The Ballad of James and Leonard - Chapter 1
Title:The Ballad of James and Leonard (1/?) (AO3)
Series: Star Trek AOS
Author:neko-fish
Beta:castofone
Pairings: James/Leonard, future Spock/Uhura
Rating: NC-17
Summary: In 1893, a blue-eyed stranger barged into McCoy's clinic with a woman in his arms, desperate for help. For Leonard, there was just no going back after that. (The prequel/sequel of 'The Ballad of Jim and Bones' but works as a standalone.)
Warnings: 1890s AU, highlight for more -> character death, racism, mentions of sex, alcohol, swearing, and again, my crappy summary...
Chapter 1:
It was a quiet day, one much like any other.
Leonard was working in his modest little clinic when a blond burst in with a woman in his arms. The stranger’s large blue eyes left him dumbstruck him for a moment before he realized that the woman was going into labor. The man stared at him desperately, eyes wide with fear, as the woman groaned weakly. “Are you a doctor? She suddenly collapsed on the street and you didn’t have a ‘Whites Only’ sign on your door or anything. Oh god, please, you have to help her!”
With no time to be offended by the comment, Leonard took the woman from his arms into his and hurried into his office. “Christine, we have a woman going into labour!” Laying her down on the examination table, he looked her in the eyes and reassured her as calmly as he could, “It’s alright, darlin’. What’s your name? …Mary? Well, Miss Mary, we going to help you deliver your baby, alright? Have you given birth before? No? Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright. Just breathe.”
His head nurse, Christine Chapel, quickly returned to the room with a variety of equipment. “How is she, Leonard?”
“Can’t tell yet.” Hazel eyes glanced over at the man standing at the door. “Dammit, take him to the waiting room or something, would you?”
Chapel nodded and quickly walked over to escort the blond back out to the room, he could hear her reassurances even after she left his sight.
After a couple hours, he frowned. There were no signs of contractions though the woman was still groaning. Cursing under his breath, he looked over at his nurse. “I think we’re going to have to do a Caesarean section, could you bring the anesthesia?” Turning back to his patient, he explained to her as calmly as he could, “Your baby’s not coming out on its own so we’re going to help you get it out, okay? Don’t worry, I’ve done this before. You’ll be fine, darlin’. We’re going to let you sleep through the worst parts. You’ll be okay.”
--
After another couple hours, they finally finished birthing the child and cleaned everything up when the woman finally came to. He watched as his nurse handed her the baby with a smile and congratulated her on her new baby boy. With tears in her eyes, the woman reached out for the child and held him close, thanking them. The two of them nodded and left the room to give her some privacy.
When he reached the waiting room, he was surprised to see the man still waiting there, feet tapping anxiously against the leg of the chair. Motioning at the man with the tilt of his head, Chapel nodded and went to fetch them a drink as Leonard strolled out. “Still here?”
The blonde’s head snapped up at the sound of his voice. “Is she going to be alright?”
He nodded reassuringly. “She’ll be absolutely fine. Had to go through a Caesarean, but she’ll be just fine after a couple days of rest. Are you her…?”
Quickly shaking his head, the man managed to smile weakly. “No, I just randomly came across her on the streets. No one helped her so I panicked and swooped in.” Then his eyes widened. “Wait, she needed a Caesarean section? Don’t most people die from those?”
Leonard shrugged. “In other places maybe. I don’t normally have to perform them here, but I haven’t lost anyone to one yet. Let’s not jinx it.”
“You must be an awfully good doctor then. My name’s James, just James.”
“Just James,” he repeated incredulously.
The blond laughed and nodded. “Yeah, just James. I lost my surname somewhere in one of the last states I travelled through.”
He raised a brow and held his hand out. “McCoy, Leonard McCoy. And my head nurse, Christine Chapel.”
Blue eyes twinkled as he accepted the cup from the nurse. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Scowling lightly, he warned, “Don’t you go flirting with her now, Just James. She’s an engaged woman.”
James grinned ruefully. “I’ll do my best to keep that in mind. So, doctor, I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t have a sign anywhere like all the other places do. Not playing along with the Jim Crow laws here, eh?”
The doctor rolled his eyes and let out a low growl. “I’m a doctor, not a conformist. The idea of doctors is that they heal people. And people are still people regardless of appearance. To believe otherwise is just utter idiocy. Everyone who works at this clinic hold the same belief. And if you’ve got a problem with it, you might as well show yourself to the door now.”
Laughing easily, the blond watched him with interest. “I think I like you, doc. We could be good friends, you and me.” Getting up from his seat, he handed the empty cup back to Chapel. “Thanks a lot for the drink, and for helping the lady. If you’d like, I can go and tell her family her situation. Maybe they can bring her some of her necessities and whatnot. May I see her and ask if I can?”
Leonard nodded, a little impressed by the man’s thoughtfulness. “Go right ahead. I’m sure she’ll be wanting to thank you for getting her here. Go on, then. It’s rude to keep a lady waiting.”
“Yes, sir!” Giving a mock salute, he disappeared into the room.
--
Later that day, he was pleased to see the woman’s husband sitting in the waiting room, albeit a little hesitantly. When Leonard stepped out from his office, finished with his latest appointment, the man looked at him and quickly stood up, wringing his hat nervously in his hands. “…are you Doctor McCoy?”
He nodded. “That’d be me. Are you Mary’s family?”
“Yes, her husband, sir. You see, I came home from work earlier today to find a man sitting in front of my place, waiting for me. He told me my wife gave birth here. Can I see her?”
