Shuttle – 1300 H

"Jim, what are you doing?" Arianne asked as she walked out of the cockpit and saw Jim setting up what looked like a bed across the row of passenger seats on the left side of the cabin. "Is that a bed?"

Jim sighed and looked at her as he straightened up, revealing that he was wearing his glasses along with his cadet reds, "Bones is in the bathroom," he explained in a quiet voice. "He's not doing well."

Before Arianne could reply, the bathroom door slid open and Leonard came out in his cadet pants and his undershirt with his jacket folded over his arm, "I feel like crap," he whispered in a tired voice.

"We'll be landing in Atlanta in about an hour," Arianne replied gently. "You should rest, Ensign McCoy."

Leonard sighed and slowly walked over to the seats, "Bones, I made you a bed," Jim commented softly as Leonard sat down on top of the blanket. "You should try and get some rest until we get there."

"Yeah," Leonard replied tiredly as he lay down and rested his head on the pillow. "Thanks a lot."

Jim nodded and draped the blanket over Leonard's body, "This has nothing to do with Jocelyn," Leonard mumbled groggily as he turned on his side and fell asleep. "Everything hurts because of the accident."

"Accident?" Jim asked in a low voice as he looked from Leonard to Arianne. "What accident?"

Arianne didn't reply, however, as she had been granted very personal access to Leonard's medical file back in 2255 and along with listing his ex-wife, the record had also listed a deceased daughter. It made her wonder if Leonard's sickness was related more to his child's death than to Jocelyn's death.

"Jim, why don't you go sit up front with my father for a little while?" Arianne suggested gently, wanting to be alone with Leonard in case he woke up and needed anything. "I'll stay back here with Leonard."

Jim nodded and silently went up to the cockpit. Arianne sighed, sat down beside where Leonard's head was resting, and she gently began to stroke his pale forehead and hair to keep him relaxed and asleep.

Atlanta Spaceport, Atlanta, Georgia – 1430 H

"Blood pressure's low and temp's 101, but it's probably the humidity," a paramedic explained as he looked at Captain Pike, who was standing beside a stool where Leonard was silently sitting with his left arm extended and a tired, irritated expression on his face. "Doctor McCoy, how are you feeling now?"

Leonard said nothing as the other paramedic put an IV in his arm and then sighed, "I can't believe I threw up during the landing and almost passed out in Jim's arms when we were getting off the shuttle," he replied in a tired voice as he looked at the IV in his arm. "I had a nap on the shuttle, but I'm tired."

"You haven't eaten since supper yesterday," Jim commented, tousling his hair with a towel from the shuttle as he came towards them wearing boots, jeans, a t-shirt, and his leather jacket. "That's why."

Captain Pike's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say a word to Leonard, "What did you do with your uniform, Ensign Kirk?" he asked, gazing at Jim's clothes and the bag he was carrying them. "They need washing."

"I'll wash them later," Jim replied, not taking his eyes off Leonard. "Bones, how are you feeling?"

Leonard sighed and shook his head before closing his eyes, "Not good," he replied in a faint voice.

"Arianne, go get yourself and Jim a rental hovercar," Chris said in a firm voice as he reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and extracted one of his two credit cards from it. "Take this."

Arianne nodded and took the credit card, "What about Bones?" Jim asked worriedly. "We can't…"

"I'll ride with Doctor McCoy to the hospital," Chris replied, giving both paramedics commanding looks.

Arianne gently took Jim's arm, "We'll take him to Atlanta Medical Center," one of the paramedics stated, seeing the worry in Arianne's eyes. "Just ask the rental hovercar people for directions."

"Thank you," Arianne replied, gazing at Jim. "Jim, let's get going. Leonard is being taken care of."

Even though Jim did not want to leave, he nodded and silently allowed Arianne to lead him away from Captain Pike, Leonard, and the two paramedics over to where they could get some sort of rental car.

"We're finally here," Arianne said in an exasperated voice as she put the rental hovercar in park in one of the many parking spaces that were in front of the Atlanta Medical Center and turned the key.

Jim sighed and looked up from the PADD he had been reading, "Bones is probably in Emergency unless the doctors admitted him," he replied in a wistful voice as he pocketed his PADD. "Nice driving."

Nodding, Arianne grabbed the power chip out of the ignition, got out of the car, and waited patiently for Jim to do the same. Once Jim was out of the car, Arianne locked it and pocketed the keys.

