Many of you probably know Number One, from TOS. In every Star Trek wiki, it says she's human, but I'm fudging that a little. This is AU, after all. I looked up alien species in Star Trek that look like humans, and I made her an Argelian – well, I've decided she's half Argelian. Some of the species are known to have psychic abilities, but it's not common; I've decided that she's got some measure of empathetic ability. She can sometimes feel emotions, and it has helped her a lot, especially in diplomatic situations, but she's not a full telepath, so she can't hear thoughts or anything like that. Oh, and I also gave her a name – well, a nickname. Part of my making her nonhuman also gives me an excuse for her to have a name that not many can pronounce, hence why she's called 'Number One'. Or, to those who know her, 'Shay'. Sorry if my changing of canon offends anyone, but honestly, if you're offended, you shouldn't read a story that is clearly labeled AU.
Disclaimer: not mine
Chris sighed and tapped his foot impatiently. They were wasting time here. He and Flynn hadn't gotten further than one level below the main entrance, when they had had to return to rendezvous with the rest of the team, and meet the new search parties, arriving from the USS Yorktown and Endeavor.
The new additions would be much appreciated, of course, but he wanted to continue exploring the building; he was hoping they would find someone who could tell them what the hell was going on.
It took way too long, but eventually, Chris was able to continue the search. Several groups were sent out into the city to look for survivors, while still more were tasked with searching the outlying farms. Chris and Flynn were joined by another pair from the Yorktown, and continued down several floors, to carry on the search they had already begun.
It was deadly silent as the foursome moved through the halls, their soft footsteps making the only noise as they went along. More empty offices were discovered, more furniture overturned.
After another hour of searching, they reached the bottom floor – or what they assumed to be the bottom, since the staircase didn't go any further down.
Flynn raised an eyebrow as they looked around at the setting. "This looks like… a prison, doesn't it?"
Chris nodded, and the other pair – Ensign Vilsom and Lieutenant Perry – shared a look.
The officers moved forward slowly, checking each cell as they passed. This prison seemed to be comprised of four separate sections, each block separated by a steel door, with roughly ten cells in each area. It wasn't until they were halfway through the second section that they finally found signs of life. There were four adults occupying four separate cells. Chris frowned, as they fired a concentrated phaser blast at each lock.
All four prisoners were able to communicate, and appeared to be relatively unharmed, beyond malnutrition, a few bruises and scrapes, and a couple of fractures or broken bones. Vilsom shepherded them back towards the staircase, as they could all walk on their own, and the other three continued on.
They found two more adults in the third section of this prison, both of whom could also carry themselves out, thankful to be released. Perry led them back up to the main floor.
It wasn't until they reached the final section that they truly were stopped in their tracks.
The boy lying in this cell wasn't moving. He was on his side with his back to the door. It was obvious that this one was much younger than the other prisoners, in his teens at the oldest. Perry and Vilsom had returned as they moved into the fourth section, and forcibly had to stop themselves from gasping at the sight in front of them.
Perry raised his phaser and fired a concentrated blast at the lock on the door. Disconnected, it swung open with a barely audible creak. The boy inside didn't move, but in the ringing silence, they heard a quiet intake of breath come from further down the hall.
Chris frowned, and gestured for Flynn to go with Perry to check it out, while he and Vilsom entered the open cell in front of them.
Moving around to look at the boy, Chris had to force himself not to throw up. He was unconscious, at the very least. Half of his face was bruised and swollen. There was a large gash that ran from his eye down to his hairline, and was oozing something yellow. Chris had to take a second look, just to make sure that the kid was actually breathing. He kneeled down and gently pressed two fingers to the boy's wrist, just to make sure. He felt a pulse, but it was weak. He was very surprised when the boy shifted in front of him. The eye that wasn't… damaged… opened just a fraction.
Chris tried to smile, but he felt it didn't come out right. "Hey there," he whispered, trying to sound reassuring. "I'm Chris. We're with Starfleet, so don't worry. You're going to be fine."
The boy swallowed harshly, and closed his eye briefly. "JT," he breathed.
Chris frowned. Was that the kid's name? The boy grimaced, and opened his eye again. "Find JT," he urged, his voice barely heard, before he lapsed back into unconsciousness.
