When Home is Gone

Part Twelve - A Problem

McCoy's point of view - McCoy's Office, Sickbay, USS Enterprise NCC-1701

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McCoy sat there silently as he watched Jim. His face was blank yet his blue eyes were full of emotion. McCoy had never seen Jim like this. It worried him.

"Jim? Are you alright?"

Jim seemed to not have heard. Bones reached over and placed a hand on Jim's shoulder, but Jim stood up, bumping McCoy's hand out of the way and left the room. Sitting there was all Bones could think of doing. He felt helpless, unable to help his friend. Suddenly, the ship lurched to one side, causing him to fall out of his chair.

He quickly stood up and rushed out of the office. Both Luna and Spock were on the floor, most of the Doctors had left due to finally being able to relieve some of the pain for Spock. Only enough for him to stop screaming, but he did keep moaning.

Bones ran over to Spock and began to haul him back onto the bed, Ray was doing the same with Luna.

'Ray, I need you to strap her down. I can't risk either of them getting any more hurt by falling off the bed. The restraints are on the side of it.'

After telling Ray how to restrain Luna, Bones strapped Spock down. He went to head off to the bridge when Spock's arm shot out of the restraints and grabbed Bones' wrist. Bones could tell that Spock was semi-conscious because he was trying his best not to crush the Doctor's wrist.

'Scan... Luna... traces... foreign metal... increase... sensitivity... block out... glow...'

Spock's words were pained, but Bones was able to understand what he meant. He grabbed a tricorder of the table across from Luna and began to increase the sensitivity as the ship lurched again. Bones stumbled but kept his balance. He had to do this, not only for Luna but for Spock as well.

Once the enhancements were complete, McCoy did a thorough scan of Luna, from head to toe and found tiny, compact traces of metallic implants all over her body. They were giving off some sort of energy field that seemed to be the cause of Luna's fever and pain, but it didn't explain how Spock had the same condition. Spock didn't have these implants. Unless they affected Luna mentally as well, and when Spock did the mind-meld, some of the effects transferred.

'Ray, I'm going to need your help. Your sister has small implants all over her body that are giving off an electromagnetic energy that is affecting her mind- and Spock's- due to their connection. I need you to isolate her mind from Spock's and the energy so I can remove them. Can you do that?

'I can try.'

Ray put his head down and concentrated. After a few moments, Ray nodded, indicating that he was successful.

'Hurry, Doctor. I don't know how long I can hold her mind.'

McCoy busied himself preparing to do emergency surgery. He had called Nurse Chapel down to assist him, hoping they could get the implants out in time.