June 2256 - 1100
Starfleet Academy Library
"Bones!"
Ignoring the voice that he recognized to be Jim's, Leonard put earbuds in his ears and focused his attention on the audio notes that Dr. Puri had ordered him to transcribe for the next lecture; he had to listen to the descriptions of field surgery from war times and write them out as study notes.
As he began to transcribe the first of many tapes that sat before him, Leonard felt the headphones being yanked from his ears; "You infant," Leonard growled as he shut the recorder off and turned to face Jim.
"Come ON, Bones, Arianne is getting out of the hospital today!" Jim said, his eyes sparkling eagerly as he grinned at his friend. "I thought she'd be getting out after a week, but then she got sick…."
Leonard fought the urge to roll his eyes; Arianne had ended up sick because she had overdid it too soon after her surgery and her body wasn't ready for that…she had ended up with pneumonia as a result.
Captain Pike had then intervened; he had basically ordered his daughter to take it easy for the rest of her stay at Starfleet Medical and had given her plenty to read and do while she rested in bed.
"So go and help Captain Pike take her home," Leonard said aloofly. "I have work to do."
Jim gave Leonard a lost puppy face, "You helped her too, so come on," Jim argued in a whiny voice.
"Jim, go away," Leonard replied frostily, giving Jim a glare. "I have a lot of work to do here."
Looking extremely hurt, Jim nodded and silently walked away. Leonard sighed, annoyed with how his gruff exterior seemed to hurt everyone; he couldn't help it, though, Dr. Puri needed the notes.
Leonard sighed; irritability and problems sleeping were sure-fire symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from his time as a hostage; he had never told anyone about it in detail…anyone.
Dr. Piper had asked him about it during their weekly chat the other day, Leonard remembered as he returned the earbuds to his ears, but Leonard had dodged the question and again asked about AA meetings; not that he'd ever set foot in one by himself, but he was curious about how they worked.
Leonard sighed; he didn't need the help of Dr. Piper or AA; he just needed to keep himself busy.
Starfleet Medical
"What do you mean she's not here anymore?" Jim asked, gaping at Dr. Puri from across the CMO's desk.
Dr. Puri sighed and took a quick swig of coffee, "Ensign Pike went home with Captain Pike around 0500 because she didn't want any fanfare," he explained patiently. "She doesn't want to be seen as a hero."
Jim looked stunned for a moment and then collected himself, "Did Captain Pike say whether or not Arianne would want visitors?" he asked, wanting to skip class and visit Arianne. "I miss her."
"I gather that Ensign Pike would want you to stay on task and attend class today," Dr. Puri replied in a gentle tone. "However, I don't think she'd be adverse to company for dinner this evening."
Jim nodded, but remained sitting, "I don't have class until noon," he replied in a nervous tone. "Uh, Doctor Puri, I was wondering if there were any counselors available…to talk with me…"
Dr. Puri suddenly looked thoughtful, "Well, we don't have any certified counselors available right now," he explained in a neutral tone. "However, maybe Captain Pike would be a good person to advise you."
Jim nodded and got to his feet, "Thanks for your time," he said in a deadened tone, inching towards the door with his eyes gazing down at the floor to avoid questioning gazes. "I'll see you around."
"Cadet Kirk, I noticed you squinting at my lecture board in class yesterday," Dr. Puri said in a brisk tone, remembering that Jim had continually passed on reading anything aloud. "Is everything all right?"
Jim remained silent and inched closer to the door, "Things don't focus sometimes, it's nothing," he replied in a hesitant voice. "I've been pushing myself in your class this summer and I also help Admiral Archer with stuff sometimes. I can't eat a lot of the food the Academy has and I don't ever sleep well."
"According to Academy records, you never DID come back for a follow-up exam after your medical problems last Christmas," Dr. Puri commented, quickly accessing the student files on the computer. "I find myself surprised at having to remind you of all people about that, Cadet Kirk…"
Jim found himself stiffening, "With all due respect, SIR," he snapped, unable to hold back his frustration any longer. "If you were any kind of a doctor, you'd have dragged me in here long before now and insisted that I get my follow-up exam done. To be honest, I'm kind of upset with you right now."
