Free Star Trek 04 by James Blish Page A

to permit it," Amanda said. "I won't risk both of you . . ."
    "You must understand, Mother," Spock said. "The chances of finding sufficient T-negative blood otherwise are vanishingly small. I would estimate them at . . ."
    "Please don't," Amanda said.
    "Then you automatically condemn Sarek to death," Spock said evenly. "And Doctor, you have no choice either. You must operate, and you have both the drug and a donor."
    "It seems the only answer," Sarek said.
    Reluctantly, McCoy nodded. Amanda turned a stricken face to Kirk, but he could offer her no help; he could not even help himself in this dilemma.
    "I don't like it either, Amanda, believe me," he said. "But we must save your husband. You know very well, too, how much I value your son; but if we must risk him too, then we must. Doctor McCoy has agreed—and I learned long ago never to overrule him in such matters. In fact, I have made him the only officer on the Enterprise who has the power to give me orders. Please try to trust him as I do."
    "And as I do also," Spock said, to McCoy's obvious startlement.
    "I'll—try," Amanda said.
    "You can do no more. Should you need me, I'll be at my station."
    With a great deal more distress than he hoped he had shown, Kirk bowed formally and left.
    And halfway to the bridge, deep in thought, he was jumped from behind.
    A heavy blow to the head with some sort of club staggered him, but he nevertheless managed to throw his assailant from him against the wall. He got a quick impression of a figure taller but slighter than his own, and the flash of a bladed weapon. In the melee that followed, the other man proved himself to be an experienced in-fighter, and Kirk was already dazed by the first blow. He managed at last to drop bis opponent, perhaps permanently—but not before getting the knife in his own back.
    He barely made it to an intercom before losing consciousness.

    He came to semiconsciousness to the sound of McCoy's voice.
    "It's a bad wound—punctured the left lung. A centimeter or so lower and it would have gone through the heart. Thank goodness he had sense enough not to try to pull the knife out, if he had time to think of it at all."
    "The attacker was Thelev. Unconscious, but not seriously injured; just knocked about quite a lot." That was Spock. "He must have caught the Captain by surprise. I'll be in the brig, questioning him, and Shras as well."
    "Doctor." This time it was Christine Chapel's voice. "The K-two factor is dropping."
    "Spock," McCoy said, "Your father is much worse. There's no longer a choice. I'll have to operate immediately. We can begin as soon as you're prepared."
    "No," Spock said.
    "What?"
    Then came Amanda's voice. "Spock, the little chance your father has depends entirely on you. You volunteered."
    "My immediate responsibility is to the ship," Spock said. "Our passengers' safety is, by Starfleet order, of first importance. We are being followed by an alien, possibly hostile ship. I cannot relinquish command under these circumstances."
    "You can turn command over to Scott," McCoy said harshly.
    "On what grounds, Doctor? Command requirements do not recognize personal privilege. I will be in the brig interrogating the Andorian."
    Then the darkness closed down again. When he awoke once more, he felt much better. Opening his eyes, he saw Sarek in the bed beside him, apparently asleep, with McCoy and Christine bending over him.
    Kirk tried to rise. The attempt provoked a wave of dizziness and nausea and he promptly lay down again—even before McCoy, who had turned instantly at the motion, had to order him to.
    "Let that be a lesson to you," McCoy said. "Just lie there and be happy you're still alive."
    "How's Sarek?"
    "Not good. If I could only operate . . ."
    "What's stopping you? Oh, I remember now. Well, Spock's right, Bones. I can't damn him for his loyalty, or for doing his duty. But I'm not going to let him commit patricide."
    He sat up, swinging his feet off the bed. McCoy caught his shoulders,