The Enterprise crew have to figure out a way to stop Nero from destroying the Earth. Bones recalls a time he almost lost his best friend.
I do not own Star Trek.
Big Brother part 9
As the Enterprise headed towards to Earth, Jim and his bridge crew, minus one Vulcan, were trying to determine how to intercept the enemy vessel, and what to do if they managed to do that. Being a doctor, I didn't have much technical input, but I felt I needed to be there to lend moral support. Jim, being his usual impulsive self, was throwing out ideas that smacked of Special Forces assaults. Get aboard the Narada, take out the crew, and steal back the planet killing weapon.
"Jim, you can't go in, guns blazing!" I told him. I felt the direct approach would not work out here, alone and out-gunned as we were.
While we were hashing out ideas, that Russian kid, Chekov, had been working out a plan of his own, at least where the ship was concerned. I listened to it, as we all did. He rattled on about Saturn and lining up the Enterprise just so behind one of its moons. I didn't understand it all, but Jim, Scotty and Sulu seemed to be listening and understanding Chekov's calculations. I looked at him with a glare. "How old are you?"
He answered with a proud, "I'm 17!"
"Oh good, he's 17," I responded. It was bad enough I felt like the grandfather in this group, but that may have been due to my temperament more than actual age.
Just as I was implying that this youth couldn't possibly know enough at his age, lo and behold, who should enter the bridge but that pointy-eared, green-blooded hobgoblin. Ok, so it was harsh of me, but I hadn't forgiven him for almost killing my friend. But he was confirming Mr Chekov's calculations, detailing his own plans to get back the weapon.
Kirk, playing the role of captain to the hilt, refused to allow Spock to go...alone, at least. As I stood there, wanting to yell 'no, don't go, it's suicide!', Jim volunteered to go with him. Spock, for his part, knew it shouldn't be an option, and said so, telling our acting captain that he could choose to cite regulation. I knew Jim, and so it would seem that Spock would be getting to know him too, one way or another. Rule number one is you just don't say no to Jim Kirk. He's a blasted laser-dozer at times once he's made up his mind. And I could see that no one was going to board the Narada without Jim. He, being the magnanimous person he is, acknowledged the two were becoming better acquainted, and slapped the Vulcan on the arm. Spock gave him a look that could have seared holes in the bulkhead.
Jim and Spock headed off the bridge, after leaving Sulu in charge. Uhura and I followed. I headed for Sick Bay, and waited until something happened, although I didn't want anything to happen. There were only a few patients left from our previous attack, the rest having healed well enough to return to duty. In this solitary time, I thought back to another memory, where Jim and I butted heads, and almost allowed our friendship to end.
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It was back during second year. I had picked up some packages from the cadet postal office. One was for Jim. It had an Iowa postmark, of all places. I left his on his bed, and opened mine. Some odds and ends from friends, wishing me well and so on. I didn't know when Jim would return so I stretched out and took a nap.
I was awakened by a noisy Jim Kirk returning from...wherever he'd been. Probably with a lady friend. I never pried.
He must have noticed that he had disturbed my nap. "Sorry, Bones. Didn't mean to wake you." Jim saw the package on his bed and picked it up. Seeing the return address, he tossed it back on the bed.
"Hey, you're not going to open it?" I asked, curious enough to mention it.
"Naw, it's just from my mom," Jim replied.
"Your mom? So you're just going to leave it?" Jim rarely mentioned his mother, or his father for that matter. "If she took the time to send you something..."
"Bones, forget it! You wanna open it, go ahead." He left our quarters through the sliding doors and was gone for most of the day.
I wondered why he was so touchy anyway. He'd never talked about his days before enlisting, except to say that he once liked getting into trouble. He was glad that had changed, at least. Jim was determined to get through the academy with better than acceptable scores.
For the next few days, we hardly spoke. The kid would get up and leave for classes without a word to me. He would return late and again, say nothing. I wondered if our friendship was irrevocably damaged. I didn't want to lose Jim Kirk as my friend.
