What's a Meal Between Friends? (Third Dinner) -- (3/6) (Kirk/McCoy) Star Trek AOS Rating PG
Title: What’s A Meal Between Friends? (3/6)
Chapter Title: "Breaking Bread Together" (Third Dinner)
Author: fritz42
Fandom:Star Trek AOS
Characters/Pairings: Jim Kirk/ Leonard McCoy
Ratings: PG
Warnings: Swearing, Jim being Jim, Bones being grumpy
Word count:3950
Beta: caitri
Disclaimer: This wonderful universe is own by Paramount, Gene Roddenberry, JJ Abrams and a host of others. I make no money off this. I am truly only here to play.
Summary: There’s an importance with coming together for meals. Many things have been said about it. Some say sharing meals can make you a better person. Others say that sharing food can be the most intimate act people can perform with their clothes on.
For Jim, meals were significant times of connection with Bones, turning points in their lives. Together, they were the chronicle of how Bones went from a stranger, to the most important person in Jim’s life, to the one he wanted to spend the rest of his days with.
Chapter Summary: Every able-bodied crewman was working hard to get the repairs done on the ship, Jim included. But he took time out to check in with Bones, see how Pike was doing and have something to eat. Too bad they couldn’t keep things from getting personal.
“Breaking Bread Together” (Third Dinner)
Author's Note: Huge thanks need to go out to Caitri, who spent extra time on this chapter for me. Thank you for your suggestions and directions. It definitely made things better. I appreciate your insight and patience. And like always, I have tinkered with this, so all mistakes are my own.
This dinner occurs in their third year, right after Star Trek. The Narada has been destroyed before going back through the wormhole, and the Enterprise crew is working on repairs so that they can return to Earth. Things have happened between the two of them, things on the Bridge that need to be talked about, even if Jim doesn't want to.
Spock stood patiently, his hands behind him, as Jim read through the summary of the preliminary, departmental reports. Organized and efficient. Just like their Spock.
“Wow, Spock. You even cross-reference and linked to the full reports.” Jim gave the Vulcan an appreciative smile as he motioned with the PADD in his hand. “Thanks for doing all that and for bringing it down to me.”
“I would be remiss in my duties had I not provided you with the relevant data. As for bringing it to you, you are a certified engineer, and you yourself had ordered all qualified crewmembers to help with the repairs to the ship. You were needed elsewhere.” Spock tilted his head at the Jefferies tube nearby. “It was logical to bring the report down to you rather than expecting you to return to the Bridge.”
The sound of Scotty murmuring soothingly to his “lady” echoed out of the tube. He and Jim were working on replacing the damaged conduits throughout the deck. Jim sighed. Even with every able crewman working around the clock, it would be another two days before all critical repairs were made to the power relay system. It would be even longer before a starship was available to tow them back to Space Dock for repairs. At least Spock’s report showed that some things weren’t as bad as Jim had feared.
“Your orders, Captain?” Spock’s words pulled Jim’s attention back.
Rubbing his fingers and thumb over his eyebrows, Jim gathered his thoughts. “Make sure we concentrate on the repairs to the ship’s hull and engineering sections and other critical systems first. Ask the department heads to prioritize any other repairs after that. I expect another report from them in 12 hours, detailing the progress they’ve made in their areas.” He handed the PADD back to Spock. “When that ship comes to get us, I’d like it if we were just limping rather than dragging our butts.”
Spock’s eyebrow rose at the crass expression, but he didn’t comment other than to acknowledge, “Yes, Captain.”
Rather than returning to the Bridge, Spock remained where he was. Something was bugging the Vulcan, and Jim didn’t think it had anything to do with his previous use of a human idiom. Spock had that special “someone has done something that annoyed me” look. Jim was quite familiar with that one.
“Was there something else, Spock?” Jim asked calmly.
“All departments, except for one, submitted their reports by the ordered time.”
Jim rubbed his tired head again. He had totally missed that when he read Spock’s report. He waited for Spock to elaborate. When several moments passed, Jim prompted, “And…?”
“We have yet to receive a full report from Medical.” If Jim didn’t know any better, Spock looked as if Bones’s omission was causing him physical pain - in that subtle Vulcan way.
“Is Bones out of surgery with Captain Pike yet?” Jim asked. Last time he had checked, Bones was still operating on Jim’s mentor.
“Dr. McCoy finished his surgery on Captain Pike 2.75 hours ago, leaving ample time for, at the very least, a brief report.”
“Well, Bones is an old worry wart. If I know him, he’s probably hovering over Pike right now and any other crewmember still in Medbay.” Jim’s revelation about his friend didn’t seem to assuage the First Officer. “Have you tried calling him and requesting it?”
Spock seemed to draw himself up even straighter. “I was told by the good doctor that I could ‘hold my damn horses.’” Spock’s eyebrow rose to new heights. “The doctor seems particularly fond of equestrian colloquialisms. Do you wish for me to contact him again and remind him of the oversight?”
Jim stifled his smile. It hadn’t taken the two of them long to butt heads. God, it would be tempting to listen in on that conversation to see who’d come out the victor. But he was Acting Captain now, and he need to ensure this possible conflict between the two of them didn’t affect the functioning of the ship.
