THE RUNES Part 1

AUTHOR: T'Prillah
SERIES: TOS
PAIRING: S/Mc
Rating: NC-17
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Originally a "Spock/McCoy haven" 25th Wave story. In response to the challenge: "Write a S/Mc that delves into the culture of one of the boys." Written in FIRST PERSON, McCoy's POV. Takes place about a month after Amok Time. Also features some Sc/f (implied).
THANKS: Thank you to M. for the feedback and the suggestions. The Vulcan language and culture comes straight from the Vulcan Language Institute. Also, acknowledgements to "Spock's World", and "The Vulcan Academy Murders"


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THE RUNES---part 1





"How much?"

"For you, Doctor McCoy, since I like you so much, I'll sell them to you for twenty-five credits."

"That's it?" It seemed like a bargain. Too much of a bargain. "Why only twenty-five credits? What's the catch?"

"No catch," the proprietor assured me. "These are pretty, no?"

That, they were. Enchanting, almost. "Fine. I'll take 'em." I watched him place the unique find into an equally stunning box. He mumbled something I couldn't hear then gestured to me that he was headed into the back to find a suitable ribbon to tie it with. "I don't need a--" I tried to tell him, but he was already gone.

To pass the time till his return, I pulled out my communicator:

"Personal log. Stardate 3372.12. I am standing here in the `Exotic Collectables' shop located on the lovely planet of Berengaria Seven, smack dab in the middle of the main bazaar in the center of town, enjoying a well deserved shore leave for a few days. Ensign Chekov had beamed down with me but he ran into old girlfriend of his and well, now I'm alone. However, in about an hour the captain will rendezvous with me for a nice relaxing drink. We had invited Scotty along, but he, of course, begged off, claiming that it would be much more relaxing for him to stay on board and catch up on his technical journals. Excuses. Excuses. If he keeps that up I think I might start taking it personally. I don't think Scotty's ever taken a leave; not since I've signed on board. One of these days, I'll have to make it a medical order. Well, I'm not one to skip a shore-leave; medical journals can wait; thank you very much. While here, I plan on stocking up on a few needed items for my…uh…medical stores, and more importantly, relax and enjoy the scenery. McCoy out."

I finished recording the entry; reached behind me to stick the communicator back on my hip and as I did so, I could swear I heard it beep. It was a little early for Jim to contact me. Probably just my imagination. I hope.

I strained my ears in this noisy shop and heard nothing more. It was just my imagination. Probably someone else's communicator. There were other Starfleet personnel on leave milling around down here. It had to be one of theirs. I hope.

"Maybe I should actually check it to see if it has a message light," I mumbled to myself. "Then, I'd know for certain. Oh…stop being so paranoid, McCoy. Nobody is contacting you. Just relax." Damn my constant worrying about the ship. If I'm not careful I'll end up talking to myself.

I pulled the communicator off once again to check it (just in case). There it was; the flashing red light. I groaned and flipped it open. "McCoy to Enterprise. Is somebody calling me?"

"Sickbay here. Doctor McCoy." It went straight through to sickbay to my head nurse. Dammit.

"Chapel, I told you to handle any incoming consults, unless it's a dire emergency."

"Doctor McCoy." Christine Chapel's voice took on a curt tone, cutting sharply though this din. She must be busy up there, or somebody's giving her trouble. "I have a patient standing here who wishes to speak only to you." I was correct.

"Who?" For some reason, I knew damn well who she meant.

"It's Mister Spock. Sir."

"Put him on."

"Spock here."

"This had damn well better be important, Mister Spock!" I snapped then stopped short when I realized that the Vulcan just might have a good reason for pestering me. "What is it I can do for you?"

"I appear to be slightly afflicted with… an upper respiratory ailment," Spock's voice actually admitted.

Spock did sound a little off. "I've noticed," I said. "I can hear it in your voice. Do you have a sore throat?"

"Affirmative."

"I'm willing to bet real money that you probably waited till it absolutely killing you before you decided to do anything about it." I breathed out slowly and closed my eyes. "Put Chapel back on."

"Here, sir."

"What does his bio-readout say?"

"Viral infection."


"For the moment, Christine, please dispense to him some antiviral tablets." I heard my head nurse's footsteps fade away over the communicator in response to my order. I waited a few more seconds till I was certain she was out of earshot. "Spock, I know damn well you didn't signal me because of a sore throat. Are there any other symptoms you are experiencing?" I knew Spock only too well. There had to be something that he was reticent to discuss in front of Nurse Chapel.

There was a few seconds of hesitation over the link. Then: "Affirmative."

"Yes," I said very patiently. "Care to tell your kindly doctor?"

"I appear… to also… have a seriously upset stomach."

"How serious?"

"I merely wished your opinion on a course of action to alleviate--"

"Spock? Are you vomiting?" I heard nothing from him so I assumed that to be the case and he just felt uncomfortable saying it. I sighed and noticed a pretty girl standing near me. A very pretty girl. My type. Brunette, blue eyes. Curvaceous. I made eye contact with her, gave her a classic McCoy smile as I continued: "Nice job, Spock. I wonder how you managed to contract this." I continued staring at her until her very large boyfriend turned up. Ah well.

"Perhaps I spend too much time in the company of humans," said Spock. This was apparently a feeble attempt of his at a joke. However, his voice sounded resigned, almost tired and definitely had a un-Spock like scratchy quality to it. Excellent timing.

Spock sounded downright awful in fact. "Spock," I just had to ask. "Have you had diarrhea?" I noticed another very pretty woman, a blond this time, filling out her red Starfleet operations uniform nicely. She walked past me just as I'd said that gem of a word; she gave me a disgusted look. I smiled sheepishly back at her, mouthed : `I'm a doctor!', shrugged, then turned away from her for some privacy.

"I have," Spock was saying to me, very quietly.

With that, my brain immediately went back on duty. Vulcans did not normally develop diarrhea. It could be dangerous. "Drink lots of water! Lots! I'm certifying you unfit for duty for twenty-four hours. No arguments!" I knew even via the audio only that the Vulcan was preparing to open his mouth in protest. "I'll be back up to the ship in ten minutes to take a look at you. Thanks a lot, really Spock. I might have been with a pretty girl, you never know." There certainly were a lot of those down here.

"I did not intend to interrupt your leave."

"Oh yes you did," I joked. "You`re just jealous that I`m down here and you`re not."

"Doctor, I am incapable of jealously."

