November 2255 - II
"...McCoy, he looks like absolute crap!"
"Watch how loud you are, Admiral, or else I'll kick you out of here for bothering my patient..."
Stern voices, strange hissing and a humming sound that felt both cold and warm...
His eyes fluttered open and a white ceiling was the first thing he saw.
There was something padded underneath him that was emitting both hot and cold pulsewaves.
"Bones?" a voice asked, immediately muffled by a strange air-filled mask over his face.
Two figures came into view: Bones and a face that he didn't recognize.
"Jim?" Bones was asking him. "...Admiral Archer, stand back so I can do my job properly."
Jim's eyes suddenly felt heavy, "Look, McCoy, I don't know WHO you think you are-"
Even though he couldn't feel pain at the moment, exhaustion overtook him and he knew no more.
Within the safety of Captain Pike's apartment, Arianne sat on the couch and read over PADD's that contained the homework she had missed in being away from class for the last two days. She didn't even want to put her cadet reds back on yet, instead she wore simple civilian clothes and slippers.
Even though she had been released after 12 hours of tests and observation at Starfleet Medical and the only thing they found was various bodily samples had been taken, Arianne didn't feel like re-integrating herself back into the massive group of cadets just yet.
It was fortunate that her father had been able to get her on an indefinite medical leave from classes, Arianne knew, as she placed the PADD's on the coffee table and leaned back. She still tired easily and her mind was filled with not only memories of her captivity, but of Jim's brutal torture.
To make the recovery easier, Arianne had asked her father if she could move out of her dorm and stay with him until after Christmas, as she just wanted peace and quiet to heal. He had agreed.
Nyota and Gaila had been supportive of her decision and promised to keep in touch.
She had told Command everything about her own torture session, but not the details of what happened to Jim and why, as she wanted to be the one to tell Jim everything.
From what she had heard, Jim had also been placed on indefinite medical leave from classes, but was having a harder time recovering than she was. He had just barely regained consciousness.
Tears came to Arianne's eyes. The reason that she had negotiated Jim's freedom was that she knew he would rather die from torture than talk to enemy, so she had risked herself for him.
"Are you all right?" a familiar voice asked. "Did you have another nightmare?"
Arianne looked up and saw her father standing there with a large cup of tea in his hands, "No, I was just thinking about what happened again," she admitted as he father sat down next to her. "I know I have homework and notes to study, but all of the memories are still so fresh in my mind."
Chris nodded and offered her the cup of tea, "I think you need a rest, it'll clear your mind," he said, sitting down beside her. "Work will only serve as a meaningful distraction for so long, Arianne."
Nodding, Arianne took the cup of tea and inhaled it, "Vulcan spice tea?" she asked, recalling the times when she and Amanda had shared it during her stay and recuperation on Vulcan.
"When you and Cadet Kirk first went missing, I contacted Ambassador Sarek for help," Chris explained. "After talking with Lady Amanda, he felt it prudent to send some to Earth."
Taking a sip of the tea, Arianne suddenly began to feel sleepy, "You drugged this, Dad, didn't you?" she asked, quickly setting the cup on the table so that she wouldn't drop it.
"No, actually, I didn't," Chris replied, gently lifting her legs on to the couch. "The tea is a natural relaxant and drinking it made your body realize that it's time for you to sleep."
Arianne sighed, "While you're sleeping, I have to go over to Starfleet Medical and proctor an exam for Cadet Kirk," Chris stated as he quickly grabbed a blanket from over the couch and covered her with it. "Some cadet named Monty Scott insisted on guarding the front door, which I find very odd but I'm okay with it as long as he stays outside...I just want you to have quiet while you sleep."
Despite feeling ready to drop off, Arianne grabbed a PADD from the table, "Dad, can you make sure Jim gets this letter?" she asked. "It's just a reassurance that I'm okay and he should relax."
Chris took the PADD and slipped it into the pocket of his uniform jacket, "I doubt Doctor McCoy will let him read it right after the exam, but I'll make sure he gets it," he promised. "Get some sleep."
As Arianne fell asleep, she felt her father kiss the top of her head and heard him leave the house.
Ignoring the pins and needles pain in his back and shoulders, Jim, who had been given a light breakfast and dressed in a clean gown by the nurses earlier, watched Leonard pace in front of the bed with a scowl on his face. He hadn't been able to stop this from happening and it angered him.
"You only woke up in a coherent state this morning," Leonard snapped, annoyed that Captain Pike was going to make Jim take an exam from his hospital bed. "You still need a lot of rest, Jim."
Jim scoffed, "The exam won't take very long and Captain Pike will end it early and let me finish later if I end up getting too tired," he replied. "It's the last exam until term finals next month, Bones."
"I don't understand how you can't remember what happened to you and Cadet Pike, yet you can remember all the crap you need to know for a class exam," Leonard replied. "Once that exam is done, I'm restarting the wave therapy on your back and making you eat something, all right?"
Irritated that he was still in the hospital, Jim sighed and studied the many drip lines that were in his arm and hand, "I just want to go back to the dorm and sleep," he lamented,
"Forget it, Jim, you're still suffering effects of massive shock and dehydration, not to mention a second concussion," Leonard retorted. "Besides, you can't do much without assistance right now because of your back, chest, and shoulders, plus your current lack of motor strength and co-ordination prevents you from even being able to get to the bathroom without a lot of assistance..."
