Going through what he referred to as his daily chores, Leonard let his mind wander, wondering about how things always seemed to come around full circle. The mess with Nero followed by what he still considered to be the idiocy of Starfleet's reprimand of Jim which was followed in turn by the huge mess with Khan. Now that they had come through all of that, where were they going? To the Dramia system.

It felt like it had been a lot longer than it had been since he was last in the Dramian System, but since he was the only one of the crew that had ever been there, Jim had asked him to be at the briefing meeting that afternoon. If nothing else, he could give them an idea of what the natives looked like so they would be prepared to talk to some really tall folks.

Looking through his personal files, he found some images that Minyawi had taken of their group and the Dramains they had worked with. He copied those images over to a data chip along with the notes he'd made during his time there to take with him to the meeting. As he entered the briefing room, Leonard took the seat between Uhura and Scotty, joining in with their small talk as they waited for the rest of the attendees to arrive. Once everyone was seated, Jim called the meeting to order then turned the briefing itself over to Spock.

"As you are all aware, we are currently in route to the Dramian system to deliver medical supplies that have been requested by their Supreme Prefect. While their planet is not currently a member of the Federation, they are viewed as a potential member. This medical assistance program is intended to strengthen our ties with the Dramains and further that goal. Doctor McCoy was part of the last medical assistance mission. Doctor, could you tell us about the planet Dramia?"

"Well, much as I would like to, technically, I can't. I never set one foot on Dramia. Our team was divided - I was on the team that went to Dramia II instead. But so far as I'm aware, there aren't any differences between the Dramia II colonists and the Dramians living on the home world."

"Very well, then if you would give us an overview of the Dramians themselves?"

"Of course."

Pulling out the chip, Leonard inserted it into the access panel by his seat, bringing up the first of his images of the Dramians and putting it on the main display.

"This is an image of a group of Dramian males. Their overall look tends to reminds me of a tree. Thick bases for feet, slender up to their upper torso and then they spread out. Saw young ones, old ones and sick ones, but never saw a fat one."

"You'll notice that they have basic similarities to one another - unless sick, their skin is basically the same golden color and is denser than human or even Klingon skin. Most males are at least two meters tall. There is some variation, but not much. I didn't meet any that were more than ten centimeters away from the two meter mark. If you meet a male shorter than that, most likely they're young and haven't reached their full growth. Their females are also tall, but shorter than the males. They average about twenty centimeters shorter than the males."

Taking a minute to shift to the next image, he continued.

"Their skulls and ears have general characteristics in common, but we're talking about snowflakes here. As you can see from these two males standing near each other, the top and backs of their skulls vary greatly and there are a multitude of variations on their ears as well. In regards to the rest of their bodies, they look extremely top heavy with broad shoulders and torsos that narrow down to very small waists and hips. Their lower legs widen out and end in their feet, which are rather stump-like. They don't have hands per se, but their arms narrow and divide off into four tendrils which are very flexible and able to perform fine motor skills."

"Whether it's a common Dramian trait or was simply common among the ones we interacted with, the Dramians appear to pick up language rapidly. So much so, that when some of our people requested to learn their native tongue, they took it as an insult. They thought it was being implied that they hadn't learned our language well enough. Sorry about that, Uhura."

Making a note on her own PADD, she smiled.

"I might be able to find a way around that, Doctor."

"Well, if anyone can it would be you. Any questions?"

Chekov spoke up next.

"Do they have family units?"

"They do. They marry, a one on one mating is most common, but other arrangements are also accepted. Their communities are also very close knit and the whole group goes into mourning when one of their number dies and the community as a whole takes over the support of the bereaved."

Sulu gave an approving nod.

"Sounds like they have a solid community framework."

"Yes and no. While it sounds good in theory, I heard a tale while we were there about one small community that had to be isolated when several members of the same group died during an earthquake. With everyone grieving and no-one providing support, they ended up amplifying each other's grief to the point of madness. One thing that Dramians don't believe in is psychology, so no grief counseling. They isolate them until they either come to their senses or die off."

Scotty picked up his water glass with a frown.

"A bit cold that."

"Personal opinion only here, but I think that view might be one of the current holdups in them becoming a Federation planet. That and their justice system - if you can call it that."

"Doctor, this is not a forum for conjecture about -"

From his seat, Jim held up a hand and Spock stopped, waiting for him to speak.

"I've heard rumors about Dramian courts myself. I'd like to hear more."

"Spock is right, Jim. There's nothing I know for certain, but I do know that our Security crew had strict orders about dealing with the elders among the Dramians. Basically, the Dramian justice system favors the accuser. If, for instance, a Dramian accused another of a crime, all that's needed is for the accused to show there was a possibility that the other did it. After that, it's up to the one accused to prove that he didn't do it - which is pretty hard to do."

"Why is that, Doctor?"

"Because once someone is accused, they're locked up until their trial. So, unless they have someone that will try to prove their innocence for them, what chance do they have? Also, Dramian trials go very quickly. The wife of a patient of mine was killed along with several others when a fire broke out in the market area. While it was agreed by all parties that the fire was an accident and not intentional, the Dramian accused of starting the chain of events was executed the next day. That was even though both he and his family swore that he wasn't the one that did it and there was no proof of any sort to show that he did do it - it was their burden to find proof that he was innocent before the execution - so they had less than 24 hours and unfortunately couldn't find anything to back their claim."

Scotty let out a low whistle, earning him a stern look from Spock that he blithely ignored.

"Sounds like those old kangaroo courts we read about in history."

The doctor made a 'so-so' gesture with his right hand.

"It's very democratic, but scary as there are no safeguards in place. No retrials and, as I mentioned already, no presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Throwing out an example – let's say one of us was accused of starting a fight. Everyone in the community gets a vote whether they know anything about the incident or not. If 70% of the people voting say you didn't do it, but 30% think you did? You're guilty. It takes a 75% vote for you to absolve you from the charges."

Chekov frowned and shook his head.

"If the numbers were the other way around, I would think it more fair, but the way that it is? It sounds as if many innocents are punished for what the majority already believes them to be innocent of."

Nodding, Leonard clasped his hands in front of him.

"No argument from me on that. And that's exactly why the Dramian justice system has such a bad reputation on other worlds. The Dramians themselves don't seem to have an issue with it."

Scotty tsked as he gave his PADD a poke.

"Makes the lot of them sound rather hardnosed."

Leonard shook his head at that.

"I can see where you might think that and there are a few that label would fit, but they're the exception, not the rule. For all that their law system might leave something to be desired, once the Dramians got comfortable with how humans looked, they proved to be a very open and friendly group."

Spock looked over his notes before asking his own question.

"Doctor, how did you learn about the fire and the trial?"

"I heard about it from Zo-Los. He was the neighbor of the woman I knew that died - a fine woman named Dej-Tai. He attended the trial as a representative of their community. Normally, it would have been her husband that attended, but he was still recovering from a bad case of Saurian virus. Zo-Los told me the details about it when he returned from the execution. Zo-Los was also who took over caring for Kol-Tai, my patient, when I had to rejoin my group."

"So while you did not see the trial yourself, the one who told you of it did?"

"Exactly. Second-hand information, but from someone that was considered a reliable source in his community."

Nodding, Spock made a note, but Scotty shook his head again.

"Still seems an extreme punishment for what was admitted to be accidental."

"From what I understand, Dramia has only two punishments, Scotty. Relatively minor punishments, you're isolated. Anything else, you're executed - generally within days of the initial charges. They're actually rather proud of that. They say it's why they have a low crime rate."

Jim looked over his officers.

"After that, I don't guess I need to remind everyone to be on their best behavior. Anything else that would be handy to know, Doctor?"

"Dramians have a lot of problems telling one human from another. We're too physically alike and the different colors of our skin and hair throws them. They don't see as many colors as we do because of their eye structure, so you'll find things like their clothing varies more in design than in color. Another thing? They don't see a lot of difference between questioning something they said and insulting them, so if you feel you need to clarify something, phrase it so that it sounds like you're a little slow on the uptake rather than that they didn't explain it well enough."

