Forget Me Not
Nikita < nik_cleo @ hotmail.com >
Series: ST: TOS
Pairing: K/Mc
Website: www.koukla.net/nikita_slash
Author's Notes: Written for the Kirk/McCoy Fuh-q Fest
Answers challenge #42. After the Fal-Tor-Pan McCoy is his old self, except for
one thing: He can't remember his relationship with Kirk. How will Kirk refresh
his memories?
I'm trying something different there - no McCoy POV, just Kirk's.
It's a challenge for me since I usually see things through McCoy's eyes, but
Captain James T. Kirk yelled the loudest this time and I'm giving him his
way...just like he's used to. ;)
Thanks to the fest moms who encouraged this pairing - I never would have
done it without such a great challenge!
XXX
"I'm
all right, Jim."
All right, he tells me, though his face is haggard and his eyes seem dark and
dull, not at all like their normal twinkling blue.
He's really telling me not to worry about him and to focus on Spock. And I
did, then... I focused on Spock's recovery and tried not to think of the
losses.
The Enterprise...
My career...
David.
The loss of my son and my ship cut me like a knife, but the possibility that I
would lose the two people closest to me had kept
me going - fighting to stop it.
And now, as I watch Spock walk away with the other Vulcans and know that he at
least recognized me...I can return my thoughts to my other troubles once
more. The rest of the crew has already gone to their assigned lodgings,
but I've stayed up, looking up at the sky and trying to decide what will happen
next. What my next step should be.
Only problem is...I'm tired. Way too tired to deal with the mess.
How long has it been since I've slept? Far too long, a voice in my head
answers. That voice sounds suspiciously like Bones and that spurs me to
remember that I wanted to check with him again. Make sure he really *is* all
right. Not only that...I want to hold him. Reassure myself that he
is himself again - whole and complete. That there is no trace of Spock's
katra in him still.
Once I'm there - in his arms once more - I know I'll find the strength to face
the rest of it. Bones always knows just what to
say and when not to say anything and to offer his patience and understanding
instead. He is amazing in his ability to read me and keep me on an even
keel. I've missed that balance these past few days. With Spock gone
I felt my logic and strength weaken, but with Bones not himself...I've felt as
if my spirit was missing.
An acolyte shows me the way to where McCoy has been settled and I thank her
before entering the chamber without signaling my presence. I don't want
to wake him if he's already sleeping, he must need a lot of rest right now.
The room is dark, but a small oil lamp in the corner of the room gives me
enough light to see the slight form under the covers on the bed. I smile
at the sight and strip off my uniform top. I'm a bit ripe, but I'm far
too tired to try and find a sonic shower just now. The form on the bed
stirs slightly at the sound of my boots being kicked off, but quickly
stills. I quietly pad over to the bed and lay down beside my lover, one
arm eagerly reaching around to hold him.
"Uhn - what's goin' on? Jim?" Bones sounds almost
drugged, his words slurred. I'm a bit concerned, but I figure he's just
dead tired so I pat his chest reassuringly.
"Just me. Go back to sleep."
But he doesn't obey and instead struggles against my hold to look up at my
face. "Wha- Are they out of beds? Thought the place was big
enough..."
Well, that certainly wasn't the warm welcome I was hoping for - I frown at him
and scoot back a little to give him more room. "Do you mind me
sleeping here? I just want to go to sleep...and I didn't want to be alone
just now."
He continues to squint at me in the dim light, but his face softens a bit and
he nods before closing his eyes with a sigh. "Of course not, you can
sleep here. Jus' surprised me is all..."
He's asleep within seconds and I lie there watching him, suddenly not so tired
after all.
XXX
The morning
comes all too soon and I climb out of the bed I haven't slept in with an aching
feeling. Not just in the bones, though they are getting old, I
admit...but an aching in my heart. So much has changed...I'm not sure I'm
ready for what lies ahead. I look out the small window of the room and
see distant figures in the courtyard performing some sort of
calisthenics. They move in such perfect precision and efficiency of
movement - it's quite a sight.
"Still here?" I turn and see Bones sitting up in bed, rubbing
his forehead tiredly.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah...just gotta doozy of a headache. I'm fine...just need to
rest, I guess. How are you?"
