"I suspected." Kirk said as he nodded.

"Knew what?" McCoy suddenly felt left out of something important, although he had a sickening feeling he knew what they were referring to.

"He knew, Doctor, that Walker set the transmitter to my code as he, Walker, did not believe he would be alive when help arrived."

Both Kirk and McCoy looked at each other, they had both silently thought that was the reason but had not voiced it. Finally Kirk looked at his Vulcan friend, "Did he say so?"

"Not in such a straightforward way," Spock looked from Kirk to McCoy then back at Kirk and made sure he was looking into those welcoming hazel eyes, "He said "They'll come for you.", meaning me. He did not say us. Jim, he did not expect to be alive when we were found yet he was so certain that I would be found alive."

"I am fairly sure that Scotty felt the same way when he told me of the transmitter."

"He told you?"

"No, not in words but the look he gave me when he told me it was Walker's transmitter but your signal and that he would set it and given it to you."

"They are friends, I have been fortunate to see their friendly relationship while I worked with them. So often they would not have to say anything to know what the other wanted, so many times they would finish each other's sentences."

"And so many times he helped Scotty back to the ship after Scotty had been to some engineering talkfest where he had enjoyed a bit too much liquid refreshment." McCoy shook his head. "I can remember five occasions when I met Jim and Scotty down in the Transporter Room where he was supporting both of them in an attempt to get them to their quarters unnoticed by crew and he was covered in what one or both had regurgitated but acted as though it, and the stench, was nothing unusual.

Momentarily Kirk looked away as he vaguely remembered those times and how he had never thanked Walker for getting them back to the ship not apologized for being sick on him. He remembered how cunningly Walker had managed to get them both passed security where they would have been stopped and their slight inebriation would have been on their records. He looked back at Spock, "I will come back, you need to rest. I have a few things to take care of and then I'll be back, later. You need to rest," he could see the protest in his friend and gently put a hand on his shoulder, "and I do not want any protesting as we both know you need it."

When Kirk returned to the main briefing room he was somewhat surprised to see Officer Ganner waiting for him. As he entered Ganner stood, "Lieutenant Uhura said I was to report to you here, Sir."

Silently Kirk thanks his Communications Officer and wondered if all his close bridge crew could read him so well. Over the years they had given every indication that they could. "Thank you for coming, I just need to clarify a few things about what your role was during the events evacuating that station."

"I believe I more than admirably fulfilled my duties."

"Yes, I saw that and have had reports from other officers as well as evacuees as to your actions. There were just one or two seemingly minor things that I needed clarification on."

"I recall all the events I was involved in, Sir."

Kirk sat back in his seat and looked at the man. The man had great potential if only he was not so arrogant and got on better with all the crew. What Kirk wanted to know most was what was not shown in his report; there was just what Spock would call insufficient information. Looking right at the man Kirk said, "Okay, tell me what you observed, said, and did from the time we beamed down."

"It was all in my report, Sir."

"All?"

"Yes, Sir, all that happened was reported." Despite himself Kirk smiled as he could envisage Spock raising an eyebrow at the world 'all'.

"Then can you tell me if one of the evacuees incorrect in stating that you sent Officer Dint to assist her with her family? Did you or did you not assist with clearing the Medical Facility?" Kirk could see that Ganner was uncomfortable with the questions, "And what led you to believe there was an officer trapped under rubble at the other end of the beach from where we were?"

"I, Sir, I did not see them as at all noteworthy. The woman needed and got help, just about everybody was assisting to clear the Medical Facility, and I cannot remember how I found out that an officer could be trapped."

"So you passed on important information like that without remembering who told you? Do you recall if the person was an officer or a civilian?"

"It would have been a civilian, Sir, as I would have remembered if it were either of the two remaining junior officers."

There it was again, the supremacy talking. Junior officers and not fellow officers. Ganner was, on the record, of the same rank as both Dint and Walker. "I believe you will find that both Officer Dint and Officer Walker are the same rank as yourself and yet you refer to them as junior officers, is there any reason for that?"

"No disrespect toward either man was intended, Sir. It is just that I have had far more experience than either of them have had on different ships. I have been on more landing parties than either of them; I have more experience so therefore I am more senior."

There was that smug look about the man again and Kirk simply asked, "Are you aware of how many landing parties Officer Walker has been on?"

"Yes, Sir. Officer Walker has been on twenty-seven and Officer Dint on eighteen. I have been on thirty-nine including this most recent one."

Kirk nodded and looked directly into Ganner's eyes, "And how many emergency beam downs has Officer Walker done?"

A/N Too wet and cold this afternoon to be out in the yard planting the vegetables so thought I would retype another few chapters. Enjoy.