Sides in Space (Name for AU pending)
F*ck it, we ball. Have a bit of what I have written for my Sanders Sides/Star Trek Crossover AU
"Dr. McCoy, he's waking up." An unfamiliar said in the distant fog of his pounding head.
"Thanks, Nurse Chapel," another unfamiliar voice answered. Dread began twisting in his gut, sending his heart racing. "Captain Sanders?" The voice called. "Sir, can you hear me?"
His eyes fluttered open and a man that almost seemed familiar stood over him.
"Captain Sanders, I'm Dr. McCoy-"
"Where's Dr. Sanchez?"
McCoy sighed. "Can you tell me what you remember from the last few hours?"
"Not untill you tell me where Dr. Sanchez is," he challenged.
McCoy nodded and took a seat beside the bed. "Dr. Sanchez was killed in the line of duty," he answered solemnly. "I'm sorry, Captain."
Thomas went pale. "How?"
"Approximately 72 hours ago, Star Fleet recieved an urgent message from Vulcan. They were being attacked by an unknown enemy with an unknown weapon. The Fleet deployed all available ships to aid Vulcan, including yours and the Enterprise, the ship your on now. There were complications and the Enterprise arrived moments after the rest of the Fleet, also under attack. We pulled in as many Kelvin pods as we could, that's how you ended up here. It's...a lot to explain, and I honestly don't understand most of it, but Vulcan was destroyed. The enemy created a singularity within the planet. When the planet it went...it took a lot of the Fleet with it."
Tears ran openly down the captain's cheeks. "My crew?" He asked, his chest beginning to heave.
McCoy shook his head. "We don't know, we haven't been able to confirm...everyone we lost. I'm so sorry. As soon as I know anything, you'll know. You have my word."
Thomas nodded. "Thank you," he croaked.
"I know this is a lot, but I do need to go over at least some of your injuries with you."
"Aisde from the concussion?" He coughed, trying to regain his composure.
McCoy gave half a smile. "Yessir. When we opened your pod, you a pretty significant injury to your lower right leg. Someone had apparently done some emergency treatment before getting you into the pod because there was a tourniquet applied-"
"This isn't good news, is it?"
"No sir," McCoy shook his head. "We had to do an emergency amputation."
Thomas dropped his head back, pressing a hand over his mouth as tears started again down his cheeks. "This can't be happening," he gasped. "It ca- this- it's not- this can't be happening."
"Captain, I'm gonna need you to take a deep breath," Dr. McCoy advised. "Breathe in slowly through your nose. And out throughout your mouth. That's right, just like that."
Thomas tried to do as he was told, but something broke in his chest and he fell into heaving sobs. Strong arms wrapped around him and Thomas clung to the other man like a life line.
Thomas blinked, his eyes blurred and gunky, and found his head rested against a blue clad shoulder. The arms around his back loosened as he sat up.
"You alright?"
"Sorry-"
"Don't be," McCoy cut in and helped him rest back on the bed. "You've lost a lot. You need to grieve. We all need that."
---
"Any word?" Captain Sanders asked hopefully when Dr. McCoy came into his hospital room. They'd been back on earth nearly a week and every day he'd asked if any of his crew had been found. The death toll had been astronomical and more were declared dead everyday as they sorted through what was left of the rumble and did their best to identify bodies.
Even most of the cadets that had been sent up had been lost. Still Thomas tried to remain hopeful that at least some of crew had been found and survived as he had. But the look on Leonard's face was was quickly driving that hope away.
"I'm sorry," Leonard murmured.
His heart began to pound in his chest. "How many?" He asked, trying to be brave, but Dr. McCoy shook his head.
"None."
Tears dripped from his deep brown eyes. "What?"
Leonard took one of Thomas's hands in both his own. "They weren't able to find any survivors among your crew. I'm so sorry."
"But there's over four hundred- how could they not-"
---
There was a light tap on the hospital door and Dr. McCoy entered the room. "Admiral Sanders? Admiral Pike is here to see you if you're up to it."
