Fic: Evaluation Day (Kirk/McCoy)
Title: Evaluation Day
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy
Summary: Jim goes to medical for his assessment
Rating: Teen/PG13
Word Count: 3500
A/N: #8 in the Two Men & a Starship series. Follows Beauty Secrets. Thank you to everyone who reads/comments!
Waking up alone still sucks. It isn’t as bad as it’s been in recent weeks since Bones has been staying late again, but Jim still doesn’t like it. He knows that the best way to start the day is to wake up beside Bones, to spend a little time teasing and being silly while showering and doing all the usual morning rituals, sneaking kisses and maybe even a little sex before the day officially starts for both of them. Bones sneaking out in the middle of Gamma shift and leaving him to sleep alone in a bed that feels unusually cold when it’s just Jim isn’t the same at all. In a way, it’s funny that he misses the sleeping together aspect of those weeks before graduation almost as much as the urgency that made them experimental and eager to have sex as often as possible.
It wasn’t long ago that he had been freaked out about spending an entire night with someone, that he had woken up next to Bones and felt vulnerable and uncertain. Of course, it also wasn’t that long ago that he had gone out drinking and had casual sex a few times a week, so his current situation is definitely proof that things can change. People can change. It strikes him sometimes how different he is now compared to how he was back at the Academy. His priorities seem to have evolved, and that’s been an adjustment that he’s had to get used to. He’s changed since then, since before the Narada incident and everything that happened then, yet there’s still so much of him that’s the same that he doesn’t really understand how it happens.
It’s growing up, obviously, and he’s been around for twenty-five years so he should know more about it, but the changes he’s made recently are mostly internal and he hasn’t even realized there was changing happening until confronted with it. Bones is part of it, too. Not that Jim’s changing to be someone suitable for Bones, because that’s just stupid. Bones wants him how he is, even when he was more of a fuck up who thought with his dick and fought his way through every situation. It’s not for Bones in that way. It’s for himself, like he told Bones the other day, and he thinks maybe it’s an important thing that he’s admitted that he’s ready to mature, in some ways, and that he values being captain and feels that a relationship is important enough not to mess up.
There’s still a lot of room to grow, he knows, and there are parts of him that are always going to be just how he is, whether that’s good or bad. No one’s perfect, even if he likes to think that he’s close to it, and he doesn’t really want to be. Responsible and competent as a captain is something that’s necessary so he can keep his ship. Monogamous and stubborn are needed so he can keep his Bones. Anything else, well, it isn’t a bad thing to be more in control of his life and to do things in moderation, not when being completely reckless puts his crew in danger and being stupid puts himself in danger.
It’s actually a little shocking how well he’s adapted to the monogamy thing because he honestly thought it’d be more of a struggle. In retrospect, maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised because he usually had sex when he wanted the comfort of being touched, when he needed to feel wanted, when he had that restless energy that meant fight or fuck and he chose the latter option. He gets that comfort with Bones, the touching and the being wanted, only it’s even better because there’s kissing and this whole intimacy aspect that he finds scary and fascinating all at the same time. Sure, he still thinks about what it’d be like to fuck someone else, but thinking and doing are two totally different things. The desire to do just isn’t there, whatever that means.
“Stop thinking so much,” he mutters when he realizes that he’s been lying in bed for a while since he woke up. It hasn’t made Bones suddenly appear beside him or made the sheets warm.
If anything, he feels silly for analyzing himself like this. He blames Bones’ psychology books, even though he only skimmed one for information about psychological impotence. It’s better to blame Bones’ books than admit that there are times when he likes trying to figure out what makes his own mind tick just for the challenge of it. He never really does have much success, but it does make sure that no one else can, either. If he’s totally predictable and easy to solve, it means he’s easy to control, and that’s so not going to happen. Bones knows him better than anyone, and not even Bones can say he’s simple. Being complicated is definitely better than being easy.
After a glance at the chronometer, he realizes that it actually is time to get up. He’s having his evaluation today, which means that he can hopefully return to work. His legs are a lot better, and he’s regained some of the strength that hasn’t been there since the attack. Other than a little soreness, he feels as good as new. He gets out of bed and goes to take a shower, leaning against the wall mid-way through. It isn’t that he can’t stand on his own; his legs are just a bit tired from not being overly active lately.