"A very good thing to know in advance. Any other questions before we meet with the Dramian representatives tomorrow? No? Then we will reconvene at 0900 tomorrow in the Transporter room to beam down for the first round of meetings. Dismissed."

As the others started to file out, Jim reached out and put a hand on Leonard's shoulder, so he settled back into his chair to see what Jim wanted.

"You know, I spoke with Lieutenant Minyawi after you got back from that mission back during our Academy days, Bones. He told me some of what went on during your mission on Dramia II. You sure that you're okay to beam down there tomorrow?"

Since they were alone now, Leonard reached up and mussed Jim's hair.

"You know, Minyazwi is a Lieutenant Commander now – friendly warning, stay clear of his daughters. I'll be fine, Jim. It was our own people that tried to court marshal me, not the Dramians. Besides, it would look peculiar for the CMO not to be present during the ceremonies for a medical assistance program. Come on - let's go share a drink or two and then get some sleep before tomorrow."

When they beamed down to Dramia, Leonard was very interested in how the main city was laid out. The only sizable city he'd been in on Dramia II was maze-like, but this city was laid out in a very precise fashion that he was sure had Spock's stamp of approval.

As he'd told them, the Dramians kept their distance at first, but began to unwind quickly as they adjusted to their group. They spoke to Spock the most because they could easily identify him due to the difference in his ears.

In all, the Enterprise was orbiting Dramia for three days while the medical supplies were beamed down, inventoried, signed for and taken away. Spock and Leonard oversaw the deliveries and Leonard began to notice one Dramian male always seemed to be close at hand. Questioning one of the other Dramians nearby, he was told the male was Commander Demos, the chief of security. It made sense that he would be keeping a close eye on the delivery of such important supplies, so Leonard thought nothing further about his presence.

On the last day, there were the usual rounds of what Leonard considered to be political frippery, but he'd certainly endured worse. The Supreme Prefect, Commander Demos and a few other representatives came to the designated area for transporter usage along with a media crew - which seemed a bit much, but Starfleet would probably like it. The cameras absolutely loved Jim.

Once everything was in place, he shifted to a more unobtrusive position near Spock as the Supreme Prefect gave another short speech. Something was odd, but it took Leonard a minute to figure out what. The Supreme Prefect was beginning his speech and the media weren't even pretending to record the event, so why were they there?

"As the Supreme Prefect representing the people of Dramia, I extend our thanks to you and your crew for your invaluable assistance provided on behalf of your Federation."

As the Supreme Prefect paused for breath, Leonard gave Spock a nudge which earned him the equivalent of a Vulcan dirty look until he noticed what Leonard was looking at. The subtle shift of expression told Leonard that Spock was as puzzled by the actions - or rather the non-actions - of the media crew as well.

Leonard managed to miss the remainder of the Supreme Prefect's speech (no great loss to his thinking), but automatically tuned in when Jim began his reply.

"My crew and I are honored to have been able to bring the supplies that your people were in need of. The Federation's hope is that medical outreach programs such as this one will strengthen the bonds between the Federation planets and neighboring star systems such as Dramia."

Jim continued on in fine form, thanking the people of Dramia for their assistance in the offloading of the supplies and thanking the Supreme Prefect for the hospitality shown to himself and the member of the Enterprise's crew who had spent time on the planet.

The last set of ritualized farewells were said and Jim was in the process of giving orders to the Transporter room when Commander Demos stepped up. Leonard frowned when he saw Spock's posture stiffen, then noticed what had caught Spock's attention. The media crew was now in action, carefully recording the events as Demos approached the Captain.

"Captain Kirk. Before you leave, we have an important matter for your attention which must be attended to immediately."

Puzzled as to why the Commander had waited until literally the last second to bring up anything so important, Jim spoke back into his communicator.

"Belay that last order, Transporter room. Stand by."

"Standing by, Captain."

Demos raised his right arm to display a scroll that he had his tendrils wrapped tightly around.

"I have a warrant for the arrest of one of your landing party. They are charged with committing crimes against the citizens of the Dramian system and we demand that they be surrendered to our authority to face judgment and punishment for those offenses."

It was difficult, but Jim fought the urge to look over to his group and instead kept his focus on Demos as he tried to figure out who the warrant could possibly be for. So far as he knew, there hadn't even been any minor misunderstandings, let alone anything worthy of issuing a warrant over.

Paying no attention as some of the cameras shifted to follow him, Spock stepped up to the Captain's side during the continued silence, breaking it with his comment.

"Meaning absolutely no disrespect to your planet's laws and customs, Commander Demos, but you are not yet full members of the Federation. As such, any warrant served must first be approved through Federation channels when it affects a Federation citizen."

Demos listened with cold politeness as Spock spoke and once the Vulcan finished, what might be termed a smug expression formed on the commander's face.

"We are fully aware of that technicality in Federation law. When you examine the document, you will find that the warrant has been both validated and approved by representatives of your Federation."

Spock extended his hand for the scroll to check for authenticity as Jim got a bad feeling. The Dramian system was out of range for immediate communications with the Federation and the trip to the nearest Starbase would have required a round trip of no less than ten days in order to relay a warrant to the Starbase, have it approved and returned. That meant that the warrant would have had to have been issued before the Enterprise had even entered Dramian space. And since there was only one member of his landing party that had been to the Dramian system before? Hoping he was wrong, Jim looked to Spock who was intently studying the scroll.

"Spock?"

"Commander Demos is correct, Captain. The seals were placed on the document by Federation representatives. The warrant is for the arrest of Doctor Leonard McCoy. The charge is that he and the medical team he was a part of in the year 2256 were the cause of a plague that killed the citizens of the colony world Dramia II. The order states that we are to turn the Doctor over to stand trial for those deaths."

Leonard didn't make a sound but his eyes widened at the charges. Not because of what the charges meant for him, but the thought of what they said had happened to Dramia II. The inoculation program had been intended to prevent massive outbreaks like that. He didn't have time to think further on it before he found himself flanked by two of Demos' men. He didn't fight back when they took hold of his arms even as Jim protested.

"There has to be some sort of mistake."

Demos looked back to the Captain, his tone cold.

"There was most definitely a mistake made, Captain - or a deliberate cold-blooded action. One that equated to the wanton slaughter of hundreds of innocent colonists."

Turning to his men, Demos gave his orders.

"Take the murderer to his cell in the Hall of Justice to await his execution."

Indicating the scroll in his hand, Spock put in his own protest.

"The warrant is to turn Doctor McCoy over for a trial."

The Supreme Prefect stepped forward and pulled the scroll away from Spock.

"He will have his trial, but there is no doubt of what the outcome will be. His co-conspirators have evaded our justice, but he will not do the same."

That statement was what drew Leonard out of his shock. He still felt sick when he thought about Dramia II, but he couldn't let the insult to the other members of the mission pass. He and they might not have seen eye to eye on a lot of things, but they had been good people. Before they were deployed on the ships destroyed by Nero.

"Evaded? You make it sound like they're on the run. They're dead."

"Outbursts will not aid your cause, murderer. You are the only one of the killers remaining - you will take the punishment for the group. Remove him."

Even though Leonard hadn't resisted his guards, they started forward setting a pace with their longer legs that Leonard had no hopes of keeping up with meaning he was half-carried, half-dragged down the street. Uhura managed to keep her anger under wraps physically. It didn't escape her attention that the Dramian media was now following after the doctor and recording his arrest. When she turned back toward the main group, the rigid tone to her words told her feelings regarding what was going on plainly to anyone that knew her

"Captain, as per Federation directive 5875 slash 7, we are required to verify any Federation citizen being held in a non-Federation prison is being held in humane conditions with food and beverage appropriate to their race."

The Supreme Prefect frowned and looked to Commander Demos. It was obvious they were weighing whether or not denying access would be worth the political incident it would cause. Finally Demos spoke again.

"I see no harm in allowing the Starfleet men access to the cells, Supreme Prefect. After all, it will only be for a day or two."

The Supreme Prefect gave Uhura an annoyed look before speaking.

"Very well. You may have free access to your man, but no more than two of your people may enter the Hall of Justice at a time and should any of your people seek to assist the prisoner, they will share his fate."

