"Spock? What's wrong?"

McCoy was not sure if he were more shocked by the terror in Spock's voice or how he opened his eyes and those dark eyes reflected some inner hell, "Need severance from Captain. Not him, not him. Need severance from Captain. Only need severance from Captain."

McCoy was aware of the healer pulling them away slowly and then he was standing twice his arm's length from the bed just looking at Spock as the Vulcan lay with his eyes now again shut only now shaking and saying, "Not him. Scott knows, understands. Just need severance from him. Need severance. Scott understands. Please, just need severance. Kashkau, wuhkuh eh teretuhr."

McCoy looked at the healer who nodded, "Kashkau, wuhkuh eh teretuhr. It is obvious that his and Captain Kirks minds have been joined in melds many times and having been so often joined as one he has a fear for and of Captain Kirk. He feels that only Mister Scott could understand and that he can only survive if he has severance from Captain Kirk. He clearly has inner conflict with his friend Jim Kirk being the same being as his Captain James Kirk.

"The Captain will never grant that."

"Even if it means a life like that for Spock in a facility he would not have access to?"

"Once he has seen Spock like this, once he understands that unless he agrees with the severance Spock will remain like that, he might grant it but I cannot honestly say he will."

"Perhaps a talk with Mister Scott might be helpful as Spock did say he understood. I sensed a deep relationship there and he was of assistance to Spock."

"A talk with us or with Spock?" McCoy was curious as to how and why Scotty's visit with Spock had been different as there he had noticed a subtle change in the man when he returned to wait with them. "Maybe Scotty can find out why Spock does not want to talk with the Captain, he and Spock could talk to each other on levels neither the Captain nor I could. It just seems almost impossible that anything could so turn Spock against having anything to do with Jim Kirk as they were closer than brothers,"

"That might have been their relationship before Kirk called him a half-breed in front of those officers and all but told him that he was just another officer. That is the point at which Spock will not let me past so that is why he is in such conflict. He is aware of better memories before then but will not allow himself to go there. The drug that he inhaled was a drug that was banned on Vulcan generations ago because of the impact it has on the Vulcan mind and how there is no treatment for the damage it can do apart from what we attempted. We have never been able to isolate just how it seems to block access to any pleasant memory but leaves the patient forever trapped in their mind hearing the last angry words and seeing the face of the speaker yet knowing of better times with the speaker. Clearly, with Spock having stated he does not want familiarity with Kirk, his mind has been damaged to a state where he feels the best thing for himself and Kirk is the severance."

McCoy nodded as he knew the healer was right. They had all seen how something in Spock had changed during Kirk's tirade and most likely before he had had time to realize that Kirk's outburst was due to something else he had been exposed to that drug. That drug that had damaged his mind to such an extent he no longer wanted to remember Kirk as anything but his commanding officer.

"Perhaps we should allow Mister Scott to go and see if he can get Spock to allow communication with Kirk. He did seem to have a good report with Scott." The healer looked at him and before McCoy could say what he was thinking the healer continued, "I believe you are too close in a relationship with Spock to remain in contact with him at this time."

For just a moment McCoy thought of protesting but he knew the man was correct, he also knew he was too emotional at the moment to maintain the distance necessary to help Spock. He knew that Scotty and Spock had a friendship but he knew it was not as complicated nor as deep as the one he had with the Vulcan and his own was nothing compared with what Jim and Spock had, or rather had had.

"I'll, I'll go get him."

When McCoy walked into the other room he was almost immediately aware that for a moment that the five who we re there were all in their own worlds, dealing with their thoughts. Four would most likely be going over what they had encountered with Spock and Kirk, Jim Kirk just looked so totally lost and hurt. As soon as Kirk saw him he started to stand but stopped when McCoy raised his hand, "Scotty, can we see you for a minute?"

The Chief Engineer had been thinking of how he had seen the way Spock thought of him as a friend and a highly skilled engineer who could show Vulcan engineers how to think of new ways to deal with situations when none of the usual equipment or supplies are available. He also saw that the Vulcan would never admit aloud to others that he fully understood why he considered the engines of the Enterprise as his bairns. There was a flash of concern across the man's face as he stood, "Right with ye."

The first thing Scotty noticed was how the healer was not standing with Spock and yet Spock was obviously in distress as he was sightly shaking his head and repeating, "Not him. Need severance. Not him. Need severance." and without waiting the Scotsman walked over to the bed.

For only a brief moment did the Scotsman stand by the bed before he took his friend's head in his hands, briefly brushed the fringe back into place, and then placed one hand on Spock forehead and held one of Spock's hand in his, "Ye just relax, laddie. I'll help ye, Spock. I nae wanted ta leave ye before as I could feel you needed me but t'was not fair on the others. Now, can ye tell me what's the bother? Can ye do that without me touching minds?"

"Scotty, help me?"

Briefly the Chief Engineer looked over at McCoy and saw on his face that the doctor had heard it too and was also shocked. Never before had either of them heard their Vulcan friend sound so lost and unsure.

"Aye, lad." he gripped the hand in his, "I'm here to help ye."

"Need severance. Not him. Captain not Jim. Need Jim gone. Need severance. Please. Need Jim gone. Need severance."

"Now do ye nae think he should be the one ta ask for that? Now I may ask him for ye but tis nae the same as if you were ta ask. Ye must tell him why."

"You be here?"

"I'll be right here ta make sure he nae hurts ye."

"Need severance."

"Ye ask him direct for that, lad. Ask him direct."

"If you stay I will talk aloud with him and ask."

When Scotty looked at McCoy the doctor nodded back at him, as did the healer when he looked at him, "Like I said, I'll be right here with ye."

McCoy walked back into the other room and as Kirk looked up at him McCoy put a hand on his shoulder, "He will talk with you but Scotty has to be there. He still wants severance but at least Scotty got him to talk aloud and to be willing to talk with you. You have to let him lead. Understood?"

"He'll, he'll talk to me?" Kirk was aware of a feeling of relief and fear as he stood and followed McCoy. He had been so sure that his outburst had cost him the one friendship that had made him who he was on this ship with this crew, the one friend who knew him better than he knew himself. Over and over he kept hearing that tone in his voice as he said those angry words with so much venom, "you are to stay the hell out of my private life." The last words Spock had heard from him were to stay out of his private life, yet it had been in those private off-duty times when he had needed that quiet, non-judgmental reassurance and acceptance he always found with Spock, those times he could stop being Captain James T. Kirk and just be Jim Kirk. If he granted Spock what he wanted all of that, and Spock himself, would be gone.

The healer stopped him from going into the Intensive Care Unit, "He maintains his desire to have severance, Captain Kirk. What has taken place here is most rare in that Spock is not only conscious and capable of logical thought but that he will speak. It is clear that he and Mister Scott are friends and what you said before is true, you are a family. While there has been significant improvement in his cognisance and speech Spock still desires a severance from you. He opened his eyes briefly but not for long. You must let him talk. You must say nothing unless he asks a question. Do you agree?"

Kirk looked at the man, wanting to say that he had so much to say but then new he had said too much on the Bridge. He had said words he had not meant. His words had put Spock through more than he should ever have had to experience. "Yes."

There was no mistaking the look Scotty had given him as he approached the bed, pleasure mixed with uncertainty.

"He's here, Spock."

A/N Okay Kashkau, wuhkuh eh teretuhr. is not mine but Vulcan for "Our minds are joined together, as one." as per The Motion Picture. Thanks for reading and reviewing.