Leonard’s eyebrow shot up at the thought of James loitering around in front of the man’s house. Did the blond have nothing better to do than to wait for a woman to give birth then for her husband to get off work?
Nodding again, he led the man to the room the woman was resting in. “Of course you can. Come on this way, she’s just resting. She had to have a Caesarean so she’ll have to stay here for a few more days, just to make sure everything heals properly. But she made it through just fine. There’s no need to worry. We have staff here at all times.”
Tears welling in his eyes, the man bowed his head. “Thank you, doctor. I don’t know how to repay you.”
He shook his head and waved offhandedly. “Worry about that later, man. Right now, just go see your wife and child. Congratulations on becoming a father.”
--
A couple hours after that, he was a little less pleased and a lot more skeptical when James appeared at the clinic again, bouncing on the ball of his heel and a carefree grin on his lips. He raised a brow and drawled sarcastically, “What? No woman in labour this time?”
The blond shook his head. “Nope, just wondering when you’re finished for the day. I was hoping to treat you to a drink of your choice for your heroic feat today.”
“Heroic feat? I’m a doctor, not a hero. I was just doing what I was trained to do. That’s no amazing feat.”
James protested with a frown. “Not to you, maybe, but I’m sure that there are other doctors here who would’ve turned me away without a second glance. It was damn heroic to me what you did, especially since you went and performed a successful Caesarean and made it sound as easy as eating pie, so let me get you a drink, would you?”
Leonard rolled his eyes, trying to suppress the blush threatening to rise at the compliment. “Fine, I’ll go! It looks like it’s almost time for Geoff to get here for evening shift anyways. I’ll even jump in front of a train if it’ll get you to shut that damn mouth of yours.”
The other man laughed. “No need to do that now, doc. Just let me spend some money on you. I like to celebrate great people.”
“Sweet talking thing, aren’t you? You must be a hit with the ladies.”
The blond shot him a lazy grin. “Well, I hate to brag but-”
“Bullshit. I bet you love talking about yourself as much as children love sweets.”
“Sharp one, aren’t you? Fine, I concede, you caught me. I love bragging about myself almost as much as I love talking about how amazing you were today.”
Unsure of how to react to the flirtatious man, Leonard could only breathe a sigh of relief when M’Benga appeared through the front door, looking slightly confused at the blonde’s presence. “What’s happening? Is there something I should know about, Leonard?”
“Not now, Geoff. This is just James. He brought in a woman in labour earlier, she’s resting in room 2 right now and her husband is here. She had a Caesarean, so you’ll have to keep a closer eye on her. I’ll be back tomorrow.” The brunet shook his head, not wanting to deal with any questions he couldn’t answer. Walking to the back to grab his coat, the doctor returned to the waiting room and smacked James on the arm. “So what are you waiting for? Are we going or what? Now hurry up before I change my mind.”
Wordlessly, James followed him back out onto the street and towards his usual pub. Once seated, Leonard ordered bourbon while James had a beer. “You officially have the most amazing clinic in the state.” The blond raised his bottle slightly and grinned. “A toast to my newfound hero, Doctor Leonard McCoy. I plan on worshipping you and singing praises to your name for the rest of both our lives.”
Leonard scowled. “I still don’t get what the hype is, kid. At my clinic, we fix people that need fixing; that’s all. If a person’s well enough to refuse treatment, then they obviously don’t have a dire need for our help and are perfectly capable of finding another clinic themselves.”
James looked impressed. “A genius and modest? Now I’ve seen everything. You’re really something else, doc.”
“And you’re about seven kinds of stupid, kid.”
The blond laughed and held his beer up. “I’ll drink to that.” After a moment of comfortable silence, he looked over idly. “So your nurse is engaged, hmm?”
The doctor nodded. “That’s right, so don’t even think about it or I’ll kick your ass out of town so fast you won’t even have time to blink.”
“That’s awfully fast. What about you then? You a married man, doc?”
He snorted scornfully and ordered another glass. “I was. At one point in my life, I was. Even have an angel of a baby girl to prove it.” Then he took a swig of his drink, “The ex-wife took all of Savannah in the divorce and then some. Got my house, my daughter, everything. All I’ve got left is my bones.”
James listened attentively as he spoke. “All of Savannah? How’d she manage that?”
“Some time after my old man died, I caught her cheating on me with her old sweetheart, a high and mighty ambassador. Then before I knew it, we were divorced and they’d turned the entire place on me so I ran. The only consolation I got was that I’m still allowed to see Joanna and I can write her as often as I want. I even get to call her sometimes. She just turned six this year. I managed to crawl over to Atlanta and started a little clinic with Phil, Christine and Geoff’s help.”
Blue eyes stared at his drink for a moment before speaking decisively, “If I’m seven kinds of stupid, then your ex must’ve been at least eight.”
Leonard took another sip. “Why? For falling for some diplomatic sweet talker?”
“No. For leaving a man like you,” the blond stated easily.
At this, he rolled his eyes. “Really? And what would you know about that? You just met me today and I was helping that woman deliver her baby for most of that time.”
The younger man nodded in agreement. “I might’ve only met you today, but so far, I know that you’re an excellent doctor and sawbones even though you deny it, and you’d help anyone in need regardless of appearance. You get defensive when people question the ethics of treating all people fairly. You’re a bit of a grouch, but you make up for it by being a good person. And as of right now, I know you really like your whiskey, and not the cheap stuff either. You lived in Savannah at one point but after the divorce, you came up here and started a clinic with a bunch of people who are now your closest friends, and you love your daughter more than anything in the world. So how’d I do, doc?”
