The Traitor's Tears

VIII

Mac'hla was slammed against the nav, strong hands pinning them down.

"You traitor!" Kirk bellowed, enraged, "Do you know what you've done?!"

"Saved you!" she wheezed, winded by his shove. Her tears had miraculously stopped.

"You-!" He stammered, so angry he could hardly think.

"It was a lie!" they said weakly, "I am not a part of section 31! Check my records, contact starfleet, anything, you will see that I am just a botanist!"

"Then what the hell was that?! What did you give thim?" he demanded, not believing her.

"Dandelion seeds!" they said, unable to hide their smile, "I gave them dandelion seeds!"

Kirk blinked, "You- what?!" He stood back, letting go of them.

They slid to the ground, weak and in pain, "Do you really think that they would leave if they did not get what they 'wanted'? They would kill just to kill, even if they got nothing."

The bridge crew stared at them as they smiled, "It was all a lie. I just... I do not know, I came up with what they wanted to hear."

"You're lying." Jim whispered, wanting desperately to believe her but unable to think past his anger.

"Commander," Mac'hla said looking at Spock as the adrenaline finally began to wear off, "You know there is a way to tell if I am lying."

Spock looked to the Captain who nodded, desperate to find the truth.

Mac'hla took a shaky breath as Spock approached.

The crew watched as Spock knelt in front of them and pressed his fingers to their face.

"My mind to your mind. My thoughts to your thoughts." he whispered, allowing the metal gateway to open.

The air felt electric as they waited for a response.

Spock's eyes shot open and stared into Mac'hla's.

"They are telling the truth." he said, unable to hide the relief in his voice.

There was a collective sigh of relief across the bridge as the words left Spock's mouth.

Jim felt a wave of guilt wash over him and he quickly knelt next to her.

"You clever girl!" he laughed, "I'm so sorry, Maggie."

"I understand," they coughed, "Given the circumstances it was a reasonable response, albeit a little emotional."

They coughed again, green blood spattering over their lips.

Bones tossed his medical tricorder over to Spock while he was still caring for Uhura.

Spock scanned over Mac'hla, frowning at the readings.

"Broken ribs and punctured lung... and a severe laceration to the abdomen."

Mac'hla nodded, feeling weaker by the second. As the adrenaline continued to wear off the pain became more intense.

"I believe I am going to lose consciousness." they whispered, "I apologize for the inconvenience."

Mac'hla's eyes closed and she slumped forward, the world around them fading to black.