A/N: I just wanted to apologize straight out the gate to any Russians or Klingons that may be reading this story. I used a translator for your respective languages and I am well aware that I most likely butchered them (probably much worse than Jim ever could). To add insult to injury, the Russian is in phonetic form rather than Cyrillic because I have no idea what a backwards R would sound like. Again, I am sorry and bear no ill will toward Russians or Klingons which are both a highly spirited and passionate bunch and could easily drink me under the table. Cheers!

Chapter 10- That's What Friends are For

We all sat in silence in our dank cells, trying not to think of the poison that coursed through our veins with every heartbeat. What kind of people would thank you by trying to kill you? That seemed more like something a Romulan would do.

"Bonsey!" Jim called from his seat opposite Chekov. "How ya' doin' over there?" I gauged by the tone of his voice and the direction of his gaze that he couldn't actually see McCoy from his cell.

McCoy sighed and answered. "Just great, Jim. My lips are numb and I feel like my nerves are coated with napalm, but other than that I can't complain."

"I can cheer you up, Bones." He offered with a smile. He cleared his throat and began to sing an old, slow, mournful bluegrass song. "I am a man of constant sorrow, I've seen trouble all my days." His voice was off key and he tried his best to make himself sound like a hick. "For 6 long years I've been in trouble. For in this world I'm bound to ramble. I have no friends to help me now."

McCoy groaned. "Shut up, Jim. You sound like an old hound dog baying."

"Doesn't that make you feel more at home?" He asked. "Hound dogs and hillbillies?"

"Being from the south doesn't make me a hillbilly and I do not want this place to feel like home. Now hush up and let me die in peace" he growled.

"C'mon, Bones. If you don't like me, that's cool. Chekov, know anything that will cheer up the good doctor?" He pressed.

"Nyet. Yaas znaan pyeats znaan myear vaats" he mumbled into his hands that had been covering his face for quite some time. It was the first time I had heard him speak in his native language and despite Russian not being a romantic language, it was surprisingly soft on the ears.

"He said if he sings he will vomit." Uhura translated.

"Fine." Jim sighed. "What is that old shit you always listen to? Sinatra? Anyone know the Vegas lounge stuff?"

I smiled. "Fly me to the moon and let me sing among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars." I sang. "In other words, hold my hand. In other words, baby kiss me."

Jim's eyes lit up. "There ya go, Bones! Feel better now?"

"Much." He muttered after a pause.

We fell back into a silence until Chekov could no longer hold out. He ran to the far corner of his cell and retched until he had nothing left. Jim looked out the cell trying to keep from turning green himself. I remembered what Spock said about his having a sensitive gag reflex and it was very much reflected on his face. Uhura had been eerily silent the whole time. I sat next to her and asked, "How are you feeling?"

She looked at me in complete misery while Chekov went for an unproductive round 2. "I…I'm." She stammered as her eyes watered. I just knew what was coming, so I helped her to the corner of our cell and wrapped her long hair around my arm with enough slack that she could move her head and we waited. The wait wasn't long because Jim lost it which gave her the push she needed. I held her hair and gently rubbed her back while she coughed between bouts. Unlike Jim, that kind of thing never bothered me and although I felt sick it was more of a general malaise with patches of numbness and burning like McCoy described.

"And they put me way over here where I can't do a goddamn thing" he yelled over the symphony of misery. "Does anyone have a fever?"

I helped Uhura lay back and I held her hand to comfort her while I placed my hand on her forehead. She felt a little warm, but with what she was just engaged in it didn't seem abnormal. "No" I answered.

Jim checked Pavel who was now stretched out on the floor with his arms over his head in exhaustion. "No" he called in a weary voice without ever checking himself.

"I know this sucks, but it is the body's way of getting the shit out. I just hope no one gets dehydrated in the process." McCoy said darkly.

It seemed like several hours had passed before a Klingon guard returned with Spock in tow. Spock stood facing the door with his hands behind his back, passively observing the deplorable conditions we had been held in but always careful not to further insult our hosts. "Spock." Jim whispered wide eyed as though he thought he were hallucinating. I had to say he was the last person I expected to see as well.

Spock nodded stiffly. "Captain. I have come to retrieve you." As he said this, the guard began unlocking our cells. I helped Uhura up and together we all filed out through the winding dimly lit corridors flanked by angry looking Klingons while we passed. When we reached the shuttle, the elderly Klingons from the Council waited for us. Spock paused to face the leader and bowed ever so slightly. "QA TLHO" he mumbled and the old man returned the bow.

The shuttle ride back to the ship was quiet because everyone was either too exhausted to speak or wrapped up in their own thoughts about how something so innocuous could have gone so terribly wrong. Finally, I couldn't take it any longer. "Spock, how did you get us out?" I asked the man sitting across from me.

"Yeah." Jim sighed slumped against his restraints with his eyes barely open. No sleep and being poisoned will do that to a man even if he was James Kirk.

Spock sat stiff as a board and explained. "When I did not receive word from you after the allotted time for the end of the ceremony, I contacted the Council to inquire as to your delay. They informed me that you had deeply insulted and dishonored them for which the penalty was a duel to the death. I entreated the Council to allow me to negotiate. Initially they indicated they would allow me to fight in your stead since you had been inadvertently incapacitated, they had no idea the human constitution was so weak."