Dr. Puri raised an eyebrow, but remained silent, "Bones is the best doctor in this whole fleet and because he saved my life, you're all thinking of throwing him out of the Academy," Jim stated in a snappish tone. "I don't really think it's smart to be throwing away potential in favor of order."
Before Dr. Puri could reply, Jim turned and left the office. Dr. Puri gazed at the computer screen, deep in thought about what Cadet Kirk had said; obviously Kirk wanted a favorable outcome to the hearing.
With a sigh, Dr. Puri leaned back in his chair and began thinking about how to deal with Cadet Kirk's continued attitude problems towards authority; something had to be done very, very soon.
Pike Household
Letting out a tired sigh, Arianne opened her eyes and was relieved to see that she was still on the couch in her father's large living room; she wasn't in the barracks on that desolate world with Leonard.
Gritting her teeth, Arianne pulled herself into a semi-sitting position and looked around; the house seemed to be quiet and empty. Her father had probably gone back to Starfleet Command to work.
Arianne swallowed hard and rested her head and back against the pillow; she placed a hand on the loose tan shirt that was covering her bandaged chest, "Up already?" a male voice suddenly asked.
There was silence for a moment and Arianne smiled as she saw her father come into view with a blanket tucked under his arm, "I figured this would keep you warmer than those sweatpants would," Chris said in a gentle voice, smiling as he draped the blanket over Arianne's body. "How are you feeling?"
"Very tired," Arianne replied softly. "Don't you have work to do at Starfleet Command today?"
Chris shrugged, "What kind of a father would I be if I left you alone your first day home from the hospital after a serious illness?" he stated in a gentle tone. "Anyway, I can use my computer for the most part."
Arianne nodded and promptly yawned, "Oh, I'm being foolish by keeping you awake, my daughter," Chris said, seeing the tiredness in Arianne's eyes. "You sleep and I'll be in my study if you need me."
As Arianne drifted back to sleep, Chris smiled and quietly went into his office; he took a seat behind his desk and turned on his computer, keeping the door open in case his dear daughter needed anything.
"…No, don't touch me," Chris suddenly heard Arianne's weak voice say from the living room. "Don't…"
There was silence and then a bang, "NO!" Arianne's voice screamed. "GET OUT OF MY MIND!"
Alarmed, Chris shot out of his chair and bolted into the living room; he saw Arianne huddled on the couch with her arms raised and her hands out in front of her in a defensive position. Her eyes were closed and tears were streaming down her pale face. She looked as if she was holding someone off.
"Arianne, honey, wake up," Chris said as he moved over to the couch and sat on a nearby stool.
Arianne gasped for a moment and opened her eyes, "I think I was forced into a mind meld while I was on that planet with Leonard," she said in a faint voice. "I remember waking up in some lab and someone placed their hands on my face and then I saw a bunch of images that I didn't recognize."
Chris looked heartsick for a moment and then stood, "I'll get you some spice tea from the replicator to help you sleep a little easier," he said in a gentle voice. "We'll talk more about this after you've rested."
Biting his lip, Chris moved into the kitchen and over to the corner replicator, "Vulcan spice tea," he said in a commanding tone, knowing that Sarek would want to know of Arianne's forced meld immediately.
In a flash, the tea materialized and Chris picked the mug up; he ignored the fact that his hands were intolerant of the heat and carried it into the living room. He carefully handed it to Arianne.
"Drink all of that and then rest," Chris ordered firmly. "I have to make a call in my office."
As Chris hurried into his office, Arianne sipped at the tea and then began to drink it as if Vulcan spice tea were the only drink she ever enjoyed; the tea had always calmed her when she had lived on Vulcan.