Hazel eyes narrowed. “Don’t look so smug.”
“I have to know this stuff. I was serious when I said I was going to worship you forever.”
“You’d be wasting your time.”
The blond shrugged. “If I went to your clinic and asked your staff or any of the patients you’ve helped, I doubt they’d agree with your assessment. If you’d like, I could get on the ground and start bowing to you right now.”
Leonard couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t be stupid and get me another glass already.”
In the back of his mind, he told himself that this James figure was going to be nothing but trouble.
And he wasn’t wrong.
--
There was no telling how long they stayed in that bar or how they managed to amble their way through the streets without getting killed. All Leonard knew was that when he woke up in his little apartment, he was mostly dressed and somehow half in bed and half on the floor while James was mostly in bed and partly draped over him. Rolling the rest of the way down onto the floor, he sat up with a groan at his massive hangover and the taste of alcohol lingering in his parched mouth. ‘Hello body, I hate me too.’ Reaching over to check the vital signs of the blond, he was satisfied when he found him breathing and alive.
Finally willing himself up, he looked around his apartment, glad to see it vomit-free. Then he looked at the clock and cursed under his breath, mindful not to wake the sleeping man up. Making his way to the bathroom to freshen up, he shucked off his suit and put on a fresh one before dragging his feet out the door. On his way to work, he recalled snippets of the previous night when the two of them were clinging to each other, trying to keep their balance as they stumbled through the streets.
James leaned heavily against him as they walked. “I’m serious! I’m going to worship you forever because you’re really amazing, doc! So many people around here are…bad! They’re just not nice! Everyone should be treated nicely!”
The doctor scowled. “Shut your face and call me Leonard!”
“I get to call you Leonard now? Does that mean we’re friends now?”
“Yeah, sure, why the hell not, Just James?”
More drunken laughter.
“I’m just James, not Just James…I mean…just James, not James…wait, that’s not right. I’m James, just James! And now you’re Leonard! See? I told you we’d be good friends! And as your new best friend, I get to tell you that your ex-wife is a bitch!”
“Amen to that! Where are we going, Just James?”
The blond shook his head. “I don’t know…I’ve been sleeping in the stables with my horse. She’s the best horse in the world! What about you? Do you do that too, Leonard?”
“I’m a doctor, not a horse! I live in a doctor’s place,” he announced.
James stared at him. “A doctor’s place? Isn’t that where you give birth? It looks painful!”
“No, it’s this place over here…” Leonard blinked and looked again at his apartment building in surprise. “Hey, look, we’re home! Come on in, I refuse to let you sleep like a horse, Just James!”
Allowing himself to be pulled through the doors, the blond protested loudly. “It’s not Just James! Are you going to operate on me? Can I tell you a secret? I really don’t like needles or medicine, Leonard. I don’t need an operation, do I? Doctors scare me - except you, of course.”
Leonard missed the other man’s mouth and ended up clamping a hand over the man’s cheek instead. “Shut up, you damn infant! People are sleeping! And you don’t need an operation! Right now, we’re just going to go to sleep and then we’ll hate ourselves in the morning.”
The blond hugged him and shook his head. “I’d never hate you, Leonard. You’re amazing! You’re just about everything I want to be!”
“What? A drunk, angry divorced doctor?”
“No, a brave, talented and very handsome doctor who’s respected enough to get people to follow his lead and stuff. Though the angry doctor part’s pretty nice too. And the drunk part. I like you drunk. Man…I haven’t been with anyone for so long now…”
“I bet you’re a real ladies’ man.”
“Sure was. Never had to find myself an inn, I was so good. But I don’t do that anymore. Fathers and husbands didn’t like me very much. I don’t know why. Hey, Leonard? Do I get to sleep in your bed with you tonight?”
“Sure, why the hell not, Just James?”
“Really!? Yes! I just fulfilled the American Dream!”
Then there was a long pause as the two stood at the bottom of the staircase and looked up.
“Well, fuck…”
Leonard groaned and covered his eyes with his hand as he continued down the street. He wanted nothing more than to find a corner and hide until the nausea and embarrassment disappeared. Hopefully, James will have left town by the time he got off work, then he can slowly pick up the pieces of his dignity and try to piece it all back together into something presentable.
Stepping into the clinic, Chapel immediately greeted him with a smile. “Good morning, Leonard. It’s rare for you to be late like this. My, you look like you’ve had a long night. Did you have fun with Just James?”
He shook his head miserably, trying not to think about last night. “Please, let’s not talk about it. It’s way too bright out today. Who the hell decided that having a sun in the sky was a good idea? God, I hate myself right now. I’m too old to be drinking like this.”
“If you keep saying things like that, one of these days, you’ll actually believe it. You’re not even 30 yet.”
Ignoring her, the doctor asked, “How’s the patient doing?”
Calmly, she made her way to their staff room. “She’s doing mighty well compared to you right now. Let me go make you some tea.”
“Thank you, you’re a real peach, darlin’.”
“Have you eaten anything yet, Leonard?”
“No, I woke up about 5 minutes ago.”
“I’ll go get a bowl of soup for you in a little bit then.”
He heaved a sigh, grateful for her assistance. “An absolute saint, that’s what you are. What would I be without you, Christine?”
She smiled easily. “You’d still be a great doctor, just with a really bad hangover.”
