Title: Then It Would Be His Turn
By: Dragonfire100
Summary: Wincing he eyed Bones' couch swearing it was glowing like a beacon to his aching body. Really just an excuse for some hurt comfort, No Slash
A/N Basically plotless, honestly just an excuse for some hurt comfort, cause I'm always game for it. Also unbetaed so all mistakes are unfortunately mine.
Jim Kirk was not known for his willingness to go to sick bay, it wasn't that he hated it, it's just that..okay maybe he did a little, just the smell, and the overbearing whiteness of its walls. But today, today he was going to make an exception because even he knew, he was in bad shape. The only problem was sickbay was a chaotic mess. Well controlled chaos, but chaos none the less.
There were only a few of the Enterprise's own crew in sickbay, the rest were all survivors of the Arthos a science vessel that had come in contact with some hostiles. Pirates-and honestly pirates? what century were they in?-who only wanted to gut the ship for parts not caring a single iota about the crew. They'd managed to send out a distress signal that the Enterprise picked up on before being completely overtaken. One rescue team and battle with the pirates monstrosity of a ship later, the crew of the Arthos had been rescued with only a few deaths on their end. It sounded so easy when said like that but it had been damn hard.
Jim grimaced resisting the urge to wrap an arm around his stomach. He could feel the stickiness of blood on his right side, the crimson liquid making his uniform cling to him. His head ached terribly, hell his whole 'body' ached, and his vision kept blurring, that was bad right? At least he knew it had to be with how often it kept occurring.
He blinked, his inner pride screaming at him to pull it together but all his body wanted was rest, rest and pain killers and for Bones to put him back together. He stopped just in the doorway to sickbay watching as nurses rushed about orders being shouted, Bones was nowhere in sight, at the moment.
There were so many Arthos crewmembers, so many casualties….he could wait just a bit longer. Somehow he made it through the chaos managing to make it to Bones' office the doors hissing closed behind him. It was suddenly very quiet.
Jim stood there bleary eyed wincing against the lights.
"Lights, ten percent." His voice sounded foreign even to him. He nearly sighed with relief when they dimed.
It hurt to breathe.
Wincing he eyed Bones' couch swearing it was glowing like a beacon to his aching body. Stumbling over he practically fell onto it immediately relaxing in it's cushions. A feeling of safety overcame him, his ship was under the capable hands of his First Officer, the crew of Arthos was safe and he was comfortable laid out on his best friends couch.
Bones would get to him soon, he just needed to focus on the crew first, then it would be his turn. Yeah…
Leonard sighed heavily running a hand tiredly down his face. Shit what an exhausting day, but in retrospect it had ended well, well, relatively. The remaining crewmembers of Arthos were patched up and tucked away on respective biobeds, with just a handful of Enterprise members among them. It had been utter chaos from start to finish but there hadn't been as many deaths as were expected, a few close calls but other than that.
Looking around he felt a bit buzzed, like he still needed to be doing something and he rolled his shoulders to relieve the persistent tension there. Grumbling under his breath he turned towards his office, planning to lose himself in the menial task of paperwork. As he approached the room it struck him then why he still felt so riled up. From the start of this mission he hadn't seen Jim, heard his voice the few times over the intercom but other then that had seen nothing of him.
He approached a console, grabbing a medkit along the way.
"Computer locate Captain Kirk."
Captain Kirk is in sickbay
He blinked, what? He was positive he hadn't seen Jim come in and one of the nurses would surely have told him if he had, right?
"Exact location in sickbay?" He said rather hopefully, maybe there was something wrong with the damn thing.
Captain Kirk is in sickbay.
McCoy rolled his eyes, telling himself that punching the machine, would only result in hurting his own hand.
Turning he looked around the quieting room searching as many beds as he could. Still no sign of him. Cursing under his breath he turned back to the console. Just as he was about to demand to be patched through to the bridge a thought struck him. There was only one room-that was not meant for surgery or currently occupied-Jim could be in that was out of his line of sight. But how could he have gotten there without anyone seeing?
If anyone could, it was Jim.
He strode quickly over to his office the doors whooshing open softly. The room was practically dark.