"Oh, right. Right," I snickered. "I forgot about that important little detail. God, I'll be so glad when Doctor M`Benga signs on board next month. With your track record of illness upon injury upon sensitive dietary requirements taking up most of my precious time, Lord knows we needed him."

"Doctor, that statement regarding my physical health is a complete fabrication. It is unnecessary for you to beam back aboard."

"I can't have a good time on leave when I know I have a sick Vulcan stuck on board the Enterprise. You know that."

"The illness I am afflicted with is relatively minor. I merely wished for a medical opinion regarding care till you return from leave."

"Relatively minor? How the hell do you know? You got a medical degree somewhere that I don't know about? You have diarrhea. That can be dangerous for a Vulcan. It would be my luck your illness would progress into something worse. The captain would have my hide if that happened. No, Spock. You're feeling ill enough to have signaled me so I'm beaming back aboard." I picked up my purchase and walked out of the shop, out into the open air, away from the crowds so I could do just that. Oh, God, it was so beautiful out here. Why did I have to go back up?

"I assure you, Doctor, I am perfectly capable of performing my duties after Nurse Chapel dispenses the anti-viral tablets," he continued his protestations.

"Well, I need to confirm--" I was silenced by the footsteps of Nurse Chapel returning with the antiviral.

"Here, Mister Spock, take this," I heard her say. I heard him reply back but I couldn't discern it due to all the chirping noise of the little flying creatures down here on Berengaria Seven. God, were they ever lovely flying creatures. Why do I have to go back up?

"Spock," I interrupted. "Who do we have still on board who can relieve you on watch, temporarily?"

"Lieutenant Uhura."

"Perfect. She needs to log some conn experience. Nothing terrible will happen while we're in autonomous orbit this far into federation space anyway." I shuddered at the thought. "At least I hope so! Go to your quarters and stay there for twenty-four hours. I`ll be right up."

"Sorry, Doctor McCoy," said Christine`s sympathetic voice. I could just picture her glaring daggers at our illustrious first officer.

"Yeah, well, can`t be helped. McCoy out." I switched over to Lieutenant Kyle in the transporter room. "Mister Kyle. One to beam up."

I stood rigid and waited for the tingle.

--------


The beam seemed to take unusually long this time out.

I could see the transporter room slowly fade into existence as soon as my optic nerve partially solidified. However I could feel that something was terribly wrong. The transporter room suddenly disappeared and was replaced with Berengaria Seven. Then… I was back on the Transporter pad, then back on Berengaria, then back on the Enterprise with Mister Kyle in my field of vision, now looking panicked at me. In fact he was worse than panicked, he was bearing an absolutely terrified expression. Oh oh. Then I was on the planet again, then back in the transporter room. Then, I was back on Berengaria.

This could go on forever. This is how I die; I knew it. See? Didn't I tell Spock, this is how I'll die? Please God. Just don't let me be turned inside out.

I was unable to move in this living hell of bouncing back and forth. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the transporter room solidified around me. The beam released it's hold and I stumbled off of the pads, pitching forward, ready to throw up.

"What in blazes was that all about, Mister Kyle?!" I screamed at him, even though I knew this couldn't possibly have been his fault, but it felt so good to vent on him.

"Sorry about the rough beam up sir, there was a bit of technical difficulty," Kyle gasped at me. Eyes wide. His Bristol accent a little thicker than usual. I could see the sweat flowing in rivers down his face.

"Mister…Kyle." I shakily rested my hands on my knees to collect myself and also in a feeble attempt to counteract the nausea. "If I almost died in that thing, just now, don't ever tell me the truth. EVER. Where the hell is Scotty?"

"Down here, Doctor McCoy," came the comforting mumble from underneath the console. "We're fixing it now. I canna understand what happened. It seemed that a circuit on it--"

I was already out of the transporter room before I had a chance to listen to a detailed explanation. I didn't want to know. Just fix the damn thing.



-----------

"Hi Spock." I breezed into the Vulcan's quarters without signaling, as usual. "House call."

"Completely unnecessary." Spock looked up from his harp, momentarily startled by my rather sudden, stealthy entrance.

"Let me be the judge of that," I grumbled. I plonked myself down heavily into Spock's wooden Vulcan chair and tossed my medi-kit on his desk. "Bet you`re sorry you signaled me."

"I am," he agreed.

"You, be quiet. Next time I`m on leave and you get sick, you'll have to learn how to describe your physical symptoms to Nurse Chapel. Then you don`t have to deal with me fussing over you."

"I prefer to be treated only by you," he stated in his distant, flat tone that he normally used when he was uncomfortable.

"Look Spock," I complained. "You're making it very difficult for me to have any time off. At the moment I am the only physician on staff, till we pick up the two new doctors at the next starbase. If I'm not around, Chapel is quite capable. More than capable."

He did not reply but continued wearing a stony expression.

"Alright, alright," I said, backing down. This preference of his wasn't anything new; he and I had been going round and round on this issue since I`d signed on board. My workload wasn't so bad before my ACMO was killed planet-side two months ago. Now I was swamped. However, Spock trusted few people; I was one of them. I realized that I should feel honored. However, I didn't think much of his aversion to my head nurse; it was an insult to her. Mentally filing it away to pursue that conversation later, I changed the subject. "Why aren't you resting?"

"I am resting," he replied. In situ, Spock's voice was even huskier than usual. I found myself smiling warmly at the vulnerable quality of it. This was definitely a rare occasion.

Then I wiped the goddamn smile off my face.

"You've got human influenza, Spock." As I reported this I gave him my best scowl and clucked my tongue disapprovingly, just in case he was oblivious to my annoyance.

"A human strain? Not Vulcan?" By his innocent expression and tone of voice, I could tell he was entirely oblivious.

"Yes it's definitely… human," I huffed with an air of disgust. "Hence the diarrhea. The strain you've contracted is relatively minor, but it'll affect you for a couple of days." Then, I really let him have it. "Mister Spock, when are you going to get it through your thick Vulcan skull to take it easy for once? This illness is a warning to you. You're continually running your bodily defenses into the ground, then finally you fall apart and I'm the one who is stuck putting you back together! What's worse is that you've been pushing yourself to the limit even more so lately!"

"How do you know this?"

"Because I know everything that goes on aboard this ship," I insisted. "Everything you eat. The exact time you actually go to bed. Down to the second."

"Fascinating. I had not realized my private off-duty hours were so much of interest to you."

