Inconvenience - Part 1 of 2
Title: Inconvenience - Part 1 of 2 (Link to part 2 at the end)
Author: nikki4noo
Beta: aquila-star, the commavenger aka 7ofeleven and Clarrisani
Word Count: 18,460 (in total)
Rating: NC-17 for some bad words and sexual situations
Pairings/Characters: Kirk/McCoy, Scotty, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, various Enterprise crew and some aliens
Summary: Though many would love a glimpse into the mind of James Tiberius Kirk, Leonard McCoy is not one of them. Due to a "gift" from an alien race, he gets to find out exactly what goes on in the head of James T Kirk.
Disclaimer: Not mine, dammit!
A/N: This little plot bunny developed out of wondering about blending the TOS episode Charlie X with Reboot. It is also a little character study in a way about what those sort of 'gifts' can provide for our favourite medic; the positives and negatives. So there are a few spoilers for the Charlie X episode, but no Charlie in sight. I do apologise to aquila-star for talking to her for two hours about gas! So here be science and plot and sex. :D
Scotty had just stood up from the chair after beaming the away team down to the surface. He kept an eye on the panel but thought that, for once, this might be one mission where they came back with absolutely no injuries. A completely inhospitable planet with no signs of any life at all, yet Jim wanted to go down and look around, of course, the mad bastard.
If they came back with no injuries, he might finally be able to convince McCoy to share a bit of the real bourbon Scotty knew he had hiding somewhere. The good doctor was adamant that bourbon was the only way to go. Keenser had been of no use trying to find the bottle. What use was a mini movable mountain that climbs everything if it couldn’t nick stuff to boot?
“Kirk to Enterprise. Bring us back, Scotty,” Scotty heard the slightly tinny voice of the Captain over the comm system.
“Two minutes, Captain? You only needed two minutes?” Scotty answered back as he started to lock back onto their bio-signals to prepare to beam them back.
“Well, normally I do like a little more time to explore but…” Kirk started to say.
The Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise at his most charming interrupted him, “Damn it you over-indulged Scotsman! Just bring us the hell back and don’t you dare lose any of my molecules or I will... Ow! Hell! Damnation! Arrggh!”
“Now, Scotty!” Jim ordered him, but Scotty’s hands were already flying over the controls and as Jim spoke Scotty had already brought the team back on board the ship.
Scotty tipped his head to the side as he pondered the sight of the CMO doubled over on the Transporter pad. The Captain had rushed over to McCoy but the other ensign, Davies? Lloyd? Scotty could never tell the buggers apart, was standing there like a statue.
“Henshaw, call Medical asap! Get a team down here immediately,” Scotty yelled at the Transporter Officer as he himself rushed forward to assist Kirk with McCoy. He could vaguely hear his orders being followed and he was remarkably pleased with Henshaw’s abilities but his focus was on his friend and colleague.
“Crap, Scotty, why do you have to be so fricken formal all of the time?” McCoy grumbled as he started to stand up.
McCoy had pushed away Kirk’s hand as he stood and Scotty and Kirk watch in amazement as the doctor stumbled toward the open door, one hand still pressed to his head.
The two of them continued to stare at each other in shock, before Kirk sprang into action racing out of the transporter room after his CMO, with Scotty close on his heels.
--
A fresh wave of pain pulsed across his temple, causing Bones to stumble forward. He let one hand fall from his head to brace the floor and stop him heading face first into the smooth white tiles. He thought of the coldness of those tiles and tried to get them to seep up his arm and into his head.
Whatever that cloud had been, this was one hell of a migraine it seemed to have caused. He was rushing through all possible known scenarios and symptoms he could think of while cursing Starfleet’s mission statement that had sent them out into this diseased and darkened miasma they called space.
“To boldly go, my ass!” He muttered as he started to stand.
He could hear Jim and Scotty chattering away behind him and over the top of each other. He wanted to yell at the two to just shut the fuck up when he heard Jim clearly state that he had one of the finest asses in the universe.
“Dammit Jim!” He growled as he turned his head to glare back at his perpetually horny leader. “Is there nothing that doesn’t turn you on? God save me from prepubescent horn-dogs who can’t keep it in their pants.”
As the pain receded slightly, Bones was able to stand up straight again. The white light of the corridor was blinding him, so he closed his eyes trying to shut out the brightness and the two voices behind him who had started up their incessant chattering again.
“Oh for the love of Christ, could the two of you take your lovers tiff outside. If this is all it's about then I’m going back to Engineering!” Scotty grumbled loudly.
Bones snapped around and started to stalk toward Scotty. “Lover’s tiff? What you on about, you meddling Scot? I don’t need you or this half assed excuse for a captain to tell me what to do!”
Scotty was staring at him blankly, the silence and shock written all over his face as Bones towered over him, fists clenched at his side.
“Bones, you stubborn Southern bastard, just let us help you!” He heard Jim cajole on his right. The tender, concerned tone was unlike any Bones had heard Jim use before.
“I might be a stubborn Southern bastard, but at least I ain’t no Iowa corn husker who ogles anything that breathes,” he groused back as he turned his head to glare at Jim.
“What?” Jim replied, “what are you on about Bones? Medic!” Jim yelled down the corridor, a puzzled expression on his face.
Bones waved a hand in front of that face, “hello! Doctor right here! Yelling isn’t going to make them run faster, you bastard. I just have a headache.”
As Jim looked at him, Bones heard, clear as a bell in his head, the concern from Jim that his best friend seemed to be going mad, but Jim’s lips did not move.
“Aw, hell no!” Bones said as he backed away from the two men who were radiating concern and caring at him, while thinking he was also bat shit insane, loud and clear without their lips moving. “Buggering fuck! The slimy green cloud has made me hear shit!” He hit the curved wall of the corridor, planting his hands along the smooth surface. He then took the best cure that he knew for voices in his head.
Bones could hear and feel the mounting horror from Scotty and Jim as he started to bash his head against the wall, announcing, “fuck,” in perfect timing with each connection of the wall.
He felt the soothing intent from the two men as they came closer. He prepared to be touched, his eyes closed and just hearing the concern. Then a loud cacophony of voices rounded the corner. He couldn’t make out one voice amongst the many that were yelling over the top of each other. He stumbled again to the ground, curling up into a ball to try to make the noises go away.
He felt a solid body wrap over him and a gentle hand carding in his hair.
“Bones, Bones, listen to me, only to me.” He heard Jim whisper over and over, just that same litany. He tried to desperately focus on Jim’s voice alone.
He swallowed hard and through dry lips was able to whisper back to the scared man holding him tight, “I can hear them all. Too much. Make them go away.”
He tried to focus just in on himself, on the pain in his head, the blood rushing through his veins and arteries, anything that wasn’t the voices.
The tight pressure on his body was released as he felt and heard Jim giving those quick fire orders that he was best at. Sending the medical team away and making Scotty run off to clear the path to his quarters.
Normally he would consider a corridor with just him and Jim to be enveloped in silence, but now his own thoughts were being invaded by Jim’s, thoughts that he had never considered before. He knew that Jim cared for him, but this made it seem as if Bones was his only family. He snapped his eyes open, and stood too quickly. As he lent over to brace along the wall again, Jim was literally shouting at him to take care and that he was a stupid idiot.
“Maybe I’m pretending to be you,” he grumbled back at his best friend.
As he stumbled forward toward his quarters he could hear Jim’s voice receding. He glanced behind to find Jim still standing in the spot where he had left him. Obviously the telepathy worked stronger the closer a person was.
He could hear Jim again. The concern was something that was new to Bones, as Jim had never said out loud what he was thinking now. The worst thing though, was when Jim would think something and then speak it.
“Just think it, don’t speak. You are bad enough to hear once. In delayed stereo, I would rather not,” Bones grouched.
“God, you really are a grumpy bastard at the best of times,” Jim smirked at him. “Thinking was always one of my strong points.”
Bones snorted in response, “depends on what part of you is doing the thinking!”
Jim laughed as he grabbed Bones arm to help him along the way. The images that started to flash at Bones from Jim’s vast back catalogue would have been intriguing to most red blooded males and quite a few females that he was acquainted with, but right at that moment it was most definitely not something Bones wanted to be thinking or seeing
“Could you for once not think about sex, and my god man, you didn’t?” He said as a particular fellow cadet flashed into his mind. One that had eluded everyone as being too difficult, yet there was the proof, in living color that Jim had succeeded.
