Disclaimer: Star Trek does not belong to me.

"Doctor McCoy." Spock looked at Bones, ignoring Jim completely. "Please administer a high dose of sedative to the Captain. I will return when he is in a calmer state of mind."

"I-" Bones looked at the Vulcan. "I'm not sure that's a good idea-"

"That's the best thing you've said all day," Jim spat, struggling against the restraints. "You sedate me, and I will claim that I'm being held hostage by my First Officer. Can you live with that, Spock?"

"Your anger is misplaced. I am merely trying to keep you safe, Captain. You are clearly in agitated state of mind and unable to reach a conclusion. Therefore sedation is the best thing. Doctor, please."

Spock turned and left, followed by Uhura. Bones swallowed, and reached for a syringe. Jim's hand gripped his wrist. "Bones- don't. Just don't."

"I can't." McCoy shook his head. "This is insanity. You can't kill Khan, Jim - he's in cryosleep, and no one will sanction waking him up! Anyone who does - I don't like to think of the consequences. What happens if he's woken up? You just go to him, with a lethal dose? Or challenge him to a fight? Its not going to happen."

"Yes it is."

"Jim." McCoy's voice was soothing, as though that of a parent to a distressed child. "Please. Just accept that you have to move on."

"I-"

Suddenly, Kirk was plunged into darkness.

"Did you sedate him, Doctor?"

"I did." McCoy shook his head, wearily. "He tried to argue, but I did it."

"I propose we keep him sedated until we return to Earth."

Uhura turned to Spock, her mouth slightly open. "That seems so - cold, Spock."

McCoy noted she refrained from commenting even for you.

"I appreciate it does, Lieutenant, but at the moment he's a danger to us all." Spock's voice was calm, but McCoy noted an undercurrent of emotion - possibly sadness. "We cannot allow him to behave like this."

"He needs therapy," McCoy opined. "I don't think he gave himself enough time before coming back."

"Indeed." Spock nodded. "I propose we return to Earth immediately, and put the Captain in the care of the Starfleet. He can be monitored and assessed."

"Sure you're not just getting rid of a problem, Spock?"

McCoy blinked. There was an edge of hostility to Uhura's voice that even Spock must have heard.

"Nyota..." Spock turned to her. "I am doing this because I do not want a worse problem."

"He's right." McCoy nodded. "I know it seems cold but this is for his own good."

Uhura nodded. "All right. But I think you should let me be the one who tells him."

"As you wish, Lieutenant."

"I know I said I would kill you, Captain, but frankly this is too good an opportunity to miss."

Kirk turned his head. Strapped down, still in his command uniform, he saw Khan in the corner of the room. The other man's emotionless features scanned his body.

"What would hurt the most, Captain? The loss of that pretty face?"

Jim swallowed. "If you think so."

"Captain. I know so."

"Really?"

"It would be hard for you, not invoking admiration and envy in others. Maybe I will start with that...or would it be the loss of a limb?" Khan was now hovering over him, his hands in the air, wandering up and down the length of Jim's supine body. "Not being able to run...or able to punch someone...over and over...until you lose the use of it."

He picked up a scalpel. "Perhaps we will start with the face. A precise incision can do a tremendous amount of damage. The smallest cut can be the cruellest, Captain. And I know that whilst you are a man of conscience, Mr Kirk, you are also one of vanity. You cannot bear to think you ever made a bad decision. But you did. And for the rest of your life, your face will be a constant reminder of it."

"You-"

"Yes, a small incision...then maybe another. How will your crew react to you? Will they look at you with pity? With fear? As though you're a monster that needs to be kept out of sight? If that's how they react, Mr Kirk, how will you lead them? You won't. Because you didn't before."

He brought the scalpel to Kirk's face - he could feel the edge of the blade touching his skin. "Don't you wish you could stop me?"

Carol Marcus entered the Sickbay, aware she was violating codes. She had not sought authorisation and had noticed that the two most senior officers on the bridge had disappeared into a meeting room.

She noticed Jim straight away. Strapped down, and asleep. Swallowing, she walked over. If he was awake, she had mused, maybe she could talk to him.

His appearance on the bridge had shocked her. The cocky, self-confident, flirtatious man had vanished without leaving a trace. She shook her head, remembering his look of horror has Khan had brutally murdered her father. She had never had the opportunity to actually tell him what she thought.

Now maybe she had.

Swallowing, she walked towards him.

"So, just one cut...can be the deepest...the worst..."

Jim tried to keep his face rigid as Khan began to push in the blade.

"Jim?" Carol bit her lip as she leaned over him. "Jim, are you-"

Suddenly, she blinked. His hand was twitch as though in a muscle spasm. Thinking quickly, she unbuckled his restraint.

"Well, that's decided. I'll tell him." Uhura's face was resigned.

"Lieutenant, he will return. He just cannot lead us now."

McCoy didn't speak, but his sombre expression concurred agreement with Spock's diagnosis. "Let's get back to Sickbay."

"Tell me, is the fact you're restrained a problem for you, Captain? Here, let me help you."

Gasping, his face bleeding from the incision, Jim tried to flex his now numb arm.

"Jim? Its Carol. Listen, I want to tell you-"

Her words were cut off as suddenly, brutally, his fingers found their way around her neck.

"OK, let's pull him out of sedation-"

McCoy's words were silenced as the three observed the scene in front of them. Carol Marcus, her neck pulled down by an awake Kirk, a look of insanity blazing in his face as he turned it to her. His fingers were gripping her neck, and squeezing.

Spock and Uhura moved quickly. As Spock grabbed and pulled back Kirk's arm, Uhura moved as though she were a Zoologist unwinding a python, as she pulled the fingers off Carols' neck. McCoy immediately moved forward and took her. "Right, let's get you away from him!"

Uhura was stunned. Kirk was wide awake, his eyes completely blank. She quickly buckled the restraint. "What now?!"

Spock couldn't seemingly speak. Then, as he looked at Kirk, and Carol, he found his voice.

"Doctor. Wake him up, get his dressed, and put him in one of the holding cells. He's going back to Earth."

Thank you for reading, please review if you wish.