Fic: Part of the Process
Title: Part of the Process
Author: linelenagain
Wordcount: ~1800
Rating: PG
Notes: A long, long time ago I threw a contest, with the promise of fic as the prize. I intended to write all the fic and then post them all at once, but I think we can see how well that turned out. So here's the first installment (and if I promised you fic, I'm still working on it, I swear.) This is for kayenem, who requested a Kirk and McCoy Hurt/Comfort story.
"Captain, your cough has increased by fifteen percent in frequency, and twenty-five percent in volume over the duration of alpha shift. Would it not be appropriate to remove yourself to sickbay?"
Jim glared at Spock. "Thank you, Commander, but I'm fine," he said. His point was emphasized by the coughing fit that overtook him as soon as he finished speaking.
"Really, Captain," Uhura pursed her lips. "Work yourself to death if you want to, but don't infect the rest of us."
"I won't," Jim sighed. "It's just the flu; I'm sure you're all up to date with your vaccines."
"Aren't you?" Sulu asked over his shoulder. "You'd think with all those hypos McCoy hits you with, you'd have all your shots."
"All the ones I'm not allergic to, sure," Jim said, resting an elbow on the arm of his chair and leaning his forehead against his palm. "Would anyone mind if I turned the lights down ten percent?"
"Oh, for the love of-" Uhura rolled her eyes and tapped her control panel. "Bridge to Sickbay."
"McCoy here," said Bones' voice from over the intercom.
"Lieutenant-" Kirk moaned.
"Doctor-" Uhura started.
"Two days extra shore leave if you tell him you paged him by mistake," Kirk said, suddenly alert.
"Umm..." Uhura paused, clearly considering.
"McCoy here." Bones' voice sharpened a little. "Anyone home?"
"I want extra shore leave too," Sulu said. "My silence isn't free, you know."
"Mine is," blurted out Chekov. "But I vould not say no to two days off."
"Doctor," Spock said, loud enough for the comm to pick up, "the captain is ill, and requires medical assistance."
"Well, why didn't you just say so? I'll be there in five. McCoy out."
This time, Jim wasn't the only one glaring at Spock.
--
"Really Bones," Kirk said. "I don't know why they called you. I'm fine. Tell him, Sulu."
"He's fine," Sulu nodded, keeping his eyes on his station.
"Yes. The captain is fine. He has never been better. I vas just remarking to Sulu how vell the captain looks today, vasn't I, Hikaru?" Chekov said, wringing his hands.
Jim sighed, and Uhura slapped her forehead with the heel of her hand. Bones narrowed his eyes. "You," he pointed at Chekov. "What did he promise you?"
"Two days extra shore leawe," Chekov said immediately, straightening in his chair.
Bones turned back to Jim. "Decent. For future reference, you should have held out for three days. Minimum."
Jim nodded. "It's true. Maybe even four."
Sulu turned to Chekov. "We're going to have to teach you to lie."
"Okay, Jim," Bones said. "Let's get you down to sickbay and check you out."
"You don't need to be in sickbay to check me out, Bones," Jim winked at him. "You have my permission to do so anytime."
"Pasty white and sweating isn't my type," Bones said, hauling Jim up by an arm. "Let's go."
"After my shift." Jim threw himself back down into his chair. "And I don't sweat, I glow."
Bones frowned. "Now," he said, pulling Jim back to his feet. "Before you drown in a puddle of your own glow."
"Later," Jim said, twisting free of Bones' grip and sitting down again. "And if you keep making that face you'll get wrinkles."
"I'll look distinguished," Bones said, yanking at Jim's arm. Jim was prepared this time, however, and gripped the edge of his chair, bracing his feet against the floor. "Come on, Jim. Why does it always have to be this way?"
"Because you always want to bust out the hyposprays for every tiny little thing. Like last week!"
"You went into anaphylactic shock! You stopped breathing!"
"I would have started again! You just have to give it a minute!"
"Get him out of here," Uhura muttered under her breath.
"This is mutiny." Jim narrowed his eyes at her, then looked at each member of the bridge crew in turn. "You'll all regret this."
Bones pulled a hypospray from his pocket and gestured threateningly. "Are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"
Jim tensed, and for a moment the entire bridge crew held their collective breath, but then he slumped forward, eyes on his feet. He kicked at the base of his chair. "Easy way."
