December 2255
Trying to calm herself, Arianne smoothed the wrinkles out of her cadet uniform and ensured that the Ensign's pip was secure on her collar and her hair was done up tightly and out of her face, as per Academy dress and appearance standards. She had been waiting in the foyer of Starfleet Command for nearly an hour while her father was in a meeting behind closed doors.
Now that she was physically able to leave the house, her father had established a date, time, and the location of Starfleet Command for an interview between her and a representative from Vulcan to discuss the attack. Since Vulcans had been involved, the High Command wanted information.
Although Arianne had no idea who Vulcan had sent to speak with her, she knew that her father would not have agreed to this sort of meeting unless it was going to be completely harmless.
Despite having suffered what could be classified as a mind rape by Vulcans during her and Jim's capture, Arianne felt no fear about the approaching meeting. She had to be brave about it.
As she moved to sit on one of the plastic chairs, the door to the meeting room suddenly slid open and her father, who was dressed in his full Commander of Cadets uniform, walked out.
Even though Captain Pike was her father, Arianne assumed the proper stance out of respect.
"Ah, Ensign Pike, I welcome you to Starfleet Command," Chris said, noting the nervousness in Arianne's face as she stood completely still at attention with a hand in a salute. "At ease, Ensign."
Lowering her hand, Arianne placed her hands behind her back and stood relaxed, "Reporting as ordered for debriefing by the Vulcan High Command, sir," she replied, forcing herself to look her father directly in the eye. "I will divulge all that I am able to remember, I give you my word, sir."
"Are you absolutely sure that you're up for this, Ensign?" Chris asked, wondering if he had been too hasty in arranging this meeting two days before Christmas. "It CAN be postponed if needed."
Arianne shook her head, "I would prefer it be right now, sir," she replied, sincerity in her tone.
Chris frowned, but nodded, "All right, Ensign, if you'll follow me into the briefing room," he stated, gesturing into the meeting room with a sweep of his arm.
Straightening up, Arianne followed her father into the briefing room and fought hard to suppress a smile when she saw Ambassador Sarek standing at the command table with his wife, Lady Amanda standing beside him. Chris moved to stand on the other side of Amanda.
"I don't believe you need to be introduced to Ambassador Sarek and his wife, Lady Amanda Grayson," Chris said, watching as Arianne moved over to the table and remained standing.
Arianne raised her hand in the customary Vulcan salute, "I, Ensign Arianne Christine Pike of Starfleet Academy, come to serve with my words for the purpose of aiding in the continued investigation," she stated in a respectful tone as she looked straight at Sarek.
Sarek raised his hand in the customary salute, "Your service honors us, Ensign Pike of Starfleet Academy," he replied, lowering his hand. "How is your recovery progressing?"
"My recovery is progressing at a satisfactory rate, Ambassador," Arianne replied in a very respectful tone. "My hope is that my information will be able to assist the High Command."
Sarek raised an eyebrow, "Indeed," he commented. "Please, Ensign, have a seat."
Giving a slight nod, Arianne sat in the large chair that had been set up for her.
"Well, Ambassador, now that greetings have been exchanged, I believe that Lady Amanda and I will be off on our little dinner date," Chris said, offering his arm to Amanda. "Ensign, I thought that you would feel comfortable enough to speak more freely about what happened if you met one-on-one with the Ambassador...Are you all right with meeting with the Ambassador by yourself?"
Arianne nodded, "Yes sir," she replied, gazing at her father and then back at Ambassador Sarek.
"Excellent," Chris stated, smiling as Amanda took his arm and exchanged a finger touch with Sarek. "Shall we, Lady Amanda? I'll take you to this nice little eatery just over the bridge."
Amanda nodded and allowed Chris to lead her from the room.
As the door slid shut, Sarek fixed his gaze on Arianne, "It has been a long time, Arianne," he stated, intrigued that she still wore that Vulcan necklace around her neck. "I see you still wear the necklace bestowed to you when you last visited Vulcan. Do you still practice meditation?"
"I still practice meditation in the evenings," Arianne replied. "It relieves my stress."
Sarek nodded, his expression thoughtful, "Frequent meditation helps to strengthen mental defenses against that which you don't want invading your mind," he stated. "It also allows memories of a more concerning nature to not negatively overrule that which is human common sense."