In silence, Jim and Arianne walked across the parking lot and through the doors labeled 'Emergency Entrance'. They saw a room filled with tired, sick, and injured looking people waiting to be seen while several clerks worked behind a large desk in the center of the room on large transparent monitors.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for a patient," Arianne said as she and Jim approached one of the clerks.

The clerk sighed irritably, but looked at her, "Patient's name?" she asked in an exasperated voice.

"Leonard McCoy," Arianne replied in a professional voice. "He was brought in nearly three hours…"

Nodding, the clerk touched a screen, "Yes, yes, I know," she replied impatiently. "Who are you?"

"It's okay," a deep voice said from behind Arianne and Jim. "Captain Pike said they were coming."

Immediately recognizing the voice, Jim turned around and saw, to his shock, that Sam was standing behind him and Arianne dressed in boots, green scrubs, and a white coat, "Sam?" Jim asked softly.

"Jim?" the young man asked in a voice of utter astonishment. "What are you doing in Georgia?"

Swallowing hard, Jim looked at Arianne, "Arianne, this is Sam Kirk," he said in a terse voice. "Sam Kirk, this is Arianne; she's my best friend, Bones's girlfriend, and Captain Pike's daughter. Where's Bones at?"

"By Bones, I assume you mean Leonard McCoy?" Sam asked as he reached into the pocket of his lab coat and pulled out a small stylus. "He's in a patient room just down the hall for rest, rehydration therapy, and also some nutritional supplement therapy. Would you like me to take you to him?"

Jim nodded and grabbed Arianne's hand as they followed Sam down the hallway past several trauma and exam rooms until they finally came to a stop outside of a closed patient room. Sam opened the door, revealing Leonard asleep on his side in the hospital bed while Captain Pike sat in a chair near the window reading a PADD. Captain Pike looked up from the PADD and immediately got to his feet.

"Why on earth is he laying on his side?" Sam asked sharply, scowling as he swept into the room and over to Leonard's side to make sure all of the IV's were still in Leonard's arms and that the clip was still in place. "Captain Pike, I asked you specifically to make sure he stayed on his back, didn't I?"

Before Chris, Jim, or Arianne could reply, Leonard's eyes slowly opened and he frowned in confusion at seeing Sam at his bedside, "Who are you?" Leonard asked groggily. "Where am I? I feel really weak."

"I'm Doctor Sam Kirk," Sam replied in a more gentle voice. "You're at the Atlanta Medical Center."

Leonard scowled, "The last thing I remember is being in the shuttle," he replied groggily. "What…?"

"Bones, you woke up and threw up all over me while Captain Pike was landing the shuttle," Jim explained as he moved to stand beside Sam. "As we were disembarking, you sorta fainted."

Leonard frowned, "What time is it?" he asked groggily. "I told my mama we'd be there by dinner…"

"While you were unconscious, I dug through your bag and found your mother's number in a data PADD," Chris spoke up, seeing tiredness in Leonard's eyes. "I explained the situation and…"

Leonard sighed tiredly, "Mama lives just outside the city and doesn't have a working car or a transporter," he explained in a sleepy voice. "I said I'd fix her car while I was out here, but…"

Suddenly, Leonard coughed, "My throat's dry," he hissed in a semi-irritated voice. "I'm thirsty."

"Jim, get your friend some water, will you?" Sam asked, not bothering to look at Jim. "Now, Doctor McCoy, you've got several IV's in both your arms that are administering rehydration and nutritional supplement therapies and I want to monitor you at least overnight before releasing you…"

Leonard scoffed weakly, but didn't argue, "Here's your water, Bones," Jim said as he walked back over to the bed holding a plastic cup with water and a straw in it. "I hope you feel better really soon."

"He'll be fine, Jim," Sam cut in, taking the cup of water from Jim and holding it out to Leonard's face.

Leonard slowly sipped the water for a few seconds and then spat the straw out, "That's enough for now," he said in a faint voice as he closed his eyes. "Maybe after a sleep, I'll feel a little better."

"Maybe you will," Sam replied as he stepped away from the bed. "Jim, wanna get some lunch?"

Jim shook his head and immediately moved over to the window, "I'm not hungry," he replied softly.

