| Chapter 4/20- "Easy Does It" (Part 4 in the Under the Sun series) Leonard went to the bedroom and changed into black pants and a deep blue, silk shirt. He was not on duty at this time, and decided against the standard uniform. Sarek always appeared so elegant in his robes that he made Bones feel like a gutter waif. ‘Oh well, this will have to do,’ he thought to himself. The opulence of the dining room was quite a contrast to that of a Starfleet ship. This could have been any fine dining establishment on any number of planets. Over the meal, they continued their discussion regarding the mission. “Are you familiar with the civilization of the Bakswani, Leonard?” “Only what I found in the ship’s library. I’ve discovered that they speak Standard; therefore, communication shouldn’t be an issue. The physiological make-up is very similar to Terrans. I believe that they are, for the most part, a nomadic culture. The mining operations are their major source of tradable income, and it’s my understanding that they are quite primitive.” “Actually you are correct in all but their being primitive. That is not the case. Their scientific knowledge, especially in the geophysical field, as well as their political structuring and social interaction is quite advanced. They have certain dogmas that govern their culture. These serve as a repellent to most offworlders. It is for these reasons that they are considered primitive and crude. They have lived as a nomadic race far longer than most races. In contrast to most civilizations, they have managed to advance in their edification while still maintaining a migratory way of life.” “What do you know about the planet?” “The planet itself is one of the smallest in the system, being point three-two-seven the size of Earth, but it is the only one in this system capable of sustaining life. Bakswana-7 normally has a warm climate with moderate rainfall. There are no large bodies of water and the terrain is mostly rocky. However, with the cloud cover that has enveloped the planet, there has been flooding rains and the average temperature has dropped ten point four degrees.” They finished eating, exited the dinning hall and walked to one of the observation decks. There they were offered their choice of beverage. Sarek ordered saya, which Leonard had learned on Vulcan was a very potent juice. He decided to have the same. The saya was served and Leonard swirled the small amount of green fluid in the glass. Bringing the glass to his lips, he inhaled the aroma and took a sip. The last time he had tasted this beverage was at the time of Spock’s pon farr. The distinctive taste and aroma of the spicy liquid flooded him with memories. The three of them, Jim, Spock and he, had survived that together. Bonded themselves to each other. He had to stop doing this to himself. He was committed to this mission, which meant distancing himself from them, but how was he going to distance his mind from them? How was he to get past this incessant longing for their touch, their taste and their voices? Especially when his companion on this trip was such a constant reminder of one he had left behind. God, how he missed them. As sko’tan, he could not sense the presence of his two partners without benefit of a meld. His bond to them was not as strong as a full bond would be. How long would it be before they were together again? ‘STOP IT!’ he demanded, silently of himself. ‘Sarek is saying...what? Get you mind back on the issue at hand. Concentrate!’ He had no idea what Sarek had just said, but it was obvious he was expecting an answer. “I’m sorry, Sarek. What were you saying? I’m afraid my mind wandered.” The look on McCoy’s face left no doubt as to what had him lost in thought. Sarek, however, was certainly not going to comment on the private musings of this man, consort to his son. He did find it curious that a look of such longing could invade this human so quickly. Quite illogical. “I was commenting on the fact that you have learned to appreciate the juice of the saya.” Leonard smiled softly, “Yeah, I remember the first time I drank this particular beverage. I made the mistake of taking a large mouthful and swallowing quickly. However, at the time it felt quite good, but it did have quite a kick.” Leonard felt himself flush. Sarek was quite familiar with that time. He had been the one who furnished food, beverage and other assistance during those days. “A kick? I have never known of this, or any, beverage to have that capability.” Leonard was surprised by the comment. If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought this was one of Spock’s challenges. Spock would use just this type of retort, with his particularly dry sense of humor, to goad him into an argument. However, there was no trace of amusement on the face of the Vulcan before him. “I found it very strong. It seemed to burn all the way down,” Leonard explained. However, he was still not convinced that Sarek misunderstood the meaning. “I see. Those not raised on Vulcan usually find it a very strong taste. Now you enjoy the flavor?” “I do. And the memories that are associated with it.” A wistfulness invaded his voice. In a lighter tone he added, “I was sippin’ Tennessee whiskey by the time I was eighteen years old. That’s about as strong as you can get on Earth. Actually, this reminds me of it. It has a spicy, aged taste.” Leonard laughed at the curious look he was getting from his companion. He held his glass up in salute and stated, “To the successes ahead.” Sarek raised his glass slightly, “Indeed.” They both sipped their drinks. They walked back to their suites in relative silence, bid each other a good night and retired to their own rooms. Leonard found rest difficult. His thoughts were a swirl of activity. His mind kept switching to his lovers, this mission, the conditions they were going to find on the planet, the medical condition of the patients he would encounter, the steps necessary to set up the medical facilities, and back to his lovers. He considered relieving the erection that kept occurring when