Chapter 2 – Injuries and Drama p2

The older brunette let her breath out heavily and she leaned back until her back hit the wall, and she took shaky breaths, trying to calm down, gulping. For one, she swore to god she hoped Sarah would be okay and she wasn't right about this being a hostile enemy ship. Secondly, she was torn about being glad Sarah was temporarily gone and she could focus on herself. So much had happened in the last...what, ten minutes? Her eyes closed and locked her legs which were threatening to buckle and send her to sit on her ass. She let her head fall back against the wall, too, and she could feel how badly her body was shaking.

"Spock!" the Doctor called, but the Vulcan man had already passed him and Ayano to scoop the human female, or at least he assumed she was human, into his arms before she could injure herself in her state. He looked over the woman carefully, though in confusion. He...felt worry over this stranger's well being. Perhaps it was due to the fact that she had apparently saved him? "Are...you injured?"

Bria gasped and panicked, grabbing at his neck, shaking harder, "I'm fine! I'm fine!" She said quickly. She never liked being held above the ground, whether she trusted the person or not, "Please! Please, put me down!"

"Spock, she's panicking, just let her down," Ayano held her hands up. The Vulcan's eyes, usually so clear and processing everything at an intelligent rate, were still slow and groggy, "I'll help her to one of the beds. You need to sit back down before you fall down. Don't make Bones force you."

Spock blinked a couple of times as he gently set the woman back down and into the helping hands of Ayano. He swayed, nearly falling if Bones had not caught him. "I...am sorry, Doctor...I...I must not be thinking logically..."

"Could have fooled me," Bones shook his head as he aided the man to the bed.

"That would be unlikely as you are a medical officer, and therefore should have noticed my...condition." Spock stated as McCoy used a device to scan his brain waves for possible injuries to the precious organ.

Bones rolled his eyes, "It was a figure of speech, Mr. Spock. Ayano, how is she doing? I have extra of your medicine in the top draw of my desk if she needs something to calm her."

"Some of.../your/ medicine?" Bria looked at her in confusion, having been set down on the bed beside Spock's.

"I'm claustrophobic, being in enclosed spaces freak me out," Ayano explained, "I'll get you some."

Bria nodded, "My grandmother was claustrophobic. I'm not, I'm just...afraid of falling, and dying, and I also have /no/ idea where or /when/ I am," she brought her hand up and removed her glasses, rubbing her face, groaning.

Ayano fetched some of her pills and brought them back along with a glass of water so she could swallow them, "Here..." she said gently, "It...also looked like you were putting a tough face on for...Sarah, was it?"

"Yes, that's my sister. Er...well, not my /biological/ sister, but we're really close," Bria clarified.

Bones glanced over with a raised brow at her rambling. "Those pills will help calm you anyway. Get you thinking straight. I'm sure that Jim would like to talk with you. Can't have you jump around like a chicken with its head cut off. And it's another expression, Mr. Spock," he stated when the Vulcan opened his mouth to comment.

Spock closing his mouth as he watched the woman carefully. She..was different. A mystery he...felt a need to reveal, to study, to... Shaking his head, the Vulcan tried to keep his thoughts in line which seemed to be difficult to do. "Doctor, I am in need of pain medication."

"Alright, just give me a moment," Bones nodded, walking off to get the injector for the pain medicine.

While he was gone, Spock turned his attention back to Bria. "Who are you?"

"Me? I'm..." Bria hesitated, putting her glasses back on, and looked at him, noticing how those deep brown eyes were hazy, but cognitive, "I'm Brianna - that's Bri-/on/-a - Davon Church. Bria is my long time nickname and what I prefer to be called. You're Spock, right? Are you alright? That was a pretty nasty injury you got." She fiddled with the cube she had brought over with her once Spock set her back on her feet, "Were you or Captain Kirk holding this before you got injured?"

Spock went to answer Bria when the familiar sensation of entering wrap over came him. It appears that the other woman had been able to help after all. How odd seeing as she had argued so fiercely. The Vulcan's brows came together slightly when he watched Brianna's face contort slightly and turn...a green-ish hue. Confused by this he quickly address the observation, "Brianna...are you of Vulcan origins? You appear to have a green hue to your complexion."