I narrowed my eyes at our first officer, and decided to keep on going as if he`d listen to me for once. "Think because you're half-Vulcan, you're invincible, huh? Well you're not. When you're not in Jim's quarters playing chess all night long or tuning that damn harp for God knows however long, you're pulling double shifts or helping Scotty out. Just when are you going to start sleeping properly? A couple of hours meditation a night isn't cutting it. I've also noticed that you're not eating enough. You've lost weight, nor are you wearing a sweater on your off duty hours and--"

My lecture was interrupted by a loud sound coming from behind the harp. "Is that a sneeze? Did I just hear you sneeze?" I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the ridiculous sound of it.

"Your hearing is not defective, along with your obvious surveillance abilities. I fail to see what is so amusing about my sneezing." He sneezed once again.

I cocked my small Type II medi-scanner at his nose, glanced at it and gave a loud sigh. "I've never heard you sneeze before. I didn't think Vulcan's were capable of such a thing. They probably think it's beneath them."

"Don't be insulting, Doctor. Since I am half human, I am capable of doing so. Granted, it is a rare occurrence." His voice was getting scratchier.

I snickered and regarded him almost fondly. "You're lucky that at the moment you seem so… fragile… or I'd be really angry with you."

"You are always really angry with me," he said.

I jerked my head up at that. He raised his eyebrow at me. Was he teasing me? Never.

He got up from his desk and reached for another mug. "I am not in any way, fragile, Doctor McCoy."

"Is that why this is the second time in six months you've come down with an illness?"

He pointedly ignored that. "Herbal tea, Doctor?"

"Is that what you're drinking to settle your stomach? Is it safe for me to drink?"

"I would not offer it if it was not."

"Well," I laughed. "Might be an easy way of getting rid of me." Spock let out one of his famous long suffering: `Lord save me from these humans` sighs. I shrugged. "I suppose I'll have one too."

Spock nodded and programmed the food processor for hot water, then put in a tea bag in for me. He set it down on the desk in front of me but it was a little too far from my grasp.

"Spock," I sighed. "Will you please just hand over it to me?" He pulled that crap every time I visited his quarters. Whenever he offered me a drink, instead of handing it over like a normal person, he would just set it down in front of me. It drove me crazy.

"I cannot," he replied hesitantly.

"Is that a Vulcan thing?" I asked. He nodded at me and I sighed one of my own famous: `Lord, save me from all Vulcans' sighs. I leaned all the way over to pick up the mug off of the desk; took a tentative sip. "Hey, this is good."

"It is non-reconstituted."

I smiled. He knew I wasn`t a fan of the tea generated from our food processors. "Yes, thank you, Mister Spock. I can see the tea-bag. I can also taste the difference."

"Pla-savas fruit, Doctor?" He motioned by a red glass blown bowl and I peered into it.

"Is that the notorious fruit that stains your teeth blue? No thanks." I tilted my head. "Your voice sounds horrible. Stop talking so much, you're straining it. I'd recommend you put some honey in that tea, but you're allergic to it." I got up, moved in closer to Spock, reached up with both hands and felt the Vulcan`s lymph nodes in the neck. "You're swollen. Want me to whip you up something for your throat in the sickbay?"

"Negative."

My hands slid down to feel the nodes in the underarm but Spock pulled out of my grasp. "Get back here." He reluctantly came back within reach and I felt the nodes at the underarm. I bet his body was aching him. But If I'd asked him, he'd tell me 'no'. "I'm the doctor around here," I reminded him for the ten-millionth time since I signed on board the Enterprise.

"One might have thought you missed your calling as a Starfleet Intelligence Officer," he said. At my glare, he actually smirked at me. "I am, also, most certain that Captain Kirk and Mister Scott would appreciate your presence on their shore party," he said, as I continued to examine him.

I finished with my examination and sat myself back down in Spock`s favorite chair, which was also, my favorite. "Is Scotty really going this time? I left him in the transporter room fixing the transporter. It was malfunctioning just about ten minutes ago. I should know. I was in the beam."

"The transporter is fully operational once more."

"What about those damn technical journals he's so fond of reading?"

"He has decided to abandon them to join you on leave."

"Finally I get through to that thick skull of his!" I laughed. "But I'm still not leaving you."

"Doctor," said Spock. His eyes were unmistakably filled with genuine amusement. "You behave as if I have contracted Rigellian fever. My stomach symptoms have nearly cleared, thanks to your potions, beads and rattles."

"Nearly? Are you being honest?" Out came my type II med-scanner again to confirm Spock's claims.."Yes but… your sore throat."

"That symptom has been alleviated."

I cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at the Vulcan; however the scanner concurred: Strain X3456 of Terran Influenza, patient cycled though all symptoms and nearing recovery. Dammit. The poor half- Terran Spock who could obviously pick up our puny diseases, sounded horrible and obviously felt just as bad even if he refused to admit it, was right. He wasn't ill enough anymore to warrant my continued presence. I could indeed check in with Spock via communicator if need be. "Open your damn mouth," I ordered as I pulled a wooden tongue depressor out of my medi-kit. He obliged me, and sure enough, no green-ness. Alright. Fine.

And… it would be six more long dreary months before I would get to take another leave. And…I desperately needed some more time off.

But…Spock just might take a turn for the worse while I was away. "I don't like it," I protested. "Forget it."

"Doctor. While you were down on Berengaria, I am certain you noticed the abundant parkland, Earth-like green grass, trees and blue sky. Much like your home state of Georgia on Earth, I believe."

I slipped my scanner back into the medi-kit and narrowed my eyes. "How do you know what Georgia looks like?"

"I have visited there, Doctor, as a child."

"Have you really been to Georgia?" Suddenly, I felt very pleased about that. "With who?"

"My mother. The woods of Berengaria and Conyers, Georgia are nearly identical, are they not?"

"Why would your mother take you to visit Conyers?"

"I have relations on her side who reside there."

"Really?" I smiled at that. "In Conyers, huh? Hey, Spock wouldn't it be funny if we were distantly related?"

"No," he replied.

I didn`t even waste my time with a snappy retort. Instead my thoughts were of home. "Yes, Berengaria's very close to Georgia," I said wistfully, suddenly unleashing my Georgia drawl, and falling helplessly into Spock`s trap. "Spock you don't know how much I miss walking on nice, lush green grass. Being on the family farm, at home. The woods. Walking on Berengaria beats having to be up here, treating annoying, stubborn Vulcans any day."

"If you find me so stubborn and annoying, Doctor, why would you wish to spend any more time up on the Enterprise with me than absolutely necessary?"