"Good man," Bones said, taking Jim by the arm and escorting him to the turbolift.
"I thought he vas going to run for it," Chekov said, after they were out of earshot.
"Yeah," Sulu nodded. "He must really be sick."
--
"Jesus Christ, Jim, look at you," Bones sighed as they walked into sickbay. Jim sagged against a bed. "C'mon, up ya go." Bending down, Bones half-shoved, half-pulled Jim the rest of the way onto the mattress. "Dammit, you're warm."
"Hot, Bones. The word is hot," Jim tried to smirk, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. He leaned back, enjoying the cool feel of the pillowcase against his neck.
"Actually, the word is fevered." Bones grabbed a tricorder from the top of one of the monitors and ran it over Jim's head and chest. "Oh, a hundred and three. Wonderful. At what point were you going to act like an adult and come down to sickbay?"
Jim closed his eyes. "After my shift. I mean it," he said at Bones' snort of disbelief. "Hey Bones?" he said, cracking an eyelid and catching the man's gaze.
"What is it, Jim?" Bones said, not looking up from the tricorder.
"D'you think you could give me a shot of something? I feel really bad," Jim said, looking away.
"Oh Christ, you really are sick, aren't you?" Bones murmured, laying a hand on Jim's forehead, a gesture that accomplished nothing but seemed to soothe both of them. "All right, hang in there, kid. Let me go see what I can give you that won't turn you blue." With a last brush of his thumb over Jim's hairline, he turned towards the supply cabinet.
--
"That hurt!" Jim pressed his face into the pillow.
"Don't be such a baby," Bones said, lowering the hypospray and watching Jim's status on the monitors. "Hmm...well, your fever went down a little, but not as much as I'd- aw, hell."
"What?!" Jim sat up quickly, then quickly covered his mouth with a hand and lay down again. "Oh god, I'm gonna be sick."
"Allergic to Amoxocederin - we'll have to add that to the list," Bones muttered as he hurried back to the supply cabinet.
"What are you talking about, I- oh hell." Jim looked down at his hand and moaned. "Bones, what have you done?"
"Just a mild topical reaction," Bones said, reassuringly. "Nothing to be alarmed about."
"I have red spots!" Jim yelled, then covered his mouth again. "And nausea. Be sure to make a note of the nausea."
"The nausea is noted. At least your fever seems to-" Bones looked over his shoulder at the screens. "Huh. 103.4. Okay, sit tight."
"Red spots," Jim moaned pitifully.
"I'll get rid of them, just let me think," Bones said, scrolling through the list of medications.
"But what if you can't?" Jim leaned over the side of the bed. "Also I think I need a bucket or something. Stat."
"Then we'll tell people they're alien virility tattoos. Or something. Also, doctors don't really say stat," Bones said, not turning around. There was a retching sound from behind him. "Okay, I guess I had that coming."
--
"No," Jim said firmly. "No more. You've given me four hypos, two pills, an inhaler, and some horrible cream. I still have a fever, I've thrown up twice, I have red spots-"
"Those are almost completely faded!" Bones interjected, trying to jab Jim's arm with his hypo.
"I have red spots," Jim continued, knocking the hypo away with a defensive block. "I've got a migraine, the lights hurt my eyes, and I've got chills. I think I'm actually worse instead of better. No more!"
"Look, Jim," Bones said patiently, swapping the hypo to his other hand and swinging it towards Jim's leg. "I know you're uncomfortable- ow! Those were my fingers, you asshole!"
"Maybe if you didn't keep trying to stab me, I wouldn't have to knee you in the hand," Jim said, reasonably.
Bones blew on his fingers, shaking them gingerly. "So help me god if you broke my hypo - anyway. You're uncomfortable. I know. But this is a process. By eliminating the things your immune system can't handle, we can plan a course of treatment that will work not just this time, but every time."
"What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger, right?" Jim asked, smiling wryly.
"Exactly," Bones nodded. "So now will you-"
"Right," Jim interrupted. "Emphasis on doesn't kill me. Enough of your snake oil!"
"Snake oil?" Bones spluttered. "The pinnacle of human and vulcan scientific advancements, the best-qualified staff Starfleet has to offer, the most technologically advanced shipboard medical facility known to man - snake oil?"
