"Captain! I have someone in the Jeffries tube, they canny stand the radiation!" Kirk cut the comms to Scotty and opened one to the sickbay. "This is Captain Kirk to sickbay, medical emergency on deck four." Standing Kirk caught Spock's eye, the two men running from the bridge.
As soon as Kirk had heard that someone was in there he knew he couldn't just wait on the bridge to find out what the hell was going on. The nacelles were one of the most dangerous areas of the ship, the policies and processes associated with any work being undertaken were so stringent that an accident hadn't occurred on any Galaxy class ship for several years.
"What the hells happened down there Spock?" Kirk asked the rhetorical question as they rode the turbolift down, as the door swished open he locked eyes with McCoy who was coming from the other direction. Silently they made their way to the bay, Kirk saw Scotty first, his head peering through the window of the access hatch. A Lieutenant was watching aghast the readings fluctuate, presumably inside the Jefferies tube and Lieutenant Commander Lucignano was stood watching, arms crossed.
"Scotty!" Kirk finally shouted, making his way towards him. "Who's in there?" Peering through the window he saw Lees on the floor, her hand desperately reaching for the hypospray. "Shit." He had to look away, he could feel his emotions threatening to run over.
"It's Lees Captain, we canny go in yet!" Scotty's face was devastated, McCoy went to the console, standing by the Lieutenant who was in tears.
"Three more minutes before the hatch will open Jim." The Doctor stated as he came back over, "Has she taken the hypo?" He asked Scotty.
"I dunna think she can?" Scotty rubbed his hands over his face roughly and paced the floor. McCoy peered through the window himself, the woman was lying on the floor facing away from him, her breathing short and shallow. He spotted the hypospray in her hand but he could see that it hadn't been used. He pressed the button by the side of the hatch that opened a comms channel to the chamber.
"Lieutenant! Lieutenant, can you hear me?!" McCoy's voice was loud and commanding. "Lieutenant Lees, you need to get up and get that damned hypo in your neck now!" Kirk couldn't just stand and watch, his strides brought him to stand in front of Lucignano.
"Lieutenant Commander. What happened?" His voice was low and tight, Lucignano seemed to snap out of his day dream and look at the Captain blankly.
"Sir?"
"Lieutenant Commander. Report. Now!" Kirk repeated, Lucignano blinked slowly and then shaking his head muttered an apology and left the bay. Kirk looked to Spock, "Mister Spock, make sure he's confined to his quarters." Turning back to McCoy and Scott, he recognised the beeping sound of the decontamination system coming to an end. McCoy was in the chamber before the door had fully opened, grabbing the hypo he stuck it into her neck.
"JIM! Give me a hand." McCoy shouted out to Kirk.
"Scotty, I want to know exactly what happened here, do you understand?" Kirk instructed his Chief Engineer.
"Aye Captain." Scotty nodded furiously, and then looking one last time at Lees on the ground in the chamber went over to the still crying Lieutenant. Kirk crouched into the chamber and watched as McCoy pulled the unconscious Corriene onto her back.
"How long was she exposed?" Kirk asked, seeing the tell tale signs of radiation burns on her exposed skin.
"I don't know, she mustn't have been in the Jeffries tube for the full nacelle power up, the woman had had the good sense of getting into the entry chamber." McCoy was scanning Corriene's body as he spoke, scowling at the readings.
"How do you know that?" Kirk asked confused.
"Because she'd be dead." McCoy quickly put his kit away and motioned to Kirk to help him carry her out of the chamber. It all went by in a blur to Kirk, carrying her out onto the med bed, watching the Nurses and McCoy whisk her away and then being left in the bay on his own. It was then that he felt it, in the pit of his stomach a bubbling anger.
"Captain Kirk to Commander Spock."
"Yes Captain?"
"I want to Lieutenant Commander Lucignano in my ready room, now."
Corriene peeled her eyes open, she felt horrendous. Her back was aching and all she wanted to do was turn on her side and go back to sleep but the incessant beeping and nearby chatting of the Nurses prevented her wish coming true. She then heard a familiar laugh.
"I've never seen someone pull so many different faces in their sleep!" Evans took his friend's hand and squeezed it.
"It's so noisy in here." Her voice was raspy and soft.
"It's quiet in here, you're just not feeling your best. Not surprising really." Corriene picked up on the anger in his last remark, running her fingers through her hair which only resulted in it becoming a voluminous bouffant of curls and spirals she sat herself up and sleepily looked at Evans.
"What happened?" She finally asked, Evans exhaled slowly and shook his head.
"The nacelles were powered up."
"Yes I know that, I had to practically freefall from the top of the Jefferies tube, why were they powered up?" Corriene watched the mix of emotions pass over Evans face. "What?" She took his other hand in hers again. "Ben? What happened?"
"It was Lucignano, he ignored the clearance process and ordered the power up." She felt sick, she instantly felt like she was going to throw up. Putting her head between her knees Evans was up in a second rubbing her back. Her muffled words reached his ears a second later.
