Chapter Nine

Five days of silence. Jim's stats finally stabilized and his coughing ceased. His body was finally beating the infection, but his weakness remained. Doctor Ravi wanted to do physical therapy with Jim's arms, but he refused. The doctor had been forced to feed Jim intravenously due to his nausea and lack of appetite. Pike spent as much time with Jim as he could, but there wasn't much he could do. He'd asked Captain O'Mara about having temporary custody of Jim when they reached Earth in another day. Child Services was still discussing it, along with Starfleet Command. Chris already put in for some leave.

He walked into the medbay and greeted the nurse tending Jim's bed. The kid had been moved into the main part of the medbay to encourage social interactions, but it only served to make him more reserved. Jim's eyes darted in his direction and he could see the raw pain quickly disappear beneath his mask. Out of habit, he glanced up at the kid's vitals. His body temperature remained elevated, but lower. An uneaten bowl of broth and a smoothie sat on the bedside table.

"Hey Jim."

The kid stared at him, but didn't answer.

"You still not hungry?"

Jim shook his head and let out a shaky breath. His eyes darted back to the blanket and he picked at the tape holding the IV in place on his hand.

"We will be arriving at Earth tomorrow and Doctor Ravi told me you will be transferred right to Starfleet Medical. I have to stay onboard with the others and I can't go with you. But the doctor assures me it will be a smooth transition."

Jim shrugged.

"I should know by tomorrow if you are allowed to stay with me after they discharge you."

The kid coughed and pointed to the pitcher of water next to the bed. Pike poured him some water. Jim's hands shook as he reached for the cup. The muscles in his arms were still emaciated. Chris held the cup to his lips and helped him drink.

"I don't – I don't wanna… hurt anymore." Jim's voice was soft and hoarse, but he was speaking.

Pike ran his fingers through the kid's hair, ignoring the slight tension in his body when he first touched his head. "I know you don't. But it's eventually going to get better. It takes time."

"You don't know that. I will never… forget his face." The kid closed his eyes, taking a few raspy breaths.

"I know, kiddo. I'm sorry." An idea came to Pike. "I'll be right back."

Jim kept his eyes closed and nodded.

Pike went over to Doctor Ravi's office. The doctor motioned for him to come in, not taking his eyes off the stack of PADDs in front of him. Chris sat down across from the doctor. He waited to speak, watching as the man took a sip from his coffee. Doctor Ravi sighed deeply.

"What can I do for you, Chris?"

Pike glanced back at Jim as the kid tried to roll onto his side and quickly gave up. He returned his attention to the doctor. "I need to ask for a favor."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Nurse Amanda adjusted Jim's IV bag on the pole and pulled up the blanket. Jim's eyes darted around Pike's quarters. Doctor Ravi wasn't very comfortable with the whole idea, but agreed to let Pike bring Jim to his quarters for the night as long as Nurse Amanda could check his vitals every few hours and Jim had to wear a medical sensor bracelet. Pike waited across the room as the nurse finished getting Jim comfortable on the couch.

"I'll be back to check on him at 1900 hours." Amanda smiled and handed a data PADD to Pike. "I think this will be really good for both of you. It gives you a chance to practice taking care of a kid and… it gives him a break from being surrounded by everyone. Doctor Ravi will be monitoring his vitals and don't hesitate to call for help."

"Thank you. See you in a few hours."

She exited Pike's quarters, leaving the two alone. Jim moved the pillow behind his head, snuggling into the sofa. Pike smiled at him and sat down at Jim's feet.

"What would you like to do?" Chris asked.

Jim shrugged. "You don't have to do anything special with me."

"I want you to have some fun. You're still a kid."

The boy didn't answer, but looked around at the picture of Pike's family on the table. It was an older picture when he was just a kid, a little younger than Jim. Chris picked it up and pointed at the faces as Jim watched him.

"That's my mom and step-dad. They both died in some intense wildfires when I lived on the colony, Elysium. This is one of the last pictures of them. I was rescued by a Starfleet vessel and one of the men I befriended on the colony, Charlie Pike, saved me."

"I thought your last name was Pike. I don't understand."

Pike nodded. "Charlie Pike. I didn't find out until years later, after he and his wife adopted me. He's my biological father. I didn't speak to him for a few years after finding out. I was pretty angry with him, but we've become closer over the years."

"He should have told you." Jim's voice cracked a little.

"I think he wanted to protect me, but it didn't exactly work out as planned."

"We both had shitty childhoods."

"Yeah, but they don't have to define our lives. We make our own paths."

The kid coughed once into his hand and rubbed the blanket against his cheek. Chris figured he wasn't going to talk anymore, knowing Jim needed to rest. He wanted to try and get him to eat something before he fell asleep. Pike replicated a bowl of broth and set it on the small coffee table. He let it cool as he turned his computer screen to face the sofa, while searching through the archives. It took a few minutes to find the old cartoon with the cat and the mouse, who constantly tried to outsmart the other. He used to watch it with his mom; even though it was very cheesy it made him smile. Jim's eyes were on him the whole time. Chris sat down next to him and picked up the bowl.

