"That's it! Our medical system." Uhura had looked at McCoy, "What about our old almost forgotten ways? We've already seen how he seems to relax from just feeling another is with him. I can make up a roster."
"You did say that the tea compress treatment seemed to have slightly lowered the pressure of the veins in his neck and I have no idea how many generations that goes back in my family.." Sulu had also been looking at McCoy.
"I will have to write a report about this and request," he had started as he knew he had to get things back to normal even though they still had no idea about the test but he saw how McCoy suddenly looked at him.
Excitement had been in the blue eyes that looked at him and he allowed himself a moment of hope, "That's right! Perhaps part of the test, Jim? Challenge what they expected; try old ways they would not have any idea about. Show them something new."
"Aye, I know some they'll nay have heard of that will help the lad. None are new as they are ones from the old highlands."
"Uhura, some have not waited for that roster," McCoy had looked at Sulu, "Even if it is just to give him some tactile contact."
New. "We learned nothing new from him. He shows us new aspects. We seek knowledge." Kirk heard again what they had said at the start. He had looked at McCoy then at Spock then back to McCoy, "They mentioned they sought knowledge. If we show them old ways of medical treatment they would learn something new."
"That might be one aspect of the test but, Captain, you did say there are three parts to it." Spock had looked at him and had clearly seen how confident he had felt, "They may have made the two remaining elements more difficult."
"I think they have either told or indicated to us as to what they are looking for, Spock. We just have to figure out what."
"Interesting." Spock looked steadily at Kirk, "Did they say anything else that may have been unusual or relate to us and our actions? I am certain they would know what our standard procedures are to be as they would have been able to access our computers will little effort."
For a moment he got up and walked around as he tried to remember what had been said. There had been something, something unusual. Something they had said earlier. "No reports from them." The words came back to him. They would have known that the Klingons would, like them, have to make a report. He turned and looked at his Vulcan friend, "I won't report the exact events of what happened here and I do not want them mentioned in any reports. We encountered a far advanced life form protecting its territory. An officer was, as sometimes happens with first contact, injured. Is that understood?"
One by one the others nodded, "Captain," Uhura stood and walked to where he was standing just staring into the intensive care unit's only patient. "that might be two of the three parts of the test, our showing an attempt to find ways to help him and keep him on the ship as well as to protect the rights of the life form we encountered but that still leaves us with one."
"But what? The only two things that seemed odd in their conversations were their constantly saying should he survive and the one mention of there being no reports from them, meaning the Klingons."
He looked to his right as he had felt a long fingered hand rest lightly on his shoulder, "If it was not something they said then try to think if there was anything moved, if they touched anything."
He shook his head. "It was just a bright light and voice. No physical body. Nothing was moved. Nothing was touched."
"Nothing, nothing touched? Jim, try telling that body in there that nothing was touched! Four hundred and twenty nine injuries, one for every crew member he saved."
"Doctor," Spock had looked at McCoy, "Surely by now you are aware that the compliment of this ship is four hundred and thirty. I am aware that Humans do have a tendency to miscount when emotions are,"
"When I operate on a patient do you think I do so while emotional, Mister Spock?"
"No, Doctor. I know when you are operating on a patient you somehow have remarkable control of your emotions and are totally professional. It is, perhaps, possible that what appeared to be one injury,"
"There are four hundred and twenty-nine wounds on that body, Spock. Strategically placed to cause the most pain and damage. I noted each one."
For just a moment there was silence then Chekov said, "He would not have forgotten anybody. Randell was playing his game. He would often test himself on who was crew and who was not. Always by department."
"What was it they kept telling him they wanted?" The Chief Engineer had looked one by one at the others around him, "He was ta name all the crew the ship needed. It were damn strange when ye think on it as the whole crew is needed."
At the back of his mind, in his recent memories, something stirred as he remembered what Spock had said earlier and he saw both Spock and McCoy look at him.