Typical Bones - always worried about others. "Fine...as fine as can
be, anyway. I thought maybe I should go down and contact Starfleet
properly. Turn myself in. Unless you fancy turning pirate with
me?" I try a boyish grin on for him, but he just frowns and shakes
his head.
"No way they can blame you for what happened - those Klingons would have
done anything to get Genesis. You kept it safe from them. And I'll
be sure to tell them - and so will the rest of the crew, and you know it.
You're not turning yourself in alone, Jim."
I open my mouth to protest and let it fall closed with a sigh. I know
he's right - my crew will stand with me no matter what. And I know Bones
will be by my side every step of the way...even if I end up in a penal
colony.
XXX
Luckily, in
the end it didn't quite come to that. He only had to follow me on a
rather desperate trip through time in search of
humpback whales. It seems that saving Earth from certain
destruction was enough to redeem us for our trespasses. The
reduction in my rank didn't even hurt as much since it meant I was back where I
truly belonged - on the bridge of the Enterprise.
It was only once the crew began to settle onto the ship and make it our own
that I had time to realize that Bones and I hadn't spent one moment alone
together to really talk. We'd spent each night bunking where we could and
when we could and never once together. I was rather looking forward to
that moment. To lay down in our bed and hold him. After everything
that has happened these past months, I really need some closeness. Among
other things...
I couldn't help but grin at that thought. It'd been too long. Too
*damned* long.
I had to swallow the grin as a yeoman handed me a padd to initial. It was
far too lecherous of a facial expression for the bridge, even if I do have a
reputation. After checking the padd, I turned my chair to check on
Spock. He was busy organizing the science department and their consoles
to his liking. It was comforting to see him over there, quiet and
efficient. Things were finally getting back to normal...
"Captain, I need a word with you!"
I turned at the caustic shout behind me and found Bones barreling out of the
turbolift, brows drawn together and lips twisted into a terrible scowl.
Several fresh young crewmembers were startled by the tone and lack of respect
that seemed to emanate from the doctor, but quickly turned away at my warning
gaze.
"Is there a problem, Doctor?" I was torn between amusement and
anger, myself, at such blatant lack of decorum. No one could say that
Leonard McCoy was anything but direct and it was one of the things I enjoy the
most about him. But there were times and places for such fits of temper
and the new helm of the Enterprise was not one of them.
He must have seen that he was treading a fine line with me as he brought
himself up short and squared his shoulders slightly. "I need a word
with you *in private*, Captain." His voice was much more subdued
now, though his eyes were blazing.
I nodded and motioned for Spock to take over as I followed Bones back into the
turbolift. The crewmembers had all gone back to their work, but I could
still see their eyes darting to watch us leave. Not the best foot to
start off with - Bones had better have a good reason for such a display.
"Deck 5."
The lift moved and I leaned against the wall and looked expectantly at
him. He sighed heavily and met my gaze with some
chagrin. "Sorry, Jim..."
I felt myself melt at that, he's not one to apologize easily for losing his
temper. "What is it that's upset you?"
He opened his mouth to answer, but the lift opened and two crewmembers were
waiting just outside. We exited and walked over to the observation alcove
that I'd meant for us to go to for privacy. It was a bit small, but it
held two tables and a couple of chairs set up for stargazing and conversation
area. It was empty at the moment as we both sat down, facing one another.
"Jim...I - there's something weird going on around here." His
voice was quiet and his eyes stared intently into my own.
"What do you mean?"
"Meaning I think someone's playing a practical joke on me. Or rather
several someones - and normally I'd laugh it off, but..." he leaned
back and looked away from me.
"But, what, Bones? What is the joke?"
"My quarters! Or rather lack of - I've been in sickbay all this time
organizing the damn staff and equipment and I finally get myself an hour's
peace and I go look for my quarters to catch a quick nap and unpack and what do
I find? No quarters! I spent the next fifteen minutes tracking down
the damn quartermaster and demand to know where my gear is and where I'm
supposed to sleep! He just gives me a funny look and tells me that my
things have been stowed where they belong - in the Captain's room!"
Impressed as I am with his lack of air during his rant, I'm a bit confused at
what exactly he's angry about. "Where else would they be,
Bones?"