"I'm not hungry," the boy mumbled.

"You've got to eat something if you want to feel better. Just a few bites?"

Jim's eyes narrowed, but he tried to sit up on the couch. Pike helped him by putting another pillow behind his back to support him. Jim's cheeks turned pink as Chris held the spoon and helped him. The kid turned his head after a few bites, but it was progress. His eyes focused on the screen as the mouse used water from the kitchen sink and the freezer to make an ice skating rink. The cat attempted to sneak in and catch him.

"I'm sorry about your parents."

His voice was so quiet and for a moment Pike thought he imagined it.

"I wish my mom was here."

Chris opened his mouth to comfort him, but Jim shook his head and focused on the cartoon. They didn't have to talk about it right away. Hopefully, they'd have more time once they reached Earth. The cat ducked as the mouse dropped an anvil on his head. A small smile turned up the corners of Jim's mouth. Pike relaxed against the couch as he watched.

After an hour, Chris went into his bathroom to change into pajama pants and an old Academy t-shirt. He washed his face, watching the water drip down his face. He hadn't talked about his mom and stepdad in so long. Jim did a good job of making him feel exposed, but it wasn't a bad thing. He ran the towel over his face and stepped out of the bathroom to a sound that made his stomach drop. Jim burped and threw up into the small basin the nurse had left with them. Pike ran to his side and waited, though he yearned to put a hand on Jim's shoulder to comfort him.

"You finished?" he asked when Jim leaned back against his pillow.

The kid nodded. Pike took the basin into the bathroom and cleaned it out. Jim lay silently. Chris knelt next to him and used the corner of the blanket to wipe the cold sweat from Jim's face. No doubt Doctor Ravi had been alerted to the change in Jim's condition. The whole thing would have been easier if Jim wasn't allergic to most of the anti-nausea medications.

"That stayed down for a little longer than the last time," Pike commented, getting an eye roll from the boy.

"Yeah, next time you can throw up every time you eat or think about food."

"It's gonna get better. Give it a little more time."

The door chimed a few minutes later. Doctor Ravi entered with his medical kit. Jim pulled up the blanket and turned away from him as the doctor used his medical tricorder to scan him. After administering a painkiller, he moved to the doorway. Pike followed him and stepped into the corridor.

"He's stable for the moment, but he's not improving. There's really nothing else I can do until he's at Starfleet Medical," Doctor Ravi stated once the door closed.

"I understand. Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor ran a hand through his hair. "I can sense how Jim feels when I'm around him. I doubt he'll ever trust someone who works in the medical profession. He trusts very little, but you've earned his trust, Chris. Be careful with him."

"I will."

"Nurse Amanda will be in to check on him in a few hours. Make sure he gets some sleep. The medication I gave him will make him tired and keep him from dreaming tonight."

Doctor Ravi didn't let him respond before heading down the corridor. Pike took a deep breath and stepped back into his quarters. Jim's eyes were focused on the screen, but his body was tense. Chris sat down on the sofa. He didn't expect what happened next. The kid pushed up on his arms, despite their trembling and tried to turn himself around. It took a few good pushes to sit up and to move his legs in the other direction. Jim grabbed his pillow. Without a word, he laid the pillow on Pike's lap and rested his head on it. Jim settled back down, fumbling to pull the blanket up. Chris gently pulled it up to Jim's shoulders.

When the nurse came to check on Jim later, it was quiet. The screen flickered as the cartoon continued to play with very little volume, and Pike sat on the sofa with his feet on the coffee table. Jim was asleep; his head still on Pike's lap, and Pike was running his fingers through Jim's hair. Chris's gaze wasn't focused on the cartoon, but was remote and distant. Nurse Amanda quickly checked on Jim without disturbing him and administered medication through the kid's IV. She left without a word. Pike adjusted his position and stuffed a pillow behind his head. There was no way he could sleep in his bed tonight. This was the most intimate moment Jim allowed anyone to share with him and he didn't care about the stiffness he'd have in the morning. It made him realize something important. There was no way in hell he'd let someone take Jim away from him. When they arrived at Earth in the morning, Pike wasn't going to give up on the kid. He needed to take care of Jim.

Sorry for the delay in posting! I took a break to work on the novella I published in April and it kept me quite busy. But I'm planning on finishing this story, so don't worry.

I did some research on Pike's history and found out about his family in the Star Trek Memory Alpha Wikia, along with watching the original series episodes with Pike as Captain. I definitely like Pike in the reboot better. It's almost ironic how much Jim and Pike have in common in their background with tragedy taking their parents. I thought it was fitting to include it.

Thanks for reading and be sure to review! I'd love to hear from you.