When he finishes his shower, he sits down on his bed and does the exercises that Bones taught him the other day. He stretches his legs, moves them, raises them, and repeats every moment than he’s been shown because that’s the real therapy part. Not his walking around before he’s ready, but the boring lifts and stretches that make his muscles work the way they should. Bones gave him instructions to do these so he isn’t stuck with nothing that he can do to help himself, so he’s going to take them seriously even if they’re basic compared to his normal fitness regimen.
Once he finishes with the stretches, he gets dressed. No sweatpants and stolen t-shirt today. He gets his uniform out of the closet and puts it on his bed. Athos is napping, so he doesn’t have to worry about him jumping on the bed and getting dog drool on it. Jim gets boxers, socks, and an undershirt from his dresser, putting those on before he walks back into the bathroom to finish his morning routine. Brushing his teeth, shaving, combing his hair, and all those usual things that he needs to do before going to work. Damn, it’s nice to be able to think about working again.
As he stands at the lavatory, he can’t help but stare where he knows the bite mark that Bones made last night is hiding beneath his undershirt. It’s on the opposite side from the one he made day before yesterday, so Jim’s marked in two places now. The new one is lower, on his shoulder, so it’s concealed by the black fabric. The other, however, is just high enough that part of it is visible even with the shirt. He frowns slightly as he moves his fingers over the edge, thinking back to Gaila’s visit yesterday and how she touched his neck before she left.
What had she been saying when she’d done that? Hell, he can’t remember now, but he has to wonder if she had been touching the bite. If so, she obviously noticed it, which is probably not good. Well, it isn’t like she isn’t aware of his reputation, and she doesn’t know that he’s attempting a relationship with Bones, so it’s fine. She isn’t going to go spread gossip about it since they’ve become friends in recent weeks, and he does trust her. Still, he needs to be more careful because he didn’t even think about it. Bones likes to bite, and, judging from his unconscious actions the other day, he likes to mark Bones, too, so it’s something they’ll just have to be more aware of now that there are people around constantly.
Jim focuses on his routine and finishes up with combing his hair. After another look in the mirror, he tugs the undershirt until the bite mark is covered. There’s no way that it’s going to stay there, though. Damn it. Maybe Bones has something in medical that can be used to conceal it. While he knows that it’s barely noticeable unless someone is looking at his neck, he’d still prefer not to take the risk. He’s only just now got Bones to stop avoiding him, so he doesn’t need something to happen to scare him off again. Maybe he can always blame it on the rock creatures from Scorching Monotony. They were biting him, after all.
With a shake of his head, he carefully makes his way back into his bedroom to finish getting dressed. His uniform shirt actually helps with the bite, since it makes his undershirt less likely to move. That’s good. He can stop being nervous about something that means quite a bit to him. It might just be a bite, but it’s also Bones way of showing that he wants him and needs him. Twisted to some people, possibly, but it works for them. He actually likes that possessive side of Bones, and it’s not like he doesn’t leave bruises and marks of his own when they’re having sex. Not that they’ve done that in a while, but Bones is going to be ready soon, once he’s not stressing himself out. And Jim is going to be ready. So ready.
The sound of his door chime interrupts his thoughts of just how ready he already is when it comes to Bones and sex. It’s obviously not Bones at the door, since he isn’t likely to ring the chime, so that means he’s going to have to wait even longer before going to medical for his exam. He considers pushing the button to see who it is without getting up, but he wants to go back to work, not be lazy and lie around all day. There’s another chime before he can reach the door, and he makes a face at it because someone is apparently impatient.
“Not like I’ve had a damn leg injury and can’t walk as fast as normal yet,” he mutters, thankful for the soundproofing that gives him the ability to do so. He checks the vid screen when he reaches the door and sees Christine Chapel standing there. While he did notice her checking out Bones after graduation, he hasn’t seen anything else that indicates more than a professional relationship on her side, so he decides not to make her wait. Besides, anyone with a brain would check out Bones, and Jim can’t be petty about them all. Looking is okay. It’s the trying to touch that’d cross lines.