He blinks at this and then seems to suddenly realize something. The anger
drains from his face and he leans back in his chair as a small weary smile
appears on his face. "All right, I see. You're in on it,
too. It was your idea, I suppose? Very funny. I give
up. How much of a bet was it? And was Spock in on it, too? Be
about time the damn Vulcan developed a sense of humor." He chuckles
and shakes his head.
Now I'm worried. "What do you mean, Bones? We talked about
this - you said you wanted something a bit more permanent."
Leonard slowly lost his grin as he stared at me. As my words sunk in he
began to look angry again. "Look - I've been a good sport about this
whole thing, Jim. The joke is on me, but enough is enough.
Captain." He added the last word as an after-thought. He
obviously thought I was stepping over a line with him.
But my own concerns and fears were growing to the point where I didn't care
about his anger...only his odd behavior.
"Bones...I think perhaps we should have a little chat with Spock right
now..."
XxXxX
"There
is no practical joke going on here, Bones - I swear."
McCoy angrily cut a look at Spock and found only the usual deadpan expression
looking back at him. Spock nodded, but stayed quiet, his eyes were
watching the doctor closely as if he is working on a problem. I can only
hope that he will be able to help me solve it.
Bones finally looked back at me with resignation. "This doesn't make
any sense, Jim. WHY are my things in your room? What do I have no
quarters of my own? What's going on?"
It's my chance to glance at Spock, but I quickly look back at Leonard and put a
hand out to touch one of his on the tabletop. He looked down at my hand
in surprise which grew exponentially as I spoke.
"Your things are in 'our' room, Bones. Yours and mine...I know we
haven't shared crew quarters on a ship before, but I figured...and the crew, I
suppose, figured that we would live together on the Enterprise just as we did
on Earth. I didn't say anything about our living conditions, but it's not
like our relationship is much of a secret by now, you know."
I hadn't thought his eyes could get any wider, but they did - the shock on his
face made my stomach sink to see it. His hand suddenly jerked out of my
own and I let it go reluctantly.
"What relationship?!" he shouted as he stood up hastily from his
chair which fell with a clatter behind him. I stood as well, but
Spock remained where he was leaning against the wall, not reacting outwardly at
the outburst.
I stepped forward, one hand reaching out to him; placating.
Leonard shook his head, denying my gesture. "I want to know what you
are talking about, Jim. Why is everyone acting as if I - as if you and
I..." he shook his head again, despairing of being able to finish the
sentence.
It hurt to see him hurting in such a way - I wanted nothing more than to take
him in my arms just then and hold him until all his fears and doubts left
him. But that was obviously the last thing that would comfort him just
then so I instead I finished the sentence for him. "As if you and I
were a couple? Because we are."
I expected him to shake his head again - deny it and insist on proof. I
was already prepared to prove it all - holos of us together on shore leave...a
poem he wrote me once during a medical convention he'd gone away on...I even
thought of the rings we kept at home, but didn't wear because of regulations...
But he didn't deny it; he just stared at me as the blood drained from his face
until he had a grayish waxy complexion. I thought he was going to faint,
but instead he fled the room without a word. Spock and I raced after him,
but we needn't have worried - he was heading to sickbay.
He locked himself in there for the next two days. Not literally, of
course. He was simply too busy to leave - he'd signed himself up for a
series of tests and was consulting with his medical staff over every one of them.
I decided to leave him to his own devices for the time - let him find some
medical facts or evidence to help him deal with this problem before we dealt
with it together.
As for me...I found those two days to the longest and loneliest ones I could remember.
It was amazing just how much I missed him now that I knew he didn't miss
me. Not the way I wanted him to, anyway. What would happen if the
memory loss were permanent?
I questioned Spock on his own memory problems and he informed me that most of
it had come back with hard work and returning to his normal routines. But
he also noted that his brain and his particular situation were different from
McCoy's. No one knew what holding a Katra and then releasing it might do
to a human mind.
XxXxX
Finally...after
two days of only the briefest of messages on his status, Bones signaled that he
had concluded his tests. I suggested we meet in his office in sickbay,
hoping that a meeting on his own turf would lessen his anxiety.