Arianne nodded, "Yes, Sarek, that is true," she replied, knowing what Sarek would ask of her.
"In light of recent events, I wish to conduct a meld that I may understand and possibly be able to provide help in the healing process," Sarek explained. "Will you allow me to proceed?"
Arianne gave a brief nod and relaxed her mind, "I will allow you to proceed," she replied in a calm, respectful tone to indicate to Sarek that she trusted him. "My mind is open and relaxed."
Sarek replied by rising from his chair and moving around to where Arianne stood, "I request that you be seated should the meld trigger any physical reactions," he stated tonelessly.
Nodding, Arianne sat reverently on the chair that was on the visitor's side of the desk and waited.
"My mind to your mind," Sarek stated in a reverent tone as he placed his hands on Arianne's face in the appropriate manner required by a mind meld. "My thoughts to your thoughts..."
Meanwhile, across the Golden Gate Bridge, trouble was about to break out in the form of sickness.
From his seat in the Nightfire lounge, Leonard sipped his mug of cocoa and was very careful to not get any of the melted marshmallows on his cadet uniform. It had just been washed after all.
Placing the half-empty mug back on the table, Leonard gazed over in the direction of the common area where Jim was slouched in a chair near the fireplace, wearing an identical cadet uniform.
Today, two days before Christmas, was the first time that Jim had left their dorm since running away from Starfleet Medical a month ago and he wasn't exactly happy about being in public.
Leonard observed that Jim seemed to be missing the emotion of anything related to happiness, as Jim wouldn't joke or smile, he would simply sleep, eat, or bury himself in Academy homework.
Instead of the dinner to celebrate Christmas, Leonard found himself watching his best friend and closest family sleep in a chair near the fire. Jim had refused all food and wasn't talking either.
Letting out a sigh, Leonard fingered the med-kit that he had brought with him in case of any emergencies cropping up while they were out on the town. He should probably use it to make sure that Jim wasn't coming down with anything serious, but Jim probably wouldn't let him.
Leonard silently studied Jim for a few minutes and as he rose up to walk over to him, he noticed Captain Pike, who was dressed in his Academy Command uniform, and a woman, who was dressed in a long dress with a silky hood over her dark hair, enter the restaurant area.
What the heck is Captain Pike doing here with a Vulcan woman? Leonard wondered as he watched a waiter escort the Captain and the strange woman over to a table in the middle of the room.
Unfortunately for him, Jim chose that moment to get up from his chair and stagger in the direction of the bathrooms with a sick look on his face. Suddenly spotting Captain Pike and a woman at a table, he stopped and Leonard silently swore, seeing that Jim's expression was one of intense fear.
For a moment, Leonard watched as Jim silently watched Captain Pike and the woman talk while they sipped ice waters from fine glasses. Jim then turned away and continued to the bathroom.
Fighting the urge to swear, Leonard continued watching Captain Pike and the woman. He would watch for a few more minutes and then go use his doctor skills to help Jim.
Through the spaces in the toilet stall, Soval watched as Jim entered and promptly vomited into the nearest sink. Kirk was alone and sick, which made him vulnerable and not likely to fight back.
Jeris had struggled recovering from the influenza disease, but he had and quickly returned to his samples in the lab, only to find that the results were inconclusive; Kirk had traces of space radiation and a high sensitivity to chemicals, but Arianne Pike's results were even more confusing.
Such results had prompted Jeris to send Soval back to Earth, using the excuse that the lab samples had become unexpectedly contaminated and new samples were needed.
In actuality, Soval's mission was to kidnap both Cadet Kirk and Ensign Pike, render them unconscious and transport them to Vulcan for further study in the basement labs.
Quietly unlocking the stall, Soval opened the door and came up behind Kirk, who was now slumped over with his head over a urinal while he puked. Soval raised his hands and grabbed Kirk's face.
"My mind to your mind," Soval hissed, pulling Jim backwards whilst keeping a firm grip on the young human's face. "My thoughts to your thoughts...Cadet Kirk, you must submit..."
Recognizing one of the voices that were around the night of his and Arianne's abduction, Jim froze and was silent as Soval probed his mind so hard that he wanted to pass out on the floor.
"...Restrain Cadet Kirk and continue with the meld," a strict, yet clearly feminine voice ordered as Jim felt himself being pinned to a cold floor. "He carries valuable information."
