September 2255

As she stepped off the shuttle, Arianne glanced around at the Riverside Shipyard and was amazed at the amount of care being put into the construction of the Enterprise.

After taking a moment to study the ship, Arianne turned and went into the recruiting station where her father was no doubt waiting to direct her through the paperwork and enrollment process.

The last two years had been filled with finishing her degree, assisting Dr. Puri at Starfleet Medical, counseling cadets with various stages of PTSD, and undergoing both rehab therapy for her leg and hormone therapy for the endometriosis. Otherwise, she had remained in excellent health.

Following graduation from university, Arianne had decided to take the last advice that Dr. Boyce had ever given her and "shoot for the stars," which meant enlisting in Starfleet Academy.

Her father had been both surprised and thrilled upon learning that she wanted to become an Academy cadet. Since her decision, Arianne had done a lot of meditation to calm her anxieties about her choice and had even written to Sarek and Amanda to inform them of her news.

Now, despite wanting to remain on campus and join the recruits at Orientation, Arianne found herself in Riverside because Dr. Puri had wanted a field medic to be on the next day's shuttle.

Although the chances were small that anything would happen, Dr. Puri had decided it better to be safe than sorry and since he was too busy to go, he had sent Arianne, as he trusted her.

Self-consciously smoothing down the cadet jacket and pants that she now considered hers, Arianne entered the station and pressed a buzzer outside of her father's temporary office.

"Come in," the voice of her father sounded out over the adjacent intercom.

Smiling, Arianne stepped forward and, as the door slid open, she entered the room, "Ensign Arianne Pike reporting for duty, sir," Arianne stated, giving a customary salute.

Chris smiled, his heart swelling with pride, "Ensign Pike, welcome," he replied, rising from his seat to stand at eye-level with Arianne. "It's a great relief to have a field medic on board the recruiting shuttle tomorrow, as one never knows what could happen despite it being a short flight."

Arianne nodded, "Yes, sir, I understand that," she replied in an official tone.

There was a moment of silence and Chris gestured for Arianne to sit, which she did, "So, Arianne, how was the journey from San Francisco?" he asked. "Did you encounter any problems?"

"It was a quiet flight, I was able to think," Arianne replied in a gentle tone. "If I never marry or have children, at least I'll be able to dedicate my life to a cause as worthy as Starfleet, you know?"

Again, Chris rose from his chair, "I have to inspect the Enterprise to see if there are any flaws thus far ," he replied, giving his daughter an encouraging smile. "Would you like to join me?"

Relieved that she was being given encouragement to explore this unexpected purpose in her life, Arianne nodded and smiling, she left the office with her father.

Later that day, as the sun was setting, Arianne and Chris entered the Riverside Shipyard Bar and immediately went over to the dining area, as to share a quiet dinner as father and daughter.

The inspection of the partially finished Enterprise had taken most of the day, as Chris had wanted to ensure that everything was being done to the letter. Arianne had been fascinated by the ship and was very tempted to ask if she could eventually serve on it after she was done the Academy.

Fortunately, the dining area of the bar was quiet, as most of the other recruits were just now arriving and things wouldn't be busy until later. Therefore, the dinner was very relaxed and the discussion revolved around the next day's schedule of events, as it would be very busy.

Around seven, noise began to emanate from the bar, signaling that new Starfleet recruits were arriving and wanted to indulge in a night of wildness before settling down to a strict routine.

As the most senior officer in the area, Chris had elected to stay and linger just in case things ended up out of control and required intervention. For bar scenes were known to get rowdy.

Despite wanting to spend time with her father, Arianne was exhausted from the combination of travelling and her earlier hormone treatment and had elected to rest on her father's office cot.

The hours had passed quickly and it was early morning when Arianne felt someone shaking her shoulder, "Hey, Captain Pike needs a medic in the bar," a strange voice said into Arianne's ear. "There was a fight and some local got the crap beat out of him by some Starfleet cadets."

Letting out a soft groan, Arianne sat up and saw that someone that was dressed like a custodian was standing over her, "What time is it?" she asked, rising from the cot.

"It's about one," the custodian replied. "Can you hurry? The poor local is bleeding all over the floor...I really have to get cleaning or my boss will yell at me."

Rolling her eyes, Arianne sighed, "I'll get some supplies and be there in a few minutes," she replied, stalking out of the office and dragging the custodian with her.

With a fully stocked med-kit in hand, Arianne strode into the bar and immediately saw her father standing over what looked like a body laying on the floor with blood all over his face and shirt.

