
As fast as Scotty went, it still took about twenty minutes to complete the whole process. During this time, Kirk's screaming only grew worse, and it filled the corridor with a sense of panic and urgency.
As soon as the door opened, Spock, McCoy, and several other medics with a stretcher rushed in. The site before them was terrifying. The Captain still remained in bed, though his seizure had him thrashing about violently. There were holes on the wall above the bed where Kirk had punched it in agony, and deep scratches were etched into his arms.
McCoy quickly injected him with his most powerful tranquilizer, but even that couldn't calm Kirk down. Considering the situation at hand, and the amount of tranquilizer it took to calm the vampire down, McCoy injected two more needles of the sedative. At last, the Captain finally clamed down into a peaceful state of rest, and was carried away to sickbay on a stretcher.