Kirk stepped onto the bridge. It was day 6 of the crisis on Star Base 13 and, as far as he could tell, it was a crisis almost at an end. The criminals were in custody, the evacuees returned to the station and the Shuttle Bays in the process of being restored to normal. The only thing remaining to be done was "the cure". The last report he'd had before bed was that Spock had a start on that….Kirk expected the day to be relatively uneventful and maybe, just maybe, by the end of the week the ship could get back to normal. That happy thought lasted exactly 12.3 seconds after he sat in the command chair.
Lt. Uhura approached him with a rather serious, quizzical look on her face.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Sir, I've just received a report from Lt. Harston in Science Lab 2. He says that a treatment protocol to eradicate the technological infection from organic hosts has been established and transmitted to Star Base 13 and Star Fleet Medical."
"They found a cure?"
"Yes, sir."
"So, why do you look troubled? Come to think of it, why is Lt. Harston all the sudden filing a report instead of Spock or McCoy?"
"Well, that's just it sir. According to Lt. Harston's report, Mr. Spock ordered Dr. McCoy confined to quarters for 24 hours."
"He what?"
"Ordered McCoy confined to quarters. But that's not all sir."
Kirk suspected he didn't want to hear, but had to ask. "What else?"
"Before leaving the Science Lab, McCoy certified Spock unfit for duty."
"WHAT?"
"It's true, sir. I've checked the ship logs. I spoke to Lt. Harston and he said things got pretty heated once the cure was found."
"Damn…and I thought the two of them were getting along better."
"So did I, sir."
"I guess I'll have to go down and try to straighten things out."
"You might want to talk to Lt. Harston first, sir. It sounded like more than their normal squabbling."
Kirk rubbed his eyes. "Okay, but not just yet. Will Harston be available in an hour?"
"Yes, sir."
"Great. Tell him I'll be down later."
While impressed with what Spock and McCoy had accomplished here, Kirk was annoyed that he was, once again, going to have to intercede to keep his senior officers from ripping each other apart. At times their behavior bordered on conduct unbecoming an officer. Since they normally confined their sniping to each other, Kirk had been able to turn a blind eye. This time, it seemed another member of the crew had been sucked in. What he did now would largely depend on what he learned from Harston. He hoped that by letting Harston wait a bit…put some distance between the event and the discussion…he might be spared the need to put one or both of his friends on report.
Spock paused outside McCoy's quarters a moment. There was no doubting his course of action so there was no logical reason to delay. He touched the panel, expecting the door to open. Instead, he heard a chime that indicated the door was locked and his identity was being relayed to McCoy by the computer.
"Enter"
Not bothering to suppress his sigh of relief, Spock stepped into McCoy's quarters.
McCoy was standing near a set of shelves, apparently re-arranging and possibly cleaning the items on the third shelf.
He didn't look up at Spock, just continued his work.
Spock crossed the distance in five strides. Reaching out, he grasped McCoy's hand as it closed around what Spock thought was an archaic item called a "snow globe".
Their eyes met.
Years of unspoken mutual attraction and days of contentious close contact reached a peak as they came together in a ferocious kiss. The snow globe dropped harmlessly to the floor. The men soon followed. Whether it was the momentum from his trip across the room or the natural result of his greater height, Spock ended up sprawled over McCoy. Through their uniforms, their arousals touched in exquisite intensity. It wasn't long before McCoy gasped and shuddered, climaxing just moments before Spock, too reached release.
Struggling to regain normal breathing, Spock shifted to support most of his weight on his left elbow, reaching with his right hand to stroke McCoy's face.
"I'm sorry, Spock."
Spock kissed him gently on the brow. "Why would you be sorry?"
"I lost control. I came all over myself like a schoolboy. I'm sorry."
Spock leaned his forehead down to rest on McCoy's. "Obviously, Leonard, your school days were much more interesting than mine. However, since I also, as you say 'came all over myself', I do not think either of us is in a position to require an apology."
McCoy chuckled. "You too? I guess I was too busy to notice."
"Yes, I too was overcome by the moment. I trust neither of us has need to apologize for our passion."
"No, I suppose not."
"Leonard….do we still need to go slow?"
"No, definitely not."
McCoy took a moment to enjoy the simple feeling of being held by Spock. The closest thing McCoy could relate to it was when he'd been handed his medical diploma. He knew that this was a moment he would treasure forever and which would define his life from then on.
He was roused from thought by Spock tapping him on the nose. "What?"
"I would have followed you regardless, Leonard. It was not necessary to declare me unfit for duty."
McCoy wrapped his arms around Spock's shoulders. "Yeah, but this way you can't go running off to the bridge until I'm done with you."
"What is it you wish to do with me?"
"Well…I suppose we really need to clean up before doing anything else."
Spock rose, pulling McCoy up with him. "I suggest a shower would be most efficacious."