--
Much to his dismay, James dropped by later that day, sunny grin only slightly tarnished by his own obvious hangover and the mild bruise on his face. He paid the woman and her new child a visit. Then he stayed in the waiting room until he saw Leonard. “Hello, Leonard. How are you feeling? I woke up this morning and couldn’t find you so I figured you were probably at work. I would’ve come by earlier but it took awhile to get myself out of bed. You have a very comfortable bed, by the way. It’s a shame that we broke it. And then I had to go feed Enterprise, my horse, and get breakfast. I found a really good place if you’re hungry. I can buy something and bring it back. What time are you off today?”
Leonard shook his head, trying to process everything that just came out of the man’s mouth, mildly horrified that James seemed to remember more than he did. “It’s fine, Christine got me soup awhile ago. Just go keep yourself busy till later. I’m here until nine today. We’re not drinking again - ever again.”
The blonde’s eyes widened at the very thought of it. “No, definitely not. Maybe I’ll wait for you to eat dinner then.”
Waving him off, he nodded, only half listening. “Sure. I’ll see you later.”
“See you later then, Leonard.”
After James took off, Chapel turned to him, eyebrow raised. “Should I be alarmed? Is there something you’d like to tell me, Leonard? What’s this I’m hearing about a broken bed?”
In the back of his mind, he realized that that was how he had managed to be half on the mattress and half on the floor at the same time that morning. “Not what it sounds like. I don’t actually know or remember. We were really drunk and he slept at my place, that’s all. Nothing happened. Now hush up before people hear you.”
He figured the ‘we were really drunk’ part explained pretty much everything.
“And the dinner after work part?”
“Huh? Is that what I just agreed to?”
Chapel nodded, and just then, he remembered more of last night’s incident when they attempted to conquer the stairs.
James had tripped up the first step and rolled onto his back with a groan. “Can we just sleep here tonight? I think I just hurt myself. Fix me, Leonard.”
“That’s probably going to bruise tomorrow. But stop being such an infant. A little suffering’s food for the soul…” He furrowed his brows. “Wait, that’s not right. It’s good for the soul.”
The blond sighed and heaved himself back up. “Okay, fine…let’s go then.”
Then a minute later, Leonard groaned and slurred drunkenly in defeat. “It’s too much, I can’t do it! Just take my keys and go on without me. Who the fuck decided to put these stairs here anyways?”
Next to him, the blond looked very engrossed in the task of pulling both of them up one step at a time. “No way in hell will I leave you behind, Leonard! I just met you, don’t you dare leave me already! We’re going to get through this together! I need to worship you forever, remember? There’s no such thing as a no-win situation!”
Somewhere, someone yelled at them to shut up.
“You’re a good man, Just James.”
“Not really, but I’m trying. Come on, let’s hurry up, Leonard. I really need to take a piss.”
Leonard groaned. “Christine, would you be so kind as to get a scalpel and lodge it deep into my ear? Then go and tell James that I won’t be able to make it to dinner on the account that I died.”
“I’m afraid that’d go against our code of ethics, Leonard,” the nurse replied easily. “More memories from last night? It must’ve been really bad - or good, depending on how you look at it. Even your ears are turning red.”
“I’m so embarrassed I just want to curl up and die…”
“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s unbecoming for a man of your status.”
“My status? A drunken wreck of a doctor?”
“So what happened?”
“Stairs happened.”
The woman looked too amused to be of any comfort. “One of these days, after you’ve regained all your memories, broken bed and all, I’ll wring the entire story from you, Leonard. And that’s a promise.”
--
Later that day, he remembered more as he was finishing up with one of his regular patients.
They were standing at his door while he fumbled to unlock it. When the door finally swung open, James grinned knowingly. “I told you so! You’re amazing, Leonard.”
“Stop saying that. I just opened a door-” The blond cut him off with a kiss. Drunk and confused, he asked, “…what was that?”
The blond smiled drunkenly. “Me worshipping you? Can I do it some more? …is it even allowed here or will we get into trouble?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. We’re breaking the law everyday by helping people apparently. Laws are stupid! So it’s okay, I give you permission to worship away if that’s how you do it…but only after we get inside because my neighbours will probably get very upset at us. And I need to get myself a glass of water. Then the worshipping can continue,” Leonard announced as he stepped inside. Taking his jacket off, he carelessly threw it somewhere then proceeded to take his shoes off.
James perked up at the mention of water. “Oh, that’s right, I need to use the bathroom, don’t I? I think I still need to use it…let me go check. I’ll worship you after.”
“Sure.” Not even pretending to listen, the brunet ambled into the kitchen.
Then somehow, before he could locate the cups, the blond came stumbling back and draped himself over the doctor, littering the back of his neck with kisses. “I’m back! You have a nice place here, Leonard. Is it sleep time now?”
“Sleep time? That sounds nice.” With the both of them completely forgetting their original goals, Leonard dragged the both of them into the bedroom with a lot of difficulty and threw the both of them onto the bed which then collapsed under the weight. Too drunk to notice the sudden decline in elevation, he closed his eyes and passed out.
Leonard’s face heated up and his patient looked at him worriedly. “Are you alright, doctor? You’re looking awfully flushed. Should I call for your nurse?”
“No, I’m fine, really. Pay me no heed,” he managed to squeak as he made his way to the door, leaning against the frame for support. “Please excuse me for a minute. I need to go and find a lake to drown myself in.”
The Ballad of Jim and Bones
Onwards to Chapter 2
--
A/N: Because drunk James and Leonard are so fun to write.
