As luck had it, Jim Kirk was once again on his way to sick bay to see Mr. Chekov when Uhura paged him. He opened a com link in the corridor and said, "Kirk here, Lieutenant."
"I have Dr. McCoy, sir," she said, and he could hear the triumph in her voice.
"Put him through to Dr. Wilson in sick bay, Uhura. I'll be right there."
He arrived on the run and pushed through the thinning crowd. Dr. M'Benga pointed him into McCoy's office. There he found Wilson seated before the screen, transmitting the specifications that would enable McCoy to synthesize both the remedy and the vaccine for ADF syndrome. Bones was turned away from his screen, watching the data as they came in and nodding gravely as he did. "It's related to the palliative we worked out," he said. "Blast! A little closer and we'd have had it!" He looked up and brightened. "Jim!" he said.
"Don't let me interrupt, Bones- but it's good to see you."
"Not half as good as it is to see you." McCoy grinned and, ripping off the printout, held it up, "-and this. Thanks, both of you. Now get the hell out of here and let me work."
"One more thing, Leonard!" said Wilson. "Take a good look at that last item- the HLA factor. It may be, at least I've reason to think, that people with that particular factor get hit harder and faster than-"
"Chekov," said McCoy, "Is Chekov all right?"
"Scruffy-looking but recuperating nicely," she grinned at him, "and everybody else is as healthy as a horse."
"I'd have said 'a Vulcan,"' McCoy told her, grinning back his relief.
"He's recovering nicely too, thanks to Dr. M'Benga," said Wilson.
McCoy's reaction was almost a parody of surprise. Then he shook his head as if to clear it. "You can tell me all about it when you get here. I've got work to do. McCoy out."
As the screen went blank, Evan Wilson snapped on the intercom: "Nyota? Dr. McCoy tells me that Christine Chapel and Sunfall of Ennien are still alive- and that he and Dr. Mickiewicz will deliver our findings to them personally." A sharp indrawn breath was the only acknowledgment. She went on, "Would you make some sort of general announcement to that effect? I know a lot of people are concerned."
This time the reply was heard all over the ship, as Uhura switched immediately to public address: "Now hear this! Now hear this!" The rest of her joyful words drew cheers from the next room.
Evan Wilson turned her chair to face Kirk. "That's done," she said; then she sighed and closed her eyes briefly. "It's over." Kirk nodded and, because he felt it too, recognized the source of her dissatisfaction.
"Those are the hazards of modern communication," he said. "I admit it would be considerably more satisfying to charge in on a white horse and hand Bones the cure in person. As it is, he'll have most of the problem mopped up before we reach Eeiauo."
"I know. But the two weeks we just cut from our time may have saved a lot of lives. ADF syndrome kills humans. Elath bless Leonard McCoy: he bought them all time with his palliative. Now we'll have to wait and see if Another StarFreedom's remedy will work at that late a stage in the disease." She sighed again, then she stood and stretched as thoroughly as any Sivaoan. When she had finished, she leaned back against the desk to study him: "You'd look pretty good charging in on a white horse, Captain."
"So would you," he said.
She shook her head. "Make mine an Appaloosa-spotty suits me better." But her smile faded as swiftly as it had come and, as the silence between the two of them lengthened, Kirk knew again what she was feeling. "So there's nothing to do but wait," he said. The words came out more glumly than he had intended.
"Are you off duty?" When he nodded, she went on, "Good. I hear you're a better-than-average swimmer. How'd you like to volunteer for hazardous duty?" She took him lightly by the arm. "You and I, Captain, are going to drown-proof some Sivaoans...."
"Watch me, ccaptain! Watch me! Want to get wet!" shouted WhiteWhisker from the diving board. Treading water, Jim Kirk looked up. "I'm watching," he assured her with a smile. The child bounced twice and cannonballed into the pool, splashing half a dozen of the onlookers. She came up with a shout of triumph and paddled toward him, using her tail for extra speed. For a brief moment, she clung to his arm with both hands and tail, then the tail shot up, shot down, splashing water in his face. "Hey!" he protested, but she had already kicked off and was swimming away, shouting, "Ccatch me!" Kirk laughed and stroked lazily after her.
