Chapter Three: Diagnosis
They were going to take the rabid little Russian down today. McCoy was practically ecstatic. Oh wait, no he completely wasn't.
"You really think this ancient priest can exceed me and my medical degree?" he muttered under his breath as he walked along the corridors of the Starship Enterprise, Kirk simply rolled his eyes.
"It's worth a go, isn't it?" he reasoned and McCoy looked back at Chekov who was growling and nearly bristling as he was restrained by two men in red.
"I am with your reasoning, doctor; I do not believe that the belief and practice in magic which is basically primitive chemistry could produce efficient results in the work of medical science"
"Spock…what have I told you about agreeing with me?"
The Vulcan didn't reply to McCoy as they turned into the transporter room.
"So Captain, are you going back down there?"
"Yes Scotty, lets hope they can sort out Mr Chekov here" he gestured to the kid who looked nothing but venomous at his captain. Scotty gave him an unnerved glance and a short nod.
"I see" he headed over to the pad. Kirk turned to Bones with a wink.
"Reckon you can get your favourite new patient to control himself?"
"Don't be silly, Jim, you are still my favourite patient, no one can be quite the pain in the ass you are, captain" the doctor sighed as he passed Kirk to the transportation platform. Scotty gave them a strange look and the captain jogged over to him with a grin.
"Captain, we need to go" Spock called. McCoy saw Kirk and raised his eyebrows, gritting his teeth.
"Jim-"he started.
"Chekov bit him?! Are you bloody serious, captain?!"
Everyone drew their attention to the padding and bandages on the doctor's arm.
"Dammit Jim, just get on the fucking platform"
Kirk burst out laughing and Spock nearly rolled his eyes. But he was Vulcan, so he didn't and just stood still like everyone else as the next scene they saw before their eyes was the planet and its ruins.
The king was also there and Kirk couldn't help but allow his expression to contort into one of confusion and surprise, it was like the king had known the exact time of their arrival. That or he had been standing out all night with the rest of his population.
"Greetings, Captain, have you brought your friend?"
"And our medical chief" Kirk chuckled and McCoy momentarily went up to introduce himself.
That's when Gharroan noticed Chekov and raised his hand to silence the excited bustle of his people.
"Is this him?" he gestured to the Russian and Kirk hesitated before nodding.
"This is Chekov, Pavel Chekov"
The man bowed and the rest of the crowd followed but Chekov was far from impressed. He had struggled out of the grip of the guards and ran over to McCoy where he wound his long arms around the broad shouldered man. McCoy stumbled and yelled at Chekov to get off but the twenty year old wouldn't move.
Spock glanced over and Kirk looked on the edge of laughing hysterics. The king approached McCoy and Chekov and studied the younger man for a few moments, it started to unnerve McCoy and he was about to make a comment when the king called something out in a strange language and two weapon clad men came out of the crowd. Kirk panicked now but a woman approached him, a young, pretty and lithe little thing, this he grinned at.
"The king is just devising an experiment, he will not harm anyone even if it may seem like he is"
"How do you know this?" Spock stepped forward.
"We speak telepathically, but worry not he cannot infiltrate your mind"
Mr Spock didn't look impressed but Kirk nodded.
"What exactly is he going to do?"
The captain's cerulean eyes darted nervously at the king as the two soldiers came to his side.
"He will act as though he will take the tall dark eyed man away from the little green eyed man, to see if the little green eyed man has been affected by Naorrahg"
"I see" Kirk nodded.
Chekov hadn't realised what had happened until it was too late, one minute he was wrapped around the soothing warmth of the doctor, holding him close and holding him as his own as he stayed away from the king and the guards when this heat was ripped from beneath his limbs. Two pale soldiers had taken McCoy who was now yelling and cursing, calling for the captain. The captain wouldn't get there fast enough, even if he wanted to. Chekov ground his foot into the ground and darted forward, pushing off the earth. Grabbing one of the soldiers around the neck with his arms, he stopped his breathing system and restrained the creature long enough for McCoy to wrench free from the other and step away.
As soon as he knew McCoy was safe, he went back to him and stood in front of the bewildered man with wild eyes and strangely curled king nodded and the soldiers backed off, it was as though Chekov's restraints had not harmed the one at all as he didn't even go to tend to the sore bruising around his throat. Kirk approached McCoy and hissed the plan in his ear.
"Goddammit, a little warning might be nice next time" he growled and rolled his eyes.
Pulling Chekov back out of irritation, he sighed loudly when the boy got the wrong idea and turned with wide, content green eyes and buried himself in the doctor's chest, embracing him closely. Inhaling his aroma like a man dying of thirst and if McCoy didn't know any better, he would have thought the lad was purring. The king nodded and gestured for them to come inside as he made his way through a doorway into the ruined temple.
Spock turned to Jim.
"I wonder, why they live in ruins, it seems illogical that a clearly disciplined somewhat advanced race live in the shadows of a civilisation"
"Well why don't you ask, Mr Spock?" Kirk smiled at the science officer.
McCoy had to face Chekov the right way to get through the door. The Russian didn't mind as long as he could stand next to the doctor and not the guards or the king who only managed to get to McCoy for a split second as they entered a large, surprisingly spacious room.
