CHAPTER 28

"Doctor, please begin the pro-ced-ure."

Jim was obviously up to something, McCoy knew, but it didn't make him feel any less sick as he let his arms fall from Aggie's shaking frame. She swayed slightly, and he caught her elbow. He licked his lips but his tongue was dry.

"Aggie," he said, his voice raspy. "You need to—to lay down now." McCoy found that he didn't need to be told to slow down, his entire being was fighting what he was doing.

She didn't move at first, but when the agent let out an impatient sigh, she jerked as though she'd been slapped. McCoy shot the man a vicious glance, saw the agent's hand hovering near a bulge at his waist that was, undoubtedly, a concealed phaser. Disgusted, McCoy looked away.

Aggie sat on the cryo-unit's rim, and McCoy helped lift her legs and swing them inside. The unit had been placed on standby, but it still felt a few degrees cooler inside. It would soon become much, much colder. McCoy looked up at the other men in the room.

"The patient needs to disrobe in order to be placed in stasis. If you would—if you would . . . " the muscles in his throat tightened, making it difficult to say the words, but Kirk and Spock were already shifting to the side so that they were facing the entrance.

Gray didn't move.

He stared at McCoy with a smug look. "Please continue, Doctor."

Anger burned like molten lava inside of McCoy and his hands curled into fists. He didn't care if the bastard did have a phaser, it didn't give him the right to—

Aggie grabbed the opening to her robe and yanked it open stiffly. With jerky moments, she threw it on the floor. There was a look of desperate determination about her, despite shivering from the cool air. She covered her chest with one arm and grabbed McCoy's hand with the other, trying to loosen his fingers.

"Len, please. Help me down."

He knew that she was trying to keep him from knocking the smug smile from Gray's ugly face but his hands automatically relaxed. How could he refuse her anything?

He looked down into Aggie's emerald eyes and had to force himself not to take her in his arms, shielding her from the agent's violating gaze. She must have seen what he wanted to do because she gave him a smile that was both sad and proud.

Aggie glanced around and floundered. "I don't remember how I was—"

"On your side," McCoy said tightly, helping her as she dropped to her knees. She positioned herself on one side in a loose fetal position, facing him. She was trembling so hard now that McCoy could see it. Hidden from the agent's view, McCoy stroked her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but she seized his hand between both of hers. He watched as she slid his ring from her finger and tried to put it back on his pinky.

"No," McCoy said firmly. "I know you can't wear it while in stasis, but I want you to keep it with you. Just promise me you'll put it on as soon as you wake up."

"P-p-please, Len," Aggie stammered. "Just h-hold onto it f-for me. Keep it s-safe." She finally managed to slide it back onto his finger, letting out a sob as she did so.

"All right, Aggie," he said softly, stroking her shoulder. "Don't cry; I promise I'll see you soon. Once this is over, we'll get married. Just like in my dream."

"Tell me again," she pleaded, a tear pooling in the corner of her eye. "About our life together."

Feet shuffled impatiently behind him, and McCoy reached over to flick a switch on the Beyor gas then reached back in to hold Aggie's hands. As the bluish gas began to seep through the vents, he told her once more about their house. About their daughter. About their lives. He didn't forget a single detail.

An internal blue light clicked on within the unit and cool air brushed against McCoy's skin. Aggie's shivering grew more violent. "And our daughter, Aggie . . . " he paused to wipe his eyes off on his shoulder. "So, so beautiful. Just like you."

The gas was heavy and pooled in the base of the unit. When it brushed against Aggie's cheek, she jerked her head back in horror.

"Shhh, it's okay," McCoy said, squeezing her hands tightly. "I'm right here, Aggie. I won't leave you. You're not alone." The gas had already encircled their hands, leaving the skin along his knuckles prickly feeling. The gas crept up to the side of Aggie's mouth, and she whimpered, clearly holding her breath.

McCoy let out a sob, wiped his face again, then said in a thick voice, "Just breathe, Aggie. Don't fight it. You're just going to sleep for a bit, that's all. And you'll dream," McCoy whispered. Aggie inhaled but gagged, coughed, then inhaled more of the gas as a result. "I love you, Aggie," he said, over and over again as her eyelids began to flutter and droop. Her shivering had stopped completely and ice particles were already beginning to form on her skin. She could hear him though, he knew. The brain would be awake for a little longer.