I knew what he was doing; I wasn`t falling for it. This time. "I have to. Because I'm the only one on the medical staff you trust. That does mean a lot to me." I waited for the reaction…and there it was. I smirked. "I know you more than you think I do, and I know you'll just suffer in silence till you are desperately ill. Then if you suffer a relapse while I'm down there, I'll feel guilty that I wasn't up here for you and forever kick myself. So you see, Spock. Logically…" Ha, I knew I'd get a sharp look for that one… "I know it won't be worth the grief."

"I once spotted a dragon," he said, changing tack. He wasn't going to quit, was he.

"A dragon? Where? In Georgia?"

"On Berengaria Seven."

"A real dragon? Are you sure?" At his nod, I drank a gulp of tea and studied it, thinking and playing with the mug's handle. "I wouldn't mind studying a dragon. It really is too bad you couldn't have joined me down there, Spock. You and I could have had a nice little drink, maybe with fruit and an umbrella."

Spock shook his head. "One does not need to consume a beverage under an umbrella. The sun of Berengaria Seven is not hot enough to require shelter or sunscreen of any kind."

I stared at the Vulcan's comment dumbfounded for a few seconds, then gestured wildly. "No no Spock! It's not a real umbrella. It's a… little one that goes inside the drink. It's made from paper and a wooden toothpick. It`s sort of something you do on vacation, or a cruise."

I could tell that he still did not comprehend this. This time he tilted his head like my old dog back in Conyers used to do.

"Forget it. It's takes too long to explain." I let my hands fall onto my lap and chuckled. While it was a little frustrating, I found myself enjoying this conversation with Spock, immensely. Apart from my telling him off, and his comparing me to a `witch doctor' as usual (with that beads and rattles crack)…we weren't arguing much, for us. The light arguments we were having lately, actually seemed perfunctory. Lately it seemed that we were finally becoming relaxed with one another.

So, since we were being so unusually relaxed with one another these days, I decided to go out on a limb and venture something I never normally would dare. "Spock?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Would you of had a drink with me?"

"We are having one now."

"I meant, a real drink. Or, your preferred tipple, an Altair water. See? I remembered." I rubbed my sweaty hands on my trousers. "What I meant was. It'd be…nice to relax with you one of these days on a shore leave. I'd like to interact with you as a friend. Not always with the captain. Just us two." Oh, what the hell was I saying? Was I overstepping the line?

Spock just looked at me, but I could see him processing what I had to say. "That would be…acceptable."

Just, acceptable? Oh. Maybe that was a hint for me to knock it off. We were relaxed, but not too relaxed. The problem was I never knew where I stood with this Vulcan. Maybe he preferred it like that. I guess I did too. I cleared my throat and added in a harsher tone, "You could have beamed down too with me and Jim if your Vulcan hide hadn't been so ill."

"You, Doctor McCoy, are exceedingly paranoid about my health. I am not that ill."

Paranoid?! Oh... He was slipping us back into our familiar territory. Something safe like the usual arguing. Alright, fine. I'll bite. I grimaced and mustered up my best retort. "Spock! I said I will be the judge of that!"

The bosun's whistle cut me off. "Kirk to Spock."

He leaned over and flipped the switch. "Spock here."

"I heard you`ve been relieved of duty. I can't find McCoy. So then what's happening with the--"

"Dr. McCoy is with me, Captain," Spock said quickly.


"Bones?"

Glancing at Spock quizzically, I came up to the viewer so Jim could see me. "Here, Jim. Hey, Spock`s--uh--got the flu."

"Flu?! How serious?"

"He's nearly over it. However, I do want to stay on board and monitor him to be on the safe side."

I thought I heard a cough from the captain but I wasn't sure. "Bones! Stop being such a mother hen. Chapel can take care of him, you'll wear your communicator in case of an emergency. It's been six months since you've taken a leave. Be here at the beamdown point in five minutes, or else. Kirk out."

The image of Jim's face down on Berengaria dissipated to a flat grey empty screen.

I immediately opened my mouth to snap at Spock but was interrupted by one word from the Vulcan: "Go."

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

"--and now, my friend here," I motioned across the table. "This here is Montgomery Scott--"

"--uh--Scotty to ma friends--"

"Scotty to his friends," I finished. "And who might you be?"

The woman and her friend smiled and a strange grating sound came from their lips. The translator hanging at my hip, said: "Demti'aleierea, my name is…and she…Alti'alstera is she…" the woman indicated in the direction of her companion, now nestled firmly next to Scotty. Scott took another drink and smiled at her, uncomfortably, it seemed to me.

I continued above the music: "Are you from this planet?"

"Who…us?"

"Yes, you!"

"No…not this planet."


I felt like I was pulling teeth-- the old nineteenth century way. "So where might you be from?!"

"Where are YOU from?" she purred back.

"Are you asking me? Or just repeating what I said?!" I shouted. "Well Scotty and I are both from Earth--!"

"Ooooooh Earth….we have never been there. It is nice..yes…?"

I laughed at the sweet way she said that. "Yeah it's very nice. So what planet are you two lovely ladies from?"

She seemed to ignore my question and ran a fingernail down my velour sleeve to play with the hair at my wrist. "You are very attractive man, very much, you are. Leo." She breathed very close to my face.

"Uh, actually, it's Leonard!"

She tilted her head questioningly in a gesture which reminded me of Spock.

"It's Leonard!" I repeated, louder, into her `ear`. "LENN--ARD!"

"Hmmmm, Leo!" The woman purred and giggled at me. "Delicious blue eyes…"

"Oh….well!" I blushed and lowered my head. Then I'd wondered if I'd heard her correctly. "Delicious?!" I asked, alarmed. "I've never heard my eyes described in precisely that way…but thanks!" I chuckled, mirroring Scotty's uncomfortable look.

She smiled, moved herself closer to me and ran her hand down my chest. While this was going on, I glanced over at the chief engineer who was by now getting a massage. Scotty now appeared to be highly inebriated. I raised an eyebrow and again shouted over the music. "Hey Scotty! I'm going to the toilets! I dearly hope they have some toilets in this dump! Behave yourself till I get back!"

Scotty didn't even look up. "Hey, Scotty!" I thumped my hand down on the table, littered with-- mostly Scotty's-- empty drink glasses.

Scotty looked up glassy eyed, from his massage, "Aye…I'll be right…here…"

"Alright Scotty!" I disentangled myself from the woman and drawled in my best southern gentleman's voice: "Excuse me, sweetheart."

I walked up to the bar and shouted to the bartender: "Toilets?!" He directed me with a bored point into the right direction.

