McCoy's Brain

Chapter 4

                                                                          Kirk

Kirk opened his eyes, swiveling his head back and forth, observing the rest of the bridge crew staggering to their feet. That woman's bracelet packed a punch. This is worse than a saurian brandy hang over. He shook his head and grimaced. Well, almost as bad.

"Is everyone okay?"

Muffled voices answered back. "Yes, Captain. Yes, sir."

"Fine, Uhura check your incoming communications log to see if we missed a hail."

Kirk looked around him, something wasn't right. He scanned the bridge. Bones, where the hell is he? "Where's Doctor McCoy?" he snapped. No one answered. A shrill whistle cut through his thoughts. He punched the blinking button on the arm of his chair. "Kirk, here what is it?"

"Captain, Spock here, we need you down in sick bay...right away."

Kirk felt his stomach drop when he heard the hesitant tone in Spock's voice. "Mr. Sulu, you have the conn," he barked, then pushed himself out of his chair, making his way towards the turbo lift. Its sleek hum did nothing to assuage his fears. Can't this thing move any faster? Moments later he jumped out of the lift and ran towards sick bay.

He burst through the doors, swallowing when the ship's relief Doctor turned towards him. "Captain, ..."

Kirk walked over, noticing Spock for the first time. "Spock, what the hell's going on? How did McCoy get down here and why is he just, just lying there?" he shouted, pointing to McCoy's still form on the bed in front of him.

The relief Doctor laid a hand on his arm. "Sir, he's..."

Kirk felt a flush creep up his neck. "Don't you dare tell me he's gone."

He felt Spock's fingers resting on his shoulder. "Captain, Jim, Doctor McCoy is alive, but not for long."

"What's wrong? What happened? What did they do to him?"

"His brain has been removed."

Kirk swallowed down the burning lump in his throat. "What?"

The relief Doctor stepped forward. "His brain has been surgically removed."

Kirk scowled. "It's that woman. She appeared on the bridge, zapped us all with her bracelet, then we woke up and McCoy was gone." His eyes narrowed. "By the way, where were you?"

"I'm sorry Captain, I was detained." Spock, replied, a faint green color staining his cheeks.

"I'll bet, it was the same reason that Lieutenant Uhura was detained." He sighed "Spock, you should have been on the bridge."

Spock's face turned ashen. He felt his way along the rails of McCoy's bed, then sat down at the edge. "It's already happening. I should have been there. It should have been my brain they took, but I wasn't there."

"Spock, enough of the blame game. I'm sorry if I snapped at you. We've got to work together and find out where that woman came from and where she took McCoy's brain before his body dies. Doctor, how much time do we have before his body shuts down?"

"Just a few hours."

Spock stepped forward. "If he were vulcan how much time would he have?"

The Doctor frowned. "I'm not sure, maybe 24 hours. Why do you ask?"

"We would have had more time, had it been me."

"Spock quit playing devil's advocate. Let's get to work." Kirk snapped.

The way back to the turbo lift remained silent. Kirk glanced at Spock sideways, noting his first officer's somber expression. Once inside the lift he turned to Spock. "Spock are you alright? It's not like you to indulge in idle speculation."

Spock turned to face him, his large brown eyes reflected sorrow, then he blinked, his Vulcan training covered up all trace of emotion.

Damn, he's covering. He pulled the turbo lift to a halt. "Spock is there something we need to discuss?"

Spock returned his worried look with a bored, placid one. "No, Sir."

Kirk's jaw tightened. Great, he's clamming up worse than a cadet being questioned about illegal hazing rituals. Now, I'm using metaphors, just like Bones. Bones— He pushed a lever in and the turbo lift roared to life again.

When the doors opened Kirk went to his post, watching Spock walk to his. He leaned forward. "Mr. Sulu have the sensors picked up that ship's ion trail?"

Sulu nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Follow it."

Kirk ground his teeth, then stopped, forcing his jaw to relax. Bones will have my head, if I chip another tooth. Damnit think of something else. He concentrated on the hum of the ship's engines, willing his thoughts into submission, rather than giving them permission to fly off on tangents of their own. His breathing slowed, allowing him to focus.

"Sir, we're heading into the Sigma Draconis system."

"How many planets are known to be inhabited?"

"Three," Spock answered.

"Three," Kirk echoed, feeling the ache in his jaw beginning to return. How are we ever going to find them in time? There must be millions of inhabitants on those planets combined.

Lieutenant Uhura's soothing voice cut into his morbid thoughts. "Sir?"

He grinned despite the situation, thinking back to their first meeting in a bar where he had his ass handed to him by a couple of Starfleet cadets. He'd just wanted to know her name.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Uhura, what is it?"

"Sir, the sixth planet is radiating regular energy pulses, even though it shows no sign of industrialization. It seems odd, sir."

"Sulu get us there as fast as possible. I've a hunch that Lieutenant Uhura's magic ear is going to save us again." Then he made his way to Spock's side. "Spock, we need to talk," he whispered.

Spock looked back at him, his round almond shaped eyes reveling nothing. "And don't give me that 'what little old me?' expression, you know something."

***

Kirk held the small box in his hands. "This is what's troubling you? What is it?"

"It's a box."

Kirk's eyes narrowed. "I can see that. What kind of a box?"

"It's a Vulcan puzzle box, given to me by Ambassador Spock, just before he died."

He wanted to scream at Spock to get on with it, but he knew he had to let Spock lead. "What's in it and what does it have to do with McCoy's kidnapping?"

Spock smoothed his hands over its raised surface. "It contains Ambassador Spock's logs from this timeline as well as the other timeline. He asked me to destroy the contents from the other timeline, lest they get into the wrong hands. However, these logs might contain something that could save the Doctor. If I don't destroy them, then I have not obeyed Ambassador Spock's request and if I do..."

"If you do, there is a good chance that Bones will die."