"Was he trying to kill me? Does he know?"
"I don't know Corriene, I don't know? I spoke to Lieutenant Zyla, she said he didn't ask if anybody was in there, she doesn't think he did know, he just wanted to get the engines back online quickly to impress the Captain. He's an idiot Corriene!" Corriene scoffed in response.
"That's an understatement!" Her head was still between her knees, the floating spots in her vision not yet disappeared.
"I should never have left." Evans shook his head angrily.
"What the hell are you doing to my patient Crewman?!" The booming voice made both Corriene and Evans snap their heads up.
"Nothing." Evans answered defensively, McCoy just arched his eyebrow at the man and with a heavy hand on his shoulder directed Evans towards the door.
"Visiting hours are over Crewman, let the Lieutenant get some rest." Corriene's head was spinning. "How you feeling Lieutenant?" She looked up at the CMO, his eyes focussed on the apparatus he was holding in front of her face.
"Like shit." She replied reflexively.
"I'm not surprised, you've been cooked up like a pot roast." The mention of food made her stomach rumble, she was really really hungry.
"How long was I out?" Another contraption was now being waved across her chest.
"Ninety six hours."
"Ninety six hours!"
"That's what I said Lieutenant, we had to repair every cell in your body, I'm a Doctor not a miracle worker!" Corriene settled down and gave him a wonky smile.
"Thank you Doctor McCoy." All she got back in return was a dismissive wave, she wasn't really expecting anything more.
Kirk had gone to see her, he'd walked in and seen her holding hands with that Crewman he'd seen her with before, he'd spun on his heel and left. He didn't know why but seeing this woman he hardly knew with someone else had made him feel uncomfortable, angry, jealous? That night in the rec room he couldn't get her out of his head, her face would look back at him, fidgeting and contorting with humour and wit. It was a hopeless case, she was with somebody. He was a Bastard but he wasn't a fucking Bastard.
Sitting and listening to the review Corriene couldn't help but grimace, after she was discharged from Sickbay and put on two weeks R&R she'd learnt from Evans that Lucignano had been reduced to the rank of Lieutenant and a note put on his permanent record. The man was sat opposite her and hadn't looked at her once. What hurt her most was seeing his reaction on the audio-visual when he was informed that she was still in there, he'd done nothing.
Sitting knowing that he was stealing and selling data from the Enterprise, putting the entire crew's lives in danger and profiting from it she couldn't help wonder how much of what had happened had been an accident? He could very well of worked out that somebody was on to him, or he simply periodically checked. It wouldn't have taken a genius to see that her name appeared on the rota for that area of databanks on a regular basis.
He'd sent Evans to the transporter room, he'd ignored standard protocol. Pressing her lips together until they were a pale pink she tried to focus on the sound of Spock's voice.
"Any recommendations Commander Scott?" Kirk asked, watching Corriene intently. It was the first time he'd spoken to her since before the accident and she was scarily quiet. Her eyes weren't dancing and her lips never twitched in annoyance or enquiry.
"Aye Sir, they're all in my report."
"Lieutenant Lees, do you have anything to add?" Kirk asked gently, Corriene looked at him mutely.
"No Sir." It was barely a whisper, Kirk's anger grew once more.
"Alright everybody, thank you for your time." Lucignano bolted from the room and as Scotty walked past Corriene he gave her shoulder a good squeeze. Corriene herself began walking from the room. "Lieutenant Lees, a moment please." Kirk asked. When they were alone he gestured for her to take the seat next to him.
"Are you alright Lieutenant?" He asked her, concern lacing his voice.
"Yes Sir, it's just… I wasn't prepared for how emotional I would feel watching the footage Sir. I apologise." She smiled at him wonkily which made Kirk smile back.
"Don't apologise Lees, it's perfectly understandable. Look, I've instructed Scotty to make sure you and Lucignano won't happen to end up working together anytime soon."
"Oh no Captain, please that isn't necessary, I wouldn't mind if…" Kirk held his hand up and she stopped talking.
"Lees, I'm telling you, you won't be working with that man again. If I had my way he'd be off the ship already." Corriene looked into his eyes, they were soft and compassionate and sparkled with little gold specs.
"Thank you Sir." She pulled her gaze away from him, suddenly feeling awkward. Kirk cleared his throat and sat back.
"Um, do you have um… somebody keeping you company?" She could tell he was nervous, it was a side of him she hadn't seen before. She wondered what the cause was.
"I've got some books to catch up on." Kirk nodded enthusiastically in response which made her scrunch up her nose in amusement, he was acting very peculiarly. "And my friend has been coming to see me." She added.
"Your friend?"
"Crewman Evans Sir?" His face contemplated the name and then he nodded again.
"You're friends?" She was taken aback by the question, she could feel her cheeks blushing.
"Yes Sir?" His face was turning the same colour pink, the whole thing was very bizarre.
"Of course of course, well, I won't keep you any longer Lieutenant. Good to see you on your feet." With a curt okay Kirk left, leaving Corriene with a headache.
