You Can't Be Too Careful [Star Trek/Leonard "Bones" McCoy Love Story]

[24.] Until The Bitter End, My Dearest Friend

A/N: Hi guys! Thank you so so SO much for your patience. Life is so hectic sometimes. But, here it is! Chapter 24! Thank you as usual for being such wonderfully faithful readers. You guys mean the world to me <3

[24] Until The Bitter End, My Dearest Friend

            Surprisingly enough, I managed to pull myself together within the span of ten seconds. The tears stopped, I regained control of my breathing, and suddenly, I became levelheaded. My mind instantly hopped to what Khan said about me being “ice” (i.e. being judicious), and I realized that he was undeniably correct. I couldn’t be hysterical for very long. I always got my worries out in one burst, and then I was right back to being sensible. I always thought things through and found the strength to be phlegmatic and cooperative in trying situations.

            This revelation, of course, sent shudders down my spine. It felt as if Khan had somehow managed to look past my eyes and straight into my past and mind; as if he were reading me like one might read an informative book from a library. I closed my eyes and pursed my lips as another chill crept down my back. Icy, I thought. Icy icy icy.

            Bones’s concerned voice brought me back to the present. Turns out, minutes had passed since my little episode, and I hadn’t even noticed it. Khan, Kirk, and Astrid were already hurtling towards certain death through a massive field of potentially harmful objects. Well, everything is just downright peachy, isn’t it? I thought, shaking my head at myself.

            “Whoa, Jim! You’re way off course!”

            “I know, I know, I can see that,” Kirk answered worriedly.

            “Use your display compass, Captain,” Sulu directed. “You must correct precisely 37.243 degrees.”

            “Got it. I’m working my way back.”

            There was a pause.

            “Scotty, you’re going to be ready with that door, right?” Kirk shouted.

            No response. My heart dropped.

            “Mr. Scott, where are you?”

            “Captain, he can’t seem to hear you,” Uhura explained. “I’m working on getting his signal back. Stand by.”

            “Damn it!” he swore suddenly.

            “Captain, what is it?” Spock inquired.

            “My helmet was hit! Uhura, tell me you have Mr. Scott back!”

            “Not yet, I’m still working on a signal…his communicator is working! I don’t know why he isn’t responding…”

            “Imminent collision detected!” someone called.

            “Khan, use evasive action, there is debris directly ahead,” Spock warned.

            “I see it,” Khan replied.

            The white light on the Bridge suddenly seemed very oppressive to me. The intensity of the shine hurt my eyes and made my head throb, and the shouts and directions made my stomach twist into all sorts of unique knots. I wanted to put my head in my hands and curl up on the floor until it was over, when it was likely that I would hear the news that I had never hoped to hear. Ms. Taylor, I imagined. I am sorry to inform you of this, but it must be brought to your attention that Mr. and Miss Scott are…dead. I winced. Please no. Anything but dead. They cannot die…