Hazardous duty, he thought. Evan had not been joking. It had taken all the patience and persuasion the two of them possessed to coax the panicked Brightspot into the water. She still lacked the confidence to join Catchclaws's four in their games, but now she paddled earnestly back and forth in the shallows.
"Duck!" shouted Evan. He did, and a red and blue ball missed his head by inches. He caught it and tossed it back to Grabfoot, who caught it with his tail and fielded it to WhiteWhisker. TooLongTail lunged for it at the same moment and the customary free-for-all followed. Kirk swam over to referee. He had no intention of letting the little ones drown each other in their enthusiasm.
In some way, Jim Kirk wished he weren't having so much fun. He knew Bones wasn't. Well, he thought, as he grabbed a tail and pulled WhiteWhisker to the surface for a breath of air, When we reach Eeiauo, we'll have plenty to do. I might as well enjoy this while I can.
As tired as he was, Leonard McCoy had never felt better: Two of his patients had already come out of coma! And his own vision had cleared, the pain in his joints eased- Jim Kirk had once again done the impossible.
From all the indications, he'd have good news for Uhura too. Although Sunfall of Ennien had not yet recovered consciousness, her condition was so improved that McCoy took the liberty of having her moved so he could keep a personal eye on her until she did.
Having administered the Sivaoan remedy to all the most critical of his patients, he sat down at the communication screen. It would only take a minute to call the Flinn, and he had to know how things were working out there.
Micky greeted him with a grin. "Just the man I wanted to see- I've got somebody here who wants a word with you, Leonard," she said, and the screen shifted to show him a patient in a ward bed.
"Hello, Dr. McCoy." The voice was weak and the patient did not lift her head to speak, but McCoy recognized her then. "Christine," he said softly, "it's good to hear your voice."
She gave him a faint smile and said, "It's good to hear yours too. Is the captain all right- and Mr. Spock?"
"They're just fine, Christine," he said, reassured and reassuring. "And they'll be mighty glad to hear that you are too." She nodded, almost imperceptibly; then Micky interposed herself to say, "All right, Leonard, that's enough. I'll thank you to let my patient get some sleep."
Affronted, McCoy growled without thinking, "Your patient!"
It fazed Mickiewicz not at all. "My patient," she repeated. "You always were grabby, Leonard."
"Grabby!" he said, softening. "I resent that."
"Resent it all you want," she said, amused, "but go away. And get some sleep yourself. You deserve it."
"Oh, I deserve it all right, but there's still a lot to do. Sleep will just have to wait." He smiled, "But I am goin' to take the time to give Jim the good news."
"That would be 'Jim' as in Captain Kirk of the Enterprise?" and at his nod she went on, "Then I want an introduction when you get a chance. A remarkable man, your captain."
"That," said McCoy, "is an understatement. But ask for an introduction to Spock as well. That pointy-eared menace to mental stability is probably half responsible for the success of the Enterprise's mission. I'd bet on it."
"Then we owe them both three cheers."
"Address your cheers to the Enterprise crew," McCoy advised. "Jim will appreciate that a lot more."
Having given the matter a good deal of careful thought, Spock had come to the conclusion that his initial failure to spot Wilson's flags stemmed not from any temporary mental impairment his illness might have caused him, but rather from her own very considerable skill at programming. While he had found and skirted some dozen other flags, he was both impressed and intrigued. If it were a joke, as the captain suggested, it was one he could appreciate on a purely intellectual level. He studied the back of Jim Kirk's head, wondering if he should be informed. It surprised him somewhat, knowing the scope of the captain's curiosity as he did, that the captain had not asked- had not so much as alluded to, in fact- his investigations into the computer since giving him permission to resume them. This too was puzzling.
