Space, the Final Frontier...

Chapter 7

Med Bay...
"Christine... we have an ensign here with 2nd degree burns to hands and face, could you get them to a bed please..." Alexandria said as she rushed past.
"Yes ma’am... where is the doctor?"
“Christine…” Alexandria paused, waiting for Christine to finish getting the ensign comfortable on the bio bed. “I am a doctor.”
“Right…of course.” Christine replied, flustered by the attack on the ship and the amount of casualties coming in. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Alexandria replied turning and moving another injured ensign onto a bio bed. “Where’s Leonard?”
“Here.” Bones replied, walking in through the main doors. “What have we got?”
“Mostly 2nd and 3rd degree burns on the extremities.” Alexandria replied as Bones started scanning one of the patients. “A few have minor concussions from falling or hitting something when the ship was hit. There is one that we’ve had to sedate while we waited for you.”
“Okay.” Bones replied as he regenerated some burned skin on his patient and applied a hypo spray filled with painkillers. “Diagnosis?”
“Part of a control panel came off and embedded itself in his lower abdomen.” Christine replied as she finished with one of the patients with a concussion and a small head wound.
“You’re the best surgeon on the ship and the CMO. We had to wait for you before starting surgery.” Alexandria added as she administered a sedative to the patient in front of her.
“Alright. You two finish with the patients put here and I’ll take the other 2 nurses and start surgery.” Bones replied as he finished with another patient and spoke quickly to the 2 other nurses on duty before turning back to Alexandria. “When you’re shift finished – call in M’Benga and go rest. The same goes for you Chapel.”
“Yes, sir.” Alexandria and Christine replied at the same time before going back to work.

Bridge…
Jim looked stunned, "All officers report to my ready room.”
"What are we going to do?" Bonnie asked.
"All that we can..." replied Jim.

Later, at the meeting...
"I think we should search and destroy their main vessel..." Bonnie said gaining unsure looks from the other officers
"I do not agree..." Spock said raising his eyebrow at her, "They are sure to retaliate..."
"Not if we find their main weapon..." Bonnie replied. "If we could find that we could destroy it before they get a chance at obliterating earth."
"I agree with Lt. Comm. Tyler..." Jim said, "We have a better chance of stopping them that way, I will not put earth in any risk."
"With all due respect captain, the ship is in urgent need of repair..." Scotty chipped in, "With all the blasts from the war birds I’m surprised she held together at all..."
"How long Scotty?" Jim asked.
"2-3 days at the least."
"Okay then... I will take a team onto the main Klingon ship... and we will destroy it from the inside."
“That’s suicide, Jim.” Bones sighed, knowing that his friend would go ahead no matter what he said. “You and anybody you take on board that Klingon ship are gonna die.”
“Not if we do this right.” Jim argued. “If we can surprise them…”
“And do what Captain?” Spock asked.
“I’m thinking…” Jim was silent for a short time before speaking again, “If we can get aboard, plant a bomb and get back to the Enterprise without them knowing…”
“…They’d blow up and wouldn’t be able to blame it on us.” Bonnie added.
“…And there would be no casualties on our side.” Jim finished.
“That’s if ye can get aboard, Captain.” Scotty said frowning as Jim shrugged.
“And if you’re not caught and tortured to death.” Bones added annoyed that as soon he’d finished in surgery he’d been called into this meeting where his best friend seemed to be planning his own death.
"Spock, Sulu, Tyler... you will be part of my team going aboard the Klingon vessel." Jim said, "None of you have to come with me but I would be truly grateful if you would."
"Jim I don’t think..." Bones started.
"Yes?"
"Is it wise to be taking Lt. Comm. Tyler after what happened recently?"
"What are you trying to say... that I can’t do my job!?" Bonnie said angrily.
"No... it's just that as your medical advisor I don’t think that you are ready for this mission."
"Touching..." and with that Bonnie got up, "You can count on me captain, let's give them hell..." and with that she stormed out of the room.
Jim turned to Bones, "You really have a way with women... go after her."
Bones looked puzzled.
"Go..."

In Med Bay…

"What do you thinks going on?" Alexandria asked Chapel.
"Don't know, rumour has it that the captain is planning to go aboard the main Klingon vessel."
"What!"
"Yeah I know... he’s gonna get himself killed."
"Now that’s just stupid." Alexandria ran out of the sick bay to go and find Jim.

In the engine room...
"How on earth am I supposed to repair the ship with these tools, they aren’t good enough for a Romulan mining vessel..." Scotty grumbled to Keenser who was sat on the control panel watching his friend fight with wiring that was protruding out of a console.
Keenser just shrugged.
"I mean really, who do they think I am..." he stood up abruptly, banging his head on a low hanging pipe, "damn it..."