"What the /fuck's/ a Vulcan and what the /hell/ is happening?!" Bria's voice went into a shrill high pitch and her hand slapped over her mouth, and she quickly closed her eyes, laying back on the bed with a groan, her waist-length long hair shifting to reveal normal human ears.

"That, Mr. Spock, would be motion sickness turning her green. Humans tend to do that when we feel sick, just about to vomit," Ayano told the black haired man and she stood by Bria's side, touching her forehead, feeling the clammy sweat, "It'll be over in a couple seconds, deep breaths." But it turned out Bria was /really/ sensitive and Ayano grabbed a waste basket and held it to Bria as she rolled over and retched, gently holding her hair out of her way, too.

Spock turned his head away, feeling nauseous at the sight of the woman vomiting. "I am sorry."

Bones, having returned to the First Officer's side, administered the drug before working on getting something for the sickly woman. "Don't worry, Bria, we'll fix you right up." he stated softly, understanding her reaction as he had reacted the same way during his first warp at the Academy. Taking another injector, Bones cleaned a spot on Brianna's arm to inject the liquid. "There. Give it a couple of moments and you'll be right as rain."

"S'kay..." Bria muttered in response to Spock as she spat the bitter bile into the waste basket and Ayano helped sit her up just a little to take a drink of water and wash it down, "Well, there went the pills you gave me..."

"It's fine. What Bones gave you will help better than they would," Ayano chuckled and she walked off to dispose of the basket now she was okay.

Bria looked at Spock again, "Vulcan? Green hue? Would...that explain...the green blood?" she held her hand out that was still stained with it.

Spock stared at her hand for a moment before slowly nodding. "You are correct, Brianna. Vulcans are an alien species from…originally a planet called Vulcan. I am one such being. Our blood is in fact, green. Have you never encountered a Vulcan or heard of one before?" This woman surprised him, as he had felt for certain that all humans had at least heard of Vulcans as they were apart of most of the human dealings with other aliens.

"No, I have not heard of Vulcans or Planet Vulcan or aliens with green blood that didn't exist in /science fiction movies/." Bria grumbled, "I think it's about time you tell me what /century/ we seem to be in, let alone the year," she rolled onto her back again, "It was the 21st century, 2019 before we jumped through that portal. We don't have space ships that warp, UFOs were still a conspiracy and reported fake, no alien contact with anyone or any/thing/ had been made that I /know of/ because the government is stupid and keep trying to tell everyone Area 51 is fake while everybody and their mother know it's real. Fucking surprised whenever Vulcans made contact with humans they didn't try and dissect you because America is /awesome/," her voice dripped with sarcasm even the Vulcan who, to her, seemed to not even understand figures of speech could detect.

Spock quirked a brow at the female, noting her sarcasm for later reference. His eyes shifted down from her face to the grey cube still nestled in her protective grasp. How did she know about the cube? He had been entrusted with it's existence alone in an attempt to avoid the battle they endured anyway. How could Bria, someone not even of this dimension know of it, let allow act so...possessive over it. Recalling her earlier question, Spock spoke up, "You asked me moments ago whether or not the Captain or I had had been holding the cube when your portal appeared. As Vulcans cannot lie, it was myself that possessed the cube before my current injury occurred. Why, may I ask, would you ask such a question? And what do you know about the cube?"

"Spock, let the kid alone for now," Bones ordered, using one of his many devices to check her vitals. "Now don't worry, none of these will hurt you. I'm just making sure that nothing was damage when you apparently crossed through the dimensions. I'll have to do the same for your friend. As much as I would like to be positive on the matter, I'd rather have the facts." He highly doubted that the woman needed to be told this, but he rather maybe offend her than possibly frightening her and throwing off her vitals.

Looking over at his top assistant, Leon gave her instructions, "Ayano, call Jim and have...Sarah? Was it? Come down here at the next possible moment. I have tests I need to run." Ayano, since joining the crew a couple of months before the take off of the newly repaired Enterprise, had jumped to his version of a First Officer. If Bones had to have someone he trusted to aid him in a surgery or medical disaster, the Asian beauty was his first choice. Outside of the med-bay, Ayano was a sassy, confident woman that easily kept up with his sarcasm. Something he found...endearing.

Returning his attention to the portal jumper, Bones took out a syringe. "Now, I need to take a blood sample. Would you prefer now or later when the risk of you vomiting over me is at a minimum?"

