Chapter 7: Morning

Author's note: This chapter is a little different. It shows what's going on in front of the door of Jim's room - and then what's happening behind the door at the same time.

(In front of the door)

"Have you seen, Doctor McCoy?"

The nurses at the main desk on the surgical floor looked to Doctor Philipp Boyce and shrugged.

"It's still 40 minutes until her shift starts", one of the nurses said.

Boyce crossed his arms. "Yes, but she's always an hour early."

Another nurse, holding an empty med tray, joined them.

"Elise, have you seen Leah McCoy?" her colleague asked. "She didn't arrive yet, did she?"

Elise put the tray down and looked at them confused. "How could she? She never left."

"What?" Boyce replied in surprise.

The nurses started to giggle.

Elise shrugged. "Doctor McCoy was with Jim Kirk the whole night. The privacy lock is still engaged, so she's still in there, I guess."

"I see..." Boyce successfully suppressed a grin thinking back at his and Chris Pike's conversation the day before. Well, of course this didn't have to mean anything for he knew of something similar from the New York hospital. But on the other hand - Jim Kirk was much better now. Was there a reason to stay with him over night?

The nurses whispered and Elise picked up the tray to fetch some more meds.

"Alright..." the doctor finally said. "Back to work, everyone. I'll look for her later." He left and was about to head to his office and call Pike when it occurred to him that he was way too curious. He simply had to find out first if there was something going on - or not.

So, Boyce went to Jim Kirk's room. He wondered how mean it would be to disturb them. He assumed they were still asleep or at least in bed, because the lock was still active. He could used his authorization to override the code. But - no, he didn't want to go that far.

Boyce touched the button next to the door. "Mr. Kirk, this is Philipp Boyce, are you awake?"

No reply.

"Cadet Kirk, rise and shine", he tried again.

A disapproving groan was the answer. "What?" Jim's voice sounded, accompanied by the ruffling of sheets.

Boyce chuckled. "Just wanted to check how you are, Kirk."

A familiar female snort was the answer to that. "Yeah, right. You know perfectly well that I'm in here, Doctor Boyce", Leah McCoy said. "You're worse than the nurses."

Boyce laughed. "Good morning to you too, Doctor McCoy."

"Wanna come in?" she asked with annoyance in her voice.

"That depends - are you decent?"

Leah snorted again and Boyce heard Jim laugh.

"That's not an answer", Boyce teased.

"I've got still 30 minutes until my shift starts", Leah replied.

"Still not an answer."

"So override the lock", she asked annoyed.

Boyce let out a laugh. "No thanks, I have no intentions to accidentally see my best doctor naked."

Another snort. This time a really annoyed one. "I'm not naked", came in an higher pitch of her voice.

"Ah! See, that's a proper answer", Boyce gave back amused.

"You don't have to be naked to be in bed, of course", Jim threw in casually.

"Jim!"

"What?" Jim asked innocently.

Boyce laughed. He was really tempted so tease them further and find out how together they already were. His money was on full-on-couple. But he didn't want to stretch it too far. He was already pleased with the outcome of this conversation - something had definitely changed between Jim Kirk and Leah McCoy. He pondered if he should tell Christopher Pike and tease him with the news or if he should wait until the picture was complete.

"Well, I'll be on my way then", Boyce finally said. "Doctor McCoy, I expect an update on Kirk's file in two hours on my desk."

"Yes, Sir."

(Behind the door)

Leah McCoy awoke by the feeling of a hand roaming over her body. The sound escaping her lips was half a moan of pleasure, half a sigh in annoyance. "I'm not having sex with you in the hospital, Jim", she murmured, when his hand trailed south and she felt his hardness against her ass. He spooned against her.

Jim chuckled and kissed her neck. "You didn't protest, when I was doing this last night, Bones."

"You just can't keep your hand to yourself, can you?" Now Leah smiled and sighed contentedly.

"I just thought I give you a nice start in the day if we can't do more at this point." But to tease her he moved his hands into the other direction and let it rest at the swell of her breasts, making her shiver from the light touched of his fingers.

"Be patient, Darlin'." Leah shifted, so she was laying on her back and could look him in the eyes. "When you're released I'll take a few days off and we can... explore our new relationship."

"I like that plan", he grinned and leaned over to kiss her.

She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around him, avoiding to touch the remainders of his injuries. When they parted again after some kisses that grew quite steamy she glanced at his vitals on the screen.

"See? Already almost too much so short after such a severe trauma to your body. We may be in the 23rd century, but medicine and technology can only do that much. Your body needs time to heal, Jim."

