Walking Out of The Shadows

Chapter 7

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I have to apologize if I got the time wrong with Spock being a Professor, never really understood when he became one. And I tried to look it up and couldn't find it. Sydney thinks (and tries) to handle things on her own, and sometimes she needs her friends to watch out for her. Sorry that this chapter is LONG.

Six weeks at the Academy:

Sydney walked down the hall of Starfleet Academy looking through her PADD, taking mental notes from the lecture she had just attended. She had ten minutes to stop and get coffee and get to her next lecture, History of Weapons. She wouldn't stay awake with out the coffee.

"I know who you are," a male's voice said from behind her.

Sydney stopped and turned. "I'm sorry?"

The man took a step closer to her. "You're Sydney Pike, you were on the patrol cruiser with my brother."

Sydney looked at the man's eyes and took a breath. "Kane…was your brother…" she said.

"My older brother," the man told her. "Do you remember him?"

"Yes.. of course I do," Sydney answered.

"Hey Short Stuff, you want to play some hoops?" the brown haired man asked as he threw the ball to her.

Sydney grinned as she caught the ball. "Aren't you afraid you're going to lose again Kane?"

"You got lucky once Shorty," Kane told her with a grin.

"He was my…friend, of course I remember him," Sydney told the man. "Kam right? You're parents had a thing…for K names…" she told him. She took a breath, trying to keep from breathing hard.

"Yeah, let me ask you a question Pike, what does it feel like for you? Being alive and them being dead? We didn't even have a body to bury, yet you're standing here," the man said as he stepped closer to her causing her to be walk backwards into a wall. "Feeling trapped? I wonder if that's how my brother felt, burning to death."

"I'm…sorry, I…he was…a friend," she told him.

"I can't believe that you have the nerve to be here, to pretend nothing happened," the man told her.

"Cadet Pike is there a problem?" a male's voice asked behind him.

"Syd?" Uhura asked as she ran beside her.

The man stepped back. "No problem Professor Spock, Cadet Pike knew my brother, we were just discussing him."

The half Vulcan looked at him. "I do not think I asked you Cadet Ziering, I was asking Cadet Pike."

Sydney took a breath and nodded. "Cadet Ziering is correct, we were discussing his brother."

Spock arched an eyebrow. "Cadet Uhura would you escort Cadet Pike to medical, she does not look well," he told the other woman. "Cadet Ziering, my office in ten minutes," Spock ordered.

"Yes sir," both Uhura and Ziering answered as Uhura took Sydney's elbow.

"How much…did you two hear?" Sydney asked as she walked with Uhura.

"I didn't hear much, couldn't make out what he was saying. Professor Spock heard more, I'm not sure what," the other woman told her. "You want me to get hold of your dad?"

"No, I'm fine, I'll just go back to quarters, rest," Sydney told her.

"Oh no, a Professor ordered me to take you to me medical, we're going to medical," Uhura told her as they walked into the building. "Sit," Uhura told her friend.

"Ny, I'm fine," Sydney insisted.

"No, you're not, sit," she told her as she put her hands on the other woman's shoulder and went over to the desk. "Cadet Pike needs to see a doctor," Uhura told the woman at the desk.

"What is the problem?" the nurse asked.

"Professor Spock ordered her down for a medical check up," she answered as she sighed. She wanted to protect her friends privacy and not say everything out in the open. "Look, just look up Cadet Pike's medical file, and get a doctor over here."

The receptionist looked up at her. "I'm going to need a medical reason," she told her.

"And I told you to look up her medical file. Her diagnosis is already in there, and it's more private then me announcing it all over medical bay isn't it?" Uhura asked as she spotted a familiar face from behind the counter. "Dr. McCoy isn't it?" she asked as he turned around. "I brought Cadet Pike in, the same trouble she had on the shuttle. But the receptionist here won't look up her medical file. Could you please help her?" Uhura asked.

"Damn it woman, why didn't you just bring up the Cadet's file? She's the daughter of a Professor here, the name should at least get some recognition," the doctor grumbled as he went out to the waiting room. "We really need to stop meeting like this, Syd. Come on back," he told her. He looked at Uhura and mouthed, "Contact her father," he said.

Uhura nodded as the two went out of sight.

