Title: The Boy and the Sea Dragon (11/?)
Author: klmeri
Fandom: Star Trek AOS
Characters: Kirk, Spock, McCoy
Summary: On an away mission, Captain Kirk encounters an old friend he hasn’t thought of in years. Unfortunately, their meeting is less than fortuitous and bodes ill for the rest of Jim’s crew.
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Part Eleven

“Bones!”

Leonard’s arm is taken in hand and the man halted mid-angry stride. Rather than snapping as he wants to at the Captain, McCoy settles for glaring. They are close to the brig now. Spock and Christine flank Jim. It’s a tad strange to see Nurse Chapel in a position that Leonard usually takes. He isn’t sure that he likes being on this end of a confrontation.

So close. Close enough, by a slim hope, that McCoy might get some answers from the only source with a possibility of having them. It doesn’t bear thinking about how the rest of Leonard’s life will play out if the xenopolycythemia is truly incurable.

Kirk releases his tight grip once Leonard resigns himself to being cornered. “I need to know,” the Captain begins, “why you want to see… it. Why, Bones?”

Leonard doesn’t really have a choice, does he? The Captain may speak informally but his words are a command nonetheless. Three pairs of eyes are fixed on him; they are waiting. The corridor is empty of other people but Leonard feels unsettled speaking the truth out loud. He does it anyway. “I have xenopolycythemia, Captain.” In McCoy’s mind, the words echo down the hall. He shoves away the urge to chase after them and hide them again.

Christine closes her eyes. The Vulcan says nothing, but Leonard isn’t foolish enough to think that Spock does not know what the disease is—or will do to Leonard McCoy. It’s only Jim who pales, not fully understanding but aware enough that the doctor’s tone indicates a terrible prognosis.

“You, Bones?” is Kirk’s whisper.

“Yes, Jim. The disease has no known cure.” He throws in the words hastily, grasping for some way to soften the blow. “I’ll still be effective as the CMO in the time that I have left.”

Jim inhales sharply then. “How long?”

“About two years. I’m… lucky that we caught it so soon.”

Christine interrupts. “He is correct, Captain. The early-stage indicators of xenopolycythemia would not have registered on the tests performed during a standard physical exam. Perhaps in a year’s time, Doctor McCoy would begin to exhibit major symptoms.”

She meets Leonard’s eyes and his stomach drops. Don’t, Chris, he thinks silently, unable to voice the plea.

“M’Benga ordered the micro-analytic testing for Leonard in the aftermath of… the creature’s attack. Those readings led to the discovery of the disease.” Then she says directly to McCoy, “Tell them all of it, Doctor.”

Shit. His jaw, as a natural habit, automatically locks in rebellion.

Kirk is having none of Leonard’s resistance. “Explain,” the man orders softly.

Looking at the First Officer for help is useless. Spock’s eyes may be pained but the Vulcan obviously won’t allow Leonard to skimp on the details. McCoy curses and turns his back to Kirk, Spock, and Chapel.

“Let’s get to the brig.”

“McCoy…” Kirk gives him fair warning.

“I understand, Jim. But I think my explanation would be better served with all parties present.”

There is a short silence. “That thing knows?” asks the nurse, a not-quite horror lacing her voice.

“Oh yes.” Leonard’s body jerks once before he can punch down the anger building inside him. “C’mon.” He moves quickly down the hall, resuming his original fast pace. A sharp turn of a corner and McCoy stops in front of the entrance to the brig. Jim comes to stand beside him, Spock slightly behind them both. Christine lingers uncertainly against the opposite wall.

McCoy tells her, “You don’t have to come in with us, Chapel. No one will ask you to.”

The woman takes a deep breath and pulls back her shoulders. “I think I’d better not, Doctor.”

He nods his understanding. Chapel is, at the very least, aware of what they are doing and will be close by in case of an emergency… or to alert the ship if something goes terribly wrong.

Jim and Spock follow Leonard into the brig. The security on duty instantly snap to attention, only Kirk’s “At ease, men” notifying all present that they can relax to a certain extent. The Captain of the Enterprise motions the red-shirts to the side.

One of them protests. “Sir, what if the prisoner—”

“I expect you to keep a watchful eye on us, Lieutenant,” says Kirk. He glances at Leonard and then Spock. “However, you must not—under any circumstances—repeat the conversation that you are about to hear beyond this room. Understood?”

Both of the guards simultaneously agree, “Yes, Captain.”

“Bones, let me go first.”

He has to argue with that. “No, Jim. You going first is what always lands you in bad situations. I’ll—”

“Doctor, Captain. If you please.” Spock makes no apology for shouldering to the front of both of the men. The Vulcan is the first to enter the open area of the brig, cells set in a long row. Leonard glares at the back of Spock’s head as he follows.

The creature is crouched on a cot in its own small room. The force-field of energy bars are intact, crackling and bright. The three officers are greeted by a low warbling from the inside of the occupied cell.

Leonard takes this as a hello. Before he can respond as he desires, McCoy is interrupted by the First Officer.