He hits the appropriate button and the door whooshes open. “Good morning, Nurse Chapel,” he says with a smile.
“Good morning, Captain,” she says, nodding at him in greeting. She’s a nice looking woman, which is probably one of the reasons he worries, just a little, about Bones working so closely with her. “I’m here to escort you to medical for your examination.”
“You are?” He arches a brow. “I thought that Doctor McCoy planned to come by this morning to get me.”
“Doctor McCoy has more important things to do,” she says matter-of-factly. Jim considers pointing out that taking care of the captain is the most important thing, but he doubts that she’d appreciate his whining as much as Bones does, so he’ll save it for later. She purses her lips. “I am perfectly capable of observing you on the walk to medical, Captain. I have been chosen by Doctor McCoy as his head nurse, and I was near the top of my class in my program at the Academy.”
“I don’t doubt your competence, Nurse Chapel,” he tells her sincerely. “Shall we go?”
“Before we do, I need to check your vitals and document the results,” she informs him. She holds up a tricorder after she enters his room.
Jim stands there while she does her job and is suddenly glad that he steered clear of having sex with any of the med students at academy. It hadn’t even been a conscious decision, at first, but it became conscious when he turned down a really hot redhead who was specializing in infectious diseases. Bones was in the medical program, after all, and Jim always figured it was best to leave those women alone. He still isn’t exactly sure why he made that decision, but, in retrospect, it’s good because Bones isn’t going to have anyone working for him that Jim’s had sex with. Not that Jim plans to tell him that he considered med students off-limits.
“What’s the important thing that Doctor McCoy is doing?” he asks curiously.
“Surgery. I was supposed to assist, but he thought it would be best if I came to deal with you,” she says. She doesn’t say anything outright, which is smart considering he’s her captain, but it’s obvious to him that she would have preferred helping with the surgery.
“Well, there’s always next time,” he says helpfully.
“Yes, there is,” she agrees as she types something into the tricorder. “Getting the captain back onto the bridge is a primary goal. Now, if you’re ready, we’ll walk down to medical. I’ll be observing you along the way, Captain.”
“I’m ready.” He steps out into the corridor and they walk to the turbolift. It’s a little awkward to have someone watching him walk who isn’t staring at his ass. Everything seems to be okay, though, so she can look all she wants. The soreness is mostly from being stuck in bed for days, no doubt, and he knows that his legs better beneath the bandages because he snuck a peek last night when Bones was changing them. He isn’t walking his normal pace, but that’s really the only thing he can tell is different.
When they reach medical, he follows Chapel to a biobed and hoists himself up onto it as she pulls a screen around them. “I’ll finish entering my observations and give the data to Doctor McCoy. Would you like something to drink while you wait, Captain?”
“Glass of water, please,” he says politely. When she leaves, he looks around and decides that he can probably steal a kiss safely when Bones shows up because there’s enough privacy for it. She returns with a glass of water for him. “Thank you, Nurse Chapel.”
“Doctor McCoy will be here soon,” she tells him. “Let me know if you need anything else, Captain.”
Jim sips his water and waits. And waits. And waits. He’s finished with the glass and fiddling with all the medical instruments nearby when Bones finally arrives. “Don’t touch that, Jim,” Bones snaps as he shuts the screen. He walks over to the bed to stand next to Jim and puts a PADD on the tray nearby.
“Touch what?” Jim asks innocently as he moves his hands away from the shiny buttons. He frowns as he looks at Bones. “You look tired.”
“Emergency surgery. Cranton’s allergy wasn’t his only trouble. I discovered a small mass in his stomach this morning when reviewing his follow-up tests, so we had to go in and remove it. He’s fine, but it was a parasite that wasn’t visible during the initial tests yesterday. I think that the vomiting and gastrointestinal issues he had possibly dislodged it from wherever it had been attached,” he says, running his hand over his face. “I’ve been checking his recent activities to determine where he picked it up. Don’t worry. It isn’t infectious or I’d have notified you immediately.”
“Alright. Keep me informed, Bones. Poor bastard. Talk about a run of bad luck there,” Jim says, shaking his head slightly. “I’ll see to it that he’s given time to recover.”