his thoughts strayed away from the mission, but knew he wasn’t going to get through this by masturbating. He decided that discipline was required and forced his thoughts away from that direction. Eventually, he fell asleep. The next days were spent in planning the strategy for their arrival on the planet. Leonard was in communication with the first of the transports that carried the bulk of the medical team. The Malcolm Beech would rendezvous with the transport nine hours away from the planet. Sarek and he, along with the equipment he had onboard, would be transferred to the vessel for the final leg of the trip. Sarek stayed in communication with the officials on the planet and found that conditions were disintegrating rapidly. There had been no call for help until all other possibilities had been exhausted, therefore leaving little time for action. Thousands had been killed from floods that were ravaging the planet. The odds of saving those left were insurmountable. Even with the arrival of all vessels en route, only a percentage of the population could be transported away from the threatened planet if that became a necessity. The ships rendezvoused and the transfer was smooth and quick. Leonard looked around at the surroundings and vocally lamented over the difference between the vessel they had just left and this one. “Doctor, upon our arrival on the planet, you may find yourself yearning for these conditions.” There was a raised eyebrow and definite humor included in the statement. Bones just shook his head and smiled. He had always assumed that Spock’s dry humor was a trait that he inherited from his human mother. In the last days, he had discovered that was incorrect. This man was as every bit as incorrigible as his son. There were several times that Leonard had picked up on innuendo and wit from Sarek to only be met by the stoic Vulcan mask. This time, there was no mistaking the crack in that infernal Vulcan demeanor. Within thirty minutes of their transfer to the transport, McCoy had called a meeting with the team leaders and was laying out his plan. He divided the teams into five units and assigned each a duty station. The red group would be in charge of triage, blue in charge of surgical cases, gold in charge of post-op, green in charge of medical non-surgical cases and orange would cover all support areas; this would include the labs, scan technicians, food services, and all other support areas. McCoy advised the head of the medical engineers that the first necessity was a sterile field for pre-op and medical-surgical wards. He displayed a map on the holofield and explained where all was to be set up. He wanted the water decontamination units placed south of the compound. Temporary housing would be placed in the northwest quad. Water and purification pipes had to be run to each of the medical units and a central line to all dorm units. Power was being provided, but a generator unit was to be assigned to each surgery, post-op, and medical facility in case of power disruption. Power packs would be issued to all on-duty personnel. Sarek watched this man intently as he took on the seemingly impossible task of organizing a serviceable medical facility. Two hours after arriving on the transport, Leonard had the team ready to set up a fully functioning hospital complete with labs, surgical suites, housing compounds and food services. As a diplomat, Sarek was used to accomplishment through negotiation; most times a long and arduous process. He looked to the man standing in front of the group and admired his capability to take charge. He had chosen well when he requested Leonard McCoy. Sarek went to the conference room and opened a link to the planet. The individual he had been working with regarding this rescue effort was Commissioner San. Erel San had been instrumental in convincing the elders to accept membership in the Federation. He was also one of the most abrupt individuals that Sarek had ever had dealings with. It was obvious that the inhabitants of Bakswana-7 needed assistance that their scientific knowledge was incapable of providing. It was equally obvious that they resented this fact. They discussed the plans that had been put into action and San told Sarek that he, and various other planetary officials, would be at the landing site when the shuttles arrived. This zone had been chosen for the command center and medical facilities because it seemed to have the most stability and was centrally located between the five largest villages. Chapter 5/20 Key personnel boarded two shuttles and departed for the gray planet. Upon arrival on the rocky terrain, Leonard and Sarek were met by the delegation. Sarek exited the craft, greeted the committee and introduced them to Commander Leonard McCoy, MD, Starfleet Sciences. The spokesman for the group was Commissioner San. In a most surly tone, he proceeded to update the men on recent occurrences. There had been earthquakes in the northeastern region, and any residents of the villages that could be found alive were being sent by ground transport to temporary shelters where they awaited help, or died. Those that had managed to avoid the destruction of the earthquakes were dealing with the effects of flooding. The debris field surrounding the plant had caused climactic changes and one of the results was torrential rain. All of the waterways were flooded and contaminated. McCoy noted that the dark clouds that loomed overhead indicated that rain would soon be in this region as well. Leonard listened intently to the man as he spoke. All information was necessary if he was to treat the people on this planet. However it was difficult to get past the rough demeanor and insulting tone of their host. He was equally unprepared for the lack of personal hygiene among these people. The equipment arrived, and where there had been kilometers of nothing but a field of large flat stones, there began to emerge a workable medical station and headquarters from which to direct the rescue efforts. Within the day, the engineers had the main buildings