Author's note: Thanks to all of you for your reviews and alerts! I appreciate all of your comments. I really enjoy reading them! You get a little more conscious Jim in this chapter, but he's not himself yet. Also, I am not a medical doctor, so please forgive any mistakes. Enjoy!

Chapter Three

"You can come in, Lieutenant."

Pike stepped into the small ICU room of the medbay. It was the only private location, other than the surgical section. Jim lay silently on the bed. His skin was still incredibly pale. Chris could see the faint outline of a bruise around the boy's right eye, drawing his gaze to the oxygen mask. His arms appeared emaciated and there were crisscrossing lines from the thin rope he'd been bound with. An IV gave his body the nutrients he desperately needed. Pike watched as his face contorted in pain and went still.

"How is he?" Chris stepped close to the bed and crossed his arms over his chest.

The Betazoid frowned. "He's stable at the moment. I am having some trouble treating him. Since you were here, he coded two more times. His body is allergic to almost every medication. Without the patient's medical records, it has become nearly impossible to continue treating him."

"Can I ask what his condition is? I know medical records are private, but… I believe this is a special condition."

Doctor Ravi picked up his regenerator and ran it over Jim's arms to start repairing the muscles. "I agree, Lieutenant."

"You can call me Chris. I'm off duty at the moment."

"Okay, Chris. He is suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. I suspect he was bound in that position for over a week. The muscles in his arms are incredibly weak; though I've already repaired the damage to his shoulders he will need quite a bit of physical therapy to restore the muscle tone and movement. I discovered several deep wounds on his thighs, which were partially healed. His left arm had a spiral fracture, which I repaired. Bruises cover approximately forty percent of his body. He also has two broken ribs and a moderate concussion."

"Damn." Pike ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm afraid that's not all. In addition to the other factors, he's suffering from a severe upper respiratory infection. It has settled in his chest. I'm trying to treat it, but not having much luck."

"I'll see if I can get permission to access his medical records for you. Captain O'Mara should be able to access them." He leaned back against the wall. "Will he survive?"

"He's stable for now, but I won't know his full prognosis until I can treat him properly."

Pike sat down in the chair next to the bed and rested his face in his hands. The doctor didn't say anything as he added another bag of fluids and removed the cold packs from under Jim's arms. The boy didn't stir. Chris looked up at Jim, wondering how he was going to tell his mother.

"His physical condition is not the only thing I'm worried about," Dr. Ravi said, interrupting Pike's thoughts.

"What else worries you?"

"His mental condition. He's just a child and he was held in intolerable conditions for quite some time. It's going to be a struggle for him to process everything and move on with his life." The doctor watched as Jim's heartbeat increased a little. "He will not trust us and I suspect he'll be angry."

Pike nodded. "When will he wake up?"

"I had to sedate him so I don't expect him to regain consciousness until late morning." The doctor waited until Pike stood up and walked him to the door. "You should get some rest. I can tell how exhausted you are. There will be time to talk to him later. I can alert you when he regains consciousness if you think it will be beneficial to him."

"I'd appreciate that, Doctor. Good night."

Something was suffocating him. Jim immediately felt the pain up and down his arms, but at least he could move them again. There was something soft and warm beneath him; he wasn't cold anymore. His eyes quickly opened. Everything was blurry. He blinked to clear the image and didn't recognize anything. Jim tried to lift his hand, hissing in pain when it felt like needles were stabbing him. There was a loud crash as something fell nearby. In a swift movement, Jim sat up and ripped the oxygen mask from his face. His fingers fumbled around until they could pull out the IV. Two voices were heading in his direction now as an alarm came from the biobed.

Jim threw his legs over the side of the bed and his bare feet touched the floor. He fell hard to the floor. The muscles in his legs refused to support him. The door opened and an older man dressed in a medical uniform appeared with a blond nurse behind him. Jim pulled his knees to his chest and scooted against the wall. Warm blood trickled down his hand.

"Stay back!" His throat ached as the words came out and he went into a coughing fit. He gasped, trying to breathe again. The man held up his hands as he took a step closer. "No, stay back!" Jim put a hand on his ribs as he wheezed.

The man's eyes were dark and he realized he was a Betazoid. Jim kept his face tight.

"Who… are you?" Jim asked between coughs.

"My name is Doctor Ravi. I won't hurt you." The doctor knelt down. "This is my head nurse, Amanda. We only want to help you."

"Where am I?"

"You're onboard the USS Constellation. It's a Starfleet vessel, under command of Captain O'Mara." He kept his eyes on Jim as he spoke to the nurse. "Amanda, please wake up Lieutenant Pike and have him come down."

"Yes, Doctor."

Jim felt his stomach churn and he knew he was gonna throw up soon. He swallowed and let his eyes dart around the small private room. His vision went in and out. He refocused on the doctor as he reached up for something on the biobed and tried to move closer. Jim yanked open the drawer beside him, digging from something to use as a weapon to defend himself. His hands closed around a pair of scissors, and he brandished them as his arms trembled.

"Stay away from me!" Jim took a shaky breath and tried to hold his arms up, but they quickly fell to his sides and he pushed himself back against the wall.

