Jim was surprised when the girl looked up from his chest and felt her stiffen when Bones talked, but whether it was because of his loud tone or from being referred to a "that" for the second time that day, he wasn't sure. He looked at his friend with a raised eyebrow. "Bones, I thought I asked you to prep the sickbay?"

Bones stared at the girl until she started to squirm under the scrutiny and hid her face in Jim's chest again. "Jim, what are you doing with a child?"

"Bones!"

Bones nodded his understanding. Jim didn't want to talk about it here. "Well, it's not like I knew what I was prepping for," he grumbled. "Give her here."

As soon as she heard those words she panicked. Jim promised that she would be okay. He couldn't leave! Jim started to transfer her to Bones when she shifted away and wrapped both arms about his neck, just tight enough to make her point; she wasn't going anywhere without him. Jim changed his hold so that she was secure again and held her tight against his chest. "Woah! It's okay, I gotcha! This is Dr. McCoy but I call him Bones. He's just going to look you over and take care of everything that hurts, okay?"

Bones chuckled as the girl shook her head against Jim's neck and tightened her thin arms even further. "Looks like you're comin' with her Jim."

Jim ran a gentle hand down her back as he walked over to the wall. With one arm still holding the girl protectively, Jim pressed the button on the wall. "Kirk to Lieutenant Uhura."

"Uhura here Captain."

"Uhura, I need you to go through the Sydney's personnel and see if any of the couples had a young daughter that was on the ship with them. Once you do, meet me in sickbay," Jim said.

"Um, yes Captain."

Jim then turned to Spock. "Mr. Spock, you have the con. I'll be with this one here."

Spock seemed to hesitate for a split second before saying, "Yes Captain."

"Alright, let's get this little girl checked out," Bones said smiling softly at the scared little girl. She had calmed down some once she realized that Jim wasn't leaving her but she was still shaking.

"Bones you big softy," Jim teased. "I didn't know you had it in you."

Bones huffed as they headed to the main sickbay. "Only because you're such a pain in the ass patient."

Jim laughed and rubbed the girl's back. "Don't worry kid. Bones seems grumpy but he's really just a giant teddy bear. Feels like one too."

She slowly looked up from Jim's chest to look at the doctor. Bones smiled softly at her and although she didn't smile back she didn't hide her face again. Instead she studied him. He only looked a few years older than Jim and his hazel eyes were incredibly soft despite his gruff demeanor. She almost felt like smiling back but she wasn't quite ready yet. But she would trust this doctor as long as Jim said he was okay.

As they made their way to the main sickbay, she couldn't help but feel somewhat amazed. She had only been on two ships and neither of them could compare to the Enterprise. It was huge and shiny and people were rushing around everywhere. She didn't even notice that she had been leaning away from Jim to look around until she heard him and Bones chuckle.

Jim and Bones grinned and then chuckled as the girl finished studying Bones to look around in awe, her eyes wide. As soon as she heard them though she flushed and hid her face in Jim's neck again. Jim immediately felt guilty for making her self-conscious but she quickly forgot about it as she soaked in the soothing rumbling in Jim's chest from his chuckling.

They entered the sickbay and Bones led Jim over to one of the beds on the side. "Here, put her down on this bed."

She panicked again and wouldn't let go of Jim. She couldn't let go of him, not yet. He was the only one keeping her safe. Fortunately this time Jim was ready for it. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here with you. I promise, okay?"

She shook her head and refused to let go. It wasn't enough. She wasn't ready to let him go. Jim was the only thing keeping her safe and if she let go someone could take her from him.

Bones and Jim exchanged looks over the girl's head. This was going to be harder than they thought, although they both had experience with this. "Jim, why don't you hop up and hold her while I take a look. Is that alright darlin'?"

She froze. He was asking her? She loosened her grip on Jim slightly and looked at Bones. She should be okay if Jim was still holding her right? The doctor couldn't hurt her if Jim was right there; he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She bit her lip but nodded slowly.

Bones smiled softly. "You heard her Jim. Hop on up."

"Don't even think about coming near me with a hypo Bones," Jim half-joked, half-warned as he sat on the bed and swung his legs up without letting go of the girl. "This isn't my appointment."

Bones smirked. "Oh I know. Your appointment is next week."

Jim paled but pushed that aside to focus on the girl that was currently shaking in his lap. He slowly drew circles on her back, something he remembered his aunt doing to him to calm him down from nightmares when he was younger. It always worked then and it was working now too. Her breathing grew steadier and she leaned into his touch.

Bones stood in front of them and watched the interaction before doing anything. He needed her as calm as possible and to know that neither of them would hurt her. Bones kneeled down so that he was at the girl's eye level. She followed him with her eyes warily. "Alright darlin', I'm gonna take a couple of scans of your body so we know if anything's wrong and then I'll fix whatever I can. Do you understand?" The girl blinked and nodded. "Good. Why don't we get this dress off first?"

The girl gripped what remained of her dress. She didn't know why she cared. It was just a dress. It wasn't until Jim said, "It's okay sweetheart, we'll get you a new dress," that she nodded and let go.

