Hello everybody! Sorry it's been so long.
RubyHair : yes, yes it is.
Beverley Sharp : no! I'm just a jerk who stops writing in weird places that result in terrible cliffhangers. If I do kill off a character, you'll know it. :)
Disclaimer : nothing is mine bro.
-1723-
"But-"
"No buts, Jim. You need to eat."
"I already did, and it didn't really go to well."
"Can't you please just try again? For me?"
"I'm not hungry."
"Fine then!" He said pulling his med bag out. "You can eat or I can bring out the hypos. Your choice."
"Damn it Bones! If I eat again I guarantee it'll come back up so what's the god-dammed point! I'd rather you stab me with those damned things than have to go thought that again." Bones moved to pet his hair. "It hurts... It hurts so much.." He said as he began sobbing.
"I'll go get somethin for the nausea, if you want it."
"I just wana go to sleep." He whispered. "I'm so tired... My throat burns, my stomach hurts..."
"Okay. Alright, yeah... Lets... Lets go to bed... It'll be better in the morning, yeah?"
-July 28th, 0156-
A yellow ship moves sluggishly through the vast expanse of space, scanning quietly for its target. Finally, the silver ship comes into view. The captain of the ship sits up in her seat, and then leans forward eyeing the large vessel.
"Is that it? Have we found them?"
"Yes mam, that's the ship, I'm sure of it."
"Fire. I don't care were you hit it, just hit it."
-0211-
An alarm sounded. Quickly, the two occupants of the bed were up and quickly getting dressed in the dark.
"Can I?" The shorter of the two said quietly as they walked out their door. He got a small grunt that he assumed was an affirmative, and slowly move his had into his partner's. "thank you."
"Just this. Your goin back ta bed straight after its over. I have a fellin' were gonna need you ta fix this one."
-0224-
"McCoy, we've got twelve on deck three dead, and eight coming in for surgery." Chapel yelled to him as he entered. She was bandaging a young woman's arm and whipping blood from her forehead.
"Has M'Benga scrubbed in yet?"
"Yes sir. He's in room six."
"Hello? Deck four? Can you hear me?"
"Lieutenant Sulu, track the vessel."
"It's gone sir."
"Gone? How does a ship vanish?" A voice whispered from the doorway.
"Captain? Are you no longer on medical leave?"
"I am. Doctor McCoy made an exception due to the emergency."
"Commander, I need help down here in engendering. Everthin's gone wrong. I need anybody with suit tranin down here to work on deck three and four, they've lost a good parta the outside. We've still got the field though."
"Come on Cap, we better get down there." Uhura wispered.
-July 29th, 0654-
"Scotty, I think we've got four patched up."
"Alrighty lad, send the crew up to three."
-0726-
Ding! "What do you want, I'm sleepin?"
"Captain, we have ascertained the identity of the yellow ship."
"Who were they?"
"They were a faction of Tragodians that had attacked the others on the 22nd, sir.
"M'Benga, how is Ensign Floyd?"
"Stabilized, sir."
-0836-
"Scotty, do you still need people for deck three?"
"Alright Ensign, you're off duty for a week, and on light for a week after."
"Thank you doctor."
-2042-
He stood back up slowly, putting his hand on the stall divider to help himself up. He tried not to look down at the toilet, fearing that it would make him sick once more. He brushed his pants off quietly, and shrugged back into his spacesuit. "Why?" He whispered softly to himself. "Why did they have to die?" He whispered as he began crying. He pushed the visor down and left the small room.
"Cap?"
"Yeah?"
"I made cookies. Want one?"
"What kind are they?"
"Chocolate chip. There vegan and gluten free."
"Yeah... Uh.. Thanks." He said as she handed him one. She smiled and walked away a moment later, leavening him staring down at the warm baked good in his hands. It looked like something you would see on the cooking channel, browned but not burnt, with just enough chocolate. It was pretty much the best looking cookie he had ever seen. It's smell alone made his stomach growl loudly. "It's okay." He thought. "I can do this... I can." He pushed the visor back up and brung the cookie to his mouth. "It's... Okay..." He thought looking down at it. "I can... No... No..." He thought while pulling it back away from his mouth. "No.. They... It's not okay... So many people died... So many people that it was my job to protect... No..." He thought while putting the cookie in his pocket.
-2255-
"Cap?"
"Hmm?"
"When was the last time you slept?"
"I dono, a while ago, I think."
"Go lay down, we can get it from here. You've done more than your fair share of the work."
"I don't mean to be rude sir, but I think it's time you went home."
