nothing but my words belong to me, everything else is gene roddenberry's, bless him.
A/N: _unbeta'd, mature rating is for jim's mouth, theres no smut here
Jim leans against the bulkhead with lidded eyes and fiddles with his slung arm. His bare reflection shows light bruises and unfamiliar stars hanging in space. The ambassador of the planet... his eyes clench in thought, Kinut had already sent an ass licking simpering apology via his personal comm unit for the total blunder fuck planet-side twenty hours ago. He hasn't read it, but Bones had gotten a laugh out of, so he's sure it actually is an apology and not a dodgy attempt to stay negotiations for entry into the Federation.
He sniffs and adjusts his arm, a wing of ache spreading that he's sure would hurt a hell of a lot more if weren't for Bones'-approved-Jim-Kirk-concoction that Bones had hypoed him with right as he woken up in sickbay two hours ago. The lights in the observation deck flicker and shut down, and he hears a muffled shriek and thud from behind the closed doors. Vaguely he remembers seeing Scotty playing house with the wires, so he ignores the broken lighting and tries to just do what he's doing.
Not thinking. Two. Under his command today. The ensign in charge of beam up hadn't been able to keep the coordinates stable.
They'd been running too fast. He'd made them high tail it the hell out; or he'd tried, and into more rebels or whatever Bones had professed them. He should probably go read Spock's report about the mission, or go scribble his down. Spock hadn't been happy, or he'd been 'most displeased with the events of the mission'. Jim shifts his weight the ache spreading again; his feet had hurt when Spock had dressed him down when he'd awoken too. But Spock'd been there at bedside when he cracked eye, but he'd also left right after their talk. Jim'd been groggy as hell when this happened but he'd still defended every single one of command decisions on the mission. He thinks Spock was pissy because he hadn't been on the mission. Spock takes his first officer duties too seriously sometimes.
He wonders who Spock sent down to continue negotiations, maybe Spock sent himself down to logically precede and clean up captain Kirk's unfortunate quandary, or something.
He nibbles at his dry lips and sags more, head thumping on the wall. The darkness is making him sleepy. His eyes close and he thinks about tipping over. He feels his left leg tremble, the one he'd landed on after jumping from that damn cliff. Bones'd said it wasn't broken, but sonuva bitch did it hurt. Bones'd also said not to even think about violating bed rest. Jim is more than half way sure he can't make it back to his quarters right now.
"Captain?"
Kirk doesn't so much jerk of the wall as straighten his posture and stare through the window at Spock's blurry reflection. He doesn't think he could stand on his right now.
"Mr. Spock, what brings you here?"
He hadn't heard the doors open, his heart beats heavily.
"Nyota requested I meet with her in her quarters, Captain." Spock says, fully coming into the deck, and the doors slid close, almost. They stick right before and Kirk hears Scotty definitely break something outside.
'Call me Jim, Spock' he wants to say, 'we're off duty'. Kirk sees his own smile in the glass, "And your rooms are this way? I'll have to speak with the quartermaster, and move you two to bigger quarters, Spock."
His heavily beating heart hurts.
There is a pause, "Negative, Captain. Lieutenant Commander Scott is overseeing extensive maintenance in the corridor that regularly leads to Nyota's quarters."
Kirk nods.
"Well I won't keep you, Spock. Goodnight." he says and nods in farewell.
He sees Spock's reflection nod in return and begin walking towards the opposite doors. The farther Spock gets from him, and Kirk doesn't have to turn around now to really see him. His hands rest as always behind him and his bowl cut moves with his long strides. Spock reaches the door and pauses. He half turns to Kirk, and the lights flicker back on. The glare is too much and Kirk shuts his eyes against it. He blinks open and sees Spock staring at him, mouth open like he'd been interrupted.
Spock's mouth closes, "Captain... do you require assistance?"
The smallest of hesitations. Kirk finds a big smile somewhere in all the pain.
"No, Spock, I'm fine.'
Spock stares at him some more before taking his word and leaves the observation deck.
