"Well, ye see it is like this Mister Spock," when Spock looked at the Chief Engineer he could see that the man was really looking at him in the way Humans did when they really wanted him to understand. "I was nae gonna have that man on my ship as though he had done nae wrong. I knew I was nae the only one to think that and twas Uhura who thought that we had to make the guest accommodation nae acceptable so it was a group decision to make changes in the accommodation. We knew we had ta do something and knew we would nae get permission for anything structural so we are making other changes you see."

"What type of changes?"

"Like I said, the changes you see. The duracoated flooring, the subtler colors of paint on the walls, the new tinted aqua flooring in the ablution areas." there was a slight smile on the man's lips, "I believe if you heard what Uhura said the first time to the Captain she only mentioned changes, she did nae specify the type of changes."

Spock looked at Scotty and reflected on exactly what Uhura had said, "I have been asked to inform you that the changes to the guest accommodations will be finished in about five standard days and that the ablution units in the guest accommodations will be finished two days after that." She had only said the changes and not specified them, possibly knowing that he, Jim, and possibly McCoy would not have known what she was referring to. And Mister Scoot had been correct, the changes were things one would see.

Slowly he nodded and saw how the Chief Engineer was looking at him, "Miss Uhura is quite a skilled linguist."

"Aye, that she is, Sir. I think the two of ye spend too much time together at times the way you two think and use words. Is there anything I can for for ye, Mister Spock?"

For a moment he was about to say no but saw a tiredness about the man and knew what he had to say, "There is something you could do/"

"Just tell me what it is."

"I do not want any argument about it."

"Nae arguing, just tell me what it is I can do for ye."

"You can go get seven to eight hour sleep in your quarters, Mister Scott. You told me that the ship's status was good, that we are heading to Star Base Six at warp four and that there are no foreseeable problems. You can also tell Miss Uhura to do the same. I am certain both of you have worked more than the stated hours. Check as to the rest schedules of Chekov and Sulu as well. and ensure they get their rest."

"I made them hand over to their relief so they should be in their quarters sleeping. I will just check they are nae on the Bridge when I go escort Uhura to her quarters. Ye know how stubborn she can be." For a moment the Dhief Engineer studied the Vulcan. He had worked with the man for enough time to notice the subtle signs of tiredness that he knew the Vulcan would not admit to. He had seen the man protecting them from that cretin that was down in the brig since the Captain had missing, had seen how he had kept watch over all of them, blunting as much of its remarks as he could. "Before I go I'll go get ye another cuppa tea, Sir. Ye look as though it is needed and afore ye say anything I will report it to McCoy if ye nae have something to drink."

Spock had been aware of the Scotsman looking at him and knew he was as good as his word, rather than confront McCoy about something as minor as not maintaining what the good doctor considered proper body hydration he nodded, "That would be most welcome, Mister Scott. Thank you."

While Mister Scott was gone Spock carefully wiped down Ty's body and replaced all the poultices. Even the wound Halls had caused seemed less inflamed, there was still a lot of pus draining from it. Carefully he followed what he had seen McCoy do and gently probed a little into the wound and cleared out more pus before applying a fresh soaked pad on it. As he went to bind the thick pad on it he saw Ty's eyes open and saw clear recognition in them. "Sore. Hurts."

"I am sorry, Ty. I had to clear the infection."

"The Captain?"

"He is sleeping. When you awake next time he should be here. You need sleep. I will be here."

"Thank you, Sir. So tired."

As Ty went to sleep Spock looked at him and was aware of the fact he had not thanked Ty for saving Jim and yet Ty had thanked him for simply clearing out some infection from his wound.

Mister Scott walked in and Spock realized that the Chief Engineer had obviously seen him looking at Ty but all the Scotsman said was, "I made the tea a tad stronger, Sir. If ye will be with him till the Captain wakes you will need a strong cuppa. The lad will sleep as long as his body needs. That steam seems to be working as he is breathing better."

"Yes," Spock stopped himself as he knew the Scotsman did not need to know all the properties in inhalations, "I have noticed he is breathing easier and deeper. The poultices have also helped drawing out the poison."

"Ye just make sure ye get plenty of rest too, Sir. I nae seen you so much as nap since all this started. Oh, I know about Vulcans claiming to nae need the sleep we do but I see in ye, Sir Ye need sleep at some time."