"Captain Pike, you called for a medic?" Arianne said, kneeling beside the body and looking down at the bloodied face. "Mind telling me exactly how you got pasted by Starfleet cadets, sir?"

Suddenly recognizing the voice, Jim opened his eyes and was surprised to see the face of a friend whom he had not seen in years, "Arianne, is that you?" he croaked. "It's been a long time."

Thoroughly confused, Arianne looked at her father, "Captain Pike, does this young man have a name?" she asked, wondering why this local was acting as if he knew her.

"My name's Jim Kirk, don't you remember?" Jim replied in a groggy voice.

As she began to remember back to her school days in Iowa, Arianne's eyes widened, "James Kirk?" she asked, gazing at the bloodied up young man on the floor. "What happened?"

"I got pasted by some cadets and I'm drunk," Jim replied groggily. "There was this girl..."

Rolling her eyes, Arianne sighed, "Can you sit up so I can have a better look at your face?" she asked, relieved when Jim immediately sat up. "Did you lose consciousness at all?"

"After being beat up by five cadets, you would think so, but I managed to stay awake," Jim replied, wincing as Arianne touched his cheekbones and nose. "Owww, that hurts."

"You've probably got a fractured nose and damaged cheekbones," Arianne explained. "I can give you some mild anaglesics to get you through tomorrow, but Doctor Puri will want to deal with that more at Starfleet Medical...By the way, Jim, why aren't you in a cadet uniform?"

Chris cleared his throat, "He's not one of the new recruits, Arianne," he stated, crossing his arms.

"What a lot of potential you're wasting," Arianne muttered as she opened the med-kit and pulled out a pre-loaded hypospray. "Hold still, Jim, this will only take a moment."

Jim flinched, but allowed Arianne to give him the hypospray, "To stop the bleeding, Jim, I would either put a cold cloth on the side of your nose or just stuff tissues up your nostrils," she stated, rising and picking up the med-kit. "If you'll excuse me, I need my sleep before tomorrow."

"Doesn't one have to be good at math and stuff like it in order to pass some of the Academy courses?" Jim asked as he shakily got to his feet. "Last time I checked, you're not exactly an expert in mathematics or any of the related sciences."

Arianne shrugged, "Well, I'll manage," she replied. "Anyway, good night Jim, Captain Pike."

Casting a look of disappointment at Jim, Arianne hugged her father goodnight and left the bar.

Chris watched as Jim pulled some napkins from one of the holders, tore them into smaller pieces, and jammed the pieces up his nose to stop the bleeding.

"Jim, if you have some time, I'd like to talk to you," Chris said, crossing his arms in anticipation.

0755 came early and unaware that her father was standing outside watching as Jim rode towards the shuttle on a motorcycle, Arianne was in the cockpit with Lieutenant Sanchez, awaiting the order to take off. Following takeoff, they would be making rounds to check on the other recruits.

A loud klaxon suddenly sounded, causing Lieutenant Sanchez to curse, "It's coming from the bathroom," she told Arianne, gazing at the internal sensors. "If you'll excuse me."

Arianne nodded and as Lieutenant Sanchez left the room, she saw her father come into the cockpit with a grim smile of satisfaction on his face. He looked at the pilot.

"Begin launching sequence," Chris ordered, giving a smile to Arianne.

As the pilot began preparing for launch, Chris gave Arianne a glance, "Ensign Pike, now's a good time to start making rounds," he instructed, not wanting to tell her that her buddy Jim had decided to come be in Starfleet. "Lieutenant Sanchez will join you shortly...Dismissed."

Knowing that her father was right, Arianne saluted and respectfully marched from the cockpit to carry out her orders. Even though Captain Pike was her father, he was also her superior.

Pleased that the journey had started out so well, Chris gazed out at the beautiful morning sky.

As the shuttle made its way across Wyoming, Arianne came around the circular floor and immediately stopped in her tracks: there, sitting next to a hobo-like man who appeared to be in a deep sleep, was Jim, dressed in his clothes from the previous night.

"Hey, I thought you weren't coming," Arianne commented, walking over to where Jim sat.

Jim shrugged, "I figured that you needed someone to help you with your math and social skills at the Academy," he replied, a boyish grin on his face. "I figure maybe it'll help me grow up a little."

Before Arianne could reply, Jim turned and shook the shoulder of the sleeping man, "Hey, Bones, wake up and meet my friend," he said, wondering why there was no sudden response.

There was a moment of silence and without warning, the man unconsciously vomited and began to convulse in his seat. Arianne swore and quickly unbuckled the safety harness.

"Jim, go and get Captain Pike and a med-kit from the cockpit," Arianne ordered as she gently lay the seizing man down on the floor on his side just in time to see him vomit again.

