.o0o.
McCoy was antsy. He felt sure that Kirk had sent him to "help" Scotty just to get him out of the way. Everything was happening so quickly, and he was not pleased with the idea of Spock trapped on that Romulan ship by himself, disguised or not. He tugged slightly at the link in his mind only to feel Spock concentrating and brush off his concern. He was still okay, though, and that's what mattered. For now.
"Where'd you go, Doc?" Scotty asked when McCoy finally took the box from him instead of staring a hole in the wall.
"I'm here." McCoy assured him.
Scotty gave him a knowing smile. "He's going to be fine."
"I'm not worried about Spock." McCoy insisted.
"I am."
McCoy bit his lip.
"It's okay to feel something for him, you know." Scotty suggested.
"I've already been through one loveless marriage."
"I suppose you would know better than anyone what he does and doesn't feel." Scotty shrugged like he couldn't care less about McCoy's situation, and like he wasn't disconnecting non-vital parts of his beloved ship to send over to the Romulan vessel.
"Right." McCoy agreed, though he wasn't actually certain about that. Maybe he should know better than anyone else what Spock felt, but Spock kept his feelings wrapped tightly even inside his own head and McCoy valued privacy too much to pry further. It didn't matter, though. Spock's actions were dictated by logic.
"It's not like he'd say anything about how he feels." Scotty continued casually as he picked up his own box and they walked towards the transporter room. "It's impossible to get him to admit that he feels at all."
"But he does." McCoy stated blandly. He had felt his emotions over the link on more than one occasion.
"Ah." Scotty nodded as if he'd been waiting for that response, "Just goes to show; there are other ways to get a message across than speaking."
As if on cue, McCoy felt the link flare to life and adrenaline pumping through him. Spock was in trouble. Unthinkingly, McCoy dumped his stuff onto the floor and took off running for the Bridge. If anyone could help Spock, it was going to be Kirk. He listened closely over the link. Pain greeted him. He fell back against the turbolift wall and felt at his chest before he realized that he wasn't the one who was injured.
"Jim!" He called as soon as the doors opened. "Spock's in-"
He realized his mistake too late. The scene was fairly normal for the Bridge, except that no one had moved at his call. That was when he remembered he wasn't supposed to be on the Bridge at all. Next, he spotted Serin, squatting awkwardly behind the captain's chair as Kirk was angling his head around to look at him. If they were scanning the ship, it would appear as if Serin's lifesigns were Kirk's own, thus evading detection. As long as the were only looking for the Romulan scans, it was rather ingenious.
On the viewscreen, the Romulan captain was looking at him interestedly. He felt a little sick, then a whole lot sicker as the identity of the Romulan sunk in. He recognized him from Capella IV as the one who ravished his mind. The captain's eyes narrowed. McCoy's knees shook.
Terik smiled a very unpleasant smile, and McCoy was suddenly having a hard time clamping down on his fear. "Interesting that you've kept one of my pets aboard. I would have thought they'd be killed as soon as they were discovered, but I suppose that's just another of the humans' weaknesses. So," Terik sat back in his chair comfortably. "Why don't you punish him for interrupting us?"
McCoy's eyes turned to Kirk, his head felt like it was creaking as audibly as a rusted gate. Kirk was desperately trying to think on his feet. "I'm not sure it's worth the effort. They'll all be dead within the hour, anyway."
"Humor me." The captain said, his smile unfaltering.
Kirk rose from his chair. McCoy wasn't sure what was going to happen next; Kirk didn't seem very sure about that either.
Suddenly, the door on the Romulan ship opened and Spock was walked in with a guard wrapped around each of his arms. His face was torn up and green blood was matted into his hair. He seemed to be curling into himself. McCoy swallowed hard. Spock was pushed to his knees beside the captain's chair. Terik looked down at the Vulcan, then back up at the viewscreen. He didn't seem surprised.
"I suppose you don't know who this is, either?" Terik drew a knife and circled around Spock, who wasn't looking up. "We found him tampering with our weapons."
"Then it seems you have your own traitor aboard. I do not know him." Kirk responded. McCoy's stomach was tied in knots.
"Then it will not be a problem for you if I kill him." Terik drew back the knife and lunged.
"No!" McCoy shouted, unable to stop himself. Belatedly, he realized the whole Bridge crew had reacted. Their cover was completely blown. Kirk wrapped a hand firmly around his arm and gave it a strong squeeze. McCoy wasn't sure if it was a reflex, a comfort or a warning.
"Interesting." The Romulan feigned and put away his knife. "You are not Stark."
"No." Kirk admitted because Terik was simply stating a fact. "I'm Captain James T. Kirk of the starship Enterprise."
"I suspected as much. I am curious, though, how you managed to deceive our scans." Kirk gestured, and Serin stood up. Terik laughed a laugh that made McCoy shiver. "Primitive."
"But effective."
"Where is Stark?"
"Sedated in Sickbay."
"I want you to personally bring him to me." Terik demanded in a tone that said he held all the cards, which he did.
Kirk was never one to give up, though. "And if I refuse?"
"Then I will disable your ship and take him myself."
Kirk's voice was somehow steady. "Doesn't seem like I'm likely to get much of anything out of this."
"Time, Captain." Terik contradicted him. "You're getting time for you and your crew. And that's all they have left in this life."
"Fine." Kirk grunted unceremoniously. He rested a hand on Baker's shoulder and whispered, "Get the hell out of here if you have the slightest opportunity." It was too low for the Romulan to catch, but McCoy heard it. Kirk nodded to him as he passed towards the door.
"And, Captain?" Terik sounded strangely polite as his eyes drifted towards McCoy and locked onto him. "Bring my pet with you."
.o0o.