Work Text:
Just before they beamed them off the Narada, with his arm thrown over one of Jim’s shoulder, Chris turned and gave Jim a kiss. Jim chuckled, “Not the time to get romantic, Chris.”
“I’m just glad to see you,” Chris said as the transporter beam took over.
They resolved on the pad on the Enterprise to find Spock beside them, Scotty manning the transporter machine, and Bones at a dead run into the room, “Bones! Boy am I glad to see you!” Jim reluctantly released Chris to Bones’ capable hands, and with a single, backward glance toward Spock, dashed for the Bridge. He had kept his promise to Chris, he had rescued him from Nero’s grasp.
The first surgery on the Enterprise was tough for Chris, there were places in his body that just didn’t feel right. When he awoke, McCoy hovered over his bed with Spock next to him, “Where’s Jim?” Chris asked.
McCoy chuckled, “You haven’t noticed the snuggly weight on your shoulder?” Chris grinned as he wound his arm carefully out from under Jim and around his shoulders, “I think your shoulder fell asleep there, Chris. I’m not going to lie to you, you’ve had some nerve damage.”
“What about Jim?”
“He got into a few fights and needed some attention. He got to us fast enough that we could fix him up without surgery,” McCoy responded. “I’ll release him tomorrow,” Bones glanced at Spock. “I’ll leave you two to talk.” Jim murmured in his sleep.
“We were discreet, Spock,” Chris said.
“I know, I talked to Captain Kirk this morning. He’s worried about you,” Spock replied.
Chris sighed, “I know, and, I don’t know, Spock. Should I continue this? Should I give him the option to walk away?”
Spock watched both men. Jim seemed very comfortable, and Chris was worried, “Your age and possible nerve damage?” he finally asked.
Chris sighed, “Yeah, maybe I should let him find someone younger.”
“’If you love something let it go, if it comes back it was meant to be’,” Spock quoted. Chris looked at him, “Something my mother told me.”
“Yeah, well, my mom also told me, ‘If it sleeps in your house, hogs the TV, and eats your food, you either gave birth to it or married it, and are stuck with it.” Spock looked at him, puzzled, “It’s an old joke, Spock. What are you suggesting?”
“It is obvious, even to me, that you care for each other. Don’t try to force him to make a decision one way or another, and see where this road takes you,” Spock watched as Chris wrapped his other arm around Jim, pulling him closer. Jim smiled in his sleep. “I’ll leave you two in peace,” Spock turned to go.
“Spock, thank you,” Chris said before the other man exited the room. Spock nodded his head before the door closed behind him.
Chris watched as McCoy and several orderlies pulled Jim’s limp body from the cryotube. Having been given permission for this procedure by Chris, they wasted no time in getting started. Jim was unmoving and unresponsive, and with a jolt, Chris realized he wasn’t breathing. There was no way of getting around the fact that his husband was dead.
Time seemed to slow as they carefully laid Jim’s body on the life-support bed and started attaching wires and tubes to him. Suddenly, his chest moved, “Well, at least we know the machine is working,” McCoy announced quietly. The bed also announced that it was pumping oxygen through Jim’s body through a chip attached to a nerve on the back of his neck.
The nurse on the other side of the bed said, “I’ve got an IV in him.”
“Foley catheter’s in,” another nurse announced. The nurses covered him with a hospital gown as McCoy turned to a cooler and drew out a vial, Khan’s blood.
“Put the rest in a safe place, please,” McCoy asked one of the nurses. She nodded her head and left. The vial of blood was plugged into the IV and quickly dispersed itself into the vein. “Nurse, note the time, 1825 hours, we’ll give him 24 hours, one way or the other. Bring in a cot for the Admiral.”
Chris approached the bed, and ran a trembling hand through Jim’s hair, “You know, last year I talked to Spock about letting Jim go. Letting him find his soul mate if you will.”
McCoy looked up, “Chris…”
“And just three days ago he agreed to marry me,” he plowed on, oblivious to McCoy’s words. “What do I do if he stays dead, McCoy?”
Bones reached over and touched his shoulder, “What you can, Chris. If this works for Jim, you may want to try it. This…stuff…has regenerative properties I’ve never seen before. Maybe it’ll work for you.”
Chris took a deep, unsteady breath, “I can’t do it without him, McCoy. Please bring him back to me.”
“That’s what I’m trying to do, Admiral,” Bones said before leaving. “I need a shower. Nurse, call me if there’s any change.” The woman nodded professionally before turning dark, sympathetic eyes on the Admiral.
“I’ll get you something to eat,” she told him.
“I don’t think…”
She cut him off, “For his sake,” she said, jerking her chin toward the bed, “you need to eat.”
Chris hadn’t been bullied by a woman in a long time, and Starfleet regulations had it that medical personnel could pull rank on God if they had to, so Chris sat down and ate, and waited. Stephen and Sarah soon joined him as the hours wore on. He wasn’t the one who heard it, he heard Stephen running from the room calling for McCoy.
McCoy entered the room with a hopeful look on his face, calling for the systems to be turned off. First, nothing happened as McCoy took out his stethoscope and pressed it to Jim’s chest, then they all heard it. Jim coughed. “I want him on IV antibiotics, I don’t like that cough, probably from the radiation. Well, ladies and gentlemen, Jim Kirk is attempting to beat the odds once again. Let’s all hope he manages it.”
Chris walked over to Jim and put his arms around him, “Thank you,” he whispered before kissing his forehead and letting go. It was time to McCoy do what he did best, perform a miracle.