“Sorry, but it was just too tempting. C’mon Bones, give me an opening like that and I have to take it.” Jim apologized to him with a tone that was not apologetic at all. In fact, Jim seemed to be quite proud of his accomplishments.
Bones could feel that Jim was attempting to get his randy thoughts under control and was trying to think about anything else, but the view of the lights or the line of the wall were still triggering fleeting images from Jim. Then he felt Jim concentrate solely on him.
It was very odd to see yourself through someone else's eyes. Not a mirror image, which was just a false image in a way but how you really appeared to another person.
At first he enjoyed the sneak peek into how his best friend saw him, the one person who had seen him at the bottom of the barrel and yet still called him friend. Jim’s attention kept being drawn back to his hands, before his thoughts would snap and think about something totally innocuous, like the dusty roads of Riverside, the coolant system in Engineering or even moves to try and beat Spock at chess.
In between all these flashes of normal everyday things were the images over and over of his own hands as he tended to patients, or mostly to Jim himself. The overriding impression was of comfort, tenderness, security and then there was a feeling that should not have surprised him but it did shock him.
“No!” He said as he pulled his arm loose from Jim’s grip.
“No? What?” Jim frowned at him, his brows drawing together over his piercing blue eyes.
He could feel Jim wonder if the telepathy was catching as it might be the only way he could understand Bones, ever.
“It’s not bloody catching and no way in hell would I want you to have the ability to hear others. You would most certainly use it to your advantage and ethics can go hang!” Bones pushed him, hard, as he advanced forward.
Jim stumbled away from the force of the push.
“You would use it to the detriment of every other civilization. You already have enough races on that list of yours and to add the ability of telepathy so that you can unfairly take advantage of others? Over my dead body, you over-sexed farm boy! I am not one that you are going to add to that list, no matter how much you have fantasized about my hands!” Bones continued to lecture him.
Was that a blush he could see staining Jim’s cheek? The stud of the Academy brought to a blush because he wanted to be touched by him? The next thought from Jim was one of guilt and desire melded together, that he secretly loved being man handled by Bones, especially after away missions when he came back injured. That sometimes when he was getting those injuries his prime thoughts were how to return to Bones, so that he could ‘fix’ him. That he shivered when Bones touched him, with his deft, strong and gentle hands.
This was more than Bones was willing to deal with. He backed away from Jim, one finger extended as he sent a strong, “no!” in Jim’s direction, before turning on his heels and running for his quarters.
He was close enough and had shocked Jim enough that he was able to make it to his quarters and inside and lock the door before he could be caught. He leaned back against the door, catching his breath in the calm of his room where the only thoughts were his own.
His mind was whirring too much and he tried to focus back on the issue at hand, which was curing himself of his pesky problem. He strode over to the computer console, patched in a link to the sick bay and started barking orders on what he wanted delivered to his door. He told Christine to activate Dr Piper as acting CMO and that he wanted certain DNA samples delivered with the equipment.
As he finished the communication, there was a bashing at his door. Jim had arrived.
He strode over to the doorway and before he could speak he started to pick up Jim’s concern again, his apology, and in all the time he had known him, Jim had never apologized before.
Bones reflected that at least he could be man enough himself to admit when he was wrong, but that word had never before appeared in Jim’s vocabulary, but there it was in his mind.
“Bones? Open up! Shouldn’t you be in sickbay where they can figure this out?” Jim yelled at him through the door. Again, delayed and in stereo in Bones’ head.
“I heard you the first time, Jim! No need to repeat yourself.” Bones enjoyed lecturing him through the doorway. “Dr Piper is now acting CMO, I need to be isolated for my own sanity and they are delivering what I need to start to run the tests. So take yourself back to the bridge and I will solve this problem. Just keep people away from my door when I request it. I can still ‘hear’ you and that is something I would rather not want to experience any more than I already have.”
On that final note, Bones walked away from the door, but he couldn’t resist listening intently for Jim’s decision as he headed to the medikit that he kept in his own quarters. A good doctor is always prepared.
--
Jim sprawled in his chair on the bridge, going over the list that Bones had requested. Anyone watching him would have been wary of the smile that slid across his face.
“Lieutenant Uhura, patch the bridge into the Chief Medical Officer’s quarters and I don’t think you need to hail him,” Jim ordered his Communications Officer.
“Captain?” Jim could hear the unspoken question in her voice. Uhura was such a master of linguistics that she could, with one word, speak entire lectures at him. Just like she was doing right now.
“Patch us in, Lieutenant,” he ordered, ignoring the disapproval for breaking protocol from Uhura. It was Bones, protocol was meant to be broken when he was involved.
“Bridge connected to Commander McCoy’s quarters… now, sir,” Uhura announced.
Jim slouched even further into his chair, getting comfortable for what he knew was going to be an interesting conversation.
“Bones?” Jim asked him.
“What?” Came back the surly reply almost immediately.
“You do realize Vulcan isn’t catching?” Jim smirked as he glanced up to see Spock’s response to his statement.
There was a pause while Jim was sure that Bones was holding back whatever insult he wanted to send Jim’s way.
Spock, for once appeared to hold his tongue, although that eyebrow was heading closer to his hairline.
“Dammit Jim! I am testing for various DNA types to see if there is any correlation. Vulcan is one race among many that has psi abilities. All I have to go on is a splitting headache, a pesky slime green cloud and that I can hear every one's thoughts,” Bones unwittingly informed everyone on the Bridge.
“Technically, doctor, you can hear human thoughts. Only those of the human race were whom you came in contact within the Transporter room and outside in the corridor. As you have not been in contact with any other race it would be unwise to strike that possibility from your hypothesis,” Spock advised him.
Jim held back a laugh as he waited for Bones’ response to the First Officers correction.
“Look, you mind meddling hobgoblin, spare me your logical deductions. I don’t want to test that damn hypothesis because it means you are the nearest other race around with psi abilities and there is no way in Sam Hell that I want to hear your thoughts!” Bones ranted back.
“In the interest of science I would have volunteered, but I can concur that I do not wish to expose my private thoughts to yourself, doctor. Much less than you would want to share yours if the time ever came. If you do wish to ascertain, for science’s sake, then I would volunteer,” replied Spock.
Jim could not hold back the laugh, “just keep us informed of everything you find out, Bones, especially if your blood starts going green on us. Bridge out.” He looked over towards Spock.
Spock just quirked one eyebrow and turned back to his screen that was scanning the surface of the planet, Thasus, that they were still orbiting. Jim had no intention of leaving the planet’s space until he found out what had happened to Bones.
--
Jim watched as Scotty was the final senior officer to wander into the debriefing room. He seemed to be trying to brush some lint or marks off his uniform. Sometimes he really didn’t want to know what went on down in Engineering.
“Gentlemen,” Jim nodded at his team. “As you are aware, I have called this meeting to discuss Doctor McCoy’s recent mishap.” He smiled at the word he had selected to describe Bones’ new found ability. “Mr Spock, can you please report on the information we have about Thasus?” Jim continued as he lent back in his chair.
“The planet, Thasus, has long been believed to be inhospitable and previous Federation probes have indicated that there is very limited edible plant life upon the surface. Records indicate that the local race, the Thasians, are believed to hold considerable psionic powers. There has been no known recorded contact or sighting of Thasians in any Federation records.”
“Lieutenant Uhura,” Jim turned towards his Communication Officer, “have there been any other signals received from Thasus since our commencing orbit of the planet?”
“There have been no signals received or detected, Sir,” Uhura replied to him.
Jim moved forward in his chair so that he could lean his elbow upon the table. He rested his chin on his clenched fist and tilted his head to look towards where Bones’ deputy was seated.
“Doctor Piper, what is the current medical status of Doctor McCoy?” He asked the sandy haired older man.
“Doctor McCoy has been running various blood tests and scans to ascertain the possible after affects of the psionic ability he has developed,” Doctor Piper’s voice wavered slightly as he presented the findings to the group. “So far there has been nothing conclusive that can be ascertained. Various other races with known abilities have been compared to Doctor McCoy’s blood work but there has been no match. Doctor McCoy’s vitals are being monitored on an hourly basis from his private quarters, but there has only been a normal elevation in his blood pressure that would be associated with a similar high stress situation. That is all that the medical staff are able to report at this time.”
Doctor Piper stayed sitting up straight in his chair, waiting to see what his Captain would ask next. His eyes flickered nervously to look around the table at the others seated quietly, also waiting for Captain Kirk to speak.
“I propose that a party travels back down to the surface to further explore the planet,” Jim suggested, looking around at each of his officers to see what they thought of the suggestion.