Lieutenant Harston looked back at his Captain, wishing he hadn't been the one to file the report.
"Was my report lacking, sir?"
"No, Lieutenant, relax. I just want to make sure nothing about what happened made you uncomfortable."
"Uncomfortable? Not really. Everyone knows when Mr. Spock and Dr. McCoy work together things are going to be interesting. This was maybe a bit more exciting than normal, but I wasn't uncomfortable with it."
"Exciting?"
"Yes, sir."
"What, exactly, was exciting, Lieutenant?"
"Dr. McCoy threw a tri-laser connector at Mr. Spock's head."
"He threw a what?"
"A tri-laser connector. It's used for connecting living tissue at the molecular level. Early on, Mr. Spock theorized it might be possible to surround the infected area in a solid bubble of tissue. He thought the machines might stop reproducing if they couldn't access individual cells."
"Did it work?"
"Only partially. Large quantities of the machines proved capable of digging through the connected tissue. However, it was very effective at halting spread in the first few hours of exposure."
"So, what happened when McCoy threw the…"
"tri-laser connector…"
"Thank you. What happened when McCoy threw it at Spock?"
"Mr. Spock caught it."
"He caught it?"
"Yes, sir."
"That's it?"
"Yes, sir."
"And, this was exciting?"
"Well, it wasn't dull, sir."
Kirk considered the situation. Harston didn't seem particularly disturbed or even surprised by what had happened. He doubted it was going to be necessary to punish Spock and McCoy more than they'd punished each other already. Still, he'd have to talk to them both. It was one thing to argue, but to throw expensive equipment about was unacceptable, especially in front of lower ranking members of the crew.
"Very well, Harston. Thank you for your time. I won't keep you any longer."
Grateful for the dismissal, Harston wasted no time getting out of the lab. The next shift would be arriving soon enough and they could handle any additional clean up that was needed.
Kirk walked over and punched the comm button. "Kirk to Spock."
The computer replied "Commander Spock has invoked privacy level 2. Is this an emergency?"
**Privacy level 2, huh? Spock was probably pouting, though, of course, he would claim he was meditating. **
"No, no emergency." Shutting off the comm, Kirk decided to make a personal visit to McCoy. The story of the tri-laser connector was one he wanted to hear straight from the horse's mouth.
"Sorry I don't have anything that will fit you better, Spock."
"These will be adequate. Thank you for allowing me to borrow them."
"I know I should be tired after all that" McCoy said, with a nod toward the bathroom "but I feel great, full of energy."
"It is a byproduct of the meld. You still require rest." Spock put his hand on McCoy's shoulder. "Remember, that is why you are confined to your quarters. Perhaps a glass of that excellent port would aid in relaxing you?"
"Good idea."
As McCoy moved to get the port, Spock sat on the couch, his fingers steepled in a way McCoy recognized as "thoughtful".
Sitting next to him, McCoy filled two glasses before asking.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I hope. Leonard, did you expect me to be inexperienced?"
"Well, I thought you might be, with a man…I suppose I was a little surprised that you weren't. I guess I'm confused on when you had time to learn…I mean, it hasn't been that long since L'tau's death, has it?"
"No, it has not….however, L'tau was not concerned that I remain monogamous. Indeed, her position as Scontolat necessitated a certain flexibility on that issue."
"You do realize I'm not that flexible, don't you?"
Spock's lip turned up. "Why, Leonard, you surprise me. I thought flexibility was one of your strong suites…. No, I would not expect you to accept anything less than complete fidelity from me."
"Good."
Spock continued concerned: "Are you disappointed not to be my first?"
"Wouldn't that be illogical?"
"It would, however I have never known you to suffer from a fear of appearing illogical."
At that moment the computer advised McCoy that Captain Kirk was standing outside his door.
"Enter"
Kirk walked in. Whatever he might have been expecting, it wasn't to find Spock and McCoy, dressed in what looked like work out or "lounge around the cabin" clothes sharing a bottle of wine.
"Hi, ya, Jim! Grab yourself a glass and join us."
Kirk made a somewhat tentative trip to the counter, keeping his eyes on his officers as he picked up a glass. McCoy turned back to Spock.
"Well, Spock, you're right. I'm not afraid of appearing illogical, but I am definitely not willing to appear or be hypocritical so the answer to your question is NO."
Spock nodded his approval.
Kirk sat somewhat gingerly in the chair opposite the couch. His eyes traveled back and forth between the two men as McCoy reached over to fill his glass.
"What the hell is going on here?"
"To what do you refer, Captain?"
Kirk looked at Spock. "Aren't you confined to quarters?"
Spock looked amused. "You have your officers confused. I {Spock pointed to his own chest} am unfit for duty. He {the point transferred to McCoy} is confined to quarters."
"The last report I had, you two were throwing things at each other."
