A Nurse's Journey

Chapter 14

We find a table and I put my tricorder down to hold it. I start walking to get my food but Scotty objects.

"I'll jus' ge' ya a plate with mine. It'll be no trouble."

"Well, alright. If you say so. I'll hold the table," I agree.

"Besides, this is a date, righ'? Ya souldnae 'ave ta get yer own food," he says with a wink before walking off.

I watch him with a slight smile on my lips. Then the full meaning of what we are doing sinks in. I am actually on a date with Scotty. Sure it's just a little lunch date, nothing much, but still. I'm actually on a date. And with Scotty! Then another thought strikes me. Poor Bones... Last night must have just killed him. Oh dear. And now this. Once I get back to work I'll try to catch him so we can talk. I hear Scotty come back over and look up at him. I smile as he sits down across from me.

"You know, I've been fantasizing about this after about a week of us down with the Jags," I say, taking a bite of my food.

"I 'ave too," he replies with a slight laugh. "Except for me it was when ya first walked inta engineerin' lookin' lost an' sacred. Ya made me want ta just gather ya up in ma arms and assure ya it would awll be okay."

"Ha. Now look at us. On a lunch date in the caf of the Enterprise, eating algae-based pasta. And yet it is just as magical as I ever could have hoped."

"Aye, Lass. Tha' is very true. Magical. I'm just glad ma firs' date since Mira left was with you. Yer ma best friend through an' through. An' I thank ya fer tha' Lass."

I smile and open my mouth to say more but immediately close it as I stand up. Except, just like with the Jags, it wasn't me controlling it. I start to panic, but I take a few breaths and am able to get myself under control.

"Corin, Lass, are ya awll right?" Scotty asks, standing up too.

"Scotty," I say calmly. "Get someone down here to restrain me. I'm only in control of my voice right now. No, wait, I can move my eyes."

"Bu' Lass-"

"Just do it!" I cry, cutting him off. I start walking. I get all the way to the door before I can hear Scotty start moving again. I hear him call security and I start to run wherever I am going. I hear him jog after me.

"Lass! Lass wai' up!"

"I can't!" I yell back. I hear him starting I overtake me. I never was very good at running. All of a sudden, he grabs my arms behind my back.

"NO! No Scotty! I don't want to hurt-"

But it's too late. I yank one arm free and turn around. No no no no no! But there's nothing I can do. I punch him square in the jaw then swipe his feet out from under him. He hits the floor and is out cold.

"SCOTTY!" I scream, starting to cry. Luckily, we are fairly close to Sickbay so Bones hears my scream and sobs. Whoever is controlling my body decides to let me just stand over him for a second. I hear someone come up behind me.

"My god, Corin! What happened?! These look like...punches...someone fought Scotty and won. Did you see who?" I hear Bones' slightly southern drawl seconds before I see him.

"Yes," I say miserably, my tears falling freely now.

"Then who?" he asks, slightly exasperated.

"Me," I whisper.

"You!?"

I want to nod my head but I can't.

I simply say, "Yes." I start to walk again. Then it turns into a jog.

"Bones!" I call over my shoulder (without turning my head of course). "Jog with me! I'll tell you what happened!"

"Okay..." he says slowly and runs to catch up with me.

"So, first thing, whatever you do, don't touch me. I don't want you both hurt. Okay, so this is what happened. It all started before you guys were beamed down onto the planet with the Jags. It was, maybe, a day before. And I woke up not being able to control my body. All I can control is my mouth. I think it is the scariest thing I have ever experienced. The next day you guys came and I was free of it so I didn't think about it. I didn't want to. Until today. The same thing is happening except I can now move my eyes. And it's still just as scary," I finish, still crying.

"Oh, Corin. I'm so sorry. We will fix this, I promise," McCoy says, moving to touch my arm comfortingly.

"No! Don't touch-" but once again, it's too late. He gets the same treatment as Scotty. By now I am full out sobbing. Once again my controller makes me stand over him, watching as he falls unconscious and the slightest bit of red blood trickles out of his split lip.

I silently sob as I start to run again. I take a few more turns and almost hit Rocky. She starts to say something but I just run past. I can see the hurt look on her face but I can't stop. I finally stop at engineering.

"Hey! You don't have clearance to be here!" a security guard yells when he sees me. I just shove him over and run to the Dilithium Crystals. No. No no no. I unwillingly take them out then grab one. I reach out and am about to drop it but someone bursts through the door.

"Corin! What the hell are you doing?!" Jim's voice radiates through engineering. I turn suddenly, the Crystal still in my hand.

"Jim. Help me. Please. I don't want to do this. I'm not controlling my body. This happened when I was down with the Jags too. Please. Help me," I beg, tears falling rapid fire.

"Corin, do you know how I can stop this?" Jim asks, his worried gaze traveling between the Crystal in my hand, and my tearstained face.

"No," I say miserably. My eyes traveling down to the orangey-yellow Crystal. Then a thought occurs. "Try stunning me. Everyone train their Phasers directly on me. Maximum stun." Then I see Scotty behind Jim. "Scotty! You're okay! Thank the gods. But I still need you to stun me. I know it will be hard but please. You have to. Don't make Jim make it an order."

"But Lass! I cannae hurt ya. You're ma best friend. You're ma Lass, Corin. Ya don't even second the Enterprise. I cannae help bu' love ya," he says, looking at me directly in the eyes. In that moment, staring into his chocolatey eyes, I can feel his love and pain. I can see how he doesn't want me to do this. And I know that I cannot drop this Crystal. No matter what.

"On three I want everyone but Scotty to shoot me. Maximum stun. I know it could possibly kill me. I am well aware. I am a nurse after all. Scotty, when I fall, catch the Crystal. Fix the ship, then worry about me. I love you Scotty. Don't forget that. One..." I steel my mind. "Two..." I know this will probably kill me. "Three!" Seven maximum stun rays shoot through me and my body buckles underneath me. Faintly I see Scotty grab the Crystal as I fall into endless nothingness.

Third person

An hour later...

All of the Alpha bridge crew plus Rocky sit in the waiting room of Sickbay, hoping for good news about their friend. Bones has been trying to keep Corin alive for the past 45 minutes. After Scotty fixed the Dilithium Crystals he immediately carried the fallen nurse to Sickbay. Bones took her and hasn't let anyone in since. At the moment, Scotty is pacing around, while everyone else is sitting on the benches, talking amongst themselves. Suddenly, the door opens and everyone stands up to see a very haggard looking Bones standing in the doorway. Kirk asks the question on everyone's mind.

"Corin?"

But Bones shakes his head and utters three words no one wants to hear.

"She's dead, Jim."

I decided to make this the last chapter. Don't worry, there's an epilougue!