Hours had passed, and the three men were playing poker on Dr. McCoy's hospital tray table. So far, it was Scotty who was winning. They had made a bet that whoever won the game, that person got to be in command of the Enterprise for one week, and the losers had to the winner's job…unless Captain Kirk were to win.

"Yah deal, Mr. Spock," Scotty spoke, scanning his cards carefully.

Spock thought for a minute than lay in a chip of his.

Captain Kirk gave a certain look at Spock's move.

"You sure you wish to make such a move, Mr. Spock?" Captain Kirk questioned, sly.

"Captain, based off the cards I have, the ones laid before me, and the probability of the one's in the deck that remain, I am confident with my move." Spock answered.

"Mr. Spock, yah make even card games sound scientific." Scotty commented.

Spock nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Scott," Spock answered.

Scotty scanned his cards, again, then turned to face Captain Kirk. Captain Kirk rubbed his chin with his fingers, as he scanned all of his cards and remaining chips, deciding on what move to make. Captain Kirk chose a card and lay it down on the table.

"Scotty, I believe it's your turn." Captain Kirk replied.

Scotty nodded and was about to make his move, when Dr. Sarell knocked on the open door.

"Can I come in, men?" Dr. Sarell questioned.

The three Starfleet officers turned to look at Dr. Sarell, then lay their cards face up on the table and rose.

"Good evening, Dr. Sarell," Captain Kirk stated.

"As to you, Captain Kirk," Dr. Sarell commented.

Dr. Sarell entered with three other Vulcan doctors with him.

"Who are they, sir," Scotty questioned.

"These are the doctors I told you of yesterday evening. This is Dr. Srynn, Dr. Scaptak, and Dr. Serana." Dr. Sarell answered.

Spock gave his Vulcan greeting to the three new doctors, as they responded with the same greeting. Captain Kirk and Scotty made an attempt to try doing the Vulcan salute, but had trouble getting their ring finger and pinkie to cooperate with them. They eventually just decided to stop and wave. The three doctors acknowledged them by nodding to them.

"Gentlemen, this is the man I spoke to you over the computer about." Dr. Sarell spoke, speaking to the three doctors. Dr. Srynn proceeded towards Dr. McCoy and examined him with gentle hands. Captain Kirk began approaching towards Dr. McCoy, worried Dr. Srynn was hurting him, when Spock looked over at him and gave him a certain look. Captain Kirk ceased approaching any further and went back to standing next to Scotty.

Dr. Srynn nodded and 'hmmmm' ed.

"75% brain damage, am I correct?" Dr. Srynn questioned.

"Correct, Srynn," Dr. Sarell answered.

"Quite a bit, don't you think?" Dr. Scaptak replied.

"Yes, Scaptak, but nothing too unfamiliar to us." Dr. Srynn answered.

"Can you help him," Captain Kirk muttered, softly.

Dr. Srynn glanced up at Captain Kirk and was silent for a while before answering.

"I will do everything I can, sir." Dr. Srynn answered.

"Please, call me Jim," Captain Kirk answered.

Dr. Srynn nodded and saw Spock standing at the foot of Dr. McCoy's bedside.

"Mr. Spock, I see you are acquainted with these men." Dr. Srynn answered.

"These three men are my friends on the Enterprise, yes." Spock replied.

"Who's the other guy, the one in red?" Dr. Serana asked.

"Just call me Scotty, men," Scotty answered, softly.

The three Vulcan doctors nodded. Dr. Srynn rose from examining Dr. McCoy and turned to Dr. Sarell.

"Have you given him the rhoxyribune narcastipschy?" Dr. Srynn questioned.

"Early this morning, Srynn. I was just going to see how far along it was." Dr. Sarell answered.

Dr. Srynn nodded.

"Proceed," Dr. Srynn spoke.

Dr. Sarell approached Dr. McCoy and scanned his brain with the highly advanced medical tricorder and began taking readings. Dr. Sarell nodded and looked up at Captain Kirk, Spock, and Scotty.

"It's gone through quite a bit of brain matter, so far. If it keeps this up, your friend should be ready for the next vaccine, tomorrow morning." Dr. Sarell answered.

"The one that will replace his old dead brain cells with new living ones?" Scotty replied.

"Correct," Dr. Sarell answered.

Captain Kirk nodded.

"Thank you, Dr. Sarell, and good evening to your colleagues." Captain Kirk spoke, softly.

The four Vulcan doctors nodded and left the men alone.

Scotty glanced over at the table and gave a smile.

"Hey; looks like I've won," Scotty spoke, with a smile.

Spock looked down and nodded.

"It does appear so, Mr. Scott," Spock responded.

"Oh no, that means I have to work in Engineering?" Captain Kirk spoke, worried.

"Both you and I, Captain," Spock replied.

"I have no idea how to work machines, though." Captain Kirk replied.

"Mr. Spock will show yah, I'm sure." Scotty remarked, proud of his victory.

Captain Kirk looked over at Dr. McCoy and frowned. He approached him, sat down in his chair, and grabbed a hold of Dr. McCoy's hand.

Spock noticed and walked to the other side of Dr. McCoy's bed and sat down in front of Captain Kirk.

"I can't stand seeing like him like this…I wanna scream just looking at him." Captain Kirk muttered.

Spock nodded.

"I understand, Captain; I'm not exactly comfortable with Dr. McCoy like this, either." Spock commented.

"Well, who would be; what did McCoy ever do to anyone to deserve such an awful thing to happen to him?" Scotty cried.

"Nothing, Mr. Scott…which makes matters, especially to you two, much worse than they need to be." Spock answered.

"I just wish there was some way of communicating with him…just so I knew that he can hear us and know how much we miss him and want him to get well and come back to us." Captain Kirk sadly spoke.

"Captain…there is one thing I may be able to do to satisfy us enough, until we know what the outcomes for Dr. McCoy are." Spock spoke.

"What, Spock,"

"There is a mind meld I can do on Dr. McCoy. It won't fix his brain damage, but be able to find out which parts of his brain are still functioning and possibly figure out how much work is needed to be done in order for Dr. McCoy to recover."

"Yah serious, Mr. Spock," Scotty cried.

"Yes, Mr. Scott," Spock answered. "Though I will need absolute silence to do so. This is quite a complicated mind meld to perform, especially for Vulcans who are not trained or perform often." Spock replied.

Captain Kirk nodded.

"Do it, Spock…it may be our only way to know how close we are of getting Bones back." Captain Kirk softly spoke.

Spock nodded and turned to look at Dr. McCoy. Spock gently took his fingers to Dr. McCoy's head and placed them were none of the electrodes were measuring brain activity. Spock began saying something in Vulcan, which sounded like some sort of magic spell. Spock eventually became silent and had entered into Dr. McCoy's brain.