I got to the relative quiet of the restroom facilities that appeared to be unisex and uni-whatever. I looked around, wide-eyed. `Never seen so many different ways of taking a piss, but infinite diversity in infinite combinations…I guess.' It was an odd place to be thinking about Surak's philophshy of IDIC, I supposed. Then I knew why I was thinking of Surak. Those damned pointy ears. It was my subconscious reminding me that needed to check up on Spock. I relieved myself, then started for the hand sterilizer but eventually changed my mind when I spotted a slug like creature apparently guarding it very closely…or making love to it…'nice place Scotty picked for a quiet fucking drink…' I mused.

In the relative quiet of the toilets, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to call the ship. I popped open my communicator. "McCoy to Enterprise."

"Enterprise, Uhura here."

"Hi babe, still on watch?"

"Yes! Doctor McCoy, I hear some strange music…where are you?"

"You don't wanna know," I laughed. "Will you patch me through to Spock, please?"

There was a delay of a few seconds then: "Spock here."

"Hi, it's me."

"Obviously. You are up early, Doctor."

"Actually, I haven`t been to bed yet…but never mind. Just having a quiet drink. Hey, I'm calling to see how you're doing."

"As you can hear, I`m am sufficiently recovered."

I sighed. Of course he was going to be difficult. "No more sneezing? Coughing? Vomiting? Are you really feeling better? Being as you are going back on duty in ten minutes. You`d better be and just not trying to hide it…or I`ll have your Vulcan hide on medical report."

"Doctor, I assure you. I will be sufficiently able to carry on with my duties. At 0400."

"I'm warning you. Not a moment sooner, Spock."

"Understood, Doctor. Spock out."

I slammed my communicator shut with a satisfied nod.

As I walked out of the toilets I noticed that the music appeared to have been switched to a softer enchanting sound. That was more like it. Winding my way through the sea of people or creatures back to the table, I found the chief engineer's arms wrapped around the woman's neck, kissing her with most passionate French kiss I had ever witnessed. "Oh Jesus. Scotty! Hey, Scotty, come up for air, there. Scotty? How about another drink?" Scotty didn't pull away from the woman. "Hey, Scotty!" I watched the two of them for a few moments, then shrugged as the barmaid came up.

"What'll it be?" she asked.

"Uh, another single malt scotch for my friend over there, for me a bourbon and for the ladies here--"

"Saurian brandy," the woman next to me chimed in.

"You heard the lady," I ordered. The barmaid nodded and left.

"Oh you like Saurian Brandy do you?" I said to the woman next to me. "I like it too." She nestled closer to me, her arms caressing my chest. "Do you hail from Saurus by any chance?" I was still determined to find out where the hell she was from.

"No…Leo," she giggled into me ear. She pulled a ball of fluff from her pocket and stroked my cheek.

"It's Leonard, or Lenny," I insisted into her ear. "Just don't call me Leo. I hate that. So whatch'a got there?"

I could hear a purring noise as she stroked the ball of fluff close to my ear. The trilling nose was making me feel strangely calm, content, almost aroused.

"This is a Tribble," she announced, softly.

"A Tribble? Never heard of it. It's cute. What does it do?"

"It loves," she said.

"It loves?" I snickered. "That's it?" Then I found myself laughing hysterically. She giggled right on back at me. She suddenly leaned over and kissed me, halting my laughter. As her tongue slid into my mouth, her hand traveled down my thigh to rest on my groin. Her touch felt nice; sensual and I found myself letting her do it out of plain loneliness, out of a usual desire to be caressed and held. I'd gone a long time without sex between leaves and I found myself caving into anyone willing to show me affection. It was never the right person, it was just… anyone.

I was floating, probably due to all the drink. I absently noted that Scotty was similarly engaged right across from me. `This is going to be expensive', I thought, mildy.

"Okay sweetheart," I breathed to the woman as she stroked me. "How much?"

"For him?" The woman motioned over at Scotty. "Twenty credits for the massage, twenty-five for a blow job. Each. And since I like you so much, I`ll take you back to my room in the back for a hundred."

I pulled the woman`s hand away from me and slipped out of her embrace. "Well, I'll have to say `no`. But thanks anyway." My rational mind was finally kicking in. "I think he and I should be going anyhow…"

I glanced over at Scotty, witnessed what was happening and looked away in disgust. `Would rather read a technical journal than take a shore-leave, my ass.' "Well," I said to her, "I guess you'll get your forty-five credits for him after all."

I waited patiently then attempted to call out the engineer's attention once again. "Hey, Scotty! You're done man. Come on, let's go!"

"Ever made love, using a Tribble, Leo?" The woman pulled me and my attention back to her as she purred along with the Tribble's cooing. She stroked me on the face with the Tribble once again, then nibbled on my earlobe. I leaned into the sensation.

"What?" I chuckled, then laughed, shocked. I then found myself fading in and out. The room spun and I was unable to focus. There had to be some type of hallucinogen in these fluffy creatures. "Do what..?" I muttered, then giggled. "With a Tribble? How does that work?"

She pulled me close again, kissing me deeply. I responded hungrily. Her lips traveled across my cheek to my ear where she whispered something. I blanched as it registered in my brain. I pulled away, suddenly very, very sober. "Hey Scotty…I think it's time we were leaving…Scotty!"

It wasn't till I was dragging Scotty out and down the main thoroughfare that I'd realized I had been robbed. "I guess she got her hundred credits after all, and then some."

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

"Well, Spock," I grunted as I entered a empty bridge save for Spock sitting in the command seat and Scotty manning the helm. "I found out from who you contracted that damn illness of yours." I stood next to the command chair and slapped my hand down on the console for emphasis.

The look from the command seat was, again, one of pure innocence. He ought to patent that look. "What did you discover, Doctor?" he asked.

"Jim`s the culprit," I whispered. "Sneaky son-of-a-bitch. That's why he had me meet him there. He knew if I'd saw how sick he was before he beamed down I wouldn't have let him go. I immediately sent the bastard back up here and confined him to his quarters."

"I noticed."

"Was he upset when he beamed aboard?"

"Extremely."

That made me grin, evilly. "Good. I'll be lucky if the Enterprise doesn't turn into a plague ship. Or that he doesn`t infect the whole of Berengaria Seven with his flu virus."

"I am quite certain that Barengaria Seven has been exposed to much worse than influenza."