"Am I going to have to admit you overnight too?" Sam asked in a concerned voice, deeply disturbed that Jim wouldn't look at him and barely talked. "Jim, we were kids when I left and we're both adults now…"

Chris suddenly looked alarmed and put himself between Jim and Sam, "Look boys, you two are NOT going to have this discussion in here while Doctor McCoy is trying to get some rest," he said in a commanding voice, well aware that Jim was ready to pick a fight with Sam. "Am I clear, boys?"

"Yes sir," Jim replied tonelessly, crossing his arms as he turned to look out the window. "Sorry."

Suddenly realizing that Jim was still hurting over their separation years ago, Sam's expression softened and he took a step towards Jim, "Jim, why don't you come over to my apartment for dinner tonight?" he offered in a genuinely sincere voice. "I've got this girlfriend named Aurelan; I've told her about you…"

"Just like you told me about Winona disowning me?" Jim replied bitterly. "Thanks, but no thank you."

Sam's eyes widened, but a quick warning look from Chris silenced him, "Arianne, can you please see Doctor Kirk out so that Bones can get some rest?" Jim asked in a tight voice. "Bones needs quiet."

"Sure," Arianne replied softly, knowing not to press Jim for details. "Doctor Kirk, if you'll follow me."

Sam nodded and silently followed Arianne out of the room, "I need to get out of here," Jim said in an anxious voice as he forced the window open. "Captain Pike, if Bones wakes, tell him I'll be back."

"No bar fights," Chris replied, giving Jim a warning look. "If you do something illegal, Jim, you know that Starfleet Academy will hear about it and will put a reprimand on your record faster than you can spin."

Jim nodded, "I just need some air and personal space," he replied softly. "Let Arianne know for me?"

"I booked two rooms at the Hyatt Regency," Chris stated softly. "I'll let them know you're coming."

Smiling, Jim nodded, climbed out of the window, and took off just as Arianne came back into the room, having been forced to listen to Sam's pleas, "Dad, where's Jim?" she asked in a worried voice.

"Cooling off," Chris replied calmly as he shut the window. "Why don't we go get some lunch, sweetie?"

Arianne nodded and silently walked over to Leonard's bedside, "I'll be back in a little while," she whispered as she gently brushed some hair off of his forehead and gently kissed it. "Just rest."

"Okay," Leonard mumbled sleepily as Arianne moved away from the bed and walked towards the door.

Chris sighed and silently left the room behind Arianne, leaving the sleeping Leonard completely alone.

Atlanta Medical Center – 1900 H

"You should really go and get some sleep," Leonard commented in a concerned voice as he watched Arianne linger by the window with a glass of lemonade in her hands. "Where's Captain Pike?"

Arianne smiled at seeing Leonard awake again, "Dad went to the hotel to eat dinner, do some Starfleet work, and relax a bit," she explained as she walked over to the bed. "I told him I was staying here."

Leonard nodded and sighed as Arianne drank some of the lemonade before setting the cup on the portable table next to a covered tray, "What's that?" he asked, frowning at the tray. "Hospital food?"

"Doctor Kirk brought it by before he went off shift," Arianne replied as she lifted the cover to reveal a large bowl of chicken noodle soup, a small whole wheat bun, and a tall glass of apple juice with a straw.

Leonard rolled his eyes, "I'm guessing Jim's not back from his little escapade yet?" he asked as he picked up the spoon from the tray. "I was asleep, but I could hear Jim leave; it's not like he tried to be quiet."

"I don't know, honestly," Arianne replied as she sat on the stool beside his bed. "You need to eat."

Letting out a tired sigh, Leonard got some soup and slowly ate it, "This doesn't taste as wholesome as my mama's food, but it's good," he commented between bites. "I just hope I can keep it all down."

"You'll be able to," Arianne replied softly. "And don't worry; I had a small salad about an hour ago."

Leonard nodded and after a few more bites, he put the spoon back in the half-empty bowl, "I can't eat any more for now," he said in an apologetic voice. "I guess Jim and Doctor Kirk almost had a fight?"

"They did, but my dad broke it up," Arianne replied softly. "Are you that light of a sleeper, Leonard?"

Leonard sighed and nodded, "Speaking of sleep, I suppose I'm really stuck here overnight?" he asked.

"Doctor Kirk will release you when he comes in tomorrow morning," Chris replied as he walked into the room in boots, dress pants, and a sweatshirt. "I hate to bust this party up, but visiting hours are over."

Arianne nodded and got to her feet, "You won't be alone tonight, Doctor McCoy, don't worry," Chris said in a gentle voice, smiling as an older woman in a pantsuit and her dark hair in a bun came into the room holding a quilt in one hand and a bag in the other. "I took a bit of a drive out of the city."