“Greetings.” Trust Spock to be polite to the enemy. “At this time, we desire conversation. Do not attempt to endanger, coerce, or otherwise distress any participant. There will be subsequent punitive action for such behavior.” The Vulcan pauses. “You will also receive a lack of leniency at your trial hearing.”

McCoy’s mouth drops open. “Trial? Since when is there going to be a trial?”

Spock addresses the doctor’s surprise without facing Leonard. “Given the intent to conquer unwilling subjects such as the Captain and yourself, Doctor, Federation law quite clearly states that the prisoner must undergo a trial. The Enterprise, at the Captain’s command, is ready to proceed to the nearest starbase to initiate the proceedings.”

“Goddamn it, Spock, who can judge if they were acting out of maliciousness or—”

“Doctor,” the Vulcan looks at McCoy then. Spock’s gaze is hard. “You must not delay the truth of your encounters with these creatures. Explain your initial discovery of your illness.”

Leonard is certain that his face pales; he can feel the blood draining from his head. When Jim lays a hand on McCoy’s shoulder, Leonard knows that he can no longer fight this battle alone. “It told me,” he answers in a shaky breath. “Several times, actually, until it—the other one, I mean—said outright that I had xenopolycythemia.”

Spock’s dark eyes soften with something akin to sympathy. “As I suspected. In doing so, the creature has an advantage to manipulate you during a distraught state of mind.”

“Bones,” Jim’s voice seems strained with emotion.

He is simply unable to look at Jim or Spock as he tells them the rest of the horrible truth. “It was playing me as a trump card, alright. It said… that being diseased made me less desirable of a victim.” His smile grows bitter. “So I was offered a cure.”

It’s then that McCoy meets the gazes of Kirk and Spock. “Can you imagine? A cure for xenopolycythemia—the medical breakthrough of the century! Do you know how many people can be saved if we had the cure? And that doesn’t take into account the other possible avenues for treatment of similar diseases it would open up for us…”

“Bones, stop it.” Jim takes his shoulders and gives him a little shake. When Leonard sighs, slumping just enough that the other man can tell McCoy is listening, Kirk releases him. “Nothing is free, and I don’t want to contemplate what that thing wanted in return for a cure. Bones,” Jim tells him gently, “it’s not your responsibility to make that call.”

“I’m a doctor, Jim. It’s my job to save lives, no matter what it costs me.”

“When the cost is your life, Leonard, you deprive potential patients of an expert care that they would receive nowhere else.”

“Spock, I’d be more than happy to debate this with you but I doubt either of us are going to budge. And we just don’t have enough time left to waste like that.”

At the reminder of Leonard’s numbered days, Kirk stiffens and rounds on the creature. It has stayed silent and observant since they confronted it.

“I’ll only ask you this once.” Captain Kirk’s voice has a cold quality that McCoy rarely hears. “Do you or your partner have a viable cure for xenopolycythemia?”

It slowly climbs from its cot, crawls towards them and straightens to full height. It blinks black, fathomless eyes and tilts its head.

No.

A sharp pain splinters through Leonard; it is his last hope crumbling to dust. “That’s it then.” Is that his voice which sounds so hollow?

“No,” Jim says fiercely. “I won’t believe it!”

“Jim,” he tries to talk sense to the livid man, though speaking seems incredibly difficult. “I don’t think that there’s much we can do. You can’t get something when there’s nothing to give.” At Kirk’s expression, Leonard thinks that the man might surely try. “Spock, please—”

“I must agree with the Captain. I find that… there is no acceptable alternative.”

Leonard looks between them, unsure and slightly awed by their combined will. He is about to tell them not to be crazy, that it doesn’t matter, he’s still got two years left and…

There is another way.

The three turn as one to the still-standing creature.

“How?” Kirk demands.

Free me, it tells them in gentle psychic waves. Must see other. Then I will tell all.

“No!” McCoy fairly shouts, heart pounding. He grabs Kirk’s arm. “Jim, for God’s sake, don’t jeopardize the ship!”

Something pained flickers through Kirk’s eyes. “I can’t give up… not for you, Bones.”

Leonard’s breath catches. Oh God, Jimmy, don’t be a fool he doesn’t say.

Kirk looks to his First Officer. “Spock?”

McCoy sincerely hopes that the Vulcan will use every ounce of that logical brain to persuade Jim against conceding to their enemy’s wishes.

His stomach plummets when Spock responds too calmly, “I will advise Nurse Chapel to prepare the medical bay and alert the relevant officers on duty.” The Vulcan leaves to do just that.

Leonard’s skin crawls with the pleased amusement which seeps from the creature at his back. If it turns on them… The result will be the end of them all.

Next Part

Related Posts:

• The Boy and the Sea Dragon (14/14) – from December 7, 2010
• The Boy and the Sea Dragon (13/14) – from December 6, 2010
• The Boy and the Sea Dragon (12/14) – from December 2, 2010
• The Boy and the Sea Dragon (10/?) – from November 25, 2010
• The Boy and the Sea Dragon (9/?) – from November 20, 2010