The screaming began four thirty in the morning. It started with a sniffle, the tiniest of whimpers. You know that noise those sad dogs make? How it almost sounds like a mechanical ding and it just shreds your heart to hear it? That was the whimper. Then, it was the screams. Inhuman screams, vulcan screams. Nurses from the night shift rushed into help calling McCoy as they did so. When McCoy rushed in to the room, his hair a mess and hands ready to heal, several nurses had been pushed on to the floor.
Around Spock's eyes was dark green skin, and cuts battered his arms and face. He was breathing fast his hands around his knees.
"Spock, Spock" McCoy said rushing to him and pulling him into a hug "it's me. It's Doctor McCoy. You're okay now."
McCoy held him close his face pressed into his jumper as the small figure shook. McCoy could use all the knowledge he had on children having nightmares, but he knew it wouldn't work for this. McCoy tried several times to prise Spock's arms away, only so he could treat Spock's wounds but his grip was just too strong. In the end it was the nurses who healed his cuts, that McCoy now recognised were in the shape of a belt. By the time the cuts where healed the bruises had healed themselves leaving only the scars across his body, and shivering form.
"What are we going to do?" Nurse Chapel asked "maybe we should just put him to sleep."
"Put him to sleep?" McCoy began defensively.
"Unconscious until he's older." McCoy's hand stroked Spock's black hair.
"No." McCoy said sitting on the med bay "he'll just have nightmares."
"I didn't think vulcans dreamt." Nurse Chapel said.
"He's five and half human. I'll just wait with him. Nurse you may go back to bed if you wish."
Nurse Chapel petted the top of Spock's flinching head "sorry. Okay. Don't you forget to get some rest too."
"It's the only thing I will be doing."
* * *
"Morning sleepy Bones." Kirk whispered, sitting on the chair by the edge of the bed. One of McCoy's eyes opened alarmed as he saw him.
"Jim." McCoy greeted.
"You know I just thought you should know" Kirk said pointing from him to the sleeping boy "you look adorable."
"It's not funny. Look at this" McCoy said gently moving his sleeping head so he could see the scar across Spock's cheek. A thin white line.
"Is it bad?" Kirk asked.
"I mean, considering it could have been a lot worse. Jim, I was not prepared for this at all. He was malnourished and bleeding. He got hit with what I think was a belt seventeen times. I could, no, I would strangle whoever did this to him." Kirk was silent for a while as he chewed the inside of his cheek.
"Shit. You healed him this though so he should be fine by now right?"
"Fine? I mean he's fine when he's older, sure, but for him, in his time line, this only happened a few weeks ago."
"Vulcans recover quickly though, right?"
"I'm not waking him up." McCoy said, and he didn't. When the time came, that he needed to use the toilet, and he needed to move and walk, he did so leaving Spock quietly sleeping on the bed. When he returned not to much later he found Spock shaking, and crying.
* * *
He stopped crying. Eventually. In the dead of night, when his mind had caught up with his memories, and his body another inch. Wiping the grot that only seems to find it's way to the corner of his eyes McCoy, somehow more tired than before he slept for fifteen hours saw Spock sitting on the edge of the bed. McCoy's blue jumper was wrinkled with salt and snot which he pulled throwing on to the floor, leaving only his black one on.
"Spock? You okay kiddo?"
"I am adequate. Thank you Doctor McCoy. I apologise for disturbing your plans of today."
"Oh, thats fine Spock. You're my patient. I would do anything for you." McCoy yawned, swinging his legs down from on top the bed so he sat like Spock.
"I take it you finally saw a healer? I mean, in your other timeline." McCoy asked.
"My brother Sybok helped me." Spock said.
"Oh." McCoy said curiously "how was that? Did he perform some sort of meld?"
"No, he just talked." Spock said slowly swinging his legs back and forth.
"Is your brother human?" McCoy asked.
"No?" Spock said confused.
"It's just I didn't know you had one, so he's a full vulcan?"
"I am the only half vulcan. I have.. also only just discovered I have a older brother. He came out of the mountains."
"He came out of the mountains?"
Spock slowly nodded his head "he was raised by them. He told me I shouldn't let fear control me. Fear's got other stuff to do."
"I will have to ask an older you about this" McCoy sighed a whisper "raised by the mountains?Are you okay now? If you want me to stay, thats fine-"
"You may leave Doctor" Spock said.
"Okay. Okay." McCoy said standing he rested a hand on Spock's shoulder before embracing him. Spock froze up like a stiff cardboard block.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm giving you a hug."
"I don't want a hug"
"I know kid. I know." McCoy said and patted his head "if you need me at all, at anytime, I don't care if it's in an hour, if your ten or forty eight. Just call me."
"I don't need you." Spock said firmly as though he was trying to stop a dog following him.
"I'll go. I'll go" McCoy said and left, without defeat.