"Doctor McCoy! Her brain activity just shot up!"
"Thank God! We haven't lost her yet. Nurse, give her another dose of alkysine."
"No effect, doctor."
"Damn! Try an lectrazine-hydronalin compound. Quickly, now! She was dead for five minutes!"
Your mind seemed to be functioning in extra-slow motion. The two voices reaching your ears seemed to come from far away . . .
"Brain activity stabilizing, sir."
"Good! It's about time! The cortolin must have done it; give her a hypo of trianoline – excellent – now let's see . . . hand me a hypo of netinaline."
"Doctor, to revive the patient at this stage could kill her!"
"Not this one. Prepare that hypo, nurse!"
"Yes, sir."
Your brain seemed to be clearing somewhat. The planet, the cave, the radiation, the storm, the phaser overload . . . wait, where were you now?
"Two and a half ccs of netinaline, doctor."
"Thank you, nurse."
Something jolted you painfully, and your eyes flew open from the shock of it. You sucked in a sharp breath, and promptly began coughing, convulsing uncontrollably. There was the hiss of another hypospray, and you managed to wheeze into silence, blinking dazedly at your surroundings. A blonde nursing lieutenant stood to your right, visible in your peripheral vision, and the familiar face of Doctor McCoy hovered directly over you.
"You," he said abruptly, "are in big trouble. I seem to recall you telling me that you wouldn't kill yourself down on that planet."
"I didn't do it on purpose," you croaked irately, trying to sit up.
At your movement, however, both McCoy and the nurse seized a shoulder and forced you firmly back down.
"Don't move a thing!" McCoy said sharply. "You already died once, and I don't think we need that again!"
"I died?" You stared at him in disbelief. "But-"
"We managed to stimulate your brain cells back into functioning condition," he said, marking something on a PADD and handing it to the nurse, who walked off with it at once. "You had severe radiation poisoning, beginning signs of hypothermia, first-degree phaser burns, a punctured lung, fractured knuckles, about a billion bruises, and I think you managed to break every bone in your body except the ones in your ears. It's a wonder you were alive when we got you to sick bay in the first place."
"I'm just too stubborn to go out like that. How's Spock?"
"Better than you. He was still conscious when we beamed the pair of you up. Right now he's resting in his quarters." He paused, frowning. "At least, he'd damned well better be. As for you, though, you will stay here until you're completely healed this time."
You swore softly. "How long will that be?"
"A week." He readied another hypo, glancing sideways at you. "If you cooperate."
You sighed, winced as a pain shot through your chest, and let your head drop back against the bed. "Fine."
