Two Whiskeys on the Rocks

From Smugglers to Doctors

"Captain Pike, sir!" Jim calls. "Captain pike, we have to stop the ship!" Pike stands.

"Kirk? How the hell did you get on board the Enterprise?!" He asks, glaring at me for an explanation.

"He was having a bad reaction to something. We determined he'd be best treated on the Enterprise." I explain.

"Sir, this man's experiencing a severe reaction to a vaccine." Bones clarifies further.

"Bones, Win, please- -" Jim protests.

"He's completely delusional and I take full responsibility." Bones interjects, completely ignoring Jim and moving to grab Jim's arm and drag him back to Medbay.

"Vulcan is not experiencing a natural disaster!" Jim blurts out angrily after the pair cut over each other trying to talk at once. I feel my stomach drop. We did not need this right now.

"Jim, shut up!" I hiss. He shakes his head.

"It's being attacked by Romulans." Jim continues.

"Romulans?" Pike parrots, scoffing. "Cadet Kirk, I think you've had enough attention for one day. McCoy, you and your wife take Kirk back to Medbay. We'll have words later." We nod, even amidst the few murmurs circling the bridge.

"Aye, Captain." Bones says, taking a hold of Jim as I do the same from the other side. Jim looks panic-stricken and desperate and it nearly makes me want to hear him out, if it weren't for the humiliating scene he'd just caused, dragging us along with him. He wriggles out of our grip and we let him go, both curious as to where our friend was going with this.

"Look, sir, that same anomaly that we saw today, that lightning storm in space- -"

"Kirk!" Pike snaps, angry and exasperated.

"Mr. Kirk is not cleared to be aboard this vessel, Captain." Spock points out, coming forward.

"He wasn't til he started reacting to something and we decided to take him onboard for treatment." I explain. Spock frowns. Then, as Spock continues talking, Jim starts protesting and it's all an unintelligible mess til Spock threatens to forcibly remove Kirk from the Bridge.

"Try it!" Kirk growls angrily. "This Cadet is trying to save the Bridge!"

"By recommending a full stop mid-warp during a rescue mission?" Spock replies incredulously. JIm nods resolutely, never giving Spock an inch before looking Pike in the eyes.

"It's not a rescue mission. Listen to me; it's an attack." He insists.

"Based on what facts?" Spock snaps in the closest thing to anger I've ever heard heard in such a monotone voice. Jim glares at Spock while Leo and I look on curiously. If Jim was this insistent, we needed to hear him out, or he'd go insane.

"...That same anomaly- -a lightning storm in space- -that we saw today? It also occurred on the day of my birth, right before a Romulan ship attacked the U.S.S Kelvin." He then looks at Pike and takes a gentler tone. "You know that, sir; I read your dissertation." I then feel my stomach drop down further. Why had it taken me so long to realize?! Remembrance Day was a big deal at the Academy. "That ship, which had 'formidable and advanced weaponry', was never seen or heard from again. The Kelvin attack took place on the edge of Klingon space, and at 2300 hours last night, there was an attack. Forty-seven Klingon Warbirds destroyed by Romulans, sir. And it was reported that the Romulans were in one ship, one massive ship." Pike frowns disbelievingly, but with a hint of curiosity.

"And you know of this attack how?" He demands. In response, Jim looks at Uhura. She pales a little, but stands tall.

"Sir, I received and translated the message myself. Kirk's report is accurate." She affirms.