A/N: Here's a short update :)

McCoy woke up feeling sore. Glancing around groggily, he realized he'd fallen asleep at his desk in his office. It had been part of a compromise he'd made with Chapel. He would rest if he could stay in his office.

It took him a moment to realize what had woken him up. It was his arm, hovering beside him.

He stared at it, fascinated. Now, the creature didn't just have control of his hand, but his entire arm. He guessed that was to be expected, considering; however, it made his skin crawl.

McCoy reached for the intercom on his desk. "McCoy to sickbay."

"Chapel here."

"Come into my office right away. There's been a development."

"Yes, sir. I'll be right in."

The intercom went silent.

And suddenly his arm started to move, his fingers clawed, straight toward his throat. McCoy scrambled to his feet; however, there was absolutely no way to put distance between him and the threat.

He grabbed his wrist and tried to shove it away, but it only slowed the process. In a matter of seconds, his left hand was gripping his throat, strangling him.

"Help!" he tried to scream, but it came out as a miserable gurgle. He fought with the creature desperately, clawing against it, trying to pry it away. His vision blurred, and black spots began to dance before his eyes. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe! Panic ran his skin cold has he struggled against himself.

The door swished open. "Doctor, wha-DOCTOR!"

McCoy was losing consciousness. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't...

He gasped. Air was suddenly available to him. And he gulped it.

"Slow, deep breaths, doctor," a voice soothed.

McCoy opened his eyes and saw Chapel leaning over him.

"It tried to kill me, the creature tried to kill me!" he panted.

Chapel nodded grimly. "I gave it a large dose of sedative. It fell right away."

"We need to tell...Jim." His throat was sore, and his voice hoarse.

"Of course, doctor, but first we need to get you to a biobed. Can you walk?"

McCoy nodded slowly, and Chapel helped him to sit up. He felt dizzy and would teetered backward if the nurse hadn't caught him. McCoy closed his eyes. "I might need a little help though," he rasped.

After having an orderly help her get McCoy into a biobed and strapping his left arm down, Chapel went to the intercom. "Sickbay to Bridge."

"Kirk here."

"Captain, there has been a development in Dr. McCoy's condition," Chapel said criptically. It was not a secret on the ship that McCoy's arm was possessed; however, she didn't want to say the creature had tried to murder its host over the loud speaker.

"I'll be right down. Give me five minutes. Kirk out."

Chapel turned to the doctor, who had closed his eyes again. He was breathing normally now, but he was incredibly pale. It made the bruises coloring on his neck even more prominent.

"What happened in there?" the orderly asked, standing several feet away and staring down at the unusually vulnerable doctor.

"The creature," Chapel said, tearing her eyes away from her commanding officer to look at the young man standing across from her, "it tried to strangle him."

"But why? Doesn't it need McCoy alive to survive?"

Chapel shook her head. "I think it needs him dead."

A/N: Suggestions welcome! They're like a vitamin to ward against writer's block :)