Bria frowned at the readings on the device he had that showed high vitals. Damn it, and she was trying to hide it... She looked at the needle like it was going to eat her and she shifted uncomfortably, but held out her arm and closed her eyes, "Get it over with."

Ayano noticed, "You're really stressed. Not surprising...though you're blood pressure is high and it almost looks like you're about to have a nervous breakdown or a panic attack. Do you have any medical history or allergies we should know about?"

"I was diagnosed with depression when I was younger, I have asthma, I have a titanium bar in my left arm, I'm allergic to morphine, my immune system sucks ass, I haven't had a new pair of glasses in seven years, and yes...I'm not...I'm not okay, alright? I'm used to being tough for Sarah, I don't have the luxury to panic and freak out like she was," Bria turned her head away, her chin trembling.

"It'll be okay, just calm down," Ayano soothed, and she hit the com, "Captain Kirk, this is Lt Ayano. If she's available, could Sarah be sent down?"

"Yes, she's on her way now," Kirk agreed.

"I prefer those that don't panic. It means you can adapt to anything," Bones soothed as he quickly drew the blood and bandaged the area so that perhaps the woman could relax. "There, just a sting. Alright, why don't you just take a rest."

"Sis?"

Glancing over to the lift, the doctor motioned for Sarah to take a seat on the other bed. He frowned at the sight of the mirrored illness. "Not you too."

"W-what? What's wrong with Bria?" Sarah demanded, gripping the wall when the ship jerked a bit.

Bones' lips pressed together in annoyance, "Motion sickness, and from the looks of it, you have it bad too." Where ever they came from, they likely never been on a ship before. Even those with severe motion sickness could handle warp. "Come sit down, and I'll get something to help you."

"It's alright, Sarah. Bone's is good at what he does. Just come sit down already," Bria sighed. She looked at Spock who seemed lost in thought, "Ne...you didn't answer me. What century and time is this?" she paused, "Tell me, and I'll explain how I know about this blasted thing," she patted the cube.

Ayano shook her head, amused how Bria kept talking to Spock even though Bones told them to stop with the questions. "Alright, Sarah. Could you tell me what allergies or medical conditions you have so I can put it in the records? And would you be willing to give me your full name, first, middle, last?"

Spock glanced at the doctor who practically threw his hands up in frustration. Working with the captain had taught him that some people were set in their ways. Taking this as a clear to ask questions once more, Spock answered, "The star date is 2259.55. According to your claimed year, it is nearly 241 years in the feature."

"It's Sarah Elizabeth Hawthorne." she answered, "I don't have any allergies that I know of...I have a a weak ankle, my uh left one...My glasses are really out of date. I...I think that's all...I mean I can't think of anything else."

"Holy fuck, /241/ years?!" Bria sat up quickly and stared at him, her green eyes wide. They had been a grey ring around the outer edge but it was fading with the Doctor's treatments, making her eyes more vibrant, "Real quick way to tell if this is /our/ future or not. In August 2014 the super volcano in Yellowstone erupted due to bombing which started World War Three. In 2019 the war was still going strong. When did it end?"

Ayano nodded and she giggled at Bones, "Let's take care of Sarah while those two talk," she smiled and turned back to the younger woman, a pen and PADD in her hand as she filled out the information Sarah gave her, "When's your birthday? Are you feeling nauseous? Are you in pain anywhere? Bria mentioned the same problem with the glasses. We would be able to provide you with new ones by tomorrow after taking an eye exam. Would you like to do that now?"

"It ended in the year 2053." the Vulcan answered right away, no hesitance as it was a historical fact. "However, I must ask why you would find that enough to be proof as you would have not experienced the end before having came here." Spock eyed the human, narrowing his eyes, "You are stalling from telling the truth, Brianna. What do you know about the cube?"

Bones rolled his eyes, shaking his head, "Yeah, sure."

"It's October 2 1993, and /yes/ I'm feeling nauseous." Sarah sighed, "I feel like I'm about to puke. I have motion sickness, bad. I...don't have any other pain." That feeling from moments ago still applied here... "Sure..I can take the test if you want, which is ever good for you. I'm not going anywhere apparently."

