The insistent buzz of his communicator woke one Leonard McCoy from some much needed sleep. Grumbling, McCoy rolled over and fumbled for the device, finding it after a minutes search. Leaning back with a hand over his face, he answered with a gruff hello.
"Bones?"
"Jim, I swear to god if you woke me up for no reason I will hypo you so hard you won't wake up for a week."
A weak chuckle sounded through the line followed by a cough that had Bones sitting up, a worried look on his face.
"Sorry Bones, I shouldn't have woken you up" Jim replied weakly, another cough sounding through the connection.
Bones was wide awake now, Jim never apologized for waking him up and that cough did not sound good.
"Jim? Dammit Jim, what's wrong? Where are you?"
Bones heard a rustling on the other end and a pained gasp "Ouch, shit, not doing that again"
"Jim, answer me" Bones practically yelled as Jim's voice trailed off.
"I'm here Bones, calm down. I'm fine, well kinda", another pained grunt "okay, not so fine, I might need you Bones. Ouch, fuck, yeah that's broken" Jim rambled to himself.
"Just tell me where you are, I'm coming" Bones said as he pulled on some pants and searched for his shoes.
"Well that's part of the problem, I don't exactly know. I'm pretty sure I started at a bar but it's a little fuzzy after that… Bones please come find me, I think I might be in real trouble this time" the last part was barely whispered.
"Shit. I'll find you Jim just stay on the line, talk to me. What happened, are you bleeding?"
"You know me better than that" Jim chuckled weakly, avoiding the question, "if a little blood was the worst of my problems, I'd be hiding from you and your damn hypos"
Bones has to smile at that despite the seriousness of the situation, Jim was absolutely right. Bones knew it was going to be bad the minute he realized Jim wasn't calling to try and drag him out to get drunk. Ever since their… memorable first impression on the new recruit shuttle, the two had been drawn to each other, even ending up rooming together. (Bones scared the younger cadets away with his gruff exterior and Jim just plain annoyed them with his weird hours, messy room, and the occasional bar fight). Bones got used to the kid dragging him out of his depressed stupor and did the same by patching the kid up after fights. Jim coming home drunk, bleeding, with broken bones, or some combination of the three was nothing new. Jim not being able to get home and calling Bones for help, however, now that scared the doctor.
Bones shook himself out of his reverie to hear Jim listing his various injuries, "...arm's probably broken again, a few ribs too, definitely a concussion from the way the sidewalk kept trying to dump me over...well it succeeded actually" (he almost sounded accusing of the inanimate object). Shrugging a jacket on and grabbing the med kit he kept on hand for occasions such as this, Bones practically sprinted down the dorm stairs and in the direction of their usual bar, hoping to encounter Jim on the way.
"You still there Jim?"
"Yeah Bones. I'm tired though Bones" Jim murmured.
"I know darlin' just stay awake for me. What can you see? Do you see any street signs?" McCoy tried to keep him talking and get a clue as to where he was.
"I dunno Bones" Jim slurred "I think I passed that one diner we go to sometimes. Shit, why can't I remember, everything's all… fuzzy"
"It's fine, you're gonna be fine" Bones drawled, his accent getting stronger along with his worry "that's probably the concussion messing with your memory, I'm almost there just hang on"
Bones headed for the street the diner was on, halfway between the bar and their dorm. He rounded a last corner and spotted a lone figure slumped against a wall, only half lit up by the nearest streetlight. Breaking into a sprint, Bones covered the remaining distance in seconds, dropping his communicator as he knelt by Jim's side. A barely conscious Jim let his own communicator drop and looked up to give his friend a lopsided grin.
"Hey Bones, you found me, wasn't sure if you could"
"I'll always find you, kid, who else could ever live with me?" Bones joked, earning a halfhearted chuckle from Jim that evoked a harsh cough, quickly wiping the small smile off the doctor's face.
In between ragged breaths, Jim managed to choke out "Fuck, it hurts Bones. I really messed up this time"
Catching the younger man's eyes, Bones' heart broke at the pain and exhaustion he saw there. Already having run a tricorder over him, Bones scanned the results to confirm what Jim had told him and what he could see with his own eyes. Cursing, he pulled out a hypo loaded with a painkiller that Jim wasn't allergic too and quickly pressed it into his neck. Wincing at the pleasant sensation, Jim's face soon relaxed slightly as the drugs took the edge off the pain and exhaustion began taking over.
Bones worked quickly to staunch some of the worst bleeding from what appeared to be a stab wound. "This is bad Jim, we gotta get you to the hospital" he said as Jim gasped at the pressure on his side.
Jim grabbed the front of his shirt, pulling Bones closer in a sudden panic, "no hospitals Bones, I can't get kicked out of Starfleet" he pleaded.