Spock joined us, sitting beside me at Bones' desk as we waited for the doctor
to speak. I couldn't help noticing how tired he looked. Was he
sleeping at all? I'd spent the last two nights staring at our belongings
in our bedroom missing him. I glance over to the back of the office and
see that the blanket on his cot looks a bit rumpled.
I look back at him as he sits down before us with a weary sigh and tosses a
pile of data disks in front of us.
"I've been tested and poked and prodded until I was ready to fire my
entire medical staff - I'm cleared for duty. I was concerned that there
might be other memory gaps - ones that I wasn't aware of until I was in the
middle of operating on one of our crew..."
I wince internally at the thought - I'd been so concerned about my own personal
loss that I hadn't realized just how serious Bones' memory loss might have
been. And what it would mean if the Chief Medical Officer was operating
with less than his full faculties. "And there are no other
gaps?" I ask him cautiously.
"None that we could find - I cleared all of the medical boards and
performed simulated operations under supervision and there were no aberrations
from my past records. I could remember the details from my past lab
experiments and the last crew physical reports."
He must be tremendously relieved to know he is still fit for duty - I don't
want to imagine what it would do to him not to be able to practice medicine, no
matter how temporary. "That's good news, Bones...but what about the
memory gap we do know you have?" I try to say it gently, but I can
see him tense up anyway.
He refuses to look up at me - fussing with the data disks in front of him as he
answers. "That I can't find an answer for...I looked up my personal
files and I just don't recognize the last five years of my private life.
I remember being on Earth and teaching at the Academy...I even remember the
conferences I went to..."
There is an awkward silence until Spock speaks up for the first time during the
meeting. "The events that you do remember - are their any details
that appear to be missing or inconsistent with the rest of your memories?"
Bones looks up at Spock as he speaks and I feel a flare of petty
jealousy. He won't look me in the eye, but he will for Spock? I
stifle the feeling as best I can - I can't imagine how he must be feeling right
now, but he is obviously uneasy with me because he can't remember our
relationship. He needs my support right now - not childish
petulance. I focus on listening to his answer as he frowns in concentration.
He almost seems in pain as he tries to remember.
"I can remember my work...but I don't remember where I lived...it's all
fuzzy. I vaguely remember an apartment...not the one I used to
have...it's darker...the kitchen's not where it should be..."
Excitement thrills through me - our apartment, he remembers it! "You
liked the kitchen - you said it had a good view and you
could grown herbs on the windowsill," I insist, moving one hand out to
touch his own. But his hand twitches just out of my reach and I become
aware that Spock is almost frowning at me. I withdraw my hand with a
muttered apology.
Bones lets out an explosive sigh and shakes his head. "But it
doesn't look familiar to me - just an odd fuzzy image and I don't
remember living there..."
Spock nods and leans forward. "I might be able to facilitate the
recovery process of these memories, if you wish. The healers on Vulcan
were well versed in many techniques that I believe I could help you with.
Or you could consult with the healers yourself-"
"No! I can't stand anyone poking in my mind than they already
have!" the doctor says vehemently, "I consulted with one of the
healers this morning and they said there are no guarantees anyway."
"That is an accurate assessment," Spock concedes as he stands
up. "However, should you decide otherwise, the offer remains.
I should return to my duty post if that is permissible, Captain."
I nod and he exits, leaving Bones and I still seated on opposite sides of his
desk, the data disks still scattered between us. I'm
at a loss as to what to say. I want to argue with him - tell him that he
should take up Spock's offer and try to recover his
memories, but I doubt it would go over well. Since the memories that he's
missing are not vital to ship business and shouldn't
interfere with his work...it's not really my place to tell him what to
do. As a captain, anyway.
As his friend...his lover...I want to 'make' him remember me. I want to
kiss him.
Hold him.
I want to get up, grab him, and shake him until he remembers.
Beg him not to leave me.
But in the end I do none of those things. Instead, I ask him how he's
feeling.
"Fine...tired, I suppose." He shrugs and fiddles with the
corner of one of the data disks - his eyes on the desk.
"So what will we do now?" I ask.
"What do you mean?" He still won't look up at me.
