All the members of the Enterprise crew are finally on their feet. Or at least, getting to being on their feet.
Carpenter won't be on her feet for at least a good month, not unless she can get into the medbay, which won't be happening until they've taken back their ship. Amin couldn't help but smirk as she complained about being left out of the real fun. She changed dramatically when she learned that Seth Henley had made it alright, and was on a sort of half leave until he was fully healed. That meant he was still down in engineering, but he was allowed frequent breaks and shorter hours. They'd actually become somewhat friends, in the time they'd been acquainted. Henley was the reason Amin had known some of the horrible things his own Captain had been doing since they boarded the Enterprise.
Marcus was bursting at the seams with energy, ready to go pound some 'Tyrant Crew' into the dirt. The cuts and scrapes, the burns from the phasers, those had been easy to take care of, and she was in top shape once more.
Chekov was fine, physically. But he was a wreck emotionally. Something about the beating and consequent jailing had really done something horrible to him, and Amin had a feeling that, despite the attempts of the other jailed crew members, there was only one person who could get him out of the funk he was in. And that person wasn't currently available for pep talks.
Bones was worse for the wear, but he was getting better. He was finally letting his body rest and heal after his time on the planet, which was sorely needed. Because Kirk wasn't getting any worse, and Spock was healing on his own, so he could relax for a bit.
Spock was healing quickly, standing for longer periods of time and seemingly in higher spirits, although Amin had never quite understood how to tell emotions apart in a Vulcan. In theory, he wasn't supposed to.
But Kirk... he wasn't getting worse, and for a time he'd even been getting better. A few days after the hypo had delivered the updated serum, his health had gotten better. He was able to breathe easier, talk more, and was once more aware of his surroundings. But he wasn't getting any stronger. Bones had explained to Amin that, while the radiation appeared to have disappeared, his body wasn't healing from it like they'd expected. His body was still weak, torn apart by the effects, and Kirk was still in a great deal of pain, even with the medication he'd been given. There was something missing, and Bones had an idea that it related to the strength in the Augments blood. They healing was done, but he needed an extra boost that Bones didn't have access to.
Unfortunately, Amin hadn't been much help with that.
He was wandering around engineering, pretending to look for the piece they all knew wasn't there, and Henley was walking beside him. The Enterprise engineer was limping heavily, but he refused to rest and he refused the wheeled chair he'd been offered, so Amin had stopped saying anything. The man didn't want to feel helpless, which was understandable at the moment. But there really wasn't anything he could do, and he was just postponing the full healing that he needed...
Amin pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind, because he'd had this argument before, and it hadn't changed his headstrong companion's mind.
"Any change in the Captain today?"
"No."
"Shit."
"Yeah."
"Well, how do we help him? What does he need? We can get it for him, I'm sure. I'll throw the whole engine out the window if it means we can save him."
"From what I understand, he wouldn't appreciate that." Amin gave his new friend a small smile, and Henley rolled his eyes.
"He'd be alive to understand, that's the important part. And Starfleet wouldn't let this fantastic piece of ship sit around and rust, they'd fix her. Hell, they completely rebuilt her last time she needed it. They like the shiny bird and her bright eyed captain too much."
Amin thought about arguing, but from what he'd heard, what he'd seen, and the stories that had been told about this ship and her captain, he guessed that wasn't far off the mark. Although the fact that they'd replaced the proper replacements for Captain seemed to speak of a newfound love of rules over the crew that dived into danger.
He wouldn't say that. After all, most of what made this crew great was their loyalty and their ability to push on through the most hopeless of situations. He wouldn't take that greatness from them.
So he and Henley walked for a while, until it was time to check up on the captive crew again, as he'd been doing twice a day every day. Because someone had to relay messages.
"Kirk, you settle your ass back in bed or so help me..."
"I'm still in bed."
Bones shook his head. Apparently, while he'd been sleeping and having nightmares about the Captain dying, the very same Captain had been attempting to engineer an escape. And Spock, of all the idiot accomplices, was helping him. And now Kirk was acting like a petulant child as Spock continued to modify the medbay bed. Spock who shouldn't be sitting on the floor twisting like that.
Children, the both of them. They'd put him in an early grave for sure.
"Spock, get up, you're going to hurt yourself."
"I am fine. Doctor."
"No, you're gonna break something again and I'm going to have to fix it."
