'Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven' - Chapter 4

[nikki4noo]

Jim walked into Sickbay, watching as the crew bustled around in their own little patterns. Always moving out of each other’s way, it was like a complicated ballet. Jim did like to come down to Sickbay for precisely that reason. It was a pattern that he liked to watch, note the movements and then in his own mind, predict where someone would move next.

Now wasn’t a time for him to stand around and watch, though. Chapel caught his eye from where she was standing in the far corner and she nodded off to the side room, where the patient was being housed. Jim nodded his thanks and headed in the direction she had indicated.

When he walked in the room, Bones was standing with his back to Jim. He didn’t turn around, even though he would have heard the door open. One arm was held behind him, hand closed in a loose fist, and his other arm was around the front. Jim knew exactly where it was. Bent up so that he could rest his chin on his thumb and his forefinger would be worrying at his bottom lip. It was a classic Bones ‘thinking’ pose.

“Bones?” Jim asked quietly as he walked forward.

Bones dropped his arm and turned slightly to face Jim.

“He’ll live,” Bones replied before glancing back through the isolation sheeting at the man asleep on the biobed.

“My compliments,” Jim offered with a smile. There was something in Bones’ tone that had Jim a little worried.

Bones huffed out his disdain at Jim’s compliment before speaking. “I’m good, but not that good. There’s something inside this man that refuses to accept death. Look at that,” he said as he pointed at the monitor at the head of the biobed. “Even as he is now, his heart valve action has twice the power of ours. Lung efficiency is fifty percent better. He weighs a ton too.”

“You weighed him?” Jim asked.

“No, Jim. I had to try and catch the man when you ordered us beamed back while he was lying on the bed. He arrived on the Enterprise in mid-air.” Bones glared at him.

“He needed medical attention,” Jim explained, knowing that this was going to be something which he was not going to hear the end of for a while.

“He needed more after he had to rely on me catching him!”

“He was in the right place then,” Jim smirked at him and ignored Bones rolling his eyes in response. “He doesn’t seem to be much the worse for wear.”

“The bruising was minimal and it has receded quicker than I have ever seen before,” Bones said.

“He is an Augment then?” Jim asked. The medical information strongly suggested that this was what Bones was implying. “The timeline would be right with the ship. An improved breed of humans.”

“We all know how well that ended,” Bones replied sardonically. “But I have to say, the chance to study one, I wouldn’t be a scientist if I wasn’t willing to jump at it.”

“Oh I thought you were a doctor?” Jim teased, a little smile on his face as he glanced sideways at Bones to see if he would take the bait.

“You!” Bones growled and Jim smiled even wider. “Dammit, Jim,” he muttered under his breath.

“Rumors were they were at least three times as strong,” Jim observed as he looked back at the man.

“Not what we need running loose around the ship,” Bones observed.

“He doesn’t look like he will be running any time soon,” Jim pointed out.

“When he wakes up, I will give him a thorough physical, then we will know for sure. Brain function was apparently also doubled.”

“They still lost though, in the end,” Jim said.

“Excuse me, Captain, Dr. McCoy?” Jim heard in a voice he thought belonged to Lt. McGivers.

When he turned around his assumption was proven correct. She was standing by the door, slightly hesitant and one hand still on the door sill. Her face showed her concern as she looked at the man behind the isolation sheet.

“Will he live?” she asked.

“It appears he will, Lieutenant,” Bones told her.

“The screen?” she asked as she stepped forward into the room, the door sliding closed behind her.

She was still looking a little fearful and Jim realized that just like Scotty, who was still playing around in the Engine bay of the other ship, and Bones who was trying to solve the medical conundrum, McGivers was another curious soul. Her curiosity was linked in with the mind and memories of the man on the biobed.

“A precaution for him and for us. Just waiting on the final results, but he should be out of isolation later today,” Bones said.

“Oh, okay,” McGivers said as a look of relief came over her face.

