THE RUNES PART 8

Title: The Runes part 8

Author: T'Prillah

Codes: S/Mc, horror, NC-17

Warning: implied non-con & discussion of rape

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THE RUNES-PART 8



Someone was standing at my terminal.

It was Christine Chapel. Nosing around in my files. Again.

I thought I'd warned her.

I crept up behind. Quietly as a cat. "Looking for something?"

She jumped and turned around. Caught. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers.

I smiled.

"Doctor?!" she gasped. "What's...what's...what's? G-gotten into you?"

"What ever do you mean...my dear?" I asked sweetly.

"Your...your report!" she stammered. "It's…"

"It's what?" I crept closer, even closer. My face was inches away from hers. My hand shot out and with a finger I tilted up her chin. I could feel her trembling from my touch. "What, dear? Tell me why you've been snooping."

"Forgive me, Doctor. I didn't mean to--"

"Of course not." I ran that finger along her jawline, down to her throat. "Of course not," I whispered. My hand suddenly shifted to the back of her neck.

I jerked her head foward till her lips met mine. She finally managed to wriggle away from my mouth but not away from my embrace. "Doctor. Please stop."

I chuckled. But I didn't release her.

She swallowed hard. I met her determined eyes. "Sir...this report...I noticed that in the whole thing...you've written: 'Spock will make a lovely corpse...' over and over again. For three-hundred pages!"

"Have I? Well, he will...won't he?"

She gazed at me in horror for a few seconds. I laughed in response till she screamed and pushed away from me with strength I never knew she had.
She ran out shrieking into the main ward.

Probably to try to call Spock or M'Benga or the captain about me.

Pity.

I followed her, then stopped in my tracks. What the hell was I planning to do to Christine?

And...Spock will make a lovely corpse? What the hell's the matter with me?

"Oh God!" My head shot up from my desk. Oh... I must have dozed off. My monitor was still on, still open on the intake report I'd been working on for the past six hours. "Christine!" I called out to the sickbay ward, a little panicked. "Christine? Are you out there?"

She appeared an instant. "Doctor?" Seeing how pale I must of looked, she came running up. "Are you alright?"

"I'm...I'm fine." I managed a reassuring smile at my head nurse. I rubbed my burning eyes. Probably aggravated by staring at the computer monitor for six hours straight without a break. Why did I insist upon taking care of everyone else, but constantly neglected my own health? "I was just...uh…Can you get me a glass of water please? From the bottled we have in storage. The...uh... water we picked up from Starbase ten." As I stood up, I staggered. I hoped she hadn't noticed. She did.

Before I could wave her off, she rested her hands on my shoulders. "Your eyes are extremely bloodshot. How much sleep have you been getting? We really should take a look at your eyes--"

"Look, Christine. I appreciate your concern, but just go get me the water first, then we'll scan me, okay? And bring me some aspirin too," I muttered as a terrible headache set in. Of course.

She nodded and left.

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. I picked up my scanner, aimed it at my eyes then glanced at the readout. That can't be right--

"Bones?"

I spun around at the voice. "Jim...what can I do for you?" I tried not to outwardly express my unease to my captain. Was this the real Jim Kirk? Or was I dreaming again? I couldn't be certain, not anymore. But as CMO, as his best friend, I had to take that chance. He looked like he needed to talk.

"Bones?" Somehow he seemed very drawn, very quiet.

"Yeah, Jim?" I'd deal with with my scanner later. I got up from the chair, retrieved a bottle of Saurian Brandy. "You in on a drink?"

"I don't know." He hunched down in the chair across from my desk.

"You don't know if you want a drink? Of Saurian Brandy? Oh, oh," I nearly barked out a laugh from nervousness, then caught myself.

"Uh..." Jim began. "Bones...I really need to talk to you. In confidence."

"Hang on," I said. "Christine!" I bellowed out. "What the hell's the damned hold-up?!"

"Coming, Doctor McCoy," she called back, then finally brought my aspirin and water. "Doctor, I thought you were going to--"

"Later!" She nodded at me and left.

"Okay Jim," I sighed. "What's on your mind?"

"You're the only psychiatrist on board...however I'd rather not have to come to you about this..." The words seemed to be tumbling reluctantly out of him. "But... uh..."

Hearing that, I immediately slipped into 'Psychiatrist mode'. This was real. "You know you can talk to me about anything, Jim."

"Anything?" He was uncertain. I'd never seen him like this before.