"I will get some later, Miser Scott. The Captain will relieve me. Thank you for the tea. You should get your sleep now."

"I will."

It was some time after Mister Scott had gone that Spock realized he had been thinking about how the people he had worked for so long with on this ship had become like a family to him and the rest of the crew a caring collective. He was aware that there were many still wary of his Vulcan nature but they accepted him as one of theirs. The crew know and accepted his relationship with the command crew and especially with Kirk. As he looked at Ty, now in a deep sleep, he remembered the determination in that pain-filled 'Kirk to Spock on ship' .

Lightly Spock rested his fingers on Ty's face and nodded before removing his hand, there was pain but no longer the near fanatic need to protect Jim. He was aware he was home. A brief smile touched his lips, Ty was aware his "alien cousin Spock " was there watching over him. While he thought of the crew as a caring collective it possible seemed to Ty it was some sort of very large extended family. He nodded once, if that was the case he was thankful that he had such a cousin.

James Kirk paused at the door into the room his First Officer and Officer Baylance were in and looked in. As usual his Vulcan friend had known what he needed and now he could see the tiredness about his friend that he knew his friend would be most hesitant to admit to. There was also something about the way his friend was looking at Baylance that he recognized. It was that blend of awe mixed with a sence of debt he himself was feeling. And there was something else, something he could not put a name to that he associated with the Vulcan.

Slowly he walked over and before he reached the bed Spock said, "I trust you are well rested, Captain."

"I am."

"Have you seen to the welfare of Commadore Halls?"

Kirk walked up to the bed and looked from Spock to Baylance, "I believe both Mister Scott and Uhura are treating him with more diplomacy and courtesy than I would, Spock."

"As I understand from what I heard and following procedure he is in the correct place just unfortunately at a most inopportune time." only the years of knowing the Vulcan let Kirk hear the laughter in the words, "I must admit that at the time I was somewhat puzzled by their thought processes but believe nothing they have done is in any way against regulations nor procedure."

"He will no doubt file a report claiming mistreatment but,"Kirk nodded more to himself than at Spock, "I do not think it will go too far as all four of them were behind it and would have thought of how it could be treated."

"I would be most interested in finding out which of the foursome put forward what ideas."

"I am fairly sure I can find that out for you, Spock. Have they been off shift yet and how is Ty doing?"

"Mister Scott was taking over McCoy's role of a mother-hen and I had him send Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov off duty and to have some sleep himself. I informed him I would wait till you relieved me. I felt one of us should be with Officer Baylance.

"As you can see from the registers his pain levels are almost back to normal, he has had a moment or two of lucid awareness, and has admitted to being tired." Carefully Spock lifted the poultice covering the wound that Halls had inflicted and again wiped away the small amount of pus that had seeped into the wound. "There still is some of the poison in his system but not as much. There were enough fresh viable seeds for the Science Department's botanists to be able to propagate as it was a strain of plantain we had no records of. Might I ask what made you so insistent we use what was on the planet and not try to replicate what was used?"

"There was an old woman. In earlier times she would have been called a seer or some sort of psychic but she said I had to use the old ways and the ways of old so I just thought our replicated material would not be the old, it would not have something."

"Indeed. I have been told there are main enzymes in the old plants that over the generations were genetically removed for any number of reasons. What was a great medicinal plant became nothing more than a weed which was only good for composting back into the soil." Spock was looking at him in that searching way, "Did she say more about the plant?"

"No but she did know how much you and Bones mean to me. She did say that we would be the ones to make him stay: that us working together would make him want to stay." Kirk remembered the words you must decide how to make him fight and looked into two dark eyes, "You helped me make him fight, thank you." He saw the right eyebrow start to rise, "She told me that I had to decide how to make him fight and I was at a loss and you, my friend, mentioned his report. I had forgotten how his reports are almost as detailed as your reports only his tend to almost always have a rather different point of view than most of us have on things."

"Indeed, I will find reading his report interesting as he does present facts and details in correct chronological order but from multiple points of view at the same time and with an ease that does not make the reading neither a tedious repetition of so many others nor an dreary yet detailed outline devoid of any sense of the writer."