"Mr. Spock? Starfleet Records, sir. They say they have some information you requested?" Uhura glanced across, mild surprise on her face. He had made the request himself, not through her- nor did he wish to explain the reasoning behind his action.
"Thank you, Lieutenant," he said. "Kindly transfer the information to my quarters. I shall take it there. With your permission, Captain?"
Jim Kirk swung the command chair to look at him. Spock did not completely comprehend the expression on the captain's face- it seemed to combine exasperation and amusement- but Kirk only said, "You're relieved of duty, Mr. Spock. Enjoy yourself."
"Sir?" he said, lifting a brow.
"Never mind, Spock. Go on- don't keep Starfleet waiting."
Spock went.
Once in his quarters, he found himself hesitating before the computer console. Perhaps Jim Kirk was right, perhaps it was nothing stranger than the everyday strangeness of human behavior that baffled him. There was only one way to find out. He sat and keyed in the command that would screen the information he had requested: Dr. Evan Wilson's comprehensive Starfleet dossier. As the first image flashed onto the monitor, Spock knew that her protective flags had been no joke, but he read the records through. Then, in defiance of all logic, he read them through a second time....
He sat back and put the tips of his fingers together, as if contemplating the next move in a game of tri-dimensional chess. The decision took him only a moment to reach but somewhat longer to implement.
First, he transferred the entire dossier to his private file. She might, he realized, be sufficiently skilled to access anything that did not require a retina scan. The possibility intrigued him and in consequence he devoted a considerable amount of time and energy to devising a flag of his own, to notify him if she did.
Then, returning his attention to the central computer, he sought out the flag he had so arduously avoided when requesting Evan Wilson's dossier. He tripped it.
Nothing happened.
He had expected another burst of music but there was only silence. Wondering if he had made an error, Spock frowned slightly at the screen. Then he saw it- a tiny starburst in the upper right-hand corner. It might have been a minor flaw in a tape, but Spock knew it would appear in every image on every screen until she saw it-
Kirk's voice from the intercom put an end to his speculation for the time: "Sorry to interrupt, Spock, but we're now in standard orbit around Eeiauo. Will you join me in briefing room A at your earliest convenience?"
"On my way, Captain."
When he reached the briefing room, it was filled to capacity with officers and Sivaoans. Uhura pushed through to his side and gave him a delighted smile. "Sunfall is conscious, sir! Dr. McCoy says she and Christine are both fine!"
"That is most gratifying," Spock said. Her smile faded, and he knew he had disappointed her, but he did not understand how.
"Never mind, sir," she said. "It is only that I feel good- and I wish you could share my joy." Her smile was wistful.
Spock considered her and said at last, "Thank you, Lieutenant. While I do not share your emotion, I do appreciate your intention." This time he had chosen the correct response- her smile brightened again.
"People!" Jim Kirk's shout cut through the noise and brought quiet. "People, I realize the current circumstances would seem to warrant a rousing cheer or two, but we still have business to attend to. If you'll be seated, Dr. McCoy has a few words. I suggest you all listen."
"Thanks, Jim," said McCoy from the triangular screens at each table. "First- for those of you who haven't heard- Nurse Chapel is recovering nicely. There seem to be no permanent effects, mind or body."
"All right!" said Sulu enthusiastically; then he added, "Sorry, Dr. McCoy...."
McCoy grinned. "I know how you feel, Mr. Sulu. Don't apologize. Jim, I've notified Starfleet Command and they've agreed: the quarantine only applies to people who haven't been vaccinated for ADF syndrome. Since Dr. Wilson saw to all of you, you're welcome to beam down. I can still use a lot of help- and I don't mean just trained professionals, I mean any pair of hands I can get."
From the other side of the table, a pair of hands shot up promptly, and Kirk chuckled, "At ease, Dr. Wilson. I wouldn't dream of spoiling your fun. I think you've got as many as you need, Bones." There was a murmur of assent.