Chapter Ten

Jim kept his fists tight in the blankets as the gurney moved through the corridor. The ship had docked and two medical transports were transferring the children to Starfleet Medical to be examined. The kids were being discharged, but Jim had to stay. Kevin insisted on walking next to Jim. Doctor Ravi was behind him, making sure his vitals stayed consistent on the way to the shuttle. The group went into the Shuttle Bay and they loaded everyone into the transports. Doctor Ravi adjusted the biobed and picked up the straps to secure Jim for travel. He stiffened and closed his eyes. The bio-sensors beeped.

"Do you have to secure me down?"

Doctor Ravi moved slowly. "I'm sorry, yes."

The sensors went off again.

"Your blood pressure is spiking. Would you like me to give you something so you can sleep on the shuttle?" Doctor Ravi's voice was soft.

Jim opened his eyes and shook his head. "I'm fine."

Kevin gave his friend a worried glance as one of the nurses showed him where to sit. Jim gave him a forced smile, but the younger boy believed it and sat down. Jim took a deep breath and let it out as the doctor finished securing him in the bed.

Doctor Ravi leaned over Jim, adjusting his IV line so he didn't pull it out. "Chris promised to come see you once he's done with his briefings. He should be finished by this evening. It's only a few hours. Doctor Jonas will be your primary. Your name will be protected once you arrive and only your primary will know your full name."

"Thanks, Doc."

"I wish you all the best."

Jim didn't say anything. The doctor gently touched his shoulder and exited the shuttle. The trip to San Francisco would take a little while. Tommy snuggled with his monkey as the nurse next to him spoke to him softly. Two of the girls giggled. Jim didn't make eye contact with anyone. Nurse Amanda glanced over at him as his biosensor let out a soft beep again and he focused on breathing, forcing away the memories of the last shuttle ride he'd been on, trying not to remember the faces of the people he'd seen and were now dead. The sensor went off again. Jim felt a slight tug on his IV line and saw the nurse administering something.

"It's just to calm your heart rate down a little. We're almost there."

Once they arrived, several medical professionals in white arrived. Several escorted the younger children off of the shuttle. Tommy tried to get a glimpse of JT, but was pushed forward. A thin woman with blond hair, pulled tight into a bun, approached Jim's bed. Jim scratched the tape holding the catheter in place.

"I'm Doctor Jonas. You must be Doctor Ravi's patient."

Jim swallowed. "Yeah."

"I will be your primary while you are here. We'll get you settled in your room and run some tests to see how we can help your recovery along."

"Doctor Ravi didn't mention any tests…"

"Its standard procedure and I have to submit a report to Command, since this is a delicate situation." The woman glanced at Jim's chart. "Let's go."

The afternoon sun poured through the windows as Jim was guided through the hallways. Doctors came and went, hurrying around each other. He focused on the sun. It was different than the star that gave light to Tarsus and it felt like home. A part of him ached to see his mom again, but he knew she wouldn't come. They pushed his bed into a lift, closing out the sun and leaving behind the artificial lights. Jim glanced at the doctor as she spoke to the male nurse with her. She didn't even look at Jim. He rolled his eyes and prayed the time would go quickly. Chris would be here soon. He hated to admit it, but the man made him feel safe and… he actually cared.

The orderly wheeled Jim into a small room at the end of the hallway. The shades were closed and it wasn't very bright. He already missed the sunshine. One of the nurses removed the bed straps. The orderly gently moved him onto the main biobed and hung the IV bag. Jim glanced to the right as the medical screen activated, showing his stats for everyone to see. He could see his temperature was elevated again, but at least he didn't feel crappy this time.

"Let's get a blood draw and a cellular imaging scan of the damage to his arms. His last scans showed stress on his cardiopulmonary system, so I'd like an electrocardiogram." Doctor Jonas studied his chart. "There's no record of a thorough examination of his change in allergies after being on the planet, so let's check his levels."

Sweat dripped down Jim's forehead as they moved around the room. No one tried to ask how he was doing or what he wanted. A raspy breath escaped his lips and he tried to push up with his arms, but they weren't cooperating. A hypospray went into his neck before he could register the pain. Jim threw out his arm, but the orderly held him still.

"Stop it." Jim forced the words between his teeth.

The man didn't seem to notice Jim's discomfort. "We just gave you something to help lower your blood pressure."

He winced. "I don't need anything. Get your hand off me!"

The world tilted and his stomach twisted fiercely. Jim tried to understand, but words spun around him, making his head ache. In the back of his mind, it registered that the alarms were going off. Jim didn't care. He didn't want the guy touching him! Jim threw a well-aimed punch, though it was weak. He grabbed the IV and ripped it from his hand.

"Get off me!"

Another set of hands pressed down on his shoulders as Jim cried out in pain. He kicked out, hitting someone as they approached. Doctor Jonas yelled for assistance.

"Don't touch me!" Jim arched his back with no success.

I can do whatever I want with you, Jimmy boy. No daddy to save you now. Kodos' voice rang in his mind as a nurse pressed his legs against the bed. Kodos' goon had done the same thing before breaking two of Jim's ribs.