“Don’t worry about it, Spock.” He held up his hand, staunching what he knew would be Spock’s renewed complaint about the report. “I’ll go talk with Dr. McCoy. If he’s too busy to compile his report, he might be able to give it to me verbally. Besides, I wanna see how Captain Pike is doing.”
That seemed to do the trick. Spock dipped his head. “Very well, Captain.”
Jim nodded his dismissal, and the Vulcan made a sharp turn and proceeded down the corridor to the turbolift. Jim watched the doors closed behind him.
He poked his head back into the Jefferies tube behind him. “Scotty! I’ll be back later. I have to go to Medbay for a while.”
“Aye, Capt’n.”
Jim pulled back and groaned. Even that little motion made the muscles across his shoulder tighten. He lifted his chin as he rotated his shoulders back, and a bite of pain grabbed his chest. His hand pressed down on the area as he waited it to subside. Crawling through Jefferies tubes for the better part of the day maybe hadn’t been the best thing for his injuries, but he didn’t have the time to sit around waiting for them to heal. They had at least another full day before most of the conduits were repaired.
He pulled out his communicator. “Kirk to McCoy.”
He waited a few moments for an answer. “McCoy here. What can I do for you, Jim?” Bones sounded as tired as Jim felt.
“Do you have time for a little company?”
McCoy’s voice brightened slightly. “Yeah. We seem to have things settled down now. At least until the next group of engineers come flocking in.”
“I’ll be there in a bit. Kirk out.” Jim snapped his communicator shut and made his way to the turbolift.
When the doors to the secondary Medbay opened, Jim was greeted by the sight of a tightly run department. Busy medical personnel went back and forth between the occupied biobeds, their movements precise and proficient. Crewmembers seated on the beds looked like their injuries were being efficiently cared for. Jim would expect nothing less from a department run by Leonard McCoy.
Bones came out of an office on the far side of the room. “Jim.” He waved his hand. “Over here.”
Stopping on the way, Jim talked briefly with the various nurses and doctors, encouraging them and their patients, reassuring them as to when they would make it back to Earth. Bones was leaning against his office door with his arms crossed when Jim reached his side.
Bones motioned with his head. “C’mon in.”
Taking the chair in front of what had been Dr. Puri’s desk, Jim couldn’t help the relieved breath that came out as he relaxed against the back. He closed his eyes. Damn, it felt good to sit down.
A familiar whirling sound circled his head, and he looked up with a sigh. Frowning, Bones continued to scan down Jim’s neck and chest, closely monitoring the data being gathered on the tricorder in his other hand.
“Well, it looks like you’re healing. The damage to the cartilage around your ribs is still there but it’s minimal. How do they feel?” His hazel eyes bore into Jim’s.
Jim debated whether to lie to Bones or just tell the truth. Considering the look he was getting, he went with the safer bet.
“It’s still a little sore…” Bones’s eyebrow went up at that understatement. “But nothing I can’t handle,” Jim said as he sat up in the chair, ignoring the twinge that movement made. “I’m here for your report. If you haven’t gotten it done yet, you can give it to me verbally.”
Bones finished up his scan of Jim and put down his instruments. He dug into a cabinet behind him, taking out a bottle of pills, shaking two into his hand.
“Here, take these. It should help with the discomfort.” Bones poured a glass of water from the carafe on his desk and handed both the glass and the bottle of pills to Jim. “And take those every six hours for the next couple of days. I mean it, Jim. I don’t want to hear how you don’t like taking pills. Those will help with the healing and pain. If I find out that you’re not takin’ them, I will hunt you down and hypo you.”
Scowling, Jim downed the pills and drained the glass of water. He placed it back on the edge of Bones’s desk before tucking the bottle into his pocket.
Seemingly satisfied that Jim would follow medical instructions, Bones grabbed one of the PADDs on his desk and handed it over to Jim. “I just finished my report. I take it Spock was having a conniption fit.”
“Well, you did make him look like that stick up his ass was a little longer.” A pleased laugh escaped Bones’s lips as Jim activated the PADD. Jim read over the report, paying particular attention to the information about Pike.
“How’s Pike?” He asked, looking up at his friend.
A small understanding smile softened Bones’ face. “He’s resting right now in one of the curtained-off alcoves. I’ve got a nurse with him at all times.” He paused as he considered, knowing the real meaning behind Jim’s question. “I’m hopeful, Jim. I won’t kid ya. The damage was extensive, and he’ll have to have a number of corrective surgeries down the road. Most likely, he’ll have to spend some time in a wheelchair and have a couple of months of rehab, but it could’ve been worse. Much worse.”
Jim pressed the buttons on the PADD, sending the report to Spock, before he spoke. “It would’ve been worse if he hadn’t had you as his doctor.” Getting up, Jim closed the distance between them. “Thanks for taking care of him, Bones,” he said, clapping his hand down on Bones’s shoulder as he turned to leave.
Bones grabbed Jim’s wrist and held him in place. “When was the last time you ate, Jim? And don’t lie to me. I saw your blood sugar. Park your ass right back in that chair.”
When Jim didn’t move, Bones pointed again to the chair before giving Jim a little push. He walked over to the comm. “Christine, can you get someone to bring two trays in here for the Captain and me? Doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Whatever they have down in the Galley. Oh, and some coffee.”
“Sure thing, Doctor.”
Jim sat back down in the chair and relaxed. Coffee was a good sign. Bones wouldn’t have asked for it if he was going to order Jim to rest. Bones took his seat behind his desk and picked up one of the hyposprays lying on it. Shit. Maybe he was wrong.