Chris pulled out his communicator. "Pike to Medical."
The voice on the other end spoke up after a moment. "This is Doctor Boyce."
Chris spoke urgently, still keeping his grip on the kid's wrist, feeling reassured by the thready pulse. "Doctor Boyce, I have an injured kid here, looks like he took a phaser blast to the head. It's infected."
The doctor immediately replied, "Beam him up, I'll have a team waiting in the transporter room. Boyce out."
Chris bit his lip as he put the communicator away. Vilsom knelt down and carefully started to gather the kid up in his arms. He was so light, that it wasn't much of a challenge. "I'll take him outside so the transporter can get a lock on us. You keep searching."
Chris nodded, letting go of the boy and standing up. The pair made their way back out of the cell, meeting their fellow officers in the hall. Perry was holding a young boy in his own arms. He answered their questions quietly, trying not to jostle the kid. "He was a few cells down. His name's Kevin."
Perry and Vilsom went to get the kids checked out, leaving Chris and Flynn to continue checking cells. Flynn informed Chris about their meeting with Kevin as they moved along. "He didn't seem to be too hurt, beyond a few bruises and I think a broken arm, just starving. He was worried about someone though. He kept asking us to find JT. Is that the first kid?"
Chris frowned, thinking. He shook his head. "I don't think so. The boy woke up briefly, and asked us to find JT as well. I think we're looking for someone else."
Both officers immediately quickened their pace. The surroundings were creeping them out, and they wanted to finish their search and get back into the sunlight.
Through another door and towards the end of a dank, oppressing hall, they came across a door that looked different from the rest. It was reinforced with steel bars across it, but the lock just couldn't hold up against a concentrated phaser blast. As the door swung open, both officers had to take a step back at the wave of smell that billowed out. It was a mix of sweat, blood, bodily fluids, and… Chris once more had to force the bile down as he caught sight of the decaying body in the corner of the room.
But that wasn't the only body in this cell. There was another boy, about the same age as the first kid they had found, hanging from chains from the ceiling. He was wearing only a pair of ratty pants. His bare chest showed multiple gashes and bruises. His face was similarly injured. He was so skinny that Chris could actually see the outline of several broken ribs. His head was slumped down, chin resting against his chest, and Chris felt his heart thump painfully; he couldn't tell if the kid was breathing.
He moved forward, trying to breathe through his mouth, until he stopped next to the boy. He looked maybe twelve or thirteen, but with the lack of nourishment he had likely received over the last few months, he could be older. Chris frowned; there was something familiar about this kid. He had no time to think about it now, though, as he was more concerned with getting the boy down. He looked over at Flynn, who had found the lock on the chains, on the nearest wall. He nodded at his fellow officer, and turned his attention back to the boy. He felt bad about what he had to do, but if they wanted to get the kid down, he would need to make sure that it was as gentle as possible.
So he grasped the boy lightly but firmly around his waist, ready to support his weight. Even with the added pressure that had to be hurting, the boy still didn't move.
Flynn released the chains, and Chris immediately supported the boy's weight, not that it was much of a challenge; this kid was severely underweight. He lowered the boy to the ground, trying to be mindful of all his injuries. The safest way for him to lie seemed to be on his side, as there were many open and probably infected gashes on his back.
God he hoped the boy was alive, though based on the amount of injuries he could see, he wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't.
Once more, he found himself searching for that reassuring pulse. It took longer than it should, but after a few moments, he found it, thought it was much weaker than it should be.
He looked up at Flynn. "I don't want to risk moving him any more," he said.
Flynn nodded. "It's too dangerous. I'll call for a medical team with a stretcher."
Chris left him to it, hearing him call on his communicator in the background, as he turned back to studying the boy in front of him. He couldn't figure it out, but he felt like he should know the kid. Without thinking about it, he reached up and gently brushed the boy's blonde hair off his forehead. He started when he felt the kid shift and moan. His eyes opened blearily, barely cracked, as if he didn't have the energy to open them any further.