“Lieutenant,” Jim said, knowing his tone was along the more ‘captainly’ lines. “As much as we hate to see any life wasted, the safety of this ship and all on board her come first.”

“Yes, sir.” McGivers straightened up into parade rest position.

“Good. I am sure that Dr. McCoy will let you know when the man is awake and able to answer your questions.”

“Yes, sir, thank you, sir,” she said.

“I understand from Scotty that your information was invaluable to him and his team in mapping the vessel. Good work, Lieutenant,” Jim added, knowing that any slight reprimand often worked best when it was paired with a compliment.

“Thank you, sir,” McGivers replied.

“Dismissed, Lieutenant,” Jim ordered.

McGivers nodded at him and Bones and then turned to exit the room.

Jim stayed silent until the door closed again, leaving he and Bones the only two conscious people in the room.

“Pity you wasted your life on command, Jim. You’d have made a fair psychologist,” Bones said as he leaned back against the wall, head tilted slightly to the side.

“Fair?” Jim asked, a smile on his face.

“Don’t go fishing for compliments, you know where that ends up for you,” Bones said as he pointed a threatening finger in Jim’s direction.

It only made Jim laugh.

“G’wan, get outta my Sickbay. Go back and bother Spock some more.” Bones made shooing motions toward the door.

Jim continued to laugh at Bones’ less than professional dismissal. But he knocked off a jaunty salute before obeying the order.

oOo

“Sickbay to Lab, anything new to report?” Bones asked.

“No Doctor, all clear for possible immune issues as reported earlier, and those old strains you got us to test were all clear in his body. Some of those viruses were downright nasty, worse than anything we have discovered out here before. We can do some further DNA testing on the patient’s samples, if you’d like?” The lab technician’s voice came over the comm system.

“You know I can’t order that without consent and he’s in no position to do so at the moment,” Bones replied.

“True enough, Doctor. But as soon as he does, there are samples we have ready for testing.”

Before Bones could reply, there was an alert from the computer. He checked the screen and it seemed that their patient was awake.

“Thanks. McCoy out,” Bones said as he disconnected the comm. He stood up as he pulled up the info from the biobed. As he was leaning over his desk, reading the information, he heard the door to his office open.

“Doctor, our patient is awake,” Chapel said.

“I see that,” Bones replied. “He also seems to have gotten up from the bed.”

“Do you want me to accompany you?” Chapel asked.

Bones straightened up and turned so that he faced her. “No, probably best not to scare him too much the first time.” Bones held in a laugh at the expression on Chapel’s face at the implication that she would be the one to scare a patient more than him. He knew he wasn’t able to hide his smile though, as he walked over toward the doorway where Chapel was standing.

“Tell you what. If he doesn’t listen to me about getting back in that bed, I will let you take over and put the fear of God into him.” He patted her on the shoulder before he exited his office to walk across the main Sickbay. He tried to stop his smile getting wider as he heard the snort from Chapel at his words.

He was considering the implications of the information from the biobed as he entered the isolation room. He had ordered the patient put in that room for two main reasons. One was if this patient truly was a man from the past, there were medical consequences about past diseases and new ones that he wouldn’t have immunization from. The second was also because if he truly was from the past, how much information could they give him initially about the new world he found himself in? The mind was a delicate instrument and his neurological studies as well as his interest in psychology had taught him that there was still so much to learn. Being cautious was second nature to him.

He was a little wrapped up in his thoughts as he entered the room and it took him a moment to discover where the patient was standing. The man was standing very straight, chin raised and hands clasped behind his back. Bones thought it looked like he was standing to attention, so he may have had some military training, although the gown didn’t help the impression at all. There was a wary look on his face and he was standing in the far corner of the room, away from the door, which was a bit odd.

“Good to see you up and about. I’m Dr. Leonard McCoy, the Chief Medical Officer,” Bones said as he walked slowly toward the patient. He didn’t want to spook him.

“English. I thought I dreamed hearing it,” the patient said after a pause that had him watching Bones intently.