The automatic presumption of guilt was working on Jim's last nerve. He wasn't the only one that felt that way. Uhura kept her voice polite, but there was an icy edge to it.

"Why are you so sure that he's responsible?"

Looking at her as if she was a child that had to have things spelled out to her, the Supreme Perfect gestured with the scroll.

"It is obvious. There was no plague before he and his group visited Dramia II - it began after they left."

Not responding to that as he didn't trust that he could keep himself calm enough to prevent making things worse, Jim called for the rest of the landing party to be teleported, speaking one final time to the Supreme Prefect before leaving.

"We will be back shortly to verify Doctor McCoy's confinement conditions meets the Federation minimal standards."

After the group was gone, the Supreme Prefect looked back to Commander Demos, who nodded to him.

"The area will meet the Federation conditions. For the length of the visit."

"Very well. Carry on. I must make arrangements for the trial to be broadcast so that all will know that Dramia II has been avenged."

Commander Demos continued to stand where he was while watching the Supreme Prefect leave. While he had no disagreements with the Dramian justice system, he disliked the grandstanding that the Supreme Prefect was indulging in. Demos knew that their leader was using the Earth doctor to promote some agenda of his own and politics was one thing that Demos had very little patience for. Had it been left up to him, the Earth doctor would have been arrested the minute that he teleported to the surface.

A frown formed on Demos' face. Delaying the arrest, arranging for media to be present at the arrest, dragging the human off . . . all obviously for show. Shaking his head, he dismissed the thoughts about it. The Earth doctor was guilty, the Earth doctor would pay the penalty. That was what mattered, not the rest.

Jim called an emergency meeting as soon as they were back onboard. Once all of his command staff were filled in on what had happened on the surface, procedure was flung to the side as the various personnel weighed in.

"Doctor McCoy? Our Doctor McCoy killing? I've never heard anything so daft in my life. I'd believe Chekov went on a rampage sooner . . . no offense meant, Mister Chekov."

"None taken, Mister Scott. But from the way that the doctor described how their laws work, he could be innocent of doing anything wrong and still be convicted by their court. Especially as they are holding him responsible for whatever anyone else might have done."

Uhura was still angry from earlier and not showing signs of cooling down anytime soon.

"You should have seen the way they forced him to go with them even though he never fought against going. That Supreme Prefect of theirs isn't looking for justice, he's looking for a scapegoat."

Her wording had Sulu leaning forward.

"Do you think the doctor might really be a scapegoat? Accusing him might be a cover-up for something the Supreme Prefect or his people did."

The calm in the midst of the emotional storm, Spock weighed in on Sulu's thought.

"While it would be far from the first time in recorded history that a leader has thrown accusations against an innocent party to divert attention from themselves, we have nothing to show that this may be the case."

A snort gave a pretty good indication of what Jim thought of that.

"We have as much proof of that as they have of Bones being a murderer. The very thought he would have done anything of the sort is preposterous. And if he'd spotted any of the others doing anything wrong, we all know that he wouldn't have kept quiet about it."

That got the only laughter – one thing that could be counted on was that Leonard McCoy was not the type to shy away from conflict if he believed something was wrong.

"As a matter of fact, Bones actually got in trouble with the head of his group for going to treat someone who was already ill with the Saurian virus instead of staying at the base camp administering shots. I was told about it by then Lieutenant Minyawi when they came back from that mission."

Spock gave the Captain an inquisitive look.

"You were not a part of that mission, sir. Why would Lieutenant Commander Minyawi have brought up the incident to you?"

"Because he happened to agree with Bones that a doctor shouldn't turn his back on sick individuals. The majority of the party on the vaccination mission weren't medical doctors – they were medical researchers. Minyawi wanted someone to know what went on in case any of them ever came back to bother him about it. Several of them had at least some influence over several of the classes Bones needed to take to get through the Academy's medical program."

There was no question about who would go down for the initial inspection of where they were keeping Leonard. Jim was far from impressed by his first look at the Hall of justice. He was even less impressed by the area where the doctor was being held. The first thing they were shown was a replicator that had three dishes programmed into it that were suitable for Terran humanoid consumption and it also had a setting for water with the proper nutrients. The room Leonard was being held in was fairly large, but a force field had him confined into an area not much bigger than a storage closet. An L-shaped bench was the only thing in the area with him and Leonard was sitting on it, deep in thought.

Spock stood slightly behind the Captain as they waited for the guard to turn the field off long enough for them to enter. Once the field was down, Jim moved immediately to the bench and sat down near his best friend.

"How are you doing, Bones?"

Leonard couldn't bring himself to meet Jim's eyes.

"Not good. I keep thinking about the ones I knew on Dramia II. Kol-Tai, Zo-Los, Tir-Vor . . . all dead. And hundreds of others as well and it's possibly my fault. How am I supposed to live with knowing that might even be possible?"

"No. I don't buy that for one minute. You couldn't be responsible. Not you."

"I need to know, Jim - good or bad. I won't find out anything at the trial - the verdict's already in. The rest is just a formality." Leonard finally looked up and met Jim's eyes.

"If I die, I die - I don't have any control over that. But please, Jim - I have to know."

The look of devastation that he saw in Leonard's eyes cut Jim to the quick. What really infuriated him though was the fact that the Dramians might legally murder Leonard - with the damned Federation's blessing. It wouldn't be an execution - it couldn't be an execution because there was no way that his Bones could ever do anything so bad that it would warrant an execution - he'd rather cut off his own arm than kill someone. Jim knew that - hell, for all their differences, it was obvious from his almost protective stance that Spock knew it too.

Shifting his position to get close enough to wrap his hand around the side of Leonard's neck, Jim drew his friend closer.

"We'll go to Dramia II, Bones. I'll find something. I promise."

Spock had remained standing and had kept quiet until then.

"Captain , Doctor - I feel that I must point out that there may no longer be anything to find after the amount of time that has passed. If, as I suspect, the plague coinciding with the departure of the medical team was simply a coincidence, there may not be anything to be found."

Despite the fact that what Spock said meant there might not be anything that could help him on Dramia II, Leonard smiled at the show of faith in his innocence that the words conveyed. Jim gave Spock a look of appreciation as well as he stood.

"Well, Spock, one thing's for certain - we won't find anything if we don't even bother to look."

The look of gratitude on Leonard's face was all the added incentive that Jim needed. He gave his friend a pat.

"You worry about taking care of yourself, Bones - leave the rest to us. Come on, Spock. We have a planet to investigate."

Leonard watched as the field was taken down again and kept his eyes glued on the two men until the final traces of the transporter effect had faded. His Dramian guard sneered at him as he reactivated the field.

"Dramian justice works quickly, murderer. You will most likely be dead before your companions return."

Lowering his head, Leonard didn't respond to the barbs though the truth of what the guard said weighed heavy on him. Maybe that would be for the best. The thought of Jim having to see him die? Sure, Jim would mourn his death regardless, but if he watched it, it would be something Jim could never unsee.

He was drawn from his morose thoughts by a container of water being tossed through a small hole that formed in the field. Leonard picked it up almost automatically and took a sip. He didn't have an appetite and he supposed that was just as well since they hadn't offered any food and didn't seem inclined to. Take another sip of water, he mentally shrugged. Not like he was going to live long enough to starve.

He heard the guard, Quelin, speaking and since he wasn't speaking to him, it caught Leonard's attention and he stayed very still to try and hear as much as he could. Quelin was reporting to Commander Demos, telling him about Jim's plan to go to Dramia II to investigate. From the tone of the Commander's voice, he was planning to stop Jim. Snorting softly, Leonard shook his head. Demos didn't know Jim like he knew Jim if he thought he'd even slow Jim down.

Sighing, he wished that the bench at least had a back to it that he could lean against. On the other hand, the discomfort had the advantage of giving him something else to think about besides the dead of Dramia II.

The Supreme Perfect had his entire staff busy setting up the show trial for the Federation doctor. He, for one, had no interest in Dramia joining the Federation. He had many lucrative deals that kept him quite comfortable. Those dealings wouldn't be legal under Federation laws. Technically, they weren't legal under Dramian law either, but as Supreme Prefect, there was no one who had the authority to question him.