"Oh Len, you poor boy," Eleanora McCoy said in a worried voice as she hurried over to the bed, dropped the bag of clothes on the floor, and quickly covered Leonard with the quilt. "I brought this from home."

Leonard smiled, "How are you, Mama?" he asked tiredly. "I wasn't expecting to end up here today…"

"I know, baby," Eleanora replied gently, suddenly noticing Arianne. "Oh, you must be Arianne Pike."

Arianne nodded, but was too nervous to reply, "I'm Eleanora McCoy, Leonard's mother," Eleanora explained in a gentle voice, seeing that Arianne was nervous. "Leonard told me you're his girlfriend."

"Yes, Mrs. McCoy," Arianne replied, deeply intimidated. "Leonard's a very caring young man."

Without warning, Leonard yawned, "I think I'm just about ready to go back to sleep," he said tiredly.

"Goodnight, Leonard," Arianne said in a soft voice as she moved over to her father. "See you later."

Leonard sighed tiredly, slowly rolled on to his side, and closed his eyes, "Mrs. McCoy, why does Leonard sleep on his side so much?" Arianne asked in a confused voice. "Jim says that he does it quite a bit."

"Leonard was in a bad accident a few years ago and I think it makes him feel safer to sleep on his side sometimes," Eleanora replied softly as she gently tousled Leonard's hair. "My precious young man."

Chris gently patted Arianne's arm and she nodded, smiling at Eleanora before leaving with her father.

"Should we go looking for Jim on the way back to the hotel, Dad?" Arianne asked softly as she followed her father through the hospital and outside. "He's been gone for hours and I can't help but be worried."

Chris nodded, "That sounds like a good idea," he replied in a cheerful voice. "I'll drive us around a bit."

Hyatt Regency Atlanta – 2300 H

A clap of thunder boomed through the quiet lobby as near-torrential rain fell outside, but Chris ignored both as he stepped off the elevator and walked over to the concierge desk. He had been in his room getting ready to turn in for the evening when he had suddenly gotten a call from the front desk that a police officer was waiting in the lobby with a James Kirk. Chris had promised to come immediately.

Now, as Chris waited at the desk in sweats, a shirt, and slippers, he suddenly saw a soaked Jim huddled on the tiled floor near the entrance doors, hugging himself as a uniformed policeman stood a few meters away. Chris raised an eyebrow and silently walked over to them. The officer nodded at him, but Jim made no movements.

"What happened?" Chris asked, gazing directly at Jim's pale, tear-streaked face and soaked body.

The officer cleared his throat, "I was doing my nightly patrol of the downtown park and I saw this young man on a bench exactly like this and crying his eyes out," he explained in a concerned voice. "I spent nearly an hour trying to coax him to my car so that he wouldn't end up sick, but he was scared. Once we were in the car, he told me where to take him and hasn't said anything else since we got here."

"Okay," Chris replied calmly as he knelt down in front of Jim. "Jim, can you please talk to me, son?"

Jim sighed, "It's been a long day," he replied in a barely audible voice. "Too much has happened…"

"Yeah, a lot has happened," Chris said in a gentle voice, noticing that Jim was still wearing his glasses even though they were wet and probably hard to see things with. "Can I clean your glasses for you?"

Jim was silent for a moment and then plucked the glasses off his face with a shaking hand, "Should I radio for paramedics to come and take a look at him?" the officer asked worriedly, watching as Chris cleaned Jim's glasses and returned them to Jim. "Or I can make a personal call to Doctor Kirk; he lives just down the street in the Tower apartments and probably wouldn't mind just popping over here..."

"No," Jim spoke up in a tired voice as he put his glasses back on. "I just need to get warmed up."

The officer nodded and watched as Chris gently hauled Jim to his feet, "Thanks for bringing Jim here," he said, giving the officer a look that it was okay to leave. "I'll take Jim upstairs and get him to bed."

As the officer left, Chris helped Jim walk towards the elevators, "Just relax, Jim," he gently whispered.

Jim nodded and continued shaking as they got into the elevator, rode upstairs, and got off on the floor where their rooms were. As they came towards their rooms, Arianne was waiting in the hall for them.

"Oh good, he's all right," Arianne commented as she opened the door to the room her father and Jim were to share that night. "I already drew Jim a hot bath, turned down his bed, and also ordered him a hot dinner from room service. Really, Dad, you still think I can't hear anything going on while I sleep."