Loud murmuring began as the other recruits suddenly realized what was happening and watched in astounded shock as the seizure stopped. At that, Arianne immediately began doing CPR.

Worried that his new friend would die, Jim quickly unbuckled himself, stood, and ran off to find the cockpit. He figured that Captain Pike would want him and Bones marooned at the first stop.

The man let out a loud scream, "STOP!" he shouted, his voice anxious as he remained unconscious. "I can't FEEL anything...I don't know where...I am."

Without warning, the man vomited a second time and promptly passed back into unconsciousness.

"You are NOT gonna die on me," Arianne hissed at the unconscious man as she checked the man's breathing again and resumed CPR.

While she worked, Jim returned with a med-kit in his hand and Captain Pike at his side, "Oh, man," Chris moaned, both angry and shocked to see what had transpired. "Did you search him yet, Ensign? He might have more of whatever he took on him."

"Jim can do that," Arianne replied, pulling back as the man once again vomited on the floor. "No offense, sir, but I'm a little more concerned about making sure the guy doesn't die on me."

Chris looked at the worried looking Jim, "You heard her, Kirk, do a pat down search," he ordered, turning away from the mess. "If you find anything, Kirk, hang on to it until we land at the Academy shuttlebay...Arianne, do whatever you must to keep the guy alive...I'll notify Doctor Puri to meet us at the landing port with a medi-shuttle and supplies...You both have your orders."

As Chris walked away, Jim nervously began to dig through his friend's clothes. hoping that he didn't find anything indicating that the man had just tried to commit suicide.

Arianne, meanwhile, had opened the med-kit and was using the supplies inside to save the man's life. There was little doubt that if the poor guy survived, he would need some serious help.

Only a day after landing at the Academy, Arianne had found herself defending the future career of the man she had just saved from death on the shuttle. Although she didn't know anything but his name and that he was a civilian doctor, she had no choice but to serve as an advocate.

Others, however, were very keen to send the man on his way once he was stable.

Immediately after the recruit shuttle had landed, Arianne had helped Dr. Puri get the stranger into the medi-shuttle and off to Starfleet Medical. Despite Jim's protests about wanting to stay with his buddy after being examined and declared stupid and severely bruised by Dr. Puri, her father had quickly ordered Jim off to the first orientation with the other recruits.

Not that being Captain Pike's daughter made her exempt from any of the enrollment process, she was also a field medic and the crisis on the shuttle was an immediate priority. Thanks to what she had learned in her field medic courses, Arianne had managed to keep the guy from dying.

Now that the guy was being treated by Dr. Puri at Starfleet Medical and would hopefully wake up in a short time with minimal brain and organ damage, Command was trying to decide what to do with him, as attempted suicides usually didn't end up making good Starfleet material.

Admiral Archer, who had returned to San Francisco just the day before, had been already tired and hearing that there had been an attempted suicide on the recruit shuttle had worsened his mood.

Because of the controversy over this first-time occurrence, a meeting had been called and Arianne had only been given an hour to read over the man's civilian file. From what she knew, the man, whose name was Leonard McCoy, he was a doctor who had recently left Atlanta, Georgia, and had been through terrible times recently. There was little time to read anything else on Dr. McCoy.

Although the meeting was only open to the Admirality, Academy Command, Captain Pike, and Arianne, Jim had skipped dorm assignment day and was waiting anxiously in the foyer.

"...With all due respect to Command, I may be just a lowly field medic and a Starfleet ensign, but I feel that this is one we can't afford to throw away," Arianne said, ignoring the intimidating looks that both Admiral Archer and the Academy Command officers were giving her. "Starfleet may be the thing that can help Doctor McCoy find something to keep living...Maybe it will help him."

There was silence and murmurs from several of the instructors, "You do realize, Ensign Pike, that there is a high risk that McCoy could pull a stunt like this after he's fully recovered," Admiral Archer, who couldn't help but think how much this young lady reminded him of his lost love, asked.

"I am aware of the risk, sir," Arianne firmly replied. "If McCoy recovers with no organ or brain damage, my recommendation is that he be ordered to undergo psychological counselling, a rehab program, and be given a roommate to keep him from trouble during his time at the Academy."

Chris gave Arianne an intrigued look, but said nothing, "Well, Ensign Pike, as you have been a counsellor since the earthquake two years ago, who do you suggest as a roommate for Cadet McCoy once he is well enough to move into the dorms?" Admiral Barnett, who was impressed that Arianne wasn''t intimidated about being before top authority figures, asked.