"Our living situation - shall I have new quarters reassigned? It'll
take some shuffling..." It'll be annoying as hell. Scotty has
the quarters Bones usually would have been assigned to and that means Uhura has
Scotty's...it'll shift the whole senior staff over until some of the lower
ranking crew is moved around... But it's a part of ship life and I would
have done it already...except I'm hoping he'll say no.
"That's not really necessary - I don't want to displace everyone."
I feel a twinge of hope, though it is tainted by disappointment that his only
reason is not to want to inconvenience everyone else. "So you'll
stay in our quarters?" I ask.
He looks up at me finally and I see panic in his eyes. "I don't - I
have a bed in here," he says quickly.
"That is not a bed - it's a cot," I say a bit harsher than I mean to,
"you can't live in your office, Bones."
His panic is gone, replaced with anger at my tone. "Are you going to
throw regulations at me, *Captain*?"
I hate the way he throws that word at me like an insult, but I realize that I'm
not handling this well at all. I'm antagonizing him. I'm
deliberately soften my voice, "That's not what I meant, Bones. I just
meant that its not comfortable in here and that you shouldn't feel afraid to go
to your own quarters."
He relaxed at first, but then narrowed his eyes, "I'm not
*afraid*!"
I can't help smiling, "Good. I'll see you tonight then."
I get up and leave his office before he can answer.
XxXxX
I
arrive to our quarters before he does, even though I was later than usual due
to some last minute paperwork. Tossing my uniform jacket on a chair
before pouring myself a drink, I can't seem to stop my mind from churning over
the challenge I threw at him before leaving his office earlier today.
Maybe it wasn't the best way to handle the situation - not the gentlest - but
if I leave him any more time to himself I'm afraid he'll manage to avoid me,
and this problem between us, for the rest of our lives. He's a stubborn
man, but so am I and throwing him a challenge the way I did is my best hope to
get him to come to me.
And still I worry - what if he changed his mind and decided to take up the
offer of getting his own quarters? I look around the rooms and see all of
his belongings still on their shelves. The ensigns that set up our
quarters did a good job in blending our things together. It looks a lot
like the way we had our apartment decorated in San Francisco. I suddenly
wish we hadn't been assigned this mission right away. What would have
happened if we'd had to stay on Earth for a while? Would he have
remembered where he lived and recovered his memories faster? Perhaps this
is all a result of the instability and fast turns our lives have taken in the
past few months. I never thought I'd regret taking the helm of the
Enterprise before, but I now wonder if I've doomed our relationship because of
it.
The door swishes open and interrupts my brooding. I see him hesitantly
enter the quarters and my worries melt away at the sight of him. I'll win
him back - I'll help him remember our life together and fix everything between
us. It doesn't matter where we are or how hectic our lives will be - we'll
manage it together...just as we always do.
He comes in only far enough for the door to close behind him and his eyes
travel over main room to take in the decorations and mementos before they
finally rest on me standing by the bar.
"Can I fix you a drink, Bones?"
I can see the easing of tension in his body at this bit of normality. As
long as I can remember we've shared drinks and
discussions in my quarters while off-duty.
"Yeah, I could really use one. Make it a double." He sits
on one of the chairs and continues to look around the room. It's a lot
nicer than the quarters we had on the original Enterprise - there's a bit more
emphasis on the aesthetic and comfort side of shipboard life.
Psychology's growing contribution to Starfleet I suppose. Bones would
know more about it, I'm sure.
I hand him his precious Kentucky bourbon and sit down in the chair opposite of
him as we sip our drinks in silence.
"I didn't come because of your ham-fisted attempt at reverse psychology,
Jim."
I look at him and see him staring into the depths of his glass.
"Then why did you?"
"Because...I owe it to you...and to myself... to try and remember."
XxXxX
By the time
we've had our third drink the conversation is flowing easier. I tell him
everything I can think of about how the
relationship started. How teaching at the Academy had given us both more
time on our hands than we were used to and we'd begun to spend more time
together in the evenings. I took him horseback riding a few times and he
took me for long walks along the beach - telling me stories about his family
and childhood. We'd developed a deeper connection those quiet evenings
alone...I'd never known what it was to belong somewhere - other than the
stars.
"You weren't totally happy - you wanted to be out hopping galaxies,"
he says suddenly.
