Adverse Reactions

Deltagirl7

As usual everything belongs to you-know-who and not to me.

Chapter One – Landing Party

Ship sensors had detected an unusual compound energy mass consisting of a collection of incubating star clusters saturated in anti-matter plasma. The Enterprise moved in to study the unique display and had become caught in its magnetic field. The system had flung it's plasma into the path of the ship, encompassed it and held it there for several days until it exhausted itself and retreated.

Captain Kirk navigated the ship from these erratic currents of plasma and initiated diagnostics and repairs before resuming normal operations and warp speed once again. Hull plating had been damaged as well as some life support and infrastructure on several decks.

As repairs got underway more and more crewman reported to sickbay with nausea, headaches and vomiting. Something about this particular flavor of radiation was making them sick and medical had issued a lot of pepto and pain meds. Spock and Christine worked together to analyze the medical data but had not determined anything other than radiation poisoning. Dr. McCoy, unable to determine any long-term affects of this plasma radiation sea, issued anti-radiation therapy and eventually these cases dropped off as they put distance between the ship and this unusual star mass. The ships computers continued to analyze the data and Dr. McCoy scheduled a series of follow up visits for all the victims. He found no lingering affects and entered his findings as "probably a combination of radiation exposure and space sickness." Within a few days everything was back to normal and the ship was traveling at warp speed once again.

It had been an exhausting week for everyone. All systems were on deck and longer duty shifts pressured everyone, the sick and well alike. After the last patient was released Leonard sent Chris home to sleep, and then collapsed himself into a bed in sickbay, on call, just in case.

Third shift stayed quiet and no more cases of radiation sickness came in over night. Nonetheless, Leonard had awakened tired and cranky. Chris came in pressed and refreshed and relieved Leonard for sleep, food and a shower. She called after him, "And don't come back until you've gotten rid of that crummy attitude, Doctor!" He glared back, knowing she was absolutely right. She did not see him for the rest of the day.

Toward the end of her shift a well rested Dr. McCoy strolled into the sick bay looking for Christine Chapel. "Chris, where are you?" he called.

"I'm here Doctor" she said coming out supply. "You look a lot better. I was just freshening up our linens, checking out the med carts and the emergency supply kits. Here is one I just replenished for you to take on your away mission."

"Chris, how would you like to go on the landing party tomorrow? I go all the time, and after the rush we had last week, couldn't you use a break? What'ya say?"

"Oh, Leonard! I'd love to go. I get so envious of you getting to see all these new places. I can't remember the last time I left the ship. Is it okay with the captain?"

"Already cleared it with him. He said it was a great idea, that you need some experience on landing parties. And he cleared it with Spock, so you're good to go. Get your day pack ready. They are getting an early start. Don't forget to take at least two liters of water and some energy bars. You're going to be surveying all day and you don't always know when the captain will let you get lunch. Be prepared, Girl Scout!"

The next morning Christine arrived at the transporter fifteen minutes ahead of schedule. She was dressed in the medical blue blouse and standard slacks with walking shoes. That short dress was just no good for scouting parties. She had thrown a shell and a few other essentials into her pack for rain or weather. They would break and beam back to the ship for lunch. There was no need for meal packs today, but she tossed in a few just in case, remembering what Leonard had said. She knew he often missed lunch on these missions and she didn't want to let a drop in blood sugar affect her work. She happily waited for the others to arrive.

Spock stepped off the lift to find Chapel already there. "Thank you for being prompt, Nurse," he said. "You will accompany the captain and me. Three other crewmen will take the southern peninsula, here." He indicated the location on the map. "Ah, here is the captain now."

"Miss Chapel, great to have you with us today. I guess McCoy is getting tired of us messing with his molecules, as he says." They stepped up to the transporter and shimmered away.

She hated the transporter, too. It felt weird to have your molecules messed with. Most medicals preferred to travel the old-fashioned way, but the transporters were more efficient. She didn't like the pins and needles feeling of becoming molecular. Today it seemed to tingle a bit too much, more like stinging than shimmering. She chalked that up lack of recent experience. She couldn't really remember the last time she was transported.