The obstacle he had been facing was that by law, all major policies were decided by voting. For a policy to be accepted or rejected, three-quarters of adult Dramians had to agree on it. Previous humanitarian missions to stricken sections of Dramia had made the Federation very popular. Too popular.

The Enterprise's medical mission to Dramia had been most carefully timed to arrive a month before the general vote was held on whether Dramia would apply for full membership in the Federation. McCoy's trial and subsequent execution for the murder of hundreds of Dramians was exactly the push he needed to get the issue of joining the Federation off of the table permanently.

Smiling to himself, he issued the order to begin the first of the series of broadcasts. This one would be a moving memorial to the colonists who lives had been violently cut short. He had originally intended to accuse the doctors of ineptitude, but decided of would be far more likely to stir his people to anger if he was to accuse the Federation of using the isolated colony to conduct bio-warfare experiments.

It was hard to tell how long it had been since Jim and Spock had left. Still sitting on the bench inside the force field, Leonard kept running scenarios through his head. There was no point in even attempting to sleep - even if he had been tired, the L-shaped bench was too short and too hard to accommodate him.

A sound drew his attention. It sounded like an argument down the hall between several people and it was getting both closer and louder. It was only another minute or two before around a dozen angry Dramians stormed into the room he was being held in and the force field was rapidly surrounded.

"Killer! Why is he still alive, Quelin? Why hasn't the Supreme Prefect called to vote for his execution?"

"That is nothing that had been told to me. You would have to ask the Supreme Prefect for his reasons. I see no reason for delaying actions on the murderer myself."

Closing his eyes, Leonard let the voices wash over him without making any sound himself. What could he say that they would believe - or even listen to? Then the tone of the voices took a turn.

"There is no need to delay any longer, Quelin. Take down the force field and we will take him away from the Hall of Justice. We will see he is punished for what he did."

Another voice chimed in.

"There were young among the victims of Dramia II. Why should he continue to draw breath when they are dead from the plague he helped cause? Give us the control and we will turn it off ourselves."

Mentally, Leonard apologized to Jim. He should have said a proper farewell to his best friend, but he'd been too self-absorbed thinking about the charges against him at the time. Begging Jim to find out for him what had happened. What did it matter now? He'd never know because he was about to get lynched - or whatever it was they called mob justice on Dramia. That was one subject that had never come up in his talks with Dej-Tai.

He was both relieved and shocked to hear Quelin's response.

"No. You will leave now, but not with the prisoner. He is not of our world, but from the Federation."

One of the others snarled.

"Being from the Federation should not exempt him from our justice!"

Quelin remained firm.

"He will not receive any special consideration because of the Federation, but his punishment will be decided and carried out after his trial. Regardless of what you think of the Federation, they will be watching to see how Dramia administers justice. Would you shame us all by making our people appear like lawless barbarians to the other worlds?"

The group wavered and Quelin pressed his point.

"I ask nothing for the murderer. When they order his execution, I will gladly assist in it if so ordered. But to rush this is not for the good of our people. Patience. What is another day or so to wait?"

There was a bit more grumbling, but the group slowly began to head back to the doorway. One of them called back before leaving.

"You don't have long, child-killer. I will cheer on your death day."

Once the last of the intruders were gone, Quelin looked back at the Earth doctor. Part of him regretted that he hadn't let the group have their way. He had no desire to keep guarding the killer, but he had a strong sense of duty. Nothing that violated their laws would happen while he was on watch.

Now emotionally and physically exhausted, Leonard considered between the bench and the floor before choosing the floor to try and get some sleep on.

He had been trying to think of what might have gone wrong ever since his arrest. All the vaccines had been manufactured in the Farragut's labs before the teams went down to the planets. If a fault with the vaccine had caused the plague, the same plague should have ravaged the Dramian home world as well. So the odds were very much against the vaccines having been the problem.

Was it possible that one of them had been mildly ill with something that turned far more serious when the Dramians were exposed to it? Improbable, but improbable meant there was still a possibility, however small. But surely if the incubation time was so long that no symptoms showed until they were gone, the plague wouldn't have spread as quickly as the Dramians claimed that it did.

He wasn't sure what it was that drew his attention, but when he looked up, Leonard saw Spock standing over his guard - who was collapsed onto the floor.

"Spock? What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I will explain later, Doctor."

Spock didn't even look toward Leonard as he spoke. He was looking for the control for the force field and shut it off as soon as he located it.

"I might have expected Jim to pull a harebrained stunt like this, but not you. A jailbreak, Spock? Did you miss the part where they intend to execute anyone helping me escape?"

"Actually, I believe what they said was should any of our people seek to assist you, they would share your fate."

"And since they plan to execute me?"

"I concede your point, Doctor."

That was the one sentence that had Leonard freezing in place.

"You're conceding a point? To me? Are you sick?"

"No, I am not. However, I am the only one of the crew other than yourself who is not. The Dramian II plague is aboard the Enterprise."

"What! How . . . no, never mind. Get me there now."

"You do realize that in beaming aboard, there is a chance that you will contract the plague yourself."

"I'm a doctor, Spock. Any doctor that's scared to be around sick folks needs to find another damn profession. Wait - if you're the only one not sick, who's operating the transporter?"

"Mister Chekov is still in the beginning stages of the disease and will operate the transporter remotely to lower the chances of your exposure. Mister Chekov - when you are ready, two to beam up."

It seemed odd to reform on the transporter pad with no-one else in the room. Spock stepped off briskly before turning back to face Leonard.

"I must ask that you remain here while I see to Mister Chekov. Then -"

Spock cut off his own words as he took a better look at the doctor.

"You seem unsteady and paler than usual. Is there a problem?"

"Probably nothing a meal and a nap won't fix, but I doubt I'll have time for either for a while."

Spock's eyes grew cold, but Leonard knew it wasn't aimed at him.

"What did they provide for you on the planet?"

"Water. Once."

"I see. And were you still confined to the small area with the single bench when we left?"

"Never out of that spot until you took the field down."

That led to a number of other questions, but all of those could wait until later.

"If I am not mistaken, Mister Scott has a replicator unit in the maintenance area where food may be obtained. Since you will not be able to begin work until I return, I suggest you make use of it."

Somehow it really didn't surprise the doctor one bit that their perpetually hungry Chief Engineer had added his own snack machine to one of the areas he was frequently in. By the time Spock returned with his med-kit, tricorder and a biohazard suit for him, Leonard had wolfed down two sandwiches and a coffee. He quickly dressed in the biohazard suit, then looked to Spock.

"Alright, now - how did the plague get onboard?"

"That, Leonard, is part of the mystery that we must solve. To the best of our awareness, we did not come into contact with anyone who was ill, though we did meet the patient you had mentioned, Kol-Tai. He survived the first plague, but has fallen victim to the one currently onboard."

"And it seems to be the same symptoms as the one that struck five years ago?"

"From what descriptions were available, they are the same including alterations in skin pigments."

Knowing that the first thing Spock would have done was to put in the basic symptoms through the computer, he didn't repeat that work. Instead, he began to ask Spock questions.

"Kol-Tai didn't show any signs of being ill before coming onboard."

"No signs of any sickness and Nurse Chapel gave him a preliminary examination when he came aboard which showed him to be in good health."

"Well, something wasn't right with someone. Nobody ate or drank anything when they were on the planet surface?"

"I would presume Kol-Tai had, but other than him, negative."

"Did you come across anyone else on the planet?"

"Affirmative. The Captain was attacked by one of the relatives of the plague victims, but they were not showing any signs of illness."

"Something is missing. Why would Kol-Tai suddenly become ill after five years of not being affected?"

The frown grew as Leonard paced and thought.

"Okay - walk me through this, Spock. What happened once you left my cell?"

"The Captain had Mister Sulu lay in a course for Dramia II and had Mister Scott give us a higher warp speed than usual as he feared what you had said regarding the speed of Dramian trials. Commander Demos intercepted us at the planet surface and demanded that we depart as we had no authority to conduct an investigation. It was while we were hearing his demands that we were attacked. The attack proved to be fortunate as the noise from it plus our voices drew out Kol-Tai, who recognized the Starfleet uniforms."

