Jim’s eyebrows rose in an irritatingly familiar way.
“Fine.”
Jim knew Len had to be hurting to give in that quick. He took care of their plates (his plate, Len’s bowl) and went back to sickbay. Geoff looked at them oddly as Len climbed onto a biobed with little fanfare, much to Jim and Geoff’s shock.
He’s got to be in pain. Jim pulled over a chair and parked it while Geoff did his thing. He checked the results, and then double-checked them.
“What?” Len’s voice cracked; Jim flinched at the awful sound.
“Your tonsils are so inflamed I’m amazed you can still speak.” Geoff set the tricorder on the biobed and felt along Len’s jaw and upper throat. “It’s also telling me your wisdom teeth need to come out.”
Len’s eyes narrowed.
“All four.” He withdrew his hands before Len could swat at him. “The tonsils need to come out, the sooner, the better, but we can wait a few more weeks on the wisdom teeth, if you want to.”
Do them together, Jim thought. He’d had his wisdom teeth out - the bottom ones - since they hadn’t had room to come in properly. Do them together.
Len rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Do it. All of it.” He winced.
“Okay. We’ll prep you in a few minutes.” Geoff looked between Jim and Len. “We’ll take care of this.”
Jim watched Geoff draw the privacy curtain and then looked at Len. “You okay?”
“I’m thirty years old and I need my tonsils and wisdom teeth out?” Len kept his voice low. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“You’ll do fine.” Jim laced his fingers with Len’s and squeezed. “And afterward you get good drugs and lots of ice cream.” He smiled. “Chocolate, too.” He knew Len had a soft spot for chocolate ice cream. Had a soft spot for Jim’s abs, too, but that was besides the point.
Len knew, as a doctor, this wasn’t what would be considered major surgery. It was still surgery, though. There would be recovery time, and soft foods - ice cream - for quite a while. He gave Jim’s fingers a squeeze and Jim leaned in to kiss his jaw.
Chapel shuffled her feet loudly beyond the curtain before pulling it open. She carried a pair of scrubs and the equipment for an old-fashioned IV. “Excuse me, Captain, I need to get Len ready for surgery.”
Two sets of eyebrows crawled.
“He’s ‘Captain’ and I’m Len?” Even he winced at his own dual-tone.
“He is the Captain, and you’re a patient at the moment, not the CMO. Hence, Len.” She turned her back as Len changed into the scrubs. Once he was back on the biobed, she established the IV. “We’ll be coming back for you.”
He gave a sigh that said quite plainly, I’ll be here.
“Fine.”
Jim knew Len had to be hurting to give in that quick. He took care of their plates (his plate, Len’s bowl) and went back to sickbay. Geoff looked at them oddly as Len climbed onto a biobed with little fanfare, much to Jim and Geoff’s shock.
He’s got to be in pain. Jim pulled over a chair and parked it while Geoff did his thing. He checked the results, and then double-checked them.
“What?” Len’s voice cracked; Jim flinched at the awful sound.
“Your tonsils are so inflamed I’m amazed you can still speak.” Geoff set the tricorder on the biobed and felt along Len’s jaw and upper throat. “It’s also telling me your wisdom teeth need to come out.”
Len’s eyes narrowed.
“All four.” He withdrew his hands before Len could swat at him. “The tonsils need to come out, the sooner, the better, but we can wait a few more weeks on the wisdom teeth, if you want to.”
Do them together, Jim thought. He’d had his wisdom teeth out - the bottom ones - since they hadn’t had room to come in properly. Do them together.
Len rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Do it. All of it.” He winced.
“Okay. We’ll prep you in a few minutes.” Geoff looked between Jim and Len. “We’ll take care of this.”
Jim watched Geoff draw the privacy curtain and then looked at Len. “You okay?”
“I’m thirty years old and I need my tonsils and wisdom teeth out?” Len kept his voice low. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“You’ll do fine.” Jim laced his fingers with Len’s and squeezed. “And afterward you get good drugs and lots of ice cream.” He smiled. “Chocolate, too.” He knew Len had a soft spot for chocolate ice cream. Had a soft spot for Jim’s abs, too, but that was besides the point.
Len knew, as a doctor, this wasn’t what would be considered major surgery. It was still surgery, though. There would be recovery time, and soft foods - ice cream - for quite a while. He gave Jim’s fingers a squeeze and Jim leaned in to kiss his jaw.
Chapel shuffled her feet loudly beyond the curtain before pulling it open. She carried a pair of scrubs and the equipment for an old-fashioned IV. “Excuse me, Captain, I need to get Len ready for surgery.”
Two sets of eyebrows crawled.
“He’s ‘Captain’ and I’m Len?” Even he winced at his own dual-tone.
“He is the Captain, and you’re a patient at the moment, not the CMO. Hence, Len.” She turned her back as Len changed into the scrubs. Once he was back on the biobed, she established the IV. “We’ll be coming back for you.”
He gave a sigh that said quite plainly, I’ll be here.
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