"No one's gonna kick you out Jim"
"Please Bones, they said no more fighting. Just get me home, you can fix me there. Please? You're the only one I trust anyway" Jim mumbled the last part as he cast his gaze downward and loosened his hand. This rare display of insecurity killed Bones' resolve and he sighed, "alright Jim, we can go home." He knew a losing battle when he saw one. "Walking there's gonna hurt you know" McCoy warned.
Jim's eyes visibly brightened with relief and be looked back up at Bones with another grin, "I can handle it"
Bones snorted, he couldn't believe this kid, still able to smile and joke while bleeding all over the sidewalk. He slung Jim's unbroken arm over his shoulder and put his own arm around Jim's waist, preparing to lift them both off the ground. Jim tried to help but the pain in his ribs almost made him scream as they shifted. The two straightened up and it was all Jim could do to keep from passing out right there, Bones' arm the only thing keeping him up.
"Jim, Jim, stay with me, don't pass out yet"
Another moment passed before Jim managed to gasp "I'm fine. Let's go"
Doubting Jim's claim but knowing he couldn't treat his wounds any more than the hastily wrapped bandages on this godforsaken street, Bones grudgingly shifted more of Jim's weight onto himself and began walking.
Every step was a struggle and Jim's breathing grew harsh, punctuated by gasps of pain as his various wounds were inevitably jostled. They had to stop a few times as Jim's head lolled and he came dangerously close to passing out. After the second time, Bones paused and weighed the benefits of dosing Jim with adrenaline. Glancing at the fading man at his side and the street sign that told them they weren't nearly close enough to home, Bones swore again and rustled one handed in his med bag. He pulled out the desired hypo and injected it into Jim's neck before he could regret his decision.
Eyes snapping open, Jim looked around wildly for the threat, while trying to pull away from Bones' hold. "Get the hell away from me, don't make me kick your asses again" Jim yelled, disoriented.
"Dammit Jim, calm down, it's just me, Bones. Quit struggling, you're gonna hurt yourself even more. I just gave you some adrenaline so you would quit passing out on me" Bones grunted as he tried to keep his hold on the struggling man.
At the sound of his voice, Jim calmed down immediately, panting from his outburst "Bones?" He questioned before whispering "sorry".
"It's okay darlin', you're safe now, let's just get you home" Bones replied calmly as he pulled the two forward again. It was a lot easier now that Jim was more than semiconscious and they continued in silence for a while, though Jim kept glancing around, still unsettled from the sudden energy spike.
Climbing the stairs proved to be another challenge as Jim's sense of balance decided to take a vacation, thank you concussion. They reached the top, however, and Jim began sagging again as the adrenaline started wearing off, no match for the exhaustion and blood loss.
"Almost there kid, then you can rest while I fix you up, I promise"
Jim flashed Bones a small smile and tried valiantly to stay upright as Bones keyed open the door and ushered his injured friend inside.
Leonard made the executive decision to lay Jim on his own bed as it was closer (and much cleaner) than Jim's own. Jim made a noise of protest and mumbled something about bloodstains but Bones just shushed him, he was used to most bodily fluids (one of the hazards of being a doctor as well as Jim's friend).
Bones got back to work on Jim's wounds, again hesitating at the deep stab wound in his side that was still bleeding around his quick bandage. "What the hell happened to you, Jim?" he mused aloud, not really expecting an answer from the normally flighty man.
Jim glanced at Bones, his memory having cleared somewhat along with his head. The combination of adrenaline, painkillers, and most likely some alcohol combined to lower Jim's inhibitions and had him unusually talkative about his actions.
"Promise not to get mad?" Jim began hesitantly.
Surprised that Jim seemed to be actually giving him an answer, Bones merely offered a small reassuring smile and promised (he could always yell at Jim later when he wasn't concussed) before going back to work on the ugly gash.
"So I was at the bar like I told you and this big ugly guy kept hitting on this girl n bein' a total creep about it too" Bones snorted at this. "Hey, I am totally not creepy" Jim defended his flirtatious personality. "Anyway, I wasn't going to say anything cuz you keep telling me to stop picking fights" Bones glanced up from his examination, surprised at this confession. Seeing his look, Jim blushed and focused on the wall "I feel bad always making you patch me up like this. I shouldn't bother you so much" he mumbled.
Bones grabbed Jim's chin and gently turned his face back, "hey, look at me Jim; you are not a bother to me. You are my best friend and while I may not like patching you up, it's only because I don't want you hurt in the first place." He let go of Jim's face, adding "Besides, I would rather have you bleeding in front of me than alone somewhere or in the hands of some random doctor" Jim's eyes widened and he quickly looked away, and if Bones saw some moisture there he want going to say anything.
Awkwardly, Jim continued his story "so I left that asshole alone until the girl left but he followed her out, along with three of the guys he was with, and I got a really bad feeling. I knew you would be mad at me" Bones glared at him, "well I thought you would be mad," Jim amended. "But I just couldn't sit back and do nothing so I followed them."