"Once the reason for our presence was explained, Kol-Tai insisted on returning with us to Dramia to tell his story about how the plague occurred. Demos insisted that he stay with Kol-Tai and so left his shuttle secured on the planet surface and beamed aboard with the rest of us. Once we were on our way back to Dramia, Kol-Tai grew ill, as did the Captain, Commander Demos and eventually, the rest of the crew excepting myself."

"And nothing unusual occurred at all?"

Spock steepled his fingers as he considered.

"We had to pass through the natural phenomena that they call the aurora on our way to and from Dramia II, but there was no disturbance registered to the ship's systems. Readings were taken and the radiation, though intense, was nothing that would adversely affect the crew."

"Let me see if I have the basic facts down. The Enterprise passed through the aurora on the way to Dramia II and no-one got sick - correct?"

"Correct, Doctor."

"When you were on the surface of Dramia II, none of you felt or showed any ill effects nor did you come in contact with anyone showing any of the plague symptoms - also correct?"

"Yes, Doctor."

"Did anyone show any signs of the illness when you left the orbit of Dramia II?

"No-one."

"So . . . it wasn't until the Enterprise entered the aurora the second time that the sickness began then?"

"I am not sure what theory you are pursuing, but yes."

"And reviewing who fell ill first, had they been to the surface of Dramia II?"

"Yes. First Kol-Tai, then the Captain and then Demos. As previously stated, I was the only one that beamed back from the surface that did not contract it."

"I'd about be willing to guess Scotty was next after Demos."

Spock paused, then gave a thoughtful nod.

"I would need to review the records to be certain, but I believe that is correct."

"And Scotty was working the transporter controls when the four of you came aboard, wasn't he?"

"That I do not need to review the records to answer. He was."

Leonard nodded - as much to himself as to Spock.

"A bit of historical detail for you, Spock. When we were leaving Dramia II, we were told we were leaving too soon because we were going to miss the sight of the aurora enveloping the planet."

Spock's eyebrow rose.

"I begin to see what you are thinking. The aurora by itself is harmless. The surface of Dramia II is generally harmless, but perhaps something on the surface reacted to the aurora's radiation and caused the first plague. A condition that we possibly unwittingly duplicated when the unknown element from the surface was carried up to the Enterprise and then exposed to the aurora when the ship passed through it on our return to Dramia."

"Something that had been benign or at least inert was activated by the aurora's radiation and became the plague. Like that reaction Jim had when he ate a fresh apple with Andor chocolate."

"That theory does fit all the facts as we know them, but if that were the case, wouldn't the aurora have caused problems before?"

"No, it wouldn't have. I remember something Tir-Vor said - he was the Dramian in charge of getting us around and getting supplies for our group. He said the colony was fairly new. There had never been a colony on Dramia II before when the aurora surrounded the planet."

Leonard felt something unclench in him for the first time since his arrest.

"That means wasn't anything we did. It was nothing but a coincidence - the plague would have hit whether we'd gone to Dramia II that year or not."

"So it would seem. However, that knowledge will do little good if we cannot find a way to combat the disease. We know your former patient Kol-Tai survived, but whatever prevented him from catching it the first time no longer applies. What are the differences between how he was then and how he is now?"

Leaning forward on the table between them, Leonard closed his eyes, thinking back.

"He was a little younger, of course. Grieving for his wife. Recovering from . . ."

With a sharp intake of air, Leonard jerked his head up.

"Cowpox!"

For a moment, Spock wondered if perhaps the time in isolation had affected the doctor more adversely than he had assumed.

"I was under the impression that Kol-Tai had suffered from Saurian virus?"

Waving his hand impatiently, Leonard continued.

"He did, he did. I'm talking about something way back in Earth history. There was a disease called smallpox - killed around 500 million folks in the 20th century alone. Anyway, a few observant folks started noticing that some folks seemed to be immune - and a lot of the immune folks were milkmaids. Cows would get this disease on their udders."

"The cowpox you mentioned?"

"Exactly. Anyway, the milkmaids caught the cowpox from their cows. Cowpox isn't a big deal disease in humans, but the antibodies the milkmaids bodies developed to fight the cowpox were the same antibodies needed to keep them from getting smallpox."

"So it is your belief that the Saurian virus antibodies are to the plague as cowpox was to smallpox."

"It's the only thing I can think of that's logical, Spock. And Kol-Tai is sick now because it's been too long and he doesn't still have the active antibodies to ward it off."

"The ship has, I believe, the vaccine for the Saurian virus aboard?"

"Yes, but that won't do us any good, Spock. That's what my team was doing - giving inoculations. The vaccine isn't strong enough. We need the live antibodies. Once we have them, you can grow them in the lab and even clone them to speed up the process."

"If I am doing the work with the cultures and cloning, what will you be doing, Doctor?"

"Somebody has to provide the antibodies, Spock. And I'm the only viable candidate."

Spock drew back from the table, his whole attitude shifting even as his form of addressing the doctor did.

"That plan holds a great deal of danger for you, Leonard. We have managed to keep you isolated from the plague up until this point, but if you infect yourself with the Saurian virus and then come in contact with the plague before your antibodies have reached sufficient numbers, you will very likely die."

"Calculated risk, Spock. You and I are the only chance for everyone onboard this ship. This won't be easy on you either because once I'm infected, I won't be able to help beyond giving advice. Even if the odds are bad, they're better than the odds of doing nothing."

"Very well. You will have to remain in strict quarantine which means that once I leave this area, you and I cannot be in direct contact again."

"We don't have time to waste. Let's get started. As head of the science department, you already have the security codes you need to access to the virus samples."

Once Spock had left to get the virus and the other needed materials, Leonard drew a deep breath. This was going to work. It had to work. He wasn't going to lose Jim - or anyone else on the damn hunk of tin they called home. He'd give the last drop of his blood if need be to prevent that.

When Spock returned, he was enclosed in a form-fitting biohazard suit that allowed him freedom of motion. Leonard gave him instructions and warnings about the injection.

"You'll want to have your cultures ready to go. Saurian virus is a sudden onset disease in humans - it will be full-blown in me within three to six hours. Which is good for us since we need those antibodies as quickly as possible."

Much as Leonard disliked being hooked up to so many systems, he made sure that as many of his maintenance needs as possible would be handled by the computer. Spock would have his hands full enough without having to worry about him. As he settled into position to wait, he could practically feel Spock's reluctance to take the final step.

"Leonard? Are you certain?"

"I'm certain. Against all odds, I've become real fond of you, Spock - but I don't want to be left alone with you on a ship full of dead people when there's any chance at all that we could save them. The only qualm I have is leaving you to deal with everything yourself. I'm trusting that you know your own limits. It's a huge job with as many people as are on this ship."

"Which brings to mind a question. I know that the first of the antibody serums must go to those whose illness is most advanced, but if I then tend to the ones who are still at the beginning stages, would they recover quicker and be able to assist in the care of the others?"

Frowning, Leonard thought that over for a moment before smiling.

"I think you may be right, Spock. No way of knowing for sure until you actually try it, but if there are personnel still in the first stage of the illness, they should bounce back fairly quickly. They might still tire out easily, but any help would be better than none."

"Indeed. That was my thought as well. However, I am curious about one thing. You were a member of a group vaccinating against the Saurian virus. Were you never vaccinated against it yourself?"

"Actually, that was the reason for sending a team of humans around. We don't catch it through casual contact, so it was a lot easier to send us than to have to deal with the restrictions anyone else would have had to deal with."

"But humans have contracted the disease in the past. How is it that they became infected?"

"Pretty much the way I'm about to get it. The only known cases in humans have involved a human with an open wound or a laboratory accident. Regardless, in every case, the disease came in direct contact with the inside of the body."

Taking a deep breath, Leonard held out his hand.

"Well, no sense putting this off any longer. Hand me the hypospray. I'll inject myself, but you'll have to fasten the restraints. And yes - they are necessary. No telling what I might hallucinate if the fever gets too high."