erected and the communications center set up. The first patients began arriving that same evening and the ground transports carrying the injured didn’t stop for weeks to come. Direct communication with Jim and Spock was impossible. Recorded subspace communiqués were sent when time allowed, but time was a premium. The rains began on their second day and continued almost non-stop. The few brief respites from the inundation did little to lift the spirits of the crew. This location was usually a warm climate, however the heavy cloud cover and constant rain had cooled the atmosphere to the point that it was difficult to get away from the chilled dampness. Coupled with the fact that there were occasional low rumblings heard and tremors felt that indicated another earthquake, it made for a dismal situation, indeed. Housing was minimal at first, but it did not seem to be a concern because there was little time for rest. Once all of the dorm units had been completed, the team members could, at last, have a bunk to set up as their own. Due to the lack of housing units, and the long hours and constant demand upon them, Leonard and Sarek had used the command center as their base. One corner had been set aside with a mat and two very uncomfortable cots. They were, however, seldom used. On the rare occasion that either man found time for relaxation, the constant whirl of activity in this center precluded any real possibility of rest. During the fourth week on the planet, the chief engineer informed McCoy that a unit had been set up that would house two conformably. Leonard located Sarek and approached him with this information. “Sarek, I’ve been told that there is an available housing unit set up. Lieutenant Nivers from the engineering group said we could have it. If you don’t mind sharing, we can move in today.” “That would be acceptable. I require a place for meditation and you require a place for rest. This will suit both of our needs.” “Well, good. I’m on my way to look in on some of my surgery patients, but afterwards I’ll have a yeoman transfer our gear from the command center. I’m told it will be unit 8-Q.” “I have a comm session that I will be attending in the command center. I can arrange for the transfer if you wish.” “If it’s no trouble, that’ll be fine. I’m looking forward to having a place to shower and crash.” “It will not be an imposition to arrange the transfer. However, Leonard, I am at a loss to understand how impacting your body against a solid object will aid in relaxation.” There it was. The quirk of the eyebrow, the faintest glimmer of amusement in the brown eyes, the pang in his chest that reminded him of his need for two others so very far from this place. Bones smiled wickedly at the man and shook his head. He turned to walk toward the surgical building and stated, as his voice drifted across the distance between him and Sarek, “I know...human expressions are quite illogical and most annoying. Somethin’ like that lack of Vulcan humor.” Leonard laughed to himself. “In a pig’s eye they don’t have a sense of humor!” “What was that, Leonard?” Sarek turned from the direction of the command center and called after McCoy. Leonard turned around, walking backwards toward the surgical unit, becoming drenched from the rain, but still smiling. “Nothing, just thinking out loud.” He turned back and disappeared into the prefabricated building. What was going to be a quick walk-through to check on his surgical cases from this morning, turned into a surgery session that lasted well into the evening. He left the building and decided that although he was hungry, rest seemed even more imperative. He dashed across the compound trying in vain to stay as dry as possible. It was hopeless. By the time he had located the domed hut that he and Sarek were to share, his scrubs were soaking wet. They had been supplied with a unit that held a small bathroom and shower and he decided a shower was the best way to relax. The engineers had been collecting and purifying the rainwater, so he knew water would not be a concern. Now, if this unit had been supplied with a working water-heating unit, he would truly feel blessed. He turned the temperature control to hot. Steam began to fill the small bathroom. His heart soared. He scrubbed himself all over and rinsed the soap from his body. He stood under the nozzle and allowed the hot water to chase the chill and fatigue from him. Slipping into the black robe, he went back into the one-room living area. Sarek had arrived and was kneeling on the mat in front of a small firepot. He turned slightly when Leonard entered the room. Not wanting to disturb Sarek, McCoy nodded his awareness of the man and moved to his bed. They no longer had the uncomfortable cots that they had used in the command center. They had been replaced with large, thick mattress-like pads that rested directly on the floor. After the weeks of constant cold and work, he felt warm and relaxed. Leonard sat down on his bed and picked up the vid recorder. He read through the memos, mostly pertaining to the efforts to stabilize Bakswana-6. There seemed to be nothing new in the last few days, but the planet was still holding together. He also saw that Starfleet had not yet sent evacuation orders. A good sign. He browsed through the other messages until one in particular caught his eye. He found that a recorded message from Jim and Spock was waiting to be received. He knew that this message was not an intimate one. There were too many sources that a subspace record had to pass through to risk anything other than generalities and a few private innuendoes. He did, however, decide to wait until he was alone to play the message. Almost as if sensing his companion’s desire for privacy, Sarek rose from his meditative stance and proceeded to the shower. Leonard slipped out of the robe and into soft jogger pants and a T-shirt. He got into bed, reached for the vid unit, pulled the blanket up and pressed the play button. When their faces appeared on the screen, Leonard’s breath caught. The sight of them was