Chapter 7

The young valiant Enterprise crew lived up to their word, as well they could. The Klingons were super annoyed. Most of the younger kids thought they were weird, but cool. The adults thought they were cute. They thought it didn't matter what anyone else thought. They were of the Enterprise, and all that mattered was each other.

Jim got a chance to test his fine words one sunny day when a kindergartner came running around the bend panting. Jim was 8 years old.

"H-help!" The young boy gasped, looking up at Jim tearfully. "Theyw're chasing me. Pwease help!"

"Klingons?"

The boy nodded helplessly, throwing a terrified glance over his shoulder. Jim squared his shoulders. He hated Klingons. He wished his crew was here. But they weren't. So he had to take care of this himself.

"Hide in those bushes." He ordered, looking over toward to where the Klingons would be coming from any time now. He ran forward a ways so the Klingons wouldn't find the kid by looking right around him. And soon they came.

"Hey, look. It's the kid captain. Howdy hero."

"Nice to see you to, Kor." Klingons had the dumb gang habit of giving themselves new names when they joined the game. The leader of this group was a nasty hood named Kor.

"Where's the squirt, punk?"

"Whatta you talking about?" Jim retorted stubbornly, crossing his arms, head tilted back to look at the much older Klingon.

"You know what I'm talking about. You had to've seen him!"

"I don't have to do anything!" Jim vaguely thought that wasn't really the right retort, but he didn't have much time to think about it.

"Grab 'im, boys."

Jim felt himself restrained by two older klingon boys (there weren't many Klingon girls), and he tried valiantly to land kicks on them.

"When I get free of you I'll-"

Kor socked Jim across the cheek. "Where's the brat?"

"Right in front of me!"

Kor hit him again. Jim was reminded that these Klingons were one step from Juvie. They would be at home in the far away land of Chicago, Jim figured.

"Don't get smart with me!"

"You're so dumb that kindergartner's smarter than you!"

Kor paused. "So you did see him."

Oops.

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Eventually the Klingons left. They had better things to do than beat up small children. But Jim looked like raw hamburger. Lying on the ground, he twitched. Ow. He tried to sit up, then fell back on the ground. He considered himself, and decided nothing was broken. But he hurt so bad…

Small hands landed on his shoulders, and tried to roll him over. Jim helped a bit, and thudded onto his back. The small kindergartner was standing over him, tears spilling down his face. He reached for Jim's cheek.

"He hwurt you."

"'S okay kid. I'm a big starship captain. Protecting people's my job."

"You swouldn't be hwurt. What can I do?"

"Go. Get my crew. Spock and Bones, mostly. Others too, if they're there. Hurry. Know where…?"

The kid nodded. "Pawel is my fwiend. I'll get 'em. Stay okay!"

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"JIM!" Spock and Len were, for once, in unison. Running to their friend, fallen in the line of duty, they rushed to help him. Spock picked Jim up and laid the boy across his lap. Len dug through his medical bag for anything he could use to help Jim.

"Jim, you gotta stop doing dang stupid stuff like that!"

"I must concur. Jim that was irrational. Illogical! You shouldn't do it. Don't do it." Spock gently brushed back Jim's bangs, the bright blond darkened with red.

"I'm okay, guys. Really."

"You don't look okay Jim. At all."

"I think nothing's broken. I'll be alright."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Bones…"

"Ya always do this, Jim! Ya always get hurt! 9 times out of 10 you're off getting blown up or beat up, and sooner or later I'm gonna need to patch you up with duct tape and glue!"

"Leonard, that is not logical."

"Yeah, well, it's right, and it doesn't need your stinking logical."

"To 'patch Jim up' with duct tape and glue would require-"

"Guys? Less talking more getting me home?"

"Yeah. Sorry Jim." Bones apologized. "Do ya think ya can carry 'im, Spock?"

"I believe so. My father ensures I exercise quite often. I am stronger than I look."

Len nodded. "Okay. I'll give him a painkiller."

"You have those?" Jim wondered, as Len handed him a pill.

"Only a little one, dad won' let me have anything bigger, or with a hypo, like a real doctor."

"That's fine with me." Jim grinned weakly from Spock's arms. "Don' wan' any big pills." He was so tired, being awake was so hard…

"I concur. You are in no need of any beads or rattles." Spock backed up. Jim smiled, wavering, before everything faded gently to black, knowing he was safe, with Bones beside him, and cradled in Spock's arms.