Dawn McCurry walked down the corridor towards her cabin. A young yeoman walked behind her, desparetly trying to catch up. Finally, she shouted, "Lieutenant Commander!"
McCurry turned around, "Yes, yeoman. What is it?"
"I am yeoman Diana Collin," she replied, somewhat out of breath, "I am your aide."
"My what?"
"Your secretary, aid, whatever you want to call me."
"Oh," she replied, "alright, ah, Diana."
"What would you like me to do?"
"Arrange a meeting of my Engineering crew in one half hour, alright?"
"Yes, sir."
Dawn stared after Diana as she walked away, then continued to her quarters. She went in, looked around briefly, then went to take a shower. She noted the room reflected it's last occupant, and brought out her memories of Uncle Montgomery.
McCoy shut off the screen, still shocked by what he had seen thereupon. In his shock, he thought about what had happened to Scotty two weeks earlier......
"Well, doctor, I must be gettin' back to my engines," Scotty started to rise, slowly.
"Scotty," McCoy held the engineer by his arm, "you have to take it easy. You shoow all the signs of an impending illness," To McCoy, Scotty looked nearly as worn and as old as he had when they had all aged from radiation
"I feel fine," Scotty said, trying to rise against McCoy's grip, "I've got to get back to work."
"Scotty, you don't feel fine. You're just ignoring the sighns. You've been dizzzy, alot. That should tell you something. Your body's telling you to take it easy."
"I can't."
McCoy let go of Scotty, "then you'll be taking it easy for sure in a hospital, or a grave."
Scotty ignored McCoy and retturned to his work. Only a few days passed before something did happen. McCoy had instructed several of Scott's crew to call him if Scotty displayed any signs of distress or unusual behavior. So, McCoy had been summoned to engineering. When he walked in, he saw a man in Montgomery Scott's uniform that looked older than Scott ever had. He was different; he was yelling at his crew to work harder and harder, faster and faster. And he was leaning on a console, as if that was supporting him better than his own legs.
McCoy gasped audible then breathed, "Scotty."
Scotty turned to face McCoy with rage replaced by fear and pain. He stepped toward McCooy with on hand out stretched, indicating the need of McCoy's aid. His other hand he placed on his forehead and collapsed into McCoy's arms.
With only a painful moment of hesitation, McCoy began to give the engineering crew orders. He demanded a medical team and for Kirk to meet him in sickbay. He took Scotty to sickbay and prayed there was someething he could do for him. He made Scotty comfortable, and issued the proper tubes and monitors to Scotty's care. When Kirk arrived, McCoy was leaving the intensive care unit. He looked as if he had been crying.
"Bones?" was all Kirk could respond to the McCoy he perceived.
"Jim," He put his hand on Kirk's forearm, mainly for his own support, "he wouldn't listen to me. He wouldn't heed the warnings," McCoy said, jestering toward the door, "what can I do for him now?"
"Who?" Kirk asked.
McCoy sat down in a chair, and rested his head in his hands for a moment, "he'll have to be taken to Calderon. They have the best hospital facilities in the Federation. They'll take care of him."
"Who?" Kirk asked again, a little more emphatically.
"We better take him there immediately," McCoy seemed to be unaware of Kirk's presence or inquiries.
Kirk looked past McCoy into sickbay, then took a few steps to the door. Kirk stopped short, in front of the door in recognition of the form of Montgomery Scott lying unmoving and helpless in the bed.
"Scotty, oh Scotty," Kirk said painfully, sympathetically. His mind tried to picture the ENTERPRISE without Scotty, but he wouldn't allow it, "Bones, what happened?"
"His family will have to be told," McCoy said, still rambling.
Kirk whirled McCoy around and shook him by the shoulders, "Dam it, Bones, snap out of this and tell me what happened to Scotty!"
"He..," McCoy stumbled, then snapped back to reality, "Jim, he had a stroke. He wouldn't listen to any of my warnings to take it easy. Now thereis nothing I can do for him, nothing."
"Bones," Kirk said sympathetically, taking his hands from McCoy's shoulders, "I'm sorry. But you did what you could. Scotty is too stubborn."
...McCoy, in those two weeks recovered from his initial shock, but he felt that Kirk had had a delayed reaction which didn't hit until he knew he would be receiving a new Chief Engineer. Perhaps this bit of information about McCurry would help, McCoy thought.
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