The teams split up and inspected different areas of this strange new wilderness. Some of the colors just weren't found in nature or anywhere else back at home. There were few complex life forms but abundant plant material. Christine noticed an abundance of ripened fruit of many varieties. She set to work cataloging size, shape, color, molecular makeup.

While cataloging she thought about the events that led her to this spot. Being on the ship was an exciting adventure she had never planned to take. Christine was just going to be a plain, simple doctor, like Leonard. Losing Roger had changed her plans, temporarily. Although she fully intended to complete her training at the end of this mission Christine was happy that she had taken this detour for so many reasons. Of course, she had found closure with Roger. She had hoped to find him alive and marooned somewhere. Finding him was a miracle in itself, finding him as a machine, devastating. Her medical and research duties had helped her get over the disappointment of losing him and she would never had been able to concentrate on med school had she returned right away.

She also found that she loved space travel. There was something about traveling faster that light that excited her, even though she had no idea how that was done. Heck, she was a doctor not an engineer. She didn't have to know anything about warp speed to travel at it! She had already decided to retain her commission and try to get the Enterprise when she came back. Leonard was already working on that. Christine had discovered she had a gift for healing humanoids of all species and there was only one way to do that, and that was in Star Fleet.

As she worked, Christine marveled at the diversity of life all over the universe. She was grateful to Leonard for this opportunity to experience some of it first hand today. She never got away missions. Jim, Spock and Leonard were like three little boys paling around the playground, a very big playground. She laughed out loud at the mental image.

She was deeply concentrating when she was hailed by the captain. "Chris, Team B is ready for lunch, how about you?"

"Captain, can you give me ten more minutes? I'd like to complete these scans so I don't have to come back to this co-ordinance."

"Excellent, please continue, Spock & I will come help. I'll send the others back now."

A few minutes later, Spock and the captain came into the clearing where she was working. "What can we do?" asked Spock.

"Well, I've made my way around this clearing from the left, so there are about a dozen more species to catalog over here and up to that far ledge and the foot of those cliffs. There is a thermal pool underneath I don't know if there are any thermopholes in the water. You can check that Mr. Spock."

It took the three of them just fifteen minutes to complete the scans. Captain Kirk hailed the Enterprise. "Scotty, we're ready now, three to beam up." he said.

"Uh, Captain?" said Scotty, "The transporter's down right now. We had some nasty burns on the last fellows that came back. I was hoping to get it done before you hailed, but I need a wee bit more time now Captain."

"How much more time, Mr. Scott?"

"Well, Captain, do you want the good news or the bad news first?" he said.

"This day just got longer," thought Kirk. "Give me the bad news first Mr. Scott."

"Well, Captain, the transfer coils in the semi-decondrometer rods are sparking. That means one of them is about to give out. Good thing no one was in the transporter when that happened. If I only need to change one out it will take the rest of the day, about six hours. I need to run diagnostics after that to determine the cause of the early failure of the rod. If it's more than one rod, it'll be longer and that would mean there is definitely a problem and then it could be forty-eight to seventy-two hours."

"That is very bad news Mr. Scott, so what is the good news?"

"The good news, Captain, is we caught this without a fatality."

"That is very good news Mr. Scott. Can you send a shuttle craft down to get us yet?"

"Negative, sir. The atmospheric plasma storm we encountered this morning has settled over the atmosphere of the entire planet. I wouldn't trust a shuttle craft inside it. You might be in for a bit of bad weather, too, Captain. You best find a good shelter."

"Thank you, Scotty. Please keep me informed of the progress on both options. I don't like getting stuck planet-side without provisions but we seem to be well set. Food shouldn't be a problem; we mapped plenty of ripe fruit and vegetation. Please tell Dr. McCoy we'll take good care of Miss Chapel and not to worry. Just work faster Scotty."

"Damn! Well, Spock, Christine, you heard all that. We'd best find shelter and water first off, just in case we're here over night.

"There shouldn't be a problem with food." said Spock. "These register as fit for consumption and they seem to be in-season." he said gesturing to the fruit laden trees.

"Mr. Spock, everything I've scanned today is safe and edible. It's all on the tricorder. Let me transfer my data to you to double check. She flipped a switch and the machines talked to each other a moment and fell silent.

