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Spock stopped walking for a moment, then had to quicken his pace to catch back up with Pike.
"Admiral Pike, I do not understand. You just had Kirk removed from the Enterprise. Why would you want him back?"
"I didn't want him off the ship, Spock. I wanted him out of the Captain's chair."
A glance over to Spock told Pike that he wasn't getting through and he frankly didn't have time to deal with it.
"Look - you head on back to the Enterprise while I talk to the Admiralty. Make sure we're ready to depart when I come back aboard."
"Very well, sir."
Stopping where he was, Spock activated his communicator. Pike continued down the hall toward the office of Admiral Marcus.
"Spock to Enterprise - Transporter room."
~Transporter room here, Mister Spock.~
"One to beam aboard."
Spock didn't acknowledge the transporter chief in any way as he left the transporter pad and headed for the door. Mister Kyle held the salute until the doors closed behind the Vulcan and then dropped it. Kyle noted that everyone coming back was in a foul mood and remained grateful that none of that was being aimed toward him.
Once out of the Transporter room, Spock started for the Bridge, then paused before changing directions and heading for Sickbay. As expected, Uhura, Scott, Sulu and Chekov were there with McCoy. All five turned as Spock entered.
"Admiral Pike wishes the Enterprise to be ready to depart on his return. All of you are to report to your duty stations - except for you, Doctor McCoy. Will you accompany me to the booth willingly or shall I call Security?"
"No need. I'll go under my own power."
"Doctor M'benga."
Caught looking around the corner, M'benga straightened up and came the rest of the way around as if that had been what he was doing to start with. No one was fooled.
"Yes, Mister Spock?"
"You will assume the duties of CMO while Doctor McCoy is incapacitated."
McCoy didn't even have to look to know that M'benga probably just snapped to attention. He just rolled his eyes and waited, exchanging a brief look with Uhura. Uhura couldn't stay quiet any longer and stepped forward.
"Mister Spock -"
"I will not repeat myself again. Report to your duty stations.'
McCoy gestured toward the door with his head and the others headed out. Then Spock headed to the door himself and McCoy fell in step, To Spock's annoyance, McCoy didn't walk behind him, but walked evenly at his side. Neither said a word and when they reached the booth, Spock gestured for the operator to open the chamber. McCoy stepped inside, closing his eyes as the door shut behind him.
"Set the booth to an intensity of 6."
"How long did you want the session set for, Mister Spock?"
"Leave the ending time open, Ensign Woods."
"Aye, sir."
Spock stood and watched McCoy as the cycle came to life. Other than a sharp intake of air, the doctor still remain silent. He watched for another minute or two, then recalled his orders and headed for the Bridge. His thoughts elsewhere, Spock didn't notice M'benga watching as he passed by to enter the turbolift. Nor did he see M'benga head toward the agony booth after the doors closed.
Kirk was halfway through his second glass of a decent Irish whiskey when Pike came into the bar and sat down beside him. Kirk didn't bother to turn to him.
"You have any idea how much I don't want to see you, old man?"
"I have a pretty good idea, James. You'll want to make that your last drink. We have to get back to the Enterprise."
"Correction. You have to get back to the Enterprise. I'm waiting for reassignment - remember?"
"I've spoken to the Admiralty. You have your reassignment. You're on the Enterprise."
Taking another drink first, Kirk then turned slightly and gave Pike a baleful glare.
"Not as much fun gloating from a distance, old man?"
Pike reined in his own temper. He knew what it was like to lose the Enterprise and, in his case, that hadn't been Kirk's doing.
"More of a case of getting you onboard to keep Leonard from throwing his life away."
"Bones is a big boy. He'll be fine."
"Really? Perhaps we have different definitions of the word 'fine'. He's already stated he doesn't care if he dies and he says he's given his sister away."
The glass in Kirk's hand froze for a second before being lowered back to the bar quickly enough to slosh the drink. Kirk got up from the bar without a word to Pike as he pulled out his personal communicator. When Kirk returned, he was coldly furious.
"You son of a bitch - she is gone. What the hell did you do to him that he did that?"
"If I had to make a guess, he put that into motion after finding out that I was retaking the Captain's chair. It was done before any threats were made."
"Before. Then threats were made?"
"Spock mentioned the girl. No real threat."
Snorting, Kirk gave Pike another look.
"Yes, I'm sure Spock made it sound like he was really concerned about her welfare."
"James - I still want what I wanted before. The Enterprise will be yours again."
"Oh? For how long before you decide you want her back next time? You'll pardon me if I say you've lost credibility."
"Leonard has already pointed that out. Both of you knew my plans involved the Enterprise."
"Until you made the Admiralty. Which was practically gift-wrapped and put into your lap when you survived Nero."
"That wasn't the plan, James."
"If your plans are so rigid that you can't improvise, then I respectfully suggest that your plans are the problem. Let me guess - you didn't have a very hard time convincing the other Admirals to go along with you retaking the Enterprise, did you? Even though I clearly remember you bitching in the past that they never agreed with you about anything."
Frowning slightly, Pike leaned forward in his chair.
"No. I didn't have any problems with them at all."