“I’ll send you the report when I finish examining the parasite later today.” He rubs the back of his neck and studies Jim. “How are you feeling, Captain?”
“My legs are a little weak from inactivity, but, otherwise, everything’s good.” He figures it’s pointless to say it’s all okay, since Bones knows him so well, but the weakness is minimal, so he doesn’t plan to make a big deal out of it.
“Chapel says that you walked at an average speed, possibly a little below,” Bones says as he reviews the PADD. “Did you notice a difference compared to your normal rate?”
“It was a little slower, but mostly because I’m being careful. My doctor warned me not to rush around and risk damaging something,” he says, smirking just a little when Bones’ lips curve into a smile.
“You’re actually listening to your doctor?” He arches a brow and gives Jim a look before he goes back to reading.
“My doctor is very intelligent and competent. And sexy.” Jim lowers his voice for the last two words. “Do I get a reward for following my doctor’s orders?”
“Your reward is healing and not relapsing,” Bones informs him in that bossy ‘I’m a doctor’ tone that Jim definitely finds arousing today.
“I prefer a reward system that pays in kisses,” he muses.
“There are rules about doctors kissing their patients, you know? It’s not supposed to happen, especially not in a medical environment,” Bones grumbles. “You’ve already got me breaking rules, Captain.”
“Then what’s one more, Doctor?” he murmurs as he reaches for Bones. Bones doesn’t put up much of a fight. Instead, he grips Jim’s neck and kisses him thoroughly, stroking his back with his free hand. Jim whimpers as their tongues curl together and he feels Bones’ fingers on the small of his back, pushing his shirt up to get to bare skin.
“Damn it, Jim.” Bones sighs when they break the kiss, rubbing his nose against Jim’s nose before he takes a step back. “I needed that.”
Jim smiles at the admission. “I always need that.”
Bones snorts and runs his fingers through his hair before he focuses. “Let’s finish this examination, so we can evaluate your condition and determine whether you’re able to return to work or not.”
“Got it. Professional now,” he promises as he watches Bones get to work. He has to take off his pants so his legs can be checked, but they both ignore the fact that he starts to get hard when Bones is touching his legs and probing them for any remaining injuries. Jim starts to think about things that he doesn’t find sexy at all, and that takes care of any stirring that’s inappropriate for a medical exam.
When it’s finished, he pulls his pants back up as Bones types notes into the PADD. “Your recovery is going well. I’m going to release you from bedrest, but you’ve got a week of light duty. The injuries aren’t healed completely, so there won’t be any running around on planetside missions or jogging around the ship.”
“What did those damn things do to me?” Jim grimaces. “It feels okay.”
“The toxin affected your muscles and nervous system. No permanent damage, but enough that you still haven’t gained full strength back in those areas most damaged. You can walk well enough, but, if you push too hard, there’s still a chance of relapse. Another few days should complete the healing, then you’ll likely get a full release at that time,” Bones says firmly.
“You mentioned the toxin, but I didn’t realize it had done anything like that.” He frowns but nods. “Understood, Doctor. No running around or putting too much pressure on my legs yet.”
“Don’t sulk, Jim. You’re getting back to the bridge, and you can forego exercising for a week,” Bones tells him. “You really are recovering very well. For a while, I was worried that there might have been more damage done than I initially suspected, so I’m relieved.”
“I’m not sulking. I get to go back to my chair, so I can’t really complain.” Jim shrugs. “Next time, I’ll make sure the damn things can’t get to me, if it’s possible.”
“We’re done here,” Bones tells him as he turns off the PADD. “You can return to the bridge, Captain.”
Jim smiles as he stands up. He reaches over and pulls Bones towards him, kissing him deeply and squeezing his ass before he lets go. “Consider it a reward for being an excellent doctor,” he says innocently as he steps back. “Lunch later?”
“You and your rewards.” Bones licks his lips and nods. “Yeah, lunch sounds good. Now get out of my medical bay. Some of us have work to do.”
“You’ll learn to love my rewards, Bones,” he says confidently. “I’ll see you in a few hours. My chair’s waiting for me.”
