Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek.
AT: Back to the Enterprise. I appreciate all the support I've received- it's an interesting story to write as it is unfolding a little unexpectedly certain places. Looking forward to the following couple chapters especially. Thank you for following along!
Chapter 6
"Lt. Uhura, I need the corridor cleared from the lift to the brig cell containing Jared Memphis Vager. Sulu, I will need three men and yourself to accompany Captain Kirk from sickbay to the brig after Dr. McCoy administers a drug to the captain and I inform Captain Kirk about the prisoner," said Spock.
He was not met with the flurry of activity he anticipated. Silence.
Not one of Captain James T. Kirk's crew moved. Their world had stopped after the message from their stalwart captain.
"Lt. Uhura..."
"Commander," Uhura stood at her station. She bit her lip, glancing around the bridge. "We need a moment." Her chin lifted.
"I see." Spock did see the shock and tears of the crew but his own struggle to retain an emotional complacency was failing. A clearly torn young Chekov had fallen to a sitting position on the floor beside his station, sobbing. Mr. Scott knelt beside him on one knee, and put a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Sulu and Uhura matched in expressions- half angry, half depressed. They were all mournful.
The image of Jim's back, gouged and mistreated, stained their minds. A reconciling of the man who was their captain and the boy he was on Tarsus would take longer than a few moments. Spock was willing to spare the precious time they had with an unprecedented pause as Uhura suggested.
Spock did not wish to focus on the emotion of the crew which mirrored his internal pain. He did not have to. His own thoughts automatically fashioned into a speculative history that Jim could have experienced. Unyielding physical abuse followed by even more abuse of health. Daily deprivation, a death sentence, and survival- by what means, Spock could theorize a hundred ways in seconds.
And as a child...Jim had accumulated those scars.
Nothing on Jim's chart pointed to any length of time visiting on Tarsus IV. Knowing Jim's hacking ability personally, I should not be surprised. He would never wish this information to be known without his allowance.
Yes, the account of his life described vaguely a childhood with an uncle. His mother, Winona, had been around only for the duration of the first few years of Captain Kirk's life. Jim would not have had proper care before or after Tarsus. It was unsettling. Jim had never gotten the help required to manage his experiences.
Jim's recklessness had enforced a misguided impression Spock had of him since the very day they met. His recklessness was the result of evading the memories of a horror no child should ever face. He'd understood who Jim was when he calculated the words and actions of Dr. McCoy and Dr. Marcus. But I could not feel who Jim is until now.
I need to give orders.
He opened his mouth to speak, but he closed it. He found himself incapable of formulating any words and began pacing back and forth instead.
A minute passed, with Spock practicing steady breathing and the crew solemnly honoring their captain who had shared his horrendous history to save their lives yet again.
Spock paced to the center of the viewscreen. He'd stay there, until Nyota spoke again. He was certain she would.
He soon sensed her presence.
"Spock." Her voice was broken.
"Nyota."
She startled at his use of her first name on the bridge, but nodded in her special way.
"I feel so guilty, for hating him at times," she whispered.
"Nyota, he never held that against you," he said. It was true. Jim's manner with Uhura had morphed into brotherly affection.
"Spock," Uhura slipped beside him. "Jim, he fooled us all. But himself, mostly. He should have told us. I wish he had told us.
As do I.
As she cried silently, Spock realized Jim's past would affect them for weeks, perhaps months, to come. We need psychological evaluations on all members of the bridge crew. And Jim. How he'd get Jim to cooperate with protocol, he did not know.
"I'm sorry," she said, wiping the last of her tears. "We have a job to do. It's time."
"No channels, Lt. Uhura. I wish to speak only to the bridge."
The general composure of the bridge crew was returning. He could not inspire with the charisma of Captain Kirk, but he would intelligently spur them on in a way to make them think of their captain and the mission at hand.
He did not need to gain the attention of the crew. All eyes were on him.
"We will honor the way Captain James T. Kirk has divulged to us his involvement of the famine and destruction on Tarsus IV. We will accomplish the mission given to the Enterprise, per Starfleet Command, with steadiness and ingenuity. May the mantra of Captain Kirk echo in your hearts- 'there are no no-win scenarios.' "
Spock stepped away from the center of the room, igniting the fervor of the crew he expected before as he left the Enterprise bridge crew for sickbay.
Time to regain the captain, if only for ten minutes.
Perhaps I misspoke.
Spock hated to be wrong. His errors, which had only occurred since he had met Jim, were for one reason- Jim.
Yet, he could not blame the captain for the disaster sickbay was. Nothing was his fault. Not one thing. Not one. His captain attracted difficulty, in plural form, with a peculiar ease.