Over and over, the hypospray rotated in Bones’s hands, each end touching the desk every half turn. Bones stared at it, unseeingly, lost in his own thoughts.
Jim frowned. What the hell?
Bones wasn’t a fidgety person. When others were losing their shit, Bones’s hands were always steady and calm. He never needed to keep them busy. Jim watched his shoulders slump, the confidence that Bones wore like a second skin slipping off from him.
“Bones?”
Bones looked up, their eyes finally connecting, and Jim could see pain and regret filling the hazel eyes. “Jim. About what happened before … on the bridge with Spock …” Bones fumbled.
Shit.
When he had gotten safely back to the ship with Scotty in tow, Bones had jumped right into helping devise the plan to take down Nero with no hard feelings voiced. Jim had assumed that issue was done. That they would push it behind them and just forget what happened. Like any other male on planet Earth would do.
Bones obviously skipped that page in the secret male handbook.
Jim tried to forestall him, shaking his head. “Bones.”
“Jim, I’m sorry that I didn’t back you up. When Spock nerve-pinched you and then ordered those security guards to get you off the ship…” Bones sighed, shaking his head in disgust.
“It’s okay,” Jim said.
“No, it’s not, Jim,” Bones said forcefully. “For all we knew, you could have died down there on that godforsaken planet.” Jim was tired, and for a brief second, he couldn’t control his expression. Bones’s face fell. “Oh my god, you almost did, didn’t you?”
“Bones.” Jim tried again, using his hand to wave it off.
“No, don’t you just brush this under the table, Jim. You almost died because I was some goddamn chicken-shit and didn’t stand up for you!”
“And what?” Jim shot back. “What would’ve you done? Yelled at him, too?” Jim snorted sarcastically. “Yeah, that would have worked. All that would have gotten us was an escape pod built for two, and you’d have been stranded right along with me, both of us running for our lives from that fake red dinosaur!”
Oh god. That possibility hadn’t crossed his mind. He had barely gotten away from that creature, and he was a better runner than Bones, especially over a frozen surface like that. If Bones had been down there with him, he wouldn’t have been able to protect him. Bones would’ve…
He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, blocking out that picture from his mind, before looking back at his friend. The blood had drained from Bones’s face, and he stared blankly at Jim, his eyes wide with shock.
“You had to run from something that looked like a ‘fake red dinosaur’? That planet was supposed to be uninhabited,” Bones said with a quiet voice. “An herbivore?” The look on his face said he knew what the answer would be.
Jim was losing control of the conversation. He needed to lighten it up. “C’mom, Bones. The surface of Delta Vega is frozen. No herbivores are gonna populate it,” Jim teased.
“Damn it, Jim. Stop joking. What was it?” Bones barked.
“It’s called a hengrauggi.” Bones frowned and shook his head in confusion. Jim toyed with the idea of downplaying it, but he knew Bones would just look it up. “Okay. Think T-rex with six legs, a mouth like a lamprey and a really long and ugly double tongue.”
“My god, Jim!” Closing his eyes, Bones flopped back in his chair.
Jim got up and walked swiftly around Bones’s desk. Sitting on the edge of it, he leaned forward and touched his friend on his arm.
“Bones. Listen to me,” Jim commanded softly as he gave the arm under his hand a friendly shake. Once Bones opened his eyes, and Jim had his friend’s full attention, he continued, “I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt. Someone was there and he fended off the hengrauggi for me. And it all turned out for the best. If Spock hadn’t thrown me off the ship, I’d never have met up with Scotty. We wouldn’t have defeated Nero without him.”
“That doesn’t excuse the fact that I didn’t back you.”
No, it didn’t, but Jim did not want to get into that right now. This was bad enough.
Jim let go of Bones’s arm and settled back on the surface of the desk, his hands gripping the edge as he watched his friend continue to struggle. He sighed. Bones always felt he had to carry the responsibility of everyone’s welfare on his broad shoulders. It’s what made him the great doctor, but Jim couldn’t let him keep blaming himself.
Maybe it was time to take a different track.
“I have to tell you something, and you can’t tell anyone else. Okay? If I have to make that an order, I will,” Jim said.
Bones frowned, clearly surprised by the seriousness in Jim’s voice. “Alright. This will be just between you and me. What is it?”
Jim took a deep breath, hoping that what he was about to reveal wouldn’t disrupt the space-time continuum any more than it had been. “The person that fought off the hengrauggi for me was Ambassador Spock.” He waited for that to sink in.
Confusion was written all over Bones’s face. “Ambassador Spock? Who the hell is Ambassador Spock?”
Jim leaned forward, lowering his voice so no one else could hear. “He came from the same alternate reality that Nero and the Narada came from.”
Bones looked at Jim, eyes wide with surprise. “Uhura was right then?” Jim nodded. A look of horror crossed Bones’s face. “Does that mean we have two Spocks here? What the hell did we do to deserve that?”
Jim shook his head impatiently. “Listen. While I was on the planet, he told me some things. Things I haven’t told anyone else. He said that coming to this universe screwed things up here. That it messed up our timeline. He maintained that the universe - or whatever is out there - was working to put things right, and one of those things was to get us all on this ship, with me in command. So Bones?” He used his foot to nudge Bones in the leg. “Stop beating yourself up over this. Ambassador Spock said that needed to happen, and it wouldn’t have if I hadn’t been sent down to Delta Vega.”
