Casseroles are Good for the Heart
A one-shot by Ellipsis the Great
Summary: Giving people food when someone in their family dies is a tradition Dr. McCoy adheres to pretty stringently, even if he's secretive about it more often than not. A 6 plus 1 fic. McCoy/Kirk if you squint.
Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to J.J. Abrams, Gene Roddenberry, and all those other cool cats who own it. All I own is the plot!
Rating: K+
1. Spock
No one knows about the first time except for Spock and McCoy. That's mostly because they haven't technically been assigned to the Enterprise, yet, and they're still on Earth. It's also because neither of them is going to tell anyone about it, ever.
But Spock, upon opening the door to his apartment and finding McCoy (who has been quite vocal about his dislike of Spock since the whole Ice Planet Fiasco) standing there with an upraised brow and arms full of green bean casserole, thinks the doctor is a very strange—not to mention illogically contradictory—human.
2. Janice Rand
The second time belongs to Ensign Janice Rand, whose grandmother has just died on Earth, which is too far away for the Enterprise to make it back on time for the funeral. Not that Starfleet would let them go back for the funeral of an Ensign's family member, but still.
This time, only McCoy knows who left the casserole in front of Rand's door, where she nearly stepped on it. If anyone else ever found out, they would wonder about how McCoy had been able to sneak all the way to her quarters without anyone noticing.
If anyone asked, he would arch an eyebrow at them and stick them in the neck with a hypospray.
3. Cupcake
Lieutenant Paul Jackson, known commonly as 'Cupcake' (much to his chagrin), finds his casserole sitting on the bench in front of his locker with a note that has only his name on it.
He's suspicious at first, but then figures what the hell? He's a red shirt on the Enterprise, for Christ's sake—who would want to kill him?
4. Christine Chapel
He gives Nurse Chapel her casserole in person, exuding an air of such acidic severity that no one has the balls to ask anything about it. Not even Kirk, who is about to piss himself he's so curious.
5. Pavel Chekov
There isn't a person on board the Enterprise who doesn't feel sorry for Chekov when the news comes that his father has died. More than one person finds him sitting curled up by himself in some dark corner of the ship, a PADD clutched tight against his chest that probably has pictures of his father pulled up.
He falls asleep like this one night after his shift, and wakes up in his room, tucked into bed and with the distinct feeling that someone has recently kissed him on the forehead. There's a note on his bedside table that says he will find a casserole in the microwave (he does), and that there is a plate of cookies on the table (there is).
If anyone saw him getting carried to his room cradled in McCoy's arms like the child he can't let himself be any other time, no one says anything.
6. Jim Kirk
Kirk is mostly drunk when McCoy enters his quarters without bothering to knock, a rectangular glass dish in his hands. He sets it down on the counter, doles out small portions of its contents onto two plates, glasses and forks, and joins Jim on the couch. He gives Kirk one of the plates and, when the bleary-eyed captain blinks at it, takes the momentary distraction as a chance to snag the bottle out of Kirk's hand and pour the whiskey into the two glasses.
"Happy birthday, Jim." Is all he says when he hands one of the glasses to Kirk, takes a gulp out of his glass, and starts eating.
That's really all that needs to be said.
+1 Leonard McCoy
It starts with Chapel, who sets a bottle of bourbon on McCoy's desk while he's out tending to a patient.
Then, when he goes on one of his customary trips to the bridge, Jackson and Rand leave a plate of cupcakes in his office.
Spock gives him something unidentifiable as he's leaving the bridge. It looks kind of chocolate chip cookies, but it's impossible to tell because they have been burned beyond all recognition (Spock's ears are decidedly green as he presents them to McCoy).
Chekov makes a traditional borscht from a recipe of his grandmother's, and has Sulu and Uhura distract McCoy so as to leave it in front of the door to his quarters.
Kirk shows up in his quarters a few hours later with a card that has, as far as McCoy can tell, been signed by everyone aboard the Enterprise (and a few people who aren't).
He flops down on the couch beside McCoy and hands him the card, followed by a Tupperware container holding what's left of the casserole.
"I can't cook." Kirk says when McCoy arches an eyebrow at him.
McCoy sighs and sets it down on the coffee table, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes.
"You gonna be okay, Bones?" Kirk asks, scooting closer.
Another sigh as McCoy lets Kirk latch onto him. "Yeah. I haven't…haven't seen her in years, anyhow."
"She's your mom, Bones." Kirk says.
McCoy shakes a little in his arms. "Yeah."
"Even I'd be upset if something happened to my mom, and she…I mean, you know how our relationship is. Or, well, isn't."
"I know, Jim." McCoy's voice is hoarse. "After…what happened with my dad, she never really looked at me. We used to be close, though."
Jim nods and gulps quietly, biting his lip and pulling McCoy to his chest so he doesn't have to look him in the eyes. "I won't tell anybody if you cry."
So he does.
The End.
A/N: I have really got to stop writing depressing Star Trek stuff. Honestly. This is getting ridiculous. Also, the tissues are getting expensive.