Stardate 2261.6504 - Commander Spock recording.
Doctor McCoy and I have both been taken to an unknown location, presumably underground. There is still no sign of our missing men or the two scientists.
Even before he opened his eyes, Spock's other senses told him that he was not where he last remembered being. The sounds and smells were all wrong. Also wrong was the pain in his head.
Spock opened his eyes slowly as he brought one hand up to slightly above his right eyebrow. The green blood staining his fingertips told of an injury he couldn't remember, but he ignored that as it occurred to him that he not only didn't know where he was, he didn't know where McCoy was either.
Raising himself up, he found that he was on some sort of oddly shaped table that was, in turn, on a small raised platform. The area around him was the only lit area - everything else was as dark as the inside of a cave. Part of him observed that the lighting had no obvious source, but his main focus was on finding McCoy.
A soft groan drew his attention and he rose quickly to find the source. He found McCoy in a heap on the floor behind the platform. That was yet another oddity. Why had whoever had taken them placed him on the table while leaving McCoy haphazardly on the floor? gain, he pushed those thoughts to the side as he knelt to check on the doctor.
"Leonard?"
It took longer than Spock was comfortable with for McCoy to open his eyes, but his concern diminished as McCoy immediately focused in on Spock's injury.
"That looks painful."
"I have a mild headache, nothing worse. Were you injured?"
Closing his eyes again breifly, McCoy cautiously stretched, wincing some as he did.
"Bruised some, but doesn't feel like anything's broken."
Sitting up with Spock's help, McCoy was pleased to see that his gear was still with him. He quickly began scanning to confirm their condition.
"Yep, battered, but not broken. Now, let me take a closer look at -"
McCoy stopped in mid-sentence as another pool of light flared into being not far from where they were. It illuminated another platform with another table and there was a body on it. Very obvious not any of the missing men. This figure was dressed in a jewel-toned robe - small and feminine in appearance.
Spock kept an eye on the other area as he helped McCoy to his feet. As they watched, the woman began to move and stretch as if waking up. Then her head turned in their direction. Her reaction when she saw them was panic and she turned her head, putting her arms up as if to shield herself from them.
Her reaction to them caused two very different responses in return. Spock turned on his tricorder and began to take readings while McCoy seemed drawn to her. A phrase that Spock's mother had used once came to his mind - like a moth to a flame.
"I would advise caution, Doctor. We know nothing about her and appearances are often deceiving."
McCoy nodded in agreement, but didn't hesitate in drawing closer to her.
"I know, Spock, but - I can't explain it. Something feels right about her."
McCoy eased onto the platform as if approaching an easily frightened animal. He remained still and silent, making no further move toward her.
The only sound was from Spock's tricorder as minutes passed without change. Then the woman lowered her arms slightly, turning her head to regard McCoy curiously with her large, doe-like eyes.
The protective, paternal feelings that McCoy had for this unknown woman didn't make sense, so he hadn't bothered trying to explain them to Spock. He simply returned her gaze and smiled at her. Her reaction to her smile was a puzzled look, followed by a small smile of her own and a hesitant hand reaching out to lightly touch his hand.
A feeling of disorientation washed over McCoy after she made contact, but he felt pleasantly warm as well. The warmth faded as the woman withdrew her hand and wrapped her arms around herself as if she were cold.
Unnoticed by either of them, Spock had been approaching quietly and placed his hand on McCoy's shoulder.
"You seemed to have lost your balance breifly. Is something wrong?"
As he considered, it dawned on McCoy that all of the aches he'd had were gone.
"No, nothing's wrong. I feel great."
Looking up, he met the woman's eyes and smiled at her again. McCoy kept his voice soft.
"Did you do that? Thank you."
She smiled back at him, brighter this time, before her gaze moved to Spock. Never one for casual contact, Spock automatically moved back when she extended a hand toward him. She withdraw her hand and looked from Spock back to McCoy, who was silent for a moment before speaking.
"Spock, let her touch you. I'm not positive, but I think the two of you share something in common."
His reluctance was easy to see, but Spock decided to trust the doctor's instincts and sat down within reach of the woman. Instead of reaching out immediately, she took a minute to study him before extending one delicate hand. She didn't touch him, but hovered her palm over the wound, close enough for him to feel her warmth.
He watched as her features twisted into a slight grimace. Taking a deep breath, she lightly pressed her fingertips around the injury and closed her eyes.
Spock had been braced for the jolt that touch always brought, but to his surprise, he felt nothing but a soothing warmth from her fingertips that seemed to flow out and cover the wound. She looked pained again as, before his eyes, a small lump formed above her right eyebrow, broke open and oozed purplish blood, then close again. Within seconds, the only sign that she had been injured was the traces of blood that remained.
As she withdrew and drew her arms around herself again, Spock carefully probed his own forehead. No trace of the injury remained except for a bit of congealed blood.
"Remarkable."
Removing a cleansing wipe from his medkit, McCoy cleaned the trace of blood from Spock, then the woman. The tone of the doctor's voice told his excitement, but he was still keeping his voice soft.
"I've heard stories about empaths, even met a couple. I've never heard of empathy to her level though. She didn't just feel our pain and remove it, she actually drew our physical injuries into herself. I'm guessing you don't even have a headache any more, do you?"
Spock acknowledge the truth of that with a nod and watched as McCoy showed his tricorder to the woman. When she expressed curiosity instead of fear, he turned it on and scanned her. Taking a glance at the results, he noticed that she scooted closer to him, though whether for warmth or comfort, he couldn't begin to guess.
"She's not a race or species that's in the Federation databases, Spock. Another thing, she doesn't have vocal cords. Not even vestigial ones. My best guess would be that it's normal for her people."
That explained her silence even when obviously in pain, but brought another question to Spock's mind.
"Do you believe she can hear us?"
"No reason why she shouldn't be able to. Of course, odds are that she doesn't understand a thing we're saying. Unless . . . do you thing she might be telepathic as well?"
Thinking back to her touch, Spock dismissed that possibility almost immediately.
"No, I didn't not receive any impression of that while we were in contact. I believe she is reacting toward us in response to the emotions she feels from us."
McCoy judged this was not a time to tease Spock about emotions and didn't comment. He simply wrapped one arm around the woman before making an entirely different comment.
"I think I'm going to call her Gem."
Spock's brows went into a new position at the unexpected statement, which amused McCoy greatly.
"Gem?"
"Well, we can't keep talking about her like she isn't here and it isn't as if she can tell us her name. Besides, I think Gem suits her."
Gem seemed to approve as well, leaning against McCoy.
"Tired, Gem? Well, go ahead and sleep. I bet healing us took a lot out of you."
Moving away, Spock began to scan the area that they were in. Glancing back, he wondered how much of the protectiveness the doctor felt were his own feelings and how much might be the projected desire for protection from the young alien.