A ridge appeared between Bones’s eyebrows. “What the hell is all that? Some kind of Vulcan mysticism, voodoo thing?”
Jim gave Bones a pointed look. “Bones. This is Spock. Well,” he said as he shrugged, “granted an older one from an alternate universe, but you know damn well that any ‘mysticism’ would be based on fact and science.”
That seemed to make more of an impression, if he was reading his friend correctly, and Jim let him ponder on that thought.
“Okay, Jim, fine. Say it was all some grand rewriting of a universal imbalance, but still. You can’t tell me you aren’t pissed at me,” Bones said, refusing to let the whole issue rest. “At least you should be.”
“Captain. Doctor. Where would you like me to put these?” questioned the yeoman at the door.
Never in the history of mankind had there been a better timed interruption.
Jim sprang to his feet and turned towards the young man, motioning him to the desk. “You can put them here. And thank you,” Jim added as the yeoman put the two trays, laden with various sandwiches and steaming cups of coffee, where he was directed.
Before he could leave, Jim asked, “Yeoman Malik, could you bring another tray just like this to Mr. Scott? He’s down on Deck 20, Jefferies tube 20-G, repairing some conduits. He might not want to stop and eat, and if that is the case, tell him it’s sandwiches. If that doesn’t work, tell him it’s an order from me. Don’t leave until he finishes eating, okay?”
“Yes, Captain,” Yeoman Malik acknowledged before leaving the office. Jim’s stomach growled, protesting that he wasn’t eating yet, the noise loud and echoing through the room.
Bones gave Jim an I told you so look. “What is it with you people? Don’t ya all know when to quit? Scotty is as bad as you are, Jim.”
“And when did you eat last? Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Jim gloated as a sheepish look appeared on Bones’s face. “Physician, heal thy self.”
Bones flipped his hand at Jim’s tray. “Oh, just shut up and go sit down and eat.”
Smiling softly, Jim rounded the desk and pulled his tray over to the chair he had vacated earlier.
The two of them slowly devoured the pile of sandwiches on each of their trays in silence - both of them alone with their thoughts. He had steered Bones away from that touchy subject, but it seemed like his own mind refused to be distracted.
Was he still pissed at Bones?
No…not anymore, but when it happened? When those security crewmembers grabbed him and Bones didn’t try to help him, but instead just kept telling Jim that Spock was captain…? Yeah, Jim had been royally pissed.
But now …?
Jim felt something squeeze inside his chest. What lingered was something different.
He had been so damn surprised, so damn grateful to Bones for sneaking him onto the ship. No one ever before had ever done something like that for him. He was used to people leaving him behind. His mom. Sam. His high school friends. And in a way, his dad.
But not Bones. Never Bones.
Bones had risked his career for him, and when he did that, for a brief, thrilling moment in time, Jim thought there wasn’t anything the two of them wouldn’t do for each other.
Then, Bones had bailed just like the others. And that hurt. Like nothing else had ever hurt before.
The thing was, Bones might not put up with his shit, but he was always, always there when Jim needed him. To go to the bars with him. To tell him when he was being an ass. Hell, Bones had been at all three of his Kobyashi Maru tests as his science officer, taking time out of his crazy schedule at Starfleet Medical.
They had been joined at the hip for the past three years. Bones was his best friend, the only best friend that he ever really had. He needed Bones.
Was this normal? Was this what you were supposed to feel for your best friend, this overpowering need?
Fuck. Jim grabbed his coffee cup and took a long drink, working hard not to let his hands show the tremble that resonated through him. Jim Kirk wasn’t supposed to need anyone. What the hell was going on with him?
He didn’t want to answer that question.
Looking up over the rim of his cup, Jim stole a glance at Bones to see if he had caught signs of the confusion raging through Jim. Instead, what he saw was the sadness, still weighing down that expressive face. His own turmoil dissipated at the sight. He needed to fix this.
Sighing, Jim put down his cup. “You know, it wasn’t your fault. It was mine and Spock’s - mine for pushing things and Spock’s for reacting to them. You were just trying to play peacekeeper.” Bones opened his mouth as if he meant to argue, but Jim kept going, addressing what Bones had said before. “But, yeah, you were right. I was pissed at you before, but I’m not now.”
Jim paused. “Bones, look. If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. I would’ve been stuck back there, grounded because of my arrogance, and mostly likely dead right now, crushed in the black hole that Nero would have made out of Earth as sure as he did with Vulcan.” He pointed to his friend as he continued, pouring everything he could into his words to convey his sincerity, “You, Bones. You kept all that from happening with what you did for me. Hell, you risked your career for me, and I’ll never forget that. Ever.”
And he wouldn’t. He swallowed down the small lump, starting to form in his throat. He didn’t know what the hell his feelings were towards his best friend, but right now, he had to make them right. “So, are we good now?” He gave Bones a tentative smile.
Bones nodded slowly as a small smile reflected Jim’s, his eyes starting to clear for the first time since this uncomfortable conversation had started. The cold spot in Jim’s chest started to warm. “Yeah, Jim. We’re good.”
And they were.
