Bad Dreams

It's always unusual when the captain barks orders at ensigns and yeomans who only made the slightest mistake, when any attempt at asking why he did this, he recoils defensively and tells you you're relieved of duty. And quite frankly, this behavior was worrying his companions on the star ship.

But I suppose I should start from the beginning.

It was first shift, star date 4984.8, and captain Kirk was late for it. Now this isn't very typical because the Captain always attempts to be on time, and when he is late, he apologizes. This particular morning, his face seemed hot and red and almost….tear stained? No, not the Captain. But nonetheless, he was half an hour late – an outrageous, lengthy time to be tardy for such a high ranking officer. He had rough wrinkles under his eyes, his eyes glazed and with a pinkish hue.

"Captain, is there a reason for your previous absence?" Spock asked Kirk with his usual, logical tone, wondering why this could be.

"Nothing Mister Spock….just get back to your station." The Captain growled.

"It would quite obviously be something if it made you 36 minutes and 12 seconds late for duty." Spock raised an eyebrow.

"I said it's none of your business, Spock! Now leave me alone!"

"It is effecting your performance and your role in this crew, therefore it is my business." He resolved calmly, adding fuel he wasn't aware of to the Kirk's burning rage.

"Get back to your station! That's an order!" he yelled. Spock seemed alarmed at the sudden outburst, but obeyed orders and continued a scan of some strange radar that came inside the enterprise last night, in a pattern similar to brainwaves. It was strange, but no one thought much of it.

It was several hours of Spock's fine tuned Vulcan hearing picking up Jim's tirades of anger at various crewmembers, unjustly thrown at unsuspecting ensigns. Each different flare-up was equally noted by the man with the pointed ears who sat quietly in his work space, listening to the Captain. At first, Spock thought it might have just been the day, some minor thing that upset him.

But the day passed and it got worse.

Finally, after his shift, he quickly made his way down to sickbay.

He entered with the swiftness in which he normally walked in, but with a certain urgency. "Doctor McCoy?" he called, to seek out the physician.

"In here." Came the rough, old southern voice from a room beyond.

Spock stepped into the office, where McCoy sat at a desk, looking at the door where the Vulcan stood.

"Yes, Mr. Spock? You coming to sickbay, what an occasion." He chuckled a little and raised his attention. "What brings you here?"

"The captain's behavior this morning on the bridge." McCoy raised an eyebrow attentively.

"What happened?" Bones got up and stepped towards Spock.

"Well, as a first account, he was approximately 30 minutes late for duty and I had asked him what the case was that he would miss such a large time slot of work for. He told me to go back to my work, yet I persisted. After this, he yelled for me to stop asking such questions and ordered me to continue my task and make no further inquiries." Spock explained, the Doctor nodding, a concerned expression dancing across his face.

"Anything else?"

"He also sent yeoman Copulman off the bridge for bringing cold coffee, intoned on Mr. Scott should not be 'lolligagging' when he was simply getting a PADD, and that the ensign who was navigating was asking him why he set a certain course, he relieved him of duty." McCoy stared at him.

"Sounds like he's in a terrible mood."

"I do concur."

"Did this effect how he was working, not just how he was acting?"

"Negative. I would have relieved him if I thought him not fit for duty."

"Spock, you should have sent him to sickbay."

"I am aware of protocol, Doctor, but I was not entirely sure he was mentally ill."

"Mentally ill? He told someone to leave because his slow roast was cold! Does that sound like Jim to you?"

"I do not believe disgruntled actions over a container of lukewarm beverage is cause to be out of commission."

"But that's not something our captain would do, Spock!" he said in a 'Are you with me or against me?' tone.

"No, it is not in his usual patterns."

"I'll call him in for a couple tests and see if he's healthy or not. If it's something worrying you, it's worrying me." Spock didn't seem to want to argue that worrying was a human condition. Instead, he merely glanced at the doctor and a flash of concernment went in and out of his eyes.

"Thank you Doctor." He said quietly before leaving.

It was a couple hours in between the meeting of the science officer and the medical officer to the call made to the bridge for the Captain to report to sickbay, to Spock's relief. There had been an injured man in the engine room and it had required full attention.

"McCoy to bridge."

"Kirk here." The captain sighed.

"Jim, Would you and Mr. Spock report to medical bay." McCoy's voice came out of the box in the chair.

" Bones, we're really busy up here…" he said through half clenched teeth.

"But I'm responsible for your health. I've been told you may not be fit for duty."

"By who?" he raised his voice.

"I'm not going to name names. Please report to sickbay, McCoy out." Kirk cast a glance over to Spock.

"Come on." And made his way to the elevator.

Doctor McCoy was waiting by the bio beds for his two friends to enter. "Jim, you made it." He smiled a little.

"Why am I here?" the Captain said dully with a tint of anger lost in his voice, ruining the smile that was about to form on the Doctor's face.

"Because Jim, you've done some things we don't think are in line for you." Kirk glared at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong!" he shouted.

"Well, I'll see if the tests show any differently."

"I don't need any tests." Jim snarled.

"I'm your physician and it's necessary you obey my orders if it involves your health and the health of this ship!" Bones used the tone that inquired, 'you don't mess with me. Shut up and do what I say.' That no nonsense, don't argue kind of voice. And it worked.

A tricorder whirred in front of the face of Captain Kirk, and a physical was in order. Soon after there were a couple more basic mental tests and it was seemingly over.

"I'm perfectly healthy, Doctor." He grumbled.

"No, you didn't get your required eight hours of sleep last night, your eyesight is slightly lower than usual, and you brain scan readings show you are at least 80 percent more irritable than any other day. The normal effects of not getting enough sleep."

All of a sudden, a burst of fear seemed to flicker through Jim's tired eyes, knowing what was coming.

"I recommend you go to your cabin and get some rest."

"No, Bones there are things I need to do on the bridge…" he said, trying to get away from it, nervousness lining his voice.

"Quite the contrary Captain. You are off duty and there is no current emergency on board." The Vulcan objected. McCoy and Spock exchanged glances after.

"Jim, you need to get sleep. It's effecting everyone, and we're concerned." Bones looked at his friend, sleep deprived and annoyed but still the same captain Kirk who the crew would follow to the ends of the galaxy and back again. "Please."

Kirk sighed. "Okay…" he said, feeling defeated, trying to hide an anxiety that was growing and growing.

"May I accompany you, Captain?" Spock asked gingery.

"No." he said firmly, then realized his mistake. "No…sorry. I'd like to be alone, Spock." The captain said quietly and left sickbay.

Hope you like it! It's the beginning to this story, already on the second chapter. It's looking like a great friendship fic right now. Like to write? is a good place to share your stuff! Please R&R for this story!