Chapter 13
"God damn it!" McCoy whipped around on the transporter pad. "Scotty! Where are they?"
"Still on the planet," Scotty murmured, glancing up at the doctor.
"You better have them Scotty," McCoy growled. "If you don't you've earned yourself a very long medical examine."
"Aye. Aye," Scotty grumbled, his hands ghosting over the controls quickly and efficiently. "Almost there."
"Not yet," Jim's voice ghosted over the com. "Sulu. Chekov and their team up first. We need that evidence."
"Aye sir," McCoy stepped over and pulled Desde up from where her legs had given out on her.
"Easy," He whispered. "Jim. How bad are you?"
"Fine," Jim grounded out. "Don't tell Nyota but Spock's kinda hurt."
"I assure you I will be fine," McCoy looked up from holding Desde up. There was strain in Spock's voice. "You are as hurt as I am, Captain."
"Jim… How long do you need? Exactly," McCoy rolled his eyes and pressed his hand to his forehead.
"10 minutes,"
"You've got five," McCoy snapped. Desde was still holding onto his hand and arm. Her entire body was quivering and struggling to stay standing.
"He's insane," She whimpered. Her green eyes looked up at him, bright relief mixing with dull terror. "Completely and utterly insane."
"You get used to it," McCoy muttered escorting her out. "Scotty. Five minutes, exactly."
He permeated his point with a well placed glare at the engineer.
"Five minutes," Jim muttered and gripped his bleeding shoulder. "Five minutes to save this world."
"Captain. You are injured,"
"I should write you up for insubordination," Jim muttered.
"That is illogical," Spock said blankly.
"You knocked me into the snow and got yourself shot Spock. I think that qualifies as disregarding my order to be careful," Jim pulled his tired body slowly to his feet. "You able to stand?"
"Yes," Jim offered him a hand and the captain pulled his first officer shakily to his feet. "I assume you have a circumstance that pertains to this situation in your plan."
"Kinda," Spock raised an eyebrow at Jim. "It's a hit or miss kind of thing."
"Fascinating," Spock murmured, wrapping his arm around his injured side. "Even in your ill induced state you are able to retain your tactical genius."
"I'm sorry… Did I just hear you call me genius?"
"Enough of your prattle!" Iago snarled advancing on them and pressing his gun into Jim's bleeding shoulder. He winced, his hand clenching in protest. "Explain to me what just happened."
"Well you see… Out in the wilderness there are these stocks of minerals," Jim said. "They're quite interesting and hold properties that can build all sorts of things. Mostly they can be used for creating space able ships. Mystral told me about them while we were out there and she was taking care of me."
"I ordered her to take care of you," Iago grinned maliciously. "I needed you alive and trusting so that we could go through with our plan."
"Well obviously," Jim rolled his eyes and glanced at Spock. The Vulcan raised his eyebrow slightly in question but nodded. "I'm just pointing out that Mystral knew about the properties of the minerals."
"What?" Iago whipped around to look at where Mystral stood. She was frozen, pain and fear on her face.
"I… I was going to tell you!" She clenched her fists to stop the tremors. "Iago… I swear…"
"Quiet," Iago turned around and directed the weapon at Spock. "Tell me or he dies."
Jim snarled under his breath. "Tell you what? That your darling partner was cheating on you?"
"I wasn't!" Mystral cried, unknowingly taking a step forward.
"I said QUIET!" Iago roared and back handed Jim to the icy floor. Spock took a threatening step forward. Iago's stature faltered but his face held putrid terror and rage that rivaled it. He leveled the gun at the Vulcan's chest. His eyes glared into Jim's, ice seeping into his voice again. "Tell me."
Jim spat out blood, painting the white ice red and looked at Mystral. "You know he is going to kill you? It wasn't a slip up earlier-"
"Answer me!"
"He's going to leave you to handle-"
"Don't talk to her about things that do not concern you!"
"His mess and you won't survive it! He's leaving you to your death!"
"SHUT UP!" Iago spun on his heel and went to spring at Jim. A gun snapped off a round and movement slid to a stop. Jim and Spock both looked at each other, appraising the other's body for any more injuries. They looked to where dark black blood was spreading across Iago's chest. His dulling eyes trained on Mystral as the weapon slid from her grip and skidded across the floor. "You…"
"I knew you…. I knew you wouldn't help me," She said, falling to her knees in defeat as Iago collapsed in his own blood. Her voice shook and she let her head fall to look at her trembling legs. "I knew I was merely a chess piece you needed to take what you needed. But I couldn't help it… I just couldn't help it."
Jim heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed into the ice floor. He felt the familiar sensation of his molecules being rearranged and he sighed in relief when he saw the transporter's ceiling dissolve into being above him. He looked over at Scotty and winked. "Perfect timing as usual, Scotty."
"Aye, sir," He grinned. "Glad to see ya back."
Spock sat down on the stairs holding his side. "Captain I believe we are in need of medical attention."
"Yeah… Those guns are nasty pieces," Jim groaned as exhaustion swept over his mind. "Hnn… Tell Sulu to get us out of here…. Whenever…. He feels like we're…. Ready…"
"Aye," Scotty was hovering near him. "Ya jis rest up. There'll be people to woo later."
"Mostly women…." Jim slurred as the warm darkness swept over him, yet again.
"Here," Chapel wrapped the cooling blanket around Desde's shoulders. Desde was sitting up in her own biobed watching the two biobeds that held a meditating Spock and a sedated Jim. Nyota Uhura was sitting next to Spock's bed, reading something on her PADD.
Desde had been given new clothes, a thorough check up and a good meal. Just like every Hielo citizen had been given. Those that were suffering the worst from their isolation and still recovering from the radiation poisoning were lining the beds around the area. Chapel pulled the blanket tighter when she didn't respond to it.
"Desde, are you feeling ok?" Her green eyes continued to stare ahead at Jim's blanket covered feet, the only part of him visible to her. Christine sat down next to her and folded her hands lightly in her lap. They sat in silence, Chapel going over medical reports in her head as Desde continued to look blankly ahead.
"I'm… I'm relieved," She whispered. "But I'm so cold. I've never been this cold before and he… he's the only one who knows why and… and I…. I need to know why."
Christine smiled lightly and stood back up. "You already know why. He told you earlier but you can wait here. He needs his rest. And…" Chapel rolled her eyes. "Dr. McCoy has sedated him so he'll be asleep until he decides he's not mad at Jim."
"It's because he's insane isn't it?" Chapel shrugged.
"The captain sees things differently than us," She smirked. "And most of the time no one understands why he does things the way he does. Whatever drives those decisions….You can call that his own personal insanity."
Chapel walked off, Desde twisting her entire body to follow her out. She looked at the floor, a solemn and thoughtful frown on her face and dragged the blanket tighter around her.
1304
A/N: I kept thinking this chapter was missing something.... O well... You all needed an update! So here it is :D Thanks for the reviews and please keep doing so. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Iluvwind