AEGRI SOMNIA--Part 3

AUTHOR: T'Prillah
CODES: TOS, S/Mc, h/c
RATING: NC-17

AEGRI SOMNIA--Part 3


Spock and McCoy found themselves materialized back on the planet in apparently the exact shelter that they had left. The rain was still pummeling furiously outside and they could hear the patter on the shelter. 'It's no better than where we were before but at least we’re safe... for now,' McCoy thought.

McCoy pushed the Vulcan to a lying position on the ground. He picked up his metallic blanket and wrapped it around Spock. Spock was freezing but desperately trying to minimize his shivering.

"Stop Spock, I know you’re cold. Stop trying to fight it. Here put these on. If they fit." McCoy hesitated, then pulled off his own blue uniform shirt stained with all manner of fluids, leaving his black undershirt on, and then stripped off his boots and trousers, leaving on his thermal underwear and socks.

"I cannot take your uniform," Spock’s voice was getting weaker.

"For Godsakes, Spock!" McCoy exclaimed, the desperation showing in his voice. "Don’t fight me on this! Okay?! Can you just not argue with me for once?"

The Vulcan nodded assent. McCoy pulled the uniform top over Spock’s head and upon realizing the fastening had broken, left it alone and pulled the black trousers over the ailing science officer’s hips and closed them. Spock merely leaned back and tried to concentrate on breathing with as much dignity he could muster.

Thankfully the medi-kit was still lying in the dirt. McCoy dug out another small medi-scanner from the bag and ran it over his patient and muttered to himself: "Fluid still resting in the lung sacks... blood gas, adequate to low...no brain damage...no broken bones." McCoy moved over to behind Spock, pulled him up to resting on all fours and thrust his arms around Spock’s diaphragm, forcing up more foul liquid the Vulcan had ingested.

After this, Spock promptly lost conciousness. The doctor gently laid him down, pulled out the hypo loaded with tri-ox and shot Spock with it.

Hours passed before Spock came to. McCoy sat watching the Vulcan till he awoke, the concern showing in his blue eyes.

"I bet it hurts to breathe," said McCoy gently.

Spock nodded. It felt like fire when he took in breath.

McCoy interpreted his scanner. "Abrasion in lungs...leukocytosis. Guess what Spock, you picked up a bit of fast moving gram negative bacteria back there; seems to be an alien derivative of Streptococcus pneumoniae. I’m not surprised with that nasty shit you were swimming around in when I found you. You still have more fluid in your lungs which I can’t get out. It looks like...dammit... one lung sac has already become infected and is quickly spreading to the other."

An eyebrow was raised in response. "Streptococcus Pneumoniae? Fascinating. I thought that I was inoculated against Earth-style bacteria."

"I said an alien derivative of it! Where ever the hell we just were, was probably full of nasty alien bacteria just waiting for little old us. Plus your damned Vulcan hide can’t deal with this type of crappy weather for long. I know my human hide is getting mighty sick of it. Seriously, you know how deadly double Pneumonia is if you don’t get treatment."

McCoy pulled a hypo out of his medi-kit and popped on an ampoule of Dexalin. "This will only help you breathe and sooth your lungs a bit. I’m not carrying any compound antibiotics with me. We need to get you back to the ship."

After the Dexalin shot with a bit more Tri-ox thrown in for good measure by the doctor, Spock found that he was indeed better able to breathe, but still unable to sit up. "Doctor, what happened to me?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"I have no information. Please elucidiate."

"Well, you disappeared in a transporter beam. I went after you, and found you suspended in a tube. We were in some type of alien ship or something. I think. I don‘t really know. It was disgusting."

"Even for you?" asked Spock.

"Even for me."

Spock cocked a disbelieving eye at the doctor. "Are you certain that is what happened? I do not remember."

McCoy rolled his eyes. "No, I’m making it up, Spock." At Spock’s sharp look he said, "Of course I’m certain."

"Did you find anything out about this alien ship?"

"Look Spock. I’m just assuming it was an alien ship. I don’t know what the hell it was. I just know that it smelt bad and I was doing my damnedest to figure out how to get us out of there."

"Who were the inhabitants?"

"I DON‘T KNOW, Spock!” McCoy snapped. “All I know is that there was nobody around to stop me when I was looking for you. But somebody must of transported you into that tube. I don‘t think you crawled into there by yourself. I didn‘t have time to do any goddamn studies, okay? Lay off."