Spock had been clear-headed enough to send Dr. Marcus out of the room before Jim had gotten completely uncontrollable. Spock had seen the looks Jim had given Dr. Marcus when he thought no one was looking. Observing the captain's continuing infatuation with her was nothing less than- fascinating. For that reason, Spock decided that Jim would not wish Dr. Marcus to be in harm's way, especially if it was of Jim's own doing.
Dr. Marcus had promptly claimed the items Dr. McCoy had been working on before she left. That swift action had saved them the loss of McCoy's hard work and testing which possibly could save Jim if the doctor could focus. And McCoy needed Jim out of his direct supervision. The time had come for that.
Which brought him back to the scene in sickbay when he returned from the bridge.
Jim stood, free of restraints, wildly scanning the room for escape. Dr. McCoy, talking slowly to Jim, stood between Jim and the only set of unlocked doors. The five of them, three security officers, Sulu, and Spock, had caused a chain reaction by coming in the room. Jim rushed at McCoy first, but Spock pushed the doctor out of the way. That earned Spock a fist in his eye and a few seconds on the ground. When he came to, Jim's aggressively attacked the security officers, one by one, with his performance showing an increase of 45.3% in both strength and speed.
Spock heard Dr. McCoy whisper in his comm for Uhura to come, by chance that Jim would listen to a familiar female voice. By the time Uhura arrived, two security officers were unconscious, Spock had been knocked down again, and Jim was .24% worn down from his fighting. In the struggle, Jim's shirts had been torn. Sulu, bent at the waist, breathed heavily but remained standing to guard the unlocked door. Spock pushed up from the floor beside the helmsman, giving him his phaser as secretly as possible.
Uhura moved in front of Spock and Sulu. From the corner where he was now hidden from Jim, Dr. McCoy silently prepped the hypo needed to stop the psychotropic drug momentarily. Spock motioned slightly with a hand to Sulu to wait.
"Jim, can you tell us what's wrong? Why are you fighting us?" Uhura inched towards him, cautiousness in each step. Jim cocked his head as she talked. Does he remember her?
"Who are you?"
"Uhura. I'm your friend."
"Were you rescued, too?
"Jim, I was rescued."
"I don't remember you, but I'm glad you were rescued." Jim's face slipped with confusion. "Who are you? Why are you coming near me? Stay away."
Uhura has distracted him. He is contemplating her words. Hold steady, Uhura.
"I'm sorry you are upset, Jim," Uhura calmly stated. "Will you tell us what is the matter?"
Jim frowned and shook his head, emotion heightening the blue of his eyes. "Why would you care?"
"Because we are your friends," she replied. Now, she was only within two steps of Jim. "Please, tell us."
McCoy was ready now. The other guard was alert to Spock's signal. Wait. They needed to give Uhura another moment.
"Friends," Jim spat. "They attacked me. That is not being friendly." His head jerked towards Spock.
"They are sorry."
"Too late." His lips pressed in a hard line. "I won't stay here, trapped in this room. I was trapped before, and whipped." His glare bore a hole through Spock's heart. His anguish pursues me, despite the lack of physical touch. My friend, let me help you.
"Please, let us help you." Uhura pleaded.
"No." Jim yelled, and turned sideways, a tentative but calculating look on his face. He is going to run.
"Please." Uhura reached for his arm. As soon as she touched his arm, he jerked it away.
"Don't touch me," he hissed in her face.
"I'm sorry, Jim," Uhura said.
"My mother was sorry, but she left me."
"Jim, we won't leave you."
"They all leave. Always." Jim's face flooded with anger as he sprang in the opposite direction, pulling down a biobed and a several pieces of equipment behind him.
"Now, Sulu!" Spock ran towards Jim, jumping over the blockade.
Jim kicked the door another time, breaking it. Sulu took the shot before Jim stepped out, dropping Jim heavily to the floor with the stun. Spock reached Jim's side as he attempted to get up.
Stay down, Jim.
"Security, cuff him now! Sulu!" Spock saw the desperation in Jim's eyes to flee. He did for a second time what Jim detested- administered the nerve pinch as hard as he could. Jim struggled and looked at Spock, clear hatred in his eyes. The others' weight helped force Jim down. He is alert and will be physically incapacitated for three more seconds.
"McCoy!"
Spock could no longer look at Jim. The hatred in Jim's eyes was as real as anything Spock had seen, yet it was not coming from the one who was his friend.
Dr. McCoy placed one hand on Jim's neck to steady the other as he administered the drug. Jim's body jerked but no one moved from their position.
They waited.