Before Jim could argue, the door slid open and Captain Pike entered the room with a large PADD tucked under his arm. Jim tried to raise his arm in a salute, but he lacked the strength to do so.
"At ease, Cadet Kirk," Captain Pike replied in a gentle tone. "How are you feeling?"
Suddenly self-conscious of the Commander of Cadets seeing him in such a state, Jim wouldn't look him in the eye, "I'm fine, sir," he replied in a monotone voice. "Ready to take the exam."
Captain Pike raised an eyebrow and gazed over at Leonard, who looked concerned, "Doctor McCoy, I believe Admiral Archer is wanting a chat," he stated. "You can take the call in Doctor Puri's office...I think it's regarding your behavior towards him the other day when he was here..."
"Admiral Archer was here?" Jim asked, as he couldn't remember the Admiral being there.
Leonard sighed, "Don't worry about it, Jim," he replied. "Take your exam and I'll see you in a bit."
Knowing that he was going to be in trouble for throwing Admiral Archer out of Jim's hospital room with such a verbal tirade as he delivered, Leonard silently left the room, so not to upset Jim.
Captain Pike moved over to the bed and placed the large PADD on Jim's bed, "It's a standard exam and you have an extended time limit because of the circumstances," he explained, watching as Jim reached for the PADD. "If you have any questions, I'll sitting be over in the corner, all right?"
Jim nodded and, as he picked up the exam PADD, Captain Pike moved over to the corner and sat in a chair that had been placed there for this very purpose. He had already proctored Arianne's exams and now, after Kirk did his, he would see about arranging counselors for both of them.
The whole attack was traumatic for everyone involved and although there were currently counselors seeing to the mental health needs of the other first-year cadets, Chris knew that Jim and Arianne would each need special one-on-one counseling to help them recover from this experience.
It concerned him that Cadet Kirk apparently had no memory of what happened while Arianne seemed to remember every little detail. He knew that Section 31, who was most likely responsible for the attack, had probably tortured Cadet Kirk into a state where he would have died had it not been for Arianne negotiating his freedom in exchange for being submissive to special torture.
The media had heard of the attack and had immediately confronted Winona Kirk at her home in Iowa about neglecting her Kelvin baby to Starfleet's care, only to have him end up the victim of a horrendous attack on the Academy campus, where it was supposed to be safe.
Winona had become hysterical as a result and had phoned Chris, wanting to know if Jim had fought or allowed himself to be killed. Appalled that Winona didn't seem to care that her youngest son had suffered injuries severe enough to require hospitalization, Chris had cut off all further contact.
He hadn't told Jim about Winona's call, as Jim clearly didn't want anything to do with his past and besides, Chris knew that any mention of his mother would send Jim back into shock and Dr. McCoy would ban him from visiting for triggering a major physical setback in his patient.
"Captain Pike, sir," the tired voice of Cadet Kirk spoke, pulling Chris out of his thoughts.
Chris looked up and saw Jim was holding out the exam PADD, "I'm finished the exam, sir," Jim stated, extreme fatigue in both his voice and eyes. "It took me about an hour..."
Rising from his chair, Chris moved over to the bed and, taking the PADD, he quickly locked the exam and sent the file off to where the proper instructor could mark it. He then put the PADD under his arm and gazed at the bedridden cadet, concerned at how tired and pale he was.
"Before I forget, Cadet Kirk, I have a letter for you from Arianne," Chris stated, taking the letter from his pocket and placing it on the bed within Jim's reach. "She asked me to give it you since she still tires easily and probably wouldn't make it here without falling asleep..."
Jim picked the PADD up and skimmed it in silence. His face suddenly fell, as if something hit him.
"Cadet Kirk?" Chris asked, concerned by the sudden change in readings on the monitor above the bed as he watched the cadet begin to sweat and tremble violently, all while gripping the PADD.
Suddenly unaware of anyone else being in the room, Jim dropped the PADD on the bed and began rubbing his wrists, as if he had been bond, "D-don't LISTEN to her," he gasped. "You c-can't.."
Without warning, Jim howled and, turning his head, he placed a hand on the side of his neck, "A-Arianne," he gasped, suddenly turning green and puking all over the floor. "DON'T!"
All the color draining from his face, Chris pressed the nearby intercom, "Get Doctor McCoy in here, NOW!" he hissed in an urgent tone as he snatched the PADD off the bed. "Medical emergency."
Placing the PADDs on the portable table, Chris looked up just in time to see Jim trying to get out of bed, "Need the bathroom," Jim moaned in a gasping voice. "Need to puke...please."
Swearing under his breath, Chris helped Jim to stand and guided him to the tiny patient bathroom, "S-she talked them in to letting me go," Jim moaned as he keeled over and began emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet. "T-They sedated me to shut me up."
Chris silently swore, as Cadet Kirk was obviously beginning to remember the attack and, given his delicate physical state already, the rush of sudden memories were making healing impossible.
"Jim, what the heck-?" Chris could hear Dr. McCoy's voice behind him. "What happened?"
Jim vomited once more and then slumped over the toilet, "A-Arianne saved me from being killed by Section 31," he gasped, gagging anxiously and silently praying that he was done puking for a while.
Leonard's eyes widened and he shot a glare at Chris, "Help me get Jim back to bed, Captain Pike, and then I think we need to talk," he hissed, gritting his teeth in anger.