Series: Star Trek AOS
Author:neko-fish
Beta:castofone
Pairings: James/Leonard, future Spock/Uhura
Rating: NC-17
Summary: In 1893, a blue-eyed stranger barged into McCoy's clinic with a woman in his arms, desperate for help. For Leonard, there was just no going back after that. (The prequel/sequel of 'The Ballad of Jim and Bones' but works as a standalone.)
Warnings: 1890s AU, highlight for more -> character death, racism, mentions of sex, alcohol, swearing, and again, my crappy summary...
Chapter 1:
It was a quiet day, one much like any other.
Leonard was working in his modest little clinic when a blond burst in with a woman in his arms. The stranger’s large blue eyes left him dumbstruck him for a moment before he realized that the woman was going into labor. The man stared at him desperately, eyes wide with fear, as the woman groaned weakly. “Are you a doctor? She suddenly collapsed on the street and you didn’t have a ‘Whites Only’ sign on your door or anything. Oh god, please, you have to help her!”
With no time to be offended by the comment, Leonard took the woman from his arms into his and hurried into his office. “Christine, we have a woman going into labour!” Laying her down on the examination table, he looked her in the eyes and reassured her as calmly as he could, “It’s alright, darlin’. What’s your name? …Mary? Well, Miss Mary, we going to help you deliver your baby, alright? Have you given birth before? No? Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be alright. Just breathe.”
His head nurse, Christine Chapel, quickly returned to the room with a variety of equipment. “How is she, Leonard?”
“Can’t tell yet.” Hazel eyes glanced over at the man standing at the door. “Dammit, take him to the waiting room or something, would you?”
Chapel nodded and quickly walked over to escort the blond back out to the room, he could hear her reassurances even after she left his sight.
After a couple hours, he frowned. There were no signs of contractions though the woman was still groaning. Cursing under his breath, he looked over at his nurse. “I think we’re going to have to do a Caesarean section, could you bring the anesthesia?” Turning back to his patient, he explained to her as calmly as he could, “Your baby’s not coming out on its own so we’re going to help you get it out, okay? Don’t worry, I’ve done this before. You’ll be fine, darlin’. We’re going to let you sleep through the worst parts. You’ll be okay.”
--
After another couple hours, they finally finished birthing the child and cleaned everything up when the woman finally came to. He watched as his nurse handed her the baby with a smile and congratulated her on her new baby boy. With tears in her eyes, the woman reached out for the child and held him close, thanking them. The two of them nodded and left the room to give her some privacy.
When he reached the waiting room, he was surprised to see the man still waiting there, feet tapping anxiously against the leg of the chair. Motioning at the man with the tilt of his head, Chapel nodded and went to fetch them a drink as Leonard strolled out. “Still here?”
The blonde’s head snapped up at the sound of his voice. “Is she going to be alright?”
He nodded reassuringly. “She’ll be absolutely fine. Had to go through a Caesarean, but she’ll be just fine after a couple days of rest. Are you her…?”
Quickly shaking his head, the man managed to smile weakly. “No, I just randomly came across her on the streets. No one helped her so I panicked and swooped in.” Then his eyes widened. “Wait, she needed a Caesarean section? Don’t most people die from those?”
Leonard shrugged. “In other places maybe. I don’t normally have to perform them here, but I haven’t lost anyone to one yet. Let’s not jinx it.”
“You must be an awfully good doctor then. My name’s James, just James.”
“Just James,” he repeated incredulously.
The blond laughed and nodded. “Yeah, just James. I lost my surname somewhere in one of the last states I travelled through.”
He raised a brow and held his hand out. “McCoy, Leonard McCoy. And my head nurse, Christine Chapel.”
Blue eyes twinkled as he accepted the cup from the nurse. “Thank you, ma’am.”
Scowling lightly, he warned, “Don’t you go flirting with her now, Just James. She’s an engaged woman.”
James grinned ruefully. “I’ll do my best to keep that in mind. So, doctor, I couldn’t help but notice that you don’t have a sign anywhere like all the other places do. Not playing along with the Jim Crow laws here, eh?”
The doctor rolled his eyes and let out a low growl. “I’m a doctor, not a conformist. The idea of doctors is that they heal people. And people are still people regardless of appearance. To believe otherwise is just utter idiocy. Everyone who works at this clinic hold the same belief. And if you’ve got a problem with it, you might as well show yourself to the door now.”
Laughing easily, the blond watched him with interest. “I think I like you, doc. We could be good friends, you and me.” Getting up from his seat, he handed the empty cup back to Chapel. “Thanks a lot for the drink, and for helping the lady. If you’d like, I can go and tell her family her situation. Maybe they can bring her some of her necessities and whatnot. May I see her and ask if I can?”
Leonard nodded, a little impressed by the man’s thoughtfulness. “Go right ahead. I’m sure she’ll be wanting to thank you for getting her here. Go on, then. It’s rude to keep a lady waiting.”
“Yes, sir!” Giving a mock salute, he disappeared into the room.
--
Later that day, he was pleased to see the woman’s husband sitting in the waiting room, albeit a little hesitantly. When Leonard stepped out from his office, finished with his latest appointment, the man looked at him and quickly stood up, wringing his hat nervously in his hands. “…are you Doctor McCoy?”
He nodded. “That’d be me. Are you Mary’s family?”
“Yes, her husband, sir. You see, I came home from work earlier today to find a man sitting in front of my place, waiting for me. He told me my wife gave birth here. Can I see her?”