End
#7: Beauty Secrets | #9: Chair Spinning
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy
Summary: Jim goes to medical for his assessment
Rating: Teen/PG13
Word Count: 3500
A/N: #8 in the Two Men & a Starship series. Follows Beauty Secrets. Thank you to everyone who reads/comments!
Waking up alone still sucks. It isn’t as bad as it’s been in recent weeks since Bones has been staying late again, but Jim still doesn’t like it. He knows that the best way to start the day is to wake up beside Bones, to spend a little time teasing and being silly while showering and doing all the usual morning rituals, sneaking kisses and maybe even a little sex before the day officially starts for both of them. Bones sneaking out in the middle of Gamma shift and leaving him to sleep alone in a bed that feels unusually cold when it’s just Jim isn’t the same at all. In a way, it’s funny that he misses the sleeping together aspect of those weeks before graduation almost as much as the urgency that made them experimental and eager to have sex as often as possible.
It wasn’t long ago that he had been freaked out about spending an entire night with someone, that he had woken up next to Bones and felt vulnerable and uncertain. Of course, it also wasn’t that long ago that he had gone out drinking and had casual sex a few times a week, so his current situation is definitely proof that things can change. People can change. It strikes him sometimes how different he is now compared to how he was back at the Academy. His priorities seem to have evolved, and that’s been an adjustment that he’s had to get used to. He’s changed since then, since before the Narada incident and everything that happened then, yet there’s still so much of him that’s the same that he doesn’t really understand how it happens.
It’s growing up, obviously, and he’s been around for twenty-five years so he should know more about it, but the changes he’s made recently are mostly internal and he hasn’t even realized there was changing happening until confronted with it. Bones is part of it, too. Not that Jim’s changing to be someone suitable for Bones, because that’s just stupid. Bones wants him how he is, even when he was more of a fuck up who thought with his dick and fought his way through every situation. It’s not for Bones in that way. It’s for himself, like he told Bones the other day, and he thinks maybe it’s an important thing that he’s admitted that he’s ready to mature, in some ways, and that he values being captain and feels that a relationship is important enough not to mess up.
There’s still a lot of room to grow, he knows, and there are parts of him that are always going to be just how he is, whether that’s good or bad. No one’s perfect, even if he likes to think that he’s close to it, and he doesn’t really want to be. Responsible and competent as a captain is something that’s necessary so he can keep his ship. Monogamous and stubborn are needed so he can keep his Bones. Anything else, well, it isn’t a bad thing to be more in control of his life and to do things in moderation, not when being completely reckless puts his crew in danger and being stupid puts himself in danger.
It’s actually a little shocking how well he’s adapted to the monogamy thing because he honestly thought it’d be more of a struggle. In retrospect, maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised because he usually had sex when he wanted the comfort of being touched, when he needed to feel wanted, when he had that restless energy that meant fight or fuck and he chose the latter option. He gets that comfort with Bones, the touching and the being wanted, only it’s even better because there’s kissing and this whole intimacy aspect that he finds scary and fascinating all at the same time. Sure, he still thinks about what it’d be like to fuck someone else, but thinking and doing are two totally different things. The desire to do just isn’t there, whatever that means.
“Stop thinking so much,” he mutters when he realizes that he’s been lying in bed for a while since he woke up. It hasn’t made Bones suddenly appear beside him or made the sheets warm.
If anything, he feels silly for analyzing himself like this. He blames Bones’ psychology books, even though he only skimmed one for information about psychological impotence. It’s better to blame Bones’ books than admit that there are times when he likes trying to figure out what makes his own mind tick just for the challenge of it. He never really does have much success, but it does make sure that no one else can, either. If he’s totally predictable and easy to solve, it means he’s easy to control, and that’s so not going to happen. Bones knows him better than anyone, and not even Bones can say he’s simple. Being complicated is definitely better than being easy.
After a glance at the chronometer, he realizes that it actually is time to get up. He’s having his evaluation today, which means that he can hopefully return to work. His legs are a lot better, and he’s regained some of the strength that hasn’t been there since the attack. Other than a little soreness, he feels as good as new. He gets out of bed and goes to take a shower, leaning against the wall mid-way through. It isn’t that he can’t stand on his own; his legs are just a bit tired from not being overly active lately.