"I am impressed by the amount of work you have accomplished today, Miss Chapel," said Spock. "Dr. McCoy would have talked incessantly the entire day with far less to show for it." He checked her analysis. "I agree, Miss Chapel, I believe any of these fruits will suffice. We cannot scan for taste, however, so we have an excellent opportunity to evaluate the cuisine ourselves. We should collect our dinner now and save ourselves a trip back this evening."

"Agreed, Spock" said the Captain. They each pulled a net bag from their packs and filled it with a wonderful variety of plump, ripe fruits.

After the bags were filled the team began to search for a shelter from the storm that might come. They started toward the nearby cliffs inspecting each overhang and indentation.

They found a series of caves near an ancient river bed. It had once been a massive lake but time had whittled it into a sliver of a river running through a wide valley that had eventually become the fertile rainforest they were exploring.

The party inspected several openings before discovering a small crystal studded cave. Each clear crystal gave off a light that reminded Christine of those old fashioned Christmas tree lights her grandmother had. It looked like diamonds studded the walls. Uhura had to see these recordings when they got back, she'd love it! Christine picked up a few of the broken off points. They still glowed. She dropped a handful into her pack. Surely they would want samples of these as well.

"Well, Christine," said Captain Kirk, "Never let it be said that we didn't put you up in style!"

"Captain, if we have to over-night here, we might as well sleep in the crystal palace. It looks like a movie set with sparkling lights and the little pool in the corner. What an adventure. Too bad we didn't pack our bathing suits!"

Spock stepped over to the pool. The water was clear blue. It bubbled up from below and spilled out the eroded trough that had drained it for hundreds of years. "Fascinating," he said, "One would expect to find a pool like this to be caustic, poisonous, but this one has minerals similar to those you would find in the baths at Lyons on your planet, or the Pools of Norbethop on Risa. It is perfectly safe for bathing. Perhaps there will be an opportunity for you to test it out later, Miss Chapel."

Kirk hid his grin as Christine blushed at the innocent implication of these words. "Well, I guess this is home for the night, people. Let's see if we can make it more comfortable. Sleeping on cold stone never really appealed to me."

"I wonder why there are no crystal points on the bottom?" asked Chris, "Maybe they were eroded away by water." She bent over to study the floor of the cave more closely. It was rough and looked like eons of erosion had worn the crystal tips away and polished down all the sharp edges. A tiny speck of light still shone in each of the worn points.

They stowed their packs in the cave and looked around for grasses, leaves and fibers that would cushion them from the stone floor that night. The sky was beginning to look stormy. Dark clouds were gathering overhead. They quickly found a field of tall grasses. They sliced cleanly through it with a thin beam from their phasers. They gathered the material and carried it back to their cave making several trips back to the shelter. Soon the hunter-gatherers each had enough padding to make the night a lot more pleasant.

Christine's stomach began to growl around sunset. "We've been so busy we didn't even have any lunch!" She said. "And my stomach is telling me it's dinner time. Shall we eat?"

They brought out the food and made a small fire. With sunset approaching and a storm advancing it was beginning to get dark. Rain and hail began to pelt outside the cave opening. The light of the fire reflected in the crystals and they were even more dazzling than before.

"These star shaped fruits are very good; sweet and juicy." said Christine. "They remind me of a cross between a grape and a mango," she said.

Jim roasted some vegetables in a sort of a kabob. They each had several of the kabobs, a variety of nuts and plenty of fruit.

After dinner, they pulled off their boots and sat at the fire quietly talking and nibbling on the left over food.

The call soon came from Scotty. Bad news - the transporter was down for awhile but the good news was they could probably send a shuttle for them in the morning. Fortunately, they would only have to spend one night in the cave.

About an hour after their meal, Christine noticed her vision change and she felt a strange warp-out of her consciousness. She felt light-headed, drugged- but not sleepy, definitely not sleepy. If anything she felt horny, very, very horny. She stole a glance at the captain and Spock who were shifting around as well. Kirk seemed to have a headache. He was rubbing his forehead the way he always does when he is tired or frustrated. Definitely frustrated! Spock tried to meditate but he was too distracted. With uncharacteristic impatience he stormed out of the cave. He could not understand what was happening to him, he just couldn't concentrate. It was a mistake to have Christine on the landing team; he couldn't take his eyes off her.