3 Months Later
Corriene's high cheekbones came from her Great Grandmother on her Mother's side, so her Auntie told her. She had been a very successful Hong Kongese woman who practiced Law and raised six children. The blue eyes came from her Father, a German Carpenter. Her parents had met when they were four, living next to each other they played out every day until one rainy afternoon, her Mother was told they were moving. Sally Miller cried the entire nine hour journey to their new home and for the subsequent five years until she was finally with Jürgen Lees again at College. Corriene had loved her parents, had loved growing up in a house filled with affection and happiness. After the death of his Wife, Jürgen lost his spark, Corriene spent the last few years of his life taking care of him.
When she was eighteen she'd gone on holiday with some friends, camping in the wilderness. They'd taken no phones or communication devices so when she broke her arm it was three days before they could get help, after that her friends would call her Cookie (as in one tough).
She'd had a boyfriend called Sam for five years, until one day he turned up at her flat and told her he was leaving for the Alpha Quadrant. After that she hadn't bothered all that much, a few dates here and there but nothing serious. She figured it would all work out in the end.
"So, he finally popped the question I see?!" Corriene was smiling from ear to ear, grabbing Emily's hand and looking over the sparkly stone on her ring finger.
"I didn't have much choice in the matter." Evans grumbled, rolling his eyes at the two giggling women.
"That's enough of that." Emily swotted his arm. "He was very romantic." She told Corriene sincerely.
"Well I can't say how happy I am for you both." Raising her glass Corriene made a toast, the clinking of glasses catching the attention of the other crew members and Officers in the Rec room. A spontaneous round of applause erupted and Corriene couldn't help but laugh at her friend's mortified faces.
"I'm not interrupting am I?" Corriene turned to see Kirk standing next to her, the air in her chest caught in her throat.
"No of course not Captain." Emily answered pleasantly, looking between Corriene and Kirk knowingly.
"I just wanted to pass on my congratulations." Kirk shook Evans' hand firmly and gave Emily a very chivalrous kiss on her cheek.
"Thank you Captain, thank you." Evans answered.
"Well, we have to get going, we've both got early shifts in the morning. Goodnight Cookie." Corriene stared at Emily in horror as she watched her drag Evans away and leave her standing awkwardly next to Kirk. She gave him a tight lipped smiled and took a swig of her drink.
"Cookie?" Kirk finally asked.
"An old nickname." She explained, almost apologetically.
"It's very cute." Corriene instinctively scrunched up her face, suddenly remembering why she had hated it so much. Kirk must have seen her reaction because he offered up an apology.
"No it's okay, it wasn't meant to be cute, it's as in 'Tough Cookie'." She had no idea why she was telling him this but he was listening and a part of her didn't want him to leave.
"Ah I see, well I can attest to that." Laughing easily Kirk rested against the bar. "How are you Lees?" He asked as he took a sip of his own drink.
"Me? I'm great! You?" It came out a little aggressive.
"Good, good." Kirk replied, "Commander Scott mentioned that you're a little quieter these days, is everything alright?" Corriene felt very at ease with Kirk, his eyes were sincere and his voice soothing.
"I guess I'm wondering how many of my nine lives I have left." She answered jokingly, Kirk laughed as well when her eyes went wide as she spoke.
"That makes two of us! You shouldn't lose that part of you Lees, it's what makes you an excellent Officer plus I hear you really keep the morale up down there." Corriene's eye's glistened in response.
"You're right Captain, thanks for the pep talk!" Holding out her hand Kirk took it and they shook firmly.
"Anytime." Corriene wondered whether or not it was the right time to tell him about her suspicions surrounding Lucignano and the stolen data, opening her mouth she second guessed herself and quickly closed it, crossing her eyes at her own stupidity she ran her fingers through her hair.
"What was that?!" Kirk laughed, seeing the whole emotional reaction unfold.
"What was what?" She asked self-consciously.
"I don't know, has anybody ever told you you'd be terrible at poker!" Kirk was still smiling, he found her peculiarity mesmerising.
"Yes actually, a number of times!" She knew she should make her excuse to leave, she was enjoying the man's company far too much and her stomach was filling with butterflies, she was smart enough to know when she was getting herself into a bad situation and this was a bad situation. "I must be going Captain, thank you for the words of encouragement." She watched his smile falter, he was disappointed she was leaving? Impulsively she reached her arms out and wrapped them round his neck giving him a quick hug, it was only when she felt him tense that she immediately knew she'd made a mistake. The mix of a casual atmosphere, a couple of drinks and her forgetting who she was talking to had led to a very awkward situation. "Sorry Captain." She grimaced. Kirk was still flustered, the feel of her round his neck had been wonderful.
"I…err…it's fine Lees…" She didn't trust herself to say anything else so bolted from the room leaving behind a very confused, aroused and amused James T Kirk.
Thanks for reading, I hope you're still enjoying it as much as I am writing it?! Let me know what you think :-) XOXO LLAP