"Then Lieutenant Harston's report is in error, Captain. I did not throw anything. I merely caught an object which had been thrown."
Kirk was managing to look angry, confused and suspicious at the same time. "Of course. But now you're sharing a bottle of wine."
"Port, Captain."
"What?"
McCoy lifted the bottle "This is Denobulan port. Finest around too."
"Alright, port. One minute you're throwing things, the next you're drinking port together."
"I assure you, Captain, more than one minute has passed since the regrettable tri-laser connector incident."
"Spock…..I'd tell you to shut up, but I still want to know what's going on."
Spock glanced over at McCoy before speaking. "I suppose you could say we found another way to resolve our apparent conflict..."
"A way that doesn't involve throwing things?"
"Right. No more throwing things" said McCoy.
"Do I want to know why you're both out of uniform?"
McCoy and Spock exchanged a look.
"No, Jim, I don't think you do. What do you say, Spock?"
"I would agree with you, Doctor."
Kirk sighed. "You two will be the death of me."
"That would be most regrettable, Captain."
Kirk glared at Spock before speaking. "I have a question. Harston said you were able to isolate the infection if you caught it early on."
"That is correct."
"Why couldn't the infection just be removed? Why did it have to be isolated first?"
McCoy responded "Because the things had a defense mechanism, Jim. It's common in organic infections and diseases though I was surprised to find it in a technological infection. The instant you try to remove it, it infects everything around it like mad, the problem spreads faster than ever. Only by isolating it from the surrounding tissue can it be safely removed."
"Oh."
Spock spoke. "Captain, that information was included in our final summary report as well as our second report on day 2 of the event."
"Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Spock, but I've been busy myself these past days and didn't have time to read all the reports you generated."
"Indeed, Captain. I apologize. I, myself, have been so preoccupied with the activities in the Science Lab that I also find I am behind in reading reports. What has happened to so occupy your time?"
Kirk considered. Spock was second in command and normally expected to be on top of everything happening onboard. However, he was also the head of the Science department and, in this case, he'd appropriately given that priority. Though unusual, it was not surprising that Spock was out of touch. Kirk began recounting the activities of the bridge crew and station staff for the last 7 days. The tale of investigation, discovery and imprisonment of political terrorists was exciting and Kirk enjoyed telling it. He was soon out of his chair, pacing the floor, gesturing with his hands. When he realized he was, yet again, singing the praises of Lt. Uhura he turned to Spock intending to thank him for assigning her the job. What he found stopped him. McCoy had, evidently, dozed off. His head now rested on Spock's shoulder. Spock was gently extracting the glass from McCoy's hand, obviously trying not to wake him.
Noticing Kirk had stopped speaking, Spock looked up and made a slight "shh" gesture before trying, awkwardly, to put the glass on the table without dislodging the doctor's head. Kirk took the glass, earning a grateful glance from Spock just before he reached under McCoy's legs to lift him off the couch and carry him to the bed. Spock managed to get McCoy settled without waking him.
Returning to the Captain, Spock said "I regret that your recounting of ship activities was interrupted, but I did not wish to wake him. The reason I confined him to quarters is his need for sleep."
"Of course. What about you?"
"I too am behind on rest in addition to being currently logged as unfit for duty. I intend to straighten up here some before going to bed myself."
Kirk nodded. "Alright. Hopefully Bones will rescind that tomorrow and you can get back to the bridge."
"I share that hope, Jim."
Kirk left somewhat awkwardly as Spock started clearing glasses off the table.
Spock wondered what he should do next. He didn't wish for Leonard to wake and think he'd been abandoned. Spock's experience with humans was that they reacted negatively to waking and finding their sexual partner had left without notice. However, he had been honest when he told the Captain he did not wish to wake Leonard. Humans often had difficulty regaining sleep once it was interrupted. Yet, to simply join Leonard in bed seemed somewhat presumptuous, despite their earlier activities. Sleeping together was an intimacy that, in some ways, required more trust than sexual contact. Adding to his dilemma was the fact that Spock's uniform was in no condition to be worn for even the short walk to his quarters.
Spock had just begun to consider possible options for obtaining a clean uniform when Leonard appeared, rubbing his head sleepily.
"Please tell me you didn't carry me to bed in front of Jim."
"I regret that I am unable to comply."
"Yikes. Did he bolt out of here like he was on fire?"
"Negative. I am unsure what he concluded had happened. I informed him of my own need for rest and stated my intention to clean up here before going to bed myself."
"humph, Well we're going to have to make sure he understands eventually…. may I ask just which bed you were planning on using?"
"I had not decided." Seeing Leonard's face fall, Spock hurried to prevent any misunderstanding. "My preference would be to remain here with you, but I was unsure of your own desires."
McCoy smiled "well, it would seem our preferences are compatible in several areas, Spock. Why don't you come to bed? I'm sure everything will seem clearer after we've both gotten some sleep."