"Maybe, maybe not. The main city is kind of a sleaze pit, but you'll never know." I continued to whisper even though there was no-one else on the bridge besides Scotty. I was used to doing that with the junior officers normally around. It was a habit of mine, when Jim was away to gossip on the bridge with Scotty or Spock. Though the Vulcan wouldn't have called it `gossiping`. "So," I continued on, "I wound up spending the whole time with Scotty."

I bounced on my heels, expectantly till Spock felt obligated to ask me the next question. I knew he had a high level of curiosity. I also knew, that he knew, humans seemed to have a psychological need to gloat about their shore-leave exploits. He didn't disappoint me.

"What did you and Mister Scott eventually get up to?"

"Well," I said. "It started out quietly but it got pretty wild and I ended up having to carry Scotty out of the damn bar. Didn't I Scotty?" I deliberately shouted over a little too loudly over at the helm. I couldn't help but smile wickedly at the groan from the chief engineer.

"Aye, I suppose so," came the soft acknowledgement from Scotty.

"How did you achieve that without assistance?" inquired Spock, dutably prompting me with an amazing attempt at feigning interest. He probably missed his calling as an actor.

"Never mind," I laughed. "Then… all the while we were there we were fending off green skinned prostitutes."

"Fending them off? You did not welcome the attention?" Spock checked his fingernails.

"What? From prostitutes? No!" I said hotly. Embarrassed. "What do you take me for?" I glared at him, then added as a joke, "Not at those prices anyway." Spock shot me such a pure look of incredulity that I burst out into laughter. Then I sobered at the thought. "She robbed me blind. I mean literally. She did. I realized it after we'd left the bar that all my credit chips were gone. I should have been prepared for that but somehow my defenses were down. I don't think they were Orions…what other aliens do we know have green skin, Spock?"

"Scarolites."

"Scarolites? The reptilian looking women? No…" I shook my head.

"Althenians…" Spock offered helpfully to me as he gazed intently at the viewscreen. I could swear he was absolutely bored out of his skull.

"No…not them. Don't Althenians have antennae?"

"Affirmative."

"Well, these ladies didn't. Well, I don't know," I sighed loudly, then glanced towards the Engineer. "Scotty, what do you think they were?"

Scotty blanched as he turned around. "They had green skin? Ah…Doctor McCoy, ah dinna remember much…"

"You got that right! Lucky for you, too. How's your head?" I smirked at Scotty holding his head then turned back to Spock. "Well, I guess it's not that imperative. It just drives me crazy sometimes when I can't pinpoint what species someone is."

"Did you not ask them?" asked Spock.

"I did, about twenty times! She wouldn't tell me."

"Could you not have surreptitiously pointed your scanner at them?"

"What, and had them detect that tell-tale whine? No Spock…that'd be rude. Even if they were prostitutes. The translator was working, however. Oh boy was it ever."

Scotty grimaced, shook his head and turned back to the helm.

Spock chewed on his bottom lip in absent thought. "I am afraid their point of origin shall continue to be a mystery for you."

The lift doors swooshed open at that particular moment and Lieutenant Sulu entered the Bridge. Spock and I looked up at him. "Mister Sulu," he said. "The next shore parties are cleared to beam down."

"That is," I interjected. "If nobody else is ill."

"Aye sir," Sulu said happily, "I'm next in line to go."

"Excellent, Mr. Sulu," I said. "Have a good time, just stay away from the L'aterre bar."

"Aye sir." He was back in the lift and gone before any of us could spin around.

As soon as Sulu left, Spock touched my arm. "Luftanzites."

"Hmmm?"

"Luftanzites, also, have green skin."

"Don't they have a breathing apparatus on the outside? And the females have three breasts?"

"Correct."

"No…they definitely weren`t Luftanzites." I scratched the stubble on my face in thought.

"Troyan?"

"They have white hair. Spock. No, not Troyan."

"It would be helpful if you actually described the women to me."

"Well," I considered. "Besides the dark green skin, they each had one eye in the center of their forehead. One had red eyes, the other had purple eyes. They had breasts like a human female…well at least it appeared that way with their clothes on. Black hair and a pointed nose. Larger ears than humans. Delicately shaped hands. Beautiful."

"Beautiful?" I heard Scotty exclaim and I could swear he went pale. "With an eye in the center of their forehead?"

"Hey, Scotty," I snapped and reached over to tap his chair. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." I turned to Spock and teased, "Although, I bet some people find those pointy ears unattractive."

Spock raised an eyebrow in response. "My ears are highly functional in a desert environment."

"Yes I know that, but are they attractive?"

"I do not know. It is irrelevant."

"Who cares. We're talking about attractiveness here. Spock. Not relevancy. In fact I can`t think of anybody, besides another Vulcan, who would find pointy ears attractive."

"The mother Horta found my ears attractive," Spock replied in all seriousness.

"Good for you, Spock. One creature out of billions. But… the mother Horta wasn`t a humanoid."

"My mother is a human. Logically since she is married to my father, she must, also, find pointed ears attractive."

"Great. I'm so glad. Two. Out of billions of species. Want a gold star?"

"A gold star, Doctor?"

"Spock--" I sighed.

"Zezephens," stated Spock suddenly.

"They find pointed ears attractive?"

"Negative. That is the species of the women."

"Really?"

"Based on that description."

"I guess they could be. Hey," I smiled. triumphant. "Yeah! I think you could be right. Thanks! That's a load off my mind."

"I am pleased to be of assistance, Doctor."

I decided to finally let Spock get on with some work and turned to go. "Hey Spock. Stop by my quarters later. I wanted to get your opinion about a Vulcan object I bought at a shop down on Berengaria."

"A Vulcan object?" That perked his ears up.

"I'll tell you more later. I'm going down to the mess to get some coffee." I walked towards the lift.

"Wait, Doctor. I am off watch in seventy-five seconds. I shall join you." Oh now that I had piqued his curiosity he wouldn't leave me alone.

"Spock. I'll just meet you in my quarters."

"I will be with you momentarily, Doctor. Hold the lift."

The lift doors opened, Yeoman Janice Rand, and Spock's conn relief: Lieutenant Uhura sauntered out. As I nodded an acknowledgement to the both of them I noticed, idly, that Uhura had a different pair of earrings on. Nothing gets past me.

"Hold the lift, Doctor," Spock called at again. I waited very impatiently as Spock's attempt to get up was interrupted by Yeoman Rand handing him a report to sign. Signing it with a flourish, he attempted to hand it back to her, but before he could it slipped out of his hands and clattered to the floor.

Spock and the yeoman both grabbed for it and suddenly bumped heads. Hard.

"Spock! Janice!" I gasped as I ran back to them. "Are you two alright?"