“Dammit, Jim! You reckless bastard. Don’t you dare!” Bones voice boomed through the intercom system. “It’s bad enough that I got infected, now you are off on a fool's errand to endanger more crew?”
Jim jumped in shock at the sound of Bones’ voice. He then sent what could only be described as a pissy look towards his First Officer, as he slapped his hand down on the conference table in frustration.
“I gather I have you to thank for including Doctor McCoy into this discussion, Mr Spock?” He asked, raising one heavy eyebrow.
“Who cares ‘Captain’,” Bones spat out the title. “Leave Spock outta this. It is a stupid idea and one that you should never entertain. Which, as it is your suggestion, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest! We have no idea about this ‘ability’ and you... Oh Saints preserve us, when did you not bloody leap first and think about things later? It’s only me that has been affected so far. No real danger presented at all. It’s not worth other people getting hurt when it’s only me so far. You even attempt to send a team down there and when this is all over I will make sure that…”
Jim lent forward to break the communications link. “This meeting is finished,” he growled as he stood up, both hands planted on the table as he loomed towards his staff. He glared for a moment at them all before turning and striding towards the door.
“Captain?” Spock had also stood and had followed his captain across the room. “For all of Doctor McCoy’s unique expressions, I must agree with him. That sending a team down might not be the best option at this point in time.”
Jim had reached the door and as it slid open he turned to face Spock.
“Doctor McCoy and I are about to discuss the matter further, Mr Spock. Would you care to join us? I am sure that you will learn some more unique expressions to add to those already stored in that computer you call a brain.” On that note, Jim spun on his heels and stalked to his CMO’s private quarters.
---
Leonard McCoy was pacing back and forth in front of his computer console, seething that Jim had cut him off just when he was building up to a good tirade. As he paced back towards the far wall he heard the beeping that announced that someone was coming into his quarters. Only one person knew the codes and would dare to enter his quarters now. He turned to face the door and the man entering his room.
Jim prowled into the room. The anger emanating from him would have been obvious to Leonard, who knew the man better than anyone else on this ship, even without his new found abilities to read thoughts.
Then those new abilities kicked into gear and angry, muttered phrases started to invade his head, ones with a distinct ‘Jim’ tone. Bones attempted to put some distance between the pair of them so that Jim’s anger would not be buzzing around in his head and allow him to think clearly for the upcoming ‘discussion’, but he discovered that the room was not large enough and the wall was in his way of escape.
“You stupid man! You think I am going to take one of my crew being hurt and not do all I can to help them?” Jim snarled as he stepped fully into Bones’ personal space. Bones heard two versions of that statement, not quite the same but enough alike that he couldn’t clearly pick out what was words and what were thoughts.
Nose to nose the two men glared at each other.
Jim's eyes were flashing anger and Bones noted the slight flaring of his nostrils, but amongst the anger that he could hear out loud and see expressed so eloquently on Jim’s face there was a jumble of thoughts of concern that were confusing him. Jim appeared to be upset about how scared Bones was looking and that it was entirely his own stupid fault.
Bones frowned his confusion as he continued to stare into Jim’s blue eyes. He could feel the waves of hatred that Jim was directing inwards at his own self. Bones could feel his brow furrow even deeper as he opened his mouth to try and direct Jim’s thoughts away, but he could think of nothing to say. He was then completely shocked at what he heard from Jim. Quiet soothing tones, a murmur as if to, and Bones choked on the idea, a lover…
“I want to soothe that frown. God, let me touch his face. No, don’t think that. So scared, so worried, all my own fault,” was what Bones heard, similar words and thoughts over and over. The desire to touch and the need to hide that desire.
The shock of it caused Bones to lash out verbally at Jim, saying things he had heard others say about Jim, but he never had once believed. Trying to drive him away and out of the room.
“You little man-child. Playing at God. Thinking your precious presence will solve everything. The great Jim Kirk to the rescue. Have to be the almighty hero that saves the day. Can’t let anyone else steal your ego driven glory!” He snarled, bringing his face so close to Jim’s that their noses now touched, breaths mingling. A little glide upwards of his nose against the other man as Bones lifted his chin in defiance seemed to cause a fire in Jim’s eyes. Bones was dreading the consequences of his harsh words but there was nothing but silence from Jim. That over active intelligent mind was closed off from Bones. The silence was breathtaking.
Bones opened his mouth to apologize, his anger quick to fall but with no warning of his intentions, Jim leaned that final inestimable distance and sealed his mouth over Bones’.
The first touch was tentative and soft. Then the silence was broken and Bones was overwhelmed with the sensations and the awakening of Jim’s mind.
“Soft, pleasure, have wanted to do this for so long, no, can’t do this, must stop, can’t.” A litany of jumbled thoughts and Bones didn’t know where he started or where Jim ended. Such a chaste kiss it was and yet was one of the most powerful Bones had ever experienced. But it ended with no warning, just like it had started.
Bones stared with shock into a visage that was quite possibly a mirror image of his expression.
“Christ Jim, you really don’t think with your head, do you?” Bones mumbled as he blinked and tried to make sense of the thoughts and visions he had seen.
Jim glanced down at the floor, seemingly at Bones’ words. “God, Bones, so sorry, Bones. Wanted to do that for so long. Please don’t hate me, can’t lose you, Bones. Wanted that so much,” Jim’s mind rambled away his guilt and his enjoyment, “you’re my best friend, my only friend. You see me, the brat, the man-child. God, can’t lose you. I’m so stupid and reckless and you needed to stop me. You always stop me, or at least tell me I’m a dumb-ass. Need that. Need you. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I’ve fucked this up. I always fuck up everything.”
“This is the stupidest idea ever,” Bones declared as both his hands came up to cradle Jim’s head, using his thumbs to force Jim to lift up his head so that he could stare once more into those eyes. Thumbs pressing and caressing the soft skin of Jim’s jaw, rubbing slowly over the day old stubble growth.
“Please, Bones, please, don’t hate me, don’t leave me, lips so soft, so plump, begging to be kissed, gods they are tempting, don’t hate me, don’t hate me!” Jim thought as he locked eyes once again.
Bones registered at the back of his mind that a certain part of his anatomy seemed to be quite appreciative of Jim’s thoughts and before he could rethink it for himself he leaned forward and kissed Jim.
“Yes,” he heard clear as a bell in his mind, a long drawn out exclamation of victory from Jim.
Bones felt flushed all over with the images he was receiving as well as his own imagination that was agreeing and adding to the fantasies that Jim was throwing his way unintentionally. What was real and what was fantasy? The pressure up against the wall? Feeling a hard body pressing into his? Was that real or was that Jim’s thoughts? The images of himself at the Academy; little snapshots of parts of his own body. Hands, eyes, lips, ass. In fact there seemed to be not a part of his body that Jim hadn’t thought of at some stage. Even his feet, Christ his feet!
Moans and cries filled the room and Bones needed only a small amount of friction before he was coming in his pants like a horny teenage boy who had discovered his father's stash of porn for the first time. He broke off from kissing Jim to tilt his head back and cry his release out loud. He felt, saw and heard all at the same time the pull of his lower lip away, the slide of tongue, moist and strong, chest rising and falling hard and over it all Jim staring at him in wonder.
“Bones, Bones, Bones. Gorgeous, want, hard, yes, again, please, finally,” Jim was mumbling or was he just thinking it? Bones’ eyes were still closed as he continued to pulse and stain his pants. “Quick, too quick.”
Slowly the reality of the situation started to seep through the images and feelings. Jim was mumbling and thinking and pressing into him still. He could feel the stickiness himself and also through Jim’s own pants. A double sticky situation it seemed. That Jim didn’t find it disgusting but appeared to be exulting that he was the one to cause Bones to come was disturbing. Some of the thoughts from earlier in the day when there was just the two of them in the corridor were starting to make a lick of sense.
Bones opened his eyes to look at Jim. Face flushed, those eyes sparkling in the subdued light of the room. His head was still moving slightly as he rocked his body slowly. The thoughts had slowed down but still focused fully on him. This surprised Bones, he knew before he was ‘cursed’ that Jim had a very active mind, that it could switch from one topic to another at lighting speed, often causing others confusion as they tried to keep up, but here and now there was one focus and one focus only, Bones.
“Jim,” Bones drawled out quietly, hardly able to speak around a throat that was now tight with emotion. “Jim?”
“Sexy drawl, smooth, can listen to him speak all day. The way it breaks over my name, say it again Bones, please say it again.”