"I love you, Aggie. I love you."

There was a sharp beeping from behind and with shaking hands, McCoy let go of Aggie and turned to read the display. Aggie was in complete stasis. He stared blankly at the portable life function monitor that indicated she was well.

Suddenly, there was a resounding clang from behind, and McCoy whirled around to see that Gray had slid the cryo-unit's lid shut. The sound of the internal locks engaging sounded like death nails.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" McCoy shouted, wild and angry with grief. He launched himself forward, but Kirk stepped in front of him, wrapping him in a fierce bear hug. "Damn you, Jim! Let me go!" he said, struggling. "He can't take her!"

"Stop it, Bones!" Kirk said fiercely. "He'll kill you! Just a few minutes more!"

Gray ignored them as he knelt to place anti-grav magnets on either side of the unit. He turned them on, and the cryo-unit lifted a few inches from the floor.

"Jim! He's taking her!"

Spock stepped forward as though to address the agent, but Gray backed away from the Vulcan's approach. "Stay away from me," he hissed, reaching into his coat to pull out a high-grade phaser. "I warned all of you not to interfere with my mission, and yet that's all you've been doing! And for what?' Gray demanded, looking disgusted as he sent the floating cryo-unit spinning towards his ship. "An augment? You people make me sick! You're all insane!"

"I would suggest that the reverse is true," Spock interjected coolly.

Gray sneered. "You would, you lying half-breed."

McCoy watched in horror as Gray's hand twitched a second before he lifted the phaser. "Spock! Watch out!"

The shot went wild as Gray was forced to duck to avoid being hit by Kirk's own phaser blast.

"Ah, fuck it!" Kirk shouted, diving behind the closest medical unit, dragging Bones after him. He waggled his phaser at McCoy. "A little insurance," he said, grinning viscously. "Now go get Aggie. I'll cover you."

McCoy didn't have to be told twice, and he ran with his head lowered toward the agent's ship. There were several phaser shots and a red beam nearly got him in the leg, but McCoy dove for the cryo-unit. It floated easily on the anti-grav magnets, spinning behind the semi-cover of the ship's ramp. McCoy slid in behind it just as another phaser beam flew by. There was a shout, the sound of something—probably one of the medical units—crashing to the floor, then a shadow fell across McCoy. Squinting against the bay's overhead lightning, McCoy saw Gray standing over him, partially sheltered in the entryway to his ship.

There was no cover for McCoy, and he held his arms out protectively in front of the unit.

Gray's eyebrows lifted in confusion. "You would die? For this thing?"

"She's not a thing, she's a human being. And I love her." Resolve made McCoy's face hard.

"Damn you!" Gray roared, and touched a panel on his phaser. "You can pay for it's sins then!"

McCoy saw the red beam erupt from the tip of the phaser in slow motion. It started as the barest ember, then sluggishly grew out of the barrel with such heat that it glowed white. In truth, the mushroom shape it created was actually rather amusing. Why did McCoy always imagine old-Earth projectiles?

A sense of profound relief entered McCoy's body. Soon, he would be dead. And once that happened, nothing would stand in the way of Kirk vaporizing Gray. Aggie would be safe.

Sadness bloomed in his chest as he realized that life and love would go on without him. Not that he didn't want it to, but he would miss being a part of it. He saw again his dream of Aggie, singing softly to the small bundle in her arms. Except now, it would not be his child she sang to.

But she would live, she would go on. And in the end, that's all that truly mattered.

McCoy stiffened as the phaser beam flashed, and he felt the briefest flicker of surprise as it struck his chest, engulfing his body in light.

Dying wasn't painful, after all.

Just the leaving.

Sorry to leave you on sort of a cliffhanger. I do enjoy them. Leave me a review if you'd like me to upload the final chapters in one shot. Wrap it up before the new year. And WHENEVER you are reading this, let me know if you've been enjoying it so far.

~Cooper