"I'll walk him to his quarters, Doctor. I'll make sure he goes directly there." the way Sulu said it let Kirk know that if need be Sulu would get Security to assist in getting him to his quarters.

At his quarters Kirk looked at his helmsman and said, "Sulu, what you and the others did for,"

Sulu shook his head, "He's not just your friend, Captain. We may not, we may never be as close as you two are but he is our friend as well and we will do what we can to help him. If you were to listen to the rest of the crew you would see there are a lot who would also want to help. Uhura is keeping the crew up-to-date on his status."

For a moment Kirk was going to say that he had not heard her doing so but stopped as he knew of the way she would get word got around and how those she told would ensure there was not change in the wording as it circulated.

"We best get some sleep, Sir, as Doctor McCoy will know if we, especially you, do not follow orders and we need to be ready to help Spock be it with more treatments or whatever else we can do."

Kirk nodded and went into his quarters. He paced for sixteen minutes then opened his door, McCoy was not going to keep him from Spock this time. Of all people on the ship McCoy should know he had to be with Spock now, that Spock would need him.

A young security officer stood across from his door and looked at him, "Please remain in your quarters, Captain. I have been ordered to ensure you remain in your quarters for a period of no less than seven point five hours. I have further been instructed to inform you that failure to do so will require a notification on your record to show you did not obey medical orders." The officer half-smiled, "You will find, Sir, that such orders have also be given with respect to officers Lieutenant Sulu, Lieutenant Uhura, Ensign Chekov, and Chief Engineer Scott and that there is a security officer ensuring they, also, follow medical orders. Have a nice rest."

Kirk nodded, "Thank you." and went into his quarters slowly shaking his head, Bones knew him too well. As he felt himself drifting off to sleep he knew that McCoy would be watching over Spock, he knew, as other did as well, that under all that constant badgering and needling he did to Spock there was also a lot of love and friendship felt towards his hobgoblin.

In Sickbay Doctor McCoy looked again at his readings and the test results and walked back to stand by the bed of his friend and Vulcan First Officer. There had been a slight improvement in the readings and the test results were more positive, but only slight. He let out a long breath as he looked at his friend, "It is there, Spock. There is an improvement showing, very slight but I'll be damned if it isn't there. I'll check it again in an hour to see if it is a real improvement. If there is any improvement, any at all, then there is no way known to any species that you will be taken off this ship. There is no way you will be taken from your family and placed who knows where with being who do not know you as I, as we do. No way at all." Carefully McCoy adjusted the sheet covering the Vulcan and briefly place a hand on his shoulder, "You just rest and let whatever is working in you work in you. You may have to undergo it all again a few times if it is working so rest up, my friend, I'll be close by." Before returning to his office McCoy looked at the monitors and was satisfied his friend would sleep a few more hours. He wanted to study the results again.

As McCoy studied the results and compared them with earlier results he realized that if that slight improvement continued at the rate it was it would take several more treatments to get the Vulcan back to within range of a good improvement, one that would see those mysterious Vulcan ways to come back as, as far as he could tell from the scans and reports, it was that basted Vulcan part of his mind that was mainly blocked. He then wondered about what the four had done and how it would have caused such a slight but lasting change. Uhura with her rubbing of his feet and singing, Chekov with some gawd knows what concoction, Scotty with those tubes that made Spock breathe some sort of slightly humid fumes, and Sulu with that head and neck massage. As he looked at what they had done and at the results he wondered what the connection was and why it seemed so, oh gawd he had to say it, logical that they started at the feet and worked upwards. He looked repeatedly at the analysis done of what was in both Chekov's and Scotty's treatments and could find nothing unusual. While the analysis told him what was used it did not tell him not how it was made so he knew he would have to speak with them and find out. It was a known fact that massage helped the muscles but McCoy waned to know more about the two types used on Spock as they had worked on more than just muscle relaxation. He rested his head in his hands and closed his eyes as he tried to think. The answer had to be right there.

Although Kirk had slept for seven hours they had been broken hours. He kept hearing what he had said to Spock while under the influence of the drugs and the way McCoy had briefly stopped after he had said, "if he were having to repeat a word that often or hesitated then," McCoy had not seen how Spock had struggled to talk, how it was clear his thinking was not at all how it usually was yet had known the truth from his silence. While he wanted to go to Spock he knew he had to go to the bridge to ensure things were fine with the ship first.

When he stepped outside his quarters the same security officer was still across from the door and nodded to him, "I hope you had a good sleep, Sir."

"Yes, thank you. Am I allowed to go to the bridge now, even though it has not been Doctor McCoy's seven and a half hours?"

A strange smile flashed across the man's face and he said, "Yes, Sir. I am not off duty and you are free to go."

For a moment as he walked to the turbolift he thought about that smile but was sure it was because both of them were breaking Doctor McCoy's orders by half an hour. Not many officers were eager or foolhardy enough to face the wrath of McCoy if he found out his orders were not followed. As he stepped onto the bridge he was, for a moment, surprised to see Uhura, Chekov, and Sulu at their stations talking with the officers who had been relieving for them. Now he understood the smile, clearly the other security officers had reported the same request from the others.

Steven Sanchez was standing by the command chair and looked at him, "Captain, I hand command back to you."

For a moment he wanted to point out there was no need to hand back command as he had never been given it to him and that they were at a Starbase and not in space, but realized Sanchez was just following basic training, he still had a lot to learn. He nodded as an acknowledgment and looked at Uhura, Sulu and Chekov and saw they were looking at him. Slowly Uhura stood and walked over to him, "We are to go down to the Transporter Room, meet up with Scotty, and report to Doctor McCoy." When he paused as a fear touched him he saw Uhura shake her head and slightly smiled, "He is still with us, Sir."

McCoy had awoken with a jolt, still at his desk. He went in and checked on Spock and was unaware he held his breath as he started to look at the latest readings. Not bothering to pause to consider the time or how long he and the others might have slept he quickly contacted Scotty. He could tell from how the Scotsman answered that he had been awake and McCoy wondered if he had slept at all. "It's McCoy, Scotty. I need you to bring the others down as soon as your seven point five hours are over."

"He,"

"He's still with us but I need you all down here."

"Twas nae fair having Security ensure we stayed in our quarters."

"Maybe not, Scotty, but I had to make sure you five at least would at least try to sleep."

"And what about yourself?"

"I," he looked over at his sleeping friend, "I got some sleep as I need to keep my head clear for the next few days."

"That healer is nae due back for two days. Is there any real change of,"

"Just get yourself and the others down here, Scotty."

A/N Hope you are all well - too hot here to even move at times. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Stay safe and HAVE FUN.