While Wallace was looking at Stennor beside them McCoy, Spock, and Kirk were looking at each other, each knowing that they shared with one another what those two men did. Kirk pulled out his communicator, "Mister Scott, beam to this location with one of your lads to alter a wall."

"Did ye say alter a wall, Sir?"

"Yes, a wall between two rooms."

"We'll be right there, Sir."

Kirk could not resist a slight smile when he looked at Spock, and saw him raise an eyebrow and then slowly nod as he realized what Kirk planned. McCoy looked at Kirk then at Spock before back at Kirk, "Will one of you tell me what,"

There was a familiar sound as Chief Engineer Scott and one of his officers materialized with the officer carrying a medium-sized tool McCoy took a moment to fully recognize.

"What do ye need, Sir?"

Kirk looked at Wallace, "What's through that wall?"

For just a moment Wallace looked at him and then nodded, "At the moment a small empty storage room."

"Big enough to take a bed pallet and still leave some storage?" Kirk looked at the man and saw the relief and appreciation on his face but also uncertainty.

Momentarily bewilderment was also briefly on the Chief Engineer's face and then a smile at he looked from Kirk to Wallace and back to Kirk, "Aye, a bed pallet could be built in with storage units around it so it nae is in the way and there'd still be storage."

Spock had just stood watching how Kirk had taken control and knew how he was aware of what would happen to Stennor should those in most medical facilities get a chance to see and use him. Only once had Kirk looked at him as though to have some form of validation for what he was about to do and he had nodded as he had been thinking of what would be best for Stennor, for Wallace, and for Kirk as he knew how his friend would feel about what would happen to Stennor if he stayed on the Enterprise. He also knew that Jim felt the same sort of debt to the man that he felt. As he watched he saw what Scott was doing to make the bed and he suddenly thought of more protection just as Stennor had thought of protecting Jim.

"If I might make a suggestion, Mister Scott, perhaps a division in the other room would be of use. Perhaps a sliding storage panel so that the bed is hidden from," he was aware of Wallace and Kirk both looking at him, "yet accessible from, the other side if necessary and that from the other side it appears to be a small yet sufficient storage space."

"Aye, that will give the lad more protection and privacy. I will make the pallet a tad adjustable so that as he improves he does nay have to lay flat all the time. Just take a mite longer."

"Take all the time it needs, Mister Scott. I am sure the two captains we have here can quite give the authorities a valid reason for any delay should they be asked."

It had only taken Scotty and his assistant a short period to get the hidden bed space how Wallace had hoped it would be. There was just a moment's pause once it was finished and there was the unasked question on both Wallace's and Scotty's face till the officer who helped Scotty said, "I'm about the same build and weight of Stennor. You can use me to test the physics of it."

Wallace only had to lift and move the officer twice for Scotty to make the final adjustments.

Wallace looked at the young officer, "I want to thank you for,"

The young officer held up his hand, "Sir, there is no need to thank me. I, and the crew of the Enterprise, thank you for taking care of one of ours." The young man looked down at Stennor, "Just be careful playing poker against him." Wallace just nodded and as he looked at the man Kirk half-smiled as he imagined that Wallace already knew what it was like to play poker against Stennor.

Once the officer had gone there was a moment of silence, during which the six men looked at the finished space for the bed Stennor would have Scott reached down and held Stennor's hand, "You take care, laddie, and let others care for ye as ye cared for so many. Lang may yer lum reek. Thank ye for all you did for me and for us. Ye will be safe now."

There was a silence after he had gone and the four men looked at one another, each thinking of what had been, what might have been, and what the future might hold. In the silence there was what sounded like somebody had whispered, "Don?" It sounded like a frightened child calling out in the night.

Quickly Wallace was sitting on the bed holding one of Stennor's hands in one of his own with his other hand on one of Stennor's cheeks, "I, I'm right here, Craig."

"Where?"

"You're on my ship, in your bed, in my quarters. You are safe now."

"Kirk?"

"You saved him."