When he finishes his shower, he sits down on his bed and does the exercises that Bones taught him the other day. He stretches his legs, moves them, raises them, and repeats every moment than he’s been shown because that’s the real therapy part. Not his walking around before he’s ready, but the boring lifts and stretches that make his muscles work the way they should. Bones gave him instructions to do these so he isn’t stuck with nothing that he can do to help himself, so he’s going to take them seriously even if they’re basic compared to his normal fitness regimen.
Once he finishes with the stretches, he gets dressed. No sweatpants and stolen t-shirt today. He gets his uniform out of the closet and puts it on his bed. Athos is napping, so he doesn’t have to worry about him jumping on the bed and getting dog drool on it. Jim gets boxers, socks, and an undershirt from his dresser, putting those on before he walks back into the bathroom to finish his morning routine. Brushing his teeth, shaving, combing his hair, and all those usual things that he needs to do before going to work. Damn, it’s nice to be able to think about working again.
As he stands at the lavatory, he can’t help but stare where he knows the bite mark that Bones made last night is hiding beneath his undershirt. It’s on the opposite side from the one he made day before yesterday, so Jim’s marked in two places now. The new one is lower, on his shoulder, so it’s concealed by the black fabric. The other, however, is just high enough that part of it is visible even with the shirt. He frowns slightly as he moves his fingers over the edge, thinking back to Gaila’s visit yesterday and how she touched his neck before she left.
What had she been saying when she’d done that? Hell, he can’t remember now, but he has to wonder if she had been touching the bite. If so, she obviously noticed it, which is probably not good. Well, it isn’t like she isn’t aware of his reputation, and she doesn’t know that he’s attempting a relationship with Bones, so it’s fine. She isn’t going to go spread gossip about it since they’ve become friends in recent weeks, and he does trust her. Still, he needs to be more careful because he didn’t even think about it. Bones likes to bite, and, judging from his unconscious actions the other day, he likes to mark Bones, too, so it’s something they’ll just have to be more aware of now that there are people around constantly.
Jim focuses on his routine and finishes up with combing his hair. After another look in the mirror, he tugs the undershirt until the bite mark is covered. There’s no way that it’s going to stay there, though. Damn it. Maybe Bones has something in medical that can be used to conceal it. While he knows that it’s barely noticeable unless someone is looking at his neck, he’d still prefer not to take the risk. He’s only just now got Bones to stop avoiding him, so he doesn’t need something to happen to scare him off again. Maybe he can always blame it on the rock creatures from Scorching Monotony. They were biting him, after all.
With a shake of his head, he carefully makes his way back into his bedroom to finish getting dressed. His uniform shirt actually helps with the bite, since it makes his undershirt less likely to move. That’s good. He can stop being nervous about something that means quite a bit to him. It might just be a bite, but it’s also Bones way of showing that he wants him and needs him. Twisted to some people, possibly, but it works for them. He actually likes that possessive side of Bones, and it’s not like he doesn’t leave bruises and marks of his own when they’re having sex. Not that they’ve done that in a while, but Bones is going to be ready soon, once he’s not stressing himself out. And Jim is going to be ready. So ready.
The sound of his door chime interrupts his thoughts of just how ready he already is when it comes to Bones and sex. It’s obviously not Bones at the door, since he isn’t likely to ring the chime, so that means he’s going to have to wait even longer before going to medical for his exam. He considers pushing the button to see who it is without getting up, but he wants to go back to work, not be lazy and lie around all day. There’s another chime before he can reach the door, and he makes a face at it because someone is apparently impatient.
“Not like I’ve had a damn leg injury and can’t walk as fast as normal yet,” he mutters, thankful for the soundproofing that gives him the ability to do so. He checks the vid screen when he reaches the door and sees Christine Chapel standing there. While he did notice her checking out Bones after graduation, he hasn’t seen anything else that indicates more than a professional relationship on her side, so he decides not to make her wait. Besides, anyone with a brain would check out Bones, and Jim can’t be petty about them all. Looking is okay. It’s the trying to touch that’d cross lines.