Cold hands lifted Jim to his feet and he quickly found himself being pinned against the wall with some very cold, chain-like restraints binding his wrists and ankles in place. Large Vulcan hands grabbed his face in such an invasive, unfeeling way that Jim had to keep himself conscious.
"Now, James, you WILL submit to this," a rough voice ordered him. "You will submit to this..."
The rough hands released his face and were immediately replaced with more feminine hands that gently stroked his face before pressing inward, applying as much pressure as possible.
Something hard connected with his abdomen and as he felt himself sinking to the floor, Jim heard shouting, banging, and what he thought was phasers firing, followed by rapid footsteps.
The room felt so warm to Jim; it made him feel as if he was back on Tarsus with Arianne and the others, trying to steal enough food to survive while also trying to avoid being caught and punished.
"...Oh, man, he's burning up," Jim heard Leonard snap. "Where's that medi-shuttle?"
Fighting the urge to vomit, Jim opened his eyes and saw Leonard hovering over him and scanning him with a medical tricorder, "...Bones?" he asked. "...Where...am...I?"
"Just lie still, Jim," Leonard said as he quickly rummaged through his medical bag for something that could help his friend until help arrived. "I just want you to lie still and stay awake for me."
There was another bang and more footsteps, "The medi-shuttle's here," Jim heard a gruff voice state as he felt Leonard placing something cold on his warm forehead. "What happened here, McCoy?"
As he heard Leonard giving an equally gruff reply to whomever else was in the room, Jim felt his eyelids drooping rapidly; his entire body hurt and maybe sleep was the best thing for him now.
"...Admiral, get out of here and get those medics in here!" Jim heard Leonard shout in an angry tone as he felt cold hands slapping his face, "Jim, come on, stay with me...don't fall asleep."
A low moan escaped Jim's lips and he quickly succumbed to the darkness that beckoned.
"...Puri's unreachable, I don't know how to contact Doctor Phlox... I'll have to do the surgery myself...Prep anesthesia...Will y'all stop staring at me and get on carrying out my orders?"
Hearing footsteps and soft murmuring, Jim opened his eyes and saw himself staring at a white ceiling and he could feel something over his body, "Bones?" he croaked, surprised at how weak his voice sounded. "Bones?"
There was murmuring and Jim suddenly saw Leonard, now wearing a Starfleet Medical shirt and a surgical coat, hovering over him, "It's gonna be okay, Jim," Leonard stated in an unnaturally gentle tone. "You've got some internal bleeding and some other injures that I have to fix."
"I don't feel good," Jim moaned in a whispery voice. "Bones, what's going on?"
Leonard sighed and watched as a nurse brought him a hypospray full of a fast acting, heavy anesthetic that was going to knock Jim out for the next several hours, "I'm gonna give you a hypospray that's gonna make you really sleepy and not able to feel anything," he explained, gazing down into Jim's tired eyes. "After I save you, we'll deal with who attacked you and why, okay?"
Jim whimpered as Leonard injected the hypospray into his neck, "Don't be such an infant," Leonard stated, although it was in a gentle tone that he said it. "Don't worry about anything right now."
As Jim's eyes began to close, Leonard sighed and was relieved that he didn't have to immediately tell Jim that his Vulcan attacker had been arrested, escorted to Starfleet Security, and was now being held in a Brig while being interrogated by a furious Admiral Archer.
More would happen in light of this, but Leonard's only concern at the moment was once again saving the life of his best friend and the closest thing in the world he had to family.
However, Dr. Puri and Phlox had been around last time...this time, he was completely alone.
"I don't understand why you hold me in this cramped prison against my will," Soval stated tonelessly as he watched Admiral Archer pace back and forth on the other side of the forcefield within the block of holding cells at Starfleet Security. "I have done nothing that merits this."
Fighting the urge to deactivate the forcefield and beat the living pulp out of Soval, Admiral Archer glared at the aged Vulcan, "Assaulting a Starfleet cadet in the restroom of a civilian restaurant without a reason is certainly reason enough to hold you here," he snapped.
"Admiral Archer, I had reasons for my actions which I cannot divulge," Soval replied tonelessly.
Admiral Archer growled, "Well, you'll HAVE to divulge your reasons at the hearing that is going to involve Starfleet Command, Academy Command, and the Vulcan High Command," he snapped, his tone cold. "Any type of attack on a Starfleet cadet is inexcusable under ANY circumstances!"
