*****

McCoy's face was truly grim. He turned to Christine and shook his head. She burst into a fresh torrent of tears and he held her, unsure of any other way to comfort her.

He contacted Nyota's family and left word at Starfleet headquarters. After a long moment of thought, he rang Spock's quarters and then awakened Dimitri from his perch in the outer room. It was only fitting that she could be seen by the two men who meant so much to her in life. And it would be only fair for them to say goodbye to her before she died.

******

Spock Prime awakened quickly and pulled on his robes. The slight whispers in his mind that were Nyota were slipping away, and he could not hold on to them, could not keep them nestled safely in his mind. All thoughts of guilt and hurt were pushed aside as he slipped on his shoes and began to traipse nervously about his quarters.

Though, he did quickly wonder at how the choices one makes effects the outcome. He wondered briefly if he had not interfered in their lives, if Nyota would be here now, safe and healthy, and alive. But one cannot dwell on things one could not change. Yet, he told himself, that did not stop one for wishing for it.

*****

McCoy had never seen Spock's face look the way it looked now. He looked haggard and exhausted, and he could almost read the subtle expression of grief upon his face.

"She doesn't have long," he explained to Spock and Dimitri as they stood, shock slackening their features. Dimitri's shoulders had a slight tense stiffness to them and McCoy looked past them to the other room before continuing, "Her blood pressure is falling, her pulse is weakening. The damned drones hit her with something we can't cure or fix. I'm sorry," McCoy wasn't big on comfort, especially when he needed it himself, so he turned and walked away, leaving them alone.

Dimitri and Spock looked at each other, once rivals for Nyota's affections, and now they were united by pain and loss. There was no bitterness or hatred between them as they turned and walked into Nyota's room together.

********

Nyota had never fought as hard as she was doing now. She doggedly swam through the currents, locking out the voices in her mind. She would not let go, she would not let herself be pulled into the rising darkness around her. She had too much to live for. There was time she would not have agreed with that statement, but now, she knew this to be true. She continued pulling past the hard currents and then saw a break in the distance.

She redoubled her efforts, determinedly pulling herself forward, and she finally stood on shores of her mind. The road before her was winding and long and she sprinted down its circuitous route, hurriedly rushing to the end.

***

Spock and Dimitri both gasped slightly as Nyota's hands tightened around their own.

"Did you see that?" Dimitri asked Spock, and he nodded, "I did."

Then Nyota's body began to convulse, her eyes rolling back and forth quickly behind her closed eyes, and Spock and Dimitri looked at each other with fear, not quite knowing what was occurring.

"McCoy!," Dimitri yelled, "Get in here!!"

McCoy and his personnel pushed Spock and Dimitri to the side as the machines burped, bleeped and sent readings faster than the monitors could process.

"Damnit!," McCoy screamed, "I can't get a clear read on this,"

"Code 5! I need everyone on hand here!" McCoy cried his hands flying across instruments and panels. More personnel ran in to assist him.

"What is going on?!," Dimitri yelled his voice thick with tears, "What's happening to her?!"

"Damnit, I'm a doctor not a psychic! Get them out of here!"

Security shuffled Dimitri and Spock out of the door and into the corridor outside.

***

Nyota could see the world around her grow lighter and the path dipped, bowed and then—she could see the end in front of her. She continued running, jumping over twisted reeds and bracket, and puddles of inky darkness that lay her in way. She could feel warm light washing over her and she pushed herself even more, spilling over the edge and into oblivion.

*****

"Stabilize her damnit!," McCoy yelled to his staff. They fought hard to bring her heart rate down to a normal level, but it was off the charts. Almost as if she was engaging in some sort of high endurance physical exercise—as if she were—running. It didn't make sense. McCoy was on the brink of giving her a double shot of dopamine inhibitor, just to slow her heart down, when she suddenly, inexplicably, opened her eyes and gasped hard.

****

She was disoriented at first, the bright light of sickbay hurting her eyes and her brain was foggy and dazed. Everyone was surprised, shocked even, but no one could fight the rising tide of happy elation that abounded. Even McCoy looked as if he wanted to smile. Her readings started to come back to normal over the next day or so and she sat up alert, looking around.

Christine visited her a few times, thrilled that Nyota was communicative, alert and well—alive.

Finally Spock and Dimitri came to her, one on each side of her, holding one of her hands. Nyota looked at them, puzzled. They were actually being courteous to one another. She was then mildly shocked, but secretly pleased.

"Hello, beautiful," Dimitri told her.

"Yes," Spock remarked, "Hello ashayam."

She looked from one to another and smiled.

*********

A/N: I know there was a lot going on in these last two chapters, but I wanted to portray how her being injured affected everyone around her, making them really think about the choices they may have made or regret.

*(Ashayam-beloved)