almost painful. How he missed them. He missed talking to them, eating with them, arguing with them, laughing with them, but most of all, he missed touching them. As they spoke, Bones was hearing the words, but concentrating on the voices and faces. They were saying that they had received his message and they were glad that everything had gone quickly with establishing the compound. There were a few jokes about him having everyone whipped into shape and how he should take it easy on the team. They stated it was late evening in San Francisco and that they missed him. He stared at the faces, mesmerized by the looks they flashed at each other. He knew these men well enough to recognize the slightly swollen lips and the gentle flush of the skin. They had recorded this after an intense sexual encounter. There didn’t need to be any innuendo to this recording. They both touched the spot on their chests where the medallion that they all wear was hidden beneath their shirts. Yes, they loved him and missed him. The message ended and he laid the recorder on the floor and rolled onto his side. God, how he missed feeling those arms around him. His body yearned for his lovers. He had managed to keep a firm discipline on his needs, but his body was screaming for attention. His cock was so hard it hurt. He needed to masturbate, badly. However Sarek exited the bathroom, and there was no opportunity to give his erection the release it needed. Finally, a restless sleep claimed him. Awakening sometime later, he felt wetness on his abdomen and groin. He plunged his hand beneath the blanket and inside of his pants to find a sticky residue. ‘Jeezus! I’ve cum in my sleep!’ He turned quickly to see the sleeping form of Sarek on the adjacent bed. ‘Thank God, I didn’t wake him,’ he thought to himself. He eased himself from the bed and slipped quietly into the shower, cleansing the spent fluid from his body. Unfortunately, this would not be the last time he would need to slip into the bathroom during the night. Where his discipline held during the following weeks, his subconscious was not as cooperative. Fortunately, on those occasions, Sarek was either asleep or not in the hut. Weeks blurred into months while dealing with a multitude of injured that had been brought into the compound. There were broken bodies from the earthquakes and horrendous injuries and complications from the floods that were ravaging the planet. There were a few savage, organized attacks from the Tovian during the first weeks of their stay. But the starships had arrived and had been able to stave off all but a few random attacks. Two of the lone raiders who had attempted to breech the patrolling area of the ships, now found themselves aboard one of the Federation starships, held securely in the brig. The Bakswani council was very specific as to where they would allow Starfleet personnel to land. They sighted the danger of certain areas prone to natural disasters as well as the danger of Starfleet introducing foreign ideology into the culture. Therefore, any protection against the Tovian had to be stopped off planet. The greatest attack of all became apparent in the fourth month, and it was not from the Tovians. It occurred when the first of the Bakswani developed an illness that resembled Orion fever, but didn’t respond to any of the know treatments. Within days, an additional building had to be set up just to handle those who were dying from this disease. All free time was being spent in the lab trying to manufacture a vaccine or drug that would save the population from this latest horror, but first they had to discover the etiology of the disease. It seemed to hit the older adolescents and young adults the hardest. A great percentage of the females were in the early stages of pregnancy, which meant that if this plague could not be stopped, two generations of these people would be lost. Leonard would spend all morning in the medical unit attending to the young patients who were screaming in agony from the intense pain from swollen and disfigured joints, all afternoon in surgery, and most nights were spent in the lab. Relief came when Dr. Arianias Rand arrived aboard the USS Alexander. Although there were several qualified doctors with the medical team, Dr. Rand was a blessing indeed. She was a no-nonsense woman that was able to take over in any position. Leonard was aware that this was Janice Rand’s aunt. Janice was a yeoman, now lieutenant, who had served aboard the Enterprise. There was certainly no family resemblance. This woman was fair skinned with bright red hair that was held in unruly braids surrounding her head. Arianias made it very clear that if Leonard were lonely, she would be glad to spend some down time with him. He had to admit the woman pulled no punches. He graciously declined her offers of companionship. Her arrival had given him a break from the surgical duties and more time to work on the disease process. Once she started manning the surgical suite, he saw very little of Dr. Rand. But, from what he observed, he knew that the surgical unit was in excellent hands. Very late one evening, actually closer to morning, Leonard was processing new samples in the lab. He appreciated the quiet of the lab overnight. Due to the lack of technicians, he had limited the lab to two shifts. That left the place isolated all night. He could think better in the quiet and, considering what had been happening in his sleep, processing samples seemed preferable than trying to sneak into the bathroom to cleanse the sticky aftereffect of an erotic dream from his body. Bent over the microviewer, reading the effects of the latest test utilizing ion irradiation, it hit him. He could feel the sensation of a warm mouth on his cock and a silken steel penis up his ass. ‘Goddammit! It’s bad enough to have wet dreams in my sleep, but now I’m having them when I’m awake!’ He mustered all of the fortitude within him, but he was still unable to will the feelings away from his body. His resolve shattered. He glanced around to make sure he was the only one in the lab at this late hour. Assuring himself that he was alone, he unclasped the lower fasteners on the jumpsuit and let his hand explore the engorged organ inside the opening. His erection was straining against the material of his undergarment. His breath caught as he pulled the material over his cock and ran his hand down the shaft and back up. Between his thumb and fingers, he caressed the length of the sensitive organ. His fingers spread the leaking fluid across the smooth head and played along the underside of the ridge, imitating the sexual fantasy he was experiencing. He clenched his butt muscles automatically, and it felt as if warm semen was being released inside of him. His fingers increased their strokes on the top of the shaft and he spread his knees apart. With his other hand he gently massaged his scrotum through the material of the thin jumpsuit. His hips began a rocking motion on the stool where he was seated as he pumped into his own hand. The heat was building in his groin; he was so close, now, so close... There was a voice outside the lab building’s door. It was headed toward him. Leonard quickly pushed his erection inside his jumpsuit and refastened the closure. He pulled his feet up on the top rung of the stool and bent down to the microviewer. The door opened as Med-tech Davis entered the structure. He was speaking to someone outside, “Sure, let’s meet in the mess at oh-six-thirty and see what new adventures the cooks have prepared for breakfast.” He rounded the corner and saw McCoy leaned over the equipment. “You been here all night, Dr. McCoy?” Leonard looked up from the viewer and said in a voice hoarser than he would have liked, “Yes, I got involved in the newest samples.” “Listen, Doc, I know you’re the boss, but don’t ya think ya need some rest?” “You’re right, Davis.” “About you needing rest?” “No, about me being the boss.” He smiled the famous McCoy smile at the young technician. He pretended to be sorting the disks as he waited for his erection to abate. Once he knew he could walk, and do so without making a spectacle of himself, he got off of the stool and left the lab. His intention was to go back to the hut, throw himself into the shower and finishing relieving himself, but a nurse ran up to him and directed him to the medical unit with another of the constantly occurring emergencies. Chapter 6/20 Several weeks later, after a particular gut-wrenching day where several of his patients had died, he was again alone in the lab and hovered over the newest test results. Each chip he viewed on the equipment showed no positive results. Exhausted and extremely frustrated he picked up the rack of useless data chips and flung them against the wall, just missing Sarek who entered the structure at that very moment. “Oh God...Sarek...I’m sorry! Are you okay?” Leonard asked as he rushed toward the surprised Vulcan. “Yes, Leonard, I am uninjured. However, you seem quite agitated.” “Hell, Sarek, I’m way beyond agitated, I’m fucking angry! I have these kids dying out there and I can’t find the answer. I’m treating them the best I can, but all I can do is ease some of the symptoms. This thing acts like a bacterial infection and reproduces like a virus. I can’t find the cure! Shit! I can’t even find the source! I can’t get the residents to cooperate with us by giving us samples from their food stores and I can’t get the officials to do anything except snarl about our interference. Dammit Sarek, what the fuck are we doing here?” Sarek picked up the chips from the floor and placed them back on the counter. "Leonard, I will approach the delegates again tomorrow, however, before I was a diplomat I was a scientist. My specialty was cell structure. It has been a long time, but tell me what you need me to do.” McCoy looked up from the pile of data chips to the face of Sarek. The caring expression on the face before him was a lifeline in an abyss of hopelessness. “Thank you.” He took a cleansing breath and stated, “Well, if you really mean it, there’s a jumpsuit over there and I have a new batch of cultures that I need to start on. Ya wanna give me a hand?” Sarek changed and began to assist McCoy with the analysis. This routine continued for nights on end. Sarek dealt with Commissioner San and the other delegates that represented the villages by day. McCoy spent his days working in the medical unit. At night they retired to the lab and analyzed rack after rack of useless chips that the technicians had prepared. McCoy began to see a different side to this man. He had discovered on Vulcan that he was a man of great feelings and compassion. On this planet, he had found that compassion was only the beginning of Sarek’s complex personality. He was caring, humorous, tireless and just the least bit wicked. He also looked great in a jumpsuit. McCoy decided that the robes and other more formal attire, although opulent, certainly didn’t do him justice. One evening Sarek arrived at the lab with a large container. McCoy’s curiosity was intense. He asked, “What’s in there?” “Something that you may find helpful. They are the samples that you requested from the villages.” “Sarek! How the devil ya do it? We’ve been after this for weeks!” “Leonard, I can assure that no evil deity was involved. Merely the logical conclusion of the council to a suggestion that there may be no additional assistance without cooperation.” “All right Sarek! I didn’t know you had it in ya to make threats! Sir, I’m impressed.” “Deception is not something that I condone, however, in this situation it seemed necessary.” “Whatever it took, I am still impressed.” “As I have been with your performance in this situation.” They were gently unwrapping each sample, careful not to disturb any of the precious packages. “Impressed with me? I’ve spent weeks on this and have failed to isolate the cause. I don’t see much to be impressed with.” Sarek stopped and looked to McCoy. “Leonard, you have organized this compound and worked incessantly to save these people. Dedication like that is to be admired.” “Thank you.” Leonard