Title: There When You Fall

Summary: "Two are better than one... For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he hath not another to help him up." - Bible: Ecclesiastes. (Jim & Bones Friendship fic – not slash).

Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Paramount owns it all, I get nothing but an outlet for my imagination.


"Two are better than one.... For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he hath not another to help him up."

- Bible: Ecclesiastes


Jim Kirk walked into the dimly lit bar. Under normal circumstances, it would be nearly empty in the middle of the week at this time of night, but it was close to the holidays and so the bar was filled with the lonely desperately hoping for the miracle of connection that would prevent them from having to face a season of joy alone. The only music was a soft bluesy jazz playing on the sound system, which was almost lost in the low murmur of single people lying to one another.

But Jim, for once, hadn't come here for an easy hook-up, although he was certainly noticed by several pairs of hopeful or predatory eyes as he entered and allowed his own sharp eyes to adjust to the gloom. No, Jim had come to this particular dive seeking one particular person. After circling the bar, he found him, tucked away in a hidden booth, so far into his cups that he seemed to be trying to melt into the dark wood of a table that held far too many empty glasses.

"Bones?" Jim queried quietly, hoping his friend was still at least capable of speech.

"Wha ya doin' here, kid?" McCoy responded in something between a drunken slur and a thick drawl.

Jim smiled gently. "I came to find you, Bones. I think maybe we ought to get you back to the dorm now. End of the term, you know, and we've exams tomorrow."

"Pffft. Eggsams." McCoy scoffed. "Ah knew mo' 'bout physy ..physicy …the insides o' hum'noids than mos o' tha class when I got here." He swigged another shot. "B'sides, whas it matter? Straight As won't make Joc lemme see ma lil girl."

"Bones," Jim sat down next to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "This won't help that either."

Bones shook his arm away with a surly shrug. "Sure will. Few mo' o these, I'll blackout – no mo' pain and mah head'll hurt too bad tomorra ta think 'bout it."

Jim frowned, briefly wondering what their Vulcan professor would say to that display of logic; probably nothing useful.

"Look, Bones, I know this sucks." Jim pulled him around, trying to push through layer of alcoholic fog and sorrow by sheer force of will. "But you can't let it do this to you. That'd be like letting the bitch win."

"She got mah Jo, got mah life, she already damn well won." McCoy spat and downed the rest of his glass.

"No, Bones. You still have your life and as long as you do, you can't give up. We can find a way to make this right, but only if you hold on and refuse to let this battle decide the war."

For just an instant the despair on Bones' face slackened and Jim thought he might actually have gotten through, but then his friend's eyes glazed over as the contents of that last drink hit home. It wasn't the blackout he had been looking for, but he was getting close and certainly past any further attempts at coherent reasoning. Jim rummaged in the medkit Bones carried like a talisman and pulled out a hypo.

"You know I really wish I could enjoy being the one doing this to you for a change." Jim muttered, pressing the hypo to his friend's neck. There wasn't enough detox in the hypo to bring him back to sobriety – that would have been too cruel – but at least he wouldn't pass out on the way back and might not heave all over Jim or their room tonight.

Jim pulled an arm around his shoulder as the hypo kicked in. "Come on, Bones." he said, hefting his friend's unwilling body into motion. "If you think your ex is a bitch, just wait 'til the alarm goes off for that 0600 drill."


AN: I imagine this happening toward the end of their first semester together at the Academy.