"Hey," Chris said quietly, bending down a little to get closer. The kid flinched a little, and it broke Chris' heart to feel him try and shift further away, putting some distance between them. Chris did his best to put the boy at ease. "My name's Chris. I'm an officer with Starfleet. Don't worry, it'll be all right."
Unfortunately, that didn't do much to lessen the tension he could practically see rolling off the kid in waves. If anything, it made him even more rigid. He shifted again, and then gasped, his eyes rolling back in his head as he lost consciousness once more.
"Shit," Chris muttered, once more trying to find a pulse. It was still there, but weakening rapidly.
He looked over at Flynn, who nodded. "A med team will be down here in a minute. I told them to hurry."
Chris nodded, biting his lip as he turned back to the kid in front of him. Why did he feel like he should know this boy? As he waited, he did his own mental assessment of the boy's injuries, with the limited medical knowledge he had that came from a long standing friendship with several doctors, including the three who were currently serving on the Seymour.
At least one, and probably both of his shoulders were dislocated from hanging from the ceiling. He had multiple gashes up and down his arms and legs that appeared to be too precise to be cause by anything other than a knife. There were several outlines of handprint shaped bruises around his neck. His back was covered in lacerations, and Chris saw a whip hanging on one of the walls. Now that he looked at that wall, his stomach clenched as he observed the tools that had been used to torture this poor boy. In addition to three different types of whip, there were several long rods of iron, a device that looked like it could fasten around a limb and be used to forcefully break a bone, and several knives of varying lengths.
He turned back to the boy, and catalogued multiple burns of varying degrees, more bruises covering most of his exposed skin, again, the outline of several broken ribs, and what he thought to be a break in the kid's collarbone.
Flynn kneeled down next to him. "How is he?" the lieutenant asked softly, unwilling to shatter the silence by speaking any louder.
Chris looked over at the other man. "He needs medical attention, and fast," he replied just as quietly. His hand was still resting lightly over the pulse beating weakly in the boy's wrist. He could almost feel something like a crack or a fracture underneath his fingers, but he didn't want to feel around for it, for risk of making it worse.
Looking at the boy was painful, so Chris turned his gaze away and studied this torture chamber again. His eyes were unwillingly drawn to the body lying off to the side. It was female, he could see, his heart squeezing painfully as he observed the girl's shirt ripped open. She wasn't wearing any pants either. Chris estimated her to be about five or six, and based on the level of decomposition, she had probably been dead at least a few days. Her eyes were glazed over, but it was easy to see the pain etched permanently on her face. She, too, had multiple lacerations to her body, probably made by the same knife that had caused the injuries to the boy. The worst part, though, was the dried blood and probably other bodily fluids staining the young girl's thighs. God, what had these two been through? And who were they? He looked back at the boy, feeling a little better as he watched the kid draw in a rattling breath. This one, at least, they could help. He went back to stroking the boy's hair gently, almost subconsciously.
His attention was drawn briefly when Flynn stood up and moved over to the small form of the little girl in the corner. He watched as the Lieutenant removed his gold shirt and placed it over the girl's body, covering her nearly naked form from view. When he turned back to see Chris looking at him, he shrugged, his eyes suspiciously bright. "She deserves some modesty."
Chris nodded, and turned back to the boy in front of him.
It felt like forever before they heard the sound of several people making their way down the long hall of cells. Flynn went to the door, holding it open so that the med team would know where to go.
Three people entered the room; Chris recognized Doctor Martin, one of the other two doctors assigned to the Seymour, along with two nurses, who carried a stretcher between them. He assumed that the CMO, Doctor Boyce, was busy with the first kid they had discovered.
Doctor Martin was hard-pressed to remain professional as he saw the situation he had been called down to deal with. In all his years of medical training, and his seven years of serving as a Doctor on board the Seymour, he had never seen anything so horrible. The kid looked so close to death. He had to take another look as he stepped closer, just to make sure the boy was actually breathing. The air rattled in his chest a little, and Martin immediately got to work, placing a breather on his mouth, hoping to get some more oxygen into his patient. That rattling indicated fluid in his lungs, but he couldn't do much in their current setting. He motioned for the nurses to bring the stretcher closer, which they did quickly, setting it to hover right at ground level, so that they wouldn't have to jostle the boy trying to lift him up. The three of them had to work together to move him to the stretcher, doing their best to avoid bumping any injuries.