"C'mon, Jim, back to bed with you," Leonard said in a gentle tone as he and Captain Pike lifted the shaking Jim up and guided him out of the bathroom. "You need some fluids and more sleep."
Chris helped Leonard lay Jim down on the bed and then watched as the doctor covered Jim back up and pressed some buttons on the side of the bed. He was impressed with the doctor's compassion.
Almost immediately, there was a humming sound and Jim went limp, "Just relax, Jim," Leonard instructed, sticking a small tube into Jim's mouth that was connected to a fluid dispenser that was on the wall for emergencies, "Drink some water, your mouth is probably dry from puking."
"Why the stasis field?" Captain Pike asked, watching as Cadet Kirk managed to only drink a few sips of water before spitting the tube out. "Doctor McCoy, I asked you a question."
Ignoring Captain Pike's question, Leonard reactivated the sonic therapy pad that was under Jim and quickly programmed a light sedation gas into the mask that was on the wall. The mask would only emit the sedation gas until Jim was asleep and then it would switch back to regular oxygen.
"No drugs, Bones," Jim moaned, knowing that he was probably going to be given disgusting medication that would force him to sleep. "I'm not tired...you promised me food, remember?"
Leonard sighed and took the mask off the wall, "Sorry, Jim, I don't think it would be wise to give you any food right now," he said, placing the mask over Jim's face. "I'll give you some nutritional supplements intravenously and increase your fluid intake. For now, though, just sleep."
As the mask was placed on his face, Jim's vision began to blur and his world faded to black.
"Welcome to the NX-01, Lieutenant," Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker said, extending his hand as a tall woman with blonde hair stepped off the transporter pad dressed in a standard uniform.
The woman smiled, "I am known as Arianne, sir," she said, shaking the Commander's hand. "I must say, I was rather surprised to be assigned to Enterprise for the mission to the Expanse."
Confused by the unrecognizable faces, Arianne opened her eyes for a moment and, figuring that the weird scenario was the result of a lack of food. Grunting, she sat up and looked around.
She could hear Monty's soft Scottish hums outside the door. Her father was probably still proctoring Jim's exam or off attending to other Academy business. No doubt he was very busy.
Letting out a sigh, Arianne got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen, coming to a stop in front of the replicator. Normally, she would have cooked something, but she didn't have the energy.
"Computer, can you make some pleomeek soup?" Arianne asked, as despite her hunger, she didn't think she could handle any solid food for fear of throwing it up.
Within seconds, a small bowl of pleomeek soup with a spoon in it materialized in the replicator.
Smiling, as it reminded her of the time she spent visiting Vulcan, Arianne picked the bowl up in her hands and moved over towards the table. She would probably feel better after eating something.
"..."This one has been in stasis since we found the decimated vessel," a voice said, as he hovered over a stasis pod. "Her vitals are all over the place and she sustained serious injury enough that she will die soon."
Arianne opened her eyes and immediately, finding herself in a stasis pod, she shakily reached up and knocked on the glass with a broken hand, fully feeling the pain with every breath she took.
Finding herself unable to speak because of a tube down her throat, Arianne tried to talk with her eyes.
Shocked at seeing the woman awake, an El Aurian doctor opened the pod and stared down at her, "It is good that you are conscious, but you are severely injured." he explained. "You were the lone survivor from the Mandarin and you were put in stasis to save your life. However, stasis is only prolonging it."
Suddenly feeling nauseous about the strange memory flash, Arianne felt the bowl slip from her hands. As it hit the floor, shattering into a million pieces, she placed a hand on her head.
Ever since being released from the experiment chamber, Arianne had experienced flashes of memories that were somehow implanted into her mind, yet couldn't possibly be meant for her.
Feeling weak, Arianne sank to the floor, unaware that her hands were brushing across the bowl fragments that were all over the place, mixed with the soup. Her father hated messes.
"...Hold still, Ensign Archer," the voice of a Vulcan female drifted into her ear as she lay strapped to a metal examination table with probe needles in her brain. "In order for the experimentation to successfully serve their purpose, you must remain calm and awake for the entire procedure..."
Knowing that she had to hold up her end of the deal now that Jim was free, Arianne nodded and immediately winced as she felt more needles being inserted into different parts of her body.
While this strange Vulcan female probed her mind, no doubt her body would be exposed to numerous tests that would forever change her. Yet, she had to endure this...if only for Jim.
Still reeling from the horror of what Jim had been forced to endure while she negotiated for his freedom and safety, Arianne began to sob and quickly passed out in her own flood of tears.
The sun shone down on Leonard as he tried to keep in-step with Captain Pike as they walked down the path away from Starfleet Medical. He hadn't wanted to be away from Jim in case the sedative wore off quickly, yet he needed to talk to Captain Pike about Jim's returning memories.
As Starfleet Medical was currently quiet, Dr. Puri had taken to sitting in Jim's room to not only make sure that no visitors came by, but to also be there in case the sedative wore off too quickly, as if he woke up with nobody there, it was widely known that Jim would panic.
"Captain, can you please slow down for a minute?" Leonard asked, feeling winded from speedwalking since they left the Medical building. "I'm running out of steam."
Captain Pike nodded and stopped, "You need to get into an extra physical fitness class next semester, Doctor McCoy," he stated, watching Leonard catch up to him. "You won't be valuable as a medic anywhere in the known galaxy if you can't run to injured crewmen in the field."
