Part 3 of the Academy Series finds Kirk and McCoy in their third and final year at Starfleet Academy. As Kirk pushes himself to complete his courses and graduate early, he battles a medical review board, a visit from his mother and the 25th Remembrance Day Celebration. Kirk must find his place in Starfleet as the son of George Kirk.

McCoy glanced at Jim's leg and ground his teeth. "Where's the antivenin?" Nothing could happen fast enough. The venom had been in Jim's system for hours and damage had been done. McCoy was working on stopping the progress of the damage and getting Jim stabilized. This story compliment's Shoreleave's VENOM and is an addendum to what happened once McCoy and Kirk were rescued.

A quick inhalation of a spore on a planet sets off a mild allergic reaction in Kirk. It is McCoy's medication that collapses his lungs and leads to a deadly reaction. Bones' tone was gentle. "You're not fine. Think I don't know how much you're hurting right now? And in case you missed it, that's blood you're coughing up."

"You can't stay on Enterprise, kid. I've got to get you to Earth," McCoy said. No. Jim wasn't going back to Earth. There was nothing for him on Earth. There never had been. Nothing good happened on Earth. He wanted to stay. Kirk picks up an unknown virus on the Narada and is quarantined on Earth while McCoy tries frantically to find a cure.