"Lights fifty percent." He blinked rapidly as they brightened eyes immediately landing on the prone figure on his couch. For a moment he froze eyes widening at the sight of his friend. Jim looked like shit. The lower right side of his gold uniform was stained red, his face bloody and bruised covered in grime. He was so still…
He knelt quickly by the couch hand immediately reaching out to check for a puls. Relief flooded him when he felt the familiar throb, worryingly thready, but there. Pulling out a tricorder he scanned him frown deepening worriedly at the readouts. As he reached Jim's head he nearly started when he saw his eyes open.
"Jim?" He said watching as the half lidded blue orbs tried to focus in on him. He blinked slowly some of the cloudiness clearing.
"Bones?" He slurred and McCoy managed a wry smile. "S'my turn?"
"Yeah Jim." He muttered feeling an odd tug on his heart. The kid must be in a lot of pain to come willingly to sickbay, but why hadn't he said anything?
"Jeez Jim why the hell didn't you come find me?" He demanded.
"Was gonna, y'were busy with Arthos crew." Jim slurred the reply only making McCoy shake his head.
"Jim, you're the Captain, and-" My friend silently to himself."I woulda made time for ya." He finished softly throat oddly tight accent heavy with emotion.
Jim swallowed visible, looking a little misty eyed himself. Kid was in bad shape, he'd lost a lot of blood from the deep graze in his side, had a fairly nasty concussion, four broken ribs and his left wrist was fractured. It was the blood loss that worried Bones, thank god there didn't appear to be any internal bleeding despite the extensive bruising.
"You look like shit kid." He muttered shifting so he could better assess the wound in his side.
"Feel like it." Jim mumbled.
Carefully Bones started to lift the crimson stained shirt. Jim hissed, surprisingly strong hand gripping at his wrist.
"Easy Jim, I gotta take a look." Bones' tone was uncharacteristically low.
"Hurts." The soft admission made Leonard look at him sharply the words striking him like a knife to the heart. Jim's eyes were dull and filled with obvious pain.
"I know kid, gimme a sec and I'll give ya somethin for it." He reassured gently prying Jim's fingers from around his wrist. With some reluctance he lifted the shirt the rest of the way, it had adhered to Kirk's skin pulling at the tender wound.
The graze lay just under Jim's ribs deep and long, it looked damned painful. A trickle of blood still trailed sluggishly from it, staining his couch crimson. He'd be replacing the whole thing later.
Though deep it wasn't enough to cause any internal damage, but infection looked like it was trying to set in.
Jim had started to tremble and Bones' frown deepened if that were possible. His tricorder beeped and he cursed. Kid was going into shock.
"Ok Jim just try to breathe, take it easy." He said, grabbing the needed hypos from his kit. He needed to move him to a biobed but wanted to stabilize him first.
"B-Bones." Jim's voice wavered uncharacteristically.
"I know kid, I know just hang on." He injected the hypos quickly one hand on his tricorder. The blood loss was really fucking with the kids system.
Finally after a few tense moments, the readings evened out a little, not nearly enough for McCoy's liking, but enough.
"All right, I'm gonna grab some help and we're gonna move ya ok Jim?" He said. Jim looked dazed but nodded and Bones put a reassuring hand on his shoulder before standing. "Yer gonna give me gray hairs kid." He muttered before quickly approaching the door, yelling for some help.
Nurse Chapel and Pitchmor responded quickly the latter barring a stretcher. Chapel-professional as always-didn't comment on the situation entering and approaching Jim. Pitchmor followed on her heels looking momentarily stunned at the sight.
"Come on let's get 'em to a bed." He all but growled to get her into gear. She blinked easing the stretcher up to the couch.
"Jim, we're gonna help you all right?" McCoy said making sure his tone broached no arguments. He needn't have worried as Jim was unnervingly complaint.
They quickly wheeled him out Leonard barking orders as they went.
A familiar grimace settled on Jim's features as they worked around him. Headache.
He grabbed a hypo leaning over him.
"Just rest Jim, I gotcha." He said quietly gently administering the sedative.
Trust swelled in deep blue orbs before succumbing to sleep.
Spock settled back in the Captain's chair observing the alpha bridge crew. They'd all worked hard in aiding the Arthos. The Captain as well. He had insisted on beaming aboard the science vessel as part of the rescue team. They needed to deactivate the device that was preventing them from beaming the crew aboard the Enterprise.