"Think he'd actually take no for an answer?" He asked without taking his eyes off the window.
"Not in my experience, sir."
Thomas let out a weighty sigh and nodded. "Let him in."
"Yessir." Len stepped aside and opened the door for Pike to wheel himself into the room.
"Afternoon, Admiral!" Pike said cheerily and wheeled himself over to the window seat. His face softened as he watched the younger man stare out the window. "How ya holdin' up today, son?"
"I, uh, I tried to run a sim today. Dr. McCoy cleared me to do just a basic flight sim, I wasn't even the one running it and, uh-" He clenched his jaw gesturing to the hospital room. "It wasn't even- There wasn't even anything happening in it. It was just a regular orbital sim. But I panicked. Panicked and apparently hyperventilated myself into passing out and hit my head on the way down."
"Let me guess, Dr. McCoy wanted you to stick around a few hours so he could monitor you?"
Thomas nodded. "He was worried since I already had a pretty severe concussion."
"Yeah, that sounds about right for him. So. What's the damage report then?"
Thomas side eyed him. "This one of those trick questions you're famous for?"
Chris smirked. "Yes, it is. Dr. McCoy gave me an update before he let me in here."
"I've got project for you, Admiral," Pike announced and took a seat across the desk from Thomas.
The younger man sighed. "Do you really have to call me that?"
"It is your rank, son. You need to get used to hearing it."
"It wasn't my idea."
"You could retire," Chris suggested drawning a tired glare from Thomas. He chuckled and held out a data pad. "Here. Take a look at these."
"Cadet files?"
Pike nodded. "I want you to pick out a couple command track cadets to mentor-"
"Oh right, like you did with Dr. McCoy," Thomas agreed wryly.
Pike smiled, relieved to hear some color back in the young man's voice. "Exactly. The Fleet is working on implementing a new program that would allow cadets to spend their last year working on a ship, training directly under a Cheif Offficer in their field of study, with the idea that they would be immediately placed on said ship upon graduation and be trained to take over that position when that CO retires or in emergency situations."
"Isn't that basically what happened with the Enterprise?"
"More or less," Pike agreed. "It wasn't ideal, but it was successful. The idea is that next time they won't be under-prepared."
"Maybe we should focus more on there not being a next time."
"We're doing that too," Pike assured.
He nodded with a sigh as he flicked through the list of names.
"You still with me, son?" Chris waited a beat. "Captain."
Thomas's head snapped up. "Hm?"
"You still with me?" Pike repeated.
He blinked several times then glanced away with a sigh, working his jaw. "Maybe I should retire," he murmured to himself.
"Is that what you want?"
"I want my crew back."
"I know, son," Pike assured softly. "You lost a lot of good folk-"
"I lost them all."
"But it wasn't your fault. You gave the orders to evacuate and those orders were carried out-"
"But what if I was wrong? What if- Maybe I shouldn't have, maybe-"
"Your ship was torn apart, admiral, evacuation would have been necessary no matter what."
Thomas nodded, trying to blink away the tears in his eyes.
"I know it still hurts. It will for a long time and it'll come in waves. And sometimes those waves will knock you over and that's okay. But I wholeheartedly believe you're capable of making a difference in the lives of these cadets, there's a lot they can learn from you and I'm willing to bet, there's a lot you can learn from them. I know I've certainly learned a lot from my boys. All that said, there's no shame in needing to step away if that's what's going to be best for you."
---
Pike glanced up from the list of cadets, brow arched in amusement. He glanced back down again scrolling over the list once more. "Admiral, not a single one of these cadets are command track."
"Cadet Sinclair is on track to become a pilot," Thomas pointed out.
"There are six names here."
"There are two sets of siblings."
"You're sure on all these?"
"They're all within the top ten of their class and have been overlooked by multiple admirals and commanding officers in their fields of study," Thomas explained. "This program is supposed prepare cadets for the field. I don't think that training should be restricted to those at the very top of their fields. We should support all cadets, not just those who 'earn' it."
Pike smiled crookedly and nodded. "Alright. Let's reach out."
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