End notes: The word hengrauggi came from the novelization of the movie: Foster, Alan Dean, (2009). Star Trek. New York, NY: Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
"Worries Go Down Better with Soup (Fourth Dinner)"
Chapter Title: "Breaking Bread Together" (Third Dinner)
Author: fritz42
Fandom:Star Trek AOS
Characters/Pairings: Jim Kirk/ Leonard McCoy
Ratings: PG
Warnings: Swearing, Jim being Jim, Bones being grumpy
Word count:3950
Beta: caitri
Disclaimer: This wonderful universe is own by Paramount, Gene Roddenberry, JJ Abrams and a host of others. I make no money off this. I am truly only here to play.
Summary: There’s an importance with coming together for meals. Many things have been said about it. Some say sharing meals can make you a better person. Others say that sharing food can be the most intimate act people can perform with their clothes on.
For Jim, meals were significant times of connection with Bones, turning points in their lives. Together, they were the chronicle of how Bones went from a stranger, to the most important person in Jim’s life, to the one he wanted to spend the rest of his days with.
Chapter Summary: Every able-bodied crewman was working hard to get the repairs done on the ship, Jim included. But he took time out to check in with Bones, see how Pike was doing and have something to eat. Too bad they couldn’t keep things from getting personal.
“Breaking Bread Together” (Third Dinner)
Author's Note: Huge thanks need to go out to Caitri, who spent extra time on this chapter for me. Thank you for your suggestions and directions. It definitely made things better. I appreciate your insight and patience. And like always, I have tinkered with this, so all mistakes are my own.
This dinner occurs in their third year, right after Star Trek. The Narada has been destroyed before going back through the wormhole, and the Enterprise crew is working on repairs so that they can return to Earth. Things have happened between the two of them, things on the Bridge that need to be talked about, even if Jim doesn't want to.
Spock stood patiently, his hands behind him, as Jim read through the summary of the preliminary, departmental reports. Organized and efficient. Just like their Spock.
“Wow, Spock. You even cross-reference and linked to the full reports.” Jim gave the Vulcan an appreciative smile as he motioned with the PADD in his hand. “Thanks for doing all that and for bringing it down to me.”
“I would be remiss in my duties had I not provided you with the relevant data. As for bringing it to you, you are a certified engineer, and you yourself had ordered all qualified crewmembers to help with the repairs to the ship. You were needed elsewhere.” Spock tilted his head at the Jefferies tube nearby. “It was logical to bring the report down to you rather than expecting you to return to the Bridge.”
The sound of Scotty murmuring soothingly to his “lady” echoed out of the tube. He and Jim were working on replacing the damaged conduits throughout the deck. Jim sighed. Even with every able crewman working around the clock, it would be another two days before all critical repairs were made to the power relay system. It would be even longer before a starship was available to tow them back to Space Dock for repairs. At least Spock’s report showed that some things weren’t as bad as Jim had feared.
“Your orders, Captain?” Spock’s words pulled Jim’s attention back.
Rubbing his fingers and thumb over his eyebrows, Jim gathered his thoughts. “Make sure we concentrate on the repairs to the ship’s hull and engineering sections and other critical systems first. Ask the department heads to prioritize any other repairs after that. I expect another report from them in 12 hours, detailing the progress they’ve made in their areas.” He handed the PADD back to Spock. “When that ship comes to get us, I’d like it if we were just limping rather than dragging our butts.”
Spock’s eyebrow rose at the crass expression, but he didn’t comment other than to acknowledge, “Yes, Captain.”
Rather than returning to the Bridge, Spock remained where he was. Something was bugging the Vulcan, and Jim didn’t think it had anything to do with his previous use of a human idiom. Spock had that special “someone has done something that annoyed me” look. Jim was quite familiar with that one.
“Was there something else, Spock?” Jim asked calmly.
“All departments, except for one, submitted their reports by the ordered time.”
Jim rubbed his tired head again. He had totally missed that when he read Spock’s report. He waited for Spock to elaborate. When several moments passed, Jim prompted, “And…?”
“We have yet to receive a full report from Medical.” If Jim didn’t know any better, Spock looked as if Bones’s omission was causing him physical pain - in that subtle Vulcan way.
“Is Bones out of surgery with Captain Pike yet?” Jim asked. Last time he had checked, Bones was still operating on Jim’s mentor.
“Dr. McCoy finished his surgery on Captain Pike 2.75 hours ago, leaving ample time for, at the very least, a brief report.”
“Well, Bones is an old worry wart. If I know him, he’s probably hovering over Pike right now and any other crewmember still in Medbay.” Jim’s revelation about his friend didn’t seem to assuage the First Officer. “Have you tried calling him and requesting it?”
Spock seemed to draw himself up even straighter. “I was told by the good doctor that I could ‘hold my damn horses.’” Spock’s eyebrow rose to new heights. “The doctor seems particularly fond of equestrian colloquialisms. Do you wish for me to contact him again and remind him of the oversight?”
Jim stifled his smile. It hadn’t taken the two of them long to butt heads. God, it would be tempting to listen in on that conversation to see who’d come out the victor. But he was Acting Captain now, and he need to ensure this possible conflict between the two of them didn’t affect the functioning of the ship.
“Don’t worry about it, Spock.” He held up his hand, staunching what he knew would be Spock’s renewed complaint about the report. “I’ll go talk with Dr. McCoy. If he’s too busy to compile his report, he might be able to give it to me verbally. Besides, I wanna see how Captain Pike is doing.”