Throughout it all, the kid remained scarily still. If it weren't for the slight fogging of the breathing mask they placed on him, and the quiet rattle of his chest, they wouldn't know if he was even alive.
Doctor Martin looked over at the other body, but Chris shook his head. "She's been dead a few days, at least," he informed the other man regretfully.
Doctor Martin nodded grimly, and without wasting any more time, the group rushed the boy outside so that the transporter could get a lock on their signals.
Chris and Flynn followed the medical personnel, even though they weren't really needed. They had completed their search anyway. Neither one really wanted to leave the boy; they wanted to make sure he would be all right.
Martin looked up at the two officers, and attempted a smile. "We'll look after him." He didn't promise that the kid would be all right, since he really didn't know that himself. But he knew those two needed some reassurance.
Flynn nodded and stepped back, but Chris still stayed where he was, staring at the unconscious form of a boy he really felt like he knew. In that moment, the kid shifted once more, his eyes blinking open blearily. His breathing hitched, speeding up, causing Martin and the nurses to lean in, crowding around as they tried to figure out what was wrong.
Chris frowned, his thoughts racing along as he pieced together a hypothesis. He stepped forward, pushing one of the nurses back so that he could stand right next to the boy's head. His hand tentatively rested on top of the boy's, causing him to look up, startled.
Chris attempted a smile, and then voiced his theory. "JT?" The kid stilled, his breathing still fast and erratic, but he wasn't moving around so much any more. Point one to Chris. He felt some pleasure in the fact that he had guessed right. "I'm Chris, remember?" The other nurse and Doctor Martin took a half step back, watching the Tactical Officer now with something akin to confusion. "You're out of that room, and these people are going to take you somewhere to make you better. Can you let them do that?"
There was a question shining out of the boy – JT's – eyes, but Chris thought he understood, and he nodded. "We found the other two. Kevin, right?" JT nodded slightly. "And the other one, we don't know his name."
He paused briefly, as he saw JT's mouth form a word, though it wasn't quite readable, through the breathing mask. It wasn't that important at the moment, so he kept talking. "They're both being taken care of, I promise. Can you let us take care of you, now?"
JT looked at him, a long, measuring stare that had Chris reeling. In that moment, he suddenly remembered another pair of brilliant blue eyes looking at him much the same way. A stare that transcended time; that reached across nearly fifteen years to put him in his place. Oh, shit.
He didn't have much time to think about it though, as JT reached up to move the mask over his mouth slightly. Martin started in to stop him, but a raised hand from Chris halted his progress. JT only moved the mask a few inches, his eyes pleading with Chris, as he rattled off a series of coordinates. "Help them," he whispered, before his hand dropped, and his eyes rolled back into his head.
Martin and the nurses rushed forward again, as Chris was thrust back. His communicator was in his hand as he spoke to the technician in the transporter room. "Four to beam up, and let medical know we're coming in hot. Tell Doctor Clayton to meet us in Operating Room Two."
Chris watched in silence as the four disappeared, beaming up to the Seymour. Flynn stepped forward. "What was that he said to you?"
Chris frowned. "A set of coordinates, I think." He turned around, looking at his fellow officer. "I think there are more survivors. Those three may have been part of a group."
"What makes you think those three are separate from the other six we found in that prison?"
Chris raised an eyebrow. "The others were all adults, and in different sections. Call it a hunch."
Flynn nodded, understanding, and bit his lip, pulling out his own communicator now, telling the technician to beam them up.
Once back on the Seymour, Chris faced his friend and fellow command crew member. "What are you thinking?" he asked.
Flynn led him to the Navigations department, as he explained. "He gave you the coordinates, so let's figure out where it is, and how to get there."
At an open console, he typed in a few commands before turning to Chris and gesturing for him to enter the coordinates.
It appeared to be a location outside of the city. There weren't any signs of civilization nearby, though it was closer to a concentration of homesteads on the western side of the city then it was to the city itself.
The coordinates pointed to a mountainous area of the planet. There were forests nearby, and it looked like it would be a bit of a trek to get there.
