Illness
by Starsinger
Don't worry, not killing anybody off, but Jim finds himself with a handful of a terrified little girl. Don't own them.
"Uncle Jim? Uncle Jim!" Jo's terrified little voice woke him out of a sound sleep. He blinked at the little girl. "It's Papa! He won't wake up!"
Jim shot straight out of bed, grabbing the bag that Starfleet insisted all medical students keep with them as he went. He raced into Bones' room only to find the man talking deliriously, even from the end of the bed Jim could feel heat radiating off the man. "Jo, I need you to go get dressed," he told the little girl. She nodded and left. He turned to open his bag to find Peter and Penny standing in the doorway. "Peter, Penny, I also need you to get dressed. I'm calling daycare and having them send someone to watch you." They nodded, looking at their Uncle Leonard.
Penny straightened, "I'll call Starfleet Emergency Medical Services, too." Jim nodded, Penny was very mature.
Jim ran a tricorder over McCoy's body. There was a definite infection going on that Jim couldn't pinpoint. He picked up his comm and called the emergency number for the Daycare, "Hey, this is Dr. Kirk. Cadet Leonard McCoy, my roommate, has become very ill, and I'll be going with him and his daughter, Joanna, to the hospital when EMTs arrive. I need someone here to look after Peter and Penny."
A sleepy voice immediately replied, "Yes, Dr. Kirk, we'll send the person next on call list."
"Thank you," he replied as he heard knocking on the door. One of the kids opened the door as paramedics rushed into the room.
"Dr. Kirk, what's going on?" Priscilla asked. She was a short, brunette, who was technically a civilian working for Starfleet General.
"Patient presented with a high fever of 104°F and sudden signs of illness. He was complaining of a slight headache but did not give any information about other symptoms and did not appear to be feverish. His daughter, Jo, woke me a few minutes ago worried about her father." He smiled at the little girl. Jim stepped back and let the EMTs take over. He ran out of the room and got dressed. He emerged from his room to find one of the kids' daycare teacher, Mrs. Abigail, in the room.
"Go ahead, Dr. Kirk. I'll watch the kids," she told him.
Jim took Jo's hand and followed the ambulance to the hospital. There, he did one of the most difficult things a physician can do. He stayed in the waiting room with Jo for word on Leonard. Dr. Reynolds came out after what seemed like hours, he looked at both of them, "Have either of you been vaccinated for Vegan Choriomeningitis?"
Jim thought about it, long and hard, "I don't think I have. I don't know about Jo or the others? Is that what's going on?"
"If you hadn't called us when you did, he would never wake up again, Jim. Bring the other kids in and we'll get you all vaccinated. Just as a precaution," Reynolds sighed. "This is still very serious, Jim, Jo," he squatted down so he could look Joanna directly in the eyes. "I'm not going to lie to you, Miss McCoy. Your Daddy is very sick."
"Is he going to die?" Jo asked.
"I hope not, Joanna. His prognosis is actually very good, now. He's responding to the medication we're giving him, but he's going to be with us for a while. A few weeks at least," Dr. Reynolds bedside manner was very good. "He's in isolation right now, so you won't be able to see him today."
Jim looked at Jo, "We'll come by every day and visit him, Jo, okay?" Jo nodded.
They returned to the apartment after receiving their vaccines to have confirmation that the doctors had been by to vaccinate everyone in the building, including Peter and Penny. Jim thanked Abigail before heading over to the wall comm unit. An elderly woman appeared on the screen, "Hey, Hannah, it's me, Jim. I have some serious news regarding your son, you'll probably want to come to San Francisco." Jim picked Hannah up at the Shuttleport later that day.