Commander

Chapter 6: Sickbay

Rev could see the clearing from where she was, but the pain was really starting to make her lightheaded. The right half of her shirt was coated in Kirk's red blood, and the other half was soaking with her own green. Had she been at her full health, carrying the Captain wouldn't have been that hard, but now that she had been shot his weight was really starting to get to her.

In the clearing, she could see McCoy tending to Anderson's cut. Cut! He was cut, not shot! And he was moaning about it like he was dying!

"You'll be fine, Anderson, calm down," McCoy was saying. "Tell us what happened agian--"

"Doctor..."

"Zhi'Rev!"

McCoy stood up, nearly knocking Anderson out of the way, and rushed towards Rev with Smith at his heels.

"That's a lot of blood, Rev, but I'm going to work on it--"

"Creatures-- shooting--"

"Put the Captain down, Rev--"

"Captain saved me-- shot-- stunned them--"

Rev placed the Captain into the snow and stood up, covering her wound with her hand once more. Unsteadily, she looked at McCoy.

"I fear that he's lost a lot of blood, doctor."

"You've done a good job, Rev."

"I wish I could have done more..."

"You've done a great-- Rev?"

With one last look at her green-soaked hand, Rev's eyes rolled into her head and she fell unconscious.

Kirk woke some time later in Sickbay in the ENTERPRISE, laying on one of the beds. Glancing around, Kirk tried to sit up and found he had a searing pain in his abdomen. As if out of nowhere, McCoy appeared, shoving the Captain back into his bed.

"Ugh, what happened, Bones?"

"You got shot, Jim. If it weren't for Commander Rev, you'd be dead."

Kirk turned and looked at the bed next to him. Rev was there, unconscious, looking pale and green. She had a green-seeped bandage on her left shoulder and a tube feeding her blood and medicine stuck into her wrist and arm.

"She carried you all the way to us with a bullet through her shoulder. She should be fine in a little while."

"She jumped in front of Anderson, Bones. She jumped in front of him and saved his life. Is Anderson okay?"

"Anderson turned tail and ran the moment danger showed itself, the coward." McCoy sighed. "But yes, he's fine."

McCoy smiled at Kirk, patting his shoulder, then noticed his distraught expression and sighed.

"She'll be fine, Jim. Just try to rest."

McCoy smiled hesitantly once more, and made to leave the room, but stopped before he got to the door. Turning around, McCoy bit his cheek, and faced Kirk.

"She saved your life, too, Jim."

"What?"

"You jumped in front of her, yes, but that shot in her shoulder; the bullet went all the way through. You have a graze on your shoulder; she was in front of you when she got shot. She has bullet grazes on her arms, and one on her back, which is weird, since they were shooting at her from the front. I think--" McCoy hesitated for a moment. "--I think she used herself as a human shield, Jim. Just thought you should know."

Kirk was staring at McCoy in shock, unsure of what to say. After a moment, McCoy left the room, leaving the Captain with a bandaged and unconscious Rev next to him.

It was three days before Rev woke up. When she did, the first thing she noticed was that she hurt, all over, but was generally fine. The second thing she noticed was that Kirk was sitting next to her, looking absolutely distraught.

"Don't look so downtrodden, Captain."

Kirk looked up, suddenly heaving a great, relieved sigh, and stood.

"Thank god you're awake, Rev. Bones said there was nothing to do but wait, but I just kept thinking, if you died for me--"

"You're rambling, Jim," Rev responded, and pushed herself up, ignoring the searing pain in her shoulder. Her wrist had an IV tube stuck in it, and she pressed her hand into her shoulder. It hurt a little-- so what?-- she was fine, and she told Kirk so.

"Still, you shouldn't have--"

"Shouldn't have what? I'm a Commander, you're my Captain, and if I have to die to save your life I wouldn't hesitate to do it. It's my job. I wouldn't have become a Starfleet officer if I was scared of dying. Fear of death is illogical, Captain, and neither of us are dead. Now, if you'll excuse me--" Rev pulled the IV tube out of her wrist. "--I'll be getting back to work, since I seem to have missed a few shifts--"

"Oh no you don't," Kirk shoved Rev back into her bed. "I've been having others cover your shifts. Rest up, Rev, and get that shoulder healed. You're one of my best officers, and you need that shoulder."

"But I--"

"Rev."

"Captain--"

"Shut up."

"Sir--"

"Shhhh."

"Sir! I was just going to say, isn't that a bit hypocritical, since you yourself were shot in the abdomen? If I am requested to stay in bed and 'rest,' I suggest you do to."

Kirk glared at the Commander, but logically couldn't contradict her. After a few moments, Kirk rolled his eyes and backed up, sitting on the bed behind him. Rev massaged her shoulder, looking satisfied.