Spock had stated the illogicality of his choice but Kirk had only argued with him.
He had also told him to stay on the bridge upon returning. In that moment Spock had found it odd that Jim had not wanted to take back the con, and deal with the pirates himself.
The mission was of course a success and Spock had dealt with the pirate's ship when they'd refused to surrender.
Now in the resulting calm, he found those thoughts returning. It was not concern persay he was Vulcan after all, but only the logical need as First Officer to know the whereabouts of his Captain. It was his duty after all.
"McCoy to bridge."
"Spock here, go ahead Doctor." He readily responded.
"Could you come down to sickbay?"
"Of course Doctor, I will be there momentarily." He stood swiftly. "Mr. Sulu you have the con." He said before entering the lift the Lieutenants 'aye Sir' following him inside.
Perhaps his questions about the Captain were about to be answered.
Jim came to slowly, soft familiar voices greeting him.
"Am I to assume the Captain will make a full recovery Doctor."
"He lost a lot of blood, four broken ribs a fractured wrist and concussion, but yeah he'll be fine...idiot thought he had to wait."
The pain was almost nonexistent his head felt marginally clearer.
"Jim, you with us?" Leave it to Bones to know when he was awake.
He pried his eyes open. Sickbays ceiling swirled for a moment before steadying, Bones' face suddenly blocked it.
He looked tired.
"Damn right I'm tired, yer gonna give me gray hairs kid."
Oops had he said that out loud?
"Ship?"
That's when Spock appeared.
"The ship is functioning adequately Captain."
Which was Spock speak for 'everyone's fine the ship is safe', at least that's how Jim liked to interpret it.
His eyes trained back in on Bones.
"M'okay?" He asked.
McCoy rolled his eyes but there was a sort of fondness in his tone.
"You're pretty banged up but yeah you're gonna be fine, and before you ask you're not leaving here for another forty eight hours."
Jim snapped his mouth shut giving him a look.
"Don't look at me like that, you came here voluntarily what'd you expect?"
He swallowed his retort because well, he was right.
There was a pause as Bones examined his readings an odd look on his face. Spock just sort of stood there.
"Bones-"
"What made you think you had to wait Jim?"
Jim blinked. "The Arthos crew-"
"Was being taken care of, Jim" McCoy looked down at him. "You don't ever have to wait." The words were said softly and with unbridled emotion.
Jim stared at him for a moment and found himself holding back his argument. Just this once because the doc looked so tired, not because he seemed so, upset, definitely not because of that.
"Doctor McCoy is correct Captain," They both looked at the Vulcan in surprise. "His team would've taken care of you most efficiently."
Bones stared at him wide eyed.
"I think he just gave you a compliment Bones." Jim said a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Shit were we transported into another universe again?" McCoy breathed.
Spock cocked an eyebrow. "I don't not believe such an anomaly has occurred."
Bones gave him a look. "You throwin' around complements is anomaly enough."
"Do you not think your staff efficient Doctor?"
"Of course they are!"
Jim let the familiar bickering fill the room settling back into the sheets. For once he was actually content to stay, but maybe not quite as long as Bones wanted. He was starting to feel better after all.
The bickering lasted only for a few more minutes and was ended when Bones left in somewhat of a huff.
Spock however stayed, looking as contemplative as a Vulcan could.
"Something else on your mind Mr. Spock?" Jim asked fighting sleep.
A pause where the Vulcan seemed to study him before answering.
"It is pleasing to see you, well, Jim." He said slowly.
"Were you worried about me Spock?" Jim asked giving him a half smile.
"Worry is illogical." Was Spock's seemingly flat reply. But Jim had started to be able to really read his First Officer, and could see the warmth in his eyes.
So he widened his smile. "Yeah sure, thanks Spock."
Spock inclined his head turning.
"Take care of my ship Commander."
Spock paused, half turned to look back at him. "Always Captain." Meeting his gaze for a moment before leaving.
"Green blooded hobgoblin." He heard Bones grumble and chuckled. Sleep tugged at him once more. He may not be on McCoy's couch but, he still felt, safe, and so let slumber take him.
He had to build strength for his escape tomorrow after all.
A/N And there you have it folks, not much of an ending but I hope you enjoyed it.