"Of course. Come on." I walked around my desk and put my hands on his shoulders. "Tell me."

"It's not a good idea if you touch me. I don't know how to say this to you."

I dropped my hands. "You'd better just come out with it and we can go from there."

"Okay, Bones. Well... I've been having some dreams..." He glanced at the deck. "...about you."

I walked back over to pour the Saurian Brandy into a glass for him and one for me. "Oh?"

"Yes. 'Oh'," he replied. Looking down.

I chuckled a little. "Well that's not...uh...too bad, is it?"

"These dreams are. They're awful, Bones. They're horrible. Night terrors."

"So...do you remember what these night terrors have been about?" I asked, quietly.

"They're...uh...about you and I...engaged in uh...uh...sex..." He trailed off again.

"Listen Jim," I soothed. "It's completely normal to have sexual dreams about someone you're good friends with--work with-- intimately."

"This is normal? Dreams like this?"

"Jim, why don't you tell me more about it. Okay?"

He took a deep breath. "I've been having dreams about..." He stopped again.

"About what? Jim. About what?"

He closed his eyes. "Rape."

"Rape?"

"Yeah."

"Did I...did I... do this... to you?" I gasped.

"No. Bones. I did it...to you...or against you..."

"You raped me in a dream?"

"Well no...I attempted it..." He shifted in his chair. I handed him that drink and he drained it. I poured him another glass. "One night I dreamt that I attacked you... in the sickbay," he said with a horrified expression.

I looked at him with an equally horrified expression but kept my voice calm. "I see."

"And...on another night...I tried to... have sex with you in Spock's quarters...uh...you know...but this time you seemed to be willing...you know...you returned the affection...or maybe I thought you did and but
you didn't. What the hell does that mean, Bones?"

I took a deep breath and got out: "It's just stress, Jim," I shut my eyes. "That's all it is. Just stress. You're a little on edge--"

"That's not all, Bones."

I took a shaky sip of my brandy. "Please, continue."

"I also...in this dream...tried to get you to...uh..."

"What?"

"I tried to get you... to...to... kill Spock."

"Kill Spock?" I stood up. "You did? You dreamt about that?"

He stood up with me. "Why would I dream about wanting to kill Spock? It can't just be...stress, can it?"

"Jim," I said. "It's probably nothing. Just...don't worry too much about it. Don`t read too much into it. Just your subconscious trying to talk to you. That`s all."

"My subconscious is trying to tell me to kill Spock?"

"No…No Jim," I managed a weak laugh. "You're just worried about something."
"Bones..." He gripped his glass tightly. "I've never had dreams like this before. They seem so real."

"I'll bet they do..." I sat back down. Jim did likewise.

"Bones..."

"So...in this dream of yours," I found myself wanting to know, "do you mind me asking...did you and I ever… have sex?"

"No," he replied. "We might have, we probably would have, but Spock interrupted...it. You told me something about knowing where he was...or
maybe I knew where he was, or maybe we both knew... or something like
that...but in this dream you and he were..bonded."

I choked on my brandy. "So," I said casually. "How long have you been having dreams... like this?"

"Every night. Since we departed Berengaria Seven."

"And you decided to tell your kindly old doctor about it...now? Why didn't you tell me before?"

"This isn't easy for me."

"You've gotta tell me about these things, Jim, you can't just let it fester and drive you crazy. I can't help you unless you talk to me about what's bothering you."

"I know. I know, Bones. These dreams are downright bizarre. Frightening." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Dreaming that you and Spock are bonded...that's crazy...you and Spock aren't bonded, right?...I mean I know you two have become an... uh...'item' but..."

"We're not an 'item' Jim," I corrected him, softly.

"You're sleeping together."

I blushed a little. "See? That's upsetting to you," I pronounced. "Hence the dreams."

"No," he protested. "Whatever my senior officers wish to do in their own time is none of my business, as long as it's not affecting your duties, you can sleep with whomever you like."

"It has been affecting my duties a little, Jim," I admitted.

"The efficiency and wellbeing of my crew is my main concern. You know that Bones."

"I do know that. But it doesn't mean you aren't personally upset by this, Jim."

"No, no," he insisted. "Honestly, I'm not upset. Although I have been a little more irritable lately with you, there's more too it than that…" He looked around my office as if sensing something. "Bones, you might think this is crazy but I can feel something-- it's definitely affecting the whole ship. Nothing seems right.
Everything is…I don't know…I guess this is insane…"

"Are you experiencing any physical symptoms--other than a feeling something is odd?"