Spock shook his head.

"There is no need for you to inject yourself. Relax."

The hiss of the hypospray sounded unnaturally loud in the small space. Forcing himself not to fight his natural dislike for being confined, Leonard gave his last set of instructions to Spock, though he was mainly talking to keep his mind off of what was coming.

"Test my blood hourly - start making use of any antibodies for cloning and cultures as soon as you detect them. Oh, and I'll stay hydrated, but I'd appreciate a sip of water when you pass through. It's all in your hands now, Spock."

"I will not let you and the crew down."

"I know you won't."

Setting down the now empty hypospray, Spock stood and silently watched over the doctor as he made a decision.

"There may be no choice in what your body must bear, but there is no reason for you to suffer any additional discomfort. Sleep, Leonard."

A light touch was Leonard's only warning before Spock's mind reached into his own and triggered a deep sleep barely lighter than a coma.

There was a soft noise that drew him. Familiar and welcoming. As he became a little more aware, the sound began to translate as a voice even though the words it was speaking weren't clear. Even without the exact words, the meaning was coming through. Urging, coaxing - someone was wanting him to come closer and he wanted to. Another level closer and the voice became one he could identify. Jim. Of course, it was Jim.

A small smile formed as the recognition hit and Leonard heard Jim's voice change. He was excited now. Calling for someone else to come over. when he managed to force his eyes open to see who Jim was talking to, the first thing he saw was those intense blue eyes looking right back at him and Jim looking happier than Leonard could ever remember him being.

"Welcome back, Bones."

Leonard puzzled over that. He felt weak, disoriented, and nothing was clear. Then a thought bubbled up from somewhere in the recesses of his mind. The plague. His eyes looked over Jim carefully. His friend had lost weight and looked paler than usual, but nothing worse than that.

Leonard swallowed hard to try and moisten his throat, finally managing to get one word out.

"Better?"

Jim laughed. looking as if he wanted to hug him, but was afraid of hurting him.

"Yes, you idiot. You damned near killed yourself for us, but you and Spock did it. We've got a few folks with long recoveries ahead of them yet, but we all lived, Bones. You hear that? Thanks to the two of you, not a single fatality."

Jim offered him a drink of water next and Leonard drank as much as he was allowed, enjoying the feeling of the moisture on his dry tongue and throat. He felt like he could go back to sleep for a month, but Jim drew his attention back by tapping on his chest.

"Don't go back to sleep yet. I've brought an old friend to see you."

Jim moved to the side and a face Leonard hadn't expected to see again appeared.

"Kol-Tai?"

All four of Kol-Tai's right tendrils wrapped gently around Leonard's right arm.

"This makes twice that you have sacrificed your own health to save my life. I am in your debt deeper than could ever be repaid."

A soft noise came from behind Kol-Tai, then Commander Demos came into Leonard's line of sight.

"I too find myself in your debt, Doctor . . "

Leonard raised his left hand weakly, slowly shaking his head.

"There is no debt. I'm a doctor. That's not a job to me - it's a . . ."

His brain wasn't coming up the right word, but Jim took hold of Leonard's right hand and supplied it for him.

"A calling."

Turning his head, Leonard met Jim's eyes again as his friend continued to hold his hand while using his free hand to brush back the hair from Leonard's still sweaty forehead.

"It's always been a calling for you. You're the most dedicated healer I've ever met. Which is the only reason I'm not going to kick your ass for that stunt you pulled. Really? You had to infect yourself with Saurian virus? You couldn't think of another way?"

Tightening his grip on Jim's hand, Leonard's eyes never wavered.

"No, I couldn't. There were other things we could have tried, but nothing that wouldn't have been too late to prevent deaths. Choosing between one person and hundreds? That's no choice, Jim."

The longer he listened to the Federation men talk, the more Demos frowned. Having seen how the plague erupted on the Enterprise, the origin of the disease made sense and meant that Doctor McCoy was blameless. When he reconsidered how the Supreme Prefect had handled the arrest, evidence seemed to indicate that the Supreme Prefect did not actually believe the Earth doctor to be guilty either. It wouldn't have made sense for him to allow someone he genuinely believed to be guilty of bio-warfare to have open access to their medical storage areas.

After considering for several minutes more, Demos spoke up.

"Captain Kirk, I believe it is only fair to warn you that it is my belief that, even with what we now know of the plague, that the Supreme Prefect will still seek to have Doctor McCoy executed. He has accused the doctor of bio-warfare experiments."

The shocked silence that met that statement confirmed that no such thing had happened so far as Demos was concerned. No one was even attempted to explain anything because the thought that anyone would even consider it plainly never occurred to any of them.

Demos paced as he thought. Leonard noticed that on of Demos' personal tics was that the tendrils on his left arm would start to reflexively curl and uncurl as he concentrated. None of them interrupted him and it went on for several minutes before Demos slowed and turned to Jim.

"Captain Kirk, if it were necessary, could your ship broadcast to Dramia?"

"I wouldn't think that would be difficult. Spock?"

"If we are speaking of simply transmitting to the planet, then of course we can do so. If we are referring to overriding the broadcast current transmitting on the surface, then, while we could do so, such an act would most likely be considered an offense. I believe the term they used on Earth for such actions was piracy of the airwaves."

Demos curled the tendrils on one arm around the other.

"As Security Chief of Dramia, the security of the media broadcasts falls under my supervision. Therefore, were I to authorize the Enterprise to broadcast, there should be no conflict, correct?"

"That would be correct, Commander. What sort of broadcast is it that you had in mind?"

"The Grand Prefect has been broadcasting what could best be called anti-Federation propaganda since the arrest of the doctor. I had not given proper thought to the timing of everything - the sending for the warrant, the arrest, the broadcasts."

Commander Demos now had Jim's full attention.

"If I'm understanding what you're implying correctly, the Supreme Prefect has staged all of this to make the Federation look bad - at the cost of my man's life. Why?"

"Politics, Captain. The least worthy thing to die over by my estimation. There is a planet-wide vote scheduled to be held soon which will determine whether we apply to become full members of the Federation or not. If the vote against it is large enough, the issue will not be brought up again for at least one hundred years by our laws. Why the Supreme Prefect is so set against our planet becoming a member of the Federation is unknown, but from the measures he has taken, that is obviously the case."

That made something from the day of his arrest come back to Leonard.

"The broadcast. Remember, Spock?"

"I do indeed, Doctor. Captain, on the day that we were originally supposed to have departed from Dramia, there was a formal farewell ceremony between yourself and the Supreme Prefect with the planet's media in attendance."

Not quite seeing what point Spock was making, Jim nodded.

"Yes, I remember all of that. What about it?"

"What you did not notice as your focus was on the Supreme Prefect was that none of the media personnel were recording anything. In fact, none of them turned on their equipment until Commander Demos stepped forward with the scroll for you containing the arrest warrant for Doctor McCoy."

Shaking his head, Commander Demos' voice took an apologetic tone.

"I should have realized something was not right by that point. I had already stated my opinion that if Doctor McCoy was guilty, he should have been arrested the very moment that he beamed down onto our world. The Supreme Prefect overruled me."

Everyone went silent as it was clear that Jim was now deep in thought. After a few minutes, he looked back to Demos.

"Commander, so what you're saying is that there was no broadcast about the Federation bringing the medical supplies."

"Correct, Captain, though I fail to see what that would matter."

Kol-Tai spoke up.

"That is because you dislike politics and are not looking at this from a political point of view, Commander. I hope that you will not hold it against me that I am a politician myself, but I can see many reasons why the Supreme Prefect would hide the source of the medical supplies."

Kol-Tai unfurled one tendril at a time as he made his points.

"First, since he does not want the people to vote to join the Federation, he wanted only negative broadcasts going out to the general populace. Second, if no credit has been given to the Federation for the supplies, then the Supreme Prefect can shift that credit to any party that it would be advantageous for him to have in public favor. The third point may or may not apply, but if the existence of the supplies is not well-known, is may even be possible that those supplies are being used for something other than the public good that the Federation intended that they be used for."