It didn't take long to finish the tea and lying back, Arianne allowed the empty mug to fall to the carpet as she drifted back into a much needed sleep. Her father wouldn't mind moving the mug while she slept.
Golden Gate Park
The summer air made Serij's stomach cringe, but he remained silent and instead focused his energy on taking in the many trees around him; Lady Amanda had brought him from Vulcan for a time of relaxation because she had felt sympathetic towards him because he had lost all of his scientific research.
"Serij, there you are!" the enthusiastic voice of Lady Amanda suddenly exclaimed from behind him.
Serij turned and saw Lady Amanda walking across the grass towards him accompanied by a young, yet very intelligent looking Vulcan who was dressed in a gray tunic, pants, and black boots.
"Lady Amanda, I apologize for wandering away," Serij stated in an apologetic tone as the two approached him. "I was lost in thought while I was observing the 'greenery' of this park space."
Amanda gave Serij a reassuring smile, "It's all right," she replied soothingly. "Spock, this is Serij, the young student who has been residing with your father and I on Vulcan. I brought him to see Earth."
Spock nodded, "Serij, this is my son, Spock," Amanda explained, gesturing to Spock. "Spock is an instructor at Starfleet Academy and also a very skilled scientist. He may be able to help you."
Suddenly, there was a beeping noise that prompted Spock to remove a small stylus from his pocket and check it; he studied it for a moment and then let out a sigh of slight discontent.
"I sincerely apologize, but my presence is needed back at the Academy immediately," Spock stated as he returned the stylus to his pocket. "You are welcome to continue touring the civilian areas if you wish and I will do my best to arrange for a tour of the Academy campus during your time on Earth."
Amanda nodded and linked arms with Serij as a mother would an orphan child, "I will contact you when I am able," Spock concluded. "Again, I apologize, but my presence is needed. Have a favorable day."
Giving Serij a nod, Spock turned and walked quickly across the grass towards the street. Amanda gazed at Serij for a moment and took in the young man's bruised face and flushed skin; she frowned.
"Let us return to the Embassy so you can rest some," Amanda said in a soothing tone as she gently led Serij across the grass. "When you're feeling better, perhaps Spock can take us to the Academy."
Knowing that he had to continue the façade even though he was very much beginning to hate Vulcans and this human, Serij managed a complacent nod and was silent as he allowed Amanda to guide him.
As they walked towards another section of the road to acquire what Amanda referred to as 'public transport', Serij couldn't help but feel envious of T'Pol. T'Pol was on Vulcan, free to do as she wished while raising a half-Vulcan child while he was on Earth, forced by Nero to live in undercover agony.
Serij also knew, however, that the reason for Nero's orders would serve its purpose soon enough.
Academy Classroom – 1300
Ignoring the headache that threatened to pound through his skull, Jim looked down at his personal PADD and immediately felt the headache fade a bit; the class notes were too far away for him to see.
Maybe he should go see someone about his obvious vision problems and the headaches that came whenever he tried to strain his eyes, Jim reasoned as he closed his eyes to finish off the headache.
"CADET KIRK!" a loud voice suddenly shouted. "WAKE UP THIS INSTANT!"
Jim opened his eyes and gulped as he saw that Dr. Puri, Bones, and the rest of the class were all staring at him with expressions of anger, shock, and confusion on their faces. Jim sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"Midnight PT for sleeping in class," Dr. Puri stated in a grouchy voice as he made a note on his stylus.
Jim nodded and saw Bones roll his eyes and mutter 'honestly', "All right, class, now let's commence with today's assignment," Dr. Puri stated in a gruff tone as he tapped on his stylus. "I've sent you all an assignment that you can work on in class and in each class until it becomes due at the end of term."
Quickly skimming through the assignment, Jim sighed and pocketed his PADD; he would work on it later when he was feeling better. Right now, all he wanted to do was go back to his empty dorm and crash into bed for the next 10 hours. Maybe tomorrow, he would visit Arianne at Captain Pike's house.