Jim grew increasingly agitated as the story continued and Bones kept poking around his still painful wounds. "Good thing I did too, those bastards had her cornered in an alley by the time I caught up" he grumbled. "So, I knocked one of 'em out pretty quick, they didn't expect me to take 'em on alone I guess. And I told the girl to run when the other three came at me... God, I hope she was okay, I didn't actually see her leave..."
McCoy cut him off, "wait, you took on four guys by yourself?" Jim snapped out of his thoughts and offered Bones a sheepish grin, "yeah?" he tentatively answered.
Seeing Bones' stormy expression, he struggled to lift himself up from the pillow "but I had no other choice, there was no one else around and she looked so scared, how could I have just walked away Bones, even if there were four of them. I just had to do something"
"Hey, it's okay, I'm not mad at you darlin', I'm sorry I scared you." Bones calmed the distressed man, cursing inwardly at causing the misunderstanding. "It's those bastards I'm angry at, you did the right thing Jim. Damn, I knew you were brave but taking on four guys by yourself to help a complete stranger is amazing" Leonard shook his head.
Stunned that Bones was keeping his promise to not get mad at him, Jim relaxed against the pillows again, his outburst having tired him and reignited the pain in his arm and side.
"I would have kicked their asses too if one of 'em hadn't pulled out a knife. Fuckin' coward" he grumbled at his lap. Bones eyes again widened but he quickly suppressed his anger at the man who had hurt Jim. Well that explained the stab wound, he thought grimly.
Still wary Bones' reaction, Jim rushed to finish "After the first guy stabbed me, I managed to knock another out before I got my arm snapped. Don't exactly know where the concussion came from but I started losing after that…bad" Jim shuddered at how close it had been. "Someone must've called the cops cuz I heard sirens and the last two ran off, after breaking my stupid ribs unfortunately. You know the rest, I suppose; I avoided the cops and tried to get home. Didn't work out so well" Jim tried to joke.
"Ouch Bones, that fuckin' hurt!" Jim pulled his injured arm from Bones' too tight grip, wincing.
"Shit, sorry Jim." Bones looked stricken, "Didn't mean to hurt you."
"S'alright Bones" Jim offered a tired smile, glad the topic shifted from his fight.
With the stab wound cared for, Bones had moved onto Jim's broken arm before being distracted again by Jim's explanation and had clenched his fist. He again reached for the arm, promising to be gentler this time and Jim reluctantly complied, secretly thinking Bones' idea of gentle usually still hurt, or maybe that was just for Jim.
Bones really tried to be gentle but there was only so much he could do with a broken arm that has been jostled around for so long. Jim ended up screaming and almost passing out again and Bones almost wished he would, but Jim was way too stubborn for that and Bones couldn't give him a sedative because of the concussion.
"Almost done Jim, then you can sleep I promise, just gotta wrap your ribs and clean some of these cuts" Bones said softly, wiping blood and sweat from Jim's battered face.
Jim gave a noncommittal sound as he tried to catch his breath. Hating to cause his friend anymore pain, Bones sighed and helped Jim sit up carefully so he could wrap his ribs. Jim leaned heavily against him and tried to hold in the pained gasps until Bones was done pulling the bandages tight and had laid him back down again.
Jim's eyes fluttered closed as he composed himself and Bones wordlessly cleaned and bandage Jim's numerous smaller cuts, watching Jim's face for the occasional wince. As Bones finished and stood up to wash his hands and clean up, Jim's eyes snapped open and he grabbed Bones' sleeve. Bones met Jim's bleary gaze and leaned back down to hear Jim whisper "don't leave me, please?"
Bones took Jim's hand from his sleeve and into his own, settling back down on a chair beside the bed. "Get some sleep Jim, I'll be right here, I promise"
Jim smiled, eyes already closing again as exhaustion pulled him under.
Bones wiped his free hand on his already stained shirt before dragging it down his face. He would have to get up eventually to clean the blood from himself and Jim but for now he was content to watch the pain in his friends face fade as he relaxed into sleep.
A shadow crossed his own face as he again thought of Jim taking on four guys alone, getting stabbed, having an arm and ribs broken, not to mention the concussion and various other cuts and bruises, and still managing to take two of them out. And then trying to make it home himself. Bones was ashamed that his efforts to get Jim to stop picking fights had been misunderstood to mean he was angry at the kid himself and hated patching him up afterwards. Bones then cursed Jim himself for having such low self-esteem that he believed he would bother Bones or get in trouble by calling him for help sooner.
Bones sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that night and glanced back down at Jim's hand curled around his own an resolved to try and fix the situation when he woke Jim up to check on him.
As if sensing Bones' thoughts, Jim smiled in his sleep, a whispered "Bones" ghosting through his split lip. Chuckling a bit, the man in question began carding his hand through Jim's hair, happy his friend was safe for the moment.