Captain’s Quarters…

Alexandria caught up with Jim just as he was entering his rooms. He stood aside to let her enter first before entering and letting the door close behind them.
“You know this is suicide.” Alexandria stated, turning around to face him.
“Bones might have mentioned it.” Jim replied as he walked over to his desk and began getting the paperwork on his padd sorted. Since Spock was going with him, Scotty became Acting Captain until one of them came back and he’d need everything sent to him before they left.
“Who’s going with you?”
“Spock, Sulu and Tyler.” Jim replied as he finished sending the paperwork. He’d turned and saw the look on her face. “What?”
“Spock and Sulu – I get. Spock’s got Vulcan strength and Sulu’s got hand-to-hand training…”
“…And fencing…” Jim cut in.
“…But Tyler? She’s still messed up from the last away mission.”
“She’s cleared for duty.” Jim argued.
“By you!” Alexandria countered. “Not the ship psychiatrist; and not by myself or Leonard.”
“Leonard? When did you start with a first name basis?” Jim asked.
“That’s what you want to talk about? My first name basis with my boss?” Alexandria sighed and walked towards the door. “Never mind. I’ll see you when you get back. You’ll all end up in Med Bay anyway.”
“Lexx…” Jim started but she was already out the door. He sighed and stood there for a minute before getting ready for the away mission. When he was finished he wrote a short message to Alexandria and walked towards the transporter room to wait for the other three.

Science Labs…
Alexandria walked into the science labs and over to where Spock was finishing giving instructions to the science officers for while he was away. She waited for him to finish before speaking “Commander Spock.”
“Doctor Valentine.” Spock acknowledged as they started to walk out the labs together. “How may I help you?”
“This mission seems to be based on a lot of luck.” Alexandria started.
“Indeed. It will be quite an accomplishment if we can do this without being captured.”
“That’s my point. What if we make this more than luck?”
“What are you thinking, Doctor?” Spock asked, stopping to look at her.
Alexandria stopped as well and sighed, running a hand through her long dark curls before replying, “I’m thinking a nerve gas of some kind. One specifically designed to Klingon physiology. If you’re caught – or noticed – then use the gas and it’ll give you time to get out.” Alexandria said, ignoring the small beep of her padd telling her that she had a message.
“Fascinating. Can it be done in less than 2 hours?”
“With your help, yes. Although there’d only be enough for one small canister – given the time we have.” Alexandria replied. “We have everything we’d need in Med Bay.”
Spock nodded and they set off to Med Bay.

Lt. Comm. Tyler’s Quarters…

Bones was stood outside the door waiting as Bonnie walked along the corridor to her rooms. She saw him and decided to ignore him. She opened the door and walked in. As the door was closing, he spoke.
“I’m sorry – for what I said.”
"No... It’s I who should be sorry; I flew off the handle..." Bonnie said, “Would you like to come in?”
"I can't... I need to get back to medical..." Bones said, smiling slightly at her.
"Oh... alright... well I guess I will see you when I get back... if..."
"Don't you dare say that..." McCoy said angrily, "Of course you are coming back."
"Leonard... I..."
Bonnie was cut off by McCoy's lips pressing softly against hers, then he pulled away from her, "Please take care... promise you will come back to me..."
"Promise..." Bonnie whispered.
Bones smiled and lent his forehead against hers.
"Could the away team please report to the transporter room..." said Uhura over the ship-wide announcer system.
"I had better be going." Bonnie said walking away and leaving McCoy in her quarters. He sighed before leaving and following after her – he at least had to tell Jim to come back safe as well.

In the transporter room...

The team got into position on the transporter pads.
Alexandria ran over to Jim, she kissed him and said, "Love you..." and smiled.
"Ditto..." Jim replied kissing her back.
Alexandria stepped back.
"Energise..."
There was a long moment of silence after the team disappeared before Alexandria turned to Bones.
“They’ll be fine.” Bones said, walking over and hugging her. “And when they get back we’ll yell at them for leaving.” He added, trying to get her to smile.
Alexandria gave him a weak grin.
“Come on – I’ve got alcohol in my office.” Bones said, walking them both back towards Med Bay.
“For medicinal purposes, I suppose.” Alexandria questioned with a small smile.
“Of course.” Bones replied, grinning, “I need all the alcohol I can get dealing with Jim and being on this ship.”
“Ah – that’s right.” Alexandria said as they walked in to Med Bay and into his office. They sat down and Bones pulled out a bottle of whisky and 2 glasses and poured a drink fir both of them. “You don’t like space.”
“Disease filled, death trap…” Bones started ranting, glad to have got their minds off of what was happening.
Alexandria just shook her head as she listened to him rant about the dangers of space while they drank and waited for news from the away team.