~ By Laura Cynthia Chambers
Kirk sat on the edge of the metal chair, steepling his fingers together. “Is that the best you can do, Doctor?” He cast a fleeting glance at the two small glasses that sat on the desk in front of him. Each were filled halfway with a blue liquid. Spock stood next to the desk, peering down at them intently.
McCoy stood by the door of his office, hands on his hips. “Listen Jim, if you don’t like my diagnosis, take it up with the laws of nature.” He counted on his fingers. “Booze + the green-eyed monster = violence. Simple as that. Lucky for Albix, you’re a fast runner and Kevin’s grip wasn’t stronger. He’s got some bad bruising, but his larynx is still intact. I gave Berlin a mild sedative and sent her back to her quarters, but I’m keeping the other two over for observation. The rest is your job.” McCoy walked over to the desk and picked up one of the glasses. “This is the stuff most of you were drinking. Breesin. In the punch. This, on the other hand-“ He traded glasses. “-is a bit stronger. That’s the last thing Riley drank. Though there’s nothing in it per se that would cause the kind of hallucinations he claimed to see. Harmless pink elephants, yes. Transforming a man into a vicious serpent?” McCoy shook his head. “I suppose he could’ve had some bad stuff by mistake. But when I asked him about it, he swears the last thing he remembers was being in the main room.” He held up both glasses. “Could you tell the difference just by looking?”
Kirk stared at one first, then the other. “No, I don’t think so.”
“May I?” Spock asked. He sniffed both glasses, dipping a finger into each and tasting briefly, licking his lips. He pointed to the one on the right. “This one is slightly more potent, but not overly dense. Fragrant with hints of bitterness.”
“Excuse me; I forgot about our mass Spock-trometer here.” McCoy huffed. “First officer, scientist, and sommelier. Isn’t that something?” He rubbed his forehead, sighing.
Kirk smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, Bones. He’s a regular boy wonder.”
Spock arched his eyebrow.
* * *
Sickbay was shadowed in the dim light of overnight. Just lit enough so that the staff wouldn’t stumble blindly in the dark. There was even a setting that allowed for small squares of light on the walls, as though streetlamps shone through curtains covering glass paned windows. McCoy had posed the challenge to Scotty a few months ago, and the engineer had been intrigued enough to oblige him. Anything that made the place seem more like a hospital and less like a sardine can pleased him.
He was now seated in his office, trying to make sense of this incident. A single desk lamp shone yellow light on two small shot glasses. The samples remained on his desk where he had left them after Kirk and Spock had excused themselves. On the right, the one labeled “Breesin Sample One (bottle)”; on the left, “Breesin Sample Two (synthesized from drop on Riley’s uniform”.
McCoy massaged his temples. “Uhh, I’m going to go blind staring at these things.” He squinted, blinking several times. Standing from his chair, he walked over to a more comfortable couch and dropped onto it. “Just a few winks here and I’ll go to bed…promise…” He squirmed before leaning his head back on the back of the couch, his breathing becoming more even as he drifted off into a light slumber.
* * *
Sonya Courtney rubbed her forehead as she exited the turbolift. A guard on duty gave her a cursory nod as he passed her. The doors closed behind him and she tip-toed the rest of the way down the corridor.
She entered the main area of sickbay and looked around the room. McCoy’s office was still in use, but he was probably absorbed in some medical journal. The nurse on duty was not in the main treatment room, either; so much the better. Leaving the lights dimmed, she headed towards the medicine cabinet.
“Never again,” she muttered, then winced, squinting. She typed in the combination and pulled the door open. “Where’s that painkiller?” Rummaging around in the cabinet, she found what she was looking for. A small bottle of green pills. She uncapped it and shook out two, swallowing them with a glass of water. “Maybe now I can get some sleep.” Courtney replaced the bottle and closed the cabinet, turning to leave.
A soft moan came from one of the rooms off to the side. Pausing, she smoothed the front of her skirt and headed for the source of the sound, her nursing instincts not completely dulled by her post-drunk condition.
She peeked around the side of the doorway. A lump was huddled under the blankets, but it was still too dark to make it out. “Hello? Do you need anything?” She turned on the light switch.
And gasped.
A large beast lay on its side, breathing loudly. It was covered in spiny dark fur, and looked to be at least 7 feet from head to hind legs. Enormous fangs glistened in the half light, overhanging the wolf creature’s lower jaw by a good three inches. She inched along the wall, eyes wide with fright. As she moved into the corner, its eyes opened. Large red orbs full of rage and menace. Backing away, she ran out the door and headed for the medicine cabinet again.
Grabbing an empty hypospray from a drawer in the table to the right, she frantically punched the buttons and yanked the cabinet open again. Spying a large bottle of pale yellow liquid, she pulled it down and drew some up, filling the injection device.
Without replacing anything or shutting the door, she grabbed the hypo with both hands, holding it in front of her like a shield. Breathing heavily, she trembled her way through the door and around the other side of the bed.
Leave a Reply