"I'm sorry." Doctor Ravi held up his hands. "I was just getting the oxygen mask to give to you. It will help you breathe easier."

The boy shook his head. "No mask."

"Your body is not receiving enough oxygen. That's one reason you're suffering from a headache and vision problems."

Jim blinked, waiting for the room to stop spinning. "I don't like the mask."

"I can exchange it for a nasal cannula, but you'll need to let me place it on your face."

"I'll do it myself. I know how."

Doctor Ravi didn't speak, but nodded. Jim watched him closely as the doctor hooked up the clear tubing and set it on the floor. He knelt down and pushed it toward the boy. His hands fought to grasp it, but ultimately won. Jim let the center piece pinch his nose and he tucked the tube behind his ears, closing the clasp beneath his chin to keep it on. His eyes closed as the oxygen went into his body.

"Is that helping?"

Jim nodded. "It's a little better."

Doctor Ravi moved to another part of the room and returned with a small roll of cloth bandages. He rolled it to the kid. "For your hand, it will stop the bleeding." The man waited as Jim picked it up and wrapped it around his hand. "Would you like to tell me your name?"

"You can call me JT." Jim felt his stomach roll again. "Where are my kids?"

"Your kids?" The doctor frowned. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Did someone rescue them? There are several kids who need a doctor. They haven't… had any good food in a while." Jim fought as black spots formed in his vision.

The door to the ICU room slid open, admitting a younger man in his rumpled uniform. He quickly walked over to join them. Jim tried to curl up even smaller. His brown hair was short and messy. There was almost something familiar about him.

"I thought you said he wouldn't wake up until late morning. It's 0400." He rolled his eyes at the doctor before kneeling down and turning his attention to Jim. "Hey kid. My name is Lieutenant Christopher Pike. I pulled you out of there, do you remember?"

Jim shook his head, fighting to stay awake as he coughed again. "Where are my kids?"

Pike frowned. "What kids?"

"I saved them… I hid them so he couldn't kill them."

The other man rubbed his chin with his hand and gave a soft smile. "We can't get to them. They won't let us approach without firing at us."

Jim tried to push up and moaned. "I have – have to talk to them. I can get them to listen."

"Lieutenant, his temperature is rising. We need to move him," Doctor Ravi interrupted.

The kid shifted uncomfortably. "I'm gonna be sick."

Pike grabbed an emesis basin from the counter and shoved it under the boy's chin as he threw up. He stayed beside him. Jim finished and his head leaned back against the wall. The adrenaline rush had faded and he didn't have any energy left.

"Can I move you onto the bed? You're pretty sick, kid. The doctor needs to make sure you're okay."

Jim didn't have any energy left to answer, so he simply nodded. The man gently put his arms beneath him and lifted him up. Jim cried out in pain as the movements strained his arms. His muscles cramped up in protest. Pike lay Jim down as the nurse brought a cooling blanket over. He could feel the boy's fever though his clothes. The lieutenant took a step back to give them space to work. Jim kept his eyes on Pike as the doctor administered a hypo.

"Help them. Please," Jim whispered as the darkness crept in again.

The frown on Pike's face was the last thing he saw.

Pike rested his hands against the side of the biobed. "What happened, Doctor?"

"Apparently the dosage of sedative I gave him wasn't enough. He woke up, confused and his adrenalin kicked in. He actually threatened me with a pair of scissors for a minute." The doctor continued running his scans and instructed the nurse to insert a new IV into Jim's opposite hand.

He shook his head. "He's a tough kid. Damn, I only got three hours of sleep. He should be with his mother. I found her though. She's on a deep space mission, probably didn't even know what was happening with the colony."

"Our patient might be able to answer your question when he wakes again." Doctor Ravi gently ushered him out of the private room and into his office across the main part of the medbay. He pushed him down into the extra chair. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Yes, thank you." Pike waited in silence as the doctor poured him a cup and handed him the warm mug. He noted it was the real stuff, not the replicated stuff the rest of the crew drank. It was probably a good thing the medical staff was properly caffeinated. "Did your telepathic abilities read anything helpful from him?"

Doctor Ravi took a sip of his own coffee before speaking. "He's terrified, completely. And he doesn't trust we are who we say, which is to be expected. I also sensed quite a bit of anger. His anger runs deep and it will be hard for him to get past. That's about it. The fever and the physical condition of his body made the reading a bit confusing."

"That's more than enough, Doctor. I can't imagine what he saw in the colony or why Kodos specifically kept him down there. Jim will have a lot to tell us. If he can even tell us."

"It will take time. Lots of time. The boy will need quite a bit of healing."

Pike nodded, taking another drink of his coffee and standing up. "Thanks for the coffee. Please inform me if Jim wakes up again. I'd like to limit who interacts with him right now. His identity is to remain classified."

"Of course. I hope you get some rest."

"I wish I was. He gave us some important information and I need to speak to the captain right away. Jim said they are his kids. He might be able to help us rescue the group of children living in the mountains. But he'll need to trust us." Chris sighed and attempted to straighten his uniform. "I have no idea how to make this right, but I won't give up until I do."