Bones started to speak his name again but another sound finally managed to break through their private little world.
“…Coy, Dr McCoy! Sickbay to Dr McCoy!” Bones was finally able to make out the voice of his head nurse over the intercom unit.
“Shit!” Bones cried as he ran one hand through his hair, messing up his normal perfect coiffure. He pushed Jim away with his other hand as he stepped over to activate the intercom.
“Damn it Jim, stop thinking!” He angrily demanded over his shoulder as Jim’s thoughts about his hair had now started to come at him.
“Yes, Chapel?” he growled into the unit as he tried to ignore that Jim was now palming his erection, rubbing his pants and using the wetness as a friction point. How he knew exactly what Jim was doing when he couldn’t see any of it was making him very, very annoyed and apparently horny too. “What?” He barked in the small pause that Christine left after his initial response.
“We are registering elevated breathing and blood pressure on your system, doctor, as well as a higher than normal heart rate. Are you feeling well?” Christine asked him.
“I’ve just had to ‘deal’ with our erstwhile captain. That’s enough to annoy anyone,” he responded back to her. No way did he want to tell her what really caused the elevation in his vital statistics and did they have to schedule a reading just a few minutes ago? Damn his medical staff for being prompt and actually sticking to his orders. Why for once could they not be incompetent?
“Doctor, shall I come down to do a reading? The results were quite high,” Christine asked with her quiet assured voice.
Bones spun on his heel to glare at Jim who had stopped playing with himself and was staring at Bones, hurt and confused and starting to blame himself again.
“Hell no,” Bones ordered quickly, “Jim, please leave. I need to work.” He started to speak again before realizing that Chapel was still listening in, “Nurse, don’t worry about the readings, they will be fine. The captain is just leaving and I am not to be disturbed. McCoy out.” He flicked the off control on the intercom as he continued to stare at Jim, unsure how to proceed.
The situation they found themselves was totally confusing and very new. Nothing in their friendship had prepared them for it. Bones could not think clearly with Jim in the room, with his total focus on the pair of them. He needed silence but he didn’t want to hurt Jim, who he could hear was back to blaming himself for it and that he thought that Bones didn’t want him around.
“Christ Jim, I can’t think straight with you around. I need silence. Please leave. Go. It’s not your fault you infant, this is just so new. I need to think,” Bones babbled as he grabbed Jim’s arm and dragged him towards the door.
Bones resolutely tried to ignore Jim’s thoughts about his wrists. Who had fantasies about wrists like that? But it was Jim Kirk, he could turn anything into a sexual innuendo or thought.
Jim baulked at the door and reached a hand up to touch Bones on the face.
Bones leaned backwards and away from the outreached hand, ignoring the hurt that he was causing by his motion.
“Jim, just leave. Please? It hurts so much. I can’t deal,” he pleaded as he hit the controls to open the door and push Jim bodily out into the corridor. “Don’t come back?” He asked as the door slid closed on the hurt face of his best friend.
Bones leaned his head on the door as he took in Jim’s feelings of hurt before he stood, breathed deeply and walked briskly away from the door and Jim’s thoughts.
--
Jim stood in the silent corridor, glad for the order that he had made earlier that day to restrict any and all movement near Bones. No one was around to see him with wet pants, a still rock hard cock and the pain that he had just probably fucked up the best and only thing that made sense in his life.
“Well, buddy, just you and me it seems,” Jim murmured down at his cock. “Think I better deal with you and some new pants before we head back to the Bridge, huh?”
Jim strode off quickly to his own quarters.
--
Jim returned to the Bridge in a pensive mood. He filled out his Captain’s Log, leaving out certain details that Starfleet higher ups didn’t need to know. Spock had turned towards him when he entered and with a silent look asked if a team was still going to be sent down to the planet. Well, he presumed that was what Spock was asking him; he was, for once remarkably silent verbally. Jim just sat in his chair and continued to receive updates on the scans of Thasus.
The rest of the Bridge crew seemed to take the lead from him. They operated in silent efficiency, hardly speaking to each other. That was not to say that the crew were not used to these slow style of shifts where they had to wait on scans or science results while they orbited a planet. What was different was that Jim wasn’t keeping up morale. His mind was racing about what he did not want to call the “mistake” but it did slip into his thoughts as such. He did like to refer to it as “the moment when I either fucked it up a friendship completely or made it utterly right”; he felt that was more appropriate and hopeful about the situation.
He knew that everyone was aware that there had been an altercation between him and Bones. Raised voices between the two were common for most of the crew to witness. This was one altercation he wanted to keep between the two of them and no others.
He was reading the latest records of Bones’ condition when Ensign Chekov sat up straighter in his chair. His hands flashed over his controls before he turned his chair towards Jim.
“Keptin, something is registering off our starboard bow,” Chekov said, his face showing his eagerness to follow up on the matter.
Before he could, Jim noted that Spock had turned immediately back to his station.
“Sensors indicate a shape, Captain. Deflectors indicate no solid substance,” Spock reported in his calm manner, dealing with logic and facts.
Lieutenant Uhura was next to provide a report, immediately following on from Spock’s statement. “Captain Kirk, my instruments show we're receiving a message on subspace frequency three, ship-to-ship. The message says they are from Thasus.” Lieutenant Uhura’s voice expressed her shock at the message she was delivering.
Jim immediately stood as he looked towards his science officer, who only earlier that day had indicated that there was no such thing as a Thasian on record, yet here they were apparently receiving a message from a ship with no solid substance which was apparently housing at least one Thasian.
“Viewscreen, Mr Chekov,” Jim ordered but before the quick hands of the young Russian could follow through on the order a small dull green cloud started to form on the Bridge in front of the view screen, the same sort of cloud that had earlier traveled through Bones.
The crew looked on in shock as a human face appeared amongst the green cloud. It was of an older man, eyes closed. Jim noted that he was not the only one of his crew that had palmed their phaser and Spock was moving quietly and efficiently over his station, presumably monitoring the ‘Thasian’.
“This is Captain Kirk of the Federation United Starship Enterprise, whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?” Jim asked the translucent green face that was hovering in front of the view screen as it rippled in the air.
“I have taken my form from centuries ago, so that I may communicate with you. We have come to collect the healer,” the form intoned, it’s voice transmitting but no motion was detected on it’s ‘face’.
Jim glanced towards Spock again, but the Vulcan remained silent apart from a small twitch of his eyebrow.
“Doctor McCoy is an important, valued member of this crew and will not be leaving the Enterprise,” Jim replied. “He is currently receiving treatment for an injury he sustained on your planet earlier today.”
“The healer is required on Thasus. We gave him power so that he can assist us. We regret that we were not able to arrive earlier. The healer will be returning to Thasus with us, we will return him to you unharmed once he has provided us with assistance,” the form intoned. With it’s last statement it started to fade away. Jim leaped forward from his chair, around the helm and towards where the form was fading fast. As he reached it, it disappeared. He turned back to look at his shocked crew.
“Bones!” he cried as he started to run back towards his chair and the comm control. He hit the control to connect him, “Kirk to Doctor McCoy. Kirk to Doctor McCoy, Bones answer me!” He said urgently into the unit.
“Doctor McCoy is not in his quarters, Captain,” Lieutenant Uhura informed him.
“Indeed, Captain, the Lieutenant is quite correct. Doctor McCoy is not located anywhere on the ship,” Spock said.
“Thasian vessel has departed, Keptin. Course trajectory appears to be towards Thasus,” Chekov interrupted. “Wait... Keptin, Thasus vessel has disappeared!” Chekov exclaimed.
Kirk sat down forcefully into his chair and started firing out orders for his crew, “Scanners on full. Trace that planet surface for Doctor McCoy. Mr Chekov, plot the projected course for that ship from the last known coordinates, on the double, ensign. As soon as you have it, feed the information to Mr Spock. Lieutenant Uhura, use the subspace three frequency, hail the Thasians until you get a response. Then continue scanning that planet on any and all frequencies. Nobody steals one of my crew.”
Jim stared at the screen, registering the various ‘aye, captains’ he received but focusing on the planet that had stolen his Bones. His blue eyes were strong and determined in their gaze; his mouth that normally was quick to smile was in a single line, registering his intent to get back his crewman. Many a species had acquiesced and conceded when faced with Captain James Kirk glaring at them like this before, but the Thasians were oblivious to the intent of the captain and the crew of the Enterprise. They had their own single crew member to deal with and he was not being cooperative.
