Who Are You and What Have You Done With Jim Kirk?
by Starsinger
Well, the title should say it all. lol Still don't own them.
Kirk awoke slowly to the reality of Sickbay. He still hated the place, he hated hospitals more after spending months in one after the debacle with Khan. Sickbay was much more preferable. He blearily peered up and the grinning face of McCoy, "Alright, who are you and what have you done with Captain Kirk?"
"I come to Sickbay voluntarily and I'm suddenly not myself?" Kirk asked whimsically.
"Well, it's the only explanation I can come up with. You come in by yourself, and someone has to drag Chekov in. It's like you've switched bodies or something. I'd ask you if you can suddenly speak Russian and confuse things that happened in Russia for what happened elsewhere, but you already speak Russian."
"Fluently, what happened to Chekov?"
He got partially caught in another building collapse and wouldn't come to Sickbay. One of his roommates found him pale and going into shock and immediately called me. You can understand why I thought you two had switched bodies," McCoy said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, I can," Kirk said looking at the oxygen mask. "When can you get rid of this thing?"
"Later, I just want to be sure, broken rib nicked your right lung where your heart would've been if it had been on the other side." Kirk winced, "You'll be fine. I'll let you go back to your quarters tomorrow, since you've been such a good boy."
"Did we lose anybody?" Kirk asked.
"No, no one died from the Enterprise. The casualty count on planet is at two hundred fifty. Would've been worse if we hadn't been here," McCoy patted Jim's shoulder. "Sleep, Jim, it's the best way to heal." Kirk nodded as sleep once again claimed him. He awoke again to find M'benga checking him out.
"Captain, good to see you back with us. How are you feeling? Any pain?" M'benga was professional, and his bedside manner was everything McCoy's wasn't. White teeth stood out against his dark skin as his Kenyan accent was apparent.
"No, M'benga, you do good work, thank you," Kirk responded with a smile.
"You are most welcome, Captain, you have visitors," he said moving away.
Uhura, Sulu, and Spock stood quietly waiting nearby. "Hey guys, have we left orbit?"
"We left orbit 2.3 hours ago and are on our way to Betazed to pick up the Betazoid Ambassador for the Tulenga Conference," Spock replied.
"Good, how's Chekov," he asked.
"He's stable," Uhura said. "Maybe he just didn't realize how badly he was injured," she muttered.
Kirk nodded, his body demanded more sleep, so his friends left him to it. The next day, McCoy released him to his quarters. Not before he stopped by to see the young Ensign. Chekov responded to his voice, muttering something about nuclear wessels and Admirals. Kirk grinned, Chekov would be fine. He'd come back later and check up on him. He walked outside to find Scotty walking up to him. "Jim!" he said with a grin. "Good to see ye back on yer feet, lad. Headed back to yer quarters?"
"Yeah, McCoy has restricted me to that, Sickbay, and the rec room, nothing too strenuous until the end of the week."
"Which means ye get to miss greeting the Betazoid Ambassador, ach, too bad laddie," Scotty said with an eyeroll. While most Betazoids were charming and friendly, Ambassador Torali was dour and closed mouthed. He made a good ambassador, unfortunately, he wasn't much of a conversationalist. Anyone partnered with him for dinner was usually bored to death. Spock did comment once that he was like most Betazoids and rarely communicated with his mouth, preferring to speak mind to mind. And while humans weren't completely psy blind, he preferred not to take on the onerous task of communicating with them verbally or mentally. He also preferred to stay in his quarters, so most people didn't have to deal with him.
It bothered Jim that Chekov hadn't gone to Sickbay after he was back aboard the Enterprise. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had something to do with it, even peripherally. Chekov was one of four people who watched him die that day over a year ago. Scotty told him that he'd tried to dissuade Chekov from doing so, that he was too young to watch Kirk die.
McCoy called Kirk over the comm to let him know that Chekov was awake. Kirk came down immediately and looked at Chekov. Chekov wasn't the first to quell under that withering gaze. "I'm sorry, Keptin, I did not realize that I vas injured."
"Chekov," Kirk sighed. "My issues have more to do with my traumatic childhood than anything else. I've seen your parents, your childhood wasn't that traumatic," Chekov's eyes were on his lap as he was propped up in bed. "You don't need me for a role model in this department, Chekov. Take care of yourself."
Jim swore he could hear Chekov whimper, "I am sorry Keptin."
"Besides, who would become chief engineer if something happened to Scotty. In spite of that Doctorate they gave me, that isn't my place. I need you where you belong, Lieutenant."
"But Keptin, I'm just an Ensign," Chekov said, his words trailing off.
"Yeoman, be sure to find Chekov a shirt with his new rank on it. Can't have other lieutenants bullying him around anymore," Kirk said absently to a nearby Yeoman as he continued out of the Sickbay.
"I von't let you down, Keptin," Chekov swore. McCoy and M'benga, who were nearby when Chekov was promoted, believed him whole heartedly with quiet smiles.