Chris sighed, "Thank you, Arianne," he replied in a relieved voice. "You should really get some rest."

"Let her stay," Jim whispered softly as he peered into the open hotel room. "She knows everything."

Chris nodded and carefully guided Jim into the hotel room and straight into the bathroom, "There's a pair of some of his clean clothes in there," Arianne explained softly. "I'll wait out here."

Once Chris had gotten Jim into the bathroom and closed the door, Arianne closed the door to the hotel room and had wandered over to the computer to check her messages. She sat down at the terminal, quickly accessed the Academy page, and entered her identifying information. Almost immediately, a small list of unread messages appeared on the screen, including an urgent one from Spock.

Swallowing hard, Arianne clicked the message and waited for it to load; obviously, it was lengthy.

Lieutenant Pike,

I have placated Admiral Archer with an honest assessment of your performance over the past two years, but it has come to my attention that you require improvement in certain areas. Your academic and practical skills are excellent as previously noted, but I do agree that you require assistance with areas such as confidence, socialization, and dealing with past events that still traumatize you to this day.

When you return to the Academy, we shall make arrangements to work on these things together.

Sincerely,

Commander Spock, Academy Instructor.

Arianne sighed, closed the message, and skimmed through the other messages; she had several emails, including five from Pavel Chekov, asking to make counseling appointments with her. She quickly sent short, but very kind emails to all the requests saying that she would schedule them appropriately. There was also a message from Academy Command, reminding her that she had not been cleared to take her semester finals anywhere but on Academy campus and that she would need to soon return to campus.

Just then, the bathroom door opened and Chris came out helping Jim, who was now wearing a pair of sweats and an oversized t-shirt, walk over to the bed that was turned down. Jim peered at the food on the table, shook his head, and coughed violently as he silently crawled into the hotel bed and handed Chris his glasses.

"Jim, let me tuck you in," Arianne offered as she got up and walked over to the bed. "Jim?"

The only response Arianne got was quiet sleeping noises and she smiled when Jim curled up in a ball and slowly relaxed, "I don't know where else he's been all afternoon and evening other than the park," Chris explained, smiling as Arianne covered Jim up with the sheets and comforter. "A cop brought him here."

"That encounter with his brother obviously caused Jim to need some space," Arianne commented softly as she moved away from the bed and over to the door. "I'll talk to Jim more about it tomorrow, as Jim's never been one to want to have any sort of conversation when he's too tired to even think straight."

Chris nodded, "Go get some sleep," he replied in a concerned voice. "I'll keep an eye on Jim tonight."

Arianne nodded and, casting a concerned look at how pale Jim looked, she silently left the hotel room.

Atlanta Medical Center – 0600 H

"Arianne, I don't want to be here," Jim protested in a weak voice as he lay back on the seat of the rental car and promptly coughed several times as he looked up at her. "This cough will go away on its own."

Arianne shook her head, "You woke up and threw up all over the bed at 0300 H," she replied in a concerned voice as she stood in front of him to keep him from getting out. "Honestly, Jim, you should have just let Sam come look at you last night or at least let my father call for paramedics this morning."

"I'm too stubborn and difficult, I know," Jim replied in a pained voice. "Ugh, my chest is killing me and I hurt all over."

Arianne sighed and smiled with relief when an orderly came out with an empty wheelchair, "Captain Pike's inside talking to a doctor," the orderly explained, gazing at Jim through the car window.

"Come on," Arianne said in a gentle voice as she held her hands out to Jim. "Let's go get you well."

Jim groaned, but accepted Arianne's help in getting himself into the wheelchair and, except for the coughing, kept quiet as they went through the emergency entrance. Arianne was shocked to see her father standing near the desk talking to a concerned looking Sam, who was wearing scrubs again.

"So, Jim, I heard you're not feeling too hot today?" Sam asked as he walked over to Jim, Arianne, and the orderly and knelt down so that he was at eye level with Jim. "When did the coughing start?"

Arianne sighed, "Jim was coughing since 2300 last night when he came back to the hotel," she explained in a concerned voice as she gently placed a hand on Jim's shoulder. "He was out most of the day."

"Just give me some drugs and I'll get out of your hair for good," Jim said in a faint voice as he struggled to breathe and not break into another coughing fit. "Captain Pike's the one who insisted I come."

