THE SHATTERING by Joyce Tullock

Genre: Star Trek

Rating: Not rated by the author; I'd say contains content not suitable for children. (T or PG-13).

Summary: No summary from the author. My Summary: In the aftermath of The Empath, Kirk and Spock must force McCoy to confront his memories and nightmares in order to help him heal--but the price will be high for all three men.

Where to find the story: It's not easy to find--it was contained in a fanzine titled "There Are Three" by Odyssey Press. But if you can get your hands on this story, please do!

~

Leonard McCoy was an alien. He was the physical manifestation of all those things Mr. Spock did not understand. Aside from his professional life, he seldom acted out of logic. Even his medical genius had little to do with textbooks and discipline.

And yet, so very often, his emotional decisions lead to astoundingly logical conclusions. At times Spock felt as though McCoy's sole purpose in life was to be a living contradiction of all things Vulcan. Logic, discipline, forebearance, were mere tools for this man, to be cast aside when unneeded as a juggler tosses his delicate toys to the air.

Until now, Leonard McCoyhad handled emotion with a finesse that made Spock envious. With a graceful, charming eagerness, he had gone about his life in a way that secretly 1eft Spock in awe. He made being human look easy. Until now, he had been a very successful man.

So the Vulcan sat in the darkness, as might an apprentice before his beloved but unrelenting master, astounded that one of such magical powers could fail. What shook Spock most of all was not that McCoy's emotions had brought him down, but rather that because of it, he cherished the man all the more...

~ Joyce Tullock, The Shattering

In the aftermath of The Empath, Kirk, Spock and Bones are still trying to come to grips with the hell the Vians put them through. McCoy has the worst of it--and he's not ready to face all the anger and fear he's experiencing. But while he might be content to ignore his memories, his subconscious has other ideas. It's not going to let him off the hook that easily.

This story gives us an intriguing look at the friendship between all three men. I had a slight bone to pick with Tullock's characterization of McCoy: I don't think Bones was ever quite as illogical as she would have us believe. But apart from that, I think she slipped right into his skin. Spock and Kirk, meanwhile, are spot-on. And she makes good use of characters like Scotty and M'Benga. She also paints a compelling and realistic picture of day-to-day life aboard the Enterprise.

A large part of this story is focused on Spock's struggle with his increasingly irrational friend. McCoy's going to strain Spock's Vulcan logic to the breaking point and force him to a gut-wrenching choice.

This isn't a violent story--well, excepting a self-inflicted injury and memories of the Vians. But it still isn't pretty and it's one hell of an emotional roller coaster. Remember, I warned you that it's high-angst: have some handkerchiefs ready.