Hi there! Thanks for all of your wonderful reviews! Sorry I was away so long, had things to take care of for a bit. But, now I am back! Sorry it's short, the muse decided not to stay long today.

All errors and mistakes are my own, but there shouldn't be many… hopefully, I have come to realize I am too impatient for a beta so my sincerest apologies. Also, some ideas and plot devices were developed with the help of Luv2catnap. Just going to put that out there.

Rated M. I own nothing. Please Enjoy and if you enjoy a lot leave me a little review if you have time =D

OoOoOo

Jim couldn't help but fidget as Maelrok walked her down the hallway at a steady pace. Her disheveled blonde locks hid a portion of her calculating gaze, as it darted around looking for possible escape routes. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and she had to concentrate in order not to tremble under the Romulan's touch. She was either going to succeed, and get the hell off the Warbird, or die trying.

She was hoping for the first option.

She wasn't impressed by the not-so-subtle looks that Maelrok was shooting her way. He looked very much like a starving stray dog that had just been served beef wellington. It did nothing to bolster her morale that he was most likely having extremely naughty thoughts about her at this moment. Well, it stroked her ego… but only a bit. Really, just a little bit that did not warrant repeating.

Jim was keenly aware of the throbbing in her arm, and the denser gravity of the Romulan ship. It would make dashing down her escape route much harder, but she was left with very few options. She tried very hard not to think about the few keys to her freedom secured in her bra. If she betrayed herself with a flash of hope, it could be her undoing.

While many Romulans where not telepathic like their Vulcan cousins, she understood thanks once again to Uhura, some did possess a latent telepathic ability. Jim had no way of knowing if Maelrok was among the few that harbored the talent. It would ruin her only chance of escape if he could read her thoughts or feel the small flame of hope that burned under her skin. It was very hard for the engineer not to think about the multitude of ways she could turn this situation around. Jim understood she would have to clear her mind as best as she could until no one was in direct contact with her skin.

They turned down a narrow corridor, and Jim stared at even stranger symbols than the ones that had painted the Vulcan craft. The doors opened with a soft pressurized hiss, and she was nudged inside. Instead of a female medical officer, she was greeted with a tall male Romulan, who glared down at her fiercely.

'Well aren't they just all kinds of friendly,' she thought sarcastically. Her appraising gaze told her that this male could, quite possibly, be even less friendly than Bones. And that was saying something!

She craned her neck to look back at Maelrok with an expression that screamed 'You cannot be serious'. His blank stare in return confirmed that he was, in fact, very serious. Jim sighed to herself, and stared at the gaping wound on her arm.

Was bleeding out really so bad? When she stopped and thought about it, it really didn't sound that bad. There were worse ways to go. She could be jettisoned out of an air lock. She could have contracted some sort of flesh eating parasite that burrowed from her nose into her brain. The Chief Engineer shook herself for a moment. There really were an astounding number of ways to die nowadays.

"R'lmus," Maelrok commanded imperiously, "I require you to treat this terran female."

Jim eyed the medical officer warily. She wasn't sure if he was going to treat her or eat her. She raised her uninjured hand slightly.

"That would be me," she gave the other male a sardonic grin.

It might have been her imagination but the intimidating Romulan's lips quirked for a moment. He gestured a rather large arm toward the nearest examination table. He gave a respectful nod to Maelrok before turning his gaze on her once more.

'Okay, Romulans are a tad scary,' her mind whimpered slightly. She didn't get paid enough for this! This was exactly why she never went into the command track at Starfleet Academy. Jim had the vague impression that if she had been a captain, this sort of this would have been a common occurrence. Which was just ludicrous in and of itself.

"Sit," he commanded calmly.

Right… Romulan.

Jim wandered over to where he indicated, but kept her eyes trained on the medical officer the entire time. She knew she was fragile compared to this race, and not to mention she bruised easily. Her blue eyes watched as he grabbed a strange looking tricorder, and reached for her arm. An involuntary hiss escaped her mouth as the damaged flesh jolted in pain.