Jim watches the doors slid close and the lights flicker out again. He guesses Spock had already finished with clean up planet-side. Jim leverages off the wall, tipping away from it before he can stop. His left hand scrabbles against the wall before he ends up plastered against the low bench he'd forgotten was behind him. He groans and kicks backwards at the thing, thinking about just laying here for the rest of night. He's sure Bones would find him later. But James T. Kirk broke the only rule Bones had set him, 'to stay in your goddamn bed'. Jim doesn't want to be hypoed to death. He leans his head back and looks down the bench at the comm unit next to the entrance. He could squeegee over the bench, but he could also try hard to crawl. His eyes close, he's tired and he thinks the drugs are wearing off fast.
He rocks his shoulders until he succeeds in rolling off the bench. His left hand grips the bench, and his legs slip off onto his knees. He gasps at the not really sudden change in position, and waits for the nausea to go away. Okay, so he'd knee walk; good solution, he's confident that his left leg wouldn't work anyway if he tried to stand right now. He should ask bones for a cool cane, even though he'd never use it.
Slow and steady hurts like a bitch but that's all he can do, however unbecoming it is for a goddamn star fleet captain to do on his own damn ship. He makes it to the unit and considers having Scotty lower all comm stations to waist level because it's too high. He pushes up one handed and ends up on his back again, chest heaving. Now his right arm is closest to the unit, and its awkward trying to reach the button while not sitting up. His not broken left arm reaches up and his fingers slip off the button. He misses again and then latches on, huffing irritation.
He pushes down, "Kirk to sickbay."
His hand falls listless over the edge of the bench. He thinks he gonna pass out.
"Yes, Captain Kirk?" the unit says. Bones had better of been kicked really hard for his voice to sound like a woman that wasn't him.
Where the hell is Bones. "Nurse Chapel, do you know where Doctor Mccoy is?'
"One minute sir." she says, and the unit is silent. He hopes she's yelling in sickbay because where the hell's Bones.
The comm crackles, "Hey Jimbo, how you doin'."
His voice his nice and happy, crap.
"Uh, hey Bones, doin' good." he says, and then jumps of the deep end; "You wanna do me a favor and visit deck seven."
There is a long silence. Bones is gonna hypo him to death for this.
"Jim. Why aren't you in your room. In bed." Bones says. His voice isn't nice and happy.
Jim twitches a bit, and then reaches for the button again, "Boooones I couldn't sleep."
He's fine with whining because he's sure he isn't imagining the glower through the speakers.
A shorter pause, "Dammit, Jim. Where on deck seven."
"Observation deck."
"Fine. Five minutes."
His arm falls again and he leaves it hanging. His body hurts and he closes his eyes to wait.
"...ey Jim. Jim, wake up." Bones says, patting his cheek, a little hard.
He opens his eyes, Bones is right over him and the lights are back up.
"You're an idiot. You look like shit."
"Thanks, Bones."
Bones takes his hand and helps him up, pausing once when he wheezes.
"You coulda asked Scotty to help you." Bones says, poking at his ribs.
Jim flinches away from his roaming fingers, he tries to slap them away, but he's too slow, "St- top it, I'm fine!"
Bones has his handy scanner out, "No you're not, are your ribs still bothering you?"
He pokes at him again, "Ah-sto-no! Just get me to my quarters!"
Jim can't ask for help from someone under his command, he shouldn't need to, he shouldn't have to. Bones is the exception; they're friends, they know each other's histories, he can depend on Bones. He can depend on Bones to do right.
Bones squints down at him, and pockets his scanner, "Fine."
He snakes an arm under Jims' and lifts him up. Jim stumbles and sags against him, "'No' my ass. I shoulda brought a wheelchair."
Jim tightens his grip around Bones, squeezing his hand against Bones'. Maybe he should've taken up Spock's offer. But then, Spock was busy. His heart beats heavily.
"I'd never live it down, Bones."
A/N: it was either this or my foray into one piece fandom. it also wasnt supposed to be this long
this is also a oneshot, folks.