"Of course not. I may be the youngest Captain, but you're the youngest Admiral. You want to know why the rest of the Admiralty went along so willingly with you? Because you'll be farther away and less likely to influence a damn thing back here. You could have positioned yourself to become the next Michaels to the Emperor. You had the Emperor's eye - he knew you by name. Don't tell me you couldn't have parlayed that to something bigger if you'd had your mind looking forward instead of back."
Kirk very deliberately picked up his glass and downed the rest of it.
"Don't think I wasn't sympathetic before this shit. I know losing Puri was a blow, but Nero's the one that took him from you. But now I can see that you did exactly what you faulted the Emperor for. You lost your critic that would tell you to your face that you were wrong and took a yes-man in his place that has his own damn Vulcan agenda going."
Pike lowered his voice to a near whisper. just because no-one was close to them didn't mean there weren't listening devices everywhere.
"Unless you relish that treason charge you warned me about, you'd better watch your words."
There was a slight smirk as Kirk indicated the setting on his communicator.
"Unlike you, I paid attention to what you were saying."
It was hard for Pike to decide if he should be flattered or insulted at that statement. He settled for rolling his eyes and called over the bartender, paying for Kirk's drinks.
"Come on. We need to get back to the ship."
"Aye-aye, Admiral."
On one hand, Kirk was pleased that he'd still be on the Enterprise with McCoy. On the other hand, he could have used another couple of whiskeys before going back aboard.
When they appeared in the Transporter room, Kyle snapped to an immediate salute that both Pike and Kirk returned without a second thought as they made their way to the door. Pike intended his first stop to be at Sickbay. Whether it had occurred to Kirk or not, he was the one that would be used for keeping McCoy in line.
If Pike had thought his reception from Kirk was cold, it was nothing compared to entering Sickbay. He brushed that off as being a residual effect from McCoy's disgruntled state.
"Chapel, where is Doctor McCoy?"
She stopped her rearrangement of supplies and turned to face him.
"You would need to ask Mister Spock, sir. He hasn't returned Doctor McCoy to us yet."
Not waiting for Pike to react, Kirk went straight to the nearest computer panel.
"Computer. Location of Leonard McCoy."
~Level 5 Agony Booth.~
Kirk ran out of Sickbay, Pike close behind him.
At the booth, Ensign Woods hadn't been surprised when Doctor M'benga showed up. The doctor was, so to speak, a regular. He began to get nervous when Doctor M'benga started speaking though. That was something new.
"You have no idea how many times I've stood here watching someone undergoing discipline and pretended it was you. I must say, the reality is much, much better. Except for one thing."
Smile widening, M'benga kept his eyes fixed on McCoy as he spoke to the operator.
"Increase intensity to maximum level."
"But sir, Mister Spock had me set the intensity at 6."
"Did he leave specific orders that it wasn't to be changed?"
"No, sir - not specifically, but -"
"Then increase the intensity now. That is a direct order, Ensign."
Fearing a present sadistic doctor more than an absent Vulcan, Woods turned the dial. McCoy's resolve to remain silent dissolved as the booth stripped anything resembling cognizant thought from his brain and replaced it with excruciating pain.
The sound of the scream echoing down the corridor spurred Kirk to even greater speed. M'benga was still in front of the booth, obviously enjoying himself. McCoy's scream drowned out the sound of the approaching men, so M'benga didn't know what was happening when he suddenly found himself thrown against the bulkhead as Kirk yelled out.
"Turn that damned machine off now!"
There was no hesitation as Woods killed the power to the booth. The instant that it shut down, McCoy collapsed to the floor of the booth like a ragdoll. In the dead silence that followed, Kirk came to the realization that, for now at least, his alliance with McCoy had to end, for both of their sakes. Their connection had become the weakness he had feared back at the Academy.
McCoy's eyes opened briefly and Kirk shifted just enough to let their eyes meet. Once he was sure McCoy had recognized him, Kirk spoke to Pike.
"I kept one doctor from killing another for you, Admiral. Did you want me to begin my new duties now?"
Absolutely nothing was going the way that Pike wanted. At Kirk's look and tone, McCoy lowered his head and went still. Then M'benga groaned, drawing Pike's attention at the worst possible time.
"You can start your duties by escorting Doctor M'benga to the Brig. I'll deal with him later."
"Yes, Admiral."
As Kirk yanked M'benga to his feet, Pike turned on Ensign Woods.
"Explain yourself. Why did you allow a junior officer to put his senior in the booth?"
Woods swallowed hard, but managed to maintain eye contact with Pike.
"Begging the Admiral's pardon, sir, it was Mister Spock that had Doctor McCoy put into the booth. Doctor M'benga ordered the intensity increase."
"I see. At ease, Ensign - I'm not holding you to fault for any of this, but until further notice, no-one will be placed in the agony booth except under my direct orders. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Admiral Pike."
"Good. Open the booth."
As the door started opening, McCoy began moving, attempting to get back on his feet. Pike stepped in and offered him a hand, which was ignored. Cursing under his breath at the man's stubbornness, Pike backed away and moved to the station's intercom.
"Pike to Sickbay. Send a gurney to the level 5 agony booth."
He didn't even wait for a response before Pike shut it back off again and started for the Bridge.