Sam nodded and stood up, "Take him to Exam One and I'll be there in a minute," he told the orderly.

"For what it's worth, Doctor Kirk, I don't think Jim hates you," Arianne said in a soft voice to Sam as the orderly wheeled Jim off down the hallway towards an empty exam room. "I think he's just scared…"

Sam's expression softened, "I know," he replied softly. "He just seems so different than I remember…"

"A lot's happened since you last saw Jim, Doctor Kirk," Chris spoke up, causing Sam and Arianne to turn to face him. "Anyway, Arianne, why don't you go say good morning to Doctor McCoy and his mother?"

Arianne nodded and walked off towards Leonard's room without waiting for comments from Sam.

Arianne entered Leonard's hospital room and saw that Leonard was still asleep in bed, but the bathroom door was closed and the bathroom light was on. She silently walked over to the bed and saw a half-drunk cup of water on the table along with a book. She also peered at the quilt covering the bed.

Leonard suddenly winced and opened his eyes, "Hey," he said in a groggy voice. "How are you?"

"I should be asking you that, Leonard," Arianne replied gently. "How are you feeling this morning?"

Leonard sighed, "Better than I was, but still pretty out of it," he replied groggily. "What time is it?"

"0600," Arianne replied tiredly as she sat on the stool. "You shouldn't be awake this early."

Leonard raised an eyebrow, "Neither should you," he replied in a concerned voice. "What happened?"

Arianne was quiet for several seconds and then she sighed, "Jim was out in the rain until 2300 H last night and he was brought back by a cop," she replied in a toneless voice. "He got sick early this morning and my father decided he'd better come in for a medical exam. Jim's being seen by Doctor Kirk now."

"Oh, boy, that should be interesting," Leonard replied groggily. "Doctor Kirk's been on duty since about three a.m. and he told me that I should take it easy for the next few days. I told him that I still have to meet with lawyers about Jocelyn's stuff, so he said that after I do that, I need to take it easy. Mama already told me that I'm coming home with her and that I'm staying in Georgia til I feel better."

Arianne nodded, "I'll miss you," she said softly. "I'll probably have to go back to San Francisco soon."

"Counselors never really get a break, now, do they?" Leonard asked in a concerned voice, seeing worry, exhaustion, and concern in Arianne's eyes. "Or is it something that doesn't have to do with your work?"

Arianne sighed, "It's nothing you have to worry about," she replied as the bathroom door opened and Eleanora came out in blue dress pants and a t-shirt with her hair wrapped up in a towel. "Mrs. McCoy."

"Call me Eleanora, Arianne," Eleanora said in a gentle voice. "Len, how are you feeling this morning?"

Leonard sighed, "Like I got run over by a shuttle," he replied groggily. "I still have finals to take."

"I'm sure my father can get the exams sent to both you and Jim and proctor them," Arianne said in a tired voice as she stood up so that Eleanora could sit down. "I got an email from Academy Command last night reminding me that finals are coming up really soon. I'm not authorized to take them off campus."

Leonard nodded and yawned, "It's really too early for you to be up," Arianne commented as she gently caressed his pale cheek. "Get some more sleep and I'll contact you later in the day, all right?"

"Mhm," Leonard replied sleepily as he closed his eyes. "Mama, go get some breakfast; I'm okay."

When Eleanora didn't move, Arianne silently moved away from the bed and walked out of the room.

"…Easy there, Jim," Arianne heard Sam say in a gentle voice. "Just relax and let me do my job."

There was a whimper and Arianne opened the door just in time to see Sam gently insert a hypodermic needle into Jim's chest. Even though he was lying on an exam bed with a blanket covering his waist, Jim quietly whimpered and tightened his grip on Chris's hand. Chris sighed from his chair, but kept hold.

"What's going on?" Arianne asked as she moved over to the bed. "Too much fluid in the lungs?"

Sam sighed as he extracted the needle that was now filled with fluid, "Jim didn't want chest tubes or medicine," he explained in a pained voice as he dropped the full needle into a box and pulled out an empty one. "I checked his medical records to see why and Jim's got a ton of allergies, so I relented and he let me do it this way."

Arianne nodded and watched as Sam put the empty hypodermic needle into the other side of Jim's bare chest, "Are you a doctor like your friend Leonard is, Miss Pike?" Sam asked as he twiddled the needle.