The air in the room felt warm and he couldn't breathe. Jim tried to speak, but he couldn't form any words as another hypospray went into his neck and his muscles started to respond sluggishly. A moment later the hands moved from his body. It felt like someone held onto his hand and repaired the wound created from the IV being ripped out. There was a pinch in his other hand as another IV was inserted. Jim couldn't focus on anything. He didn't even know if his eyes were open anymore. Two cold hands lowered his medical gown and attached leads to his chest. He didn't have the strength to try and stop them. Jim used the last of his energy to reach for the new IV port and failed. The cold hands took his and wrapped something around them. He pulled, but couldn't move them. As Jim blacked out, he hoped Pike was coming to save him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Chris released to top of his uniform and ran his hands through his hair as he walked toward Starfleet Medical. The cool night air hit his neck, chilling his skin, but it felt nice. Briefings had been long and arduous. Command needed to know all about the information he'd collected about Kodos and about what Jim told him. They were frustrated Jim had barely spoken about the experience. He didn't blame Jim. They'd been back on Earth for six hours and he hadn't had a chance to check on the kid yet. There was one piece of good news. Child Protective Services granted him temporary custody of Jim and Admiral Mitchell was taking care of the paperwork. It was 2100 hours and visiting hours were over, but Doctor Jonas said he could visit. She'd given no other details about Jim's condition.

Pike stepped into the building and headed to the lift. The young nurse in the lift gave him a smile. Pike returned the gesture and asked for the fourth floor. Once he arrived, he stopped at the desk.

"I'm Lieutenant Christopher Pike. I'm looking for a patient who was brought here this afternoon. He's Doctor Jonas's patient." He leaned forward on the counter.

"I was told you were coming. Room 4107 is the last room on the left side of the hallway," the nurse responded after glancing at the bio-monitor for Jim. "He's awake. Must be waiting up for you."

"Thank you."

Pike walked down the hallway and peered into the open doorway. He froze and his heart skipped a beat. The first thing he saw was the restraints holding Jim to the bed. Silently, Pike stepped into the room, but Jim must have seen the movement. His blue eyes were unfocused as he looked in Pike's direction. Clear tubing ran beneath his nose and provided oxygen. Jim hadn't needed it in days. Several leads were attached to Jim's bare chest, and were a great contrast to his pale skin. The kid opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

"Jim?"

Pike glanced over and saw the kid's heart was racing, but he was barely responding. He grabbed Jim's hand and squeezed his fingers. The kid didn't squeeze back. Jim let out a shaky breath, but didn't say anything. His eyes were shiny with fever. Pike leaned in closer and touched Jim's cheek with his other hand. His butt planted in the hard chair beside the bed.

"Jim, hey kid. It's me, Pike."

"Chris?" His voice was rough and soft.

"Hey kid, how are you doing?"

Jim shook his head. "Help me…" Tears welled in his eyes and fell down his cheeks. The poor kid couldn't even pick up his hand to wipe them away.

There was something wrong about the whole situation. Pike grabbed the call button and pressed down on it. He pulled the communicator from his pocket and sent a quick message, level one, to Admiral Mitchell. A few moments later, the nurse from the front desk came into the room.

"What the hell is going on here?" Pike demanded. "Why is he tied down?"

"Lieutenant, please calm down. Doctor Jonas had to place the safety of her staff first due to the patient's volatile nature when he was admitted."

Pike looked back at Jim as he continued to cry. "He was tortured and held against his will! There's no reason he needs restrained after what he went through!"

The kid tried to roll and cried out as he pulled at the restraints. Jim's chest rose and fell in an uneven pattern. Pike couldn't stand seeing Jim like that. He grabbed the kid's wrist and unbuckled it. Jim didn't fight him. He lay still as Pike removed the other one.

"Doctor Jonas did not authorization this. You need to leave," the nurse said. "I'll contact security."

Chris pulled the leads off the Jim's chest and gently removed the nasal cannula, being careful not to hurt him. He removed the IV needle, leaving the catheter. The nurse shouted loudly for assistance, but Pike didn't care. The lieutenant leaned forward and scooped Jim up in his arms, blanket and all. Jim's head hung back. Pike readjusted his hold to support the kid's neck and cradled him against his chest.

"What drugs did you give him? Medication doesn't affect him in the same way."

The nurse's hands were shaking. "Doctor Jonas prescribed something to calm him down and keep him complacent. I'd have to check his chart. You can't take him. He hasn't been discharged."

"I'll fill out the damn paperwork! I'm his legal guardian at the moment and I'm discharging him against medical advice." Pike headed toward the door.

"Lieutenant, you can't remove him from Starfleet Medical! He needs medical attention."

"If you need anything else from me, you can contact Admiral Mitchell."

The nurse continued to say something and paged security as Pike adjusted his hold on Jim. Jim's eyes couldn't concentrate on him, but he relaxed in Pike's grasp. A blonde woman attempted to speak to him, but he stepped into the lift and commanded it to take him to the main floor. Two security officers met him at the doors, but Pike ordered them to stand-down. Another officer ran over and stopped them, mentioning something about Admiral Mitchell. His request made it through. Pike stepped out into the darkness, making sure the blanket covered Jim's small body. He breathed in the cold air.

"Come on kid, I'm taking you home."

I really enjoyed writing about Pike in this scene and how he saved Jim. The Jim we love has an extreme fear of medical and doctors. I think this scene sums up why he can't do it. But Bones is the first doctor he trusts and is his best friend later in life. Also, Pike finally gets to protect Jim! A great moment.

Thanks for reading!