"You're right! Snake oil probably wouldn't make me feel worse-" Jim's tirade faded into a series of wet, hacking coughs.
"Jim?" Bones leaned forward, rubbing firm circles over Jim's upper back. "Easy, easy. You're all right. Just try and relax, okay? No more hypos for a while, I promise. There you go," he said, as Jim's cough trailed off into gasping shudders. He pushed gently against Jim's shoulders, leaning him down on the bed.
The moment his head hit the pillow, Jim rolled onto his side away from Bones, bringing his knees up close to his chest and drawing the blanket tight over his shoulders.
"Jim?" Bones asked, after a moment.
"I'm freezing," Jim said, looking at the wall. "If you really want to make me feel better you'll get me a blanket or something and leave me be."
There was a long pause, then with a sigh, Bones turned and walked out of sickbay.
--
"Jim?" Bones' voice jostled Jim out of his haze of pain and self-pity a few minutes later.
"Thought you left," Jim said, eyes squeezed shut against the lights.
"Just for a minute." Suddenly, Jim felt a heaviness settle over him, and for the first time all day, he didn't feel the urge to shiver. Opening his eyes slightly, he was greeted by the familiar shabbiness of Bones' faded quilt.
"I know this," Jim said. "'S from your room." He looked over his shoulder at Bones.
"Yeah," Bones said, toeing his boots off.
"Y'r mom make it or somethin'?" Jim asked.
Bones pulled off his blue overshirt, draping it over the back of a chair. "Yeah."
"...k." Jim turned back to the wall and closed his eyes.
"Lights to twenty percent." Warm hands pressed against his back. "Shove over."
Jim obliged, and was rewarded for his efforts as Bones climbed in behind him and threw an arm over Jim's side. "You warm enough now?"
"Yeah." Jim leaned back against Bones' chest. "Thanks."
There was a long silence, and Jim was just drifting off when suddenly: "Jim?"
"Yeah?" Jim asked, grabbing Bones' hand.
"When we wake up, I'm giving you an IV. It's important to keep hydrated."
"I know, Bones. Love you, too."
Author: linelenagain
Wordcount: ~1800
Rating: PG
Notes: A long, long time ago I threw a contest, with the promise of fic as the prize. I intended to write all the fic and then post them all at once, but I think we can see how well that turned out. So here's the first installment (and if I promised you fic, I'm still working on it, I swear.) This is for kayenem, who requested a Kirk and McCoy Hurt/Comfort story.
"Captain, your cough has increased by fifteen percent in frequency, and twenty-five percent in volume over the duration of alpha shift. Would it not be appropriate to remove yourself to sickbay?"
Jim glared at Spock. "Thank you, Commander, but I'm fine," he said. His point was emphasized by the coughing fit that overtook him as soon as he finished speaking.
"Really, Captain," Uhura pursed her lips. "Work yourself to death if you want to, but don't infect the rest of us."
"I won't," Jim sighed. "It's just the flu; I'm sure you're all up to date with your vaccines."
"Aren't you?" Sulu asked over his shoulder. "You'd think with all those hypos McCoy hits you with, you'd have all your shots."
"All the ones I'm not allergic to, sure," Jim said, resting an elbow on the arm of his chair and leaning his forehead against his palm. "Would anyone mind if I turned the lights down ten percent?"
"Oh, for the love of-" Uhura rolled her eyes and tapped her control panel. "Bridge to Sickbay."
"McCoy here," said Bones' voice from over the intercom.
"Lieutenant-" Kirk moaned.
"Doctor-" Uhura started.
"Two days extra shore leave if you tell him you paged him by mistake," Kirk said, suddenly alert.
"Umm..." Uhura paused, clearly considering.
"McCoy here." Bones' voice sharpened a little. "Anyone home?"
"I want extra shore leave too," Sulu said. "My silence isn't free, you know."
"Mine is," blurted out Chekov. "But I vould not say no to two days off."
"Doctor," Spock said, loud enough for the comm to pick up, "the captain is ill, and requires medical assistance."
"Well, why didn't you just say so? I'll be there in five. McCoy out."
This time, Jim wasn't the only one glaring at Spock.
--
"Really Bones," Kirk said. "I don't know why they called you. I'm fine. Tell him, Sulu."