"All right, if there are no questions, class is dismissed," Dr. Puri stated. "Cadet Kirk, remain behind."
Jim groaned and as the other people in the class left, he made his way up to where Dr. Puri and Leonard were standing, "Well, Cadet Kirk, it seems as if your ruse is up," Dr. Puri stated in an amused tone. "Now that Ensign Pike is temporarily incapacitated, you don't have anything to hide behind anymore. I can now see that it was only because of her that you managed to keep atop things…you're washing out."
Unaware that Dr. Puri was merely testing him to see how he'd react, Jim nodded numbly and gazed at the floor in shame, "Yes sir," Jim replied tonelessly, just wanting to escape into endless sleep.
"You'll be doing your midnight PT with a few others who chose to stay aroundfor the summer and promptly got into scuffles with civilians," Dr. Puri stated. "Be on the North field at midnight sharp."
Jim nodded and Dr. Puri moved away, "Jim, what's going on with you?" Leonard asked in a voice full of both concern and irritation. "Ever since Arianne got sick, you've been acting odd…"
"Mind your own business, McCoy," Jim snapped, glaring at Leonard. "I have things to take care of."
As Jim stalked out of the classroom, Leonard's mind was reeling; since when did Jim refer to him as McCoy and have such an aloof attitude towards everyone and everything? It was unnerving.
"McCoy, you're dismissed," Dr. Puri suddenly said. "I don't have any work for you today."
Leonard nodded and quietly left the classroom. He saw Jim sitting under a nearby tree with his head against the wood while his eyes were closed. A pained expression lingered on Jim's pale face.
A realization suddenly hit Leonard hard; he'd been extremely selfish ever since being rescued from that cesspool planet and it had cost him time, energy, and memories with the few friends he had on campus.
"Jim," Leonard said in a soft voice as he walked over to where Jim was resting. "Jim, wake up."
Jim mumbled something incoherent and slouched, causing a PADD to fall from his pocket. Leonard picked the PADD up and saw that the info was titled 'Notes on Bones for Arianne.'
Carefully slipping the PADD back into Jim's pocket, Leonard removed a medical tricorder from his own pocket and scanned Jim with it; Jim had a slight fever, high blood pressure, and obvious exhaustion.
"Jim, WAKE UP," Leonard said in a more forceful tone as he pocketed the tricorder.
Slowly, Jim's eyes opened and he gazed at Leonard, "What are you doing at Admiral Archer's?" Jim asked in a groggy tone, unaware of his current surroundings. "He doesn't like visitors…"
"Okay, Jim, I'm taking you back to my dorm," Leonard said as he carefully pulled Jim to his feet.
Jim narrowed his glazed over eyes at Leonard, "I didn't think you liked me," Jim said in a groggy voice as Leonard dragged him down the footpath towards the dorms. "You were so busy with other stuff."
Leonard sighed and hauled Jim into the dorm they had once shared, "You're going to sleep in my bed for a little bit while I work on some stuff," Leonard said in a semi-gentle tone. "I know you've got midnight PT on the North field, but I don't want you ending up sick because you're not taking care of yourself."
Jim groaned as Leonard helped him lie down, "I don't really have friends right now, Bones," Jim mumbled weakly as he lay there. "Arianne's sick and I suck at being a friend…the work's all I have."
Leonard rummaged through his emergency medkit and pulled out a hypospray, "This'll help you sleep and hopefully get rid of that fever," he said in a calming tone as he came back to the bed."
Jim winced as he felt the hypospray against his neck, "Thanks," he mumbled sleepily.
As Jim began to snore, Leonard moved away from the bed and over to the computer. He sat down at the desk and began typing out an email to Dr. Piper, requesting specific days, times, and locations of any AA meetings in an area where nobody would know him; maybe AA would be a step in the right direction.
Once that email was finished and sent, Leonard paused; he owed someone else an apology email as well, but he wondered if she would even speak to him or if she inherited her father's stubbornness.