Maelrok watched from the doorway with dark and unreadable eyes. Jim didn't know which was more disconcerting. having Maelrok there, or being glad Maelrok was there so she wasn't left alone with the Romulan giant holding her arm.

Which was the lesser of two evils? She would go with that one.

"It is a simple puncture wound that appears to have been created by something sharp," the Romulan R'lmus stated.

Jim couldn't stop the contemptuous look that overcame her features. "Yeah… it's called shrapnel," she replied sarcastically.

"That is a large word for a terran," he bit out after a moment, "You didn't hurt yourself too much saying it. Did you?"

"That was nearly intelligent for a Romulan," she bristled back like an angry cat, "Isn't that a dishonor on your house?"

She saw his lips twitch once more, and she felt an ache start in her chest. The action reminded her too much of Spock, and she needed to not think about him right now if she wanted off of this enemy ship. However, the pressure he held on her arm gentled considerably. Blue eyes locked with his darker ones and for a single moment, Jim was struck by the absurdity of the situation. She was mouthing off to the only person on board that could fix her.

She winced as he turned, and collected what looked like a hypo, Jim's eyes widened in absolute horror at the too familiar gesture. This R'lmus was a Romulan Bones! The look of feral joy in his eyes did nothing to quell her sudden fear of the dreaded needle of doom. It was official; all doctors were sadistic irrespective of race.

"It is to ward off infection," Maelrok concluded, and he sounded almost soothing.

Jim spared him a glance, but she knew that no amount of therapy was ever going to make this moment Okay.

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell them of her vast list of allergic reactions, but something inside of her quelled the urge before she uttered a sound. Jim's mind raced with the likely possibility that she would have an allergic reaction to whatever they gave her. This would mean an extended stay in the medical bay, where if she was exceedingly careful, she could gain access to a computer terminal.

"I have also coupled the antibiotic with a coagulant to staunch the bleeding. Once this has taken effect I will close the wound. You should be able to… return to your duties within two terran days," R'lmus concluded conversationally.

Maelrok flashed a satisfied smirk, and Jim nearly swatted at him. She had no intention of warming his bed, despite what she had said. Granted, it tarnished her word, but she did have a technical loophole with the specified length of time. She just counted her lucky stars that it was Maelrok chasing after her and not the walking ogre of a Romulan treating her.

She gasped lightly at the sting in the side of her neck. Her Blue eyes watered out of reflex, and she waited a breath. Her hopes were not in vain as she felt her throat start to close. Jim tried to suppress the urge to panic as her breathing became labored. She reached out for the Romulan medical officer who looked shocked.

"Jim!" Maelrok shouted in concern.

She fell back onto the examination table as her back arched. Her lungs fought for air. She was dimly aware of the sting of another hypo. Panic laced her thoughts, and the lights became much too bright. She only saw that there was dimness, and dark clouds, on the edge of her vision. Something was holding her down, preventing her from trying to crawl up the table searching for more air.

Suddenly, there was air, such precious and glorious air. And Jim drank in greedy lungful's of the nearly intoxicating substance. Tears flowed from her eyes freely, and Jim gasped then coughed. Her chest burned as if on fire. Her vision swam, but she could make out Maelrok's face as he stared down at her with great worry, and concern.

"Jim?" He asked softly, leaning closer to her, "Are you alright?"

"Not really," she rasped out.

A slight smile edged at the corners of his eyes. "It would appear that you are allergic to most common antibiotic used by terrans."

She could have told him that, but it was counterproductive to what she wanted.

"Good to know," Jim swallowed around her dry tongue, which felt too large in her mouth.

"I was able to reverse the anaphylactic shock you endured," the medical officer offered tightly.

Jim gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you for that," she said meaningfully.

R'lmus lowered his gaze for a moment with a curt nod. "You will have to stay here for observation. I am not well versed in convalescing humans."

She glanced at Maelrok a show of seeking approval. She would let him interpret the action anyway he wanted. However, she noticed that he hovered over her a moment.

"See that she is well taken care of," he stated to the R'lmus," I will return when we have cleared a satisfactory distance."

He brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, and Jim allowed him the contact.

"I will return later," he told her gently.