"I can't sleep properly."

"I'll prescribe you some sleeping pills, Jim."

"No... Bones." Suddenly he turned to me. "Look at you."

"What about me?"

"Look at your eyes. I'm worried about you. Especially, you. You look like hell, Bones."

"Well," I said. "I haven't been getting much sleep either. And not for reasons you might think."

He shook his head. "The whole crew is touchy...on edge... Even Scotty. Do think we picked up some disease from our last shore leave? I've never known this quadrant to be problematic. I intend to get to the bottom of it. I want you to start doing some physical and psychological examinations of the--"

I held up my hand. "I think I can solve that little mystery for you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," I said reluctantly. "I can. I think this whole thing... is my fault."

"Really," he said. "How so?"

"Come with me, Jim. To Spock's quarters. I have a little bit of explaining to do."
"Why can't you just tell me here?"

"I need to show you something." I stood up. "Come on, Jim."

We left my office and entered the turbolift.

"Bones," he protested. "I don't think I should be alone with you in Spock's quarters."

"Why Jim?" I laughed. "They're only dreams, right?"

"Right." After a time he finally laughed with me. "They're only dreams. I'm acting irrationally."

"We all are," I agreed.

"So you're not angry with me."

"Jim, why would I be angry about you dreaming about me? You don't have much control over nightmares. I mean, yeah they're horrible and I'm sorry to hear about it but I'm not personally angry with you."

"Much control? So I CAN control my dreams."

"Uh...Look, If this is really bothering you I can hook you up to the monitor--"

"No. This is to remain off the record. I just never thought I'd ever dream about...hurting you or Spock. That's the last thing I'd ever want to do."

"I know that," I replied. "I'll explain everything to you."

He nodded, we exited the lift, entered the corridor and finally Spock's quarters.

"This is probably the culprit." I waved at the bag of Runes.

"That's it!"

"You`ve seen these before?"

"I dreamt about this, Bones."

I gulped as I studied the captain. Then my eyes shifted to the bag. They were now on Spock's desk. How'd they get here? Since I'd brought them on board, oddly, they'd kept moving around the cabin. This morning they had been on the ledge. Spock had moved them back to the nightstand. No one should have been able to get in here to touch them. Why would they? As a precaution, since I'd started sleeping here, we'd been locking the door.

I sat Jim down and to the best of my ability explained to him what I'd done: Bought these damn Runes. I went on all about the curse and most of everything else.

"So that's why you and Spock are sleeping together? Are you kidding me? Because of this curse of these… Runes?" he laughed incredulously.

"It's not funny, Jim."

"I know, but...are you sure this curse is real?"

"According to Spock--"

He shook his head and waved me off. "Well, he'd know I suppose. So you brought 'cursed Runes' on board," his eyes narrowed dangerously at me, "putting the Enterprise at risk--"

"Jim," I explained. "I didn't know they were cursed. Honestly. I still don't absolutely know if it's real. I just have faith in Spock's judgement that it is. And...all this crap started happening since I'd brought them on board and the sex with Spock did appear to alleviate most of it."

He rolled his eyes. "I ought to have you in irons Bones! Bringing these things on board--don't tell your commanding officer, have sex with my first officer in an attempt to...Jesus..." His hand snatched forward and he picked up a stone from the bag. "They're pretty."

"JIM! Don't touch them!" I lunged for him.

He dropped the stone. It made a soft tink as it hit the others in the bag. "Why not?"

"I don't know. I'm not absolutely sure...that…"

"That... what?"

"That you and I…"

"That...you and I... what? Your saying that you and I also have to have sex to end the curse? You can forget it, Bones."

"Just...leave 'em alone. Okay Jim?"

After a long irritated silence, he said: "So this...is why my whole ship has been behaving like this? Why I'm having crazy dreams about attacking you, killing my first officer...and you being bonded to Spock?"

"I'm really bonded to Spock," I blurted out.

"Sorry Bones. It almost sounded like you said that you're bonded to Spock."

"You heard correctly," I muttered and looked at anywhere but him. "We really are."

He leaned back and rubbed his face. "When did this happen?"

"Well...It happened accidentally," I said, then added quickly: "It can be reversed. Thank God."