"I must regret to inform you, Admiral Archer, that my reason for attacking Cadet Kirk cannot and will not be divulged at any time," Soval stated. "My orders come from a higher authority."
With that said, Soval retreated to the bunk and silently sat, engaging in a deep meditation.
Admiral Archer turned away and quickly walked out of the cell-block, ignoring the bewildered glances that the Security officers were giving him. He had to talk to Captain Pike immediately.
Captain Pike, meanwhile, was lingering in the surgical observation area, watching via sensors as Leonard McCoy and a few nurses who were not yet on their Christmas holidays, operate on the very unlucky Cadet Kirk; he had followed McCoy and Kirk to Starfleet Medical from the restaurant.
Lady Amanda had insisted upon him being there for the two needy cadets and she had respectfully taken a hovercab to Starfleet Command, intending to reconnect with her husband once he was done gathering information from Arianne about the last attack.
A loud alarm from the surgical bay caused Chris to press the intercom button, "Captain Pike to Doctor McCoy," Chris stated in an urgent tone. "What's with the sudden alarm?"
"Nothing urgent, Captain Pike," the annoyed voice of Leonard replied. "Just a little blood loss."
Chris was silent for a moment, "Acknowledged," he replied. "How is the surgery proceeding?"
"It would go a lot better if I could focus on Jim and not have to talk to you at the same time, Captain Pike," Leonard's stern tone replied. "I'll talk to you when Jim's in Recovery. Doctor McCoy out."
As the intercom clicked off, Chris couldn't help but be intrigued by Cadet/Doctor McCoy's compassion for patients and his mission for the best possible outcome in every situation.
Granted, the younger McCoy's methods and attitude were a little unorthodox and very much unlike those of his father, but Chris knew that Leonard McCoy would be valuable serving in space.
"...Doctor McCoy to Captain Pike," the static-filled voice of Leonard suddenly filtered through the intercom. "...There's been a complication...I thought I got Jim's fever down, but it's spiked..."
"...Doctor, he's having a febrile seizure!" Chris heard a female voice shout. "He's AWAKE!"
"...refuse to submit," a high-pitched tone of Jim's voice moaned. "...no more melds..."
"McCoy, what is going on in there?" Chris shouted, concerned by Jim's strange moaning.
"...I don't understand this, Jim's fever is climbing and he's moaning something about some sort of meld," Leonard replied in a frustrated tone. "It's probably some fever-induced delirium..."
Chris thought for a moment and then, removing his hand from the intercom button, he reached into his pocket and extracted his communicator. He needed to contact Starfleet Command right away.
Fighting to keep from throwing up, Arianne slouched in her chair and slowly sipped the Vulcan spice tea that Sarek had replicared for her following the completion of the mind meld.
Although the meld had relieved some of the mental/emotional burden that unaddressed memories of the attack had created, Arianne had become physically drained as a result. Sarek had responded by accessing the room's replicator and replicating a strengthening remedy for her.
Now, there was silence as Sarek reflected on the thoughts gained from the meld and also watched Arianne to ensure that she properly recovered from the meld before dismissing her.
In all honesty, Arianne felt exhausted and ready to cry, despite drinking the tea. She had felt that way ever since the attack; she now had strange glimpses into memories that weren't hers.
Fortunately, these glimpses had happened when she was alone at home, either when she was studying or resting and they lasted no longer than a few minutes. Because these glimpses had not affected her schoolwork, Arianne saw no reason to tell anyone what she was experiencing.
From what Sarek observed, it was clear to him that Arianne was fatigued and probably wanted to do nothing more than go home and rest. However, he wanted to first ensure that she would be safe.
Suddenly, there was a beep, followed by intercom static, "Ambassador Sarek, this is Captain Pike," Captain Pike's voice spoke. "You are needed at Starfleet Medical immediately."
"I fail to understand why my presence would be required at Starfleet Medical," Sarek replied as he pressed the wall intercom button to reply. "I am not a physician of any nature."
There was a brief period of static and a door slid open, "...A human patient undergoing emergency surgery at Starfleet Medical has obviously suffered some negative effects from a Vulcan mind meld," Chris replied in a tone of grave concern. "It's affecting his physical health and that's dangerous at this time, him being under heavy anesthesia."