"Well, I'll consider it, sir," Leonard replied, not wanting to say that he'd rather roast in the deepest pits of purgatory before going out in space. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you what happened during your visit with Jim that caused him to remember that stuff? I've NEVER seen him like that before."
Chris was silent for a moment, "I'm not going to tell you about Jim's past, as that information is highly classified," he replied sternly. "However, I'm sure he'll tell you about it in time...As for more recent events, I only know what was disclosed to Command by Cadet Pike...nothing else."
Suddenly, there was a small beeping sound, "Hang on a sec," Chris said, pulling his communicator off his belt and opened it. "This is Captain Pike, identify yourself."
"...This is Cadet Montgomery Scott," an anxious Scottish tone sounded out over the communicator. "There's a leetle situation at yer home that ye hafta deal with, sir."
Chris frowned, as the only person that was home was Arianne, "...Aye dunno what happened, sir," Cadet Scott's voice continued. "...I heard something break and some sobbing...Aye didn'a mean to enter yer home wit'out permission, but yer lassie is laying in the middle of some soup and her own blood...she musta cut herself on tae glass from tae bowl somehow...she's really warm..."
"A panic attack," Chris hissed, knowing that he had been to wrapped up in Cadet Kirk's medical instability to even think about what his own child must be going through. "Doctor McCoy-"
Immediately forgetting about Jim, Leonard nodded, "You don't have to ask me, I'm coming with you," he replied firmly. "Jim will be fine in the care of Doctor Puri for a little while...If there's an emergency, Dr. Puri can juggle patients...if needs be, that weird Denobulan doctor of Admiral Archer's can surely be put to better use than doing paperwork..."
"Let's just get over to my home," Chris ordered, not wanting to hear any of the doctor's ignorant xenophobia that came as a result of not being exposed to aliens before the Academy. "I keep some medical supplies in my closet that should help you be able to treat whatever's wrong with her."
Leonard nodded and followed the determined Captain at a quicker pace than ever before.
She felt a combination of both heat and cold, as well as something soft underneath her.
Opening her eyes, Arianne was relieved to see that she was in the safety of the bedroom that she had claimed since moving back into her father's home. However, she wasn't in the room by herself.
Gritting her teeth, Arianne reached behind her pillow and pulled out the phaser that she had kept there since being released from Starfleet Medical. She had to be ready to defend herself.
There was a clearing of a throat and then a humming sound, "Don't move another step," Arianne hissed, pulling herself in an upright position and pointing her phaser at the figure in the shadows.
"Um, Cadet Pike?" a male voice asked as the humming suddenly stopped. "How are you feeling?"
Arianne frowned, "Who ARE you and what are you doing in my bedroom?" she asked in a snappish tone, ensuring that the phaser. "I have a phaser set to stun if you don't tell me..."
The lights suddenly flashed on, temporarily blinding Arianne. As her eyes adjusted to the lights, she could see a clean shaven man with dark hair and a blue medical uniform approaching the bed.
"I promise I'm not going to hurt you," the man said, coming to a stop just short of the bed. "Your father's downstairs trying to calm Cadet Scott down...poor kid's hysterical about the fact that you had some sort of panic attack and were passed out on the floor when he found you."
Even though he wasn't convinced that he wouldn't be shot, Leonard reached out and placed his hand over the top of the phaser. He and Arianne looked at each other with silent uncertainty.
"Who exactly ARE you?" Arianne asked, allowing the phaser to drop from her hands on to the bed.
Leonard gave her a look and then took hold of her arm, "At least you didn't pull the dripline out," he said, gently placing her arm back on the blanket. "It's not every day that a girl almost shoots me."
In silence, Leonard extracted a medical tricorder from his pocket and scanned her with it, "Hmm, the readings seem normal, but how do you feel?" he asked, as he didn't trust tricorder readings.
"Well, before I passed out, I was going to eat some pleomeek soup," Arianne replied, suddenly remembering that it was all over her father's kitchen floor. "It helps with a high stress level."
Leonard gave her a strange look, "You don't have pointy ears, so how can you like Vulcan food?" he asked, wondering if this woman was just talking out of her head.
"I spent some time on Vulcan on a cultural study some years back," Arianne explained calmly, resisting the urge to sock the man in the face for his obvious xenophobia. "Anyway, you still haven't told me who you are and why on earth you are standing in my private bedroom."
Sitting down on the bed, Leonard showed her the dermal regenerator, "I'm Doctor Leonard McCoy," he replied in a gentle voice that hopefully would help her trust him. "This is a dermal regenerator...Your hands got a little cut up."
Hearing that this man was Leonard McCoy, the man she had last seen as a hobo-like, recovering alcoholic and attempted suicide patient, Arianne was stunned. His transformation was incredible.
Arianne nodded, "I figured that my hands got a little cut up in the glass," she replied. "I didn't get cut anywhere else besides my hands, right? Not anywhere on my face or neck?"
Wondering why this woman was suddenly so worried about her face, Leonard shook his head and picked up one of her hands, "Just small cuts on your hands...Did you hurt your face at all?"
Pulling her hands away, Arianne quickly covered her face with them and looked at the blanket, "If I tell you, do you promise not to tell my father or Jim?" she asked, ashamed of what happened.