"Fascinating," said Spock, as he shifted his weight. "Have you your communicator? I appear to have lost mine."

"No, Spock. I lost mine too. And my phaser, and tri-corder." McCoy knew that Spock was itching to investigate the situation, but was just as helpless as he was.

"Then we wait till we appear on the planet wide bio-scan."

"Who knows where the Enterprise might be."

"Indeed."

"Spock," McCoy began, "I have a--"

Spock immediately started off on another round of coughing. As the coughing became more and more severe, McCoy inched forward to Spock’s head and held it up as the Vulcan became nauseated and gasped. He pushed the Vulcan to lay back against the wall and patiently waited till the wave passed. Unwrapping the blanket from around Spock’s legs, he pulled it up to the Vulcan’s shoulders, and then sat down heavily across from him.

"Share... the blanket with me," invited the science officer in between gasps.

"Alright, Spock." The doctor moved to underneath the blanket next to the Vulcan. He waited a few minutes for Spock to recover slightly. "Feeling any better?"

"Somewhat."

"Good," McCoy said, and huddled closer. He stared into space for a long while, "I'm sorry about this, Spock."

"Sorry? For what?"

"Doesn’t this upset you?"

"Upset me?"

"I mean, you being forced to cuddle with me. Isn't it upsetting to you?" McCoy chuckled slightly.

Spock shook his head. "No. Admittedly, I do not mind your touch. You slept next to me last night with no ill effects. You are my doctor. You touch me more often than anyone else in the crew. I have become used to you by now."

McCoy laughed. "Used to little old me? Ah Spock. How sweet. But, I'm afraid I'm not much of a teddy bear." At the raised eyebrow the doctor commented: "Cuddling with a stranger would upset you then."

"Being upset, in the way you are indicating, is a human emotion. However, the sensation of close contact with a stranger would be uncomfortable, yes."

"Oh. But can't you--"

"Yes, under normal circumstances, I block out others thoughts and emotions using the Vulcan mind rules."

"Under normal circumstances...?" asked McCoy. "But this isn’t a normal circumstance. You‘re seriously ill. So... you can read my thoughts?"

"Well, as you know, I am a touch telepath, so only if I am touching you. Yes, Doctor, I can tell what you are thinking." At McCoy's shocked look he added, "however, I am trying my best not to do so. But, unfortunately, even as you move away from me, at this moment in close quarters I cannot shield your emotions."

"Sorry..."

"Do not apologize. You normally have remarkable emotional control for a human. You express mostly humor and anger to mask certain others such as despair, sadness or even... tenderness. I am able to feel your underlying emotions rather strongly."

McCoy smiled and moved himself away further away from the Vulcan. "Okay, Spock, tell me. What am I feeling right now? Tell me everything."

"You have expressed fascination about what I have just told you. And, you are concerned about my welfare."

McCoy was smug. "Oh well, that’s a brilliant deduction. Watson!"

"That is not all, Doctor."

"Oh, what else?"

"Besides the obvious surface feelings, there is something deeper. You have deep seated emotional feelings of attachment for-- No..." Spock trailed off as he considered it. "It is love. From what I understand the emotion to be. You are in love... with... someone. You try to hide it though, as you are not comfortable with it."

McCoy started nearly out of his skin. "I don't see how that is any of your--"

"You asked, Doctor."

"Oh, yeah...So I did. Uh...Do you know who it is?"

Spock hesitated. "No, I do not. There is more. Additionally, you have been suffering terrible nightmares as of late."

"That’s nothing new Spock. In my line of work you see a lot of crap that gives you nightmares."

"This is different. You have been having recurring nightmares about this planet. You haven‘t been able to sleep well for some time. You are frightened."

"I don’t think I want to have this conversation any more. I'm going to sleep."

"Are you certain--"

"Positive."

"Then, I shall bid you, good night, Doctor."

"Yep," McCoy mumbled.

As McCoy drifted off into an exhausted sleep the dream returned. "You will be assimilated..."

"No...!"

"Your nightmare?" the Vulcan queried in the dark.

"No...it’s nothing...Spock. I‘m okay."

