Chapter 9

"You sure that's right?" Jim asked wearily. McCoy was fretting over his hands, pumping them full of steroids and nerve regeneration meds. He could feel them again but moving them was still beyond challenging. Uhura, Sulu and Scotty were standing on the other side of the bed.

"Yes. I double checked my double checks," Uhura responded. "He's responsible for the entire thing. He forced Vardan into it. Well more influenced him into it saying that exiling them would be better than just shutting the plant down. There's mention of a third party that he leads."

"Sounds like internal power struggle to me," Sulu remarked.

"Mighty despicable of him," Scotty said, rolling his shoulders. Jim was staring straight ahead of him, boring a hole into the wall, lost in his thoughts. "Is he alright, Doc?"

McCoy glanced up from Jim's hand. "The meds I have him on make it hard to focus. He's gotten pretty good at ignoring everything around him so his mind can work. Give him a se-"

"Call my communicator," Jim said suddenly, his face still blank. McCoy shrugged and went back to the results on his PADD.

"Why?" Uhura asked.

"Because this girl…. She can help and she's got my com," Jim grinned. "I need to talk to her."

"If I'm not dead when Spock gets back, he's going to kill me," Jim groaned. He sat up slightly to look at where McCoy was making sure Sulu and Uhura were well prepared for the cold weather. "I can't change your mind Nyota?"

"No you can't Kirk," She strapped on her phaser and zipped up her coat. "I'm going down there to get him because you lost him. You owe me big time."

"That's what I was afraid of," He fell back to the bed. "We'll contact you in two hours if everything goes well. Make sure you're polite to this girl. She's not in a good mood. You guys clear on-"

He coughed hoarsely pulling McCoy away from Sulu and Uhura. The doctor glanced at the readings over the biobed and pulled the thermal blanket over Jim's body. He was shivering as he coughed his entire body covered in goose bumps. "Jim?"

"Two hours," Jim whispered. "Car-careful. Que-questions?"

"We'll be fine, Jim," Uhura said touching his bare arm with a gloved hand. McCoy produced a hypo and pressed it into Jim's neck sending him into oblivion. "What's wrong with him besides the obvious?"

"It's the obvious," McCoy said typing in commands to his PADD. "Johnson over there coughed on him."

"I said I was sorry!" Johnson called despairingly.

"Chapel! Knock him out already!" McCoy snarled.

"You can't just knock all your patients out," Christine rolled her eyes as she appeared from his office. "You are going to have to talk to them."

"Chapel," He growled, his grip on the bio bed turning his knuckles white. She set her hands on her hips and gave him a daring raised eyebrow. "Anyways, Jim here is now sick from whatever Johnson has."

"He caught a cold from his sister when we were taking shore leave on Earth," Chapel said as she passed. She winked at McCoy. "It's not life threatening."

"It is in Jim's body," McCoy snapped. "He needs rest and nutrients. He'll be back to his normal obnoxious self in a couple of days. Now get going before that girl gets annoyed and we miss our chance."

"You know… I need some privacy to go to the bathroom," Desde gestured around her as two swirls of fireflies appeared behind the two people guarding her. "Really! I won't run away! I promise! It's not like there's somewhere to-"

The fireflies materialized into two figures, phasers drawn. Uhura and Sulu fired at the same moment, both of the lackey's falling to the ground, lifeless heaps that snored. Desde appraised them wearily. "Where's your Captain?"

"He's… unfortunately incapacitated at the moment," Sulu said dragging the coat of the figure to the right. Uhura began to change into the other man's jacket.

"Meaning he's asleep in sickbay," Uhura pulled the coat around her with a shiver. "Wow this is thin cloth."

"You try wearing two of them," Desde said as Sulu passed her the second coat carrying 7 phasers in the lining. She slipped the coat on and huffed. "Could you make it any heavier!?"

"We could have brought the rifles," Sulu smirked checking his sword was hidden beneath his newly acquired jacket.

"I don't want to know," She tied her jacket shut. "Let's go. Your captain's plan better work."

"It usually does," Uhura smirked pulling her hood up and over her head shadowing her glass covered face. "So why are you helping us overthrow your father?"

"Because he's a bad person who needs to be shown the consequences of his actions," Desde wrapped the jackets tight around her. "And…. He's the reason behind all of this."

"And there you have it," Jim was stuck in the Captain's chair, barely able to speak anymore. McCoy and Scotty were the only things keeping him from falling from his chair. He didn't even have the energy to rub his aching forehead. "You've alienated your daughter to the point that she wants to kill you. It's no easy feat to make a child hate you so much they actually follow through with their plans."

"You… I will…. You…" Caldwell continued to sputter. Anger seeped into his voice. "How dare you insolent-"

"Fuck off and die," Jim sniped, his voice becoming hoarse and craggily against his throat. He took a deep breath. "Spock. Arrest him. Then get the relief effort moving again… then…. Yeah… Do whatever you think is logical."

"Understood, Captain," Spock was calm as he spoke through the com. Jim had known him long enough to hear the worry.

"I'll be ok, Spock," McCoy made a grunt of disagreement. "Just take care of the people down there. Then get our people back here."

"Yes, Sir. Spock out," Jim slumped in the chair. McCoy instantly lifted him up and onto his shoulder. Scotty looked at them worriedly, his hands hovering to help. Jim mumbled something and coughed roughly.

"I've got him, Scotty," McCoy made sure Jim was secure on his shoulder and walked over to the lift. The doctor nodded to Scotty as the doors closed. Jim mumbled again, actually slipping off of McCoy's shoulder slightly as they descended. "I've got you, Jim. It's ok.

"Snot…." Jim glanced at McCoy, his eyes barely open. "B'nes…. Sis bad… still… can't fee-eel my… hands."

McCoy gave Jim a determined scowl. "I can fix that,"

1102

A/N: After 5 days of being unable to write a thing, (which is unerving to the point i was shaking) I had a brain wave. So here is the next chapter. Unfortunately... I have no idea when the next chapter will be up. It will be by next weekend though. Thank you for reading! i love all the support i've gotten! Keep it up!