Leonard silently nodded, "After Jim was beamed away, I was strapped to this metal examination table and needle-like probes were inserted into various places throughout my body," she explained in a montone voice. "This strange Vulcan female placed her hands on my face and probed my mind...During the probing, she told me that she had done the same thing to Jim while he was unconscious...I had seen her touching him, but it was too dark to see what she was doing..."
"Wait, are you telling me that this Vulcan female probed both your and Jim's minds without consent from either of you?" Leonard asked, the concern evident in his voice.
Arianne gave a solemn sigh, "I didn't want her doing it, I only wanted to protect Jim," she replied, her soft voice trembling. "He's going to hate me because I was right there...I saw it happen."
The door suddenly opened and at the same time, Arianne let out a sob, "Doctor McCoy, why is my daughter suddenly crying her eyes out?" the voice of Captain Pike asked in a stern tone.
"D-Dad, I need to t-talk to you," Arianne sobbed. "About what really happened..."
The stern look on Chris's face suddenly softened to one of concern, "Doctor McCoy, can you go and walk Cadet Scott back to his dorm please?" he asked in a soft tone.
"Yeah, I can come back later," Leonard said, rising and moving towards the door. "Just contact me when it's a good time to come back..."
Chris nodded and, sitting on the bed, he pulled his sobbing daughter into his arms and held her.
Suddenly realizing that he would have to be the one to deal with any after-effects that Jim might suffer, Leonard bit his lip and left the room in silence, all the while hearing Cadet Pike's sobs.
"...Doctor Puri, here are those test results you asked for," Jim could hear a woman's voice say as awareness came back to him. "...You were right about the strange marks all over Cadet Kirk's body...some sort of probe needles were inserted into him...it affected his neural activity for brief periods of time...it triggered some sort of localized seizures which explains the amnesia..."
What is Doctor Puri doing in my room with a nurse? Where's Bones? Why isn't he here?
Letting out a small groan that was muffled by a familiar mask over his face, Jim opened his eyes and immediately realized that while the sonic therapy pad was vibrating underneath him, he couldn't move his legs. He could see Dr. Puri standing by the door, talking with what looked like a nurse.
"I want to take Cadet Kirk for complete neural and body scans," Jim heard Dr. Puri say, noting the tone of extreme concern in his voice. "When Doctor McCoy gets back, I want him to see those results...something isn't right here...From these results, it seems like Cadet Kirk underwent some sort of barbaric physical and mental torture by whoever took him and Ensign Pike."
Mental torture? Alarms sounded as Jim felt himself suddenly beginning to panic uncontrollably.
"...Cadet Kirk, calm down!" Jim heard Dr. Puri shout. "Nurse...get me a sedative!"
There was a loud electric crackle and, suddenly feeling his legs free, Jim shot upright and, throwing himself off the bed, he staggered over to the door, unaware that he had pulled his driplines out and blood was running down his arm.
Since the nurse had run off to get a sedative, Jim managed to make his way out of the room and in a blind panic, he moved unsteadily down the hallway, unaware that Dr. Puri was chasing after him.
Out the door and down the stairs he ran, oblivious to the stares he was getting from cadets who were on their way to classes. He suddenly saw Bones not too far off in the distance.
"Bones, help...mental torture," Jim gasped, shuddering as Leonard ran over and grabbed hold of him. "Puri says there were probe needles in me...my mind was tortured...caused a seizure."
Shooting a glare at the approaching Dr. Puri, Leonard gently walked Jim to the grass and pulled his friend into a resting position, "Shh, Jim, it's okay," he said, seeing Dr. Puri approaching with a readied hypospray. "What happened, Puri, I thought Jim's legs were in stasis?"
"Somehow, Cadet Kirk broke the stasis field and bolted," Dr. Puri explained, kneeling down and pressing the hypospray against the shaken cadet's neck. "I was about to take him for complete body and neural scans when he woke up in a panic..."
Leonard grabbed the hypospray away from Jim's neck, "Well, congratulations, you probably just lost the trust of a patient," he snapped. "Get away from him, I'll handle Jim myself...He's bleeding, must of pulled his IV's out when he ran..."
"When you bring him back, I'm admitting him to Starfleet Psych for at least a 72 hour hold," Dr. Puri snapped. "I know Cadet Kirk was tortured, but he could become a danger to himself or others..."
Jim let out a moan, "Back to the dorm, Bones," he whimpered. "No more hospital."
"All right, no more hospital," Leonard replied, helping Jim to his feet as he rose. "I'll take you back to the dorm...Nurse, make yourself useful and get one of those golf-cart things over here."
Taken aback by Dr. McCoy's sharpness, the nurse nodded and bolted across the lawn.
Dr. Puri looked appalled, "Cadet Kirk still needs treatment, McCoy, you just can't-"
"I can do the rest of my semester on the computer and keep an eye on Jim in the dorm," Leonard snapped, not willing to argue. "Whatever supplies are needed can be brought to the dorm...I'll even make sure Jim does whatever homework and studying he's supposed to...I'll make sure he eats, drinks enough good fluid to stay hydrated...I'll be his 24/7 babysitter for crying out loud."
"Captain Pike's going to hear of this insubordinate behavior, Cadet," Dr. Puri hissed, imminent anger in his voice. "The dorms aren't the place for critical hospital patients to recover."
Leonard scoffed and turned his attention to Jim, "Do you want to go back to Starfleet Medical, Jim?" he asked, deciding to leave the decision up to him because he was coherent enough.
