Author's Note: I was truly overwhelmed by your comments...and relieved that I did not press delete because I see that I would have upset quite a few readers! Thank you for pausing in your day to write those reviews. It really encouraged me. :-) A few of you had questions...and some I've replied with a message. If there are others, I'll just let subsequent chapters answer them.

Oh, I will answer one guest reviewer's question: Jim is technically Re'an (at least right now in the Re'an's eyes if they were alive) because they themselves accepted him as one, etc. But...I will not say that's my final answer because of what's next.

Please note that the middle scene in this chapter is Jim's present POV in his catatonic state, as his mind is mixing what truly happened with manifestations provoked by the Re'an meld. The Re'an child's thoughts are bolded.

Also, this chapter reveals something I've been wanting to explore for a long time! More notes on that at the bottom.

Thank you, DLB48, for always going above and beyond with beta reading! It makes such a difference and gives me the inspiration to improve and work harder - thank you!

The doors opened to his office, but McCoy sat at his desk with his head in his hands, staring at the numbers before him, a third cup of coffee at his fingertips. He didn't have to look up to know who his visitor was. The Enterprise crew had begun shore leave the previous day after Spock deemed it safe to beam to an unpopulated planet in a star system near Re'an V. McCoy knew very well the commander's decision was not a coincidence. It provided an excuse for the command crew to continue working on Jim's case, without a mission in place and with Spock's mind on Jim, where it naturally stayed, instead of straying elsewhere.

"Mr. Scott has informed me the prototype glove for the captain's hand is almost ready."

McCoy looked up suddenly. That was ahead of schedule and the piece of good news he needed to begin his day. "He worked all night, didn't he?"

Spock gave a clipped nod. "Most diligently."

"Good." McCoy sighed. "I will feel better once Jim's hand is fitted and manipulated with this device. He's too quiescent, even though the therapist is working with him daily. His muscle mass already..." McCoy stopped. Spock's face had paled. "The meld's affects. You still feel them?"

"Yes," Spock said, stretching the one word into a tightly held string ready to be plucked.

McCoy considered this in silence, wanting to raise a question to Spock but not desiring to press the commander when he was clearly not feeling like himself.

"Proceed, doctor." Spock said stiffly.

"Spock, is it at all possible that a bond now exists between you two and you are simply not aware of it yet? And this is why you have not recovered quickly?"

Spock blinked. "That possibility did occur to me, although it was not my intention during any of the three melds with Jim."

"If it exists, even unintentionally, could ya use it to drag Jim out of this mess?"

"I do not have sufficient data to give you a logical answer, doctor." Fatigue laced Spock's words. "As I have said before, the Re'an barrier in his mind is formidable."

"It has been three days since that last meld, Spock. Have ya been able to meditate? Sleep at all?"

Spock remained silent.

"I'm giving you a sedative tonight, Spock," McCoy scowled.

"It is not unusual to continue to feel effects, but..." Spock hesitated. "I do not think I will know with certainty whether a bond exists if or until the Re'an barrier in his mind has dissolved."

"We must continue to talk to him, and I don't mean just you or me or Uhura. Everyone, Spock."

"All crewmembers of the Enterprise, as well as Soona?"

"If it will bring him back, yes. He needs to hear for himself that we didn't leave him behind." It was the only thing that made sense in McCoy's mind. If the melds were not a plausible choice and neither were any other manipulations of Jim's brain, they had to depend on one truth - that Jim Kirk would never give up. There was fight in him somewhere.

Spock stood, hands clasped behind his back. "Jim believes Dr. Jahnas to be dead. Is it wise to subject him to her at this time?"

Although it was a valid question, McCoy was too tired to admit he agreed with the Vulcan and question that very idea himself. McCoy straightened, a pensive look on his face. "I don't know. I think...if he feared her death, then he may care for her beyond friendship. It could come as a shock to him, but he isn't reacting to anything now, now not even to my touch because of his condition, so it may be alright. We won't know until we try."

"He believes you to be angry with him."

"Yeah, and before he lost his sense of touch his heart rate increased each time I touched him," McCoy didn't bother to hide his worry. "He's possibly frightened, Spock. Of me."

Spock arched a brow. "That fluctuation is not a precise indicator of his particular emotions. I am referring to what I saw in the meld."

"It means something, Spock." McCoy then backtracked. "And...maybe we should wait to involve Dr. Jahnas. Seeing her alive will only bring up questions from Jim once he is out of this state...questions we cannot answer yet. It would be too overwhelming."

"That is a logical decision. Lieutenant Uhura would like the opportunity to sit with the captain again."

McCoy stood, grabbing his PADD in a single sweep. It was early for his shift, but he had no time to waste and made his way to the captain's private room in sickbay with Spock close behind. "Good. We can start with others from the senior crew after that."

Spock nodded. "She is already on her way. She also feels it is imperative to speak with you as soon as possible."