Flynn studied the topographical map on the screen with an intensity that rather amused Chris. Though he figured, as the man's specialty was Navigations, it only made sense. After a few minutes, he stood up. "We should let the Captain know of this development, and probably get a team together to check it out."
Chris nodded, biting his lip. From an outsider's perspective, this would seem to be something of a wild goose chase, but he trusted JT's information. More than he probably should, but he just kept seeing those eyes, staring at him. Pleading with him. Eyes he hadn't seen in almost eleven years. Eyes he had once been so familiar with, coming from the face of his best friend, his onetime brother, and then later, for a short amount of time, a rambunctious toddler. God, what was he doing here?
James Tiberius Kirk. George's son. The boy he should have known all along as a nephew. The boy he had not had any contact with since Winona's marriage to Frank Malone, where she had informed him that he was to have no more contact with her family. What had happened? Why was Jimmy here?
Mutely, he nodded, and listened as Flynn requested the Captain's presence in Navigations as soon as he was able.
Halloway agreed, sounding a little confused, and while they waited, Flynn got himself another shirt.
Roughly five minutes later, the Captain appeared. "What do you have for me, Lieutenant, Lieutenant Commander?"
Flynn looked at Chris, indicating that he take the lead.
Chris took a deep breath, before he began to explain what they had discovered, touching on the first two boys, before he moved on to JT. "We still don't know who he is, or why he was there, but we have reason to believe that they were part of a larger group that may still be out there." He turned slightly and indicated the computer screen that still showed the area JT had given them. "He gave me these coordinates. It looks to be a location in the mountainous region. Perhaps a cave, or a clearing."
Halloway nodded slightly, furrowing his brow. "Just how much do you trust this lead?"
Chris bit his lip. "He had no reason to lie, sir. I think we should check it out."
Halloway gave his Tactical Officer a searching look, before he nodded once more. "You and Flynn take three more from Security. Radio contact, every five minutes. If you find anything, let me know immediately."
Chris and Flynn nodded, and the three of them made their way back to the transporter room to head back down to the planet.
Chris took a moment to look around once they materialized in the field outside the city. Things had changed since they had first gone down to take stock of the situation. Several tents had gone up; there were three medical tents erected off to the side, a food tent, and a command tent that Halloway immediately disappeared into. A few moments later, three security officers made their way over to Chris and Flynn, and the group of five wasted no time in heading towards the mysterious location they had been given.
After about an hour of hiking through the wilderness, Chris was starting to wish they had some sort of hovercraft that they could use. He was sweaty, and tired, and rather ruefully reconsidering the idea he had that he was actually in pretty good shape. Then again, this trek was mostly uphill, and they had to be careful to dodge trees, fallen branches, rocks, and other natural obstacles.
It was another hour before Flynn held up his communicator, conversing quietly with the technician on the other end. He looked up. "We're almost there," he informed the group.
Chris knew he wasn't imagining the sighs of relief that came from the security officers, and felt a grin threatening to break through. "How much further?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet on the off chance that there was anyone in the vicinity. His phaser was already in his hands, charged and ready to fire, just in case.
Flynn furrowed his brow for a moment, and then looked up. "About twenty yards," he replied, his voice just as soft.
Chris nodded, and took the lead, motioning for one security officer to cover their backs, while the other two continued on side by side, and Flynn dropped back behind him.
They moved in near total silence for another twenty yards, and were surprised when their path widened out into what could be called a clearing. On the other side was what looked like the entrance to a cave. There were no visible signs of life, but after a few seconds of silence, Chris heard a quiet whistle come from the direction of the cave.
He lowered his phaser, and called out, "Hello?" Behind him, he could practically feel Flynn questioning his sanity in making any noise. "We're with Starfleet, I promise, we're not here to hurt you." Still, there was no response. Chris took a deep breath. "JT sent us," he tried.
It took another few moments, but he was rewarded when two teenagers appeared at the entrance to the cave. One was a girl, the other a boy; both appeared to be in their teens, the girl perhaps two or three years older.
He moved forward cautiously, slowly holstering his phaser and holding out his arms in a nonthreatening gesture. He stopped halfway through the small clearing and waited.