Bones nodded at the man and then indicated the bed. “If you would just come back and sit on the bed, I have some basic medical tests I need to run through with you.” Bones had continued walking forward, prepared to gently steer the patient back onto the bed.

The next thing Bones knew, he was having his throat choked and an old 20th Century scalpel was being held just under his jawline.

As he struggled to breathe around the fingers making a strong indentation in his neck, he quickly glanced around the room and the mystery of why he found the man in the far corner was revealed. Lying partly open was one of the storage boxes containing his collection of historical medical equipment. They had been moved into this spare room while a suitable secure place to display them was discussed. He knew that the scalpel wasn’t as sharp as it could be, but it was still sharp enough to do some serious damage.

“Well, either choke me or cut my throat. Make up your mind,” Bones managed to get out, the fingers not fully depressing his windpipe.

“Where am I?” the man asked. His face was set in grim lines and Bones knew that he meant business. There was no way he could see to get close to the bed or the wall so that he could press an alarm.

“You're in--,” Bones started to say before the man squeezed harder and forced Bones’ voice to take a lower tone. “You're in a Sickbay room, holding a knife at your doctor's throat.” Bones couldn’t help pointing out the folly of the maneuver. He might be in immediate physical danger but the patient would find some serious problems if he tried to get out of Sickbay.

“Answer my question,” the man ordered. His tone implied that he was used to people following his demands. It reminded Bones a little of Jim when he was really pushed.

“It would be most effective if you would cut the carotid artery, just under the left ear.” If he couldn’t reason with the man, then pointing out the quickest way to injure might get his attention. This man seemed to respond to power and violence.

Bones was right, he was released and the man took a step back.

“I like a brave man,” the man informed Bones.

Bones tried to scoff in response as he pressed a hand up to his throat to test how much damage was done. As Bones leaned over slightly, he saw the loose way the man was holding the scalpel so he quickly leaned forward to take it. He probably should have pressed the alarm for security first, but this man had been plonked two centuries ahead of his own time. It was enough to make anyone wary.

“I was simply trying to avoid an argument. You're aboard the United Spaceship Enterprise. Your vessel is in tow,” Bones said, keeping the information as broad as he could. “Now would you kindly take a seat back on the bed?” Bones tried to hide the hint of annoyance from his voice, but he didn’t think he was completely successful.

There was a stand off for a moment between the two of them, the other man narrowing his eyes slightly as he obviously considered Bones’ request.

“I remember a voice. Did I hear it say I had been sleeping for two centuries?” the man asked as he walked over to the bed and sat back down on it.

Bones stepped back toward the wall, keeping an eye on the patient. “That is correct.”

“Where is your Captain? I have many questions,” the patient said, using his ‘command’ voice again.

Bones pressed the intercom, using the time and the patient’s lack of knowledge to send a code black warning to Chapel and Jim as he spoke.

“McCoy to Bridge,” he said into the intercom.

“Bridge,” Jim replied.

“I have a patient here with many questions, Captain.” Bones wanted to say as little as possible as he could.

“On my way. Kirk out,” Jim said.

“He will be here shortly,” Bones told the patient as he walked over to the box and placed the scalpel back from where it had been found. He made sure the lid was secure before walking back to the bed.

“Nurse,” Bones said as Chapel walked into the room. She had a tray with her and two hyposprays loaded on it. He knew exactly what was in both--a strong sedative. “If you could just lie back down, I have some scans I need to do,” he told the patient.

Entering the room behind Chapel was Brewster and Getraer, two of the more well-built orderlies. Bones nodded a slight approval toward Chapel for her quick thinking.

“If you could remove the boxes and put them in my office,” Bones ordered the two orderlies as he pointed at the boxes.

While they began to remove them, Bones turned back to the computer next to the bed and started a scan of the patient. When the patient tried to lift up his head to look at the screen, Chapel leaned slightly forward and used a hand to indicate that he needed to lie back down.