The adventures continue in Part 2
Author: nikki4noo
Beta: aquila-star, the commavenger aka 7ofeleven and Clarrisani
Word Count: 18,460 (in total)
Rating: NC-17 for some bad words and sexual situations
Pairings/Characters: Kirk/McCoy, Scotty, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, various Enterprise crew and some aliens
Summary: Though many would love a glimpse into the mind of James Tiberius Kirk, Leonard McCoy is not one of them. Due to a "gift" from an alien race, he gets to find out exactly what goes on in the head of James T Kirk.
Disclaimer: Not mine, dammit!
A/N: This little plot bunny developed out of wondering about blending the TOS episode Charlie X with Reboot. It is also a little character study in a way about what those sort of 'gifts' can provide for our favourite medic; the positives and negatives. So there are a few spoilers for the Charlie X episode, but no Charlie in sight. I do apologise to aquila-star for talking to her for two hours about gas! So here be science and plot and sex. :D
Scotty had just stood up from the chair after beaming the away team down to the surface. He kept an eye on the panel but thought that, for once, this might be one mission where they came back with absolutely no injuries. A completely inhospitable planet with no signs of any life at all, yet Jim wanted to go down and look around, of course, the mad bastard.
If they came back with no injuries, he might finally be able to convince McCoy to share a bit of the real bourbon Scotty knew he had hiding somewhere. The good doctor was adamant that bourbon was the only way to go. Keenser had been of no use trying to find the bottle. What use was a mini movable mountain that climbs everything if it couldn’t nick stuff to boot?
“Kirk to Enterprise. Bring us back, Scotty,” Scotty heard the slightly tinny voice of the Captain over the comm system.
“Two minutes, Captain? You only needed two minutes?” Scotty answered back as he started to lock back onto their bio-signals to prepare to beam them back.
“Well, normally I do like a little more time to explore but…” Kirk started to say.
The Chief Medical Officer of the Enterprise at his most charming interrupted him, “Damn it you over-indulged Scotsman! Just bring us the hell back and don’t you dare lose any of my molecules or I will... Ow! Hell! Damnation! Arrggh!”
“Now, Scotty!” Jim ordered him, but Scotty’s hands were already flying over the controls and as Jim spoke Scotty had already brought the team back on board the ship.
Scotty tipped his head to the side as he pondered the sight of the CMO doubled over on the Transporter pad. The Captain had rushed over to McCoy but the other ensign, Davies? Lloyd? Scotty could never tell the buggers apart, was standing there like a statue.
“Henshaw, call Medical asap! Get a team down here immediately,” Scotty yelled at the Transporter Officer as he himself rushed forward to assist Kirk with McCoy. He could vaguely hear his orders being followed and he was remarkably pleased with Henshaw’s abilities but his focus was on his friend and colleague.
“Crap, Scotty, why do you have to be so fricken formal all of the time?” McCoy grumbled as he started to stand up.
McCoy had pushed away Kirk’s hand as he stood and Scotty and Kirk watch in amazement as the doctor stumbled toward the open door, one hand still pressed to his head.
The two of them continued to stare at each other in shock, before Kirk sprang into action racing out of the transporter room after his CMO, with Scotty close on his heels.
--
A fresh wave of pain pulsed across his temple, causing Bones to stumble forward. He let one hand fall from his head to brace the floor and stop him heading face first into the smooth white tiles. He thought of the coldness of those tiles and tried to get them to seep up his arm and into his head.
Whatever that cloud had been, this was one hell of a migraine it seemed to have caused. He was rushing through all possible known scenarios and symptoms he could think of while cursing Starfleet’s mission statement that had sent them out into this diseased and darkened miasma they called space.
“To boldly go, my ass!” He muttered as he started to stand.
He could hear Jim and Scotty chattering away behind him and over the top of each other. He wanted to yell at the two to just shut the fuck up when he heard Jim clearly state that he had one of the finest asses in the universe.
“Dammit Jim!” He growled as he turned his head to glare back at his perpetually horny leader. “Is there nothing that doesn’t turn you on? God save me from prepubescent horn-dogs who can’t keep it in their pants.”
As the pain receded slightly, Bones was able to stand up straight again. The white light of the corridor was blinding him, so he closed his eyes trying to shut out the brightness and the two voices behind him who had started up their incessant chattering again.
“Oh for the love of Christ, could the two of you take your lovers tiff outside. If this is all it's about then I’m going back to Engineering!” Scotty grumbled loudly.
Bones snapped around and started to stalk toward Scotty. “Lover’s tiff? What you on about, you meddling Scot? I don’t need you or this half assed excuse for a captain to tell me what to do!”
Scotty was staring at him blankly, the silence and shock written all over his face as Bones towered over him, fists clenched at his side.
“Bones, you stubborn Southern bastard, just let us help you!” He heard Jim cajole on his right. The tender, concerned tone was unlike any Bones had heard Jim use before.
“I might be a stubborn Southern bastard, but at least I ain’t no Iowa corn husker who ogles anything that breathes,” he groused back as he turned his head to glare at Jim.
“What?” Jim replied, “what are you on about Bones? Medic!” Jim yelled down the corridor, a puzzled expression on his face.
Bones waved a hand in front of that face, “hello! Doctor right here! Yelling isn’t going to make them run faster, you bastard. I just have a headache.”
As Jim looked at him, Bones heard, clear as a bell in his head, the concern from Jim that his best friend seemed to be going mad, but Jim’s lips did not move.
“Aw, hell no!” Bones said as he backed away from the two men who were radiating concern and caring at him, while thinking he was also bat shit insane, loud and clear without their lips moving. “Buggering fuck! The slimy green cloud has made me hear shit!” He hit the curved wall of the corridor, planting his hands along the smooth surface. He then took the best cure that he knew for voices in his head.
Bones could hear and feel the mounting horror from Scotty and Jim as he started to bash his head against the wall, announcing, “fuck,” in perfect timing with each connection of the wall.
He felt the soothing intent from the two men as they came closer. He prepared to be touched, his eyes closed and just hearing the concern. Then a loud cacophony of voices rounded the corner. He couldn’t make out one voice amongst the many that were yelling over the top of each other. He stumbled again to the ground, curling up into a ball to try to make the noises go away.
He felt a solid body wrap over him and a gentle hand carding in his hair.
“Bones, Bones, listen to me, only to me.” He heard Jim whisper over and over, just that same litany. He tried to desperately focus on Jim’s voice alone.
He swallowed hard and through dry lips was able to whisper back to the scared man holding him tight, “I can hear them all. Too much. Make them go away.”
He tried to focus just in on himself, on the pain in his head, the blood rushing through his veins and arteries, anything that wasn’t the voices.
The tight pressure on his body was released as he felt and heard Jim giving those quick fire orders that he was best at. Sending the medical team away and making Scotty run off to clear the path to his quarters.
Normally he would consider a corridor with just him and Jim to be enveloped in silence, but now his own thoughts were being invaded by Jim’s, thoughts that he had never considered before. He knew that Jim cared for him, but this made it seem as if Bones was his only family. He snapped his eyes open, and stood too quickly. As he lent over to brace along the wall again, Jim was literally shouting at him to take care and that he was a stupid idiot.
“Maybe I’m pretending to be you,” he grumbled back at his best friend.
As he stumbled forward toward his quarters he could hear Jim’s voice receding. He glanced behind to find Jim still standing in the spot where he had left him. Obviously the telepathy worked stronger the closer a person was.
He could hear Jim again. The concern was something that was new to Bones, as Jim had never said out loud what he was thinking now. The worst thing though, was when Jim would think something and then speak it.
“Just think it, don’t speak. You are bad enough to hear once. In delayed stereo, I would rather not,” Bones grouched.
“God, you really are a grumpy bastard at the best of times,” Jim smirked at him. “Thinking was always one of my strong points.”
Bones snorted in response, “depends on what part of you is doing the thinking!”
Jim laughed as he grabbed Bones arm to help him along the way. The images that started to flash at Bones from Jim’s vast back catalogue would have been intriguing to most red blooded males and quite a few females that he was acquainted with, but right at that moment it was most definitely not something Bones wanted to be thinking or seeing
“Could you for once not think about sex, and my god man, you didn’t?” He said as a particular fellow cadet flashed into his mind. One that had eluded everyone as being too difficult, yet there was the proof, in living color that Jim had succeeded.