Leonard’s eyebrow shot up at the thought of James loitering around in front of the man’s house. Did the blond have nothing better to do than to wait for a woman to give birth then for her husband to get off work?
Nodding again, he led the man to the room the woman was resting in. “Of course you can. Come on this way, she’s just resting. She had to have a Caesarean so she’ll have to stay here for a few more days, just to make sure everything heals properly. But she made it through just fine. There’s no need to worry. We have staff here at all times.”
Tears welling in his eyes, the man bowed his head. “Thank you, doctor. I don’t know how to repay you.”
He shook his head and waved offhandedly. “Worry about that later, man. Right now, just go see your wife and child. Congratulations on becoming a father.”
--
A couple hours after that, he was a little less pleased and a lot more skeptical when James appeared at the clinic again, bouncing on the ball of his heel and a carefree grin on his lips. He raised a brow and drawled sarcastically, “What? No woman in labour this time?”
The blond shook his head. “Nope, just wondering when you’re finished for the day. I was hoping to treat you to a drink of your choice for your heroic feat today.”
“Heroic feat? I’m a doctor, not a hero. I was just doing what I was trained to do. That’s no amazing feat.”
James protested with a frown. “Not to you, maybe, but I’m sure that there are other doctors here who would’ve turned me away without a second glance. It was damn heroic to me what you did, especially since you went and performed a successful Caesarean and made it sound as easy as eating pie, so let me get you a drink, would you?”
Leonard rolled his eyes, trying to suppress the blush threatening to rise at the compliment. “Fine, I’ll go! It looks like it’s almost time for Geoff to get here for evening shift anyways. I’ll even jump in front of a train if it’ll get you to shut that damn mouth of yours.”
The other man laughed. “No need to do that now, doc. Just let me spend some money on you. I like to celebrate great people.”
“Sweet talking thing, aren’t you? You must be a hit with the ladies.”
The blond shot him a lazy grin. “Well, I hate to brag but-”
“Bullshit. I bet you love talking about yourself as much as children love sweets.”
“Sharp one, aren’t you? Fine, I concede, you caught me. I love bragging about myself almost as much as I love talking about how amazing you were today.”
Unsure of how to react to the flirtatious man, Leonard could only breathe a sigh of relief when M’Benga appeared through the front door, looking slightly confused at the blonde’s presence. “What’s happening? Is there something I should know about, Leonard?”
“Not now, Geoff. This is just James. He brought in a woman in labour earlier, she’s resting in room 2 right now and her husband is here. She had a Caesarean, so you’ll have to keep a closer eye on her. I’ll be back tomorrow.” The brunet shook his head, not wanting to deal with any questions he couldn’t answer. Walking to the back to grab his coat, the doctor returned to the waiting room and smacked James on the arm. “So what are you waiting for? Are we going or what? Now hurry up before I change my mind.”
Wordlessly, James followed him back out onto the street and towards his usual pub. Once seated, Leonard ordered bourbon while James had a beer. “You officially have the most amazing clinic in the state.” The blond raised his bottle slightly and grinned. “A toast to my newfound hero, Doctor Leonard McCoy. I plan on worshipping you and singing praises to your name for the rest of both our lives.”
Leonard scowled. “I still don’t get what the hype is, kid. At my clinic, we fix people that need fixing; that’s all. If a person’s well enough to refuse treatment, then they obviously don’t have a dire need for our help and are perfectly capable of finding another clinic themselves.”
James looked impressed. “A genius and modest? Now I’ve seen everything. You’re really something else, doc.”
“And you’re about seven kinds of stupid, kid.”
The blond laughed and held his beer up. “I’ll drink to that.” After a moment of comfortable silence, he looked over idly. “So your nurse is engaged, hmm?”
The doctor nodded. “That’s right, so don’t even think about it or I’ll kick your ass out of town so fast you won’t even have time to blink.”
“That’s awfully fast. What about you then? You a married man, doc?”
He snorted scornfully and ordered another glass. “I was. At one point in my life, I was. Even have an angel of a baby girl to prove it.” Then he took a swig of his drink, “The ex-wife took all of Savannah in the divorce and then some. Got my house, my daughter, everything. All I’ve got left is my bones.”
James listened attentively as he spoke. “All of Savannah? How’d she manage that?”
“Some time after my old man died, I caught her cheating on me with her old sweetheart, a high and mighty ambassador. Then before I knew it, we were divorced and they’d turned the entire place on me so I ran. The only consolation I got was that I’m still allowed to see Joanna and I can write her as often as I want. I even get to call her sometimes. She just turned six this year. I managed to crawl over to Atlanta and started a little clinic with Phil, Christine and Geoff’s help.”
Blue eyes stared at his drink for a moment before speaking decisively, “If I’m seven kinds of stupid, then your ex must’ve been at least eight.”
Leonard took another sip. “Why? For falling for some diplomatic sweet talker?”
“No. For leaving a man like you,” the blond stated easily.
At this, he rolled his eyes. “Really? And what would you know about that? You just met me today and I was helping that woman deliver her baby for most of that time.”
The younger man nodded in agreement. “I might’ve only met you today, but so far, I know that you’re an excellent doctor and sawbones even though you deny it, and you’d help anyone in need regardless of appearance. You get defensive when people question the ethics of treating all people fairly. You’re a bit of a grouch, but you make up for it by being a good person. And as of right now, I know you really like your whiskey, and not the cheap stuff either. You lived in Savannah at one point but after the divorce, you came up here and started a clinic with a bunch of people who are now your closest friends, and you love your daughter more than anything in the world. So how’d I do, doc?”
