"Captain."

"…Captain. Are you well?" Came his First Officer's voice drifting in and pulling him from his dampened state.

Kirk started and sluggishly looked up to see Spock standing poised next to him. "Yes, of course Commander. Was just resting my eyes a moment." He said, keeping any inflection that could show his discomfort out of his response, knowing that the entire bridge was not so secretly listening in.

"Captain, I estimate it has been approximately 48 hours since you last fully 'rested your eyes' as you were doing a moment ago. Since your journey to collect Captain Pike you have also not been attended to by medical." Spock continued, nonplussed by Jim's stubbornness. Seeing Jim rearrange his features as he sat in the Captain's seat, poised to strike back at Spock's comment he tried a different tactic. "Would it not be prudent to also restore your energy, perhaps with a meal?"

At that suggestion Kirk raised one suspicious eyebrow. "If you hadn't noticed Spock I am now the acting Captain of this ship and as such my first priority is to her and her crew." Kirk said, trying to keep the frustration from rearing its head too significantly.

"And it is my duty as your first officer to make you and your wellbeing my priority. I shall accompany you to the Mess if you desire?" Spock said, leaving just enough room in his words to make it sound like a suggestion rather than a statement.

Kirk drew one hand over the side of his weary face, thinking over the offer. He was pretty beat, literally, from the whirlwind of everything happening in so short amount of time. Heck, he went from Vulcan to Delta Vega and back to the Enterprise within a two day time period, in which he hadn't slept nor could he remember his last meal. Kirk figured if he went to Mess then he could at least hide from Bones awhile longer before the man sought him out like a missile ready to explode.

"Alright Spock. Let's go get some grub." The Acting Captain grumbled out. "Mr. Sulu, you have the conn." He appointed as he stood, which ended up being not a great thing to do so swiftly. His vision whirred and he felt himself starting to stumble when his elbow was firmly but gently grasped, steadying him. Taking my only a moment to regain his composure, Kirk looked at Spock and gave a charming grin that turned out to look more sheepish than anything.

Spock merely lifted an eyebrow and slowly released the Captain, motioning for him to lead the way off the Bridge. After staggering over and onto the turbo lift, a more resigned Kirk appeared. When the doors closed behind them Kirk leaned against the lift's wall and let out an exhausted huff, mind roving constantly over the events of the last few days. Being sneaked on board, the implosion of Vulcan, Delta Vega, the other Spock, Captain Pike being taken, the Narada and the black hole, all of it on double speed replaying in his mind on repeat. He hadn't even noticed that when he had stepped off the lift and started walking that he was cautiously being led in the opposite direction of the mess hall until he saw the blue tinted doors of Sick Bay.

"Oh no. No way Spock." He said, starting to back away and turn back to the lift. "I am not—"

"Oh yes you are Kid." Came the familiar southern drawl of the now CMO. Kirk shot Spock a glare before facing Bones, squaring his shoulders and lifting his chin. "You can give Spock all the death glares you want Captain but you are coming with me." Bones said as he walked the short distance to the pair.

"I agree with Doctor McCoy, Captain. It would be most wise…" Kirk's hearing chose that inopportune time to start fizzing in and out. He tried focusing on what Spock was saying so as not to alert the two who were assessing him that he wasn't feeling the best.

"Look Spock, Bones," he was sure he had interrupted the Vulcan mid sentence but didn't really care. He needed to get himself under control before he lost it altogether. "I'm fine, really, I'll just go and grab a sandwich like you suggested." Giving Spock a pointed look at his small betrayal, leading him astray.

Bones took another step closer, quietly assessing his friend as he did so. As gruff as ever, he started, "Jim, honestly you look like hell and you need to be treated. A sandwich is not gonna heal those cuts, bruises and god knows what else is wrong with you that I can't see."

Once again Kirk stood contemplating his options. He could hardly think straight with the fatigue that was catching up to him and slowly sinking into his thoughts. Even now he stood leaning more and more on the rail of the hallway than on his own two feet.

With more gentleness than Spock had ever thought possible to be in the doctor's voice, Bones made a final attempt. "C'mon Jimbo, let me just look at ya, for as much as your sake as mine." He said as he placed a guiding hand on Jim's shoulder and passing a knowing glance to Spock, silently thanking him for leading their stubborn captain there.

Jim gave a minuscule nod to Bones and let himself be guided into Sick Bay and onto a biobed.

Few more chapters to come.. Review if you please.