I spare him a guilty look. "My birthday - yes. You knew that
there was something bothering me. You never did approve of me being an
Admiral."
He snorts and takes another sip of his drink. "You weren't living
the life you wanted. I just wanted you to be happy."
I smile at that and set my drink down. "You make me happy."
He looks up at me curiously.
I'm through with talking. "I don't know about you, but I'm
tired...shall we go to bed?"
A dull flush rises in his cheeks and he nearly chokes on his drink. I
reach over and take it from him. "Just to sleep, Bones...we have to
get up early tomorrow for the staff meeting."
It's awkward getting ready for bed. I strip and change into loose fitting
pajama bottoms as I usually do, but Bones goes into the fresher to get ready
for bed and comes out wearing a full set of pajamas I don't remember seeing him
wear before. He eyes the bed a bit before claiming a side and I'm
encouraged when I note that it is his usual one. Habits die hard, I
suppose. I lie down beside him and turn out the lights. His body is
rigid next to me as he lies on his side, facing away from me. I stare at
his back and wish desperately I could touch him...just stroke his back or put a
hand on his arm, but I can feel the tension thrumming through him. One
touch and he'll spook like a high-strung thoroughbred.
I fall asleep remembering our first time in bed together. His touch had
ignited fire within me and the sex had been passionate and wonderful, but the
best part of all had been the soft caresses and gentle sighs as we held each
other until we fell asleep. I miss him so much...we lie inches away from
one another and yet we are miles apart.
XxXxX
I wake up
to a rustling sound. I rub sleep out of my eyes and squint in the
semi-darkness to see a huddled figure going through the drawers in the
closet. Bones pulls items out one at a time and examines them in the dim
light. A holo, a scarf, a small book of poems...he pulls out a small box
and I recognize it as he opens it up.
"Those are our rings," I say softly.
He starts at the sound of my voice and nearly hits his head on an opened drawer
above him. "I didn't mean to wake you," he says regretfully.
I shrug it off. "We bought those just a few months before the
mission with the trainees. You told me you didn't need a ceremony or
anything fancy...but I wanted to give you something traditional..."
He looks back into the box as I speak and pulls out one of the rings, it gleams
in the light. "They're beautiful. Why are they in a box?"
"Against regulations to wear them most of the time and while we were on
the ship...we kept them in the box to be safe."
He stares at the ring for a long time and I hold my breath, hoping he's
remembering something. But he puts the ring back into the box without a
word and places it back in the drawer. Closing the last of the drawers he
pulls out a clean uniform and disappears into the 'fresher.
We arrive for the staff meeting well ahead of scheduled time. I watch him
shuffle his data disks and fuss with his computer terminal while we await the
rest of the staff. His actions are distracted and I can tell his mind is
on something other than the coming meeting.
The doors open and senior staff members trickle in - Spock, Chekov, Uhura,
Scotty...I greet them as usual and start the meeting. It's only when it
is time for the medical portion of the briefing that I realize Bones hasn't
been paying attention.
"Doctor...?"
"Bones?"
He looks up finally with a shocked look and glances back at his notes.
"Oh, yes...the crew's fitness reports indicate..." I watch him
as he gives his report and worry about his distraction, but he's strictly
professional for the rest of the meeting.
The conclusion of our meeting signals the beginning of our first mission.
The Enterprise is ordered to handle an increasingly dangerous dispute near the
neutral zone and I feel torn by conflicting emotions over what this will
entail. I'm eager as I always am for adventure and feeling the ship
racing off to face danger, but at the same time I'm concerned about the timing
with Bones. I'll be spending quite a lot of time on the bridge and he'll
be busy preparing sickbay for potential casualties. But that's what life
is like on the Enterprise...I can only hope our problems can be dealt with
after this crisis is over.
Bones doesn't seem to suffer any regret at the chance to take his mind off of
his troubles - he dives into work in sickbay with
gusto. It takes five days to reach the coordinates we have been ordered
to and he spends three of those nights sleeping in his
office on that blasted cot. I spend those nights pouring over the
information that Starfleet sent me, but I can't help noticing the
empty space next to me when I try to catch some rest. The other two
nights he lies next to me on the bed facing away from me just as he did the
first night. I want so much to touch him...
