A/N: This is my first foray into the world of Trek. I know that hardcore fans can be absolutely rabid, but I researched as much as I could so go easy folks…lol. I appreciate reviews very much. Cheers!

Chapter 1- 20 Questions

I sighed again as I sat on the side of the bed. It was becoming a habit, but it seemed the only natural response to circumstances I couldn't hope to explain. My head hurt and I was persistently disoriented and confused, but this was all too intriguing not to pay attention to.

Either this is one wild dream or I have somehow suffered a serious head injury.

It couldn't have been a dream. Everything was far too vivid and the pain too real. I knew that there were two things you were not supposed to feel while in a dream state: pain and temperature. I was disturbingly aware of both.

I looked up when I noted the young man who had been watching me snap to rigid attention and salute. Two other men were standing in the doorway and staring at me intently. They had on similar uniforms to the guard, but slightly more decorative; indicating they were somehow more important. The man in black wore an easy smile and seemed genuinely pleased to see me while there was something very disconcerting about the taller man in blue. I unabashedly stared at him, taking in every aspect of his being.

I furrowed my eyebrows when I noted that while he had a humanoid form, he was somehow different. I observed the way he stood ramrod straight, the stoic poker face that revealed nothing, the slightly translucent complexion of his skin, the odd angles of the eyebrows, and I jumped slightly when I noted his ears were pointed at the top. I thought quickly, but could think of no medical condition that caused that particular malformation.

What was most disturbing was that he obviously knew I was gawking at him, but the expression on his face remained carved in stone as though he didn't care in the least. In fact, I think he only blinked twice the whole time. That was decisively an abnormal reaction, most people would look away, or at least blush slightly. I had only seen that reaction from people who were actively psychotic and I made a mental note to watch out for this one.

The man in black looked from me to his companion and gave a knowing smile before approaching with his hand extended. "I am James Kirk, Captain of this ship."

I slowly took his hand and shook it firmly. So I was on a ship? This caused some anxiety for me because I wasn't a fan of floating on vast bodies of water. I wouldn't say it was a phobia, but more a sense of impending doom should the ship sink and you were left alone with sharks and no form of shelter for miles. It was simply a matter of waiting to see which came first: drowning or being eaten.

"This," he continued with a sweeping gesture to the immobile man in blue, "is the First Officer, Commander Spock."

I gave a curt nod and he simply returned the gesture with no change of expression or posture. He was deeply disturbing, not an easy task for someone who spends most of their time with the chronically mentally ill. I spent 8 hours a day in the bizarre world of hallucinations and disjointed thoughts of others. Just when you think you have seen or heard it all….

Then I was overcome with a sense of enlightenment. I had probably fallen asleep at my desk in the hospital. I had been working a lot of hours lately and I was exhausted and my brain was processing the strange stories I had heard from patients. Yes, that was all this was. Somewhat calmer, I sat up straight and was determined to simply enjoy the ride until I woke up.

"I am glad to see that you are awake." Captain Kirk went on with the friendly smile. "Dr. McCoy tells us that you seem remarkably intact, considering."

I glanced toward Mr. Spock who was now speaking with another person who seemed completely absorbed in some kind of hand held device. He waved dismissively at us without breaking his concentration. I wasn't sure why, but I immediately felt defensive around him. I had no evidence, but for some reason he seemed like a difficult person. I probably shouldn't feel that way towards him since he apparently took me as a patient, but I had spent too long working in hospitals to know too many doctors with God complexes and extremely poor bedside manners. They really were nothing more than flesh mechanics and something about this guy smacked of familiarity.

I looked back at the Captain quizzically. "Considering?" I asked.

He chuckled and replied, "You must have no memory of what happened, which may not be a bad thing for you." He folded his arms and leaned against the bed next to me. He was a bit too close for my comfort, so I scooted away slightly but he pretended not to notice. "Too bad for us though, we were hoping you would have some answers."

"Answers to what?" I asked becoming evermore confused.

He smiled amused and launched himself away from the bed and began to slowly pace in front of me. "Like how you managed to survive a very primitive cryogenic process that should have turned your damaged cells into mush when the process was reversed?" He paused to raise his eyebrows and went on. "And how you came to be on board a Romulan vessel?" Again a pause to gauge any recognition on my part, "Or why they placed you in stasis and jettisoned you into space when they were attacked by the Klingons instead of leaving you on board to perish? That would indicate you are somehow very special to them, they don't even do that for their own people."

I sat wide eyed on the edge of the bed. My mind was being drawn and quartered by so many contradictions and mysteries. I felt a mix of confusion and terror as I stammered, "Space? You are telling me I am on a spaceship?! I do not have a clue what a Romulan or a Klinton is."

"Klingon." He coolly corrected stopping in front of me. He seemed more disappointed than irritated.

"Whatever," I said with a weary sigh. "I do not know what those things are and I have never been frozen. No one survives that, the technology is too imperfect to be reliable."

"In your time, perhaps." Commander Spock said in a steady voice. His tone was too serious to be mocking and that made it all the more eerie.