Christine was having trouble focusing as well. She got up and began to pace hoping to clear her head a little.

"What are you doing there Chapel?" asked the captain.

"I'm having difficulty concentrating, Captain, I'm trying to walk it off but I think activity makes it worse. All I can think about is sex and jumping your bones. My rational mind knows there is something wrong with that. I've never had those feelings for you. Something's very wrong with my brain chemistry. I am getting hornier and hornier and you are looking better and better by the minute. Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say you are unattractive, Captain! Just, oh, gee, I think you know what I mean. What about you?" she asked, as she reached for her medical tricorder.

"I admit I've been imagining you naked. And I don't think of you that way either, by the way. I'm definitely altered -drunk, high, stoned, whatever. Typically, I have nothing but professional appreciation for you, but right now I think I'd love to lick every inch of your lovely, uh, neck – stop it! I can't seem to think of anything right now but sex myself as you can see." She noticed he did have a big problem. She knew Spock was having a bigger one.

"Captain, I've been scanning the remaining food trying to wrap my brain around the data. It appears to be a hormone stimulator of sorts - an aphrodisiac, as we've already discerned. It seems the substance that is causing this is in everything – the food, the water, maybe even the air. We can't get away from it and I can't think straight enough to even try to estimate how much we've consumed or long this is going to last."

"And I'm very worried about Mr. Spock," said Christine. "If he is experiencing arousal at the same intensity we are, which I am pretty sure he is since he has left us, he could be in real danger. If his hormone levels get too far out of balance he could slip into some sort of pon farr event and that would be very, very bad."

"How do you know about that?" Kirk asked

"Well, after Mr. Spock's 'episode' I did my own research and learned everything I could about what had happened to him. I thought it might come in handy in the future." She said. "If he gets too crazy he might want fight you for the only girl on the planet." Christine felt dizzy, "Whoa, dizzy and can't concentrate," she took some deep breaths. "Do you think if we masturbated it would help?"

"Would you like me to help you with that?" he joked.

"Captain! I'm not sure it won't come to that. Spock said the water in this pool is similar to that in Lyons. That water is supposed to have magical healing properties. Maybe this water will revive us. If not, well, at least I'll already be naked when you come to ravage me!"

"You may as well call me Jim, Chris. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night and whatever happens we're probably going to know each other a whole lot better in the morning. I apologize now for anything I might do to you when I am out of my mind," he called.

Christine inspected the pool deciding if she could get in, and more importantly, out if she started having any difficulty. Jim watched her slip out of her clothes and knew that he would never make it until this stuff wore off. He'd never noticed before what a pleasing shape she had. He'd never even seen her in gym clothes or in the pool. Her breasts were round and firm and just the right proportion for her size; her legs muscular and she had nice definition to her butt. He thought she looked –tasty.

When she reached up to loosen her hair he thought it was the most magnificent mane he'd ever seen. It tumbled down long to below her shoulders in soft, pretty curls – wait, did that really happen in slow motion? The hair-do she wore everyday was not at all flattering to her. Maybe she did that on purpose. He watched as she carefully stepped into the water. "It's warm!' she called as her body disappeared under the surface. Her eyes fixed on him when she realized he had been staring at her, watching her undress.

"Are you okay? She asked. "Jim, are you okay?" He'd been fantasizing, hallucinating and hadn't heard her. She couldn't resist teasing him. "Do you want me Jim? Tell me how badly you want me, Jim."

"In the worst way!" he said hoarsely. "You're very beautiful, Christine – and hot, very hot. Why haven't I noticed you before now? Ah, I feel like I am losing my mind and I am afraid I will soon loose control of the situation. Now that you're naked, I find it's getting more difficult to..."

She heard him say something, having a hard time concentrating. "Get in the water with me," she said.

"Christine, Spock is sure to come back and if we are together it could, it will, provoke a fight if his mind is as scattered as mine. I'm not sure I could go for that fight right now."

