CH: III
The hours rolled by until the enterprise finally pulled into the federation dock.
Jim had walked into the shuttle bay with Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Scotty and several other fresh faces ready to depart back to earth. As the team took their seats along the walls of the shuttle, Bones took this as his opportunity to secure the Bio Bed and ensure Jordan was properly strapped in before taking his own seat next to Jim.
"You look rested. Good to know you don't completely blow off my advice."
Jim gave a forced smile as he tugged at his STID formal Uniform sleeves, his hat sitting on his knee. The engine hummed alive, from the windows the passengers could see the airlock door steadily opening the shuttle was on route for San Francisco Earth.
The trip was quiet, except for the occasional murmur throughout the cabin. In twenty minutes they reached the skyline of the luminous nocturnal city. The buildings were warmly lit with bright orange and harsh white orbs, the great bridge hung over the glossy water with a thick fog. San Francisco Park took shelter along the shore, its trees swaying in the bitter salty wind. It was early October and patches of dark clouds rolled across the darkening sky.
"Please remain seated until the shuttle has come to a complete stop."
The recording sounded as the shuttle came to its arrival. The craft came to a gentle landing upon the pad and the doors opened, releasing the stale air to replace it with a cool breeze. Bones stood to investigate Jordan's readings to find her temperature stable, and sleeping soundly. Jim put a hand on his shoulder from behind, startling him only a little.
"I'll meet up with you later, Bones."
Without giving it much thought or so much as a glance he waved his hand back at him to shoo him off.
“Alright, Jim…“
12:00 AM
Bones stood once again in his old office, the window that gaped over the federation hospital courtyard, white walls and equipment, the large medical screen made its ambient noise as the heart monitor sounded out life. Running scans and tests on Jordan's blood, Bones was kept busy into the night. It was going on 12:00, AM by the time Jim walked in to find Bones on his PADD sitting in the dimly lit med office. He was sitting a few feet from her bedside; his ankle lay over his knee as he read some article on 'Deadly flesh eating bacteria'. The office had been dark with only the light from outside the window and the recording screen on the wall illuminated in blue.
"Fascinating stuff, huh?"
Jim gave a friendly sneer.
"Well, whatever keeps you entertained I guess. Say, where have you been off to?"
Jim stepped further into the room and moved closer.
"Went for a bite to eat with Chekov and Sulu. Wasn’t till 9:30 that Spock and I were called in by admiral Bennett about the Donatu V expedition. He wasn't too happy when he read Spock's report, that’s for sure."
"Well Spock isn't entirely adept at making folks happy, and I’ve read some of his reports. Why don’t you have a seat?"
Jim grabbed one of the chairs that stood along the walls and sat across from his friend, letting out a long uncomfortable sigh. Jordan stirred; her head whirled as she felt her surroundings spin around her. Her eyes were shut tightly as she felt a warm sting at her side.
"Bo-nes?"
The doctor stood smoothly stepping towards her bedside, his voice unusually soft and comforting.
"I'm here, kid. How do you feel?"
Her head was limp, as it had flopped towards the voice. Bones stroked his fingers over the top of her head catching a few of the short stands of hair that had fallen over her forehead.
“I can’t…”
Bones got down closer to hear her better. When she didn’t continue he simply watched her take in slow painful breaths.
“You cant what, kid?”
“I can’t feel my legs…”
Watching her face tighten he leaned over to increase her IV then stood a moment to process his thoughts before dawning a sad smile. His eyes began to water when suddenly he remembered Jim was present. He Realized that in Jordan’s state now wasn’t the time to tell her how critical her condition was.
“That’s the medicine. It’s working. You’re not in much shape for walking, but try not to worry about that too much, okay? Get some rest for now, you've had a rough day."
Jordan was silent for a while; her head sank deeper into the pillow with a quiet murmur.
"Bones?"
He hadn't moved, his hand gently grasping hers.
"Yeah, kid?"
"I…I’m Sorry…"
His sad smile disappeared as he heard Jim shift quietly in his seat.
"Don’t be… You’re alive that’s all that matters… Now of coarse I’ll hold you responsible for giving me grey hair, but don't think for a second that I won't patch you up. I will always be here.”
Bone stood quietly a moment and let out a quiet sigh. He heard a soft noise escape her lips as she faded quietly, leaving bones to assume she fell back asleep.
"I'm here, kid… Rest…"
Bones sat himself down again in a lounging muddled state as he let out a satisfied puff of air. Jim handed his friend a large thermos and smiled. Bones pursed his lips and silently investigated its contents to which he found freshly brewed coffee.
“You’ve got a good bedside manor, Bones…”
Bones rationed himself a small cup of coffee in the lid of the thermos, not bothering to look up at his friend.
“It comes with the job...”
Jim sat forward in his chair again and rested his elbows on his knees and let out a sad breath of air.
4:00AM
"Am I dead?"
“Nah, Bones wouldn’t let you off the hook that easy. You remember me though, right?”
Jim smiled as he sat forward in his chair resting his arms on the bed.
“James T… Captain of the Star Ship… Enterprise."
Jim smiled softly.
“So, how do you feel? You know, we where all worried about you, Joe. ”
Jordan shut her eyes out of exhaustion. Her head sunk deeply into her pillow as she listened closely to her friend speak giving short, tired responses to his questions.