“Your body needs to be in contact with the bed for the scan to be accurate. That includes your head, sir,” Chapel informed him in her no-nonsense voice. She was standing on the other side of the bed and had placed the tray within her reach but out of the patient’s. Her cool head in a crisis was the main reason she was his Chief Nurse. The Narada incident had taught him all he needed to know about her.

“There is no equipment I can see. How can I be sure you are not lying to me?” the patient accused as he looked at Bones.

“Technology has moved forward a little since you were last awake,” Bones replied as he looked briefly away from the screen. The results were all normal, almost better than normal, although there was some activity in the brain stem that could indicate a headache or similar for the patient.

“No pain anywhere? Aches or little twinges?” Bones asked.

“You did not answer me properly, doctor,” the patient replied, again after a short pause, as in Bones’ first exchange with him.

Bones was not able to reply as the door opened and Jim walked into the room. Bones noted the phaser sitting in a holster on his belt.

“James T. Kirk, commanding the starship Enterprise,” Jim announced as he walked to the end of the biobed.

At a nod from Bones, Chapel adjusted the bed so it raised up and allowed the patient to be in a relaxed sitting position, all the better for him to converse with Jim.

“I see,” the patient replied.

Bones was sure that the man should have been steepling his fingers together as he looked at Jim, akin to an old school villain.

“And your name?” Jim asked.

“I have a few questions first. What is your heading?” the man asked.

“Now that isn’t fair,” Jim replied with a smile on his face. “I told you mine, only fair you tell me yours. That’s if you remember it?”

While Jim and the patient stared at each other, Jim keeping the friendly smile on his face, Bones nodded at Chapel, dismissing her from the room.

“Khan is my name,” the man proclaimed, with a proud tilt of his head.

“Khan,” Jim repeated. “Nothing else?”

“Khan.”

“Very well, Khan. Thank you for sharing your name. Our heading is for our nearest command post. We are currently in the Gamma 400 star system, if that has any meaning for you?”

Bones walked slowly around the biobed so that he could stand where Chapel had previously been, close enough to the hyposprays if needed.

“And my people?” Khan continued with his questioning. Bones noted the little flicker of annoyance from Jim at Khan not responding to his question.

“Seventy-two of your life-support canisters are still functioning,” Jim replied, no longer smiling at Khan.

“You will revive them,” Khan stated.

Bones tensed and waited for Jim to respond to being ordered around by a visitor on his own ship. It never ended well, Bones knew from past experience. He and Spock could get away with it occasionally, but not others.

“Until I have a full report from the medical staff currently monitoring them, I won’t make a decision about that. I am sure you don’t want them being revived if there were issues. Your own life-support canister malfunctioned,” Jim pointed out.

“I see,” Khan replied, his lips pursing slightly as he considered Jim’s words.

“What was the exact date of your lift off? We know it was sometime in the early 1990s, but--” Khan interrupted Jim’s question.

“I find myself growing fatigued, Doctor. May we continue this questioning at some other time?” Khan was now looking at Bones. Bones didn’t believe him for a moment. The readout from the computer screen was letting Bones know that Khan was far from fatigued.

“I need the facts, Khan. It will take very little time. For example, the nature of your expedition?” Jim asked.

“No, no. I am too tired. Please doctor?” Khan was refusing to look at Jim.

Bones knew that this conversation could possibly go around in circle for hours. Khan appeared to be very stubborn.

“A little later might be better, Captain,” Bones offered, knowing that the use of Jim’s title would get him to stop questioning.

“Alright, but I look forward to talking to you later, Khan,” Jim offered.

As Jim started to walk away, Khan spoke again.

“Captain, I wonder if I could have something to read during my convalescence. I was once an engineer of sorts. I would be most interested in studying the technical manuals on your vessel.”

“Yes, I understand. You have two hundred years of catching up to do,” Jim pointed out.

“Precisely,” Khan replied with a gentle nod of the head. Rather like a king acknowledging a servant, Bones thought.