That seemed to do the trick. Spock dipped his head. “Very well, Captain.”
Jim nodded his dismissal, and the Vulcan made a sharp turn and proceeded down the corridor to the turbolift. Jim watched the doors closed behind him.
He poked his head back into the Jefferies tube behind him. “Scotty! I’ll be back later. I have to go to Medbay for a while.”
“Aye, Capt’n.”
Jim pulled back and groaned. Even that little motion made the muscles across his shoulder tighten. He lifted his chin as he rotated his shoulders back, and a bite of pain grabbed his chest. His hand pressed down on the area as he waited it to subside. Crawling through Jefferies tubes for the better part of the day maybe hadn’t been the best thing for his injuries, but he didn’t have the time to sit around waiting for them to heal. They had at least another full day before most of the conduits were repaired.
He pulled out his communicator. “Kirk to McCoy.”
He waited a few moments for an answer. “McCoy here. What can I do for you, Jim?” Bones sounded as tired as Jim felt.
“Do you have time for a little company?”
McCoy’s voice brightened slightly. “Yeah. We seem to have things settled down now. At least until the next group of engineers come flocking in.”
“I’ll be there in a bit. Kirk out.” Jim snapped his communicator shut and made his way to the turbolift.
When the doors to the secondary Medbay opened, Jim was greeted by the sight of a tightly run department. Busy medical personnel went back and forth between the occupied biobeds, their movements precise and proficient. Crewmembers seated on the beds looked like their injuries were being efficiently cared for. Jim would expect nothing less from a department run by Leonard McCoy.
Bones came out of an office on the far side of the room. “Jim.” He waved his hand. “Over here.”
Stopping on the way, Jim talked briefly with the various nurses and doctors, encouraging them and their patients, reassuring them as to when they would make it back to Earth. Bones was leaning against his office door with his arms crossed when Jim reached his side.
Bones motioned with his head. “C’mon in.”
Taking the chair in front of what had been Dr. Puri’s desk, Jim couldn’t help the relieved breath that came out as he relaxed against the back. He closed his eyes. Damn, it felt good to sit down.
A familiar whirling sound circled his head, and he looked up with a sigh. Frowning, Bones continued to scan down Jim’s neck and chest, closely monitoring the data being gathered on the tricorder in his other hand.
“Well, it looks like you’re healing. The damage to the cartilage around your ribs is still there but it’s minimal. How do they feel?” His hazel eyes bore into Jim’s.
Jim debated whether to lie to Bones or just tell the truth. Considering the look he was getting, he went with the safer bet.
“It’s still a little sore…” Bones’s eyebrow went up at that understatement. “But nothing I can’t handle,” Jim said as he sat up in the chair, ignoring the twinge that movement made. “I’m here for your report. If you haven’t gotten it done yet, you can give it to me verbally.”
Bones finished up his scan of Jim and put down his instruments. He dug into a cabinet behind him, taking out a bottle of pills, shaking two into his hand.
“Here, take these. It should help with the discomfort.” Bones poured a glass of water from the carafe on his desk and handed both the glass and the bottle of pills to Jim. “And take those every six hours for the next couple of days. I mean it, Jim. I don’t want to hear how you don’t like taking pills. Those will help with the healing and pain. If I find out that you’re not takin’ them, I will hunt you down and hypo you.”
Scowling, Jim downed the pills and drained the glass of water. He placed it back on the edge of Bones’s desk before tucking the bottle into his pocket.
Seemingly satisfied that Jim would follow medical instructions, Bones grabbed one of the PADDs on his desk and handed it over to Jim. “I just finished my report. I take it Spock was having a conniption fit.”
“Well, you did make him look like that stick up his ass was a little longer.” A pleased laugh escaped Bones’s lips as Jim activated the PADD. Jim read over the report, paying particular attention to the information about Pike.
“How’s Pike?” He asked, looking up at his friend.
A small understanding smile softened Bones’ face. “He’s resting right now in one of the curtained-off alcoves. I’ve got a nurse with him at all times.” He paused as he considered, knowing the real meaning behind Jim’s question. “I’m hopeful, Jim. I won’t kid ya. The damage was extensive, and he’ll have to have a number of corrective surgeries down the road. Most likely, he’ll have to spend some time in a wheelchair and have a couple of months of rehab, but it could’ve been worse. Much worse.”
Jim pressed the buttons on the PADD, sending the report to Spock, before he spoke. “It would’ve been worse if he hadn’t had you as his doctor.” Getting up, Jim closed the distance between them. “Thanks for taking care of him, Bones,” he said, clapping his hand down on Bones’s shoulder as he turned to leave.
Bones grabbed Jim’s wrist and held him in place. “When was the last time you ate, Jim? And don’t lie to me. I saw your blood sugar. Park your ass right back in that chair.”
When Jim didn’t move, Bones pointed again to the chair before giving Jim a little push. He walked over to the comm. “Christine, can you get someone to bring two trays in here for the Captain and me? Doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Whatever they have down in the Galley. Oh, and some coffee.”
“Sure thing, Doctor.”
Jim sat back down in the chair and relaxed. Coffee was a good sign. Bones wouldn’t have asked for it if he was going to order Jim to rest. Bones took his seat behind his desk and picked up one of the hyposprays lying on it. Shit. Maybe he was wrong.