Arianne smiled, she knew that the best person for McCoy would no doubt help the healing process.

Feeling as if he had been hit by a shuttle, Leonard opened his eyes and was both confused and surprised to find himself staring at a white ceiling. Was he dead and in the afterlife?

Without warning, he heard a loud beep and whatever he was laying on was suddenly raised.

"Good to see you're finally awake, McCoy," Leonard heard as a strange man dressed in black pants and a dark blue shirt came into view with a blue wall behind him.

Still feeling confused, Leonard glanced around and suddenly realized that not only was he wearing something that resembled a hospital gown, there were multiple drip lines in both of his arms. He could also feel a catheter in him and a tube jammed into his stomach that he saw was hooked to some strange machine that seemed to be collecting the contents of his insides.

"Who are you and where am I?" Leonard snapped, surprised by how weak his voice sounded.

The blue-shirted man was silent and, pulling out a medical tricorder, he scanned his patient with it, "Hmm...vitals are still off a bit...Ah, the meds will fix that," he said, relieved that his very idiotic patient would pull through. "I'm Doctor Puri and you, Leonard, are one lucky person right now."

Wondering what this Dr. Puri was talking about, Leonard gave the man an odd look, "I have no idea what you are talking about, nor do I have any idea why I'm hooked to so much crap," he snapped, suddenly realizing that he couldn't move his legs. "Why can't I move my legs?"

"It's called a stasis field, it's to keep you from bolting," Dr. Puri replied. "How do you feel?"

Before Leonard could reply, he suddenly felt a wave of nausea and puked all over his blanket.

"Terrible," Leonard replied, laying back on his pillow. "What happened to me?"

Dr. Puri silently studied him for a moment, "According to Ensign Pike, the field medic that kept you alive on the shuttle to the Academy, you had a sudden seizure and vomited," he explained, more than a little concerned that Leonard couldn't remember. "Between the time that the medic found you and the shuttle landed at the Academy, you vomited nine times and had five seizures...That was nearly a week ago...I couldn't help but be worried about what would happen to you."

Before Leonard, who was shocked that he could have gotten so mysteriously ill for so long, could reply, there was a shout and another man, who was dressed in some sort of uniform, stormed into the room and stopped at the foot of his bed. He looked furious and ready to strangle something.

"Jon, take it easy on him," Dr. Puri commented. "McCoy just woke up."

The angry looking man glared at Dr. Puri, "Shut it, Puri, honestly," he snapped, switching his gaze back to the bedridden doctor. "I reviewed your file, Doctor McCoy and right now, you only have TWO choices: either you can accept Starfleet's help or you can start packing right now."

"Help for what exactly, sir?" Leonard asked, really confused as to what this angry man was talking about. "The last thing I remember is being in my bed at the hostel in Riverside.."

Suddenly realizing that the man was not kidding, Jonathan grimaced, "Your buddy, Jim Kirk, found empty packets and bottles in your pockets," he explained, trying to control his temper. "After Doctor Puri pumped your stomach, the contents were a mixture of a large amount of various alcohols, and a great deal of an old-age substance known as LSD..."

Remembering that LSD was a dangerous hallucinogen and it was dangerous to mix it with alcohols, Leonard flinched, "Did I try to kill myself or something?" he asked, not remembering a thing. "By the way, could you tell me where exactly I'm at?"

"You're a patient at Starfleet Medical in San Francisco," Dr. Puri replied, giving Jonathan a concerned look about the patient's condition. "This is Jonathan Archer, a Starfleet Admiral."

San Francisco, California? Leonard thought, anxiously gazing down at his puke-filled blanket as he tried to process what had happened. I don't even remember leaving Iowa..a shuttle?

"Puri, get his counselor in here for an intro session right NOW," Jonathan hissed, as he could see that the poor doctor was overwhelmed with recent events and the amnesia and needed someone less intimidating to talk to. "Leonard, according to what I could find on your civilian records, you've had a substance abuse problem for the last few years and you need help to get better."

Leonard gave him a strange look, "Oh, I guess California has some rehab programs for washout doctors like me, huh?" he asked, figuring that he would lose his M.D. license over his "problem."

"Actually, Starfleet Medical has a rehabilitation program for people with problems like yours," Dr. Puri explained. "Once you're physically well enough to be out of bed, Leonard, I can start you in the program and also arrange for you to do your classes...You want to do the Medical track, right?"

Without waiting for Leonard to reply, Dr. Puri walked off into his office to contact Arianne, as until further notice, she had been assigned to be Leonard's counselor. Even though she was supposed to do a tour of the campus with the others today, Puri knew Captain Pike would excuse her.