Hazel eyes narrowed. “Don’t look so smug.”
“I have to know this stuff. I was serious when I said I was going to worship you forever.”
“You’d be wasting your time.”
The blond shrugged. “If I went to your clinic and asked your staff or any of the patients you’ve helped, I doubt they’d agree with your assessment. If you’d like, I could get on the ground and start bowing to you right now.”
Leonard couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t be stupid and get me another glass already.”
In the back of his mind, he told himself that this James figure was going to be nothing but trouble.
And he wasn’t wrong.
--
There was no telling how long they stayed in that bar or how they managed to amble their way through the streets without getting killed. All Leonard knew was that when he woke up in his little apartment, he was mostly dressed and somehow half in bed and half on the floor while James was mostly in bed and partly draped over him. Rolling the rest of the way down onto the floor, he sat up with a groan at his massive hangover and the taste of alcohol lingering in his parched mouth. ‘Hello body, I hate me too.’ Reaching over to check the vital signs of the blond, he was satisfied when he found him breathing and alive.
Finally willing himself up, he looked around his apartment, glad to see it vomit-free. Then he looked at the clock and cursed under his breath, mindful not to wake the sleeping man up. Making his way to the bathroom to freshen up, he shucked off his suit and put on a fresh one before dragging his feet out the door. On his way to work, he recalled snippets of the previous night when the two of them were clinging to each other, trying to keep their balance as they stumbled through the streets.
James leaned heavily against him as they walked. “I’m serious! I’m going to worship you forever because you’re really amazing, doc! So many people around here are…bad! They’re just not nice! Everyone should be treated nicely!”
The doctor scowled. “Shut your face and call me Leonard!”
“I get to call you Leonard now? Does that mean we’re friends now?”
“Yeah, sure, why the hell not, Just James?”
More drunken laughter.
“I’m just James, not Just James…I mean…just James, not James…wait, that’s not right. I’m James, just James! And now you’re Leonard! See? I told you we’d be good friends! And as your new best friend, I get to tell you that your ex-wife is a bitch!”
“Amen to that! Where are we going, Just James?”
The blond shook his head. “I don’t know…I’ve been sleeping in the stables with my horse. She’s the best horse in the world! What about you? Do you do that too, Leonard?”
“I’m a doctor, not a horse! I live in a doctor’s place,” he announced.
James stared at him. “A doctor’s place? Isn’t that where you give birth? It looks painful!”
“No, it’s this place over here…” Leonard blinked and looked again at his apartment building in surprise. “Hey, look, we’re home! Come on in, I refuse to let you sleep like a horse, Just James!”
Allowing himself to be pulled through the doors, the blond protested loudly. “It’s not Just James! Are you going to operate on me? Can I tell you a secret? I really don’t like needles or medicine, Leonard. I don’t need an operation, do I? Doctors scare me - except you, of course.”
Leonard missed the other man’s mouth and ended up clamping a hand over the man’s cheek instead. “Shut up, you damn infant! People are sleeping! And you don’t need an operation! Right now, we’re just going to go to sleep and then we’ll hate ourselves in the morning.”
The blond hugged him and shook his head. “I’d never hate you, Leonard. You’re amazing! You’re just about everything I want to be!”
“What? A drunk, angry divorced doctor?”
“No, a brave, talented and very handsome doctor who’s respected enough to get people to follow his lead and stuff. Though the angry doctor part’s pretty nice too. And the drunk part. I like you drunk. Man…I haven’t been with anyone for so long now…”
“I bet you’re a real ladies’ man.”
“Sure was. Never had to find myself an inn, I was so good. But I don’t do that anymore. Fathers and husbands didn’t like me very much. I don’t know why. Hey, Leonard? Do I get to sleep in your bed with you tonight?”
“Sure, why the hell not, Just James?”
“Really!? Yes! I just fulfilled the American Dream!”
Then there was a long pause as the two stood at the bottom of the staircase and looked up.
“Well, fuck…”
Leonard groaned and covered his eyes with his hand as he continued down the street. He wanted nothing more than to find a corner and hide until the nausea and embarrassment disappeared. Hopefully, James will have left town by the time he got off work, then he can slowly pick up the pieces of his dignity and try to piece it all back together into something presentable.
Stepping into the clinic, Chapel immediately greeted him with a smile. “Good morning, Leonard. It’s rare for you to be late like this. My, you look like you’ve had a long night. Did you have fun with Just James?”
He shook his head miserably, trying not to think about last night. “Please, let’s not talk about it. It’s way too bright out today. Who the hell decided that having a sun in the sky was a good idea? God, I hate myself right now. I’m too old to be drinking like this.”
“If you keep saying things like that, one of these days, you’ll actually believe it. You’re not even 30 yet.”
Ignoring her, the doctor asked, “How’s the patient doing?”
Calmly, she made her way to their staff room. “She’s doing mighty well compared to you right now. Let me go make you some tea.”
“Thank you, you’re a real peach, darlin’.”
“Have you eaten anything yet, Leonard?”
“No, I woke up about 5 minutes ago.”
“I’ll go get a bowl of soup for you in a little bit then.”
He heaved a sigh, grateful for her assistance. “An absolute saint, that’s what you are. What would I be without you, Christine?”
She smiled easily. “You’d still be a great doctor, just with a really bad hangover.”
