"Dr. McCoy, may I talk to you?"
McCoy waved him in, and Chekov hesitantly stepped into the CMO's office, gently closing the door behind him.
"What's the problem? Are you feeling ill?" McCoy made to grab the tricorder sitting on the edge of his desk.
Chekov quickly shook his head. "No, it is nothing like zat. It is a more... personal matter."
"Look kid, I'm a doctor, not a therapist, and I-"
"I just can't take it anymore!" Chekov blurted out, cutting McCoy off mid sentence. "I'm tired of everyone looking down on me because of my age. Zey think zat because I am young, I am not able to do my job."
McCoy, knowing where this was going, turned around to rummage through the small cabinet behind his desk. He spun back around a moment later with two small glasses and a bottle of alcohol. He poured drinks for the both of them, passing one over to Chekov before saying,
"Now that's not entirely true. I know for a fact that the captain greatly respects your abilities at the helm."
"Oh! Yes, that is true. The bridge crew is wery wonderful, zey treat me like an equal. But I have heard many of ze others whispering nasty things about me, how I'm not good enough to be here."
"Kid," McCoy said, taking a sip of his drink, "you've already proven yourself worthy for your station. You've earned your place here. The others are damn fools if they can't see that. You'll just have to keep proving to them that you've earned your place, and if it still doesn't get through their thick skulls, then who cares? The people that matter already believe in you, and that's all that matters."
" I have newer thought of it zat way."
"Yeah, well. Don't think I'm goin' sappy or anything," McCoy responded gruffly.
"No sir, of course not."
"Now, shouldn't you be getting to the bridge? It's nearly time for alpha shift."
Chekov looked at the clock on the wall. "Oh, I didn't realize ze time!" He stood up, his glass untouched. "Zhank you, Dr. McCoy."
"Beat it, kid."
Chekov gave him a bright grin before making his departure. McCoy sighed, grabbing the ensign's abandoned glass and swallowing its contents in a single gulp.
The things he did for this crew...