Everyone in the room silently considered what Kol-Tai had said, then Jim turned back to Demos.

"I understand if you don't want to be involved, but if Kol-Tai is correct, the Supreme Prefect may be taking advantage of his position to the detriment of the citizens."

"I agree, Captain Kirk and, as Security Chief of Dramia, I am requesting the assistance of your Federation in investigating the allegations made by the Supreme Prefect of Dramia II."

Kol-Tai brought his head up sharply.

"I do not hold that title, Commander Demos. The last elected Supreme Prefect is dead."

"Are you or are you not the only survivor among the registered colonists of Dramia II?"

"I am."

"And as such, the only one eligible not only to run for that position, but to vote in the election as well, correct?"

Blinking, Kol-Tai looked back at Leonard who gave him an encouraging smile and nod. Kol-Tai drew himself upright and spoke clear.

"Correct. I, Kol-Tai, nominate myself for the positions of Supreme Prefect of Dramia II. I accept the nomination and call for an immediate vote. As the only remaining voter of Dramia II, I cast my vote for myself. Captain Kirk, as an independent observer, will you acknowledge the validity of the election?"

Seeing this as his best chance at saving the life of his CMO and friend, Jim nodded.

"In the presence of my First Officer and the Security Chief of Dramia, I officially verify that all the votes of known eligible voters are in and counted making Kol-Tai the winner with 100% of the vote."

Smiling, Kol-Tai stepped forward to face Jim.

"Then as the duly elected representative of Dramia II, I formally request that you, as the nearest official representative of the Federation, undertake an investigation in cooperation with the Security Chief of Dramia into the actions of the Supreme Prefect of Dramia for possible violations of his office."

"As the nearest official representation of the Federation, I pledge to you our full cooperation and offer you use of our resources. Commander Spock, would you assist Commander Demos in the investigation?"

"It would be my pleasure, Captain."

Demos stepped up formally as well.

"As Security Chief, I have concerns regarding my ability to protect the defendant, Leonard McCoy, from harm due to both the high state of emotions regarding the charges against him and possible corruption. I request permission to have the defendant held on the Enterprise until such time as these issues have been resolved."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jim offered his hand to Demos, who grasped it in return.

"Your request is granted, Commander Demos. Thank you."

Spock stepped to the Commander's side.

"If you will accompany me, Commander, we will begin. Doctor McCoy, there will likely be questions that we will need for you to address later, but I believe we would be best served for the time being if you make use of this time to rest and continue your recovery."

Leonard's drawl came out a bit exaggerated. Some of it was sarcasm, but most of it was pure exhaustion.

"Why, thank you, Doctor Spock. I believe I'll take that advice."

Chuckling, Jim moved over and lifted a glass to offer Leonard another drink.

"You do that, Bones. Captain's orders."

A faint smile formed even as his eyes sagged shut.

"Aye, aye, sir."

The work of investigation was greatly enhanced by Demos' cooperation as he had all of the security codes needed to enter Dramia's computer systems. Spock found himself shocked at what they began to uncover almost immediately. The Supreme Prefect noticeably hadn't worried about hiding any of his dealings – he clearly hadn't expected anyone to look.

One of the first things they found was that Kol-Tai had been correct on more than one of his points regarding the medical supplies. The Supreme Prefect had worded the acquisition of the supplies to make it sound as if he had spent his own personal funds to bring the supplies to the planet. It was also blatantly clear that the amount of supplies declared was only a little over a third of what the Enterprise had actually delivered.

Once Demos found that the Supreme Prefect was taking offers on the sale of the remainder of the supplies, he was more than prepared to take his accusations before the citizenry. Spock advised they spend a bit more time searching. Since the Supreme Prefect had done this, the odds were highly against this being his first such incident. As Spock had surmised, more - many more - instances of the Supreme Prefect using things that had been intended for the public for himself. By the end of the day, Demos was as angry at himself for not having noticed the problem before as he was at the Supreme Prefect.

After they had gathered and collated the evidence, Demos requested the Captain to join them. After turning the command chair over to Scotty, Jim came in, an expectant look on his face.

"Any luck in your hunt, gentlemen?"

"I am ashamed to say, Captain Kirk, that our hunting provided far more game than I had imagined. When we do the broadcast, would you prefer to be the one to present the information?"

Jim firmly shook his head.

"Actually, beyond providing you the means of communication with your people, I would prefer that the Enterprise not be referenced at all. This is, after all, a Dramian matter and not a Federation one, so I think that you and Kol-Tai should be the ones to present the case before the citizens."

"Yes, that is probably very wise, Captain. Kol-Tai should be advised before any further decisions are made without him."

Spock left to bring Kol-Tai into the meeting and found him sitting by Doctor McCoy's bedside wearing an expression that made Spock wonder if something had gone wrong.

"Pardon me, Kol-Tai, but is there a problem with the doctor?"

"None that my own people did not cause him. I grew to know Leonard well during the hours that he tended to me. Has he ever spoken of it?"

"He has, but in generalities only. Doctor McCoy is very adamant in protecting the privacy of his patients. I do recall that he expressed sorrow over the untimely passing of your wife and mentioned something of his admiration for her."

"Dej-Tai. Yes, she was as fine a wife as a man could ask for. Even though she had never seen or spoken to a human before, she went alone and on foot to find their camp to see if she could find someone to help me when she began to worry for my life. I was most fortunate that Leonard was among their number. When I was too weak to move on my own, he carried me to where I needed to be. Quite a task in itself considering that I am larger than he. He fed me food, medicine and water by spoon until I was finally well enough for one of our neighbors to take over my care."

Expressions weren't always easy to read on the Dramian's faces, but the look that Kol-Tai gave to the sleeping doctor was one that Spock would have classified as fondness.

"I told him when we first parted that he was welcomed in my family. I could tell by the way he reacted to that – family means as much to him as it does to our people."

"I believe you will find that, where Doctor McCoy is concerned, you do not have to guess his feelings on a matter. He tends to make them quite clear."

That seemed to amuse Kol-Tai.

"I had heard of them, but you are the first Vulcan I have ever met. Do clearly expressed feelings still count as a fault among your people?"

There was a pause as Spock thought back to his father in the aftermath of the death of his mother.

"Not as much as they once did. My people suffered a great loss when our home planet was destroyed. Much that had been in the past has been reconsidered since then."

"My apologies, Mister Spock. I did not mean to bring back memories of a tragedy."

"No apologies are necessary. You have lived through a tragedy of immense proportions yourself. Which is part of the reason I came. Commander Demos and Captain Kirk wish for you to join them in a meeting concerning the Supreme Prefect."

Gently, Kol-Tai unwound his tendrils from Leonard's arm.

"He will not be safe so long as the Supreme Prefect of Dramia still hold his office, will he?"

"I believe the doctor is in great danger from him. He is not seeing Doctor McCoy as an individual, but rather as a means to an end that he desires."

"Then lead the way. Perhaps I can repay some small part of what I owe Leonard. He may say there is no debt, but my heart says otherwise."

While Spock was speaking to Kol-Tai, Jim decided that Uhura needed to be brought in on the discussion as well as she would be the one handling the details of the broadcast. Once Kol-Tai was seated with the others, plans were quickly made. Since he was known to all the citizens of Dramia, Demos would begin the broadcast and then allow Kol-Tai to speak.

Uhura had a list of details that she needed to know – the frequency that they would need to override, any security codes needed to relay the feed and what sort of attempts to cut them off that she should be on the lookout for.

Jim called the quartermaster and had Kol-Tai go with him to have a set of clothing made up for him that was more befitting his new station. By the time Kol-Tai had cleaned up and redressed, Uhura and Demos had everything else ready including a backdrop that had been made to Demos' specifications to resemble the official backdrop that he usually made his public announcements from.

The broadcast to the citizens of Dramia had already been underway for several minutes before the Supreme Prefect discovered it. He immediately ordered the power shut off to the main broadcast station only to be told that the transmissions weren't coming from there. By the time his technicians had finally found a way to interrupt the broadcast, it was too late.