"Oh?" McCoy swallowed, entering Jim's room ahead of Spock. "Why is that?"

"She theorizes that the Re'an melds exert far more influence than simply the transfer of memories. We have observed this too, in the way that Jim's brain reacts to the falsified ones. The Re'ans may, in fact, transfer the very characteristics of their species through the meld and thus modify and mold the subject's will. In his weakened state, Jim would be most impressionable and his mind would be most susceptible to the alien influence." The commander folded himself into a chair in a corner of Jim's room. "She has calculated the influence of such a meld and projected patterns that Jim's thoughts and behaviors would exhibit. She would like to present them to you, as she has presented them already to me."

A nurse was in the process of replacing the IV fluids, and McCoy could see on the monitors that Jim was waking up for the day. Still, he paused and gave the commander his full attention.

"He's not going to act like a captain, our captain, is he?" A new hollow place carved in McCoy's heart.

"She believes that may be the case, yes. Logic dictates that we must be prepared for this possibility and plan our interactions with Jim accordingly." Spock's gaze locked with his. "To put it bluntly, doctor, we must assume that Jim will not be thinking and acting as a human, but as a Re'an."

"Dammit," McCoy whispered, instantly trying to shake the disturbing thought from his mind before it shook him.

Jim began to awaken. McCoy spoke softly to the still-unresponsive captain, but stopped short when Jim's eyes opened. Jim's eyes were clouded, but for the first time there was a hint of another color -peach.

Spock lurched from his chair. "Dr. McCoy."

"I know." Despite his worry, which had now quadrupled or maybe multiplied by a thousand, McCoy pulled himself together to maintain the same professionalism he'd somehow managed the past thirteen - now sixteen - days. "It could correlate with his blindness."

He clenched his jaw, knowing that was highly unlikely. It was more likely that he and his medical instruments and tests had missed something that was affecting Jim's system. Or...McCoy swore. The alien blood. He made a note of the development on the PADD and immediately ordered a complete blood workup, as well as an eye scan.

The Re'an left him again and by this time, Jim had no desire to guess when they'd come back to begin the meld. He didn't have a desire to think about it, either. He just...was. So when the name Bones' came to his mind again, he latched on to it. The doctor's name lingered, a remnant of his faded resistance and hope. The name trembled upon Jim's lips as he feebly attempted to keep the name alive. "Bo-"

Captain Kirk.

The break in his mind came unexpectedly as forewarned, upsetting and causing all of Jim's thoughts to tumble lightly. It was the Re'an chosen one.

Please. Wait? I need Bones, to tell I'm sorry.

He couldn't protest, couldn't tell them to stop, whomever it was about to steal his memories...and he panicked when he realized he may not even want them to stop after all.

I cannot wait. Our people are degrading at a rapid pace. I will not hurt you.

The intruder pushed him aside, a soft hand at first but becoming stronger and casting him aside. It ripped open the curtain which hid the painful things better left untouched.

He might have no resistance, but somehow Bones slipped out first. Satisfaction filled Jim when the argument with the doctor practically pummeled the intruder. Jim also watched in surprise. He wasn't trying to fight this interloper. The memory was doing that for him. It swung, hit, slashed, and kicked. The intruder bent under the beating.

Stop it.

I can't.

Your friendship is in the way. I can't get past it. Stop.

I can't. Jim couldn't. I can't fight. Remember?

Stop!

The cry echoed in Jim's mind, a small sound striking him as peculiar. Jim watched, helpless and confused as the intruder and his memory tugged and pulled. The intruder wasn't as strong as Jim thought. But neither was Jim. His memory of sickbay was slowly being twisted and mixed in with other things catapulting from behind the curtain and new things the meddler brought with him that he wanted Jim to know.

Bones.

Jim whimpered, this new presence eliciting a fresh, mental anguish. Hadn't they told him this wouldn't hurt? The meddler pushed more of Jim aside, trying to get past Bones, but not before he had a glimpse of him. Now even more confused, Jim's presence in his own mind weakened again. This wasn't right. It wasn't supposed to be a child.

The scene in sickbay pounded them both, and Jim heard once more the enraged words storming from the doctor's lips and the defensive ones from his own. The child tried to back away but Jim's impassioned words swept over them both. 'My past is my business. Not yours. Leave it alone, Bones!'

Desperate, Jim reached out a hand, but found nothing.

Nothing. Jim whimpered. He needed to say he was sorry to his friend. He was ready. 'Everyone has a past, Jim, and you have to recognize that yours effects you to this day. Your control is unraveling, Jim.'

Jim relented. He'd do what the doctor wanted him to do and let him help. He reached with all he had left, for Spock, for Bones, and again for his friends - but it was futile. The child wanted to see more and give more of the Re'an to Jim -

It's the Re'an way.

