𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 ➪ 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐤¹

|| 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐌𝐲 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 ||

"The decontamination process is not complete. You'd flood the whole compartment. The door's locked, Sir." Scotty clearly found this hard to accept himself. If there was a way...he would've done it already.

Luna straightened up and took a few steps back, allowing the Vulcan to take her place. Beyond the glass, Kirk shifted to look at his First Officer, lifting a shaky arm to close the hatch leading into the rest of the chamber.

"How's our ship?" He managed to say.

"Out of danger," Spock replied, his voice quiet. "You saved the crew." 

"You used what he wanted against him..." Kirk paused to take a few breaths, smiling briefly. "That's a nice move."

"It is what you would have done." 

"And this...this is what you would've done. It was only logical." 

Luna glanced back, anxiously. Samsa should be here. She must be close. She has to be.

"I'm scared, Spock," Kirk rasped, his voice breaking. "Help me not be...how do you choose not to feel?" 

The Vulcan shook his head. "I do not know. Right now...I am failing." 

Hearing his voice wobble prompted several tears to roll down Luna's cheeks. She swallowed the lump in her throat and gripped her forearm tightly. 

"I want you to know why I couldn't let you die," Kirk said. "Why I went back for you." 

"Because you are my friend," Spock said. 

It was tragically beautiful. Luna watched the exchange in both awe and despair. Never had she imagined a bond between two people, never mind a Vulcan and a Human, being so deep-rooted and genuine. 

Kirk pressed a hand against the glass, which Spock met with his own in the shape of the Vulcan salute. A collection of tears trailed down Kirk's face. He just about managed to move his fingers to mirror Spock's, before the light in his eyes perished and his hand fell limp.

☆☆☆

Samsa ran as fast as she could. She had no idea why Scotty asked for her in Engineering, but something told her it wasn't good. Perhaps someone was injured badly before the ship's power returned? 

There was certainly a lot of people in need of medical attention around the evacuation bays. Samsa struggled to get through and by the time she reached the central Engineering deck, she feared she was too late.

A horrifying yell of anger from the middle of the hangar prompted her to pick up the pace. It sounded like Spock. She could just about see Uhura and Scotty standing beside the warp core chamber. Samsa came to a stop beside them and went to ask what was happening when she froze.

The corners of her vision darkened to the point where she could only see Jim. His limp body slumped against the chamber door. His lifeless eyes. The tears still fresh yet frozen on his cheeks. 

Her legs buckled and she stumbled forward, sliding to her knees in front of the glass. Someone said her name. Samsa blocked them out. This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Any moment now, she would wake up. 

Any moment now.

She squeezed her eyes shut and released a strangled cry to combat the pain. 

Everything hurt. Everything burned. Everything was too much. 

Samsa felt someone wrap their arms around her. She gripped them tightly, crying into their chest. She wanted it to be Jim. She wanted him to tell her that he was fine. That he was going to wake up any moment now.