Spock was still staring at Rand, apparently quite taken aback. "Please forgive my clumsiness, Yeoman."

"It was my mistake, sir. Sorry sir," she managed back at him. In a daze, she finally knelt down to retrieve it.

I watched the both of them with a puzzled stare till the bosun's whistle sounded. "Sickbay to Doctor McCoy."

Spock popped the button for me as I rejoined the Vulcan down at the center seat. "McCoy here. What is it?"

"You are urgently needed in Sickbay, Doctor McCoy. Emergency"

"Alright, be there in a few minutes. McCoy out." I studied Spock, then Yeoman Rand, perturbed. Spock making a mistake like that was highly unusual. "Spock? Janice? Are you sure you two are alright?"

----------




"Oww." In the bathroom in my quarters, I grimaced, toothbrush in mouth. Was this a cavity on my number two molar? Dammit…that's all I need. I pulled down my lip with a finger and glared closely at my gums in the mirror, straining to get a closer look. The sealant was supposed to nullify any cavities whatsoever; I must have gotten a microscopic crack in it somehow. Great. I resumed carefully brushing till the door chime sounded.

Spitting the toothpaste out, I yelled: "Come!"

Spock strode in; didn't see me right away till I called out, "I'm in here!"

"I fail to understand why you perform such an inefficient activity as physically brushing your teeth with toothpaste," Spock observed as he walked up next to me in the bathroom.

"Because I like the taste of mint. How's your teeth?"

"My teeth?"

"Yeah. Can you believe I actually have a cavity?"

"Fascinating. Perhaps from now on you will use the dental-plaser."

"I despise that thing." I finished up and ushered the Vulcan into my office chamber. "I'm dying to know what this is. Do me a favor; I need you to translate this lovely object for me." I excitedly held up a lush, purple velvet bag containing some translucent stones. I dumped a few of them into Spock's outstretched hand. The stones were stunningly beautiful; topped very majestically by raised gilt writing.

"They appear to be runes," I continued on as Spock studied them. "But look at this," I observed as I picked one up. As I did, the stone shimmered in multi-colors, almost as if it was responding to my touch. "They have Vulcan lettering on them, but nothing I recognize. I also came up with nothing during my search in the ship's linguistic files. Fascinating, aren`t they?"

Spock cocked an unappreciative eyebrow at my use of the word `fascinating'. "I was not aware that you recognized Vulcan writing." He picked up a stone from his palm and examined it closely. "This is an ancient Vulcan dialect known as…" he raised an eyebrow. "FthinraKathi. Interesting. These runes are extremely old and valuable. An article of this type would usually be housed in a museum. They are mostly likely contraband; they have to be stolen."

"I guess I shouldn't be so surprised."

"Where did you say you acquired these stones from?"

"A…shop, next door to one I sometimes frequent, dealing in alien art and artifacts. Now," I held up my hand, "I know what you're thinking, but, normally I only browse. But these stones looked so enchanting I thought I'd buy them. Then I went to pick up a supply of Romulan Ale, but would you believe the price was tripled? Damn border ships are having a hard time delivering--"

"Romulan ale, is also…highly illegal, doctor," admonished Spock, quite unnecessarily, as if I didn`t know.

"I use it for medicinal purposes only." I waved off his comment. I was too interested in the stones to argue. "So, can you read them?" I asked him, excitedly.

Spock continued to closely study one of the stones. "Where did you say you got these?"

"From a shop on Berengaria. I'm not disclosing the name of it to you, so you can go have it shut down. Can you read them?"

"Affirmative." Spock closed his fingers over the stone; his eyes growing distant.

"Well?"

He regarded the stone for a while longer, then spoke hesitantly, "Do you… really wish me to read these stones?"

"No Spock. I wish you to go on teasing me." I rolled my eyes. "Just humor me and tell me what they say."

Spock held up the parchment that accompanied them. "As a child, I heard Vulcan legends about artifacts such as these and about the FthinraKathir."

He was stalling. I took a step closer to him. "What does the parchment say?" I asked evenly. "How about reading it? Before I get angry."

Spock hesitated, then gave in and studied the parchment. He read it aloud to me in a slightly stilted Vulcan dialect, pausing every once in awhile to decifer it then read aloud some more. After he'd come to a stopping point he squinted his eyes then nodded. "My suspicion is correct," he said.

Oh, Jesus. I stepped even closer to him and placed my hands on his arms. "About what? Come on, Spock! What are your suspicions correct about, are they runes or not?! What the devil are they?"

Spock took a deep breath. "These are runes. They function as a set…" he sighed, "of instructions." Spock oddly seemed to have a difficult time getting the last of that out. Which piqued my curiosity even more.

"And?" I shook him as I urged him to continue. "They are a set of instructions for what?"

Spock wouldn`t look at me. "Instructions for… lovers."

I dropped my hands. "What?"

"These are… ancient Vulcan… sexual aids."

"Ancient Vulcan sexual aids? Really?" I laughed. "That's interesting. What do they do, foretell with whom a Vulcan is going to be bonded to?" I snickered at that, then suddenly sobered. "No that`s not it. Suppose you tell me what they're really for?"

"They are indeed… for sexual activity. To facilitate intercourse, for new bondmates or…even unbonded lovers. These date from long before Surak. There is more," Spock read the last of the parchment, then stopped. He wore an uncharastically shocked expression.

"What Spock? What is it?"

Spock did not answer me, but merely blinked down at the parchment in his hands.

"Spock?"

"These runes also contain within them an ancient curse," he finally replied.

"A curse?" My mind became electric with interest. "What do you mean? There is no such thing as a curse, Spock. Come on."

"What ever you believe, Doctor, this parchment insists that whoever has traded money for these stones, is cursed until they lift it."

"But that's me. I traded money for them."

"Very perceptive, Doctor."

"I'm cursed? I bought ancient Vulcan runes and now I'm cursed?" I was far too intrigued for Spock's comfort. Spock shifted uncomfortably which spurred me on, anything to goad him. But, frankly I was curious about this. "I suppose you mean to tell me that to lift the curse I have to have sex."

"Affirmative."

"You're sure these are Vulcan? It doesn't seem logical."

Spock shook his head. "The FthinraKathir did not embrace the concept of Logic. Rather, they were a sensual culture. Much of their art, literature and music was based on love and sex. FthinraKathir literally means: 'forest people'; they originated in the cooler forested areas of Vulcan."

"There are forested areas of Vulcan?"

"Affirmative. However, the areas are much smaller, now."