After another minute of silence, the girl spoke up. "Is JT all right?" She sounded worried, and the expression on the boy's face was anxious.
Chris gave them a small smile. "We're taking care of him," he promised. "Can we come closer?"
The two teenagers looked at each other, and then the girl turned to face the cave. Chris couldn't see what she was doing, but he saw her nod before turning back around. She stepped to one side of the entrance, while the boy moved to the other. Chris looked back at the officers behind him, and gestured for them to lower their weapons, before he moved the rest of the way across the clearing.
He stopped short at the entrance of the cave, staring. There were at least fifteen kids inside, all watching him with various degrees of mistrust or hope. He turned to the two teenagers who had greeted them. "My name's Chris."
The girl looked at his outstretched hand for a moment, before tentatively reaching out to grasp it. "April," she replied.
Chris nodded, and turned to the boy now. His grip was very fragile. "Cory," he almost whispered. He let go of the handshake quickly, and looked up at the officer. "What about the others?" he asked fearfully.
Chris looked around at the group. They had all shifted closer, and he catalogued their movements, as well as the diversity – most of them appeared to be human, but he thought he saw an Andorian, a Deltan, and a Capellan as well. Not one of them looked to be out of their teens.
He turned back to Cory. "We found Kevin and another boy as well."
Cory's face crumbled a little at that. "Was there a girl there?" his voice cracked slightly.
Chris bit his lip. His mind flashed back to the room he had found Jimmy in. The girl in the corner. He nodded his head somberly. "We found a girl, but…" he trailed off, and glanced back at Flynn. Looking back at the kids in front of them, he could tell that the older ones understood. "I'm sorry," he said compassionately. "She was already dead." He didn't believe in beating around the bush, and he really didn't know how else to put it.
Cory dropped to his knees, moaning. "Lisa," he whispered, tears leaking from his eyes.
Chris furrowed his brow. April took a step forward, her gaze resting on Cory, her eyes pained. As she moved over to comfort the younger boy, she looked over at Chris. "His sister," she murmured, bending down and encircling the grieving teenager in a hug.
Chris felt his heart break just a little bit more. These kids had clearly been through the wringer. He really did not want to tell this boy what exactly his sister had been through. He hoped Cory didn't ask.
Another boy moved forward; he looked to be one of the oldest, in addition to the two in front of him, and another boy who was lying further back, though he was paying close attention despite not being as near to the action.
"Tom and Kevin are all right?" he asked, taking over for April, as she was too busy comforting Cory.
Chris sighed and felt his shoulders slump slightly. "Kevin had a few bruises and we think a broken arm, but nothing too serious. Tom, that's the older boy?" The teenager nodded, and Chris continued, knowing that the entire group was listening. "He's a little worse off; he had an injury that had become infected, but I promise, we're taking care of him," he hurried to assure them as he saw some of the younger kids start to cry.
The boy who was in front of him now bit his lip, looking down. "JT didn't want Tom to go with him. They had a run in with some guards a few days earlier, and Tom had a broken rib. JT tried to make him stay here, but Tom insisted." He smiled a little. "Tom's the First Officer. JT's the Captain." Chris smiled as well, and the boy continued eagerly. "Cory's the Operations Manager, and April's CMO." His smile faltered. "Anya was Communications. She… died, a couple weeks ago."
Chris' heart went out to the boy. To all of these kids. "What happened?" he asked quietly.
The boy shrugged. "JT said it was pneumonia. She and Percy got sick almost at the same time, but JT said Percy was just really weak." His voice lowered slightly. "He takes care of the younger kids, and JT said he was giving too much of his food away."
Chris couldn't help but notice how much this kid started sentences with 'JT said'. His conversation was interrupted by Flynn, who told him that they were going to go back outside and secure the perimeter. Flynn also said he'd update the Captain. Chris nodded, and turned back to the teenager in front of him. "So what's your role?" he asked curiously.
The boy bit his lip. "My dad was a doctor in the city," his voice broke slightly, telling Chris clearly that the kid's father hadn't made it. "I help April out. She wants to be a doctor. I don't, really, but my dad taught me a few things, so I thought I could at least be useful."