"Constitution my ass." McCoy mumbled. "They poisoned us, Spock! Are we just supposed to skip away holding hands? Goddamn savages."

"I did not say I concurred, Doctor. However, humans do have a lower tolerance for ingested materials than do other species. It is simply a fact." His tone was just a little smug because without him saying it, he counted Vulcans among them. "After tense negotiations I was able to secure a trade agreement with them."

"What did you give them?" Uhura inquired.

"They agreed to free you in exchange for me fighting a woman and some goods" he said quickly. "Unfortunately the deal divested you of your entire stock of Romulan Ale, Captain."

"Wait, wait…" McCoy laughed, "you fought a woman? Klingon or not, that is pretty damn funny and I would have paid to see that!"

"My ale" Jim mourned quietly. "All gone."

"I assure you, Doctor, it was no laughing matter" Spock replied shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "She was a well trained warrior and honored among her people."

McCoy squinted at him as he often did when he smelled a rat. "Why are you squirming like that? Did she get a few good shots in on you?"

Spock again shifted. "I failed to anticipate some of her offensive attacks" he admitted reluctantly. "I am not entirely familiar with the Klingon style of combat, however it appears to have few rules governing engagement other than to win. Once I realized that any move was permissible, I ended the match by simply giving her a nerve pinch."

"All gone." Jim sighed to McCoy.

"Oh get over it, Jim" he barked. "Would you rather be sitting back in that cell in a pool of puke? If they poison their dinner guests imagine what they do to prisoners."

"That was wery clever, Sir" Chekov complimented in a small, weak voice.

"For the moment" Spock conceded. "The Klingons believe her to be dead. When she awakens in a few hours she will have been dishonored but I plan on being well into the neutral zone by the time the error is discovered. Mr. Scott and Mr. Sulu have been instructed to proceed at warp the moment we dock."

"Good one, Spock. I didn't think you had it in ya' to be so devious." Jim smiled.

"I have spent sufficient time observing you, Captain" Spock answered with just a hint of superiority in his voice.

True to word, the moment the shuttle landed we were off to the races in a mad dash to the neutral zone. Blood tests revealed that no less than three different toxins were given to us in varying amounts, but none were considered fatal and the effects were easily reversed with a readily available antidote. We were released with the instructions to drink plenty of water and to report back in the morning if symptoms persisted. Spock had suffered some bruising to his midsection and a moderate sprain of the left knee, but despite his protestations he was placed on a 3 day medical which everyone knew he would comply with even if he disagreed because those were his orders.

I returned to my room, happy to have it back until I noted the condition it was left in. Whoever stayed there looked as though they had regular food fights and many fixtures in the bathroom were broken. All in all, still better than the cell I was in but only marginally. With a heavy sigh I returned to the lift and went to deck 3. As soon as I got off the lift, I met McCoy who was absolutely furious. "Fucking savages" he growled pushing past me to get the lift before it took off.

I approached Spock's door with an apologetic smile. "Hello," I said nervously in response to him looking down at me with his unreadable eyes, "my room is sort of uninhabitable and I was just wondering if you could stand a roommate until we get to the starbase."

He took a deep breath and replied, "Dr. McCoy's door was open when I returned from sickbay and it would seem Mr. Scott and Cadet Uhura's rooms were left in a similar condition. I believe he has also returned to the Captain's room for lodging so they may continue residing in his quarters. As it seems the sharing of quarters must continue even after the Klingons have departed, you may resume your stay until yours are again suitable."

"Spock, if I am imposing please say so. I promise I won't be offended. I can go somewhere else." I stated.

"I assure you, Doctor, I will not be as you might say 'put out' by your presence. It would be illogical for me not to share when you are in need of shelter as I could not imagine where else you might go." He was, in his own quiet way calling me out and I found it funny. The only other place I possibly could have gone was sickbay, but McCoy had already declared it off limits and I couldn't very well think I was an exception.

"Thanks, Spock." I smiled as I entered.

"Again, Doctor, I have done nothing deserving of recognition. It would seem the only…humane option."

I found it interesting he used more human phrasing rather than the usual Vulcan 'just the facts, M'am' logic that was his default setting. "How are you feeling?" I inquired noting the solved Rubik's cube on his desk. I picked it up and smiled realizing that he had actually hidden it from me during my stay. He watched me turn the cube in my hands with something approaching anxiety in his eyes. "Don't worry, I won't mess it up again." I laughed. "That would be inhumane."

He seemed relieved when I put it down unmolested. "I believe I will recover sufficiently."

"If you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask." I offered. "Allow me to return the favor."

He looked confused just as he did the first day I met him, unsure and caught off guard. "I do not require any kind of assistance."

"Really?" I asked looking pointedly at his knee that was currently not bearing any of his weight. "You are supposed to stay off your feet per orders. That means minimal walking, so you will need some assistance."

"I cannot ask you to be as a servant." He protested. "I will figure out other means of completing tasks."

"You didn't ask, I offered." I countered. "You helped me now I will help you. It is the only logical option." He lowered his head and gave a small smirk. I had finally beat him at his own game and it felt great.