"Jim, when he comes back I'll attend to him as well. If he sees us he will understand you are the captain and the dominant male. I guess we'll invite him to join us?" Had she said that out loud? Surely, she wouldn't, she couldn't, could she?

She didn't remember Jim walking over to her but suddenly he was in the water with her- when had he gotten in? He slipped his arms around her and kissed her passionately, their bodies twinning together. He was suddenly lost in the sensations of the softness of her lips, then her body.

Spock stood at the entrance of the cave watching them in the water. He knew he shouldn't watch, but he couldn't look away. He wanted to be the one in the pool with her. He wondered if Christine would ever agree to have him after the way he'd treated her. He wondered if she loved Jim now. And would she want him after Jim. Had he lost her? Would she be afraid of him now? Would she avoid him as others had? His thoughts raced and he could not find his logic. All he knew was that he needed her - wanted her right now and, wait, where had Jim gone? There was Christine but where was Jim? Spock knew that he needed immediate release or something bad would happen – what was it? He couldn't think, couldn't concentrate. What had happened to them? Why was he standing here naked?

She saw him in the entrance. She was asking him something but he couldn't hear her, he couldn't concentrate. He couldn't stop watching her mouth. He wanted to taste her. Her lips were moving, she was trying to talk to him. What was she saying, what was she saying. He tried to concentrate. She came over to him. She was saying - want me? Want me? You want me. Do you want me? He couldn't say it, why couldn't he say it? He nodded, yes. He was afraid. Why was he afraid? He didn't know. He closed his eyes just for just a moment, trying to concentrate, then, he was wrapped in her warmth.

He was hallucinating. He couldn't tell what parts were hers and which were his. He kissed her face, her hair, he thought he tasted tears. Looking into her eyes he thought he saw her soul. He cried out in his release, lost control of himself and touched her mind.

In his peripheral, Spock saw Jim rearranging their bedding. He pulled his space blanket from his pack, laid it over the grass, and motioned to Spock to put her there. He rummaged around for the one in Spock's bag.

Spock lifted her out of the pond and carried Chris to the nest Jim had made for them. He didn't know if he could share her with Jim, and yet Jim had yielded to him. Spock had never participated in any sort of group intimacy. He suspected Jim had. Jim seemed so much more sexually confident. He seemed to know exactly what was required. When the next wave of insanity hit he forgot all these considerations and addressed the more pressing need to couple, forgetting any restrictions of protocol. After, they rested entwined together until the next wave of desire hit them, then the next.

Christine woke up in a tangled heap of arms and legs and with a monster of a headache. Her head rested on Spock's shoulder, and though he rarely slept, this morning he was definitely sleeping in. To the right Jim snuggled behind her, his arm draped casually over her waist. She silently debated whether it was better to remember last night or not. They could all feign amnesia and not deal with the thought of what they had done with each other last night. She became aware of the soreness in her body, got up and slipped into the hot spring. It had not fended off the effects of the toxin but it was refreshing as the layers of stickiness washed off her. She tried not to think about the person she had been last night.

She hoped they would be rescued soon. The men began to stir and she imagined the awkwardness that would follow this morning. They got up slowly. Chris realized they must have hangovers as well.

The two naked men joined her in the pool. They tried to act naturally, like nothing had happened, but none of them had ever done this before and it was awkward for them all. Their rank and inhibitions returned at the same time.

"Now that we're all fully back," said Christine, "I've scanned all the native foods and the water. The basic chemical matrix is all the same. We didn't detect the compound because there is nothing in our data that relates to it. It's in everything. I think it would be best if we stick with emergency food packets and our own water we have until we are rescued, Captain."

"Agreed, we can't keep doing what we did last night, exciting as it was. Although, it might be interesting to study! I assume we sent samples back to the ship yesterday?" said Jim. Looking at her he began to feel a whisper of arousal. He wondered what it would be like to make love with Chris and Spock when they weren't all hopped up on some chemical. He wondered if he would have the nerve to initiate it. It would have to come from him. He wondered if they were thinking the same thing. Then he was back. "Uh, right, I suggest we prepare to depart so any lingering, uh, temptations will be directed elsewhere."