"...want to sleep at the dorm," Jim replied in a tired voice, inching as far away as he could from Dr. Puri as he could get without falling. "Bones, don't make me go back...so tired."
Just then, the nurse came back driving a golf-cart like transport that was normally used for diplomatic tours. She put the brake on, but kept the engine running.
"I'm going back to Starfleet Medical right now and messaging both Captain Pike and Admiral Archer about your continued insubordination, McCoy," Puri snapped.
Leonard helped Jim walk over to the transport and, sitting him down, he secured him to the seat, "At this point, Doctor Puri, I don't really care," he snapped, taking a seat next to Jim. "I may be a cadet, but I am a doctor first and foremost...My priorities are straight, are yours?"
Widening his eyes, Dr. Puri watched as the transport took off in the direction of the dorms.
Nobody of an inferior rank had ever talked to him like that before. He didn't know how to react.
Having already heard of the shouting match between Dr. McCoy and Admiral Archer, Dr. Puri knew that McCoy cared about people. Yet, as a future Starfleet officer, he needed to harness his temper.
McCoy's dedication was something that Starfleet had lost, Captain Pike needed to know about him.
Although he was sure Captain Pike was busy helping his daughter, Puri knew he just had to send a message to him. Starfleet could use quality physicians to help their many crews survive.
As the sun began to set, Arianne finally felt well enough to leave the safety of her bedroom and come downstairs. She could hear movement in the kitchen, probably her father.
She had told her father everything about what had happened and he promised to do whatever it took to bring those responsible to justice. This incident would not be ignored and never again repeated.
After their talk, he had convinced her to sleep, as rest might help her to feel less sorrow.
Walking into the living room, she saw her homework PADD's on the table in a neat stack and that got her thinking about whether or not Jim read her letter and his reaction to it.
Arianne sighed and sank down on to the couch. She felt a lot of guilt over Jim's severe injuries.
Even though she had been immobile because of being bound by those clamps, Arianne knew that she could have done something to stop the Vulcan female from forcing Jim into a mind-meld.
From what Ambassador Sarek had taught her about mind-melds, Arianne knew that the Vulcan female who had melded with Jim had deliberately done it in such a way to cause him harm.
If only she felt strong enough to leave the house, she could warn Jim about the aftereffects of an improperly performed mind meld. It would be worse on him because he was already injured.
However, Arianne knew that she could warn her father to keep an eye on Jim in the coming months.
Rising from the couch, Arianne made her way into the kitchen, where she saw her father standing at the stove, stirring something in a large pot while keeping an eye on another pot.
"I didn't know you liked to cook," Arianne commented, slowly entering the kitchen.
Placing the burner on a lower setting, Chris turned around just in time to see Arianne take a seat at the kitchen table, "I prefer home cooking to that replicated stuff when I'm not busy," he replied, taking note of the tiredness in Arianne's eyes. "Are you feeling any better?"
"I still carry a lot of guilt over what happened to Jim," Arianne confessed, trying not to cry. "I was bound by the wrists just like he was, but I feel like I should have been able to do something more."
Chris sighed, yet remained silent, "When I was being forced to watch that female Vulcan meld with Jim, something about her seemed familiar," she stated. "I'm sure that I had never seen her before that night, but it just seemed like it wasn't the first time we had met...It was really strange."
"Do you remember what this female Vulcan looked like?" Chris asked, deeply horrified that his only child had been forced to watch her best friend undergo mental torture. "Could you do a sketch?"
Arianne nodded, "I could do a sketch, Dad, but I'd be afraid of what the revelation of the meld enforcer would do to relations between the Federation and Vulcan...It could damage it."
"I didn't want to tell you this until later, but the Vulcan High Command sent me a message this morning that they want to speak with both you and Cadet Kirk about this incident," Chris stated, his tone full of regret. "Originally, they wanted both of you to travel to Vulcan for a formal inquiry, but I managed to convince them to send one of their Ambassadors to Earth instead...to reduce stress."
Before Arianne could reply, the communications terminal in the living room beeped, "Who would be comming me at this hour, while I'm in my private residence?" Chris asked, rising from his chair and walking out of the kitchen. "Can you watch the stove while I'm attending to this?"
Arianne rose from the table and moved over to the stove, only to see that her father had been boiling whole wheat pasta and making a pot of his secret spaghetti sauce for dinner. His favorite meal.
Suddenly, she could hear garbled shouting coming from the living room that sounded like a very angry Dr. Puri. There was silence and then she could hear her father's tone of reasoning.
"...I'm TELLING you, Chris, that McCoy is a MENACE to medical society!" Arianne heard Dr. Puri shouting in a semi-hysterical voice. "...I can't patch through to his and Kirk's dorm...They're just a couple of cadets who don't know what life is...How dare McCoy do that...ARGH!"
As Arianne turned off the stove and put the pot of cooked pasta into the strainer, she could again hear her father's voice, "Both McCoy and Kirk are doing just fine, I assure you...I sent Jon over there for a visit about two hours ago...Didn't you wonder why he was at Starfleet Medical earlier?"
Arianne suddenly frowned as she turned the other burner off. Jim was supposed to be in the hospital, not holed up in his dormitory with Dr. McCoy. What had happened?
Chris suddenly came back into the kitchen, "Sorry about that, Arianne," he apologized, relieved to see that the food was ready to eat. "Doctor Puri's been in a bad mood all day..."