Sarek was silent for a moment as he thought of what could be wrong, "Pa'nar Syndrome," he said in a toneless voice. "A disease that can be contracted from an improperly trained melder."
"Sarek, is it even possible for a human to have contracted a Vulcan disease?" Amanda said, having overheard the brief conversation between Captain Pike and Sarek.
Sarek turned to face Amanda, "My wife, would you please escort Ensign Pike back to Captain Pike's residence and remain there until I come for you?" he tonelessly asked. "My presence is required at Starfleet Medical immediately and I am uncertain as to for how long."
"Of course, Sarek," Amanda replied, gazing at Arianne. "Arianne, are you well enough for travel?"
Arianne nodded and rose from the chair, "I am," she replied in a tired voice. "Just very tired."
"Ensure that Ensign Pike gets sufficient nutrition and rest," Sarek stated tonelessly as he moved towards the door. "I will contact you when circumstances allow."
As Sarek left the room, Arianne gazed at Amanda, "I know it's Jim," Arianne stated. "I wish I could do something to help, but I can't this time. I don't have the energy and I feel bad about that."
"Cadet Kirk will be all right," Amanda said in a soothing tone as she took Arianne's arm. "For now, you can do nothing but ensure your own health. Later, perhaps, you can be a help to Cadet Kirk."
Arianne nodded and silently allowed Amanda to lead her from the meeting room. She had to trust Lady Grayson's words; Jim would be all right and she should focus on keeping herself well.
"Imagine my shock when I got a message from one of my nurses saying that Cadet McCoy had taken it upon himself to perform pre-op tests and surgery on another cadet completely unsupervised!" Dr. Puri hissed, his tone nothing less than infuriated about the current situation. "That's completely against Starfleet regulations!"
Leaning against a wall of the corridor just outside the Surgery/Recovery rooms, Admiral Archer sighed and checked his watch, "It's almost four in the morning, Puri," he replied, trying to keep his tone calm despite being sleep deprived. "McCoy's a trained doctor and surgeon..."
"McCoy doesn't have a lot of training in Starfleet medicine and I'm really surprised that he he hasn't killed Cadet Kirk on the operating table!" Dr. Puri snapped, aggravated that he had been wrenched away from his Christmas holiday to deal with a careless cadet. "Why hasn't anyone from Academy Command been notified to deal with this situation? McCoy should be expelled from the Academy!"
Admiral Archer sighed, "Captain Pike was at the restaurant and actually accompanied McCoy and Kirk over here in the responding medi-shuttle," he replied, fighting the urge to yawn. "As far as I know, he's hanging around the observation theater to wait until the surgery's done."
"It's been HOURS," Dr. Puri snapped. "More than likely, he's trying to protect McCoy."
"Look, Puri, if you stay here and cool down, I will go see what Captain Pike is doing," Admiral Archer stated, trying to diffuse the situation. "Just stay here and simmer down."
Ignoring the look on Dr. Puri's face, Admiral Archer walked into the room and through the glass, he could see Captain Pike lingering outside of an area of the Recovery bay that had been curtained off.
RI'llelieved that Kirk most likely survived the surgery, Jonathan sighed and walked into the Recovery bay, "Chris, I'm taking it that Cadet Kirk survived the attack," he commented, disturbed by the distressed look on Captain Pike's face. "Bad news, though, Soval's not talking."
Before Chris could reply, the door slid open and Dr. Puri entered, followed by who Chris recognized to be Ambassador Sarek, "Captain Pike, I believe you requested my presence," Sarek said in a monotone voice. "Doctor Puri seems to believe that I am an unnecessary intruder."
"Doctor Puri, go back out in the hall," Admiral Archer stated. "Chris, what's going on here?"
As Puri stormed from the room, Chris looked at Sarek, "Admiral Archer, I have reason to believe that Cadet Kirk has been suffering from Pa'nar Syndrome ever since the night he was attacked," Sarek stated. "It is a Vulcan disease that can come from improperly trained mind melders."
"Is there a way to treat this disease?" Admiral Archer asked, infuriated about the fact that Soval intentionally inflicted a Vulcan disease on Cadet Kirk. "Will Cadet Kirk be all right?"
Sarek gave a brief nod, "I must initiate a mind meld, but Pa'nar Syndrome is curable," he replied.
