Your eyes fluttered open and you found yourself choking for air. You tore at the tube that was down your throat as your body thrashed in panic.

Someone held you down and pulled the tube out of your throat and mouth, allowing you to cough and gasp for air, sitting up abruptly.

"Calm down, kid!"

Your wild eyes saw Doctor McCoy speaking, but to your horror, you did not hear him.

You panted hard and attempted to push the doctor away, trying desperately to hear something. Your eyes flicked here and there, blurring everything you saw, and your sudden movements caused you to feel nauseous and dizzy. Something else wasn't right. You couldn't see correctly. This only made you panic even more.

You were pushed down and a shrill pinch plagued the side of your neck before all became woozy and you stared dumbly at the lights above your head as they swirled and danced…

You woke again, embodying your previous fighting spirit and sitting up; this time it didn't leave any after effects. You looked around slowly, trying to locate Bones, who you found to be sleeping in the corner.

"Bones," you tried to say but you only felt the buzz of your voice in your chest. You heard nothing. A bit of panic began to rise inside of you, but you did your best to remain calm and look around some more when McCoy didn't stir.

Chekov was asleep, his bandaged head laying on the side of the medical bay bed that you were laying on; his hand was entwined with yours. Your eyesight was still strange and your left eye seemed to be blocked; you couldn't see out of it.

As calmly as you could manage, you rubbed each eye in its turn, not wanting to draw your other hand away from Chekov, and blinked a few times. You still couldn't see out of your left eye.

Your lips trembled and tears came to your eyes. You laid back down quietly and refused to sob aloud, though you could no longer hold back the tears. You felt the buzz of the engines through the bed but you heard nothing. Blind in one eye, and once more, deaf.

You trembled and closed your eyes, only for the memories of what had passed to flash in your mind's eye. Your eyes flicked open and you drew a sharp breath. You didn't want to be brave anymore, you didn't want to be satisfied and for the first time in a long while, you felt selfish and discontented with your life.

Why'd this have to happen to you? Had you done something wrong? You tried to save your friends, and this is what you got for it! Ten years, already, of being deaf! And you'd only just recovered! Why couldn't it have been someone else?! Why you? Why you?!

"Fuck!" you swore quietly, cursing again in your mind when you only felt the word's vibration in your chest.

But looking at Bones sleeping there in a chair at your bedside, exhausted and strained, and knowing that he had done everything in his power to take care of you, protect you, and save you from your almost untimely demise; you could find no anger when looking at him.

And watching Chekov, loyally residing at your bedside until the exhaustion of his own wounds, seeming not to matter to him at all, had cast him into slumber as well; you knew he was devoted to you, completely. You felt suddenly ashamed of your selfishness and discontentment, no matter how much you knew you deserved to feel that way. A life full of woe and pity for one's self was not worth the amount of apathy that was sure to come, and drive loved ones away with its dull poison.

You sobbed now, feeling lost, lonely, and scared; insecure in your new, yet familiar silence.

Bones leapt up from his chair and, rubbing his eyes, he checked your vitals; you couldn't stop crying. He kissed your forehead and held your other hand gently, trying to calm you.

Chekov started and mechanically sat up and checked to see if you were awake-apparently he had been doing this day and night, for a whole week-and upon finding that you were crying, his sleepy gaze grew worried and he mouthed "Eet's okey, Eet's okey! Yoo're okey!"

"I can't hear you!" youtore your hands away from the two of them and signed, shaking with sobs.

"I can't hear you!"

Chekov looked confused; he didn't know very much sign language. Looking towards Bones for help he apparently discovered what you had said, and he looked panicked.

"Yoo can feex eet, right?" he asked frantically; you lusted to hear Chekov's voice, that adorably accented tone of his. Bones looked sternly at you then at Pavel; you watched his mouth as closely as you could as you cried.

"The sound caused her eardrums to burst and to dislocate. Also her left eye has been damaged. I can get her sight back, but there's nothing I can do for her hearing."

Chekov looked horrified.

'She doosn't deeserve thees!' he thought angrily but he found the strength to smile at you, tears of his own now streaking down his face.

"Doon't woorry, (Y/N)," he started, his warm breath on your hand, as he looked down to hide his face, calming you. Your breaths came in ragged gasps and you closed your half-working eyes. You felt broken, but relieved at the same time.

Your hearing may be gone, again, but your eyesight could be improved by McCoy; you had complete faith in him.

Yet, there was something you just could not expel from your mind: the frightened faces of your parents. It was disturbing and every little glimpse you received was sickening.

Eventually you had calmed enough to breathe normally; you felt Chekov shaking, his tears wetting your hand. With a dull gaze you watched him cry, at a loss for what to do. While Bones scanned your vitals again, and did some other "doctor stuff", you pulled your hand away from Chekov and ran your fingers in his golden brown curls; you managed to display a small grin. He relaxed.

Bones had evidently started talking, for Pavel looked up at him.

Pavel nodded and kissed your hand before you felt Bones inject you with a hypo and everything blurred before it all turned to black.

A week after your procedure, you could see perfectly; you were thankful to Bones for that. Scotty, the Captain, Spock, and Uhura had come to visit you a few days before.

"The machine that we discovered in the temple was a frequency beam: one of the last surviving sound weapons that Starfleet have since outlawed. The beam must have survived a fall out of a Starship," Spock had explained.

Kirk had thanked you for your sacrifice and announced that instead of making a trip back to Earth, where he was planning to place you back in the academy-where he had previously thought you belonged-he allowed you a job on the Enterprise as Scotty's official assistant in engineering. This news had brought a lively glow to your face and you thanked him for the job heartily.

A few days later and you were well enough for Chekov to escort you to your room, where it would be his turn to watch over you and protect you. Bones made sure you knew that you could always call, no matter the hour of the day, if you needed anything at all.

Pavel carried your fragile body-now fragile from laying in the medical bay for a few weeks-to your room and once inside, he set you gently onto your bed and under the covers.

You watched him talk, a serene smile on your face

"...I em soorry foor what heppened. I coolden't get to too soon enough," he said solemnly. You shook your head and placed a hand on his cheek; oh, how you wished you could hear his voice; but you would have to leave that to your imagination, only to remember what he sounded like.

"Not your fault," you signed. Then you were surprised when he stopped talking and kissed you. Pulling back, he made sure you could see his mouth and he slowly and quietly whispered "I love yoo."

You blushed and embraced him, whispering to the best of your ability, "I love you too."

Everything was calm and silent; you didn't hear a thing and frankly, you didn't care; you liked it that way, now. It made you peaceful; and he made you feel safe.

Fin.

A/N: Hope you liked the story, dear readers! I loved writing this one :) If any ideas for any other stories come to mind, be sure to tell me, and also I'd like to try my hand at taking requests, as long as it's not smut or slash. Thanks again!