"Listen Bones, you may be content to sit here-" Here the Captain cringed, feeling some deep pain from his injuries. But once it had passed, he continued as if nothing had happened. "Sit here in the Medbay caring for patients, but that's what you do, that's where you belong. Me, I belong in my chair. So we're just going to go get it back, and then you can saddle me with whatever treatment you want. Promise."
"That's- How in the hell do you think you're going to take the ship back when you can't even get out of your bed?" He was barely containing himself. He wanted to smack some sense into the boy, and he knew that would be a bad idea. But he just made it so damn tempting...
"I'm just there for morale. Really, I'll just sit around and tell people what to do."
"Yeah. You and what army? You do realize your crew is all terrified of the Tyrant who took over your ship, and none of them are fond of losing their jobs, right?"
"They won't lost their jobs. They'll always have a spot aboard the Enterprise."
"Even if the Enterprise is on the run from Starfleet?"
There was a heavy silence before Kirk nodded. "Even on the run from Starfleet."
Bones sobered immediately, his rage dying down. "You'd really risk losing your home in the united galaxy just to get your ship back?"
"I'd risk it to get my home back."
"You better make damn sure everyone's ready to make that sacrifice with you. Some of these people have families back home."
"Anyone who doesn't want to be banished from Starfleet will get a full pardon. After all, who's going to say whether they helped in the takeover or they were innocent bystanders?" Then, quieter, without all the pomp that he was used to, "I won't take anyone's family from them. Trust me on that."
"I do." Bones sighed. "I don't have a family to go back to, anyway. Let me try something first, though. It won't do to have you lead the charge from a gurney." Because an idea had struck him out of nowhere during Kirk's attempt at a motivating speech, and it seemed possible...
He'd just have to find out. But first, he'd need their new friend.
Sulu sat on the bridge, doing his job and covering the panic that sat deep within him, stirring every time the Tyrant so much as looked in his direction.
It wasn't exactly fun, to be the last one.
The others on the bridge would help him, of course, he had no doubt. After all, the crew of the Enterprise was first a family, and then everything else they had to do. But they also shared the same fear he did; losing their jobs, not being able to support families, being blacklisted from every job they were able to do and living in the deepest form of poverty imaginable. Living away from family was hard; knowing if you didn't keep your job your family wouldn't have a place to live was worse. And right now, his only thoughts were on keeping a home for his husband and daughter.
But he also had to get Kirk back in that chair, because no one else would allow him the leave he'd been given to spend time with that same family, no one else would understand when he had to run home because his daughter had broken a bone or his husband had come down with a bad illness and needed someone to care for him. No one else was as understanding about family as Kirk, and honestly, the Captain could get in real trouble for allowing as much leave as he did. But it kept his crew in higher spirits, helped them focus on their jobs, and they got things done no other crew did. Everything was better when the rightful Captain of the Enterprise sat in that command chair.
He hadn't received any word recently. He heard tell that one of the Tyrant's crew had metaphorically jumped ship and was helping them out, but that was the most hushed secret of them all. If the Tyrant found out, they'd lose that connection, that free reign around the ship, and they sorely needed it. So Sulu hadn't had any contact with him, but he was hoping, soon, he'd get word of a plan, something they could do.
He hadn't expected that word to come in the form of Spock, hobbling onto the Bridge, his face stoic as ever.
"Mr. Spock. I am surprised to see you out of bed." Which was really code for 'How did you escape your prison?"
"It is indeed miraculous." Spock said quietly. "I am sure you were expecting your rule to go unchallenged."
"You think you can challenge me?" A guffaw of laughter. Sulu stared wide eyed at the Vulcan, attempting to tell him to shut up, to go back to his bed until they could come up with a plan, not to get himself killed. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew there must be a plan, because Spock would never do something so idiotic as challenge the fit faux captain to any kind of duel in the condition he was currently in. But the forefront of his brain was concerned for the man, and what must be happening to Kirk to force this action. This stupid, stupid action.
"I do not. I am at less then 50% of my fighting ability, and it would be foolish to try anything. However..."
And everyone gasped audibly as the Captain walked, proud and strong, from behind Spock, who just smiled tightly at the Captain.
"Get your ass out of my chair."
What a dramatic little shit.
AN/ A shorter chapter, but I really wanted to get something out. All will be explained in time! Thanks for the lovely comments, thanks for reading, and thanks for existing!