looked down at the long tapered fingers of the sizeable hands resting on the edge of the container. On pure impulse he reached for the hands and took the fingers with his own and looked back into the face of the man he had come to think of as friend. “We make a good team.” He squeezed the fingers slightly and remarkably felt slight pressure in return. “Yes, Leonard, indeed we do.” He smiled in response to the cocked eyebrow and they returned to their work. For the next day they didn’t leave the lab. Food was brought to them and it was ignored. When three technicians arrived for the morning shift, stations were set up to analyze the samples in hopes of isolating the deadly microbe. Sample after sample was cautiously prepared, cultured, stained, achromatized, irradiated, ionized and every other process that Leonard could come up with, still to no avail. Exhaustion accompanied with disillusionment enveloped McCoy. He had been so positive that the answer would lie within the samples. Sarek noticed the strain and the increased irascibility in the doctor’s demeanor. Late that evening Arianias Rand stopped by the lab to check on the progress and update McCoy on the injured. There were still patients being brought in but nothing that the staff couldn’t handle. Leonard left his position in the working section of the lab and walked her to the door as their conversation was coming to an end. “So, Doc, you ready for some ‘down’ time, yet? I have a couple of hours before I have to get back.” Her tone was suggestive and seductive. “I really don’t have the time to spare. I’ve so much here that I have to do tonight.” She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Sarek at the other end of the lab hovering over micro-disks. “It looks like things are under control for right now. I’ll be glad to relieve some of that tension. It looks like you could use a massage and you’ve got an expert right here.” “Arianias, I find you extremely attractive, but I really can’t take time off from this and I’m involved...elsewhere.” He smiled at her. She really was a beautiful lady, but to spend a few hours with someone he didn’t care about would only make him lonelier than he already was. “Well, honey, aren’t we all! I really just want to help you out. If you change your mind you know where to find me.” She winked at him and left the building. Leonard returned to his work, hoping Sarek had missed the display, but with those damned Vulcan ears, he was sure he’d heard every word. During a lull of activity Sarek went to Leonard, who was leaning over the electron micro-viewer, as he had been doing for hours, rereading samples. “Leonard, it will be some time before the new specimens are ready. It would be advisable to rest at this time, would it not?” Leonard’s head snapped up from the viewer. The hostility he felt for the disruption was immediately quelled by the calmness in the face. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right.” He rubbed the back of his neck and shoulders. “Being this tired, I’m not doing anybody any good.” “Especially, yourself.” He smiled at Sarek. “I think we’re both pretty beat. Let’s both go get some rest. They will call us when the next batch is ready.” Sarek, ignoring the opportunity for retort, nodded in agreement and they headed to their hut. After a quick shower, Leonard had every intention of doing just as Sarek had suggested. However, the shower had refreshed him just enough to throw his mind back to the problem at hand. Unable to sit still, he paced the short distance between the door and the narrow area separating the beds. Sarek showered and sat on his bed, intending to indulge in light meditation. However, he found himself watching Leonard over his steepled fingers. The intensity of the man was curious. His ability to organize and delegate duties was admirable. His power of concentration and his knowledge was enviable. His dedication was commendable. And this man wore his emotions as regally as sovereigns wore crowns. Surprisingly, that bundle of intense emotions was an aspect that Sarek found most pleasing about this man. There was, however, something that Sarek had discerned that was quite disquieting. This was a man he had accepted into his family. He was sko’tan, consort, to his son and James, his son’s bondmate. His loyalty to these two was unwavering. He had observed Leonard’s interaction with the doctor that had arrived and found it interesting that there was no attraction, even though the female was quite infatuated with Leonard. No, there was nothing in Leonard’s actions during the course of this mission that disturbed Sarek. The disturbance was emanating from Sarek, himself. As a diplomat, he would often be away for long periods of time. He was not one to indulge in physical gratification. Although for Vulcans, fidelity was not considered compulsory, he found that the risks were too great, and he believed it showed a lack of discipline. He did have great respect for his aduna, Amanda, and his sense of honor to her was not taken lightly. As is the Vulcan way, on occasion, he did allow himself the extravagance of accessing his consorts, but even that indulgence was rare. However, he could no longer deny that the man pacing before him fascinated him. He wondered if McCoy was aware that the black, flowing sun’di he wore was a mating ritual robe and was very arousing. It was not merely the robe, but the man inside, which was stimulating his passions. “Leonard, this restless state is not conducive to relaxation. Perhaps if you tried to sleep.” “I know, I know. But, I just keep thinkin’ that I’m missing somethin’. I’ve examined the specimens taken from the patients, and we’re about at the end of the samples that were supplied. I’ve yet to find anything unusual in either. I was certain that it was something in the contaminated water, but so far, all of the bacillus that I’ve isolated, the residents seem to have immunity to. There’s got to be a key that I’m missing.” He sat on the edge of his bed and faced Sarek. In this small dwelling, with each sitting on the edge of their respective beds, they were just inches apart. Leonard looked in the dark eyes, hoping for answers where there were none. Suddenly Leonard had the urge to reach for the face in front of him. To touch his lips to the ones that he knew would feel warm against him, to lose himself in the warmth of the arms. Shocked by his own thoughts, Leonard jumped up and walked as far away from the man as the small room allowed. ‘What the hell are you doing! Is your desire for Spock and Jim so strong that it is mutating itself into a desire for Sarek?’ He stared at the floor, his back to the Vulcan, mentally screaming at himself. “Sarek!” he turned and screamed. “That’s it! Dammit! I can’t believe I didn’t see this before! It’s a mutation! A God damned mutation!” Sarek looked bewildered as the man began to scream at him. It took a moment for his mind to perceive what McCoy was saying. “Leonard, we have cultured all of the patients and most of the samples. If this were a mutation, we would have discovered the source by now.” “Not if the source is absent in the food and water. We have cross-referenced the samples to those taken from the patients. What if the cause is so new, that it hasn’t had time to find its way into these sources? What if it’s something that we introduced? Or, what if it’s spread sexually? There are plenty of substances that we have not been able to identify, but I was just assuming it was the unusual make-up of the body fluids. The pattern is very similar to those taken from the non-infected patients.” “We have tested nearly all of the samples as well as the patients both affected and non-affected and have ruled out anything that we may have introduced. What else could be the source?” “The Tovian began their raids just before our arrival. We know there were injuries in the attacks on both sides. There was opportunity for the exchange of body fluids and there have been rumors of rape victims. Now, the Bakswani have very little regard for personal hygiene, possibly the reason why they have developed immunity to the microorganism’s native to the planet. However, if they became infected with a bacillus that the Tovian carries, it could have spread rapidly without having time to get into the food and water. These are a nomadic people. Their interaction is constant. And, due to the number of pregnant females in the unit, I believe they are in a reproductive cycle and very sexually active.” “There are Tovian prisoners being held on the Alexander. We will go to the ship holding the prisoners and get samples.” Leonard looked at Sarek. “We?” he asked. “Yes, we.” “Sarek,” McCoy walked to where the man was now standing. “I don’t have any proof about this. It’s just speculation on my part.” “Leonard, proof is what we are in search of. I have learned over these months to trust your speculations, Doctor.” Sarek’s hands were folded and held in front of him. Leonard reached up and folded his hands around the much warmer ones. “Thank you.” They stood for a moment and looked at each other. Chapter 7/20 Sarek and McCoy changed quickly and, as Sarek went to the command center to arrange transportation to the Starfleet ship, Leonard went to the lab to collect the necessary equipment. Within the hour they had been transported aboard the Alexander. This was McCoy’s first contact with the Tovian. A rougher bunch he had never seen. Had they been friendlier, cleaner, smaller and better mannered, they could have been Klingons. Amidst a flurry of growls, threats and attempted assaults, McCoy, along with half of the security force on the ship, obtained the necessary blood samples and skin scrapings. On board the USS Alexander, they worked from the ship’s lab. They took the opportunity to have a lengthy discussion with Captain Tori Ashland regarding the situation with Bakswani-6. Stabilization procedures had begun and, if successful, there would not be a need for the evacuation of Baskwana-7. The success was not a certainty at this time, but it did look promising. The samples were processed onboard the ship into disks much quicker than the process would have taken with the portable equipment they had been using. In less than two hours, they were ready to take their cultures back to the lab on the planet. As if they were starting over, they began to compare all of the specimens. Renewed with hope, the research went quickly. Late in the evening Leonard was recording the newest results when he became aware of Sarek at his side. He looked up from the samples toward the Vulcan. “I may have found something. I am quite out of practice and I would appreciate your opinion.” McCoy moved quickly from the desk to the place where Sarek had been working. The quietness of the laboratory was shattered when Leonard let out a resounding noise that sounded like “Yee-haw”. Unsure of the meaning, but by judging Leonard’s exuberance, this was a positive reaction. “Dear God, you’ve found it! Sarek! Look at these three samples. Look at the top of the chain on the first specimen and the bottom of the chain on the second. Then look at the third. The third is the microbe infecting the patients. The first is from the Tovian, and the second sample is from a non-infected Bakswani!” Sarek moved back to the stool to study the findings. “Yes, it does appear that the connection has been located.” Indeed the connection had been located. It was just a matter of combining the properties from the two organisms and producing an antibiotic to treat those infected. From there, it should be possible to develop a vaccine for the Bakswani. As Sarek reexamined the chips, Leonard stood behind him. His excitement over the find was understandably boisterous. Sarek felt the hands on his shoulders and felt them gently shaking him. He turned on the stool to face the overjoyed doctor. “Do you know what this means?” “Certainly, Leonard. It means that we can now develop a treatment.” Leonard again grabbed Sarek by the shoulders and said, “A CURE! We did it, Sarek! We’ve knocked this damn thing right on its ass!” “Yes, indeed we did,” Sarek