He sighed. "I know... I'm impatient. I feel that everything's healing fine, I can move better... but I also feel tired and sore and... okay, I admit, that I'd probably fall over if I tried to get to the bathroom alone."

That made Leah laugh and her light laughing made him look at her full of affection. He balanced carefully and reached out to gently slide a strand of hair from her cheek. "Can't I keep you here, Bones? Do you really have to go to your shift?"

"Yes."

Jim sighed again.

"I'll spend my lunch break with you and will be here right after my shift."

"Is there a chance for me being discharged today? Or Tomorrow?" he asked hopefully. "I mean, the worst is healed. The regens took care of the superficial wounds. And the pain's better."

Leah reciprocated his movements and gently stroked his hair with one hand. "Be patient, Darlin'. You need to be monitored for one or two days. But I'll talk to Boyce. Maybe I can convince him to release you into my care."

Jim chuckled. "I think I already am in your care, Bones." He leaned in for another kiss and the two of them barely noticed, the beeping sound from the door.

"Mr. Kirk, this is Philipp Boyce, are you awake?" Philipp Boyce's voice sounded through the com.

Leah automatically broke the kiss, startled by the voice of her mentor.

Jim groaned. "Nooo... not now..."

Leah just looked at him pondering what to do.

"Ignore him", Jim said.

"Cadet Kirk, rise and shine", Boyce spoke again.

Leah rolled her eyes and pressed the button of the com for Jim.

Jim let out a disapproving moan. "What?"

A chuckled sounded. "Just wanted to check how you are, Kirk."

Now Leah snorted, not caring about what Boyce might say. She'd been prepared to someone disturbing them anyway. And she knew that her mentor or the nurses had to know that she'd spent the night in Jim's room. "Yeah, right. You know perfectly well that I'm in here, Doctor Boyce", Leah said. "You're worse than the nurses."

Boyce laughed. "Good morning to you too, Doctor McCoy."

"Wanna come in?" she asked with annoyance in her voice.

Jim grinned and tried to stay silent.

"That depends - are you decent?" Boyce asked back.

Leah snorted again and now Jim laughed.

"That's not an answer", Boyce teased.

"I've got still 30 minutes until my shift starts", Leah replied.

Which Jim took as a cue and started moving a hand under her shirt again. She glared at him and had a hard time to concentrate.

"Still not an answer", Boyce said.

Still glaring at Jim and getting a little payback as well as probing what Boyce would do, she said: "So override the lock."

Jim froze for a moment, contemplating if she'd really said that.

They heard Boyce laugh. "No thanks, I have no intentions to accidentally see my best doctor naked."

Jim grinned.

Leah let out an annoyed snort. "I'm not naked", she protested in a higher pitch of her voice.

Which Jim took now as a cue to make her shirt slide up and expose her breasts. She squirmed a little - startled by Jim acting like this with Boyce outside and getting aroused by the movements of Jim's hands at the same time.

"Ah! See, that's a proper answer", Boyce gave back amused.

"You don't have to be naked to be in bed, of course", Jim threw in casually, working on getting more of Leah's skin free from the shirt.

"Jim!" She glared at him for saying that. Maybe for what he was doing with and to her, too.

"What?" he asked innocently.

And it occurred to Leah immediately, that Boyce had no idea what was going on. But he laughed. Apparently he simply assumed they were bantering as usual.

Sort of true. But with some physical action now.

"Well, I'll be on my way then", Boyce finally said. "Doctor McCoy, I expect an update on Kirk's file in two hours on my desk."

Leah barely managed not to moan and answer in a normal voice. "Yes, Sir."

She sighed relieved at the beep that signaled the end of the com connection. Then she gave in and threw her head back in the pillow as Jim lowered his head and took one of her nipples into his mouth. "Jim..." she moaned and tried to keep a clear head. "I need to get ready for my shift now. Got about 25 minutes. I need a shower."

He locked their eyes and grinned. "That sounds like a great idea."

Leah rolled with her eyes and pulled her shirt down. "That wasn't an invitation."

"But I need a shower, too." Jim smirked. "Or should I call a nurse later?" He gave her a provoking look. "I will."

She rolled her eyes again and got out of bed. "Unbelievable... I'll prepare everything and help you into the bathroom. But you behave in the shower."

Jim grinned again and looked at her intensely. "Where's the fun in that, Bones?"

She just sighed and activated the com to inform the head nurse that she'd be late for her shift. Maybe she could do something to wipe that smug smirk of Jim Kirk's face.