"I heard you the first time," she quipped, slightly tempered by his concern for her.

"You never know with Terrans," he jibed.

"Why are you still here?" Jim asked balefully.

Maelrok shook his head ruefully, and left with the soft hiss of the doors. Jim stole a glance at R'lmus who was busy scanning her with the tricorder.

Well, there was no time like the present, right?

"So, this might be a bad time to mention it, but I have to use the bathroom."

"You are not fit to bathe just yet," the Romulan replied nonplussed.

Jim groaned. "Not you guys too?"

Dark eyes pierced her harshly. "Are you experiencing a delusion? Perhaps a hallucination?"

Blue eyes narrowed. "No," she hissed out with a blush decorating her cheeks, "I have to void my bladder."

He seemed to pause for a moment. Then he tilted his head and looked down at her once more.

"You have just suffered a large shock to your systems; I cannot allow you to go alone. I would have to accompany you."

Oh HELL no.

"I can hold it," she hurriedly assured, waving her arms out in front of her.

"By delaying the action you could potentially harm yourself," he stated calmly, "I would then have to treat you yet again. It is no trouble for me to help you as one of my patients."

Jim stared at him in horrified fascination. "Um, no thank you," she declined stubbornly, "I would rather you didn't."

"I assure you," he started again.

"I said no," Jim called out in alarm.

They blinked at each other for a few moments. She stared at him with distrust written across her face. He eyed her with barely concealed amusement. She had graciously decided that she didn't like him. Jim or his giant… well, everything.

The Romulan gave a shrug and returned to his scanner readings. Jim struggled to sit up. R'lmus glanced at her, but made no move to stop her. Jim took the time to look around the medical bay. It was different, but similar to others she had been in. And with her list of mishaps and allergies, she had been in several. She craned her neck to, and fro, trying to take everything in.

"Sit still," the Romulan demanded.

Jim grinned at him, and began to fidget as much as she could. This included kicking her legs as much as possible.

Dark eyes gave her an unreadable look.

"Do not force me to sedate you," R'lmus warned lowly.

"And risk another allergic reaction?" Jim asked with mock bewilderment. "What kind of medical officer are you?"

She smiled when he snorted, and the corners of his lips twitched once more in that achingly familiar fashion.

"It would appear that you recover quickly. According to my readings, your hormones, immunity levels, and blood sugar levels have all returned to normal," he stated archly with a flamboyant 'clack' of closing his tricorder.

"Yeah, I'm special," she responded dryly.

The Romulan declined to dignify her words with a remark of his own.

"So can I go to the bathroom without your 'assistance' now?" Jim asked patiently.

"If you insist. However, if you pass out, I am not going to help you," he stated disinterested.

"And here I was thinking all those rumors of Romulan charm were exaggeration," she quipped lightly, "Would you point me in the direction of the female's facilities?"

R'lmus watched her carefully before pointing his index finger toward a door on the other side of the bay with a strange symbol painted on the front. Jim nodded her thanks before slipping off the table, and onto her unsteady feet.

"You have five minutes before I come in after you," the Romulan told her void of any emotion.

"I thought you weren't going to help me if something happened," Jim pointed out with amusement.

"I lied," he responded dryly before turning back to a data PADD.

Well, what else was new?

Jim half-hobbled with a flair for dramatic effect, toward the facilities. Her eyes darted to the figure of R'lmus with his back turned toward her. She started pulling out the smuggled bits of technology as the door closed behind her. Her fingers, some still caked in her own blood, fumbled as she attempted to connect them hurriedly. A few quick manual connections and a rushed attempt at properly calculating how much time she had left, and Jim was very nearly finished. She was only missing one key component. Energy. Sapphire eyes scanned the bathroom for a source of power she could pilfer. Her gaze turned upward toward the glowing lights that illuminated the room. A slow but brilliant smile lit her lips at the sight.

"Bingo," she muttered triumphantly to herself.

Her feet acted of their own accord, and before Jim realized it, she was standing atop a sink basin with arms outstretched for the cover of the light. She licked her dry lips out of a nervous habit as she carefully removed the cover. A single screw slipped from its hole and clattered to the floor as she attempted to lower it to the sink. Jim froze with wide eyes staring at the traitorous screw. It had sounded deafening in the tight confines of the small enclosure.

