Vehemence

Chapter 19

Narrator

Earth

"Sir." Kirk said, reaching for the admiral's hand, the moment the Admiral walked in the hospital's main lobby, "I apologize. We were going to the Headquarters after here, we just had to bring Lieutenant Nova to the hospital first."

"How is she?" The Admiral asked, shaking Kirk's hand. "Bones was able to stabilize her vitals in the Enterprise. She should be fine... Hopefully." He said, his voice was lacking of confidence. "You did not inform me that you were going to Z'ochn." Barnett sighed, Kirk looked down at his hands guiltily, "Sir —"

"Save it for later, I'll be talking to you and your First Officer in my office when I get your reports." He said.

Kirk just nodded as a response as he looked at the Admiral walk away, he fixed his posture and waited for Bones or any doctors to update him. "Jim," He heard someone call, he looked to his back to see Uhura with Spock, Scotty, and Sulu. She pulled Jim into a long and comforting hug, "Are you okay?" She asked worriedly, rubbing Jim's back. "I am, Uhura, thank you." 

They made their way to the cafeteria to get something to eat since they haven't eaten anything after leaving Z'ochn. "Spock, we're reporting to the Admiral's office tomorrow." Kirk said, poking the food on his tray with his fork. "I have yet finished my report." Spock answered. 

"I don't even know what to write in mine." Kirk muttered.  "Spock, can you just tell us what's wrong with Lany, that lass?" Scotty asked, leaning back on his seat and crossing his arms against his chest. "She might not remember any of this when she wakes up." Spock said and everyone looked at him sadly. "When I got there, she was secured in a tube and I had been told not to break it; it would cause her death."

"He spoke English?" Uhura asked, "Otherwise, I would not have understand."

"How? Was he human?" She asked again. "He was the same as what Borra described him, nothing like a human. He learned English when he captured an Enterprise 72 years ago."

"What happened to the Captain of that Enterprise?" Sulu asked, placing his arms on the table. "He did not answer me when I asked but beyond doubt, he was turned into one of them because when I asked what he was doing to the Lieutenant, he stated that she was in the process of becoming one of his people and she will not remember anything once she's completely turned into their being," Spock paused to look at Kirk who was just looking at his own hands, "I do not know how long she had been in the process, but I hoped they had just put her in that tube when we got there."

They all fell silent, they don't know what to say, what to talk about, what emotion to convey, they just sat there, trying to comfort each other with their presence. 

"Hey." Bones called, walking to their table. He sat next to Spock, giving him a pat on his shoulder. "She still has to be put in a medical induced coma, her body was not responding to the shots, it's almost as if it was... choosing to sleep in its own," Bones said, his voice was toned down, "We are not sure what else to do but for now we are trying to monitor her close, her brain activities, and her vitals." 

"When can we go see her?" Kirk asked, "I can bring you to her room now." Bones said and they all immediately got up causing all the people in the cafeteria to look at them. Bones lead the way through the halls and into an isolated room.