He hits the appropriate button and the door whooshes open. “Good morning, Nurse Chapel,” he says with a smile.
“Good morning, Captain,” she says, nodding at him in greeting. She’s a nice looking woman, which is probably one of the reasons he worries, just a little, about Bones working so closely with her. “I’m here to escort you to medical for your examination.”
“You are?” He arches a brow. “I thought that Doctor McCoy planned to come by this morning to get me.”
“Doctor McCoy has more important things to do,” she says matter-of-factly. Jim considers pointing out that taking care of the captain is the most important thing, but he doubts that she’d appreciate his whining as much as Bones does, so he’ll save it for later. She purses her lips. “I am perfectly capable of observing you on the walk to medical, Captain. I have been chosen by Doctor McCoy as his head nurse, and I was near the top of my class in my program at the Academy.”
“I don’t doubt your competence, Nurse Chapel,” he tells her sincerely. “Shall we go?”
“Before we do, I need to check your vitals and document the results,” she informs him. She holds up a tricorder after she enters his room.
Jim stands there while she does her job and is suddenly glad that he steered clear of having sex with any of the med students at academy. It hadn’t even been a conscious decision, at first, but it became conscious when he turned down a really hot redhead who was specializing in infectious diseases. Bones was in the medical program, after all, and Jim always figured it was best to leave those women alone. He still isn’t exactly sure why he made that decision, but, in retrospect, it’s good because Bones isn’t going to have anyone working for him that Jim’s had sex with. Not that Jim plans to tell him that he considered med students off-limits.
“What’s the important thing that Doctor McCoy is doing?” he asks curiously.
“Surgery. I was supposed to assist, but he thought it would be best if I came to deal with you,” she says. She doesn’t say anything outright, which is smart considering he’s her captain, but it’s obvious to him that she would have preferred helping with the surgery.
“Well, there’s always next time,” he says helpfully.
“Yes, there is,” she agrees as she types something into the tricorder. “Getting the captain back onto the bridge is a primary goal. Now, if you’re ready, we’ll walk down to medical. I’ll be observing you along the way, Captain.”
“I’m ready.” He steps out into the corridor and they walk to the turbolift. It’s a little awkward to have someone watching him walk who isn’t staring at his ass. Everything seems to be okay, though, so she can look all she wants. The soreness is mostly from being stuck in bed for days, no doubt, and he knows that his legs better beneath the bandages because he snuck a peek last night when Bones was changing them. He isn’t walking his normal pace, but that’s really the only thing he can tell is different.
When they reach medical, he follows Chapel to a biobed and hoists himself up onto it as she pulls a screen around them. “I’ll finish entering my observations and give the data to Doctor McCoy. Would you like something to drink while you wait, Captain?”
“Glass of water, please,” he says politely. When she leaves, he looks around and decides that he can probably steal a kiss safely when Bones shows up because there’s enough privacy for it. She returns with a glass of water for him. “Thank you, Nurse Chapel.”
“Doctor McCoy will be here soon,” she tells him. “Let me know if you need anything else, Captain.”
Jim sips his water and waits. And waits. And waits. He’s finished with the glass and fiddling with all the medical instruments nearby when Bones finally arrives. “Don’t touch that, Jim,” Bones snaps as he shuts the screen. He walks over to the bed to stand next to Jim and puts a PADD on the tray nearby.
“Touch what?” Jim asks innocently as he moves his hands away from the shiny buttons. He frowns as he looks at Bones. “You look tired.”
“Emergency surgery. Cranton’s allergy wasn’t his only trouble. I discovered a small mass in his stomach this morning when reviewing his follow-up tests, so we had to go in and remove it. He’s fine, but it was a parasite that wasn’t visible during the initial tests yesterday. I think that the vomiting and gastrointestinal issues he had possibly dislodged it from wherever it had been attached,” he says, running his hand over his face. “I’ve been checking his recent activities to determine where he picked it up. Don’t worry. It isn’t infectious or I’d have notified you immediately.”
“Alright. Keep me informed, Bones. Poor bastard. Talk about a run of bad luck there,” Jim says, shaking his head slightly. “I’ll see to it that he’s given time to recover.”