"Dad, why is Jim back in his dorm under Doctor McCoy's supervision and not still in the hospital?" Arianne asked, giving her father a don't-lie-to-me look.
Realizing that Arianne must have heard Dr. Puri's shouting, Chris sighed, "After Doctor Puri let it slip about the mental torture, Cadet Kirk broke through the stasis field on his legs and bolted from the hospital in a massive panic," he explained. "Doctor McCoy finally caught him and took him back to their dorm for rest...Apparently, he and Doctor Puri had a shouting match on the grounds."
"Is Jim all right?" Arianne asked, moving away from the stove and taking a seat at the table.
Chris nodded, "Cadet Kirk is fine and sound asleep in his bed," he replied, moving over to the counter to grab some plates. "I believe Admiral Archer is at the dorm and convinced Cadet Kirk to allow himself to be sedated while Cadet McCoy is subjected to a lecture about decorum."
"Um, Dad?" Arianne said, looking nervous as she watched her father dish out food for both of them. "When I first woke up and saw Doctor McCoy in my room, I kinda freaked out and almost shot him...He put his hands over the phaser and managed to talk me out of it."
Chris silently carried the two plates over to the table and set them down, "Do you want me to arrange for a private video conference so that you can talk to Lady Amanda?" he asked, taking a seat at the table. "You obviously need to talk to someone about this and if you don't feel comfortable talking with me any more about it, I can let you talk to someone else you trust."
"As the wife of Ambassador Sarek, Lady Amanda is probably very busy," Arianne replied, even though she would love to talk with the woman she considered a mother figure. "I wouldn't want her to be distracted unnecessarily from her duties with the Ambassador."
Arianne went silent and picking up her fork, she began to pick at her food, "Jim must hate me," she said in a monotone voice. "I couldn't stop them from beating the living crap out of him."
There was a moment of silence and, dropping the fork, Arianne lowered her head, "It's going to take a long time for me to be okay again, isn't it?" she asked, her voice a whisper as she gazed back up at her father and saw the intense concern in his eyes. "As a counselor, it's so easy for me to give help to whoever needs it, but when it comes to asking for help...I find it very difficult."
Chris nodded and remained silent, "I hope Doctor Puri won't mind that I'm not going to be feeling up to taking on any clients next term," Arianne said, knowing that she had to sort herself out before she counseled anyone else. "I think I'm going to focus on my studies more intensely."
"I'm not surprised to hear you say that," Chris replied. "I'll let Doctor Puri know if you like."
Arianne nodded, "Thank you," she whispered, suddenly reaching up and massaging her head with her hand. "Sorry, small stress headache...it's nothing to freak out over."
"Maybe your headache would go away if you ate something," Chris stated, compassion in his voice. "That pasta isn't going to do you any good if you just poke at it with your fork."
Letting out a sigh, Arianne picked up the fork and began to eat, feeling less tired with each bite she took. Nodding, Chris smiled and, grabbing his fork, he twisted some pasta around it.
"As far as Cadet Kirk goes, give it time," Chris explained. "Neither of you are in the best shape right now, but when you are, I'm sure you'll find that he doesn't blame you for anything."
Ignoring the pang of guilt in her heart, Arianne remained silent as she continued to eat.
Someday, maybe, she and Jim would be able to talk and hopefully, they could still be friends.
Meanwhile, deep within the basement laboratories of ShiKahr, which were extended learning centers that used cirricculum from the Vulcan Science Academy, a dark-haired half-Vulcan student stood alone at a console used for analyzing data. Although he was dressed in the customary uniform that all other students wore, his eyes held an expression of coldness.
Vials of blood and other DNA material sat on a long counter beside the console, next to an empty tray that was used to compile data on the samples. The results were imperative.
Despite being forced to flee from the damaged mining vessel in an escape pod and live in disguise on the very planet that was home to the same species as his leader's enemy, the young student knew that he had to maintain his position. For the future depended on his success.
The rest of the crew and his captain, all of whom had been captured by Klingons shortly after his escape, were counting on him to analyze what Soval had brought back from Earth.
As the minutes passed, he could feel the continued suffering of his captain and the rest of the crew as they rotted in prison under the continual control of bloodthirsty Klingons.
Smiling grimly, the student quickly put the vials into the appropriate slots and inserted the entire tray into the computer system. The computer beeped and flashed blue "Samples Being Analyzed."
"Young Serij, are you still at work on your projects?" a deep, authoritative voice sounded as a middle-aged female Vulcan, who was dressed in a long, official-looking robe, entered the room.
The student didn't turn, as there was un-Vulcan like emotion in his face, "I apologize for the late hour at which I'm working, Doctor T'Pan," he stated in a toneless voice. "My projects are the only thing in which my fractured soul can find respite from my continual inner battles."
Feeling a headache coming on, 'Serij' placed one of his weathered hands on the side of his head and grew frustrated as the screen stated that the analysis would take 24 to 48 hours to complete.
"Are you well?" Dr. T'Pan asked in a tone that was severely close to expressing concern.
Quickly putting the computer into a power-saving mode while the samples were being thoroughly analyzed, the young student slowly turned to face the woman he considered his mentor.
"Forgive me, I believe I am coming down with what Humans would call a cold," Serij explained, feigning unsteadiness as he faltered in walking away from the lab station. "I am rather regretful that I will be unable to process these results as quickly as previously expected...In embracing my Vulcan half these past several years, I had forgotten that my Human half was not invincible."
