A/N: Thank you for reviewing. I appreciate your comments.

Chapter 11

McCoy was worried. Kirk had not stopped since he had regained consciousness in that pod. He was still in a lot of pain. Hell, he would have been in deep shock had it not been for the adrenalin surge and the medication. And yet he was pushing himself harder than ever.

Kirk leaned on McCoy a little more as he tried to recapture his breath while they stood waiting in the lift to reach the bridge.

"You OK Jim?" "Fine Bones. I just need to talk with the commodore... The ship is in danger." "I'm sure he knows that much. Jim, you need to-" McCoy was grumbling and Kirk cut him off.

"I mean the Enterprise." McCoy was puzzled. The ship was the least of his worries. He shifted his grip on Kirk to help him stay upright. "Danger? But-"

The elevator doors parted and revealed a very busy bridge. Red lights flashing and officer reporting. On the main screen was the magnified image of the Enterprise and beside it, three red dots, indicating enemy vessels, were moving fast toward it.

Commodore Gordon turned to face them, a look of pure surprise on his face. And McCoy gave him the right to be surprised.

They looked as if they had escaped from a war zone. Kirk all red and black, supported by the doctor also covered in the same colors.

"Captain Kirk! Glad you made it alive. How are you? I have many questions to ask you once this all is over." Kirk took a few unbalanced steps toward him.

"What is the situation?" before Gordon could say anything, lieutenant Russ shouted, "sir! The Klingons had made it to warp one point five. They are decreasing their speed. ETA two minutes."

Gordon ordered, very calmly, "Lock phasers on the ship."

"No!" Kirk shouted, thrusting himself forward violently. "You can't destroy my ship!" he was yelling with as much vehemence as his over taxed body could contain.

McCoy was looking dumbfounded as his eyes roamed between the commodore and the captain. Kirk was panting and was sickeningly pale. Cold sweat glittered on his soot and blood covered face. It made the doctor in him cringe. He looked at his friend closer. 'Was Gordon right? Had Jim really lost it? No… not possible… but, what is he talking about? What is going on here?'

They were locked in a silent battle for five long seconds. It was the commodore who spoke first. His eyes never wavered from Kirk's, but his words were not for him.

"Ready to fire on my mark."

Kirk was shaking, from acute exhaustion or anger, McCoy didn't know. But his eyes were ablaze. "You can't do this!" He wheezed in a voice very unlike his normal confident, commanding one.

"It must be done, captain." Gordon's voice was low, gentle. And very final.

McCoy couldn't believe his ears. 'Is this really happening?' He held the captain's arm a little tighter to ground his own spiking anger. He found his voice at last, "You came this far to blast the fleet's flag ship out of space? Is that the best you can do? For god's sake, are you out of your minds? Why don't you tow it back?"

"Impossible. The core is unstable. And even if we could do that without endangering my ship, with the ship on tow, we can't reach a speed fast enough to out run the Klingons. I'm sure captain Kirk already knows all of these." he was still looking at Kirk, as if explaining this all to him and asking for understanding.

The look on Kirk's face was a mixture of anger, sadness and even understanding, but far from acceptance.

"There is a way... if you transport the core out-"

"We have also thought of that before. Too much interference. We cannot get a lock. Besides, the core in its current state is too unstable. We can't risk using the transporter, and that is if we could turn off core's shielding mechanism."

"Then beam me there... I'll try to eject it out of the ship."

"Again, not possible. Our transporter beam can't reach into the ship."

Kirk moved one step closer, the doctor still clutching his arm, "My first officer is out there, alive... You can't kill a Starfleet officer." Gordon shook his head, "I regret the outcome. I'm sure Commander Spock would understand the situation. But the technology and information on that ship is too sensitive to fall into enemy hand. - did you get a lock on the engineering section?" Gordon was beside the officer manning the phasers.

McCoy couldn't understand why they wanted to destroy a wreck ship. Why not just get back right now? And did his fuzzy mind get it right that Spock was there alive?

"Don't do this. There has to be another way." McCoy felt like something broke his heart as he heard the frustration and helplessness in Kirk's voice. He was not used to that tone in Jim's voice. He wanted so badly to change the situation. But there was nothing he could do.

It wasn't fair. McCoy felt Kirk shivering beside him.

Not fair.

Gordon turned back to face them again. He looked apologetic, even sad. "I'm really sorry, captain. The information must be destroyed. It is protocol to make sure nothing can be retrieved by the enemy." he paused to let his words sink in.

"Don't… Don't do this…" he shook his head. The captain knew, logically, that it had to be done. In the same situation, he would have done the same thing. But it was still too painful to stand there and do nothing, just watch your beautiful ship destroy along with your best friend.

A family, even. If not in blood, then in soul.

He closed his eyes.

Spock…

All my fault…

He opened eyes full of pain and grief.

I'm sorry…

The look in Kirk's eyes was one of those sights that McCoy was sure would haunt him to the end of his days.

Gordon turned to the navigator and in a lower voice ordered, "Fire."

The image of the Enterprise was replaced with a huge cloud of blue fire, just before the sensors went dead and the smaller ship shook violently from the shock wave of the explosion.

000

tell me what you think?