Over and over, the hypospray rotated in Bones’s hands, each end touching the desk every half turn. Bones stared at it, unseeingly, lost in his own thoughts.
Jim frowned. What the hell?
Bones wasn’t a fidgety person. When others were losing their shit, Bones’s hands were always steady and calm. He never needed to keep them busy. Jim watched his shoulders slump, the confidence that Bones wore like a second skin slipping off from him.
“Bones?”
Bones looked up, their eyes finally connecting, and Jim could see pain and regret filling the hazel eyes. “Jim. About what happened before … on the bridge with Spock …” Bones fumbled.
Shit.
When he had gotten safely back to the ship with Scotty in tow, Bones had jumped right into helping devise the plan to take down Nero with no hard feelings voiced. Jim had assumed that issue was done. That they would push it behind them and just forget what happened. Like any other male on planet Earth would do.
Bones obviously skipped that page in the secret male handbook.
Jim tried to forestall him, shaking his head. “Bones.”
“Jim, I’m sorry that I didn’t back you up. When Spock nerve-pinched you and then ordered those security guards to get you off the ship…” Bones sighed, shaking his head in disgust.
“It’s okay,” Jim said.
“No, it’s not, Jim,” Bones said forcefully. “For all we knew, you could have died down there on that godforsaken planet.” Jim was tired, and for a brief second, he couldn’t control his expression. Bones’s face fell. “Oh my god, you almost did, didn’t you?”
“Bones.” Jim tried again, using his hand to wave it off.
“No, don’t you just brush this under the table, Jim. You almost died because I was some goddamn chicken-shit and didn’t stand up for you!”
“And what?” Jim shot back. “What would’ve you done? Yelled at him, too?” Jim snorted sarcastically. “Yeah, that would have worked. All that would have gotten us was an escape pod built for two, and you’d have been stranded right along with me, both of us running for our lives from that fake red dinosaur!”
Oh god. That possibility hadn’t crossed his mind. He had barely gotten away from that creature, and he was a better runner than Bones, especially over a frozen surface like that. If Bones had been down there with him, he wouldn’t have been able to protect him. Bones would’ve…
He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, blocking out that picture from his mind, before looking back at his friend. The blood had drained from Bones’s face, and he stared blankly at Jim, his eyes wide with shock.
“You had to run from something that looked like a ‘fake red dinosaur’? That planet was supposed to be uninhabited,” Bones said with a quiet voice. “An herbivore?” The look on his face said he knew what the answer would be.
Jim was losing control of the conversation. He needed to lighten it up. “C’mom, Bones. The surface of Delta Vega is frozen. No herbivores are gonna populate it,” Jim teased.
“Damn it, Jim. Stop joking. What was it?” Bones barked.
“It’s called a hengrauggi.” Bones frowned and shook his head in confusion. Jim toyed with the idea of downplaying it, but he knew Bones would just look it up. “Okay. Think T-rex with six legs, a mouth like a lamprey and a really long and ugly double tongue.”
“My god, Jim!” Closing his eyes, Bones flopped back in his chair.
Jim got up and walked swiftly around Bones’s desk. Sitting on the edge of it, he leaned forward and touched his friend on his arm.
“Bones. Listen to me,” Jim commanded softly as he gave the arm under his hand a friendly shake. Once Bones opened his eyes, and Jim had his friend’s full attention, he continued, “I’m fine. I didn’t get hurt. Someone was there and he fended off the hengrauggi for me. And it all turned out for the best. If Spock hadn’t thrown me off the ship, I’d never have met up with Scotty. We wouldn’t have defeated Nero without him.”
“That doesn’t excuse the fact that I didn’t back you.”
No, it didn’t, but Jim did not want to get into that right now. This was bad enough.
Jim let go of Bones’s arm and settled back on the surface of the desk, his hands gripping the edge as he watched his friend continue to struggle. He sighed. Bones always felt he had to carry the responsibility of everyone’s welfare on his broad shoulders. It’s what made him the great doctor, but Jim couldn’t let him keep blaming himself.
Maybe it was time to take a different track.
“I have to tell you something, and you can’t tell anyone else. Okay? If I have to make that an order, I will,” Jim said.
Bones frowned, clearly surprised by the seriousness in Jim’s voice. “Alright. This will be just between you and me. What is it?”
Jim took a deep breath, hoping that what he was about to reveal wouldn’t disrupt the space-time continuum any more than it had been. “The person that fought off the hengrauggi for me was Ambassador Spock.” He waited for that to sink in.
Confusion was written all over Bones’s face. “Ambassador Spock? Who the hell is Ambassador Spock?”
Jim leaned forward, lowering his voice so no one else could hear. “He came from the same alternate reality that Nero and the Narada came from.”
Bones looked at Jim, eyes wide with surprise. “Uhura was right then?” Jim nodded. A look of horror crossed Bones’s face. “Does that mean we have two Spocks here? What the hell did we do to deserve that?”
Jim shook his head impatiently. “Listen. While I was on the planet, he told me some things. Things I haven’t told anyone else. He said that coming to this universe screwed things up here. That it messed up our timeline. He maintained that the universe - or whatever is out there - was working to put things right, and one of those things was to get us all on this ship, with me in command. So Bones?” He used his foot to nudge Bones in the leg. “Stop beating yourself up over this. Ambassador Spock said that needed to happen, and it wouldn’t have if I hadn’t been sent down to Delta Vega.”
