As I have seen at the first go of this story, there is a very limited group of readers for this crossover, out there.
That's ok: we can have fun all the same.
TOS Nanny
Chapter 2: The Blue-eyed Doctor
The trip to Sickbay was made in silence. Usually, Miss Babcock was not a very talkative person, so Brighton didn't take it to heart. He felt better being in the good graces of Miss Fine, if he had to choose.
(Gracie had preferred Miss Babcock, Doctor Niles and all the Science Department, and Maggie had firmly said, various times, that she would never give preference to any Commanding Officer.)
The Sickbay doors opened to reveal a very agitated Niles. 'Finally. Sir'.
Brighton smiled fondly: it didn't matter who was the Captain – Niles would always be like this. 'So, Old Man, what's up?'
'Well, I see you brought the Hobgoblin', he smirked to the blonde.
Oh, here they go…
'I told you, Captain, that my coming was illogical. There is nothing of vital importance occurring here', she snorted back.
'Easy, Miss Babcock', Brighton tried to smooth things between the two, as he had seen his father doing so many times. They worked amazingly well together, even if they felt the need to sound like they were at odds all the time. 'To the point, Doc'.
Niles was still facing the Vulcan, and he seemed to wake from a reverie when Brighton called him by his title. He turned his glance to the Acting Captain, 'You've been sending me instant messages about the last mission each hour for the last two days. What do you think you gain trying to make me crazy like this?'
'I'm the Captain, and I want answers'.
'You'll have them, kiddo. But, in the meantime, you must have patience. I'm a doctor, not a machine'. He looked at the First Officer, again. 'Maybe you're mixing things. I'm not a robot, like her'.
Brighton cut before the Vulcan could answer. 'At this pace, you won't have any results until the end of my turn as Acting Captain'.
Miss Babcock decided to speak, 'In fact, there is not a sure way of verifying your assertive, once the pace of a research can not be measured in proportion to the number of times the responsible for it is asked about it'.
'Why, thank you, Hobgoblin', Niles answered, grinning.
'It is illogical to thank logic, Doctor'.
'Who said this emotional person here cares?', the blue eyes shone at her for a moment. Changing gears, he turned to the captain seriously. 'If you're not worried about the mission, but with the possible fame you'll gain when something important is discovered under your captaincy, you should rethink your goals in Starfleet'.
Brighton felt ashamed as never; he realized the Doctor was right; his hurry was all about showing people he was better.
And it was stupid, because the titular of the post was Maxwell Sheffield, the Engineer, his father – he would be back to deal with the important things, if something really important surfaced.
Niles was always the conscience of the Captain, and now he was acting like this again – he was trying to show Brighton that he was doing things wrongly.
'You're right, Old Man. I'm sorry'. He gave the doctor a flashy smile (a treat he had learned from his father). 'Can you, please, give me the last news, once I'm here?'
The blue-eyed doctor smiled back, visibly satisfied with himself and with Brighton's new posture – he hated the moral lessons, and was grateful the Sheffield children were all smart, so he didn't have to do much to guide them.
'The virus is isolated, I did a series of tests and the results are being processed. The reason for the delay is the quantity of variables I must take into account. This solar system is very different from the majority we have mapped until now, and that colony where the illness spread among humanoids was the only well known colony around. I couldn't risk some experiments without the knowledge the mapping of the surface has just revealed, for example'.
Brighton nodded, 'I've got it. When do you think this will be over?'
Niles pouted in doubt, 'Well, people in quarantine are doing very well, and the next battery of exams will show if they are really free of the virus or if it is just hidden by the different environmental characteristics. I hope I can release them soon'.
Captain-of-the-Week smiled, but the point-eared blonde First Officer didn't seem satisfied, 'Hope and soon are hardly words that point to any suitable unit for measuring time'.
Brighton looked from Niles to her, and then back at him. The Doctor was open-mouthed, and it seemed he couldn't find the words to answer her.
Miss Babcock threw the Doctor a stare that could only be properly described as winning, and added,'I think you are needed in the Bridge, Captain'.
The boy cleared his throat and tried again to diminish the tension, 'Of course… Is it all, Niles?'
The Doctor was visibly furious. He clenched his hands and huffed, 'Well, I was going to tell you how the poor people in quarantine are dealing with the waiting, once we put them there two days ago and at that point nobody had a clue about what we were facing. But I think you don't want to know. They are just red-shirts – the expandable security personnel nobody cares for'.
'Niles…', Brighton tried to contradict him, but it seemed no one was paying attention.
'There were three people from the Science Department in the group', Miss Babcock said, and that was when Brighton noticed the 'enemies' were talking as if to him, but looking, in fact, at each other.
Wow.
'Oh, yes, Captain, there were people from the Science Department. People who wear blue. People. Not that their well-being really matters, either'.
'Personal comments on how much worried over the health of crewmen you are, captain, will not guarantee their recovery'.
Now Niles talked directly to her, 'It's not just the health, you cold blooded creature! They are Humans, and Humans appreciate when their peers worry for them. It shows how much they care!'
'I did not deny the importance of empathy, Doctor; I was just pointing out that the Captain has a very demanding schedule, and his time would be better employed if he was in the Bridge…'
'…and not here, caring about the destiny of sick people?! That was what you were going to say?!', Niles was yelling, now.
The answer sounded frozen, 'Bonding over quarantine people is not a top priority. The training of an Acting Captain must make it patent'.
Brighton seized the moment of silence and wide-eyes from Niles to talk hurriedly, 'Well, I'm on my way. We can resume it later. Thanks again, Doc'.
The boy in yellow exited, purposely leaving the two people in blue behind. There were things he didn't want to be present for.