It wasn't hard to get the rags off but it was uncomfortable for the girl to raise her arms to get it off. Bones nearly grabbed a tool to cut it except that he didn't want to traumatize her any further. When she was sitting in just a miniature version of Starfleet's standardized black spandex Bones and Jim got a better idea of her injuries. Bones managed to keep his face neutral since she was still looking at him but Jim's face was a mask of anger. Her chest and her back were a colorful collection of bruises and still healing scars. Jim wondered if he had hurt her picking her up but the circles on her back didn't seem to bother her. Her ribs were painfully obvious as her bones poked out against her pale skin.

Bones gulped down his fury and grabbed his scanner. He held it up to show her. "This is my scanner. I'm going to run it over your body and it'll tell me what's wrong."

She nodded. She remembered this from when she had appointments with her own doctor.

Jim was lost in his own memories when Bones started the scan. Scenes of starving children, some dying, some dead, flashed through his mind. That awful gnawing feeling of extreme hunger caused his stomach to ache, even though he had just eaten three hours ago. The feeling of despair and lost hope began to overwhelm him. He was suddenly pulled from his past when he felt the girl stiffen in his arms. He tensed and looked at Bones but Bones was looking to his right at the entrance of the sickbay. When Jim looked as well he relaxed. It was only Nyota waiting to talk to him.

She wasn't ready for Jim to shift under her as she stared at the new person in the doorway. She turned around to look at Jim and he smiled at her. "I'm just going over there to talk to that lady," he explained pointing to where Nyota was waiting. Jim placed her on the bed alone and started to walk away when she grabbed his shirt with a strength that even she didn't know she possessed. Bones paused and raised an eyebrow at Jim. Jim continued to smile softly at her and knelt down to look her into the eyes, her grip never lessening. "It's okay sweetheart, you'll be able to see me the entire time and I'll be able to see you." She didn't look convinced as she bit her lip nervously. Jim reached out a hand to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes and held her breath, flinching when she felt his warm hand. After a second she opened her eyes and looked at him in surprise when he didn't do anything else. He wasn't going to hit her? He just smiled and she leaned into his palm with an inaudible sigh. "Do you trust me?"

For such a young girl Jim couldn't believe that she had such an intense stare and wondered if he used to look like that. Her blue eyes stared into his as she studied him. He hadn't given her a reason not to trust him. He hadn't lied to her and he had only been kind. She bit her lip nervously and nodded. Jim smiled brightly and ran a gentle thumb over her cheek. "Bones'll take good care of you and if he doesn't I'll beat him up myself," he added with a smirk. It didn't get the desired smile out of her but her eyes did brighten some and her hand slipped from his shirt. Jim shot Bones a look that was more for the girl's benefit than anything else before walking over to Nyota.

Bones held in a chuckle as Jim walked away. His best friend could be a cocky ladies man but he was a sucker for children. They had talked about having families in the future but Jim had insisted that he would be a crappy father due to his lack of decent role models. The way this girl's eyes never left Jim as he walked over to the doorway was proof of the complete opposite. But Bones didn't say anything as he continued his scan.

Nyota smiled sadly at Jim as he approached and he immediately shifted so that he could talk to Nyota and keep an eye on his charge. She was still watching him so he smiled. "I assume she's the reason you had me looking through the Sydney's personnel?"

Jim nodded. "Did you find anything?"

Nyota nodded as she looked down at her PADD. Poor thing looked terrified. "There was only one child on the Sydney, Gabrielle Camila Mancuso. Her parents were scientists on the Sydney, Commander and Lieutenant Commander Orlando and Annette Mancuso. She'll be six in February."

Jim gaped. "She's five? She looks so small." Well, that answered her name and where she came from. "Can you check for next of kin?"

Nyota shook her head. "I already did. According to Starfleet records, both sets of grandparents are deceased and her parents were only children. There's no one else." Jim frowned but Nyota could see the cogs in his brain turning. "What are you thinking Jim?"

He smirked and shook his head. "Not yet. Thanks Uhura."

He turned to go back when Nyota stopped him. "Do you think…do you think I could meet her?"

Jim hesitated and glanced at the girl, Gabrielle. "Sure. It might help to have a female around."

She didn't take her eyes off of Jim as he walked away. As he started talking to the woman he turned and smiled at her, which made her feel a little better. She continued to watch them as different emotions flittered across their faces. She wondered what they were talking about. She didn't take her eyes off of them until Bones started talking to her. "Alright darlin', I'm done with the scan. You have a few bruises but I can take care of those with this." She turned to look at him holding up his dermal regenerator. "This will make you good as new." She watched him carefully as he ran the regenerator over her arms and chest. He paused briefly before running it over her back. He saw her tense but she kept still, only relaxing some when he was done. Bones took care of her legs but when he got to her feet he paused again. Her feet were in bad shape and he would be able to fix them like he said, but they would still take time and maybe even some therapy.

She just watched him as her skin slowly and painlessly knitted back together. Jim was right about him; he was a giant teddy bear. He was incredibly gentle and she found herself relaxing as he worked, only tensing when his hand disappeared behind her back. He didn't talk much but when he did he only spoke softly and his voice was gruff but kind. She watched as he stopped at her feet but he didn't do anything. Was there something wrong? Could her feet not be fixed? Was he regretting helping her?

