And in keeping with the monthly theme

“I think this is it this time.”

Jim eyed his best friend as they leaned against rocks. They were stranded, there was no doubt about that. The shuttle they had taken to get to this godforsaken location on this damn rock had exploded and was beyond repair.

“ I don’t know why you say that,” Jim said, grimacing in pain.

He was pretty sure a bone was sticking out of his leg. He didn’t want to look. Bones’ arm was in a sling they’d made.

“No transportation, communicators not working to contact the ship, we’re the only survivors of the mission party.” Bones snorted. “Such as we are. I don’t know how it could get any worse.”

“Sure, there’s all that. But…”

When he didn’t continue, Bones, surprisingly, didn’t push him to.

Jim wasn’t even sure what he intended to say.   Like Bones he was feeling a little hopeless and it was getting harder to maintain optimism.

He leaned his head against the rock and closed his eyes.

He wanted to be rescued more than anything. In exactly two weeks he was supposed to go to New Vulcan with Spock and be formally bonded. It looked like now that was never going to happen.

And wow that was depressing. He could feel tears begin to sting his eyes. Just what he needed.

He forced them away somewhat angrily and was about to try to start some kind of conversation with Bones when the growling started.

The hairs on the nape of his neck went up.

Was that his imagination?

More low growling.

“Bones,” he whispered. “Bones, do you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Bones demanded, not quietly.

“Shh. I think some creature’s stalking us!”

“Stalking us? Jim—”

Just then a huge white creature with a horn on his head came into their vision. It howled menacingly and started toward them.

“You just had to ask how it could get worse,” Jim complained as he attempted to scramble to his feet.

“Jim, you can’t travel on that leg!”

Jim looked at him, incredulous. “So I should stay here and let him eat me?”

“No, but—”

The creature sped up then, like at a run to reach them just as Jim heard the sound of a familiar low whine of transportation.

“Oh please.”

And then just like that, his view of the creature with the horn on his head was replaced with a view of Spock standing in front of the transporter, hands calmly clenched behind his back, Scotty there at the controls.

“Told you I’d get them.”

“Indeed you did.”

“Spock!” And Jim fell to the ground just as Spock went to help him.