replied, but his voice softened. Their eyes locked. Leonard moved his hand from the shoulder of the man and touched the side of his face. His breath quickened as he moved his face close enough to feel the warm breath as Sarek’s lips parted. He moved closer and brushed his lips to the warm mouth. There was no resistance. He tasted the lips once more with increased determination. In that moment he could have fallen into that man. In a flash he realized what he was doing and pulled away, just in time to hear the door sliding shut to the lab and see Arianias leaving the building. “I’m...sorry.” Bones pulled his hands away and backed up. “I don’t know what got into me. The excitement of the moment, I guess.” He was flustered. “Leonard, do not concern yourself. It is understandable.” “I just...” He didn’t know what he was going to say. “Leonard, we have work to do.” Sarek took the lead and began to map out the strategy. The feel of McCoy’s hands on his shoulders lingered. The force of the emotions that came through the touch was overwhelming. At that moment, he felt his own desires flare into new uncharted territories. The taste of the cooler lips clung to his own. Within a few minutes they were working to isolate a formula that would result in an acceptable treatment. The incident was not discussed. It took several days to develop the correct formula ratio for the treatment. They worked with the technical staff in rotating shifts so that there would be no time wasted. By the fifth day they had the first of the serum ready for trial. They decided on a group of thirty patients that were at end-stage of the disease. They had calculated the dosage and isolated the thirty from the rest of the hundreds affected. Sarek was at Leonard’s side when the first hypospray was administered. He stayed by his side throughout the next twenty-one hours, waiting for any sign of recovery. The first breakthrough occurred when one of the patients, a young female approximately twenty Earth Standard years old, became coherent enough to ask for something to drink. Leonard grabbed the scanner and discovered that her fever was down and the fluid that had surrounded her joints and organs was decreasing. Within the next few hours all of the patients began to respond. Sarek left for the lab to instruct the laboratory staff on the specifications for mass-producing the anti-microbial. For days, Sarek worked relentlessly with the lab team not only to produce the treatment for the deadly disease, but also to search for an acceptable inoculation against the infection. Sarek contacted Commissioner San and advised him of the results of the research. He informed him that there would be a medical team assigned to each region and injections of the serum would need to begin immediately. When the commissioner objected to this, it was explained that the only alternative was to watch as all of the young adults on this planet died. Permission was reluctantly granted for the medical teams to come to each village. Days passed. Leonard dozed occasionally in a chair at the medical unit. He had received several recorded subspace messages from Jim and Spock and used the quiet times in the unit to view these. Each message tore at his heart. One was from Jim, only. He was in his office at Starfleet Command and, due to the long delay of these messages, had evidently just received word of the disease process that was ravaging the planet. The concern in the face and voice completely undid Leonard. He watched the gold-flecked eyes and the fringe of lashes that outlined each. He listened to the softness in the voice. “Bones, I’ve read the reports coming out of there. I know what you’re dealing with must be very frustrating and I know you’re doing everything you can to treat these people. But, Bones...please, take care of yourself. I know that when you get focused, you don’t eat or sleep. In the last vid we received from you, it was obvious that you were tired. Please get something to eat and get some rest. Consider that an order, Mister!” There was a quick flash of that wonderful half-smile that could always melt Leonard. It stabbed at his gut like a knife. “Bones,” Jim continued, “you know how much you’re missed, don’t you? We want you back, safe and healthy.” There was such a look in those eyes. The knife in his gut twisted. “Well, I guess I better end this and get back to work. You take care, and you know...well, you know.” Yeah, he knew. He knew that this man, and another, loved him. Leonard played the vid several times. The USS Alexander was being diverted and would be warping out in the next day or so. It would be heading for the Deltan system. God, it would be so easy to hop on board. He could grab a shuttle at the Deltan docking port and be back on Earth within the week. It took all of his control to keep from packing his bags. He looked around at the ward and felt the all to familiar rumble of the ground beneath the building and knew he had to stay. What he needed was to get seriously drunk. However, until he could be assured of not being called for duty, even that luxury had to wait. A day later, when it seemed, finally, that everything was under control, he decided to do as Jim had ordered and go for some much-needed rest. The staff was given instructions to page him if there were any changes. He headed for the hut. He stopped by the surgical unit on the way. Arianias was there. “Well, I hear you’re leaving this evening. I, for one, will be sorry to see you go. Arianias, you’ve done a hell of a job.” “Thanks, Doc. It’s been good to get land duty for a while. Even here. I hear the serum is working great. Please, write this up as soon as you can. You never know what we’re going to run into out there.” “Sure thing.” “Listen, Doc, I owe you an apology, I didn’t know the situation here...between you and the Ambassador.” Leonard started to explain, but decided to just leave things as they were. There were no hard feelings, so better to leave well enough alone. They bid each other farewell. Leonard headed for the hut and a good rest. |