“Sorry, but it was just too tempting. C’mon Bones, give me an opening like that and I have to take it.” Jim apologized to him with a tone that was not apologetic at all. In fact, Jim seemed to be quite proud of his accomplishments.
Bones could feel that Jim was attempting to get his randy thoughts under control and was trying to think about anything else, but the view of the lights or the line of the wall were still triggering fleeting images from Jim. Then he felt Jim concentrate solely on him.
It was very odd to see yourself through someone else's eyes. Not a mirror image, which was just a false image in a way but how you really appeared to another person.
At first he enjoyed the sneak peek into how his best friend saw him, the one person who had seen him at the bottom of the barrel and yet still called him friend. Jim’s attention kept being drawn back to his hands, before his thoughts would snap and think about something totally innocuous, like the dusty roads of Riverside, the coolant system in Engineering or even moves to try and beat Spock at chess.
In between all these flashes of normal everyday things were the images over and over of his own hands as he tended to patients, or mostly to Jim himself. The overriding impression was of comfort, tenderness, security and then there was a feeling that should not have surprised him but it did shock him.
“No!” He said as he pulled his arm loose from Jim’s grip.
“No? What?” Jim frowned at him, his brows drawing together over his piercing blue eyes.
He could feel Jim wonder if the telepathy was catching as it might be the only way he could understand Bones, ever.
“It’s not bloody catching and no way in hell would I want you to have the ability to hear others. You would most certainly use it to your advantage and ethics can go hang!” Bones pushed him, hard, as he advanced forward.
Jim stumbled away from the force of the push.
“You would use it to the detriment of every other civilization. You already have enough races on that list of yours and to add the ability of telepathy so that you can unfairly take advantage of others? Over my dead body, you over-sexed farm boy! I am not one that you are going to add to that list, no matter how much you have fantasized about my hands!” Bones continued to lecture him.
Was that a blush he could see staining Jim’s cheek? The stud of the Academy brought to a blush because he wanted to be touched by him? The next thought from Jim was one of guilt and desire melded together, that he secretly loved being man handled by Bones, especially after away missions when he came back injured. That sometimes when he was getting those injuries his prime thoughts were how to return to Bones, so that he could ‘fix’ him. That he shivered when Bones touched him, with his deft, strong and gentle hands.
This was more than Bones was willing to deal with. He backed away from Jim, one finger extended as he sent a strong, “no!” in Jim’s direction, before turning on his heels and running for his quarters.
He was close enough and had shocked Jim enough that he was able to make it to his quarters and inside and lock the door before he could be caught. He leaned back against the door, catching his breath in the calm of his room where the only thoughts were his own.
His mind was whirring too much and he tried to focus back on the issue at hand, which was curing himself of his pesky problem. He strode over to the computer console, patched in a link to the sick bay and started barking orders on what he wanted delivered to his door. He told Christine to activate Dr Piper as acting CMO and that he wanted certain DNA samples delivered with the equipment.
As he finished the communication, there was a bashing at his door. Jim had arrived.
He strode over to the doorway and before he could speak he started to pick up Jim’s concern again, his apology, and in all the time he had known him, Jim had never apologized before.
Bones reflected that at least he could be man enough himself to admit when he was wrong, but that word had never before appeared in Jim’s vocabulary, but there it was in his mind.
“Bones? Open up! Shouldn’t you be in sickbay where they can figure this out?” Jim yelled at him through the door. Again, delayed and in stereo in Bones’ head.
“I heard you the first time, Jim! No need to repeat yourself.” Bones enjoyed lecturing him through the doorway. “Dr Piper is now acting CMO, I need to be isolated for my own sanity and they are delivering what I need to start to run the tests. So take yourself back to the bridge and I will solve this problem. Just keep people away from my door when I request it. I can still ‘hear’ you and that is something I would rather not want to experience any more than I already have.”
On that final note, Bones walked away from the door, but he couldn’t resist listening intently for Jim’s decision as he headed to the medikit that he kept in his own quarters. A good doctor is always prepared.
--
Jim sprawled in his chair on the bridge, going over the list that Bones had requested. Anyone watching him would have been wary of the smile that slid across his face.
“Lieutenant Uhura, patch the bridge into the Chief Medical Officer’s quarters and I don’t think you need to hail him,” Jim ordered his Communications Officer.
“Captain?” Jim could hear the unspoken question in her voice. Uhura was such a master of linguistics that she could, with one word, speak entire lectures at him. Just like she was doing right now.
“Patch us in, Lieutenant,” he ordered, ignoring the disapproval for breaking protocol from Uhura. It was Bones, protocol was meant to be broken when he was involved.
“Bridge connected to Commander McCoy’s quarters… now, sir,” Uhura announced.
Jim slouched even further into his chair, getting comfortable for what he knew was going to be an interesting conversation.
“Bones?” Jim asked him.
“What?” Came back the surly reply almost immediately.
“You do realize Vulcan isn’t catching?” Jim smirked as he glanced up to see Spock’s response to his statement.
There was a pause while Jim was sure that Bones was holding back whatever insult he wanted to send Jim’s way.
Spock, for once appeared to hold his tongue, although that eyebrow was heading closer to his hairline.
“Dammit Jim! I am testing for various DNA types to see if there is any correlation. Vulcan is one race among many that has psi abilities. All I have to go on is a splitting headache, a pesky slime green cloud and that I can hear every one's thoughts,” Bones unwittingly informed everyone on the Bridge.
“Technically, doctor, you can hear human thoughts. Only those of the human race were whom you came in contact within the Transporter room and outside in the corridor. As you have not been in contact with any other race it would be unwise to strike that possibility from your hypothesis,” Spock advised him.
Jim held back a laugh as he waited for Bones’ response to the First Officers correction.
“Look, you mind meddling hobgoblin, spare me your logical deductions. I don’t want to test that damn hypothesis because it means you are the nearest other race around with psi abilities and there is no way in Sam Hell that I want to hear your thoughts!” Bones ranted back.
“In the interest of science I would have volunteered, but I can concur that I do not wish to expose my private thoughts to yourself, doctor. Much less than you would want to share yours if the time ever came. If you do wish to ascertain, for science’s sake, then I would volunteer,” replied Spock.
Jim could not hold back the laugh, “just keep us informed of everything you find out, Bones, especially if your blood starts going green on us. Bridge out.” He looked over towards Spock.
Spock just quirked one eyebrow and turned back to his screen that was scanning the surface of the planet, Thasus, that they were still orbiting. Jim had no intention of leaving the planet’s space until he found out what had happened to Bones.
--
Jim watched as Scotty was the final senior officer to wander into the debriefing room. He seemed to be trying to brush some lint or marks off his uniform. Sometimes he really didn’t want to know what went on down in Engineering.
“Gentlemen,” Jim nodded at his team. “As you are aware, I have called this meeting to discuss Doctor McCoy’s recent mishap.” He smiled at the word he had selected to describe Bones’ new found ability. “Mr Spock, can you please report on the information we have about Thasus?” Jim continued as he lent back in his chair.
“The planet, Thasus, has long been believed to be inhospitable and previous Federation probes have indicated that there is very limited edible plant life upon the surface. Records indicate that the local race, the Thasians, are believed to hold considerable psionic powers. There has been no known recorded contact or sighting of Thasians in any Federation records.”
“Lieutenant Uhura,” Jim turned towards his Communication Officer, “have there been any other signals received from Thasus since our commencing orbit of the planet?”
“There have been no signals received or detected, Sir,” Uhura replied to him.
Jim moved forward in his chair so that he could lean his elbow upon the table. He rested his chin on his clenched fist and tilted his head to look towards where Bones’ deputy was seated.
“Doctor Piper, what is the current medical status of Doctor McCoy?” He asked the sandy haired older man.
“Doctor McCoy has been running various blood tests and scans to ascertain the possible after affects of the psionic ability he has developed,” Doctor Piper’s voice wavered slightly as he presented the findings to the group. “So far there has been nothing conclusive that can be ascertained. Various other races with known abilities have been compared to Doctor McCoy’s blood work but there has been no match. Doctor McCoy’s vitals are being monitored on an hourly basis from his private quarters, but there has only been a normal elevation in his blood pressure that would be associated with a similar high stress situation. That is all that the medical staff are able to report at this time.”
Doctor Piper stayed sitting up straight in his chair, waiting to see what his Captain would ask next. His eyes flickered nervously to look around the table at the others seated quietly, also waiting for Captain Kirk to speak.
“I propose that a party travels back down to the surface to further explore the planet,” Jim suggested, looking around at each of his officers to see what they thought of the suggestion.