--
Much to his dismay, James dropped by later that day, sunny grin only slightly tarnished by his own obvious hangover and the mild bruise on his face. He paid the woman and her new child a visit. Then he stayed in the waiting room until he saw Leonard. “Hello, Leonard. How are you feeling? I woke up this morning and couldn’t find you so I figured you were probably at work. I would’ve come by earlier but it took awhile to get myself out of bed. You have a very comfortable bed, by the way. It’s a shame that we broke it. And then I had to go feed Enterprise, my horse, and get breakfast. I found a really good place if you’re hungry. I can buy something and bring it back. What time are you off today?”
Leonard shook his head, trying to process everything that just came out of the man’s mouth, mildly horrified that James seemed to remember more than he did. “It’s fine, Christine got me soup awhile ago. Just go keep yourself busy till later. I’m here until nine today. We’re not drinking again - ever again.”
The blonde’s eyes widened at the very thought of it. “No, definitely not. Maybe I’ll wait for you to eat dinner then.”
Waving him off, he nodded, only half listening. “Sure. I’ll see you later.”
“See you later then, Leonard.”
After James took off, Chapel turned to him, eyebrow raised. “Should I be alarmed? Is there something you’d like to tell me, Leonard? What’s this I’m hearing about a broken bed?”
In the back of his mind, he realized that that was how he had managed to be half on the mattress and half on the floor at the same time that morning. “Not what it sounds like. I don’t actually know or remember. We were really drunk and he slept at my place, that’s all. Nothing happened. Now hush up before people hear you.”
He figured the ‘we were really drunk’ part explained pretty much everything.
“And the dinner after work part?”
“Huh? Is that what I just agreed to?”
Chapel nodded, and just then, he remembered more of last night’s incident when they attempted to conquer the stairs.
James had tripped up the first step and rolled onto his back with a groan. “Can we just sleep here tonight? I think I just hurt myself. Fix me, Leonard.”
“That’s probably going to bruise tomorrow. But stop being such an infant. A little suffering’s food for the soul…” He furrowed his brows. “Wait, that’s not right. It’s good for the soul.”
The blond sighed and heaved himself back up. “Okay, fine…let’s go then.”
Then a minute later, Leonard groaned and slurred drunkenly in defeat. “It’s too much, I can’t do it! Just take my keys and go on without me. Who the fuck decided to put these stairs here anyways?”
Next to him, the blond looked very engrossed in the task of pulling both of them up one step at a time. “No way in hell will I leave you behind, Leonard! I just met you, don’t you dare leave me already! We’re going to get through this together! I need to worship you forever, remember? There’s no such thing as a no-win situation!”
Somewhere, someone yelled at them to shut up.
“You’re a good man, Just James.”
“Not really, but I’m trying. Come on, let’s hurry up, Leonard. I really need to take a piss.”
Leonard groaned. “Christine, would you be so kind as to get a scalpel and lodge it deep into my ear? Then go and tell James that I won’t be able to make it to dinner on the account that I died.”
“I’m afraid that’d go against our code of ethics, Leonard,” the nurse replied easily. “More memories from last night? It must’ve been really bad - or good, depending on how you look at it. Even your ears are turning red.”
“I’m so embarrassed I just want to curl up and die…”
“Don’t be so dramatic. It’s unbecoming for a man of your status.”
“My status? A drunken wreck of a doctor?”
“So what happened?”
“Stairs happened.”
The woman looked too amused to be of any comfort. “One of these days, after you’ve regained all your memories, broken bed and all, I’ll wring the entire story from you, Leonard. And that’s a promise.”
--
Later that day, he remembered more as he was finishing up with one of his regular patients.
They were standing at his door while he fumbled to unlock it. When the door finally swung open, James grinned knowingly. “I told you so! You’re amazing, Leonard.”
“Stop saying that. I just opened a door-” The blond cut him off with a kiss. Drunk and confused, he asked, “…what was that?”
The blond smiled drunkenly. “Me worshipping you? Can I do it some more? …is it even allowed here or will we get into trouble?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. We’re breaking the law everyday by helping people apparently. Laws are stupid! So it’s okay, I give you permission to worship away if that’s how you do it…but only after we get inside because my neighbours will probably get very upset at us. And I need to get myself a glass of water. Then the worshipping can continue,” Leonard announced as he stepped inside. Taking his jacket off, he carelessly threw it somewhere then proceeded to take his shoes off.
James perked up at the mention of water. “Oh, that’s right, I need to use the bathroom, don’t I? I think I still need to use it…let me go check. I’ll worship you after.”
“Sure.” Not even pretending to listen, the brunet ambled into the kitchen.
Then somehow, before he could locate the cups, the blond came stumbling back and draped himself over the doctor, littering the back of his neck with kisses. “I’m back! You have a nice place here, Leonard. Is it sleep time now?”
“Sleep time? That sounds nice.” With the both of them completely forgetting their original goals, Leonard dragged the both of them into the bedroom with a lot of difficulty and threw the both of them onto the bed which then collapsed under the weight. Too drunk to notice the sudden decline in elevation, he closed his eyes and passed out.
Leonard’s face heated up and his patient looked at him worriedly. “Are you alright, doctor? You’re looking awfully flushed. Should I call for your nurse?”
“No, I’m fine, really. Pay me no heed,” he managed to squeak as he made his way to the door, leaning against the frame for support. “Please excuse me for a minute. I need to go and find a lake to drown myself in.”
The Ballad of Jim and Bones
Onwards to Chapter 2
--
A/N: Because drunk James and Leonard are so fun to write.