“I’ll send you the report when I finish examining the parasite later today.” He rubs the back of his neck and studies Jim. “How are you feeling, Captain?”
“My legs are a little weak from inactivity, but, otherwise, everything’s good.” He figures it’s pointless to say it’s all okay, since Bones knows him so well, but the weakness is minimal, so he doesn’t plan to make a big deal out of it.
“Chapel says that you walked at an average speed, possibly a little below,” Bones says as he reviews the PADD. “Did you notice a difference compared to your normal rate?”
“It was a little slower, but mostly because I’m being careful. My doctor warned me not to rush around and risk damaging something,” he says, smirking just a little when Bones’ lips curve into a smile.
“You’re actually listening to your doctor?” He arches a brow and gives Jim a look before he goes back to reading.
“My doctor is very intelligent and competent. And sexy.” Jim lowers his voice for the last two words. “Do I get a reward for following my doctor’s orders?”
“Your reward is healing and not relapsing,” Bones informs him in that bossy ‘I’m a doctor’ tone that Jim definitely finds arousing today.
“I prefer a reward system that pays in kisses,” he muses.
“There are rules about doctors kissing their patients, you know? It’s not supposed to happen, especially not in a medical environment,” Bones grumbles. “You’ve already got me breaking rules, Captain.”
“Then what’s one more, Doctor?” he murmurs as he reaches for Bones. Bones doesn’t put up much of a fight. Instead, he grips Jim’s neck and kisses him thoroughly, stroking his back with his free hand. Jim whimpers as their tongues curl together and he feels Bones’ fingers on the small of his back, pushing his shirt up to get to bare skin.
“Damn it, Jim.” Bones sighs when they break the kiss, rubbing his nose against Jim’s nose before he takes a step back. “I needed that.”
Jim smiles at the admission. “I always need that.”
Bones snorts and runs his fingers through his hair before he focuses. “Let’s finish this examination, so we can evaluate your condition and determine whether you’re able to return to work or not.”
“Got it. Professional now,” he promises as he watches Bones get to work. He has to take off his pants so his legs can be checked, but they both ignore the fact that he starts to get hard when Bones is touching his legs and probing them for any remaining injuries. Jim starts to think about things that he doesn’t find sexy at all, and that takes care of any stirring that’s inappropriate for a medical exam.
When it’s finished, he pulls his pants back up as Bones types notes into the PADD. “Your recovery is going well. I’m going to release you from bedrest, but you’ve got a week of light duty. The injuries aren’t healed completely, so there won’t be any running around on planetside missions or jogging around the ship.”
“What did those damn things do to me?” Jim grimaces. “It feels okay.”
“The toxin affected your muscles and nervous system. No permanent damage, but enough that you still haven’t gained full strength back in those areas most damaged. You can walk well enough, but, if you push too hard, there’s still a chance of relapse. Another few days should complete the healing, then you’ll likely get a full release at that time,” Bones says firmly.
“You mentioned the toxin, but I didn’t realize it had done anything like that.” He frowns but nods. “Understood, Doctor. No running around or putting too much pressure on my legs yet.”
“Don’t sulk, Jim. You’re getting back to the bridge, and you can forego exercising for a week,” Bones tells him. “You really are recovering very well. For a while, I was worried that there might have been more damage done than I initially suspected, so I’m relieved.”
“I’m not sulking. I get to go back to my chair, so I can’t really complain.” Jim shrugs. “Next time, I’ll make sure the damn things can’t get to me, if it’s possible.”
“We’re done here,” Bones tells him as he turns off the PADD. “You can return to the bridge, Captain.”
Jim smiles as he stands up. He reaches over and pulls Bones towards him, kissing him deeply and squeezing his ass before he lets go. “Consider it a reward for being an excellent doctor,” he says innocently as he steps back. “Lunch later?”
“You and your rewards.” Bones licks his lips and nods. “Yeah, lunch sounds good. Now get out of my medical bay. Some of us have work to do.”
“You’ll learn to love my rewards, Bones,” he says confidently. “I’ll see you in a few hours. My chair’s waiting for me.”
End
#7: Beauty Secrets | #9: Chair Spinning