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"Oh, good god," Kirk's demeanor darkened immediately, and he was on his feet in a flash, walking over to the door to activate the emergency locks. "Sulu is going for a space-jump the next time I see him. How the HELL did that happen?"

"We have not heard from him, Sir. We don't know if he's alive."

"Jim, wait." McCoy said, getting up and walking over to him. "I have to get to Sick Bay. Let me out first."

"Hell if I'm letting you out there with a crazy Orion on the loose," Kirk said, though he was already walking toward the opposite door in his room, picking up his weapons belt on the way. "You stay here. You're a doctor, not a wrestler, Bones."

"Are you going out there?" McCoy asked, motioning toward his belt. "They told you to stay in here until they got it under control."

"They always say that," Kirk said shortly, already typing the code into the other door to de-activate its alarm. "Stay in here 'til I get back. This shouldn't take long."

"Jim I can't let you go out there," McCoy said, his voice firm and insistent as he pushed Jim away from the code box and kept a hand on his chest. "As Chief Medical Officer it's my duty to see to your welfare, and I'm not going to stand by while you go do something stupid with no backup. Wait security."

"Who knows when they'll get off their asses and get down here?" Kirk said, pushing McCoy's hand away and walking toward the door again. "See to my wellfare by making sure those damn vomit-faced aliens don't get in here and wreck my quarters. The last time I did that I almost had to move in with you. Let me know if you hear anything more from the Bridge."

The next thing Kirk felt was a hypospray jabbed into his neck, and a strange light-headed feeling coming over him.

"Sorry Jim," A suddenly faraway voice said as things started to fade. "I promised I wouldn't let you do that again."

The last thing Kirk heard, was McCoy's voice and the door to his quarters opening.

*

"...aha! I knew it voud vork! He ees coming around!"

"Good. Captain, are you all right?"

Kirk opened his eyes slowly at the sound of two voices above him - one of them distinctly Chekov's, and the other undoubtedly belonging to Nurse Chapel. He found himself proven correct when the bleariness of his vision finally subsided, and he could see exactly who was above him. It turned out to be Chekov, Chapel, and Sulu.

"Velcome back, sir," Chekov said, giving him a slightly leering smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Like taking your head off for asking me that," Kirk growled at him, moving to push himself up with a slight wince. He stopped, however, when he remembered how he'd gotten on the floor of his quarters just by the door, and looked around. "Where's McCoy?"

"First things first, Captain," Chapel said, giving him a look before arching forward to run her tricorder over him. "Let's make sure you're in your right mind."

"I AM in my fucking right mind. Now where's McCoy? And what happened with the Orions?"

"Ze Orions haff been captured again, sir," Chekov said with a nod. "Zey vere nearly just outside your door vhen Doctor McCoy exited. You are fortunate to not have been zere. Zey ver fully armed."

Kirk's eyes darked at him. "They were, were they?" he glared over at Sulu. "And how the hell did they get past YOU?"

"One of them managed to get behind me and give me a blow to the head." Sulu said, and he didn't look happy about it. "It was a stupid mistake, Sir. I apologize."

Kirk glared at him for another moment, before turning to Chapel again. "Dr. McCoy was injured, wasn't he?"

Chapel nodded. "Yes, sir. He's in Sick Bay right now, being attended to. A stab wound to the chest."

Kirk swore under his breath, pushing himself abruptly to his feet. The other three quickly rose with him. "That stupid, hot-headed, motherfucking..." he muttered furiously to himself as he walked out of the room, walking briskly down the hall. "Sulu, I expect a full report on the escape on the Bridge within the hour. Understood?"

"Understood, Sir."

Kirk gave him a last dark look over his shoulder before he disappeared around the corner of the hallway.

Chekov turned to Chapel and Sulu when he was gone, his eyes narrowed. "He is upset?"

Sulu gave him a look before turning on his heel. "Shut up, Chekov."

*

Lesh'ar glanced up from his work when the doors flew open to allow Kirk to stalk into Sick Bay, the captain's aire demanding as he approached the BioBed where Lesh'ar was currently stationed. The expression on his face suggested his intention in the room before he'd spoken a word.

"How bad is it?" was all the captain said as he approached, coming up to the bed and looking down at the occupant of it without a hint of inquiry. "He was stabbed in the chest?"

"Just above his heart," Lesh'ar said, looking back down at McCoy's sleeping face, and reaching out to trace his tricorder once more of the bandages he'd just finished on the doctor's chest. "He has stabilized. It will not take more than a few days for him to heal, if treatment goes uninterrupted."

Kirk pursed his lips, frowning down at McCoy's sleeping form silently for a moment. Then he looked up again, his face dark, and glared at Lesh'ar. "See to it that it is not interrupted," he said shortly, straightening. "I want to have words with him as soon as possible. And if his condition worsens, I'm holding you personally responsible. Do you understand?"

"Perfectly, Captain," Lesh'ar said with a nod.

"Good," Kirk snapped, almost on top of his words. He glanced once more at McCoy, then gave Lesh'ar a last glare and turned to walk out of Sick Bay again, just as quickly as he'd come.

Glancing back down, Lesh'ar shook his head slightly, before turning from the bed and over to the one just behind McCoy's. He gave Spock a glance as he picked up his tricorder again. "The captain's concern is almost tangible," he commented as he ran the instrument over Spock's chest. "Try to lift your arm again."

Spock raised it again, stopping just short of a 90 degree angle with a barely noticeable wince. "He cares greatly for the doctor."

"Indeed," Lesh'ar agreed, his eyes on his work as he reached for an infuser and applied it gently to Spock's side. "These continuing incidents with the Orions are unfortunate. Try to move your other arm."

Spock raised it easily, his eyes on McCoy. "Do you believe that he cares for the doctor romantically, as some humans do?"

Lesh'ar looked up at him, his mouth twitching for only a second before looking back down to his work. "I have long wondered that," he admitted simply, keeping his voice low. "The true question would be whether anything would ever come of it or not. Now, turn your neck to the left..."

Spock turned his neck fully to the left, pausing for Lesh'ar to continue his work. "I do not believe it would. The captain is too proud, and he would not demand McCoy's love."

"No," Lesh'ar agreed, putting two fingers against Spock's cheek to turn his head in the other direction. "But there are other factors which may come into play. I would never claim to know Dr. McCoy's mind."

Spock turned his neck to a resting position and watched Lesh'ar as he retrieved his instruments. "I believe the doctor cares for him, but I do not believe romance is a factor in their relationship."

"Mm," Lesh'ar said, putting his tools aside and glancing at Spock before he turned. "Perhaps."

"Lesh'ar, he's waking up," Chapel's voice suddenly interrupted them as she approached, coming up to McCoy's bed. "Hand me that infuser. He's going to be feeling that antibiotic ointment very soon."

Lesh'ar nodded, looking back at Spock once more before moving to McCoy's bedside. Readying the infuser, he looked down at the doctor's stirring face. "Hello, doctor. How are you feeling?"

McCoy blinked, closing his eyes quickly again once the light hit them. "God..."