I'm almost grateful when we reach the coordinates and find ourselves in the
midst of an ambush - I'm too busy to even think about our relationship as I try
to keep the ship in one piece.
XxXxX
"You
idiot! Goddamned, thick-skulled - !"
I swim in and out of consciousness. The only thing I am aware of is his voice
- swearing at me with a harsh sound that I know hides his deepest fear. I
want to answer him, but just as quickly I fall away from the sound and return
to the black silence.
Time, I have no idea how much, passes until I become aware of the sound of his
voice again.
"...his vitals are getting stronger, but it'll be some time before he's
well enough to receive any kind of a briefing."
Another voice joins his. "You will comm me when he is able to
speak?"
"Of course I will." If I were well I would be grinning - I know
that tone of voice. He'll comm when he's damn well ready to comm.
And Spock knows that, too - there is a brief silence before I hear Spock leave
sickbay and I know they must've traded their customary confrontation looks over
my biobed.
Bones was right about my not being ready for a briefing, though. I fall
asleep immediately after that and its several more attempts before I'm able to
stay awake for any period of time. I find myself in the recovery area of
sickbay and struggle to get up, I only make it halfway. A shadow appears
by the doorway and I squint at the light in order to see his face. He
looks haggard, but a relieved smile appears on his lips at the sight of me
sitting up.
"Where do you think you're going?" he asks and walks over to push me
back down on the biobed.
"I need to get to the bridge."
"How did I know that was what you were going to say?" he says dryly,
but his hands are still holding me in place.
"I need to be on the bridge - what's happening?" I ask urgently.
"Take it easy. Spock is eager to tell you all about it - there's
been a cessation in hostilities and he's negotiating the peace as we
speak. He's damned good at it, too - he's getting more like his father
everyday."
I relax slightly at his words - should have known Spock would take care of
everything. I try to think back to how I got into sickbay in the first
place. "No one else was hurt on the away team?"
"No, you were the only one foolish enough to get shot - the rest of the
team got you back onto the ship without further incident. Spock's using
your injury as a bargaining tool - apparently it's a taboo to injure leaders in
their cultures and they are eager to listen to Spock's terms now."
I feel my strength weakening as my adrenaline fades. It would be so easy
to lean back and let him put me back into the biobed. But the thought of
being stuck here isn't a pleasant one. "I should go to the bridge
anyway..."
"Oh no, you don't. You are on bed rest, Captain. Doctor's
orders. You lost way too much blood and I spent far too much time
patching you up to let you ruin my good work." His face is grim and
I can see he means business.
"But Bones..." I try.
"Don't - I meant it about bed rest...but if you'll agree to stay in your
'own' bed..."
I nod eagerly - anything to get out of sickbay. It'll be far easier to
get back to the bridge from there.
But he knows me way too well. "I don't trust you without
supervision, though. I'll take you back to the cabin. Come
on."
He gently helps me out of bed and out of sickbay. I lean gratefully
against his arm as we shuffle down the corridors. It's been so long since
he touched me. We reach our rooms and I regret the fact that he will soon
leave me alone in bed once more. I'm surprised, therefore, when he tucks
me in bed, turns the lights down to the lowest setting and then lies down
beside me under the covers.
I feel an arm creep around me and his breath on my neck. "You're not
getting up anytime soon, Jim...Spock can handle it."
I ignore his words and simply relish the closeness. As he shifts his arm
around me and a glint of gold catches my eye in the dim light. I look at
his hand in shock - there on his left hand is his ring. The one he had
found in the box in our closet...the one I gave him in that little Italian
restaurant in San Diego...
He sits up slightly to look at what I'm staring at and smiles sadly when I look
up at him questioningly. "It felt right to put it
on...I think I'm at an age where I don't give much of a damn for regulations...feel
free to reprimand me, Captain."
The warm glow I felt at his words enveloped me until I was grinning impishly
back at him. "I'd rather flaunt regulations right along with
you," I whisper and he kisses me just as passionately as he ever has.
END
42. After the Fal-Tor-Pan McCoy is his old self, except for one thing:
He can't remember his relationship with Kirk. How will Kirk