"Makes a change from the desert, I guess. I wouldn't mind visiting those forests, sometime. I bet they're beautiful," I said, idly. He said nothing, but merely stared at me. I shifted in the intense gaze of his. "Uh…so… tell me more about this ancient civilization."

"The FthinraKathir were an extremely peaceful people, unusual in the violent, ancient times. They maintained traditions steeped in folklore and mythology. They lived, undisturbed for many thousands of years until they were annihilated by the warlike vLauDuKauri. Every last FthinraKathi man, woman and child was brutally murdered till the entire civilization was eradicated from Vulcan. Every once in a while we discover a tradition or object that survived the vLauDuKauri. The language and some texts survived solely due to the sacrifice of an ancient FthinraKathi priestess. It is my belief that our ritualistic tactile nature in contemporary times comes straight from this culture. These runes come directly from their mating practices."

"Fascinating," I said, using that word again. I smiled in an attempt to soothe Spock. He looked profoundly, strangely uncomfortable. "Well, I suppose this isn't so bad. I can break the curse with anyone I want? I just have to find any woman who's willing, right?"

"Negative," Spock replied.

Now it was my turn to become uncomfortable. "Alright. Who does it HAVE to be with? A Vulcan?"

He folded his arms. "I am afraid, Doctor, that it distinctly states: `with whomever you touch after you hear the first word on the parchment read aloud'. Or the next person you touch after you yourself have read it."

"But that's you," I stammered, "I touched you, on the arms, after you started reading it aloud."

"That is correct, Doctor," said Spock.

"Oh you are kidding me." I couldn't help but laugh at this. "You must have translated it incorrectly."

"I did not. I am deadly accurate in my translation."

"Are absolutely sure?"

The brown eyes looked directly into mine. "I am absolutely positive."

"I have to have sex… with you?" I said that a little too loudly as I felt myself go slightly faint. "But…how are you going to be able to have sex…"

"I do have genitalia identical to a human," he replied, the corners of his mouth turned up in a half-smile.

"I know that! Smart-ass! I mean--uh-- you can't get aroused--you aren`t in pon farr anymore." I prided myself on now knowing a little something about the Vulcan mating ritual as private as pon farr. I would have never known about it but we had just experienced it, a month ago, with Spock. Aparently never spoken of to outworlders, he reluctantly opened up to me and Jim about it (he really had no choice), then invited us to his ill fated wedding. Before we managed to get him to Vulcan, he became extremely aggressive, sexually predatory and illogical; his adrenalin level going off the scale. We very nearly lost him. Is that what was going to happen to him again? Thanks to me?

"I do not need to be in pon farr to have sex, Doctor," he said quietly. "Pon farr is merely an insurance that I reproduce."

"Oh," I said again, not really sure of what to say. Not really sure if I wanted this to happen. "I…don't know if I can go though with this..."

As I felt the blood drain out of my face the more I thought about it, Spock continued instructing me: "There are fifteen runes in this bag. We choose one stone at a time per standard day. We follow the sexual instruction on the stone we have chosen or else--"

"Or else what?"

"Or else, we suffer the consequences."

I laughed even more hysterically. Spock merely raised an eyebrow in response. "What kind of consequences?" I said skeptically. "Does it specify? This is ridiculous!"

"It does not specify. How ever ridiculous it might seem. It is of Vulcan legend."

"You don`t believe in the curse, do you?"

"Curses are illogical."


I got up and paced back and forth. "That's not helpful. This is crazy. Forget it. I'm not having sex with you. Nothing untoward will happen if we fail to use them. Right?"

"You are probably correct."

"Look. It's nothing personal Spock, but I'm just not into men. Forget it. I'm getting rid of these things. Here give them to me."

I motioned for Spock to hand me the stones so I could put them into a box to return them promptly to Vulcan.

He hesitated, then moved to hand them to me. But, as he did so, he lost his balance, suddenly winding up sprawled on the deck.

"Spock?" I immediately offered my hand to assist him.

"I am undamaged, Doctor." He waved off my hand as he scrambled up rather ungracefully.

"Spock, that's unlike you to trip and fall!"

"I am undamaged," Spock said quickly.

"I think you should come down to sickbay so I can look you over."

"Unnecessary--"

"Sickbay to Doctor McCoy."

I walked over to snap the viewer on. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Emergency, Doctor. Your immediate presence is required."

"Alright, I'll be there in five minutes." I snapped the viewer off and glanced at Spock. "I'll continue this discussion, later. Are you sure you`re okay?"

"I am fine. Doctor may I keep these?" he inquired of me before I had the chance to stalk out of the doors.

"Certainly. You can do what you like with them." I nodded to the Vulcan and stepped out. "Analyze them. Worship them. Return them to the museum. Just get them out of my sight. Please."



-----------

Spock looked on as I stood at a sickbay lab table, tidying up a mess that had been sitting around for few days. My orderlies were all out of commission. "When are we finally leaving orbit?" I asked.

"We are due to remain in orbit around Berengaria for another ten standard days to effect sudden necessary repairs."

"Oh. I've got fifty-six more crewmen who have contracted this particular strain of influenza. Jim took a turn for the worse. I finally was able to produce a vaccine for it and not a moment too soon. Distributing it to the crew has been a nightmare; I have no staff, besides Nurse Burke; poor girl. The line for inoculations was backed up to the turbo lift. Chapel has also been under the weather," I grumbled as I rattled off my list of complaints to him. "If you all would have just taken care of yourselves and stop wearing your defenses down this type of thing wouldn't have happened."

"You are indeed correct, an epidemic is apparently forming." Spock walked over to the other side of the lab as he continued talking. "It would seem be the case that--" He was interrupted by a sound of broken glass and a cry out from me! "McCoy!" Spock rushed over.

The bottle had slip from my grasp and hit the table, shattering. The shards caught my left hand. I instinctively grabbed my hand with my right burning both with acid. Simultaneously, the acid had flew up and hit me squarely in the eyes. "…Don't touch me…!" I managed to gasp out. "…acid…!"

Spock ignored my command and pulled me to the nearby sink, thrusting my face underneath the water and repeatedly rinsed my eyes and hands.

"Nurse Burke!" I heard him shout. He sounded as if he was light-years away from me.

I groaned in pain as Spock held onto me. As Spock continued rinsing my eyes, I snapped from underneath the water, "Call… someone... to clean up this broken glass… and make sure… they wear gloves, dammit!"

I collapsed in Spock`s arms.

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End of Part 1 LINK TO PART 2