It was how McCoy asked it that made Uhura look at him and shake her head. In his eyes she saw what he was not saying. Very gently McCoy reached out and touched her cheek as he squeezed her hand again, "Jim has to know. He won't get here in time but he needs to know. Gainine is fatal to Vulcans if it gets into their blood. You saw his feet and heard what was in the pipes. With his few human factors in his blood this fight is all up to Spock. His human half will have to work double time and under the stress that gainine puts on the Vulcan body. I just do not think his human side wants to fight it, you saw how he was after that incident on the bridge. Without that human side working this may be beyond him this time. Jim should know. Can you get me him on a secure private line?"
"You, you," briefly she closed her eyes and McCoy saw her literally pull herself together, then she looked at him and he saw the total Communications Officer, "you tell him, I'll let the others know. Then I'll be in with Spock. He should know we are here and they are coming."
He also saw the deep pain about her eyes and knew only too well how she was feeling,"I will be back as soon as I am finished with Jim. I am not sure if Spock is even in a Vulcan healing trance but he will know you are there, that he is not alone. It is the best thing you can do for him now."
"When Commodore Fallet came aboard we were doing a routine survey while awaiting the annual maintenance check on the Enterprise. It was my understanding we were to take him from where he came aboard to Starbase Eight and that he was to be given control of the ship at for the journey as a farewell gesture after all his years of service. As it seemed a routine survey I saw nothing wrong with handing the ship over to him. I was also interested in seeing how he operated after hearing so much about his achievements."
"And what did you find, Captain?"
Kirk looked at the Admiral and then at Fallet, "That our approaches differ and our style of command is totally opposite."
"In what manner?"
"I view my command as something earned by my respect for the individuals who make up the crew, listening to their points of view, acknowledging their work and them knowing that my decision is fair but final. It would appear the Commodore's view is one of being near dictatorial. I also tend to look for a peaceful approach to a situation while Commodore Fallet is more confrontational. I prefer to try to talk to the opposing side while Commodore seems to want nothing to do with them."
"And how did your crew respond to the difference in command? What was the reaction of the bridge crew? And if there was any disagreement did you support your crew or Commodore Fallet?"
The intercom on Admiral Billings desk buzzed, "Excuse me, Sir. We have a call from Bannet Base for Captain Kirk, a Doctor Leonard McCoy, said it was private and urgent."
The Admiral indicated a communicator and Kirk picked it up, sure it was Bones saving him from more of the long session that got nowhere that he hated, and walked away from the others.
"Bones, thanks for getting me away from that. Being asked questions I am not ready to answer right now. How is it going? Had a glowing report yesterday."
"Now that sounds more like the Jim Kirk I'm friends with. Uhura will be pleased to know you are back."
"Bones, I am not sure just what happened with Fallet aboard. For years I had studied his ways, had been impressed by his exploits. I just somehow got so caught up in what he had done, I wanted to see how he did it, I wanted to experience it, I never really thought about how he did it. I decided to try it and I cannot fully explain it just yet, but I must have become trapped in the whole role."
"I've wanted to give you a full medical for weeks and will when we get back. I have had some concerns I will discuss with you then. At least you sound more like you."
"I have had some thoughts about it too that I will discuss with you once I get some answers. I owe all of you a huge apology. My gods, Bones, how will I face Spock? He said anything?" It suddenly occurred to him that McCoy had mentioned Uhura but not Spock. He remembered what he had read about gainine and Vulcans.
"Jim," there was a strange almost apologetic tone to McCoy's voice that Kirk had seldom heard.
For a moment Kirk knew he had been holding his breath, he had felt a chill slowly sweep through his body, chased along with the image of when he had seen his Vulcan friend last and the last things he had said to him. .Almost in a whisper he asked, "Bones, what is it? This, this isn't just a friendly call is it?"
"There was an explosion at the hospital annex where our accommodation was."
"Spock?" Kirk put a hand out against the wall to steady himself as he again saw that deeply hurt that Spock gave him when he had told him to clearly remembered their last encounter, his last words. You are nothing to me but an insubordinate subordinate officer, stay the hell out of my life.
"Uhura and I were trapped on part of the building that was slowly collapsing and Spock came and saved us but in saving us he got infected by gainine." Kirk heard McCoy take two deep breaths, "Dammit, he's dying, Jim. Gainine is fatal to Vulcans. There is nothing, nothing I can do. He is slowly bleeding out in front of me, in front of us, and I can't do a damned thing to stop it."
"What do you need? I can have it there in," Kirk's mind started planning how to get out of the meetings and to Spock.