The men politely looked away as Christine got out of the pool and dressed. Jim sneaked a last peak at the most surprising woman he'd ever met. He did not see Spock watching her as well behind his hooded eyes.

They busied themselves until the call came two hours later. The shuttle was on its way.

Bones was waiting for them to report to sick bay. "Well, don't you three look all refreshed and well rested!" he exclaimed, "You look like you all just got la-," he stopped mid-sentence. He re-ran the kwic-scan over the three of them and his eyebrows rose all the way to his hairline.

"Well… does anybody have anything they want to tell me?" he demanded.

The trio looked sheepishly at each other, but no one spoke. Mr. Spock may have even blushed, he did look a bit greener for a moment.

Dr. McCoy looked a Christine. "Christine, is there anything you want to report? No? Which one of you is going to tell me what the hell happened down there 'cause I don't like what I am reading one bit! I didn't think I had to chaperone you three!"

"Not our fault, Bones," started the captain.

"The food and water were contaminated, Doctor," interrupted Chris, "A toxin was in everything we ate, but our sensors passed it all as 'safely within parameters'. We didn't know there was anything wrong until we had already ingested a large quantity of the native vegetables, fruits and nuts. Of course, by then it was too late."

"And none of you could control yourselves? Not even you Spock?" Leonard scrutinized Jim and Spock and Christine incredulously. They each examined their boots.

"Well, I need to get to the bridge," said Jim, "and I need to get a shower first. So, uh, fill him in, will you Chris?" He looked at Spock and Christine. "We'll talk later."

"Wait a minute, we still have debriefing to do!" the doctor called to the lift door. "Spock…"

Spoke added, "Yes, I- I need to check on an experiment." He darted out of sickbay faster than Dr. McCoy had ever seen him run from Christine.

He glared at Christine. "Spill, Christine," said Leonard. Chris related the events, leaving little out as she lay on the bio bed. She could feel the healing scans repairing tears and bruises as she explained. She didn't think his eyes could get any larger. "I don't know what to say Chris, except that I hope there isn't going to be a repeat performance?"

"I haven't really had time to mentally process anything, Leonard. I don't really feel like I'm completely myself yet. I feel like it was all a dream. You have to admit it was surreal and very sexy. I mean, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, together? Can you even imagine the three of us? – Wait, don't even make that picture! You know I've never had any kind of attraction to the captain. You also know I've been crazy about Spock for a long time. So, no, I don't think there will be a repeat. I'm sure Spock will be invisible for awhile until things get back to normal, if ever." she said. "Jim and Spock. Wow! I never imagined anything like that happening on a scouting mission. Never dreamed that's what you three have been up to," she teased.

"Hey, missy, don't go making up stories. Nothing like that ever happened. Well, not between us anyway. We're all guys, straight guys, don't forget it. We have gotten ourselves into trouble over the years, Chris, but this is a first. There have only been a couple of times there was any hanky panky. It's mostly the girls anxious to do Jim, power and all that. We did come close on Platonius, with Parmen's people. Thought he'd make us do stuff but thank goodness nothing ever happened."

They had never talked about that mission. They had all gone ahead with their lives and had put Platonius behind them. Only she and Spock knew what intimacy Parmen had really forced upon them and they never spoke of it. A silent agreement bound them and left them incomplete. If Leonard knew what had really happened he never let on. Strangely, never once during the night had Christine thought of that day.

Dr. McCoy took them all off duty and sent them to their quarters to recuperate. As luck would have it they met in the lift on the way to their quarters.

Chris spoke first, "Well, that was quite an away mission, captain. I thought that was an interesting compound we discovered. I would welcome an opportunity to study it, under more controlled conditions of course."

"Yes, Chapel. It would be an interesting toxin to study, especially in light of science never having adequately researched that field. I am sure it would be a profitable product for an unscrupulous company to develop." said the captain.

"It would be fascinating to study the control group on human compatibility without the benefit of the compound," said Spock with feigned innocence. "Tell me Christine, how are you feeling?"

"Why Mr. Spock, Dr. McCoy has declared me better than new," she said. "Perhaps we can have a cup of coffee and discuss a future experiment."