"I'm fine, Doctor McCoy," she told the man as he escorted her to an exam room.

McCoy looked at her. "Right, you look like you're going to pass out, you're having trouble controlling your breathing, and you look like you haven't slept in two or three days," he told her as he nodded to the bio bed. "After what happened on the shuttle, I studied your medical file. I meant to come check up on you before but I got a little side tracked, but by the looks of you, I should have made you my top priority," he told her as he brought up her medical record on a PADD and sat down in front of her. "What happened?"

"Just got confronted by one of my crew member's brother, he asked if I ever thought about him and what it felt like to be trapped," Sydney answered. "I didn't handle it well, it won't happen again. I'll be better prepared for it next time."

"Damn it, Syd, you shouldn't happen again, it shouldn't have happened this time. That was uncalled for, you need to report it," McCoy informed her.

"I think Professor Spock over heard, he ordered me here," Sydney told him.

McCoy nodded. "When was the last time you slept? And I mean really slept without any nightmares, all night through?"

Sydney had to laugh. "Maybe when I was unconscious after the accident? I've given up on getting a good nights sleep."

"Last time you ate? I haven't seen you at the mess hall," he stated.

"Must be on different schedules, Doc," Sydney answered.

McCoy tapped something on his PADD and looked up at her. "Why would you look at that, we get off at the same time three days in a row. Once again, when was the last time you ate kiddo? You can answer me, or I can put you on a scale and note it in your file. I have a feeling you're not going to make weight standards for Security if I do that," he warned.

"I had a bagel for breakfast," Sydney answered.

"Did it stay down?" McCoy questioned.

"Yes," she answered.

"What did you have for dinner last night?" he asked.

Sydney sighed. "I think I like you when you're grumpy and unconcerned," she hissed. "A bowl of cereal, in my room."

"A bowl of cereal? Damn it Syd, that's not enough to live on especially with as many calories as your putting out," he scolded her. "Look, we can do this a couple of ways," he told her as he got up and sat on the bio bed with her.

"Do what?" she questioned, afraid that she knew the answer already.

"I'm not going to have you brought in here one day unconscious because you are trying to unconsciously starve yourself to death," he informed her. "I also don't want to get you kicked out of Star Fleet because I think that would do more harm then good," he told the younger woman. "But you and me we're going to have a dinner date in the mess hall three nights a week, and I'm sure if I ask my roommate, he'd be happy to come pull you out of your room and make you eat," he teased.

"Kirk's your roommate isn't he?" she asked as she shook her head. "Yeah no thanks," she answered.

"Well, I don't think you get a choice, kiddo. You're going to have someone going with you to the mess hall or out to dinner or cooking for you or you cook for them, and watch you eat for the next month," he told her. "And, once a week you're going to come in here and you're going to get weighed by me. If in a month, you haven't gained weight and you don't look any better then you do right now, I am going to have to note it in your file," he told her.

"And the second choice?" she asked.

"I put it in your file now," McCoy told her. "I think I know which one you would prefer," he told her.

Sydney sighed. "Fine, we'll do it your way," she answered.

"And, you're off duty for the week. I'll talk with your father, get your lectures downloaded for you," he told her. "But you need sleep, and I mean real sleep. Not getting up in the middle of the night and going to the gym," he told her. "Or if it was me, hitting a bar in the middle of the night," he said as he stood up and went over and got a hypospray. "And we're going to start for a nice little nap right now," he said. "Lay back."

"Seriously Leonard?" Sydney asked.

"Calling me by my first name isn't going to get me to change my mind, kiddo," he told her. "Lay down," he ordered again.

"Fine," she mumbled as she laid down.

"What's your favorite food?" he asked.

"What?" Sydney asked confused as he stuck her with the hyprospray.

"It's Friday, we all have the weekend off, and when you wake up in a few hours, Uhura, Jim, you and me are going out. Call it step one of monitoring," McCoy told her.

"Sushi," she answered.

McCoy rolled his eyes. "You would have to say sushi wouldn't you? You couldn't say Italian or southern? No it had to be some damn raw fish," he grumbled.

Sydney gave a small smile as she yawned. "Serves you right," she mumbled as she drifted out to sleep.