With a sigh, Leonard typed out a short email to Arianne and sent it before he lost his nerve; she was the most challenging, yet most desirable woman he had ever encountered and he actually missed her.
Despite having suffered a divorce, Leonard knew that Arianne was nothing like Jocelyn; Arianne was stubborn and sometimes outspoken, yes, but she had the special ability to care for those around her.
Maybe in a few days, Leonard thought as he accessed his study notes, he would slip over to Captain Pike's house to do a follow-up visit and give Arianne some sort of gift…to show that he cared.
Anyway, even if she didn't feel anything for him, Leonard knew he might not be around long enough to wait in expressing such feelings of desire; July might very well be his last month at the Academy.
Pike Household – 1400
The front door slid open and Spock entered the house, immediately spotting Arianne asleep on the living room couch. He looked at Chris, who was lingering in the kitchen doorway looking concerned.
"Relax, Spock, I slipped a dissolvable sedative into Arianne's spice tea so she could have an undisturbed sleep," Chris stated. "I wanted to talk to you about perhaps adding an extracurricular activity to your schedule. I was going to wait until the start of fall term to approach the subject, but recent events have made me reconsider that."
Spock nodded, "You are referring to the call you placed to my father on Vulcan that prompted him to contact me on Earth with only the very briefest of details?" he stated. "It prompted my mother to travel to Earth almost immediately and she is hoping to visit with your daughter once Ensign Pike has had sufficient time to recover. My mother has always had a fondness for her."
"I'll let Arianne know that as soon as she wakes," Chris replied. "Anyway, I know that Arianne is going to be in your xenolinguistics course next term and I was wondering if you might also be willing to approach her about counseling sessions with you? She's so good at helping others through their troubles, but lately, Arianne's had some of her own troubles and she's having difficulty dealing with the aftermaths."
Spock was silent for a moment, "Although I am not a qualified psychological counselor, I believe that I might be able to provide Ensign Pike with assistance," he replied tonelessly. "I will wait until Ensign Pike is sufficiently recovered from her illness and then I will approach her with the idea of counseling."
"Thank you, Spock," Chris stated in a relieved tone. "I'll let you know when Arianne is approachable."
Giving a nod, Spock silently left the house. Chris sighed and as he turned, the holo-phone went off.
Silently cursing, Chris went over to the living room holo-phone and switched it on; Admiral Archer appeared on the screen and he didn't look happy. Chris sighed and fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"Where's Kirk gotten to?" Admiral Archer asked in a grouchy voice. "I got home and found that Porthos has been out in the yard all day with his food and water. He could end up with pneumonia, Chris!"
Chris sighed, "Jon, it's beautiful outside and Porthos is NOT going to die because he spent some time in the fresh air unsupervised," he stated. "You really have to find other things to obsess over besides him."
"Oh, I have PLENTY to obsess over," Admiral Archer hooted on the other end. "This upcoming hearing to see if Cadet McCoy should be expelled is stressing a lot of us top brass people out. There are so many factors to consider and then there's the trial with Soval of Vulcan we all have to deal with…."
Chris raised a hand to cut Admiral Archer off, "Jon, enough, you're starting to give me gray hair," he said in a tight tone. "I know about all of that and Kirk is probably hanging out with Cadet McCoy right now."
Scowling, Admiral Archer cursed loudly and ended the call. Chris sighed and ran a hand through his hair; he was so incredibly tired, but he couldn't sleep in case Arianne woke up. He just needed coffee…now.
This summer was turning out to be one of the most stressful summers Chris had ever seen in his life.
Pike Residence - 0300
Drenched in sweat and exhausted from his midnight PT session with the other 'rowdies' who stuck around for the summer, Jim staggered into Captain Pike's backyard and saw Arianne sitting on the deck.