"Jon, go and tells Doctor McCoy to go get some sleep and a nurse can keep an eye on Cadet Kirk for a while," Chris stated. "I trust that Ambassador Sarek can help Cadet Kirk."
Admiral Archer nodded and quickly moved into the curtained area. Chris heard some soft murmuring, angry protests, and then Admiral Archer came out, leading Leonard by the arm.
"I'm really uncomfortable leaving Jim alone with some Vulcan," Leonard protested in a tired voice as Admiral Archer led him out of the Recovery bay. "It was hard enough trying to keep him alive..."
Chris sighed, "Cadet McCoy, go pick a bed in the patient bay and get some sleep," he ordered in a no-nonsense tone. "You've been up all night, stayed sober, and did a heroic thing. Now rest."
With a tired sigh, Leonard nodded and wrenching his arm out of Admiral Archer's grip, he silently stalked into the patient bay. Through the glass, Chris watched the exhausted cadet lay himself down on to the nearest patient bed and promptly drop off to sleep still wearing his surgical attire.
Not wanting to watch Cadet McCoy sleep, Chris turned away and saw that Ambassador Sarek had quietly moved into the curtain area and that Admiral Archer was the only one remaining.
"No doubt Command will want Cadet McCoy to explain his actions," Admiral Archer stated, crossing his arms as he watched Chris pace the floor. "Puri's probably on the comm to Admiral Barnett right now, demanding that Cadet McCoy face an official board of inquiry."
Fighting the urge to laugh, Chris sighed, "Barnett went on holiday to Paris for Christmas and won't be back until New Year's Day, Jon," he replied. "However, you're probably right about Command probably wanting McCoy to face an official board of inquiry...probably in January."
Admiral Archer nodded, "The thing is, though, I think expelling Cadet McCoy from the Academy for this is a waste of his obvious potential," Chris said, an idea forming in his head. "Leonard reminds me so much of David, it's uncanny...I think a better purpose can be found for Leonard McCoy."
"Well, Chris, I'll help however I can," Admiral Archer promised. "You're right about this."
Chris sighed, "Go home to your dog, Jon, there's nothing more that can be done until after Christmas," he stated. "I'm going to stick around and talk to Cadet Kirk when he's awake."
"How's your daughter going to feel about being left alone while you wait for Cadet Kirk to come out of sedation?" Admiral Archer asked, concerned that Chris was becoming too involved with Cadet Kirk's situation. "Just contact Kirk's family and keep your personal distance from him."
Chris blanched, "Jon, honestly, Kirk hasn't got any family that cares about him," he replied in an aggravated tone. "Now, you can court-martial me or whatever, but I'm going to stay here."
Admiral Archer rolled his eyes, "I'm not going to court-martial you for caring about someone who obviously needs someone to care about him," he replied. "Just make sure you get some rest."
Chris nodded and raising an eyebrow at the stubborn Captain, Admiral Archer left the room.
Now alone, Chris sighed and sat down next to a computer console. It could be hours, maybe even days, before Cadet Kirk would be in any shape for a conversation, so there was work to be done.
By Christmas Eve morning, Jim still hadn't regained consciousness and although he tried not to show it, Leonard was extremely worried that his friend might never wake up.
After being calmed down by Admiral Archer, Dr. Puri had returned to Paris for the remainder of his Christmas holidays leaving Leonard with a stern warning that his actions would be addressed in the new year.
Phlox had been contacted, briefed about the situation, and was now the acting CMO at Starfleet Medical while Puri was on vacation. He thought that Leonard's actions were justified, but didn't voice that opinion, instead choosing to do his duty and keep a distant watch on Cadet/Doctor McCoy.
Now, well aware that he would most likely face a hearing and possible expulsion from Starfleet Academy, Leonard sat in a chair next to the bed where Jim lay unconscious, occasionally scanning him with his medical tricorder, checking the driplines in his arms, and keeping him well covered.
In light of the incident, cadets were no longer permitted off the Academy campus unless it was authorized by someone from Academy Command and even then, all approved departures had to be done in groups.
Soval had been sentenced to spend the remainder of the Christmas holidays in his holding cell at Starfleet Security and would be extradited back to Vulcan for trial in the new year.
Ambassador Sarek had remained with Jim for the rest of the night and far into the next day, according to Captain Pike, and apparently had cured Jim of his illness somehow. Although Leonard had asked, the Ambassador had refrained from saying how, but had wished Jim a good recovery.