Bones frowned at Ayano's concern, feeling his skin prickle with unease. It was not often that the medical assistant gave that level of concern. He...always hated when she felt concerned. "Alright, don't worry. I'll watch them." Bones gently patted Ayano's shoulder, giving her a smile as he neared the two, but stopped stop so that he could act as if he were making notes on his PADD

Sarah noted the exchange between the two doctors, her habit of watching people showing through. "Right...Just to let you know, I...have a slight fear of needles. Nothing bad, just...I, well, I don't like sharp things handled around me like knives and such...I'm rambling aren't I? I'm sorry...I'll follow you."

"Would you /please/ stop calling me by my full name?" Bria pursed her lips and her brows furrowed, her own eyes narrowing, "I'm sure, being not only military personnel, but an apparent historian, you've been told classified information about how the world wasn't like that before, that something changed time but the cause wasn't identified." She brought her knees up, shifting her nightgown over them, and she looked at the cube with a deep frown, the scars - one above and one below the right corner of her lips - sinking in with the expression, "The cause was this fucking thing. My world ended in September of 2014, when government officials baring /that/ god damn symbol came to my apartment," she pointed at the arrowhead insignia on the left side of Spock's uniform. She stood up and thrust the cube into Spock's chest, her eyes flashing, the final straw snapping and everything came crashing down, "They showed my boyfriend a picture of a criminal who /stole/ that from them, because Max was the only one who knew him well enough to go after him where they failed. Before he left, promising me he'd be back and he'd be okay, the one with the hat on over his ears gave me a vile of blue liquid, and after his touch lingered he said I knew what to do. After locking the door, I put that stuff on key points all around the apartment and a fucking /shield/ came up."

Bria threw her hands up, and then started pacing, "Sarah and I were terrified, and after agreeing we shouldn't leave, we huddled on the bed with our computers, but we couldn't concentrate and just settled on opening the blinds and looked outside. I watched the door to the apartment complex where Max would have to walk in. It took a few hours but then, /then/ to our complete and utter /horror/ the world outside flickered and then /changed/! The building across the street was almost rubble, a darker grey than the sky, and the cars and asphalt of the parking lot was grey! We looked back at the room and we were fine. The shield protected from the time warp, apparently."

She ran her hand through her hair, the bangs on her left side falling right back into place, "We continued to watch, and wait, to see if it would go back to normal. After maybe ten minutes it did. Then out of nowhere Max and the criminal fell into the parking lot, and I saw a blurry spot just above the cube..." her breath caught, "They...they fought, Max got injured, and I panicked. I ran out despite the agreement, my pocket knife ready. I got out there, and everything was grey and dismal again. Seeing the bad guy I flicked out my knife and threw it, but it only hit his arm. That was just enough for Max to get a good slice in himself as the guy grabbed the cube, and he kicked the criminal through the portal. I had ran closer and saw what seemed to me like a ship on the other side. The criminal beat a guy and took his laser pistol, then shot Max in the chest. Screaming I ran over, took Max's pocket knife, and threw it. Since I was closer I calculated for my lack of aiming skills, going for his head and it landed in his heart. The portal disappeared with him and the cube...and...nothing changed. The world didn't go back to normal. Max...was bleeding out...and..." Tears streamed down her face and she turned away, slapping her hand over her eyes trying in vain to hide she was crying, "I didn't...know jack sh-shit about...first aid and I...I couldn't move h-him, I'm too tiny,and I didn't want...to-to leave him..."

Spock's brows furrowed as he placed the cube beside him and...hesitated before reaching out to gently place his hand over Bria's. As much as he had a dislike for unnecessary physical contact due to his touch-telepathy, the Vulcan found he could not watch this go on without doing something. At their contact, he felt a flood of her emotions. Pain, unbearable sorrow, fear, anger...all just the surface of her True Self. The same every feelings he himself had experienced only twice before. "Bria...You cannot blame yourself for variables beyond your control. It is uncertain that if you had even advanced medical skills that you could save him."

Bria froze at his touch, so...warm...it reminded her of Max's warmth, but different. She felt him trying to comfort her through some...telepathic link. She wasn't a stranger to spiritual stuff, being Empathic and knowing it since she was a teenager and pursuing more knowledge of it. "I don't even know if it was worth it, all the pain..." she sniffed, wiping her eye but more tears fell, and she sat down heavily on the medical bed he was on, "I was left at a loss, in a world that had been at war a month, hostels everywhere, a shitty sense of direction, clumsy, and no contacts. I don't even know how I managed to get Sarah and I to survive those first couple months, let alone five years..." she felt too hot in her hoodie but didn't want to remove her hand from his. It'd been...too long since she felt like this. Too long for her, anyway, a creature who craved touch and love while Sarah shied from it.