Bones didn't do anything though as he looked up. She whipped her head around to see Jim coming back over, followed by Nyota. She forced herself not to tense too badly. Jim promised that no one would hurt her. Jim smirked as he came closer. "How's our patient Bones?"

Bones smirked back. "Better than you that's for sure. He's always trying to get away from sickbay," he whispered loudly to the girl.

She almost smiled when Jim pouted playfully. Then Jim smiled. "So, Gabrielle is it?" Her eyes widened some and Jim knew that they got it right. "That's a pretty name Gabrielle, or do you prefer Gabby?" She nodded. Jim carefully shifted Gabby so that he could sit on the bed again and pulled her onto his lap. "Gabby, I'd like you to meet Nyota. She's another friend on this ship."

Nyota knelt down and smiled at the girl. "Hi Gabby. It's nice to meet you."

Gabby didn't say anything but she nodded and leaned back into Jim's chest. Jim's smile faltered slightly when she didn't react more but he looked at Bones. "What's your prognosis Doctor?"

"Actually not bad considering. I took care of the bruises and superficial injuries," he said looking at Gabby as well as Jim. "There's a bit more damage to your feet. I'll be able to fix them but they might still be sore for another day or two. I want you to come back tomorrow for another look okay?" Gabby looked up at Jim who nodded so Gabby looked back at Bones and nodded too. Bones started running the dermal regenerator over her feet and continued. "You also need to get some meat on your bones."

"That's right!" Jim exclaimed causing Gabby to jump. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "I almost forgot about this." He pulled out the rest of the chocolate bar and handed it to Gabby. "I promised you a chocolate bar didn't I?"

The adults laughed as Gabby's eyes widened and she took the candy bar gingerly. "That's fine for now but once I'm done here you better get this girl a proper meal," Bones ordered.

Jim laughed. "Got it Bones."

It was a few more minutes before Bones put the regenerator away. "Done. You should be able to walk some, although it may be a little uncomfortable. Now we just need to get you cleaned up."

Gabby wiggled her toes in fascination. They were a little stiff but they didn't hurt and the swelling had disappeared. Still, she didn't really want to walk just yet. She took another bite of her chocolate and looked hesitantly at Jim. Jim blinked and grinned. "I don't mind carrying you," he admitted.

Satisfied, Gabby leaned back into Jim's chest and took another nibble. Bones had disappeared somewhere and when he returned he was carrying a small red Starfleet dress. "I want you to go barefoot for at least another day but here's a new dress for you."

Jim shook his head. "Oh no, she's not wearing red."

Nyota crossed her arms. "And what's wrong with red?"

Jim blushed and ducked his head into Gabby's hair, which was still matted; he made a mental note to give her a bath later. The bruises were gone but she was still covered in dirt. "Nothing. I just don't think she should wear red."

"Uh huh. Why don't we ask Gabby what she wants to wear?" Nyota looked down at the little girl. "Gabby, what color do you want to wear?"

Gabby bit her lip as she thought. She liked the blue but she wasn't sure if she wanted to wear that again. She didn't want to offend anyone either. Still, she turned around in Jim's arms and pointed to his gold command shirt. Jim grinned triumphantly. "Gold it is!"

Bones rolled his eyes but went back to get a gold dress. Jim helped Gabby carefully put it on, avoiding any of the chocolate mess on her fingers. When they were done Jim picked her up and balanced her on his hip. "Okay, now that you have a clean bill of health, let's get you some food."

"Do you mind if I come with you two?" Nyota asked.

Jim looked at Gabby. "What do you think? Should we let her come with us?"

Gabby looked at Nyota shyly. She didn't seem upset that she picked a gold dress instead of red and Jim said that she was a friend, so Gabby nodded. "Bones?" Jim asked.

Bones waved his hands at them dismissively. "I've got some work to do but you guys go on ahead. But Jim-." Jim stopped before they walked out. "Gabby needs something healthy and easy to eat, something easy on the stomach, like rice or chicken broth. No more candy or junk food. That goes for both of you."

Jim smirked. "Yes Bones." He turned back around to leave when Gabby tugged on his shirt. He stopped and looked down at her. "Are you okay?" Nyota watched her curiously. Gabby hesitated and then looked at Bones. Jim frowned. "Bones," he called.

Bones walked over with a slight frown and looked the little girl over. Nothing else seemed to be wrong. "Are you okay darlin'? Does something else hurt?" Gabby shook her head and hesitated briefly. She looked down at the last half of the chocolate bar in her hands and then held it out shyly. Bones blinked in surprise and then took it with a genuine smile. "Is this a thank you?" Gabby nodded quickly before hiding her face in Jim's neck. Bones resisted rubbing her back comfortingly. He wasn't sure how she would respond yet to other people touching her besides Jim. "Any time darlin', and I mean that. You come to me if you have a problem, or if Jim ever gets on your nerves."

Jim grinned as Gabby nodded against his neck. "Thanks Bones," he said before he and Nyota walked out.