"I don't understand why this Starfleet group would want to keep me around if I did try to kill myself in such a horrible way," Leonard commented, forcing himself to look Jonathan in the eye.

Jonathan yanked the puke-stained blanket off the bed and tossed it in a nearby laundry chute, "It's all been arranged, so just work on getting better," he replied, quickly placing a new blanket on the bed. "By the way, you'll have to see a counselor in addition to doing the rehab program."

"What kind of Starfleet counselor would want to see me in this state?" Leonard snapped, not caring that he was sounding insolent. "I look more like a hobo than I do a potential Starfleet officer."

Letting out a sigh, Jonathan glared at him, "Tell that to your counselor, I already know that," he replied. "Anyway, I have other things to do than watch you struggle through withdrawal and pain."

As Jonathan left, Leonard allowed himself a sigh. He had really done it to himself now.

However, before he could go to sleep, the door slid open and he could hear footsteps.

Annoyed, Leonard pulled himself into a sitting position just in time to see Dr. Puri come to his bedside with a blonde-haired woman who was dressed in a similar uniform to the doctor's. There was a single pip on her collar, yet she looked as if she had experience in counseling.

"Leonard McCoy, meet your counselor, Arianne Pike," Dr. Puri explained, watching as the woman surveyed Leonard. "Well, I'll leave you two to get acquainted. If you need me, I'll be in my office."

Arianne gazed down at Leonard, "By the way, Doctor McCoy, you're welcome," she stated.

"Were you the field medic who saved my life on the shuttle?" Leonard asked, remembering what he had been told not long ago. "Are you sure you're even old enough to pick up a phaser?"

Taking a seat on a stool usually reserved for medical staff, Arianne smiled, "I'll be 24 in November, actually," she replied. "So, if you're a doctor, how come you didn't just slash your wrists?"

"Um, I don't actually remember anything after going to bed in the hostel in Riverside," Leonard admitted in a sheepish tone. "From what I've been told, I think I had a blackout of sorts."

As if she had been expecting that reply, Arianne nodded, "It's nothing I haven't seen before," she commented. "Your new roommate will probably visit you in a few days so that you guys can get to know each other on a little more sober ground before you move into his dorm."

"Someone actually agreed to room with the Starfleet hobo?" Leonard asked, before he could stop himself from calling himself such a derogatory nickname.

Arianne gave him a look, "Actually, I recommended it and the person happened to be eager about hanging around you anyway," she replied, making a mental note to work on the man's confidence issues at a later date. "When you're released, Jim Kirk will be your roommate."

As if something had suddenly dropped on his head, Leonard's eyes widened, "Jim's here?" he asked, suddenly having a vague flashback of the young man sitting next to him on the shuttle and introducing himself right before they shared a small flask of alcohol. "I-I remember Jim..."

"Well, that's a good start," Arianne stated, rising from her chair. "Since you still have a lot of physical recovering to do, Leonard, that's all we'll talk about for today. In the meantime, Doctor Puri will keep me apprised on your physical progress and we'll arrange future sessions according to that...If you would like something to do, the good doctor will be able to help you with that..."

Feeling suddenly deprived of energy, Leonard lay back down, "Why do you care so much?" he mumbled, his voice groggy as he began to fall asleep. "I'm absolutely worthless..."

Fighting to keep a retort back, Arianne silently moved off towards Dr. Puri's office to talk to him.

Even though she couldn't divulge their sessions, she could ensure that Leonard was kept busy enough to not only restore his memory, but also perhaps give him a heap of self-worth.

Nearly an hour later, after ensuring that Dr. Puri would give Leonard something useful to do once he was feeling better, Arianne left Starfleet Medical and nearly crashed into Jim on the stairs.

"How's Bones doing?" Jim asked, concerned by how tired Arianne looked. "Can I see him?"

Arianne sighed, "Jim, you know he's restricted from seeing visitors until he's off suicide watch," she replied, putting her arm through his. "Let's just be thankful that Leonard's alive...It will be a long time before he's well, but he WILL get better..."

"What did he say about me being his roommate once he's out of rehab?" Jim asked as they walked down the steps arm in arm. "I bet he complained about it, right?"

Shaking her head, Arianne gave him a pointed look, "When Captain Pike and Doctor Puri allow him visitors, you can talk to Leonard about that," she stated firmly. "Anyway, since the orientation stuff is now over and there's some free time, let's go off campus and find a good restaurant."

Knowing that he couldn't get anymore information out of Arianne, Jim nodded and they walked off down the path towards where they could get a taxi to sneak off campus for the afternoon.