"No, I attend Starfleet Academy with both Leonard and Jim," Arianne replied softly. "I'm in a dual track of Command and Medicine, but I also have a four-year degree in Psychology from the University of San Francisco with a minor in Peace and Justice Studies. I thought briefly about getting my Masters, but…"

Suddenly, Jim's eyes fluttered closed and the monitor went haywire, "Jim?" Sam asked in a worried voice as he pulled out the needle and threw it in the bin before pressing a button above the bed.

When Jim didn't respond and the monitor continued to go haywire, Sam grabbed a crash cart from nearby, quickly turned it on, and revved up the paddles, "Clear!" he shouted anxiously, putting the paddles on Jim's bare chest and shocking him without a second thought. "Normal rhythm."

"No, Kodos, no!" Jim mumbled in a pained voice as his body tensed up. "Not the needle!"

Chris suddenly looked horrified as did Sam, but Arianne walked over to Jim's bedside, "K-Kodos the Executioner of Tarsus IV?" Sam asked in a shocked voice. "How would Jim know about Kodos?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Arianne replied tersely as she gently stroked Jim's forehead.

Sam's face drained of all color and he silently bandaged the areas where the needles had been, "I'm admitting Jim for observation and intravenous antibiotics," he said in a toneless voice. "I'll send in a lab tech to take some blood and a nurse to give him a gown. I also want to put chest tubes in his lungs to drain any of the remaining fluid since the x-ray showed that his lungs are clearly filled with fluid."

Chris and Arianne nodded silently, "Captain Pike, I'm assuming that you have power of attorney for Jim?" Sam asked as he looked at Chris, who nodded. "I need you to sign consent forms for all this later on, but for now, I've got to make Jim as comfortable as possible. You two should probably go eat."

"You heard Doctor Kirk, Arianne," Chris said as he watched Sam put tubes up Jim's nose and activate the small tank on the wall that would deliver oxygen into Jim's body. "Let Sam take care of his brother."

Arianne nodded and silently followed Chris from the room. Sam sighed and turned his attention to Jim.

Hyatt Regency Atlanta – 1200 H

"You need what?!" Admiral Archer screeched loudly, his expression skeptical as he gazed at Arianne on the screen.

Arianne sighed as she gazed at the screen of the Academy Command room where she had requested that all of her instructors meet for a vid-conference. "I need to be granted clearance to take my exams over the computer so that I can stay in Atlanta until Ensign Kirk and Ensign McCoy are well enough to travel back to San Francisco," she explained. "Right now, they're not…"

"With all due respect, Lieutenant Pike, the Academy cannot just grant requests like that without a darn good reason," Admiral Archer replied snappishly. "Finals start tomorrow and after finals are done, the summer term and practicums will begin…"

Arianne nodded, "Instructors, I am well aware that some of my exams are practical and require my presence on campus, but my talents as both a Starfleet counselor and friend are more needed in Atlanta right now," she explained in a firm voice. "If needs be, I will complete the exams during the summer term or simply take them over in the fall, as my schedule is light."

Admiral Archer scowled and moved away from the screen, "Lieutenant Pike, your grades are exemplary and I have no doubt that you will perform admirably in your practical examinations," Spock spoke tonelessly. "Delaying those exams would not hurt you academically, but I do express concern that delaying the exams would cause you distress from too much revision…"

"Instructor Spock, I have taken all of that into account," Arianne replied respectfully. "However, I'll be just fine. Trust me."

There was silence as the audio was muted while Spock, Admiral Archer, Admiral Barnett, Commander Harriman, Professor Khan, and the other instructors conversed about how to respond. Finally, after several minutes, the audio was reactivated.

"Lieutenant Pike, we have discussed this situation and, due to the circumstances involved, we have decided to grant you the request," Admiral Barnett spoke in a serious voice. "However, I want you to take your practical exams when you return and also provide reports on both Kirk and McCoy's health and they will both be put on medical restriction for the next two months."

Arianne nodded, "Yes sir," she replied obediently. "Kirk and McCoy also need a proctor for their exams."

"I'll contact Captain Pike about that," Admiral Barnett replied in a firm voice. "Be safe out in Atlanta, Lieutenant. Barnett out."

As the vidscreen faded to black, Arianne leaned back in her chair and sighed; she would get to serve where she was needed.

I want very much to continue this story, but I need to feel motivated in order to continue. The only way I am going to feel motivated to continue is if I receive detailed reviews for this story. Therefore, I please ask for detailed reviews.