"If you pull your arm through one sleeve, I will switch hands with you so that you can do the same for the other sleeve. This will ensure that you will keep contact with me and to keep cool." Spock stated, tilting head slightly. She was...odd, and he was acting unusual. Even the Doctor, who had started in astonishment at them, was making notes, possibly to check his brain waves for a concussion or some other injury. While it may be a possibility, the Vulcan actually preferred not to know at the moment. This human woman...needed his comfort, though he could only offer so much.

Nodding she did so, and she tossed the hoodie over to the other bed, sighing in relief. His hand returned to hers, and she wiped her eyes again, feeling calmer, "If you don't want to touch me you don't have to, Spock, but I'm grateful for the comfort. Is it just you or is the...whole touch-telepathy thing a Vulcan trait?" She noticed he tilted his head as if not expecting her to figure it out, "I used to be in love with Japanese culture and knowing they were spiritual in a lot of things, I learned more about it as well." She took a shaky breath, "Yes, I did stall before telling you about the cube, but I knew in order to tell you, I'd have to explain my story. I didn't mean to get so rough..."

Confused by her words, Spock raised a brow, "It is indeed a Vulcan trait. It is why we have a dislike for touching. It is considered...rude to see into another being's mind without permission. I am sorry, therefore, because I glimpsed your emotions through our connection. However, I will not allow you to suffer through these such emotions alone. If you are not willing to express them more than your previous words, than I shall silently monitor them so you do not...feel alone, as I can only assume is a fear of yours by how you were attached to your friend earlier." A cold man he may act, but not a heartless being. It was true he was not going to be by emotions, Spock had...compassion for those who had suffered as he had suffered.

"No, no, it's okay. I...can only guess you lost someone, too. You've got a pretty good mental barrier up so I don't sense anything from you, if it's even a two-way street," she shrugged, and she sighed softly, "You seem the silent brooding type who wouldn't go to someone else for comfort, but I appreciate what you're doing. Sarah and I have been each other's comfort the last five years, and I haven't...had anybody else to talk to."

"I am willing to listen to you whenever you are in need of someone to talk with." Spock stated, avoiding Bria's comment altogether as he did not wish to answer that. He had been down that path before with Kirk, falling for his traps to open up his emotions. "Vulcans' are known for their abilities to counsel others by using their logic. Should you need anything, I will do my best to aid you."

Just then the Open Com bleeped on and Kirk's triumphant voice came through, "Good news, crew! We successfully blew up the aliens attacking us and we're safe now! We'll be continuing onward with our mission, the next solar system isn't that far away. Brace for warp! Oh, and Spock, if Bones didn't knock you out and you're hearing this, Uhura's on her way to see you."

Spock's hand instantly left Bria's as he moved to his feet. She was going to lecture him once again, and the Vulcan did not need her to jump to natural human conclusions as to why he had held the ship's guest's hand. Uhura...tended to be irrational, becoming upset with him over many of his ways. "Forgive me, Bria-"

The lift doors opened with a hiss as the mocha colored woman strode out with a tight look on her face. "/Spock/, what were you /thinking/ running around the ship like that while were being attacked?"

Standing straight, Spock answered smoothly, "I was trying to retrieve an object from my quarters I believed to be of great importance."

"You were needed on the brig, Spock," Uhura countered, crossing her arms, "And you got hurt too! This is like the Volcano issue all over again."

"I can assure you that these occasions are internally different, Nyota." The Vulcan stated, still remaining calm as his girlfriend scolded him.

"Uhura, could this wait until later?" Bones sighed, "I have other patients in here, and you are causing a ruckus."

"I'm sorry, Doctor, /two minutes/ please." Uhura pointedly asked before turning back to Spock.

"/Out/, Uhura. Take it /somewhere else/, and /after/ I've released Spock." Bones stated firmly, narrowing his eyes at the woman. Tell him to wait. He was a Doctor not some pushover rookie.