Leonard sighed and placed the PADD on the bedside table; his first Christmas Eve since the divorce and he was spending it sitting at the bedside of an unconscious friend as his doctor.
Now again, at least he knew Jim cared about him back like a brother...didn't seem like a bad holiday after all.
For a moment, Leonard gazed at the floor, deep in thought about the past; he had a lot of regrets about the past and, yet, it was because of past problems that he had ended up in Starfleet.
A weak groan suddenly came from the bed, causing Leonard to look up to see that Jim was slowly waking up and trying to move his arms and legs, "Don't do that, you'll hurt yourself," Leonard snapped, annoyed that even though Jim wasn't coherent, he was already trying to escape.
"...Bones?" Jim's groggy voice asked as Jim slowly opened his eyes to blurry surroundings.
Fighting the urge to swear, Jim blinked and everything came into focus, "...So tired..." he groggily whispered, forcing his gaze in Leonard's direction. "I feel like I was run over by a semi."
"Do you remember what happened?" Leonard asked. "Do you know where you are now, Jim?"
Jim was silent for a moment, "...hospital," he whispered. "...can't remember why..."
Rising from his chair, Leonard moved over to the replicator and quickly replicated a glass of ice water with a straw in it. He picked it up and returned to his seat at Jim's bedside.
"If you drink this too fast and end up puking all over the bed, I'll kill you myself," Leonard firmly stated as he held the cup to Jim's mouth and inserted the straw into his mouth.
Giving Leonard a look, Jim obediently sipped the water at a slow pace until the cup was completely drained, "You just had your spleen removed and some busted ribs repaired," Leonard explained as he tossed the cup into the nearby trash bin. "You also had a high fever, which caused a seizure."
"No wonder I feel bad," Jim replied groggily, trying to keep his eyes open. "Got smashed up, I bet."
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Leonard sighed, "If you behave yourself and manage to keep the water down, I'll see if I can arrange for some sort of healthy Christmas food to be brought in from some civilian diner or somewhere," he stated. "You'll be here until New Year's Day."
"I hate Christmas, Bones," Jim groggily stated. "Can I just sleep through it?"
Leonard sighed, "No, but you can sleep right now," he stated. "We'll deal with Christmas later."
Jim mumbled something incoherent and promptly dropped back off to sleep; in all honesty, he truly loathed Christmas and had no desire to deal with it or talk about it, not even to Bones.
Taking the opportunity to roll his eyes, Leonard rose from his chair and moved towards the wall intercom that was near the doorway. He desperately needed to talk to Captain Pike about Jim.
December 24 - 1200 H
From within the Vulcan Embassy in San Francisco, Ambassador Sarek sat in a meditative position in his private chamber and reflected on the insights gained from both Ensign Pike and Cadet Kirk.
Amanda was off with Captain Pike and Ensign Pike, they were engaging in a Terran custom known as shopping that most Humans particularly during such a holiday season.
Their plan was to buy things referred to as 'Christmas presents' and enough food to share a 'Christmas dinner' for a meal the next day. Although Sarek didn't make a habit of actively engaging in Human customs during diplomatic trips, he occasionally would participate for Amanda's sake.
From what Sarek had already been able to determine, a Vulcan named Soval had been a key instigator in the initial kidnapping of James Kirk and Arianne Pike, as well as the sole assailant in the attack on James Kirk at a civilian restaurant days earlier. That much was certain to him.
However, as intelligent as Sarek saw himself to be, he had been unable to determine who the other Vulcans involved in the attacks were, as those memories were not accessible for some reason.
Cadet Kirk's inability to open his mind was excusable; he was fully human and like most humans, they were able to hide memories from surfacing for prolonged periods of time subconsciously.
Ensign Pike's mind, however, was very complex and full of memories that were not her own at first glance, but they didn't cause her damage. Besides that, the girl was not fully Human; she had El-Aurian characteristics from what Sarek could tell, but they were so well hidden from the world.
Despite his great mind and logic, Sarek found that he couldn't make sense of it all.
"Father?"
Sarek looked up from his meditation and saw Spock lingering in the doorway of the meditation chamber with what amounted to be an expression of concern on his face, "Spock," he replied.
