So McCoy kind of had a feeling Jim was back after that whole weird breach thing, so after the initial shock of being back had worn off, and he really sat down and thought about what had happened, he'd immediately left his room to try and find Kirk.
But honestly? He really didn't want to find him. There was only one reason why Jim would be back, and while he did really miss him, he didn't want him to be here. He shouldn't have to deal with something McCoy hadn't even really had a chance to fix yet, and no one should be stuck here against their will, without needing to be redeemed just because the Admiral had a bad sense of humor.
Jim was back. And maybe avoiding him and his room a little bit. So the best way to do that... was to wander around the hallways, Aristotle trailing behind. Fucking Barge. And fucking Bones being right about him dying.
Which meant it was really only a matter of time before they crossed paths, because the Barge wasn't really that big.
Still. When McCoy finally caught up to him, he stopped, staring, because if he'd learned one thing about the Barge, it was that it loved dicking people over. If this was just some stupid flood where for some reason, Dick had swapped places with Jim for a few days, he was going to throttle the Admiral.
Jim stopped walking immediately, staring at the ground and Aristotle for a moment before looking up at Bones. A second later, all he had to offer was a shrug, as though to say, I'm back, don't rub it in and don't ask me why.
Bones just stared at him for a long moment before walking over and carefully putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He really wanted to yell at him, but that stupid kicked puppy expression made him swallow any concerned screaming back. It had been a stupid thing, to hope everything would just be fine. Shows what you get for trying to be optimistic.
And it wasn't like he hadn't yelled at him a lot already. And hit him. Twice. "I'm sorry."
Jim inhaled sharply when Bones touched him. It still felt like it was making things too real, too... goddamn his head hurt. Everything hurt really, if he was being honest about it.
McCoy glared at him, because really, it felt like his fault. Yeah, maybe it was Jim being a fucking reckless idiot, too, but it was his job to make sure he got out of it alive. And this time, that hadn't been enough.
He barely hesitated before hugging him tightly, because god fucking damn it, he really didn't want this to be happening. And if he wanted to blame himself, that was his own goddamn business. "Shut up, you stupid fucking asshole."
Jim didn't really know how to react to being pulled into a hug and then being called a name. The name he could deal with but he didn't really want to be touched right now or let McCoy know that he was feeling awful. He refused to call it death tolling alright.
"You'd better be." Although let's be serious, if you were less of an ass, you wouldn't be the Jim Kirk we all know and love, so. Don't feel like you have to change that much.
Bones will just settle for you staying alive.
He pulled back after a minute, still glaring at him, but this time more out of concern than misdirected anger. "What's wrong?" And yes, he means physically.
"Don't give me that shit," he said shortly, although maybe not as aggressively as he would have had the situation been different. "Come on, you shouldn't be standing up. Infirmary or one of our cabins?"
Lack of protesting was usually more a sign of Jim being extremely fucked up than anything else, so he just sighed and put a supportive, careful arm around his back. "C'mon."
That was a lot easier to focus on than the memories of what things had been like directly before he'd come to the Barge, so Bones grabbed hold of the topic change immediately.
"Fine. Nothing too exciting." Or awful, really, apart from the fact that the Army medic he'd swapped places with for a few days was apparently a chain smoker and it had taken a while to get his room smelling normal again. "You missed a flood."
But honestly? He really didn't want to find him. There was only one reason why Jim would be back, and while he did really miss him, he didn't want him to be here. He shouldn't have to deal with something McCoy hadn't even really had a chance to fix yet, and no one should be stuck here against their will, without needing to be redeemed just because the Admiral had a bad sense of humor.
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Still. When McCoy finally caught up to him, he stopped, staring, because if he'd learned one thing about the Barge, it was that it loved dicking people over. If this was just some stupid flood where for some reason, Dick had swapped places with Jim for a few days, he was going to throttle the Admiral.
"Jim?"
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And it wasn't like he hadn't yelled at him a lot already. And hit him. Twice. "I'm sorry."
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"It's not your fault."
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He barely hesitated before hugging him tightly, because god fucking damn it, he really didn't want this to be happening. And if he wanted to blame himself, that was his own goddamn business. "Shut up, you stupid fucking asshole."
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"Sorry. I'll try to be less of an ass."
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Bones will just settle for you staying alive.
He pulled back after a minute, still glaring at him, but this time more out of concern than misdirected anger. "What's wrong?" And yes, he means physically.
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"Fine. Nothing too exciting." Or awful, really, apart from the fact that the Army medic he'd swapped places with for a few days was apparently a chain smoker and it had taken a while to get his room smelling normal again. "You missed a flood."
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