“I will see what I can do. Dr. McCoy will let you know,” Jim said, a little hint of his annoyance visible in his eyes as he glanced toward Bones.

“Thank you, Captain. You are very co-operative,” Khan said, still with that same hint of magnanimity as before.

“Doctor, if I may have a word?” Jim requested.

“Certainly,” Bones agreed and picked up the tray before walking over to join Jim by the doorway.

“The boxes. Removing temptation, doctor?” Khan asked with wry smile on his face just as Bones was ready to leave the room.

“‘Good habits result from resisting temptation.’” Bones quoted back at him.

Khan laughed.

oOo

“What was all that about? With the boxes?” Jim asked as the door closed behind Bones.

“What? Oh, nothing much. Just a follow up to a conversation from earlier. I had the boxes taken out of the room while he was awake. That’s all,” Bones said as he walked around his desk and sat down in his chair.

“Hmm,” Jim responded as he walked around the office, stopping to look at some of Bones’ knickknacks on the far shelf.

“Are you really going to give him access to the library?” Bones asked, watching carefully to see how Jim would respond, what his body language might give away.

Jim reached a hand out to angle one of his glass bottles. “Should I?” Jim asked.

“You’re the captain,” Bones replied leaning further back in his chair.

“Ha!” Jim said as he turned and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at Bones. “That’s gotta be a first from you.”

Bones waited for Jim to elaborate further on what he was really thinking.

“I’m not sure I trust him. He didn’t like answering my questions,” Jim said.

“There is also the issue of how much information we should pass on to a man from the past,” Bones said.

“Your medical opinion, doctor?” Jim asked, but with that little smirk on his face that Bones knew was a combination of tease and fact gathering.

“The mind is a delicate instrument and it would be a shock to find yourself 200 years into the future. The other issue is family ties. What will Khan and the others on that ship have? Can we track them, and then we have to consider their psychological needs too,” Bones said.

Jim had narrowed his eyes as he listened to Bones talk.

“What was up with those long pauses?” Jim asked.

Bones smiled at Jim changing the subject, but also his sharp observation. “Two possible reasons for it. One, he is a little unsure of his time and place here and now and taking his time before formulating a reply. The other is that he could be a dominant personality who is used to command and not used to being questioned.”

“Is that a comment about me?” Jim asked as he walked over toward Bones’ desk.

“Jim, you have me and Spock on this ship, not to mention the others. I don’t think a day goes by where you don’t get questioned.”

Jim laughed. “True,” he conceded.

“Or it could be a combination of the two, or maybe even another reason. We have never had a situation like this.” With Jim so close and an intent look on his face, Bones raised up his hand to rub at the base of his throat, attempting to hide any marks. He did it gently and in a movement that he hoped would just be taken as natural to Jim.

“Anything else you want to impart to me?” Jim asked.

Bones paused his hand movements and then realized that he had and continued the movements before he answered Jim. “You’ve seen the autopsy request about the bodies in the failed units?”

“Is it safe? Khan shows no sign of disease, but I don’t like the idea of bringing dead bodies on-board we don’t quite know enough about yet. Ask me again later when we have more info,” Jim responded. “Anything else?”

“Nah. So are you going to allow him access to the library?”

“Limited. I’ll get Spock to set up the restrictions, then he can liaise with you to check if you are okay with the subjects and information before we give it to Khan to access,” Jim explained.

“Fair enough,” Bones agreed.

“Make sure he doesn’t know it is restricted though,” Jim said as he straightened up.

Bones nodded his agreement.

“I’ll leave you to it. Catch you at dinner?” Jim asked.

“Of course.” Bones smiled at Jim, who smiled back, before turning and walking out of Bones’ office.

Bones breathed out a sigh once the door closed. He stood up and walked over to his shelving unit that had a mirrored backing. He pulled the collar of his shirt down to check and see if there was any sign of Khan’s hand left on his neck. It was a little red, so he went back to his desk and picked up a dermal regenerator, before adjusting the settings and using it on himself.

oOo

Chapter 5 this way