"Mr. Spock, Ye'd better get down here- Better hurry."

So he ran. A terror in his gut singed as he ran down the expansive passageways to the engine room. His feet knew where to take him, while his mind wandered elsewhere. It was not hard to find Scotty; he stood in waiting of Spock's arrival, face grim and sullen. Scotty shook his head motioning to the glass chamber; from Spock's angle, he could see an arm. He felt fairly certain he knew who that arm belonged to.

An icy chill raced down his spine as he scurried over. Kirk laid haphazardly in the doorway, skin a deathly pale and red. Those haunting blue eyes rolled behind their eyelids, only to set their sights on Spock. Spock needed to get Kirk out of the chamber and over to Doctor McCoy.

"The decontamination process isn't complete; it would flood the whole compartment. The door is locked, sir." Despite Spock's wanting to save his captain, he understood the necessity to save any lives left aboard the ship. So he crouched, waiting for his captain to die.

Kirk closes the door to the core chambers. The effort left him in great pain and exhaustion. There was an unbearable silence for several heartbeats before Kirk asked, "How's the ship?" It was breathy and quiet. Nevertheless, Spock replied evenly, "Out of danger...you saved the crew." Perhaps a hint of admiration had shown through, but no one was ever going to call him out on that.

Kirk mused for a second, "You used what he wanted against him. That's a nice move. "He made a light huffing noise, his radiated lungs starting to shut down, but Spock carried on the conversation.

"It is what you would have done." He said, trying to show Kirk his human side, that he can change from being too 'by-the-book.' Those damnable human tears surged from his eyes as Kirk gave a light smirk.

"And this...this is what you would have done...it was only logical." That smirk fell into something that did not belong on his captain's face; it was fear. James T. Kirk was afraid. "I'm scared, Spock... help me not to be... how do you choose not to feel?"

Spock spoke earnestly and desperately, "I do not know. Right now, I am failing."

Kirk tried to sit up, but failed, but it seemed what he was about to say was important to him, "I wanted you to know why I couldn't let you die... why I went back for you..." Spock knew immediately, something he had not understood a few days prior. It only took a superhuman psychopath, the death of Captain Pike, and a near war with the Klingon to figure that out.

"…Because you are my friend."

He let out a shuddering gasp, placing his hand on the window.

With that, they said their goodbyes.