"Accidentally? I don't think I want to know the details." He glared at me and I shifted in my chair. Then the glare changed to a look of curiousity and concern. "It can be reversed? So you don't want this to be permanent? Why not? Don't you want to be bonded to him?"

"I don't know, Jim. No I don't. Or maybe I do." I chuckled a little "You know...I don't know what to do."

"How do you feel about him?"

"I care about him."

"And of course you don't know how he feels about you."

"I know how he feels. He cares about me too."

"What about love?"

"I don't know," I said quietly.

"Bonded. I can't believe it. Although, I never thought in a million years you'd ever be intimate with Spock--"

"Well we won't be for much longer," I said a little more sharply than I intended. He gave me a look. "We only have one more Rune left," I explained.

"And then what?"

"Then we just have to wait until the bond fades. Then, it's over."

"Over? Just like that? Then what happens--You two just go back to--being
friends? Shipmates?"

"I suppose so."

"Bones. Married officers serving aboard Starships isn't against regulation. You two are of about equal rank. You're mature enough to deal with the realities of hazardous duty."

"I know that. I'm just...not exactly sure that I'm really ready for another marriage. There's a lot of things in my past I've never shared with you."

"Maybe you should share it with me. Then you can move on and be happy."

"Thanks Jim."

"How long ago was that marriage of yours? Fifteen years ago?"

"Jim."

"Don't you think it's about time you were happy?"

"Why are you assuming that I'm so goddamned happy with Spock?!"

"Because for the past few weeks you have looked the most content that I've ever seen you be, in all the years that I have known you."

I looked down and said nothing.

He cleared his throat. "I've always wondered what it must be like to be bonded to a Vulcan. It must be an interesting experience..." He trailed off, as he noticed I still was studying my hands. "Sorry, it's none of my business."

"You're right. It isn't." I laughed. "No...it's alright. It's not too bad, actually. I'm getting used to him being inside my head." I smiled. "I'm not alone anymore. It's like he's always there...always with me...I feel what he feels..."

"And you want to give that up."

"Jim."

"You can read each others thoughts?"

"Yeah. And...he's shared some of his memories with me. Just by touching me."

"Oh…" he said softly.

Just then a summons from the sickbay came. I went over to the viewer, answered it and conferred with M'Benga. Another damn emergency. I had to get down to sickbay. As I turned back to Jim, my eyes noticed the desk.

The Runes were gone.

"Jim? Did you move them?"

"Move what?"

"The fucking Runes, that's what!"

"No! Bones. I was standing right here with you."

"Shit."

--------


"Doctor McCoy," Spock said in his usual bland 'we're out in public areas' tone of voice. "It is time."

"Did you locate the Runes?" I flipped my monitor to 'off''.

"Affirmative."

"Good. Lets go."

Our footsteps made a soft noise as we left my office and passed through the main sickbay ward. We walked by Christine Chapel sitting very still in the corner.

"Something the matter with Nurse Chapel?" Spock asked me calmly.

I glanced over at my nurse then looked back at Spock. "She's fine."

The sickbay doors opened up with a loud swoosh into the quiet pulsating hum of the corridor. Our calm, evenly matched strides went past the outer doors of my office, then the offices of M'Benga, then all the rooms that comprised deck seven. Our footfalls were silent, here in the corridor.

We entered the lift.

"Level please?" asked the computer voice, pleasantly.

"Deck 5, Sweetheart," I smiled.

We said nothing else till the doors opened up to the appropriate level.

We exited the lift and began our calm stride down the corridor.

As we entered officers territory our steps got faster till we passed the living quarters of 'Captain James T. Kirk, commander USS Enterprise' and we approached the one immediately next door: 'Commander Spock: First officer/Chief Science Officer.

We were home.

"Are we ready?" I asked.

"Ready," he replied.

We entered his quarters and made a beeline towards the bag of Runes. Spock held it out and I chose the last stone. I gave it to him to read, but he closed it in his fist. He had a hooded expression on his face.

"What does it say, T'hy'la?" I asked.

"I shall tell you...in good time..." He broke off and pulled me to him with a gentle-- yet posessive-- kiss.

I melted in his grasp, but still wanted to know. "What does it say?"

He growled and pulled me too him again. We made quick work of each other's uniforms. He picked up my naked frame and deposited me onto the bed.

"Spock..." I murmered as he lay on top of me. "What does it say?"