Bria didn't like how this woman was treating Spock, and she stood up walking between the two of them, "Excuse you, missy, but what part of the fact he's injured and in med-bay don't you understand?" Uhura was taller than her, but then again /everybody/ was taller than her, since she was a mere five feet tall.

Ayano had finished with Sarah's eye exam and the two were back at the front of the room while this was going on, "Oh boy, should I be worried about your sister?" the Japanese asked the American beside her.

"Missy?" Uhura narrowed her eyes at the stranger, "I don't know who /you/ are, but this is none of your concern. I'm having a conversation with /my boyfriend/." Something about this woman made her...nervous. It was like she just knew that...well she was a threat to what was hers.

"I would worry more about the other one than Bria." Sarah stated worriedly watching the interaction of the women. "My sis can hold her own...but maybe we should act as buffers just in case."

"Well, your boyfriend happens to be /injured/ with a /concussion/ and in need of /rest/ and if you don't get out of here, the person who saved his life is going to kick your ass and shove you into that turbo-lift!" Bria snapped, her chest hurting with a fire, but she ignored it.

"I've never seen someone besides Kirk defend Spock like this," Ayano raised an eyebrow.

"Bria is the protective one," Sarah nervously smiled, but frowned as she watched the altercation continue on.

"Nyota," Spock tried to reason, but his girlfriend gave him a sharp look to which he silenced himself. Uhura was not one to be trifled with, which was why the Vulcan tried to pull Bria back as well. That had little success as the brunette was able to pull away. Why were human females so...emotional?

"Listen here, whoever you /think/ your are," Uhura hissed, uncrossing her arms to place them on her hips. "You better step away and craw back into whatever dump you came from, because you don't belong here. You're little friend over there may have saved us, but /you/? You're worthless, and if you keep sticking your fat nose into private matters, you will be /gone/."

"/Uhura/," Spock sharply called, his lips pierced and eyes narrowed. He did not understand why he...felt so enraged at how his girlfriend was treating Bria. Perhaps it was because she does not understand the pain that he and she shared? That bond of loss and loneliness while being around others. Uhura did not feel Bria's emotions, and made false accusations about the woman who had been keeping herself and best friend alive for five years while carrying the weight of her lover's death on her back.

Reaching forward, Sarah quickly pulled Bones, who stood in front of her, back from the danger zone. She didn't need to see Bria shift her stance, or how her face contorted with anger. She just /knew/ that her beloved sister was going to pounce.

During all this time Bria had never once forgone her one rule of rules, 'never attack first' because then she could be the one tried and accused as she'd seen before time and time again even if there were witnesses to hear the insults that drove the action. All anyone cared about was the attack. So, she stepped forward with a deep growl, her chest /throbbing/ with pain now, but it only seemed to fuel her. She became increasingly aware of her surroundings, everyone's breathing, everyone's positions...Spock's breathing was shallow, and Uhura's was quick. Uhura was being affected by what she said, and that gave her confidence.

Suddenly, she wasn't /outwardly/ angry. She was absolutely seething, but she straightened her back and gained an eerie calm while she took another step, "You want to call me worthless? Okay, fine. You don't know jack shit about me, so I'll let that one slide. I didn't crawl from a dump, though, I fucking marched right out of it. Why? Because Spock was dying there in Captain Kirk's arms. I didn't know him, or Spock, and it freaked me out a little that he had green blood. But you know what, you ungrateful little bitch? I still helped. I don't /think/ I'm anybody. What is a /fact/ however, is Spock is /alive/ because of me and you want to know something else?"

Bria sneered at the back woman, "/You're/ the worthless one! A worthless girlfriend who doesn't even seem to /give two shits/ that he's standing right there in front of you instead of covered by a blanket in the /morgue/! The first thing you fucking did was stroll right in here and /lecture/ him on his decisions instead of asking if he was okay, if he needed anything. He's a grown man, and apparently your /superior officer/ so he can do whatever the fuck he wants and you can go fuck off." Her voice dripped with cold venom and by the end she heard Uhura's voice hitch and she knew she'd snapped something.

"Spock, get out of the way!" Ayano risked jumping out and grabbed the Vulcan, pulling him back as Uhura lunged, "You /don't/ want to be in the middle of a cat fight." He opened his mouth to protest they weren't cats, but she cut him off, "A cat fight is a term for when two girls go at each other."