“Dammit, Jim! You reckless bastard. Don’t you dare!” Bones voice boomed through the intercom system. “It’s bad enough that I got infected, now you are off on a fool's errand to endanger more crew?”
Jim jumped in shock at the sound of Bones’ voice. He then sent what could only be described as a pissy look towards his First Officer, as he slapped his hand down on the conference table in frustration.
“I gather I have you to thank for including Doctor McCoy into this discussion, Mr Spock?” He asked, raising one heavy eyebrow.
“Who cares ‘Captain’,” Bones spat out the title. “Leave Spock outta this. It is a stupid idea and one that you should never entertain. Which, as it is your suggestion, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest! We have no idea about this ‘ability’ and you... Oh Saints preserve us, when did you not bloody leap first and think about things later? It’s only me that has been affected so far. No real danger presented at all. It’s not worth other people getting hurt when it’s only me so far. You even attempt to send a team down there and when this is all over I will make sure that…”
Jim lent forward to break the communications link. “This meeting is finished,” he growled as he stood up, both hands planted on the table as he loomed towards his staff. He glared for a moment at them all before turning and striding towards the door.
“Captain?” Spock had also stood and had followed his captain across the room. “For all of Doctor McCoy’s unique expressions, I must agree with him. That sending a team down might not be the best option at this point in time.”
Jim had reached the door and as it slid open he turned to face Spock.
“Doctor McCoy and I are about to discuss the matter further, Mr Spock. Would you care to join us? I am sure that you will learn some more unique expressions to add to those already stored in that computer you call a brain.” On that note, Jim spun on his heels and stalked to his CMO’s private quarters.
---
Leonard McCoy was pacing back and forth in front of his computer console, seething that Jim had cut him off just when he was building up to a good tirade. As he paced back towards the far wall he heard the beeping that announced that someone was coming into his quarters. Only one person knew the codes and would dare to enter his quarters now. He turned to face the door and the man entering his room.
Jim prowled into the room. The anger emanating from him would have been obvious to Leonard, who knew the man better than anyone else on this ship, even without his new found abilities to read thoughts.
Then those new abilities kicked into gear and angry, muttered phrases started to invade his head, ones with a distinct ‘Jim’ tone. Bones attempted to put some distance between the pair of them so that Jim’s anger would not be buzzing around in his head and allow him to think clearly for the upcoming ‘discussion’, but he discovered that the room was not large enough and the wall was in his way of escape.
“You stupid man! You think I am going to take one of my crew being hurt and not do all I can to help them?” Jim snarled as he stepped fully into Bones’ personal space. Bones heard two versions of that statement, not quite the same but enough alike that he couldn’t clearly pick out what was words and what were thoughts.
Nose to nose the two men glared at each other.
Jim's eyes were flashing anger and Bones noted the slight flaring of his nostrils, but amongst the anger that he could hear out loud and see expressed so eloquently on Jim’s face there was a jumble of thoughts of concern that were confusing him. Jim appeared to be upset about how scared Bones was looking and that it was entirely his own stupid fault.
Bones frowned his confusion as he continued to stare into Jim’s blue eyes. He could feel the waves of hatred that Jim was directing inwards at his own self. Bones could feel his brow furrow even deeper as he opened his mouth to try and direct Jim’s thoughts away, but he could think of nothing to say. He was then completely shocked at what he heard from Jim. Quiet soothing tones, a murmur as if to, and Bones choked on the idea, a lover…
“I want to soothe that frown. God, let me touch his face. No, don’t think that. So scared, so worried, all my own fault,” was what Bones heard, similar words and thoughts over and over. The desire to touch and the need to hide that desire.
The shock of it caused Bones to lash out verbally at Jim, saying things he had heard others say about Jim, but he never had once believed. Trying to drive him away and out of the room.
“You little man-child. Playing at God. Thinking your precious presence will solve everything. The great Jim Kirk to the rescue. Have to be the almighty hero that saves the day. Can’t let anyone else steal your ego driven glory!” He snarled, bringing his face so close to Jim’s that their noses now touched, breaths mingling. A little glide upwards of his nose against the other man as Bones lifted his chin in defiance seemed to cause a fire in Jim’s eyes. Bones was dreading the consequences of his harsh words but there was nothing but silence from Jim. That over active intelligent mind was closed off from Bones. The silence was breathtaking.
Bones opened his mouth to apologize, his anger quick to fall but with no warning of his intentions, Jim leaned that final inestimable distance and sealed his mouth over Bones’.
The first touch was tentative and soft. Then the silence was broken and Bones was overwhelmed with the sensations and the awakening of Jim’s mind.
“Soft, pleasure, have wanted to do this for so long, no, can’t do this, must stop, can’t.” A litany of jumbled thoughts and Bones didn’t know where he started or where Jim ended. Such a chaste kiss it was and yet was one of the most powerful Bones had ever experienced. But it ended with no warning, just like it had started.
Bones stared with shock into a visage that was quite possibly a mirror image of his expression.
“Christ Jim, you really don’t think with your head, do you?” Bones mumbled as he blinked and tried to make sense of the thoughts and visions he had seen.
Jim glanced down at the floor, seemingly at Bones’ words. “God, Bones, so sorry, Bones. Wanted to do that for so long. Please don’t hate me, can’t lose you, Bones. Wanted that so much,” Jim’s mind rambled away his guilt and his enjoyment, “you’re my best friend, my only friend. You see me, the brat, the man-child. God, can’t lose you. I’m so stupid and reckless and you needed to stop me. You always stop me, or at least tell me I’m a dumb-ass. Need that. Need you. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! I’ve fucked this up. I always fuck up everything.”
“This is the stupidest idea ever,” Bones declared as both his hands came up to cradle Jim’s head, using his thumbs to force Jim to lift up his head so that he could stare once more into those eyes. Thumbs pressing and caressing the soft skin of Jim’s jaw, rubbing slowly over the day old stubble growth.
“Please, Bones, please, don’t hate me, don’t leave me, lips so soft, so plump, begging to be kissed, gods they are tempting, don’t hate me, don’t hate me!” Jim thought as he locked eyes once again.
Bones registered at the back of his mind that a certain part of his anatomy seemed to be quite appreciative of Jim’s thoughts and before he could rethink it for himself he leaned forward and kissed Jim.
“Yes,” he heard clear as a bell in his mind, a long drawn out exclamation of victory from Jim.
Bones felt flushed all over with the images he was receiving as well as his own imagination that was agreeing and adding to the fantasies that Jim was throwing his way unintentionally. What was real and what was fantasy? The pressure up against the wall? Feeling a hard body pressing into his? Was that real or was that Jim’s thoughts? The images of himself at the Academy; little snapshots of parts of his own body. Hands, eyes, lips, ass. In fact there seemed to be not a part of his body that Jim hadn’t thought of at some stage. Even his feet, Christ his feet!
Moans and cries filled the room and Bones needed only a small amount of friction before he was coming in his pants like a horny teenage boy who had discovered his father's stash of porn for the first time. He broke off from kissing Jim to tilt his head back and cry his release out loud. He felt, saw and heard all at the same time the pull of his lower lip away, the slide of tongue, moist and strong, chest rising and falling hard and over it all Jim staring at him in wonder.
“Bones, Bones, Bones. Gorgeous, want, hard, yes, again, please, finally,” Jim was mumbling or was he just thinking it? Bones’ eyes were still closed as he continued to pulse and stain his pants. “Quick, too quick.”
Slowly the reality of the situation started to seep through the images and feelings. Jim was mumbling and thinking and pressing into him still. He could feel the stickiness himself and also through Jim’s own pants. A double sticky situation it seemed. That Jim didn’t find it disgusting but appeared to be exulting that he was the one to cause Bones to come was disturbing. Some of the thoughts from earlier in the day when there was just the two of them in the corridor were starting to make a lick of sense.
Bones opened his eyes to look at Jim. Face flushed, those eyes sparkling in the subdued light of the room. His head was still moving slightly as he rocked his body slowly. The thoughts had slowed down but still focused fully on him. This surprised Bones, he knew before he was ‘cursed’ that Jim had a very active mind, that it could switch from one topic to another at lighting speed, often causing others confusion as they tried to keep up, but here and now there was one focus and one focus only, Bones.
“Jim,” Bones drawled out quietly, hardly able to speak around a throat that was now tight with emotion. “Jim?”
“Sexy drawl, smooth, can listen to him speak all day. The way it breaks over my name, say it again Bones, please say it again.”