"Later..." he whispered. He pulled my legs over his shoulders, lubed up and slid all the way in. I arched my hips so he could sink in deeper, still deeper. I moved my pelvis in circles. It felt so good. So damned good. Both of us moaned in unison.

"Oh yes...harder..." I demanded. He thrust in harder. I definately would be walking funny tomorrow. Still I wanted it even harder. He reached up and laid a hand gently onto my face. Now I felt what he was feeling as he was feeling what I was feeling!

I exploded and he was right there with me.

"Oh....my..." I gulped after awhile. "Oh..."

"Hmmmm," he grunted.

He was collapsed onto me, still inside me, so I pushed him over to the side till he slid out. He was heavy. His head flopped over onto my chest. "That was wonderful..." I murmered. "I want to...do that again..."

"We will," he promised. " Very soon. T'hy'la. Very soon."

"But not right now..." I laughed. "I don't think I could...so fast...not after that. I'm sore."

"Yes," he said. "Now."

I didn't like the way he'd said that. "What about the Rune? Is that it? That was the last one. Is the curse ended?"

"Not yet," said Spock.

Suddenly the door to the bathroom swooshed open. I jumped.

Walking out in a towel and only a towel, was Jim.

----

"Leonard. Leonard! You are dreaming. Wake up!" I felt warm hands shake me. "Wake up. Wake up." The hands shook me again.

I came into a sort of awareness and fell into his embrace. "Spock?"

"Yes, Leonard...you have been trapped in a nightmare."

"You're alive! Oh God...Spock...you're alive...JIM!" I began to struggle again and he held me close.

"Leonard wake up."

Finally fully awake, I groaned. "I dreamt that... Jim wanted to have a threesome. You wanted it too, so we started to...but I fought you. Both of you. I stabbed Jim… then you...over and over. I couldn't stop. It felt like nothing...like I was stabbing a pillow. At first I found myself enjoying it and then… I was so distraught I was going to kill myself. But there was a voice in my head reciting a prayer...in Vulcan...maybe not...I don't know...but the voice stopped me."

"That was I, attempting to awaken you."

"Why did you try to force me to have a threesome with Jim? I tried to kill you! Or maybe I did!"

"It was only a dream," he insisted. "That is all."

"It felt real. I felt your warm blood. I could smell the copper scent, then the smell of Jim..."

"Leonard. It was a dream. I am not dead. We are here now. Safe."

"Did it really happen? Did I really stab you?" I reached out and felt his chest.

"Leonard." I detected a hint of warning in his voice.

"What about Jim? Was he here?"

"Leonard. He is safe. Nothing happened."

"Alright. Fine. But, we need to find those damn Runes. Or we're gonna be in serious trouble."

"Affirmative. We are in trouble. The ancient guard is attempting to possess--"

"It`s me!" I gasped. "It's working though me. Am I the murderer? I'm the murderer!"

"It shifts. It has possessed not only you, but Jim as well."

I'd figured that. Jim and I had argued last night about the now missing Runes. I had to get to sickbay but he'd followed me in the lift as we'd argued heatedly. I'd accused him of stealing them. He'd acted very suspiciously in response but I got nothing from him. Spock and I had searched for the Runes from top to bottom in his quarters to no avail.

They weren't in Jim's quarters either. An precursory internal scan of the ship Spock had done also turned up nothing. We'd eventually given up...actually I was so exhausted that I couldn't see straight, so I'd convinced Spock to resume the search in the morning. They had to be somewhere.

"Spock," I wondered. "Has the murderer ever tried to possess you?" Though I didn't think it would. Not with his Vulcan controls in place.

"It did. Once," he admitted. He didn't elaborate and a chill passed though me. I felt him rise up. In the darkened quarters I heard him walk over to the bathroom.

I decided to get up also. There was no way I was going back to sleep after this.

It was completely dark in here, even Spock's 'watcher' statue wasn't lit. Strange. It always watched us. I sat up on the bunk and called out: "Lights to twenty-five percent."

The cabin stayed completely dark. What the devil?

"Computer," I snapped. "Lights to twenty-five percent'." They still wouldn't function. "Spock...what's wrong with the cabin lights?"

"Leonard," Spock came back, pressing a glass of water into my hand. "The lights ARE on."

"You're kidding...."

"I am not. The lights are operational. Can you not see the illumination?" I felt his hands grab my shoulders.

"Spock..." I said quietly. "I think you need to escort me to sickbay. I'm blind."


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END OF PART 8, Stay tuned for Part 9!!