Chapter 10 – Keep Holding On

Honestly, Kirk felt sorry for Peltier. The guy stood no chance.

Jamie wasn't what anyone expected. Kirk would have asked her out if the mission wasn't of vital importance.

"Jim!"

He glanced around and saw McCoy and Yeto approaching. "Good work Bones. Yeto, I need to speak with you."

"Yes Captain."

Kirk spared one more glance at Jamie sitting on Peltier's lap, flirting outrageously, before he led Yeto aside. "The Orion says that Zia has a condition. What's the condition?"

"She came to me almost three weeks ago with severe head trauma. It happened once before, at Vulcan, but tensions were too high at the time for her to take much notice of it."

Kirk shifted. "How do you know about that?"

Yeto raised an eyebrow. "I am a Betazoid. I know more about my patients than most other people. I know that you eat apples in a feeble attempt to keep Doctor McCoy away from you."

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away," he sighed. "But about Zia, what caused the trauma?"

"Captain Pike died, and Spock felt overwhelming rage. She cannot regulate the emotions, and so she cannot cope with it. A barrier was set up and I do not know whether it has been taken down or not. As far as I know, Spock is not aware of her condition."

Kirk ran his hands through his hair. "This keeps getting better and better."

Yeto touched Kirk's cheek. "Your blood pressure is rising." He opened the medical satchel slung over his shoulder and rummaged through it.

"No, please no hypos," Kirk moaned. Yeto ignored him and inserted medicine into the needle, pulled down Kirk's collar and injected it into his bloodstream. Kirk shook his body and admitted to himself that he needed the medicine. He wasn't quite recovered from his brush with death.

"I trust my services are no longer required," Yeto prompted, closing his satchel.

"No." Kirk nodded respectfully. "You'll be an invaluable member of my team."

The Betazoid smiled. "I'm glad to hear it Captain."

Once Yeto was gone, Kirk strolled back over to join his crewmembers outside the interrogation room. "How's it going?"

"He's eating her up," Sulu whispered.

Kirk glanced at Uhura. "We'll need another ship to take us to wherever they're being held. You and Scotty oversee that."

"Aye Captain," she nodded. Scotty left with her and Kirk turned his attention to the interrogation.

"I know she's your captive, but she's my friend," Jamie simpered.

Peltier tried to touch her, but his hands were bound behind him. "I'll do anything you want," he said desperately. Kirk smirked. The pheromones had obviously taken full effect.

She put a finger on his cheek. "How about this, I kiss you and you tell me where she's being held?"

His eyes were glued to her lips. "Yes."

Smiling, she leant in and kissed him gently. He tried to go in for tongue, but she pulled back and placed her hands on his chest. "Now, you promised to tell me where she is."

"They're on Delta Organa," he purred. "Can I have another?"

"Sure," she grinned. It turned into a look of disgust and she punched him, then stood and brushed off her dress. "That was one of the most disgusting things I've ever done." She turned to the door. "You heard him. They're on Delta Organa. Got get them."

"Yes ma'am." Kirk nodded and gifted her with the trademark Kirk grin. She shook her head and made a shooing motion.

"Keptin, Delta Organa vas once a mining planet for ze Federation, but vas abandoned vhen it ran dry," Chekov said. "Ve have no people on ze planet, so it is ze perfect hiding spot."

"Right, Sulu, Chekov, McCoy, go and find Uhura and Scotty. They should have gotten us a ship now." They left, and he turned to Jamie. "When we get them back I'm taking you out to dinner to thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," she sighed. "Look, you better go or rescue them. I will hold you responsible if they don't make it."

"Right," Kirk muttered. He raced after his crewmembers.

o.O.o

The air smelt cleaner, so Spock reasoned they neared the surface. Zia's strength was all but gone, and he didn't have much energy left either.

"Spock."

Spock saw red. He dropped Zia's hand and kicked the unfortunate human. Caster fell, caught unaware, and his head hit the floor. Spock straddled him and gripped his throat. Caster's eyes widened, and he scrabbled uselessly at Spock's arms. He still thought he could get out of this. There was no way he would. Spock readjusted his hold and ripped his arms in opposite directions.

He left Caster's lifeless body and slung Zia back over his shoulder. She coughed and warm blood trickled down his back. No, no, no! Not Zia. He would wish a thousand lifetimes of pain onto himself, just please spare her.

Suddenly they were outside. Fresh air wafted over him, but he spared no thought to the birdsongs and blue sky. He ran. He ran as far and fast as he could with his girlfriend hung from his shoulder like a sack of Plomeek. He only stopped when his legs wouldn't go anymore.

He laid Zia on a bed of grass and examined her wounds. She was peppered with cuts and bruises, her skin mottled and uneven, and he was sure several bones were fractured and broken.

His injuries meant nothing to him. He didn't notice that he also sported countless cuts and bruises. To him, his own problems meant nothing compared to hers. So soon after almost losing Kirk, his girlfriend teetered on the balance between life and death.

"Zia, please wake up!" he cried. She lay there, lifeless, the non-bruised skin milky and pale. He took her face in both hands. "Please! You cannot give up now!" He placed both hands over her heart and pumped gently. It still beat, albeit faintly, but if she didn't receive medical attention he feared it would stop.

"Spock…"

He leant close to her face. "Zia, I am here. We have escaped. We are safe."

"Spock… having a body really sucks…"

He couldn't help but smile at her feeble attempt of a joke. Her eyes fluttered, and he touched her face. "Zia, I love you, and I need you. You cannot abandon me now. We will survive together, and we will spend the rest of our lives together. Vulcans live for hundreds of years, and I cannot do it without you by my side."

She sighed. "I've waited a long time to hear you say that. If only these weren't such… such… terrible circum… circumstances…"

"No, no, stay with me. Stay awake." He kissed her and squeezed his eyes shut. When he pulled away she was completely unresponsive. "No! No!" He bent down, placed his hand on her face and melded, ordering her body to function. Her chest rose and fell and her heart beat, but she wouldn't wake.

'I love you…'

The words were like a whisper on the wind, but he knew it was her subconscious. Please, please let her wake. He pressed his forehead to hers and accepted defeat. The pain was raw and fresh, like a knife to the heart.

He allowed himself to weep.

o.O.o

The U.S.S. Justice came out of Warp in orbit around Delta Organa. Kirk shifted in his seat. It really wasn't the most comfortable chair. The chair in the Enterprise was much better.

"Keptin, I am picking up several life signs on ze surface of ze planet," Chekov cried. He pulled the scan up on the big screen and Kirk examined the signs. A massive cluster of them were in what looked to be an old mining facility. But there were two signs a fair distance from the main cluster. As they watched, several signs from the big cluster broke off and headed toward the two signs off on their own. Kirk's heart leapt. That was them. It had to be them.

"That's them." Kirk pointed to the two on their own. He tapped his comm. "Scotty, this is Kirk. Chekov's forwarding the locations of two individuals I'm certain to be Spock and Cadet Abbott. Beam them up, and I'm taking a large party down to the planet to subdue the Vulcan Hunters."

"Aye, Captain."

"I volunteer to go, Captain," Sulu said immediately.

"Good man Sulu." Kirk stood. "Let's go get these bastards."