"It is getting worse; we need to treat him as soon as we can"
"Well we will be treating him with whatever I say is okay, he is my patient, don't go getting any sacrificial ideas now"
The room allowed light to stream into the cold grey surface of the ground. Even so it seemed bright and luxurious, the remains of what must have been a grand era. Spock still wondered why these people lived like they did but decided to wait until it became clear rather than be as rude as to just interfere.
"It is has become apparent that Naorrahg has taken his place inside this poor little green eyed man's body and it is up to us to remove this evil" he spoke aloud, to the crew and to his people. Chekov cowered into McCoy and shuddered a little.
"Hey, they are not going to hurt you, I will make sure" he muttered and the 'little green eyed man' grinned.
The Russian leant up and kissed him on the cheek, his lips lingering there for a little too long. McCoy blushed wildly and had to restrain himself from grabbing a hold of the kid and thrusting his lips upon his mouth rather than the stretch of skin on the side of his face. But of course he didn't with a paranoid population and JIM in the room...oh and obviously, Chekov was too young and innocent for the older doctor to take advantage of, that was the main reason.
"Alright, no need to get too friendly now" he raised an eyebrow and spoke to the helmsman once Chekov had stopped leaning up.
McCoy then looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin as the king stood right before them, staring intently at the doctor.
"How well are you two acquainted?" came the low voice from Gharroan.
"Well enough, we are friends, work on the same ship" he answered.
"I wonder why the boy is acting like he does around you then, Naorrahg shouldn't co-operate with anyone..." his gold eyes glanced over the younger man curiously.
"Well he isn't just your freaky demon deity, he is a member of the Enterprise so stop treating him like a museum artefact"
"Bones! What's going on?" Kirk approached and McCoy calmed down. The king stepped away.
"Nothing Jim, just...how long do we have to stay on this damn planet?"
"That is a relevant point Captain, we do not need a long delay on this planet when we are on a schedule to LuklalC7 currently" the Vulcan turned to the king.
"How long do you presume this operation will take?"
"...A week at most, it seems the demon has settled quite nicely into this little green eyed man" The king walked away to talk to some of his people.
"Will a week do much damage to our schedule, Mr Spock?"
"...He said at most, captain, I hope it will be at least four days or less otherwise it will interfere with some of the schedule" the blue clad alien replied.
"If you don't mind, we will check up on...the Chekov, now" the king returned.
"First name basis already" Kirk winked at the Russian who just hissed in return as they went into another room which resembled a tight chamber, there was...science equipment on the counters. Well some sort of science equipment, it was without sophistication but it resembled tools nonetheless.
"You will need to keep the little green ey-Chekov...still whilst we inject him"
"And what will that do?" McCoy stepped forward.
"It will calm him down enough to speak normally to others"
The doctor gulped but took in a deep breath and nodded, despite his natural medical stubbornness, these people had done nothing wrong to them. Chekov made an odd snarling sound in his throat and when one of the Ghart men came round to inject him, he pushed him away and bent low to bare his slightly sharper than normal teeth.
"It will be necessary to restrain him" the king concluded and everyone looked at each other in shared confusion.
"Go on then Bones, give the kid a hug, or pat his head or let him bite your arm for a bit, you know, in the name of science and medicine and what not to keep him still" Kirk winked and McCoy looked shocked and horrified at the prospect. Especially when he started gaining looks from everyone around.
"Thanks for the advice, captain" the doctor rolled his eyes and turned to Chekov.
Despite the ridicule he was facing as Kirk teased him like this, he did have the authority and power over the feral Russian to keep him steady...he just wasn't fond of the idea of controlling himself afterwards. Why so recently Chekov had been thrust into his life he did not understand and he did not appreciate the fact he was potentially falling for the young, soft, bright young helmsman. WAIT. NO. NO HE WASN'T. SCREW THAT.
This was medical science, he had to do what he could for Chekov, whether there was a demon inside of him or not. Chekov was still growling and glowering at the Ghart who had attempted to inject him when he subsided into whimpers and...more purring when McCoy embraced him.
"Just keep still for a minute, kid" he murmured.
Chekov sighed and wound his arms fiercely tight around the doctor, burying his head in his neck, inhaling the deep musk of the southerner. Chekov didn't even begin to notice the quick pinch of the needle through his arm when McCoy soothed him with rubbing slow circles on his back. McCoy then tentatively ran one large, rough hand through his dark golden curls. The sweet sound of pleasure sent electricity through McCoy and he subconsciously gripped the boy harder.
"You can release the Chekov now" came the king's slightly bemused tone. McCoy glanced up and pushed the kid away hastily, glaring at Kirk who had his hand on Spock's shoulder and was actually using him for support as he keeled over laughing.
"Yeah, release the Chekov now, bones, or at least get a room" he sneered. Spock stood between the captain and doctor as the southerner went for Kirk's throat.
A/N: Why does it always end on Kirk's banter?
Watched "Amok Time" of The Original Star Trek Series last night. SPIRK. SERIOUSLY. SPIRK EVERYWHERE. MY SISTER CAME IN AND WAS LIKE.
"DAMN. THAT IS SOME HEAVY SPIRK"
SHE WAS IN THERE FOR LIKE...TEN SECONDS.
-LAW09
To Sask: Yes, I do believe Kirk will not allow Bones to live this one down :)