For a moment, Spock, who was still adjusting to his new faculty position at Starfleet Academy as the Kobyashi Maru programmer, said nothing and merely gave a nod of acknowledgement.
"I feel as if you are having difficulty in meditation," Spock stated as he entered the room and moved over to where his father sat. "May I ascertain the reason as to why and offer my assistance?"
Sarek was silent for a moment, "I have gathered information from Cadet Kirk and Ensign Pike through mind melds that is just short of extraordinary," he stated tonelessly. "The complexities of said information is perhaps too much for one mind to process without assistance."
"If you wish, Father, you may initiate a meld and I will assist in your efforts to interpret the information you have gathered," Spock offered as he sat next to his father in a meditative position.
Sarek gave a nod and placed his hands on Spock's face, "That would be commendable, Spock," he replied in a toneless voice. "Your assistance may help in determining an appropriate solution."
As Sarek initiated the meld, Spock relaxed and allowed his Vulcan side to assert itself so that nothing would interfere in him and his father determining the truth about the current situation.
Christmas Day - 1300 H
"...Jim, wake up," Leonard's voice said as Jim felt a hand on his shoulder. "Time to wake up."
Annoyed at being woken up, Jim opened his eyes and immediately saw that Captain Pike was standing at the end of his hospital bed with his hands behind his back.
"Can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Chris asked in a concerned, yet sharp tone.
Jim gaped at Captain Pike, "S-Sir, I didn't provoke what happened to me," he stammered, his voice still really weak. "I can't exactly remember why I'm here...just little glimpses of things..."
"Not NOW, Jim," Leonard snapped, seeing that Jim's distress over not being able to remember anything was causing his vital signs to fluctuate. "Captain Pike, not until he's rested more."
For a moment, Captain Pike and Leonard stared at one another, as if daring each other to make some sort of movement or comment, "Doctor McCoy's right, Jim, you're still recovering and now is not an appropriate time to discuss what happened," Chris stated. "On to better topics."
Chris smiled and brought his hands out from behind his back, revealing that he had been hiding two small packages that had been carefully bought and wrapped by Arianne. He handed one to Leonard and set the other one on the bed so that it was within Jim's reach so that he wouldn't strain himself.
"After McCoy talked to me about how you were feeling, he also talked to Arianne and she figured that you could use a little Christmas cheer and she is very sorry that she wasn't able to deliver these herself," Chris explained. "However, she is entertaining diplomat visitors from Vulcan and waiting for me to return home as well. Before I leave, however...one more thing."
Keeping his emotions neutral, Chris picked up a small bag that was full of small containers of different, yet very healthy holiday appropriate foods and cutlery and handed it to Leonard.
"There's some food that you both can have," Chris stated as he moved back towards the door with a smirk emerging on his face. "I'll be in contact with more information within the next few days."
As Chris left, Leonard and Jim looked at each other and then all that had been left for them.
Maybe there were at least two people who cared about their pitiful existences, maybe just a bit.
Across the Golden Gate Bridge, meanwhile, a cloaked figure boarded a shuttle that was parked on an abandoned airstrip and quickly strapped a smaller cloaked figure into a passenger seat.
"Mother, where are we going?" the younger figure asked in an unusually curious tone.
The taller figure quickly secured herself into a passenger seat next to the smaller figure and was silent as the shuttle closed, the engines ignited, and shot off into the San Francisco sky.
"Lorian, we are going to Vulcan," T'Pol replied as she lowered her hood and looked down at her young son, who was so gifted that he was already talking, despite his young age.
Lorian nodded and leaned against T'Pol, "Mother, I am fatigued," he stated. "May I sleep?"
"You may sleep, my son," T'Pol replied, placing an arm around him. "I will protect you."
Nodding, Lorian fell asleep and as he slept, T'Pol could not help but have a little but of pride in the success that the de-aging experiment had been on her son; he was young again and despite that, his intelligence was progressing rapidly and talking. It was more than he had done a month ago.
The sudden return to Vulcan was in response to the sloppiness that Soval had displayed in his impulsive attack on James Kirk; it had gotten him arrested and exiled to a Starfleet brig.
Now, because of Soval, T'Pol was now going to take Lorian back to Shi'Kahr and, while appearing as if she wanted a life among Vulcans, she would reconnect with Jeris and create a new plan.
There would be a period of grace for those chosen for analysis...then another strike against them...one that would never be forgotten.