A ridge appeared between Bones’s eyebrows. “What the hell is all that? Some kind of Vulcan mysticism, voodoo thing?”
Jim gave Bones a pointed look. “Bones. This is Spock. Well,” he said as he shrugged, “granted an older one from an alternate universe, but you know damn well that any ‘mysticism’ would be based on fact and science.”
That seemed to make more of an impression, if he was reading his friend correctly, and Jim let him ponder on that thought.
“Okay, Jim, fine. Say it was all some grand rewriting of a universal imbalance, but still. You can’t tell me you aren’t pissed at me,” Bones said, refusing to let the whole issue rest. “At least you should be.”
“Captain. Doctor. Where would you like me to put these?” questioned the yeoman at the door.
Never in the history of mankind had there been a better timed interruption.
Jim sprang to his feet and turned towards the young man, motioning him to the desk. “You can put them here. And thank you,” Jim added as the yeoman put the two trays, laden with various sandwiches and steaming cups of coffee, where he was directed.
Before he could leave, Jim asked, “Yeoman Malik, could you bring another tray just like this to Mr. Scott? He’s down on Deck 20, Jefferies tube 20-G, repairing some conduits. He might not want to stop and eat, and if that is the case, tell him it’s sandwiches. If that doesn’t work, tell him it’s an order from me. Don’t leave until he finishes eating, okay?”
“Yes, Captain,” Yeoman Malik acknowledged before leaving the office. Jim’s stomach growled, protesting that he wasn’t eating yet, the noise loud and echoing through the room.
Bones gave Jim an I told you so look. “What is it with you people? Don’t ya all know when to quit? Scotty is as bad as you are, Jim.”
“And when did you eat last? Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Jim gloated as a sheepish look appeared on Bones’s face. “Physician, heal thy self.”
Bones flipped his hand at Jim’s tray. “Oh, just shut up and go sit down and eat.”
Smiling softly, Jim rounded the desk and pulled his tray over to the chair he had vacated earlier.
The two of them slowly devoured the pile of sandwiches on each of their trays in silence - both of them alone with their thoughts. He had steered Bones away from that touchy subject, but it seemed like his own mind refused to be distracted.
Was he still pissed at Bones?
No…not anymore, but when it happened? When those security crewmembers grabbed him and Bones didn’t try to help him, but instead just kept telling Jim that Spock was captain…? Yeah, Jim had been royally pissed.
But now …?
Jim felt something squeeze inside his chest. What lingered was something different.
He had been so damn surprised, so damn grateful to Bones for sneaking him onto the ship. No one ever before had ever done something like that for him. He was used to people leaving him behind. His mom. Sam. His high school friends. And in a way, his dad.
But not Bones. Never Bones.
Bones had risked his career for him, and when he did that, for a brief, thrilling moment in time, Jim thought there wasn’t anything the two of them wouldn’t do for each other.
Then, Bones had bailed just like the others. And that hurt. Like nothing else had ever hurt before.
The thing was, Bones might not put up with his shit, but he was always, always there when Jim needed him. To go to the bars with him. To tell him when he was being an ass. Hell, Bones had been at all three of his Kobyashi Maru tests as his science officer, taking time out of his crazy schedule at Starfleet Medical.
They had been joined at the hip for the past three years. Bones was his best friend, the only best friend that he ever really had. He needed Bones.
Was this normal? Was this what you were supposed to feel for your best friend, this overpowering need?
Fuck. Jim grabbed his coffee cup and took a long drink, working hard not to let his hands show the tremble that resonated through him. Jim Kirk wasn’t supposed to need anyone. What the hell was going on with him?
He didn’t want to answer that question.
Looking up over the rim of his cup, Jim stole a glance at Bones to see if he had caught signs of the confusion raging through Jim. Instead, what he saw was the sadness, still weighing down that expressive face. His own turmoil dissipated at the sight. He needed to fix this.
Sighing, Jim put down his cup. “You know, it wasn’t your fault. It was mine and Spock’s - mine for pushing things and Spock’s for reacting to them. You were just trying to play peacekeeper.” Bones opened his mouth as if he meant to argue, but Jim kept going, addressing what Bones had said before. “But, yeah, you were right. I was pissed at you before, but I’m not now.”
Jim paused. “Bones, look. If it hadn’t been for you, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation. I would’ve been stuck back there, grounded because of my arrogance, and mostly likely dead right now, crushed in the black hole that Nero would have made out of Earth as sure as he did with Vulcan.” He pointed to his friend as he continued, pouring everything he could into his words to convey his sincerity, “You, Bones. You kept all that from happening with what you did for me. Hell, you risked your career for me, and I’ll never forget that. Ever.”
And he wouldn’t. He swallowed down the small lump, starting to form in his throat. He didn’t know what the hell his feelings were towards his best friend, but right now, he had to make them right. “So, are we good now?” He gave Bones a tentative smile.
Bones nodded slowly as a small smile reflected Jim’s, his eyes starting to clear for the first time since this uncomfortable conversation had started. The cold spot in Jim’s chest started to warm. “Yeah, Jim. We’re good.”
And they were.
End notes: The word hengrauggi came from the novelization of the movie: Foster, Alan Dean, (2009). Star Trek. New York, NY: Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
"Worries Go Down Better with Soup (Fourth Dinner)"