"Why? How long've I been here?"
"Far to long sir. Go home and get some rest. The paperwork will still be here tomorrow."
"Yeah. Okay."
-July 30th, 0104-
McCoy stood in the doorway between the bedroom and living room, looking down at his lover, who was sprawled out like a cat on their couch.
Jim's skin was pale now, as if it was untouched by even the slightest hint of sun. He wore a black undershirt and his running shorts. The soft blonde hair on his legs was barely noticeable, the feet looking awkwardly large on a man so thin, a man so quiet on his feet that he rivaled a cat. There was a flush on his perfect cheeks, his blue eyes transfixed with a very sad, fragile look. His arms lay across his midsection, his breathing effortless but rapid, pupils widening, slowly obscuring those electric blue eyes. He was trembling all over, but be it because he was cold or the adrenalin Leonard couldn't tell. There was a slight rippling of muscles beneath the deceptively thin arms and scrawny legs.
He kept his eyes transfixed on the light grey carpet, as if it were telling him the deepest, darkest secrets of the universe, not daring to look up at his lover even for a moment. Slowly, he moved to sit up on the long couch, waiting a moment before moving again. He rubbed his eyes a moment, half-heartedly trying to blink away the small black spots at the very edges of his vision, to no avail. With little energy he moved to stand.
The younger man still wasn't looking at him, but he could see the pain in his eyes as he moved in, gently lifting Jim's shirt enough to look at his stomach. The ribs were becoming even more defined than before, and he ran his hands over Jim's jutting hipbones. Len closed his eyes and let the shirt drop back into position. This was his fault; he had been so preoccupied with everything else that he hadn't been paying attention to Jim. Wrapping his hands around Jim's slender waist, he stroked his thumbs up and down his sides, the black fabric rippling as Jim shivered, finally turning his head and meeting his eyes again.
"Bones, I- fuck. I've just been so busy, and you've been busy, and I haven't been able to even think about food..." Jim stopped, searching Len's face before bringing his hands up to cup the sides of Len's neck. "Bones, it's not your fault. Shit happens, alright?" Jim pulled away, walking over to the bed and working his shirt off. "Let's just go to bed, we'll feel better in the morning." Len pursed his lips as the younger man's too-thin frame came into view, and he shook his head.
"No, we both need to eat, and you need supplements to stabilize everything you've thrown out of wack by effectively starving yourself these last few days. I'll get something sent up from the mess." His tone booked no argument, and Jim didn't bother starting one, instead choosing to sag into the mattress. Len walked over to the comm and ordered some stew for the two of them, before opening up his medical kit and fishing out the appropriate hyposprays.
"Aw, Bones, not again-" Jim winced as the hyposprays were depressed into his neck one after the other; if Len was being a little nicer than before, he wasn't going to admit to it.
"They were necessary. I can't have you passing out."
Stowing the used hypos, he cleaned off the small table in preparation of their dinner, occasionally peeking out of the corner of his eye to check on Jim, who had slumped onto his back on the bed.
"Food's here, Jim." The only response he got as he placed the tray down on the table was an inarticulate grunt from the bed, and he snorted. "Jim, get your skinny ass out of bed and get over here."
"I'll eat later." The younger man's voice was muffled by an arm thrown over his face, and Len sighed.
"No, you'll eat now." Grabbing Jim's hands, he pulled the mildly resisting young man to his feet, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and steering him to the table before he could flop back into bed.
"Stop dragging me everywhere," Jim groused as he turned the chair backwards and settled down in it. "Beef stew?" Len nodded, grabbing a spoon and tucking in. He kept his eyes on Jim, however, who picked up his spoon and stirred his stew aimlessly.
"Jim, stop playing with your food." Jim frowned, and continued to stir slowly. "Please?" He whispered. "Darlin please... Please eat something... I'll get anything you want... You don't even have to eat it all... Just please eat something, anything... I can't sit and watch while you do this to your self... Please eat Jim..."
"Please don't make me... I... I don't want to... Please..."
"But Jim... Honey... You need to eat... I'm so worried..."
"I'm sorry... I tried... Really I did... Uhura gave me a cookie, she said she made them herself..." He trailed off. "I wanted to eat it... I'm so hungry, and it looked so good... But I just couldn't. I couldn't do it."
"What... What if I got to the kitchen? Would that help?"
"No... I... I don't want to be alone... It's worse when I'm alone... Please, please don't go..."
"Ok... Yeah."
"Please don't leave... Please?"
"I won't."
"Promise?"
"I'll be here forever. Promise."