"He's fine," Sulu nodded, keeping his eyes on his station.
"Yes. The captain is fine. He has never been better. I vas just remarking to Sulu how vell the captain looks today, vasn't I, Hikaru?" Chekov said, wringing his hands.
Jim sighed, and Uhura slapped her forehead with the heel of her hand. Bones narrowed his eyes. "You," he pointed at Chekov. "What did he promise you?"
"Two days extra shore leawe," Chekov said immediately, straightening in his chair.
Bones turned back to Jim. "Decent. For future reference, you should have held out for three days. Minimum."
Jim nodded. "It's true. Maybe even four."
Sulu turned to Chekov. "We're going to have to teach you to lie."
"Okay, Jim," Bones said. "Let's get you down to sickbay and check you out."
"You don't need to be in sickbay to check me out, Bones," Jim winked at him. "You have my permission to do so anytime."
"Pasty white and sweating isn't my type," Bones said, hauling Jim up by an arm. "Let's go."
"After my shift." Jim threw himself back down into his chair. "And I don't sweat, I glow."
Bones frowned. "Now," he said, pulling Jim back to his feet. "Before you drown in a puddle of your own glow."
"Later," Jim said, twisting free of Bones' grip and sitting down again. "And if you keep making that face you'll get wrinkles."
"I'll look distinguished," Bones said, yanking at Jim's arm. Jim was prepared this time, however, and gripped the edge of his chair, bracing his feet against the floor. "Come on, Jim. Why does it always have to be this way?"
"Because you always want to bust out the hyposprays for every tiny little thing. Like last week!"
"You went into anaphylactic shock! You stopped breathing!"
"I would have started again! You just have to give it a minute!"
"Get him out of here," Uhura muttered under her breath.
"This is mutiny." Jim narrowed his eyes at her, then looked at each member of the bridge crew in turn. "You'll all regret this."
Bones pulled a hypospray from his pocket and gestured threateningly. "Are we going to do this the easy way, or the hard way?"
Jim tensed, and for a moment the entire bridge crew held their collective breath, but then he slumped forward, eyes on his feet. He kicked at the base of his chair. "Easy way."
"Good man," Bones said, taking Jim by the arm and escorting him to the turbolift.
"I thought he vas going to run for it," Chekov said, after they were out of earshot.
"Yeah," Sulu nodded. "He must really be sick."
--
"Jesus Christ, Jim, look at you," Bones sighed as they walked into sickbay. Jim sagged against a bed. "C'mon, up ya go." Bending down, Bones half-shoved, half-pulled Jim the rest of the way onto the mattress. "Dammit, you're warm."
"Hot, Bones. The word is hot," Jim tried to smirk, but his heart clearly wasn't in it. He leaned back, enjoying the cool feel of the pillowcase against his neck.
"Actually, the word is fevered." Bones grabbed a tricorder from the top of one of the monitors and ran it over Jim's head and chest. "Oh, a hundred and three. Wonderful. At what point were you going to act like an adult and come down to sickbay?"
Jim closed his eyes. "After my shift. I mean it," he said at Bones' snort of disbelief. "Hey Bones?" he said, cracking an eyelid and catching the man's gaze.
"What is it, Jim?" Bones said, not looking up from the tricorder.
"D'you think you could give me a shot of something? I feel really bad," Jim said, looking away.
"Oh Christ, you really are sick, aren't you?" Bones murmured, laying a hand on Jim's forehead, a gesture that accomplished nothing but seemed to soothe both of them. "All right, hang in there, kid. Let me go see what I can give you that won't turn you blue." With a last brush of his thumb over Jim's hairline, he turned towards the supply cabinet.
--
"That hurt!" Jim pressed his face into the pillow.
"Don't be such a baby," Bones said, lowering the hypospray and watching Jim's status on the monitors. "Hmm...well, your fever went down a little, but not as much as I'd- aw, hell."
"What?!" Jim sat up quickly, then quickly covered his mouth with a hand and lay down again. "Oh god, I'm gonna be sick."
"Allergic to Amoxocederin - we'll have to add that to the list," Bones muttered as he hurried back to the supply cabinet.
"What are you talking about, I- oh hell." Jim looked down at his hand and moaned. "Bones, what have you done?"
