Never Without You Again

Chapter 7

Hannah's POV

When I get back to engineering, Pavel is waiting for me. He asks me if I learned anything about Harrison. I tell him that all I learned is that the guy in insane. He gives me a look letting me know that he knows that's not it.

"What is bozhering you?" he asks. "Because I know somezhing is."

"Fine, yes," I say. "Something is bothering me."

"You can tell me. It's ok."

"That's crazy man knew everywhere I went."

"What?!"

"Remember how I said I had this eerie feeling I was being watched?"

"Yes."

"I was. It was him."

"What do you mean?"

"He was following me. He knew where I went. He knew who I was with."

He takes my face gently in his hands. His soft skin feels warm on my cold cheeks.

"Don't worry. He can't do anyzhing. We've got him. He's been caught."

"I know. I know. I'm just being paranoid."

"It's ok."

We continue to work to try to fix the warp core. As we are working, I hear my dad start talking to me over coms.

"Hey, kiddo," I hear my dad say over the coms.

"Hey daddy," I reply. "What's going on?"

"Jim thinks the Harrison knows something about these torpedos."

"Yeah. And?"

"He's sending Dr. Marcus and me down to open one."

"What?! Dad if something goes wrong-"

"Now, you sound like me, and now I'm gonna sound like you. It'll be fine. We're already landed on the planetoid with the missile."

"Now I know how you feel cause I still have a bad feeling."

"You and me both kid... You and me both."

I look over to Pavel, who nods his head as if to reassure me that everything will be fine.

"Engineering to bridge," Pavel says into the coms. "Hello. Captain, can you hear me?"

"Mr. Chekov," we hear Jim through the coms. "Give me some news."

"We found zhe leak sir, but zhe damage is substantial. We are working on it."

"Any idea what caused it?"
"Er, no sir... but I accept for responsibility."

"Something tells me it wasn't your fault. Stay on it."

Pavel looks back at me once again before saying one more thing.

"Mr. Chekov."

"Yes, Captain."

"You and Hannah come to the bridge. I think she'll have a panic attack if I leave her down there while Bones is working with this missile."

"Of course, Captain."

Pavel places his arm around me as we walk to the bridge. When we get there, no one pays much mind to us besides Jim. He looks at me and nods as my boyfriend did.

"Bones," Jim says. "Thanks for helping out. Dr. Marcus asked for the steadiest hands on the ship."

"You know," dad starts. "When I dreamt about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo."

"Dr. McCoy, may I remind you, you are not there to flirt."

"So how can the legendary hands help you, Dr. Marcus?"

"Bones..."

"To understand how powerful these weapons are, we need to open a warhead," Dr. Marcus explains. "To do that, we have to access the fuel compartment. Unfortunately for us, the warheads on the weapons are live."

"Sweetheart, I once performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant Gorn. Octuplets. Let me tell you, those little suckers bite. I think I can work some magic on your missile."

I listen to dad over the coms and cringe. His flirting is worse than mine. I try to even force a laugh to relieve the tension in my body. I'm scared. So many things could go wrong here. Pavel lays his arm around me and clasps my arm gently. He pulls me closer to him.

"It will be ok," he says softly. I nod my head. This comforts me, but only a little.

"Dr. McCoy," Mr. Marcus starts. "There's a bundle of fiber optic wire against the inner casing. You'll need to cut the twenty-third wire down. Whatever you do, do not touch anything else. Do you understand?"
"Right. The thought never crossed my mind."

"Dr. McCoy, wait for my word. I'm rerouting the detonation process. Are you ready?"

"And raring."

"Good luck."

Within a second, we hear my dad exclaim as the door clamps down on his arm.

"Sir," Sulu states. "The torpedo just armed itself."

The world becomes a blur. I want to scream and cry. I pull myself into Pavel. I lay my forehead on his chest. Tear roll down my face. I'm shaking as if I were having a seizure. It takes everything I have not to scream.

"Please no," I whisper. "Please please please. Please don't take him from me."

I run and practically throw myself at the Captain's chair as Jim jumps out of my way. I nearly slam my fist onto the chair, accessing the coms.

"Daddy," I cry through the coms.

"Baby," he says. "Listen to me. I love you."

He thinks he's going to die.

"You're not going to die," I'm not sure if I'm convincing him or myself. "You can't. I love you. You can't leave me!"

I feel my legs give out from under me. Pavel holding me is the only thing that keeps me from hitting the floor. I'm completely sobbing. I try to stay strong, but it's impossible. I can't lose my daddy. I can't. I hear him count down with the missile.

"Ten. Nine. Eight."

"Standing by to transport Dr. Marcus on your command sir," Sulu tells Jim.

"Four. Three."

I feel my heart stop in my chest when he stops counting. I hear him sigh out of relief as I do. I'm still struggling to breathe. My heart feels as though it will jump out of my chest at any moment.

"Deactivation successful, Captain," Spock reports.

I move away from the Captain's chair as Jim activates the coms.

"Dr. McCoy, are you alright?... Bones!"

"Jim, you're gonna wanna see this."

Within a moment, I feel my entire body go weak. The last thing I hear is someone scream my name before my body hits the floor. My entire world goes black.