Only for a moment did Kirk stand just watching then took a step forward and placed a hand on Stennor's shoulder, "Thank you seems insignificant after all you've done for me yet I do thank you and want to assure you that you will not be hunted by others. We have made as certain of that as possible. You are where you belong now."

McCoy took Stennor's hand, "You'll be fine now, you'll be safe. The Captain and I have signed you over to Captain Wallace's ship and his care." He looked at Wallace, "Now I made a what, by some, could be termed a mistake in your medical records as I did state that holistic treatment was necessary and Captain Wallace was a practitioner of it. You will be loved and cared for so I know you will be safe and well. Thank you for all you did for me in saving one of my two best friends."

Spock gently placed his hand on Stennor's face in a way used by Vulcans for such things as he was going to say, things only said to the mind of another where there was no need for hesitation or doubt, "You saved and returned my t'hy'la which is something I will forever thank you for. Your pain and fears will ease now you are safe and with your t'hy'la." he moved his hand slightly so he was lightly touching his cheek in a very Human way, "You and Captain Wallace will talk and if I can assist further," momentarily Spock looked at Wallace, "he will contact me. You are safe and you are loved. May you live long and prosper as well as love as you are loved."

For a moment the four men just looked at one another and down at Stennor who had gone back to sleep.

Wallace looked briefly down at Stennor then back at the three who stood before him, "I, I want to thank you three for,"

Spock quickly glanced at McCoy and Kirk before he raised his hand slightly while looking at Wallace, "It is we who thank you. Not just for your service in exploring deeper into space and opening it up for we who use the areas you opened to explore deeper. We thank you for taking aboard your ship an officer who will be of service to the service as he can explain what it is like to be a First Officer of such high standards to those who aspire to be First Officers if not Captains. We also thank you for giving one to whom we owe so much the love, shelter, and protection you do."

"Thank you all for that." The three prepared to beam out and get back to the Enterprise when Wallace raised his hand, "Before you go might I ask you, Doctor McCoy, a question about what happened on Starbase Eight?"

"What would you like to know?"

"Did you have anything to do with Officer Barrett having difficulty speaking at the hearing?"

"No." McCoy started then looked at Wallace, "Well, not exactly. He was suffering a slightly swollen tongue but that was only a temporary reaction to treatment and would have returned to its normal size in time.."

"Do you know if he had tried to contact Captain Juantat before the hearing?"

"Well," for a moment McCoy rocked on his feet as he quickly glanced at Spock and saw that special smile about the dark eyes, "he was having difficulty talking so I do not know if he personally knew the man."

"So, he did not ask to see or speak to Captain Juantat?"

"He did ask for somebody but was very vague."

"What do you mean by very vague?" it was obvious that Wallace was starting to realize what McCoy was not saying.

This time McCoy smiled, "He asked for a John Tat and I had not heard of anybody by that name aboard the ship."

"So," Wallace smiled, "he did not ask for Juantat."

"No, he did not ask for Juantat." McCoy looked at the man and nodded.

As the three stood ready to be beamed out, as Kirk raised his communicator, McCoy said, "I heard him ask for a John Tat, not Juantat so not the same man." As the beam took them the three saw a smile appear on Wallace's face.

When they materialized on the Enterprise and stepped off the platform Kirk looked at McCoy, "Did you know what he meant?"

"I'm not the linguist that Spock is. To me he said John Tat."

Spock nodded, "I agree, Captain." For just a moment he glanced at McCoy and looked at the man, seeing not only his friend but a caring being with a gift for creative thinking. "Although McCoy is not a linguist he would now the difference and be able to tell what the man meant." He looked back at his captain and friend, "Jim, if McCoy said he heard John Tat then the man did not say Jauntat. McCoy is right. He said John."

END

A/N That's that done. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and reviewing. With most likely two or more weeks of self-isolation due to covid-19 I may get another one done: I also may get the whole house and sheds really cleaned out and tidied: or get the gardens ready for when winter really arrives. Hope you all stay safe and clear of covid-19.