“My side hurts…”
In a weak motion she tried to adjust her position but gave up once she felt the dull pain in her side grow. Jim gently took her hand in his and stoked it with his thumb.
“Bones Just went up the hall to run a few tests he’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Jordan let out a sign of discomfort and flopped her head towards Jim. She didn’t want to open her eyes. She didn’t like the way Jim (or anyone else for that matter) gave her that sympathizing look.
“I wanna go home…”
Jim gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
“You have a whole month to heal up before we board the enterprise again. I’m sure you’ll have time to head back home before then.”
Jordan was quiet a moment. She felt like crying but couldn’t bare the thought of it in front of Jim.
“The Enterprise… I wanna go home...”
Jim sat a moment in his thoughts letting her response sink in. Before he could think of anything to say, Bones walked in studying his PADD.
“Good to see you awake, kid.”
Glancing up at the board momentarily he returned his gaze to Jordan. Bones tilted his head and glanced down at her left side.``
“Looks like that temperature is still giving you trouble… How’s your side?”
Bones folded back the blankets and lifting her shirt a little at her side to revealed the bandages that had been wrapped around her torso. A large portion of her left side had been stained red from her mid ribcage to her hip. Bones paced to a large cabinet next to the medical board. Opening the doors he glanced over their contents.
“Normally I’d have that gash patched up in a few hours with the Re-Gen but seems how you’re still on an IV and not able to hold down food you have no calcium or vitamins to spare. I’ve gotta change those wrappings again. Seeing as the bleeding hasn’t completely stopped I don't want to deal with an infection…”
Bones normally mumbled to himself, on what he was to do and how he was to do it. His mannerism where always meant to calm himself, even if it gave Jim an amusing view into his method of thinking. Finding what he needed the doctor returning to her side.
“Jim, you seem to be here when I need you. Help me lean her forward.”
Jim stood and pushed the chair away as bones folded the blanket back revealing her leg. Jordan looked down to see the limp unidentifiable limb wrapped tightly in bloodied gauze. What little bit of identifiable skin she could see had been discolored to a dark cold purple which made her cringed.
“You okay kid? You look a bit sick all of a sudden…”
Following her gaze down to her leg he looked back up to meet her eyes.
“Hey, just look at me okay? You’ll be fine."
Jim grabbed the waste container from the corner of the room and placed it on the ground next to the bed. Her face tightened as Bones leaned her forward, dangled her good leg off the bed. Having set the bucket down, Jim supported her back as bones removed the bandages and dropped them in the pale at his feet.
“You haven’t said much kid you want me to increase those pain killers?”
Bones had been examining her side when he looked up to see Jordan staring hatefully at the closed door in front of her. Noticing the heart monitors pace had quickened he raised the flow of her IV by several notches.
“Breathe, Kid! Breathe! It won’t hurt so much if you just breathe!”
Bones had been wrapping her torso with gauss when Jordan let out a long deep breath and slumped forward a little, to which Jim steadied her by both shoulders.
“I don’t feel so good…”
“How so?”
Bones stood promptly and stared the board down. He notices her temperature had swayed upward. Taking a step closer he lifted her head back and looked around her eyes.
`“Your stomach hurt? Dizziness? You look kinda paled to me…”
Jordan slowly grabbed her stomach and moaned.
“I think I’m gonna…”
Jim fumbled to grab the bucket and held it firmly as Jordan emptied her stomach.
“Good god! What the hell could you possibly have left in that stomach of yours?!”
Laying her back gently, Bones touched her forehead and felt the heat that radiated from it. Jordan’s head rolled to the side. Sweat ran down the side of her face as Goosebumps trickled across her arms and neck. Jolting several times in her panic Bones snatched a hypo from the medical tray at his side he injected it into her neck. Reaching over for the oxygen mask he adjusted it over her nose and mouth and held it for a second to insure it fit right as he continued to grab several cold packs from the shelf and began laying them out hurriedly.
“Jim, you better go on out of here…”
Pulling his bag to his shoulder, Jim didn’t say a word as he made his way out the door. Bones had been busily easing her temperature he hardly noticed the door eek shut. Jordan's eyes had thinned with a tired flicker as Bones wiped away the bit of sweat that had collected at her forehead. She mumbled quietly through the oxygen mask though he didn’t hear her. Her head wobbled as she tried to bring herself to her senses. Receiving another injection she let a sharp breath as the heart monitor spiked once and began to slow. Bones eyes widened as he cursed aloud. Running towards the wall he slammed his fist on the COM.
“Sick bay 233, ICU proceedings!”
Bones ran back to her side, his own heart pounding as he made his preparations.
“Jordan! Can you hear me? Come on! Hang in there, kid!”
The door whirled open on its railing as three doctors trudged in. The bed sheets were removed as Jordan slowly faded.
“Jordan? JORDAN!”
The room swayed in a whirl of white silence. The hours rolled by until finally Jordan had been stabilized. Her limp leg was gone, her side artificially healed and bandaged tightly as she breathed quietly through an oxygen mask. After several hours of work Bones was told to go home to take the rest of the day off. Nurse chapel would be looking after Jordan and was ordered to call bones if any thing were to happen.
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