One day, out of the blue, he came into our quarters, and actually spoke to me.
"I'm sorry, Bones. I didn't mean to snap at you," he said. "It's just...mom had pretty much written me off, and I didn't blame her. When Captain Pike suggested I enlist, all I could think of was how my father had sacrificed his life for Star Fleet. He didn't care about mom or me, only that he was doing his duty."
"I thought he was defending the ship's crew," I suggested.
"That doesn't matter to a kid who's growing up without his dad, whether that dad died honorably. All he can think of is his dad's not there."
I sat on the edge of the bed. "So, why be angry at your mom, Jim? What did she do?" I heard him sigh, but I guess he wanted to talk about it, as he sat on his bed and answered me.
"I left home to enlist and didn't tell her I was going. I didn't know how she'd respond, you know? After years of appearing to have a future, I mean, I did so well in school, but later on, I just became a big screw up. It was like I couldn't feel anything anymore, Bones. Nothing. I acted flippant and uncaring, while inside I felt nothing. Fighting, that made it easier."
I looked surprised, I think, as he tried to explain further.
"Fighting caused me pain, and as long as I felt pain, I knew I was alive. I knew I wanted to live. I just had to find a reason. I told Pike I had no interest in his suggestion to enlist, but I figured, what else was there? So here I am. I finally told mom where I was, about a year ago, I guess."
"What did she say?" I asked, intrigued.
"I got one message from her. 'Do your father proud.' I thought 'Hell, she has to throw dad in my face.' I haven't communicated with her since." He picked up the package, turning it over in his hands.
"Jim, open it," I said quietly.
He looked at me with uncharacteristically sad eyes. I nodded at him. He unwrapped the box, and inside was a smaller box. He took that out and opened it. The box contained a medal. There was a note. Jim read it silently, and then passed it to me.
"Dear Jimmy, I was going through some boxes and I thought you might want this. It belonged to your father, awarded to him postumously by Star Fleet Command for sacrificing his life to ensure the safety of the crew of the Kelvin. Jim, I want you to know that even in those first few moments of your life, your father loved you. He died so that we could get away. If you think he had a choice, you're wrong. He was a Star Fleet officer. As I think about you at the academy, I feel such pride because I know you'll exemplify everything Star Fleet means, just like your father did. Let this medal inspire you to do great things. I love you, son. If you can find it in your heart to forgive him for leaving you, please come see me. I have so many things to tell you about him. Take care, Jimmy. Be careful. I love you so much. –Mom"
I gave him back the note. "Jim, look, I don't mean to pry, but you should contact her. And you can get angry at me if you want, but that's how I feel. Do you think if I had one chance in hell to see Joanna, I wouldn't take that chance? Family, Jim, you can't turn your back on that."
"Bones, look....," he started to say. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean.....you're my best friend here. You talk about family. You are my family."
I stood, and he did the same. We hugged, patting each other on the back. It would have all been maudlin, if not for Jim's next suggestion.
"Let's go get a drink, on me, ok?" I watched as he tucked the small box into one of his drawers. He turned around and led me out of the room. "Hey, you wanna pick up women? I can share some of my best lines with you."
I laughed. "Oh no you don't, kid. I'm not going through that again. I warned you."
"Ok, ok, got it. Well, maybe I'll just have one drink. I think I might stop by the library afterwards and look up a dissertation that Captain Pike wrote."
I understood. Pike's dissertation had been about the attack of the Kelvin. I felt that Jim was finally going to try to understand his father better. And maybe by doing so, would understand himself a bit better too.
**********************
My thoughts returned to the present. It was strange, how Jim's mom had asked her son to do his father proud, and to exemplify the best of Star Fleet. Here he was, doing just that. Risking his life for his crew, the ship and Earth, without a thought to his own safety. James Kirk was an example of Star Fleet's best. And I felt proud knowing him, and being called friend by him. The kid had courage, that was true. I waited on board, hoping we didn't lose him in this latest mission.