Moving closer to the young student, Dr. T'Pan took hold of Serij's arm, "Come, I will assist you," she stated as they left the lab and walked down the lonely hallway of the Academy basement.
There was silence as the two exited the basement and walked out into the vast city of ShiKahr, which, because of the late hour, was still. The monumental buildings glistened in the moonlight.
Thoughts of the meld that Soval had forced upon him upon returning from Earth and presenting him with the samples threatened to surface, causing the young student to emit a groan.
"You must excuse my outburst, Doctor," Serij stated in a feigned exhaustion as he moved over to a stone bench near the grand stairwell and sat. "This cold seems to be clouding my senses."
Dr. T'Pan moved over to a communication panel that had been erected in one of the tall columns of the structure and inputted some basic commands. Within seconds, the face of Ambassador Sarek appeared on the screen. Movements could be heard in the background.
"Ambassador Sarek, I apologize for disturbing you at this late hour," Dr. T'Pan stated. "I came across young Serij in one of the Science laboratories and he seems to have contacted what Humans would call a cold...I have determined that the cause is prolonged intense work."
Sarek gave a tenative sigh, "Indeed, ever since young Serij was deemed healthy enough to make a living for himself on Vulcan, I have observed that he is prone to doing that." he replied. "I shall send one of my aides to collect him and return him to his room within my household. From what I know of Human colds, they require specific nutritional supplements and prolonged periods of sleep to properly dissapate...I will have Amanda prepare for Serij's return to our home and I will also summon a Vulcan physician to attend to him upon arrival...I have just dispatched one of my aides to the laboratory, they should arrive in a matter of minutes...Live long and prosper."
The comm-link ended and Dr. T'Pan glanced back at Serij, "Ambassador Sarek has sent an aide to come retrieve you," she stated. "For now, preserve what strength you have and remain seated."
Knowing that T'Pol and Soval would both produce negative responses at the delay in receiving the information from the samples, Serij closed his eyes and allowed himself a shudder of fright.
Any emanation of fear, fortunately, could be interpreted as the progression of the Human cold.
T'Pol,
I regret to inform you that I will be delayed in analyzing the results from the samples Soval brought back from Earth. The reason for this is I have been unavoidably detained to my quarters within the dwelling of Ambassador Sarek and Lady Amanda. Earlier this evening, I became anxiety-ridden while at the laboratory and Dr. T'Pan interpreted it as a slip in my physical health. As a result, I was returned to the Ambassador's home and after putting me through a physical examination, a Vulcan physician has officially diagnosed me with a condition known by Humans as influenza..
The samples collected from James Kirk and Arianne Pike are being thoroughly analyzed by the computer and the computer is in hibernation mode to prevent unauthorized viewing of whatever information is revealed. My hope is that the results from both cadets will help determine what course of action can be taken next concerning our prime subjects and their futures.
I am only able to transmit this message via datapadd from my sickbed because Lady Amanda is away from the room, preparing to journey to Earth for a visit with her son, Spock, for what the Humans refer to as the upcoming winter holidays. She has been tending to my every need and I have managed to convince her that I will be fine unattended for a few moments...I am certain that Lady Amanda will oversee the remainder of my recovery, however, as the trip in question is not until the middle of next month...From what I have gathered through listening, I have determined that the trip is actually Ambassador Sarek's, as he must travel to Earth to question James Kirk and Arianne Pike concerning the attack...Lady Amanda wishes to visit Spock and therefore, has insisted on accompanying her husband...Hopefully, by that time, I will be well and back to work in the laboratory.
While I understand that Captain Nero, Commander Ayel, and the rest of the crew are no doubt suffering in the hands of the Klingons, I lack the strength to do more than rest and speak at the current time and I fear that I will be in this incapacitated state for the next several days.
I will continue to maintain my half-Vulcan disguise and the story that I am the sole survivor of a crash-landing in the Vulcan desert, for it has served me well thus far.
During your self-imposed exile on Earth, I recommend that you continue to observe both James Kirk and Arianne Pike at a distance. Be advised that both subjects may be under close supervision by people they consider 'friends' and 'family', so observation may be difficult. Use EXTREME caution.
More than likely, both subjects will require further intimate analysis of both body and mind...
Do not contact me under ANY circumstances, as it would appear suspect.
When I am declared over this influzenza and allowed back to the lab, I will finish my work.
Only after I have analyzed the results of the samples will I contact you with further instructions.
Serij (known to the Romulan Empire as Jeris).
Seething with rage over the delays brought forth by the double-agent, T'Pol stuffed the PADD into the pocket of her cloak and turned her attention to a crib in front of her. The dwelling she had chosen to live out the duration of her visit to Earth was small, but met current needs.
There was a small half-Vulcan child with sandy hair in the crib, sound asleep and covered by a large, ragged blanket. T'Pol sighed and stroked the infant's hair, not wanting to wake it.
The victim of a terrible accident, Lorian had undergone a de-aging procedure on Vulcan three years ago in absolute secrecy. Now, he was an infant of three, with past memories erased.
From observation alone, T'Pol knew that the subjects might have undergone the same procedure due to their unusual physical prowess and exemplary intelligence levels. Such things were not normal in humans.
However, without further tests, nothing but the hypothesis was considered certain.
More tests would have to be run on both James Kirk and Arianne Pike at a future point in time.