"Doctor, avoidance of the issue is not logical. It would be beneficial to divulge the information—"

"—No Spock! I said it was nothing!" McCoy said, a little too harshly. At the silence, McCoy said, "I’m just having a little trouble sleeping is all."

Spock didn’t have the heart to tell McCoy that since they were nearly touching, he knew he was being lied to. He laid his head back and listened to the Doctor’s increased heartbeat next to him.


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Morning came with another hypo from the doctor. Spock opened his eyes.

"I can’t keep giving you these things, I‘m running out," said McCoy. "Look at your fingernails."

Spock held his hand up and noticed the blue-green color. "Interesting," he rasped.

"The cyanosis indicates you’re not taking in enough oxygen; I’m under-dosing you. Harder for you to speak?"

Spock nodded.

"Well then," the doctor said. "The time has come for you to shut-up."

Spock shook his head. He did not feel well enough to protest.

"Are you hungry? Here, eat this." McCoy shoved a vegetarian ration from the medi-kit towards the Vulcan.

"I am not hungry, Doctor."

"Eat it anyway," McCoy demanded. "You need to keep up your strength."

Spock opened his mouth to remind the doctor that he was quite capable of fasting for long periods when he got the "EAT!" from the good doctor, thought better of responding and picked up the ration and had a tentative bite. "Are you not going to eat?" he enquired.

"After you." McCoy tore open up a water packet and thrust that at the Vulcan. "This too." As Spock drank it, McCoy observed. "Y’know this stuff isn’t gonna last forever, maybe ten days at the most. We’ll eventually have to find food and water outside. I already looked around out there this morning, it’s still raining."

Spock shook his head. "I must have been in a deep sleep as I did not hear you leave. It is dangerous to go out on your own. If you desire to go out again I will accompany you."

"Oh no you don’t. You’re not going anywhere. I’ll see to our immediate survival. You can’t go out in this damn rain."

"It has been raining since our arrival."

"I know. How long have we been here? A week? It must be." McCoy’s face itched. It took a week for his beard suppressor to wear off. He munched on a dental tablet and sulked.


-----------------------


Spock had dozed off but his lungs were becoming rather heavy and woke up gasping and clutching his chest.

McCoy noted that the tips of Spock’s ears were turning greenish-blue. He pulled the Vulcan to a sitting position then checked his bag. "Spock I’m seriously low on anything that would help. I’m sorry." McCoy leaned over to listen to Spock’s chest, pulled out his medi-scanner, used it and frowned at it.

Spock nodded coughing. "Then...Doctor...I will have to make due without."

"Eventually you won‘t be able to breathe at all if we don‘t get back to the ship for treatment."

"Thank you,” Spock managed to say. “Your uncanny ability to keep a running commentary on my situation is most...irritating."

McCoy sat back on his haunches. "Alright, alright, fair enough."

"Perhaps, a positive attitude might be beneficial."

"How about if we see the Enterprise again and you live, I‘ll have reason to be positive. Until then, I‘ll grouse if I want to!” McCoy snapped, once again a little harsher than he'd meant to.

A cold wind whipped in the shelter. McCoy folded his arms and shivered. "Dammit...Spock...I'm sorry..."

"Continuing apologies are unnessary. You are adversely affected by the plummeting temperature."

"What Spock? You mean, Am I cold? Well of course! You do have my uniform on. We have no way to make a fire. Any wood we do have is sopping wet. If you have the ability to rub two wet sticks together and start a fire that would be handy, because I haven’t been able to do it."

"I thought everyone in the Earth American South could start a fire with two sticks. Are you not familiar with the Earth custom of camping?"

"Very funny Spock. I already told you. The wood is fucking wet--"

"Have you a laser scalpel?"

"No! Don’t you think I would have used that to start a fire already? I don’t have that in this kit."

"You do not have a calcium nytrate tablet?"

"Dammit...I'm gonna clobber you!"

Spock glanced over at the glaring, shivering McCoy, clad only in the regulation black undershirt and thermal underwear and announced: "It is imperative that you share my body warmth."

McCoy shook his head. He didn‘t want Spock reading his thoughts any more. "No. Stop trying to mother hen me. That's my job."

Evening fell and the two men lay silent in the dark. When McCoy started to cough under his breath, Spock’s ears pricked up. The good doctor was catching the affliction too.
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END OF PART 3, LINK TO PART 4