Bones started to speak his name again but another sound finally managed to break through their private little world.
“…Coy, Dr McCoy! Sickbay to Dr McCoy!” Bones was finally able to make out the voice of his head nurse over the intercom unit.
“Shit!” Bones cried as he ran one hand through his hair, messing up his normal perfect coiffure. He pushed Jim away with his other hand as he stepped over to activate the intercom.
“Damn it Jim, stop thinking!” He angrily demanded over his shoulder as Jim’s thoughts about his hair had now started to come at him.
“Yes, Chapel?” he growled into the unit as he tried to ignore that Jim was now palming his erection, rubbing his pants and using the wetness as a friction point. How he knew exactly what Jim was doing when he couldn’t see any of it was making him very, very annoyed and apparently horny too. “What?” He barked in the small pause that Christine left after his initial response.
“We are registering elevated breathing and blood pressure on your system, doctor, as well as a higher than normal heart rate. Are you feeling well?” Christine asked him.
“I’ve just had to ‘deal’ with our erstwhile captain. That’s enough to annoy anyone,” he responded back to her. No way did he want to tell her what really caused the elevation in his vital statistics and did they have to schedule a reading just a few minutes ago? Damn his medical staff for being prompt and actually sticking to his orders. Why for once could they not be incompetent?
“Doctor, shall I come down to do a reading? The results were quite high,” Christine asked with her quiet assured voice.
Bones spun on his heel to glare at Jim who had stopped playing with himself and was staring at Bones, hurt and confused and starting to blame himself again.
“Hell no,” Bones ordered quickly, “Jim, please leave. I need to work.” He started to speak again before realizing that Chapel was still listening in, “Nurse, don’t worry about the readings, they will be fine. The captain is just leaving and I am not to be disturbed. McCoy out.” He flicked the off control on the intercom as he continued to stare at Jim, unsure how to proceed.
The situation they found themselves was totally confusing and very new. Nothing in their friendship had prepared them for it. Bones could not think clearly with Jim in the room, with his total focus on the pair of them. He needed silence but he didn’t want to hurt Jim, who he could hear was back to blaming himself for it and that he thought that Bones didn’t want him around.
“Christ Jim, I can’t think straight with you around. I need silence. Please leave. Go. It’s not your fault you infant, this is just so new. I need to think,” Bones babbled as he grabbed Jim’s arm and dragged him towards the door.
Bones resolutely tried to ignore Jim’s thoughts about his wrists. Who had fantasies about wrists like that? But it was Jim Kirk, he could turn anything into a sexual innuendo or thought.
Jim baulked at the door and reached a hand up to touch Bones on the face.
Bones leaned backwards and away from the outreached hand, ignoring the hurt that he was causing by his motion.
“Jim, just leave. Please? It hurts so much. I can’t deal,” he pleaded as he hit the controls to open the door and push Jim bodily out into the corridor. “Don’t come back?” He asked as the door slid closed on the hurt face of his best friend.
Bones leaned his head on the door as he took in Jim’s feelings of hurt before he stood, breathed deeply and walked briskly away from the door and Jim’s thoughts.
--
Jim stood in the silent corridor, glad for the order that he had made earlier that day to restrict any and all movement near Bones. No one was around to see him with wet pants, a still rock hard cock and the pain that he had just probably fucked up the best and only thing that made sense in his life.
“Well, buddy, just you and me it seems,” Jim murmured down at his cock. “Think I better deal with you and some new pants before we head back to the Bridge, huh?”
Jim strode off quickly to his own quarters.
--
Jim returned to the Bridge in a pensive mood. He filled out his Captain’s Log, leaving out certain details that Starfleet higher ups didn’t need to know. Spock had turned towards him when he entered and with a silent look asked if a team was still going to be sent down to the planet. Well, he presumed that was what Spock was asking him; he was, for once remarkably silent verbally. Jim just sat in his chair and continued to receive updates on the scans of Thasus.
The rest of the Bridge crew seemed to take the lead from him. They operated in silent efficiency, hardly speaking to each other. That was not to say that the crew were not used to these slow style of shifts where they had to wait on scans or science results while they orbited a planet. What was different was that Jim wasn’t keeping up morale. His mind was racing about what he did not want to call the “mistake” but it did slip into his thoughts as such. He did like to refer to it as “the moment when I either fucked it up a friendship completely or made it utterly right”; he felt that was more appropriate and hopeful about the situation.
He knew that everyone was aware that there had been an altercation between him and Bones. Raised voices between the two were common for most of the crew to witness. This was one altercation he wanted to keep between the two of them and no others.
He was reading the latest records of Bones’ condition when Ensign Chekov sat up straighter in his chair. His hands flashed over his controls before he turned his chair towards Jim.
“Keptin, something is registering off our starboard bow,” Chekov said, his face showing his eagerness to follow up on the matter.
Before he could, Jim noted that Spock had turned immediately back to his station.
“Sensors indicate a shape, Captain. Deflectors indicate no solid substance,” Spock reported in his calm manner, dealing with logic and facts.
Lieutenant Uhura was next to provide a report, immediately following on from Spock’s statement. “Captain Kirk, my instruments show we're receiving a message on subspace frequency three, ship-to-ship. The message says they are from Thasus.” Lieutenant Uhura’s voice expressed her shock at the message she was delivering.
Jim immediately stood as he looked towards his science officer, who only earlier that day had indicated that there was no such thing as a Thasian on record, yet here they were apparently receiving a message from a ship with no solid substance which was apparently housing at least one Thasian.
“Viewscreen, Mr Chekov,” Jim ordered but before the quick hands of the young Russian could follow through on the order a small dull green cloud started to form on the Bridge in front of the view screen, the same sort of cloud that had earlier traveled through Bones.
The crew looked on in shock as a human face appeared amongst the green cloud. It was of an older man, eyes closed. Jim noted that he was not the only one of his crew that had palmed their phaser and Spock was moving quietly and efficiently over his station, presumably monitoring the ‘Thasian’.
“This is Captain Kirk of the Federation United Starship Enterprise, whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?” Jim asked the translucent green face that was hovering in front of the view screen as it rippled in the air.
“I have taken my form from centuries ago, so that I may communicate with you. We have come to collect the healer,” the form intoned, it’s voice transmitting but no motion was detected on it’s ‘face’.
Jim glanced towards Spock again, but the Vulcan remained silent apart from a small twitch of his eyebrow.
“Doctor McCoy is an important, valued member of this crew and will not be leaving the Enterprise,” Jim replied. “He is currently receiving treatment for an injury he sustained on your planet earlier today.”
“The healer is required on Thasus. We gave him power so that he can assist us. We regret that we were not able to arrive earlier. The healer will be returning to Thasus with us, we will return him to you unharmed once he has provided us with assistance,” the form intoned. With it’s last statement it started to fade away. Jim leaped forward from his chair, around the helm and towards where the form was fading fast. As he reached it, it disappeared. He turned back to look at his shocked crew.
“Bones!” he cried as he started to run back towards his chair and the comm control. He hit the control to connect him, “Kirk to Doctor McCoy. Kirk to Doctor McCoy, Bones answer me!” He said urgently into the unit.
“Doctor McCoy is not in his quarters, Captain,” Lieutenant Uhura informed him.
“Indeed, Captain, the Lieutenant is quite correct. Doctor McCoy is not located anywhere on the ship,” Spock said.
“Thasian vessel has departed, Keptin. Course trajectory appears to be towards Thasus,” Chekov interrupted. “Wait... Keptin, Thasus vessel has disappeared!” Chekov exclaimed.
Kirk sat down forcefully into his chair and started firing out orders for his crew, “Scanners on full. Trace that planet surface for Doctor McCoy. Mr Chekov, plot the projected course for that ship from the last known coordinates, on the double, ensign. As soon as you have it, feed the information to Mr Spock. Lieutenant Uhura, use the subspace three frequency, hail the Thasians until you get a response. Then continue scanning that planet on any and all frequencies. Nobody steals one of my crew.”
Jim stared at the screen, registering the various ‘aye, captains’ he received but focusing on the planet that had stolen his Bones. His blue eyes were strong and determined in their gaze; his mouth that normally was quick to smile was in a single line, registering his intent to get back his crewman. Many a species had acquiesced and conceded when faced with Captain James Kirk glaring at them like this before, but the Thasians were oblivious to the intent of the captain and the crew of the Enterprise. They had their own single crew member to deal with and he was not being cooperative.
The adventures continue in Part 2