Darkness threatened closer, and Jim was overwhelmed with thoughts the child placed in the crevices of his mind. He couldn't stop the intruder-child and watched helplessly. Until...like the last bit of sunlight reaching out of the sunset...Bones' words, although harsh, echoed once more. 'Get the hell out of my sickbay!' The child whimpered along with Jim, stopping what he was doing. Children weren't supposed to get hurt like this. Jim knew this. All his memories were painful, especially the one. He couldn't allow the intruder-child to find it. But he had no choice. How could a child be the one? It shouldn't be a child...

But Jim knew the intruder-child would find it eventually.

Find what?

Tarsus.

Tarsus?

The intruder shrieked.

Jim hated to be reminded of his time in Tarsus. He didn't want to be reminded but most of all, he didn't want a child to find it. He couldn't fight against this intruder.

But he knew who could.

Uhura spent one full hour talking to Jim, many times recounting Spock and McCoy's vigilance in rescuing him from the Re'an and Jim's own bravery when he allowed the snakes to wrap around him and him alone, all for the sake of his crew. It was more time than McCoy expected from any of the crew member, but this was Uhura...communications officer, Jim's friend, and Spock's wife. He had faith that whatever Jim heard, it helped.

"I'm sorry," Uhura whispered to McCoy on her way out. With tender concern, she looked back at the captain's unresponsive form. McCoy knew to what she referred - it appeared that he'd lost his friend just as much as if Jim had died - but he couldn't force himself to answer. He knew she was sorry. Everyone was sorry. McCoy was sorrier than anyone, and he blamed Spock for that and for the nightmares and sleeplessness he had for the past few nights.

"I wish ya had never told me a damn thing what Jim was thinkin' in those melds," he grouched to Spock, who decided moments ago to literally camp out in Jim's room as he himself recuperated.

"I would not have mentioned it had it not been crucial to his health. You are his attending physician."

"I know," McCoy snapped. He planned to move Jim on his side for a brief time to avoid an accumulation of bed sores, calculating how to manage that with the various IVs connected to him. Not to mention that Jim's thigh required more attention as did the cerebral swelling. The process was slightly challenging and McCoy needed Christine and another nurse to assist.

"You have done nothing to harm Jim emotionally, doctor."

"But I have. You yourself told me that the way our friendship deteriorated in his mind is as real to him as this moment is to us." He turned around and allowed Christine and another nurse closer proximity to their silent patient. "And when he comes out of this, what new obstacle will I have to overcome in order to reach him?"

"I am uncertain, doctor, other than what Lieutenant Uhura has suggested. However, we do know that for his overall well-being, we must not belittle his experiences as we assist in his mental retraining."

"I've wronged him," McCoy's chest constricted. "I've hurt him."

"You have not, Dr. McCoy," Spock said slowly. "It is a manifestation in his-."

"Spock."

At the whisper, McCoy turned on his heel and zeroed in on Jim. "Did he just...?"

"Yes, he did, doctor." Spock was already standing one foot away from the bed, dark eyes trained expectantly on Jim's face.

Christine, eyes wide, looked at McCoy as he approached. "He's still here, Dr. McCoy."

"Jim, it's Bones. Can ya hear me?" Out of habit, McCoy squeezed the captain's good hand. Jim did not react but continued to stare as if in a trance as he had for days. After a full minute the doctor let go of Jim's hand, but he wasn't without hope. Something had changed.

And then Jim whispered again. "Bones."

McCoy rested his hand on Jim's shoulder. "I'm here, Jim. We all are, right behind ya."

"Spock."

The barest hint of a reaction from their captain froze Spock and McCoy in place. Waiting impatiently, they watched as Jim's gaze flitted from the ceiling over to another indefinite spot on the wall. His body was present, some parts healing and others sadly the same, and his mind still appeared well beyond their reach, locked away behind the barrier the chosen one had built. Jim remained in a numbed state but finally had taken a first minute but important step out of it. McCoy had no doubt that somehow, Jim was holding on to the very ideal which defined him - that there were no such things as no-win scenarios.

"I knew you weren't giving up, captain," McCoy said softly. "And neither are we."

And maybe...McCoy glanced sideways at Spock, whose face reflected a deep concentration.

The Vulcan took a deep breath. "I sense something peculiar pulling me as I pull back, although I cannot name or place it. Nor can I explain it. At this time, I am too weakened to process more." He paused and looked straight at McCoy, expression slightly bewildered. "Although it is rather opaque, doctor, perhaps I did, indeed, create a bond."

A/N #2: Yes! Although Spock may be skeptical about it himself, he did create a bond with Jim...and I'm so excited about this. It was one of the primary goals I had in mind as I wrote Indigenous. And yes...it's one of the things I've been leading up to with all of my shenanigans...and the rest of the story will explore this story even more. Right now that bond is like a little seed...and it may take some time to grow.