Chris nodded, understanding. He started to speak, but the boy just kept going. "I'm Kieran, by the way." He then began to introduce the other kids. Chris tried to keep all the names straight, but he knew he would need to be reminded again. He was surprised by the range in ages. April and Percy looked to be the oldest, though Kieran was close by, but there were two girls who couldn't be more than four or five.
He looked around at the group, and then back at Kieran. "We've got some tents set up outside the city. Do you think you'll all be able to make it down there?"
Kieran looked around. "Some of the younger ones might need to be carried after a while, and I don't think Percy can really walk," he admitted, "but the rest of us should be fine."
Chris nodded, turning towards the clearing outside and gesturing for one of the security officers. "Ensign Hill can carry Percy, all right? And we'll handle the rest."
Kieran and Ensign Hill nodded, the Starfleet Officer moving back into the cave to fetch the weak teenager. They spoke quietly for a few moments, before the Ensign picked Percy up carefully.
Chris looked back at Kieran. "Are you guys ready to go?"
Kieran turned to face April. She was still kneeling on the ground with Cory, but her attention was focused on him, as she nodded, and then began the process of getting Cory up. He was still crying, but there was a steely determination in his gaze that reminded Chris of JT… Jimmy. Clearly, Cory felt the need to be a leader right now, even though he was still reeling from his loss.
As they got the rest of the kids ready, Chris found himself standing by Cory at the entrance. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, looking down at the teenager.
Cory looked up. His eyes were bleak, but there was a quiet acceptance there. "She and Kevin ran off, maybe a week ago. JT figured out that there was a jamming signal preventing anyone from getting any messages out, so he and Tom went to go take it down. They never returned, and we were all worried." He sniffed. "JT told us to send out a distress signal every five minutes for as long as we could, but when he didn't come back…" He trailed off for a moment, thinking about those fear-filled days. "It was about four days after they disappeared that Lisa and Kevin ran away. I wanted to go search for them, and we did, a little, but April and Percy told us we couldn't get too close to the city. It was too dangerous."
Chris put a hand on the thin boy's shoulder. "It's not your fault," he assured.
Cory bit his lip. "I was supposed to protect her. JT protected us. He did his job. He got the jamming signal down. But I failed."
Chris shook his head. "You did everything you could, Cory. Blame Kodos. Blame his guards. But don't put this on yourself. This whole situation should never have happened, and you should never have been put in this position."
He was cut off as the other kids appeared ready to leave now; April and Kieran both carried two of the younger girls, and the rest were crowded around. Without another word, Chris smiled and led them out of the cave, meeting up with Flynn and the other two security guards as they made their way back to the temporary camp that had been set up outside the city.
The hike back took several hours, and Chris knew he wasn't the only one thankful for the sight of the temporary tents gleaming in the sun. He wasted no time in leading the kids to one of the medical tents, setting down the girl he had taken over carrying for April about halfway down the trail in the forest on an empty bed. Ensign Killian, who had relieved Ensign Hill of his passenger, followed him, and set Percy down on the next bed over.
"Kevin!"
They all looked up at Kieran's shout, and then over to the occupied bed in the corner. Chris had to smile at seeing the way the group of kids flocked to his bedside.
They all gave Kevin a hug, thankfully being careful not to hold him too tightly. Kevin was still groggy, the results of his tenure in Kodos' prison and the pain killer the doctor had given him, but his eyes were fearful and observant as he searched the crowd around him.
He found Chris, his taller frame making him easier to spot around the kids, and he seemed to recognize him. "JT?" he whispered, eyes wide and apprehensive.
Chris smiled as he came to a stop by the small child. "We're taking care of him," he replied, his voice quiet, using the same wording he had offered to the other kids. He wouldn't promise that their leader was all right, or that he would be all right, because the truth was, he didn't know. Jimmy hadn't looked so great the last time he had seen him. He hoped to any deity out there that the teenager would get through this, if only so that he could try and at least partially make up for not being there for George's son. And because he could tell that these kids needed to see their leader again.
Kevin seemed to relax slightly, trusting the man who had rescued them, and his body slumped down a little.