She held her breath for a moment, and listened intently. When a dozen armed Romulans failed to come barging through the door, she proceeded to lower the cover to the sink. She caught her lower lip in her teeth, and worried it as her training of an engineer kicked in. Her fingers grasped at a power conduit as she hooked it up discreetly to the hodgepodge device she had created.

The plan, as she had dubbed it, was to overload the circuit breakers in the medical bay, and the majority of the ship. If she succeeded in causing a ship-wide black out, all locks and security overrides would be void. Romulan space crafts, while not the area of her expertise, normally held the main warp core, and transporter room nearest to the center of the ship. There she could tamper with their power reserves, and warp core abilities, just enough to prevent Maelrok from capturing her again too quickly.

Provided she could make it past the Romulan wall of a medical officer, Jim knew she could follow the emergency lights directly toward the warp core, by going in the opposite direction. The lights were meant to be followed for evacuation purposes; all she had to do was go backwards. She could not wait too long or they would be so far from the T'Maiti that she would be unable to reach them in an evacuation pod anyway. Every second she spent aboard this ship was like a nail in her coffin.

Heaven help her if this didn't work.

Aside from the sheer impossibility of the act, she had no formal combat training. Her best chance stood in taking the weapon from the medical officer when the room was nearly completely darkened. To do that she would have to feign unconsciousness, but that would come after the massive deceleration from their current speed. She grimaced at how much being thrown around like a rag doll was going to hurt. Especially from her current height on top of the sink, which, Jim would not deny that she was already incredibly woozy, but right now her adrenaline helped with the bulk of the pain and the stinging sensations.

Lucky her…

She knew her time was just about out when the sounds of footsteps echoed across the medical bay. Blue eyes scrunched shut for a single moment before she flipped her device to be active. It was a strange sensation to suddenly flung without the slowing force of the gravity fields. A heavy thump resounded as the wind was knocked out form her lungs. Still she was slightly weightless until the back reserve power came up again.

She could hear shouts in Romulan and the room was nothing but inky darkness all around her.

"Chief Engineer Kirk?" A familiar voice shouted from outside the door, and she promptly pretended to be unconscious.

She forced her body to go limp. It took effort to control her breathing as the quick pull at her limbs told her the reserve power had flooded the systems.

"Chief Engineer Kirk?" The Medical officer called again.

She could feel the vibrations through the floor when the door opened. Behind her closed eyelids she could see a faint flood of red light. She could feel a strong touch to her neck, checking for a pulse. Jim could hear a quick expulsion of breath from relief from the Romulan.

'Just a little closer you green-blooded bastard,' she thought cajolingly.

The first beeps of the tricorder caught her attention and Jim couldn't stop the smile that spread across her features. Like a snake, she struck. Jim snapped her eyes open and lunged for his phaser. Her slim fingers wrapped around the cool metal and she flicked the safety off in the surprised face of the Romulan giant.

"Hi," she all but purred at the Romulan whose dark eyes were frozen on her face, "I'm going to be taking this." Jim tilted her head at him coyly. "Is that alright with you?"

The medical officer simply nodded.

"Smart," she commented absently, "back away slowly."

She watched him comply with her order and Jim smiled widely. She noted that he was remarkably compliant. She shot him anyway, but it was set to stun.

She wasn't a monster...

… Just a severely pissed off engineer.

Jim scrambled to her feet and looked quickly outside of the door to the bathroom. The medical bay was still deserted. She took a steadying breath and then staggered forward and still unsteady feet. She grew more confident with each step. By the time she reached the Medical bay door, she felt nearly like her old self.

The door swished open and she stuck her blonde head out cautiously. The corridor was empty as well. Jim thanked her luck, but knew it wouldn't hold forever. The echo of shouts carried far down the hallway, and she could not pinpoint their exact location. Her sapphire eyes locked onto the blinking emergency lights and she waited to see them flash in one direction.

She started down the opposite way.