"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" Jim asked tiredly as he came over to the porch and sat down next to Arianne on Captain Pike's hand-built wooden deck. "I don't think your dad will be too happy if—"
Arianne chuckled, "I've been sleeping all day," she replied in an amused tone. "Besides, the night air helps me not to feel as much pain. I hurt a little bit, but I don't tell anyone…I hate causing worry."
Jim sighed and squeezed Arianne's hand, "Ah, Jim, I've missed you," Arianne said in a lighthearted tone as she leaned against him. "You're like a brother to me and I've missed you. Why are you all sweaty?"
"Midnight PT session for falling asleep in Puri's class," Jim replied nonchalantly. "It was…exercise."
There was silence for a moment and Jim sighed, "Look, Arianne, I know you're recovering, but I have to let you know about something," he stated, gazing at her. "Because of what Bones did back in December, there's gonna be a hearing next month to decide whether or not he can remain at the Academy…"
"..and you're wondering if I can do anything to help him," Arianne finished in a gentle tone.
Jim nodded, "Bones helps me out so much and he's like a big brother to me," he stated. "My biological family is a mess and has never really been there for me. I can't lose Bones to rules and regulations."
"Doctor McCoy has been a good influence on you, Jim, I agree," Arianne replied, knowing that Jim had most likely relied on Leonard to get him through the last little while during her time in the hospital.
Releasing Arianne's hand, Jim stood up, "Well, I thought I would let you know about the hearing," he said in a tired tone. "I should probably get back to Admiral Archer's, shower, and go to bed."
As Jim jogged off out of the yard and into the night, Arianne rose and quietly went back inside the house; her father was asleep in his room upstairs and she didn't want to interrupt the sleep he needed.
With a sigh, Arianne moved into her father's office and sat down at the computer; she left her father's stuff alone and quickly accessed the unread emails that had stacked up during her hospitalization. Her father had banned her from dealing with any stressful things including her email.
Arianne was immediately surprised when she found a brief, but somewhat gentle email from Leonard that told her to get well soon and also inquired into the possibility of aviaphobia counseling in the fall.
Knowing she wouldn't sleep at all that night, Arianne began the daunting task of responding to the many emails from friends, instructors, and clients who had noticed her absence, but didn't know as to why. It was time to share the fact that she was a survivor of a great battle.
Information Centre – Shi'Kahr, Vulcan
Relieved that Lorian was occupied with several advanced educational PADD's while he sat at her feet, T'Pol accessed the computer console before her and looked up the Enterprise NX-01 crew manifest.
Serij's data on the targets had been destroyed when Soval had destroyed his lab, so T'Pol had to think back to when the former Captain Archer had been in command of a ship and also deeply in love.
Trip had introduced Jonathan and the mysterious Arianne on the ship, T'Pol had remembered, and things had progressed there according to circumstances and appropriate human custom. However, shortly after the Enterprise had returned to Earth, Arianne had undertaken another Starfleet mission.
Scanning Arianne's personnel file, T'Pol discovered that she had been the Chief Science Officer on the USS Mandarin for its mission to El Auria; the Mandarin had been never discussed within Starfleet since.
Some quick searching brought T'Pol quite a shock; the Mandarin had been involved in some sort of accident within El Aurian space and only one had survived. The survivor had later died on El Auria.
However, T'Pol was quickly coming to a conclusion; Jonathan Archer's beloved woman closely resembled the young woman who attended Starfleet Academy on Earth and was known as Arianne Pike.
Thoughts of her de-aging experiment, which she had only used to save Lorian's life after a near-fatal accident, came to mind; could the El-Aurians have acquired her research and the technology for it?
It was certainly possible, T'Pol reasoned, but there was still a question in her mind; if Arianne had been de-aged by the El-Aurian technology and her research, how had Arianne gotten to Earth in that time?
With a sigh, T'Pol gnawed on her bottom lip; she would have to somehow make contact with Arianne Pike during her next visit to Earth in order to collect the final, solidifying pieces to this difficult puzzle.
Can I PLEASE have some detailed reviews on how y'all think the story is going so far and maybe some predictions on future chapters?