A few doctors descended on the large group, and in minutes, had the kids under their firm ministrations, diagnosing injuries and prescribing treatments.
Chris took a moment to look around the tent; in the time he and Flynn had been gone, more tents had been set up, as they found more survivors in the city and surrounding lands. A rough count from what he had seen coming in put civilians at around five hundred, maybe a little more or less, depending on how many were in other medical tents being treated.
Turning back to the kids now being given protein bars, he felt his smile widen. It was moments like these that he cherished. That reminded him why he had joined Starfleet in the first place. It wasn't always about exploring new civilizations. Sometimes, it was about the little things: a child's smile, knowing that he had helped to save a life. Knowing that he mattered.
He was about to leave, when he felt himself be tugged backwards. It was Cory, he noted, as he turned around. He wondered why the kid wasn't in bed, but didn't comment, simply raised an eyebrow.
Cory flushed a little. "Thank you," he said quietly. After a moment, seeing that the officer wasn't going to say anything, he elaborated. "For saving us. And thanks for saving JT."
Chris frowned minutely. "He means more to you then it would appear," he commented, his voice quiet, for Cory's ears only.
Cory bit his lip. His reply was just as soft as he looked up at the officer. "He's my cousin."
Chris' eyebrow shot upwards again. So it would appear that there were some people who knew JT's real name. He wondered how many were aware of just who it was they had on this planet.
Cory studied the older man carefully. The look in the officer's eyes wasn't curious, it was more… resigned. Like he knew exactly who JT was. He bit his lip and shrugged with one shoulder. "He used our last name. I don't think he wanted people to know about… you know." Chris nodded, and Cory's expression was suddenly pleading, his eyes wide as he looked up at the Lieutenant Commander. "Please don't tell anyone. JT doesn't want people to know. He spent so much time with Kodos before…" He faltered for a brief moment, before continuing. "Only Tom and April know his real name. Well, they know him as Jimmy Spaulding." His voice hitched as he thought about the other two who had known the truth. Anya… Lisa… A tear leaked from his eye and made its way down his cheek. "I know he knows more than he ever told us, but I also know he had good reasons for not sharing. JT's… he's a genius. He always had a plan, and I know that he has a lot more to worry about than the rest of us."
Chris nodded, smiling reassuringly. "I have no intention of telling anyone anything, unless JT tells me I can. I promise."
Cory relaxed, and let himself be dragged off by a doctor for some much needed nourishment.
Chris watched him leave for only a moment longer, before he turned around and exited the tent.
He stopped outside for a few minutes, looking around to see if there was somewhere he could help. Seeing nothing immediately visible, he headed over to the command tent.
Inside, he took stock of the situation. Flynn was in a huddle with Halloway and a few other officers, while more were scattered about the space. His eyes lighting on one individual in particular, he smiled, and moved in that direction.
"Hey," he murmured quietly, startling the young Lieutenant.
Lieutenant One, as most called her, looked up quickly, before she relaxed and smiled at her boyfriend. "I hear you've been busy," she replied, setting aside the PADD she had been concentrating on.
Chris nodded a little, looking back over his shoulder through the tent opening, over to where he had left the kids. "I really hope they're all OK," he said softly, turning back to his girlfriend. Most called her Number One, or Lieutenant One, if they were being formal. There weren't many who could pronounce the half Argelian's full name; those she considered to be friends called her by the nickname of Shay.
Shay smiled at her boyfriend's compassion. "We'll make sure of it," she assured him.
Chris smiled, before his expression changed to a frown. "Do you know what happened to the others we found in that prison?" he asked curiously. Other than Kevin, he hadn't seen any of the others.
Shay shook her head. "I don't, but I don't think I'm high enough to be privy to that information. The Captain is over there, though, if you want to ask him."
Chris nodded again. "Thanks," he replied. "I'll see you later, all right?"
Shay smiled. "Dinner?"
Chris reached out subtly and grasped her hand for a moment, squeezing reassuringly. "Sure. I'll find you later."
With that, he left her to go find out if Halloway had anything for him.
Well, this is the longest chapter yet. I had to end it somewhere!
Please review!