"Jim." McCoy's voice cut into his planning, "Jim, listen to me. You have to listen and understand me, Jim. You listen to me. He is going to die. Spock is going to die. Jim, Spock would be dead before you could get here. We both know he would not want you to rush out of a debriefing when there is nothing you can do about the outcome. We both know he would be right in calling it illogical. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, you or I or anybody else can do about it. Now maybe his human half could have mounted a fight but that part of him was so badly battered and shattered over the last few weeks I am not sure it can or even wants to fight any more. At warp six it takes five days to get here and he'll bleed out in three, three and a half at the most, at his present rate. We thought you should know. Both of us will be with him, Uhura is with him now."
"Bones, I'm on my way. You just keep him,"
"Jim, I can't. I am so sorry, Jim, but that's beyond me this time. He got infected while saving us. Cut his feet on a broken drainage pipe from the labs getting us out. It got right into his blood and the exertion of the rescue saw massive amounts of toxins carried in his blood far faster throughout his whole body than would usually have occurred. His body is under-going a chain-reaction cellular breakdown that is typical of gainine in Vulcans." For a moment McCoy was quiet then with a bit of annoyance in his voice his said, "That damned Vulcan reminded me that I had given my word not to argue with his decisions. He was safe. He would've known what was in that pipe. He would've known he had to get both of us at once, in one attempt, as there would not be time for a second try. He would've known gainine is fatal to Vulcans if it gets in their blood. Dammit, the last thing he said to me, to us, was to relax and trust him." There was silence.
"Bones?" Kirk realized McCoy was starting to ramble, a sure sign of the helplessness he was feeling.
"Jim, I can't. I, I can't help him, I can't keep him with us. I'm not sure if he's fighting. I think the events of the last few weeks took the will to fight from him. I can keep him as comfortable as possible but that is all. I'll tell him you're coming but I doubt if he's aware of the situation or anything for that matter. Gainine takes different twists and turns as it slowly kills the patient but I have found no record of any Vulcan surviving even a mild gainine infection. He got us across a chasm and collapsed. I can't do anything to help him." For a moment there was silence then Kirk heard regret and loathing in his friend's voice, "I never told him but the blasted Vulcan should have known I've always trusted him."
This time the silence was longer then Kirk heard McCoy let out a long breath, "Fallet better never, never get near me, Jim. At the moment I would kill him in ways no sentient life form should be killed for causing all this, later I may simply only cause him permanent physical limitations and extreme discomfort. In time I will most likely forgive you for what you put Spock through while Fallet was there and what you said and did to him but I will never forgive Fallet. I have to get back to Spock and you have the debriefing. I just thought you should know what has happened and that he will not be alone. You best get back to your meeting. "
"Just tell Spock I'm coming, can you do that for me? Tell him, tell him I, tell him I, I,"
"I know, Jim, I know and I will tell him. I'm so sorry. Just know I'll do my best to ensure he won't be in pain and know that he will not be alone, Uhura and I will be with him all the time, all the way. McCoy out."
For a long time he just stood looking at the communicator in his hand. Then closed his eyes to stop the tears that threatened to come. McCoy had not said it but Kirk had heard it. If Spock died he was largely responsible. He had all but destroyed the human part of his friend. Gradually he felt the methods Spock had taught him over the years calming him, clearing his head. Spock. The last look Spock had seen in his eyes had been contempt and anger. The last thing Spock had heard from him was to stay the hell out of his life and it had been said with so much unbridled fury and venom. And that rage he had felt. That rage he had felt on the bridge and unleashed on Spock was because of Fallet. If anybody had asked him how he was not so certain he would not have known what to say but he knew Fallet was the cause of how he had acted.
"Puppet, puppet, puppet." The word echoed. Fallet had said he liked his Firsts to be like puppets and that was what he had been. A puppet and Fallet had somehow ensured it. Fallet had used him like a puppet of that Kirk was sure but he needed proof. No, he wanted proof. Everything in him was certain that somehow Fallet had controlled him but he needed proof as to how. They had seen it on various planets, the populous largely puppets to some megalomaniac who used may ways to condition them to believe in his or her rules. Fallet would have also have seen it but not seen the evil in it, only the control and power.
A question stirred at the back of his mind, what would he do if the tests proved Fallet had been drugging him? If it was proved he had been drugged by Fallet would his crew really understand, would they truly accept an apology after all he had said and done to them? If Fallet had drugged him and Spock died… No. He could not, would not accept that. He had to get back in there, get it over with and somehow get to Spock. Quarantine be damned! He would get to Spock.