"Well, if this is not an occasion to have a drink I don't know what is.," McCoy walk in and looked at Spock.

"On what do you base that statement, Doctor?"

"You. You actually admitting that something is dreary if there is no sense of the writer. Why that is almost admitting you like a bit of emotionalism in what you read."

"The Captain and I were referring to Officer Baylance's reports and they do tend to have some resonance as to his personality which adds a dimension to his writing that is absent from most. There was no indication nor implication of emotionalism, Doctor, there was only comment on his writing style."

"But you" McCoy started then stopped. "Never mind. I only came to see how he wa doing and to make sure you get some sleep. Both Jim and I have rested and I do not,"

"Doctor, Officer Baylance is recovering. He had had lucid moments, he did vomit once a significant amount but also the remnants of before, and he rested when I told him I would rest so," slowly and with as close to a smile as he would allow himself to show, he stood and offered McCoy the chair, "I will take my leave of you two and go rest for seven point six five hours and will return to the bridge and my shift at that time."

Kirk looked at him for a moment and saw something he had to comment on, "Spock, you are not going to see the Commodore, are you?"

At the door Spock paused, turned and looked first at McCoy and then at Kirk, "Captain, as First Officer it is my duty to inspect any alterations and inspections of any system on the ship. I will go to the brig to inspect what is being done. I may or may not encounter Commodore Halls while there. Rest assured I will extend to him the courtesy he deserves.".

As soon as Spock had gone McCoy looked at Kirk as the Captain reached for the intercom, "You going to warn Secutiry that our so in control non-emotional Vulcan First Officer is on the way?"

"Partly," Kirk smiled as he pushed the button. "Captain Kirk to Bridge."

"Bridge here, Sir. Lieutenant Samuels here."

"Are you familiar with the Communications Station?"

"Negative, Sir but junior grade Lieutenant Connors is and is manning it as per Mister Scott's orders from Mister Spock, Sir." There was a brief pause, "Sir, if I may can I ask how,"

"Please ask Officer Connors to arrange for an audio transmission from the brig to Sickbay. I will notify Security. Officer Baylance is recovering. Kirk out."

McCoy looked at his friend and Captain, "Why you cunning little,"

"Kirk to Security detail."

"Kearns here, Sir. Our guest is getting a lot of exercise pacing."

"Thank you for the up-date. Communications is going to patch through a link so that I can hear should the First Officer go there. Under no condition is he to know that the link is operational, understood?"

"Understood, Sir. While serving under Mister Scott I learned how to make a unit seem appear inoperable. I will have this one appear to be the only operable one and not the one closest, wait, there, to the deluxe accommodation our guest is enjoying. How is,"

"Officer Baylance is slowly recovering. It will take him some time yet before he can have visitors but I will tell him you asked about him."

"Thank you, Sir. Kearns out."

"Bones, do you think there is anybody aboard the ship who hasn't wondered how Ty is doing?"

"Oh, I think I know one who."

That familiar and beloved baritone voice came from the speaker, "Relax, Officer Kearns, I have come merely to see how the maintenance check is proceeding. You have been monitoring,"

"Yes, Sir. I have kept a log as per regulation, of all the various fluctuations and they are all within the range that Mister Scott told me were acceptable."

"They are all within the acceptable range. Have you experienced any discomfort?"

"I have been aware of the coolness, Sir, but in another two hours I will have some hot coffee and a hot shower."

"While my time here will, unfortunately, not be long enough for you to indulge in a hot shower I will relieve you long enough for you to have a cup of hot coffee while I do my inspection."

"Sir?"

"Go have that cup of hot coffee. I will, as the Captain would say, mind the store while you are gone. Is fifteen minutes sufficient?"

"Yes, Sir. Thank,"

"No! No! You cannot leave me alone with him!" there was clear near hysteria in the voice, hardly recognizable as belonging to Halls. "No! I am a Commodore, you are just a Security officer. He is,"

"Mister Spock is my superior officer. You are just a prisoner." McCoy was patting Kirk's shoulder and grinning. "Fifteen minutes will be more than enough, Sir. Thank you."

For perhaps two minutes there was silence then a few clicks then Spock said, "I think, Sir, it is time you and I had a private discussion about what is going to happen in the near future."