The accusations and the evidence to go with them enflamed the citizens. Unlike the old Earth way of voting where polling places were set up in specific places on a specific day, every Dramian citizen had their own device that they used to cast votes. There were scheduled voting days, such as the one about applying for Federation membership. There could also be impromptu calls for voting if a situation was labeled as urgent – such as Demos now did. So an immediate call for a vote to remove the current Supreme Prefect was answered in what would prove to be record time. Over nine-tenths of the citizens voted him out of the office.

Jim, Spock and Uhura were watching everything play out on Dramia as it happened. Jim was frankly in awe. For all that he believed that the Dramian justice system was a piece of crap, they had planet-wide communications and citizen participation on a scale that Jim had never witnessed in action before.

Even Spock admitted being impressed by it and, even as they were discussing the Dramian political machine, Uhura pointed them to a new trend erupting - nominations were being thrown out by the citizens for candidates to fill the Supreme Prefect position.

Spock reasserted his admiration that the majority of the citizens were not only involved, but also seemed knowledgeable enough to be debating possible contenders at a moment's notice. Even Commander Demos was mentioned before being nearly immediately dismissed as the majority clearly felt that the realm of politics was not his forte. Then another familiar name appeared and began its own ground swell.

The broadcast had done more than cause the populace to rise up against the last Supreme Prefect. The calm presence of Kol-Tai on the broadcast had made a very good impression - there were discussions and vast approval over the way that he presented himself and his case. Unlike the last set of broadcasts by the now former Supreme Prefect, Kol-Tai hadn't ranted or demanded action. He had appeared on the broadcast and spoken to them as if they were all his neighbors that had gathered around his table and he was relating to them the news he'd heard while in town. The former Supreme Prefect had tended to speak to them as if he were their boss - something that hadn't really jelled in their minds as prior Supreme Prefects had all been very much the same during their speeches. Now, they had seen another way - and the more it was talked over, the more they decided that they preferred it.

Spock had already known by the combination of both near mathematical patterns and artistry in the layouts of their capital that the Dramians' minds were far more orderly than most he dealt with, but now they proved that point further. As there had been assumed to be no survivors on Dramia II, nothing had ever been done to alter the status of its citizens. A quick vote was called for and quickly ratified that made all residents of the Dramian system eligible to both vote and run for office on Dramia. That turn of events had Jim holding his breath.

Within minutes of the alteration of eligibility being ratified, Kol-Tai's name was put forward as a candidate for Supreme Prefect. While not unanimous, within a few hours, Kol-Tai had gathered eight-tenths of the votes - more than needed to take the office. What remained now was for Kol-Tai to either accept or decline the position. Jim knew which he was hoping for, of course, but he wouldn't try to press Kol-Tai into accepting.

Leaving Spock and Uhura to continue monitoring the planet, Jim went to find Kol-Tai - who he correctly guessed had returned to Leonard's side. Coming in from the side so as not to startle either man, Jim had a slight tease to his voice as he spoke.

"You're going to put my nurses out of work, Kol-Tai."

Kol-Tai made a chuffing sound that Jim decided must be a Dramian chuckle.

"It is the way of our people that family and neighbors tend to the ill, Captain. I named Leonard as kin when he left my home, so helping to watch over him is both duty and pleasure. There have been many lonely days since the plague struck and I remembered him often. But I prattle while you seem to have something you wanted to say."

Sitting down nearby, Jim leaned forward.

"First, I should tell you that we've been monitoring the reactions on the planet to that broadcast that you and Demos did. The Supreme Prefect has been voted out of office."

The sound from Kol-Tai now was similar to air escaping from a line. Mixing the sound with his expression made Jim equate it to a sigh.

"So sad for his family. It is a great shame to be removed from office, but he brought the shame down onto himself by trying to place blame on Leonard and his fellow doctors for things beyond control."

"Yes, he did. And that brings me to what I needed to tell you. You impressed many of your people with how you presented yourself. They're asking you to take the position of Supreme Prefect."

Startled, Kol-Tai looked at the Captain closely.

"Is this true? I have been involved in politics, but I am not from a family line as Sharff was."

"Sharff?"

"The former Supreme Prefect."

"Well, the way I see it, it seems that they may be rejecting the way things have been done and are wanting to try something new. But this is your decision. It will be huge change for you if you accept."

"Change? Yes."

Kol-Tai's eyes moved back to Leonard.

"Are you the same Jim that was Leonard's roommate?"

Bowing his head in acknowledgement, Jim wondered what Kol-Tai had been told back then. In those early days, Jim had a tendency to make his roommate a little crazy at times. Halfway expecting to be embarrassed, the older Dramian's words took him by surprise.

"I have always wanted to meet you. Leonard said you were probably the most generous and caring soul he'd ever met. I believe I have seen some of what he said in your actions. I thank you and request use of your communications once more so that I may answer my people."

Standing, Kol-Tai followed Jim back to where Spock and Uhura were still monitoring the communications from the planet. It only took a matter of minutes for Uhura to get everything ready for the new transmission. To Jim's immense relief, Kol-Tai accepted the nomination and so became the new Supreme Prefect.

Commander Demos and Kol-Tai beamed back down to the planet for the brief ceremony that officially put Kol-Tai into his new job. His very first official action was to call for the immediate dismissal of all charges against Leonard McCoy as the cause of the plague had now been proven to be natural. Everyone onboard breathed much easier when the citizens quickly ratified that request and their CMO was no longer under the threat of imminent execution.

The next ground swell of movement started, oddly enough, among the very citizens that had come close to lynching Leonard. After all of the facts were finally out, they were ashamed of their actions and put in for vote that the doctor be awarded their highest honor for his contributions to the health of their people. Not only had he solved the puzzle of what had caused the plague, he had saved future Dramians from the same fate as there had already been talk of trying to reestablish the colony. Now, no new colonies would be attempted on Dramia II until they could find a way to prevent future outbreaks when the aurora touched the planet. Even more to his credit, a supply of the antibodies that had been cloned and cultured on the Enterprise from his blood were going to be cryogenically stored in the Dramian medical centers in case of a future outbreak.

It was the combined urgings of Kol-Tai and Jim that convinced Leonard to go through with the ceremony to accept the award, but in the end, He agreed so long as Spock was acknowledged as well. The same group came down to the planet to attend the ceremony as had been with him when he'd been arrested. The irony was lost on the Dramians and Leonard wasn't inclined to point it out.

The only thing that made the ceremony acceptable to Leonard was that it was Kol-Tai himself that presented it to them and his old friend's sincerity made up for everything else. This time, all of the media representatives were recording the event as Kol-Tal lifted the first medal hanging from a golden ribbon and placed it around Spock's neck before picking up a second medal to lower it over Leonard's head.

"It is my honor to bestow these medals. The first for scientific excellence to Commander Spock of the USS Enterprise and the second for medical achievement to Doctor McCoy of the USS Enterprise - the most dedicated healer it has ever been my pleasure to meet. One that I can say saved my life three times in all. In addition, since we now know that Dramia II is not yet safe for our people to colonize, he has prevented the repeat of a tragic situation which led to the deaths of so many of our people."

The medal was settled into place, then Kol-Tai wrapped his tendrils around Leonard's shoulders.

"When we first parted, I said that you were as kin to me. You are of my family and will always be welcomed in my house as such."

Kol-Tai then turned his attention to the other members of the Enterprise crew.

"My thanks and those of my people is also extended to the crew of the USS Enterprise, who played an equally vital role in the discovery of the cause of the plague. It is my hope that we will soon become members of the Federation and look forward to closer relations between my people and yours."

Jim smiled back at that.

"That is our hope as well, Supreme Prefect. We ask your leave - it is time for us to resume our mission."

"Of course, Captain Kirk. You and your crew are welcome back on Dramia at any time."

"Thank you, Supreme Prefect. Kirk to Enterprise - beam us aboard."

Once onboard, Spock began what Jim recognized as a tease about Leonard's dereliction of duty as several routine items such as vitamin distribution were behind schedule. Without missing a beat, Leonard shot back that if Spock had been so concerned about the delay, he could have ordered the distribution himself. The bantering continued on as they walked down the corridor side by side with Jim following - a smile on his face. Their team was whole again.