"Just a mild topical reaction," Bones said, reassuringly. "Nothing to be alarmed about."
"I have red spots!" Jim yelled, then covered his mouth again. "And nausea. Be sure to make a note of the nausea."
"The nausea is noted. At least your fever seems to-" Bones looked over his shoulder at the screens. "Huh. 103.4. Okay, sit tight."
"Red spots," Jim moaned pitifully.
"I'll get rid of them, just let me think," Bones said, scrolling through the list of medications.
"But what if you can't?" Jim leaned over the side of the bed. "Also I think I need a bucket or something. Stat."
"Then we'll tell people they're alien virility tattoos. Or something. Also, doctors don't really say stat," Bones said, not turning around. There was a retching sound from behind him. "Okay, I guess I had that coming."
--
"No," Jim said firmly. "No more. You've given me four hypos, two pills, an inhaler, and some horrible cream. I still have a fever, I've thrown up twice, I have red spots-"
"Those are almost completely faded!" Bones interjected, trying to jab Jim's arm with his hypo.
"I have red spots," Jim continued, knocking the hypo away with a defensive block. "I've got a migraine, the lights hurt my eyes, and I've got chills. I think I'm actually worse instead of better. No more!"
"Look, Jim," Bones said patiently, swapping the hypo to his other hand and swinging it towards Jim's leg. "I know you're uncomfortable- ow! Those were my fingers, you asshole!"
"Maybe if you didn't keep trying to stab me, I wouldn't have to knee you in the hand," Jim said, reasonably.
Bones blew on his fingers, shaking them gingerly. "So help me god if you broke my hypo - anyway. You're uncomfortable. I know. But this is a process. By eliminating the things your immune system can't handle, we can plan a course of treatment that will work not just this time, but every time."
"What doesn't kill me only makes me stronger, right?" Jim asked, smiling wryly.
"Exactly," Bones nodded. "So now will you-"
"Right," Jim interrupted. "Emphasis on doesn't kill me. Enough of your snake oil!"
"Snake oil?" Bones spluttered. "The pinnacle of human and vulcan scientific advancements, the best-qualified staff Starfleet has to offer, the most technologically advanced shipboard medical facility known to man - snake oil?"
"You're right! Snake oil probably wouldn't make me feel worse-" Jim's tirade faded into a series of wet, hacking coughs.
"Jim?" Bones leaned forward, rubbing firm circles over Jim's upper back. "Easy, easy. You're all right. Just try and relax, okay? No more hypos for a while, I promise. There you go," he said, as Jim's cough trailed off into gasping shudders. He pushed gently against Jim's shoulders, leaning him down on the bed.
The moment his head hit the pillow, Jim rolled onto his side away from Bones, bringing his knees up close to his chest and drawing the blanket tight over his shoulders.
"Jim?" Bones asked, after a moment.
"I'm freezing," Jim said, looking at the wall. "If you really want to make me feel better you'll get me a blanket or something and leave me be."
There was a long pause, then with a sigh, Bones turned and walked out of sickbay.
--
"Jim?" Bones' voice jostled Jim out of his haze of pain and self-pity a few minutes later.
"Thought you left," Jim said, eyes squeezed shut against the lights.
"Just for a minute." Suddenly, Jim felt a heaviness settle over him, and for the first time all day, he didn't feel the urge to shiver. Opening his eyes slightly, he was greeted by the familiar shabbiness of Bones' faded quilt.
"I know this," Jim said. "'S from your room." He looked over his shoulder at Bones.
"Yeah," Bones said, toeing his boots off.
"Y'r mom make it or somethin'?" Jim asked.
Bones pulled off his blue overshirt, draping it over the back of a chair. "Yeah."
"...k." Jim turned back to the wall and closed his eyes.
"Lights to twenty percent." Warm hands pressed against his back. "Shove over."
Jim obliged, and was rewarded for his efforts as Bones climbed in behind him and threw an arm over Jim's side. "You warm enough now?"
"Yeah." Jim leaned back against Bones' chest. "Thanks."
There was a long silence, and Jim was just drifting off when suddenly: "Jim?"
"Yeah?" Jim asked, grabbing Bones' hand.
"When we wake up, I'm giving you an IV. It's important to keep hydrated."
"I know, Bones. Love you, too."