Chapter 48
When she walked towards March's cell, she had to stop and stare.
He looked worse than McCoy.
Far worse.
Blood on his face, his arm looked like it was in an off position… he was curled in a tight ball in the corner of the cell.
The glass opened and Lena stepped through, sitting on the opposite bench.
March didn't say anything, lapsing them into complete awkward silence.
"March, are you-"
"You move quickly, don't you?" he spat, blood flying from his mouth, spattering onto the clean white floors of the cell.
She flinched back, and glared.
Of course he would think only that… his small minded-
"When I told him about the first time I kissed you, the look on his face-" he continued.
"You had it coming, you imbecile!" she shouted, standing up and walking towards him, stopping just a few inches away. The protective wall moved with the Starfleet officers, staying intact.
March glanced up at her, noticing their closeness, and he shot up.
He reached out a hand towards her and hit the barrier, gasping as he pulled his hand back as the sparks emitted.
She laughed, and shook her head.
"Jesus, March, you've brought us all back to Junior High."
"He threw the first punch-"
"You provoked him and we both know it!" she snapped. March stopped, staring at her, tilting his head.
"Holy shit," he muttered.
She shook her head, not giving him the pleasure of confusing her – which he did – but she wasn't about to show it.
She looked over at Maika, and nodded.
Makia drew her mouth into a thin line, but pushed at her controls, the glass splitting in two and opening the cell.
Lena dropped her bag on the floor and opened it, glancing at March with a medical stare this time.
He needed his shoulder popped back in… the cuts and bruises looked serious, but she could to without stitches – that would mean more time around him.
Two red shirts came forward and stopped outside the cell, hands behind their backs, watching Lena and March.
March looked at the red shirts, then back to Lena, grinning.
"Can't trust yourself around me?" he asked.
Without warning, she slapped him. She was in that kind of mood.
The men in her life thought they could rile her up, using her sexuality against her?
They thought wrong.
A red shirt stepped forward, and Lena held up her hand, shaking her head.
"Just putting him in his place, hon. But if he raises a hand to me, or I do the same, you both have my permission to stun his ass," she said, smiling up at the officer.
He glanced between the two of them, but nodded.
"Yes, Doctor," he replied, taking a step back.
"Doctor," March repeated, and Lena shook her head, positioning her hands on his popped out arm at the right points.
"Take a deep breath, this will be the worst of it," she lied; not even counting down as she popped it back in.
He didn't cry out – but that was March.
"You're in love with him, aren't you?"
Her grasp around his arm tightened, her knuckles turning white.
"Holy shit… you do."
She let go of him, grabbing the antiseptic spray and applying it on his face, at least her Hippocratic Oath had her hand reaching up to cover his eyes.
"You don't know what you're talking about, March," she muttered as she finished, bringing up the cortilivion crème, deciding to leave it with him. He could do it with his good arm to heal up his brusing.
She stood up, not looking at him as she set the small jar on the seat next to him.
"A little goes a long way. See you never," she said, turning to walk out, giving a nod to Makia.
"You're here, covering up his… covering up for him. You didn't argue when he manhandled you after I kissed you in the Medical Bay," he said, which had her stopping.
She turned to him, ready to tell him again that he didn't know anything, but he continued.
"The look on your face said it all, Lena."
He dropped his head, sighing.
She blinked down at him, his body relaxing in defeat.
"I'll miss you, Milena. At least-"
She turned and stepped out of the cell, Makia closing it behind her. Lena turned and glanced at the two red suits, who looked away from her, as though pretending they hadn't heard anything, or knew who March was talking about.
As if the ship wasn't a gossip mill.
She shook her head and had reached the doors of the lift before March said his final words to her.
"He's alright, Milena."
She stopped.
She shouldn't react. She should just walk into the lift and go back to the Medical Bay and rip a new one onto Leon…
She turned, her heart overriding her brain, but she winced all the same.
"He's perfect, March. Goodbye," she said, not waiting for his reaction as she turned and ignored the Red Suits staring at her in surprise as they boarded the lift.
The red suits pressed the controls and they headed to the main Security bay as Lena's thoughts stirred into a hurricane of confusion.
Holy shit.
Holy shit.
Holy shit!
The lift slowed down and let out a series of beeps as the doors opened to the bustling Security Bay. One of the red suits left immediately, but the other hung back, clearing his throat.
She looked up at him, blinking.
"The longer you put it off… the longer they wait. And sometimes they don't wait," he said, staring down at her.
Her eyes widened, but she nodded.
"Uhm, okay."
He gave her a curt nod.
"Doctor," he said as a goodbye, leaving her alone on the lift as the doors closed.
She took deep breaths as the lift moved.
Her and Leon had a lot to discuss.
The lift doors slid open to an empty medical bay.
She frowned, and stepped through, looking back and forth.
This was new.
"Hello?" she called out, confused. She wasn't gone that long…
"You treated him?!" she heard and turned her head to see McCoy advancing on her looking downright furious.
Kirk appeared behind him, frowning at his colleague rushing forward and standing in front of him so Leon had to stop.
"Bones," Kirk said in a warning.
Leon met her eyes over Kirk's shoulder, his eyes drawn tight.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered, and then added something else but it was so soft that Lena barely heard it.
Kirk nodded and then turned to her, smiling.
"Doctor," he said, giving her a peculiar look and a nod as he walked to the lift.
"Captain…" she faded off, still staring at McCoy, who was staring right back.
She took in a shuddering breath at the hiss of the lift doors closing, leaving them alone.
Where the hell had everyone gone?
"You destroyed him," she whispered.
She might as well start somewhere – the damage Leon had inflicted on March… Seeing how bad he was when he came back from his 'friendly' visit with the prisoner, she wasn't prepared when she went to treat March.
"And nobody else was going to treat him," she continued, "prisoner or not, he's still-"
"Don't even finish that sentence-"
"A patient, McCoy."
"I don't want him near you again."
"I was there to cover your ass, Bones!"
He stopped, and ticked an eyebrow.
"You only use that when-"
"I'm pissed the fuck off! Yes, Bones, I'm pissed. You assaulted a prisoner. You-"
"He deserved it-"
"I know that, you idiot, but you-"
"What?" he asked.
She stopped, and raised a brow.
"What, what?" she asked.
He took a step towards her, making her retreat. Her back hit the closed door of the office.
"You knew he deserved it."
She blinked.
"Well of course, but that doesn't give you the damn right to beat him to a pulp!" she yelled, hitting his chest with her fists. He barely moved.
He didn't say anything, so she continued.
"I had to reset his shoulder. I had to give him stitches, all the while listening to his bullshit about you, about us, even talking down on you and pissing me off even more…" she said, fading off at what seemed a permanent grin on Leon's face.
"What? Why the fuck do you keep staring at me like that?!"
He shook his head, leaning in closer, his face warm as he looked at her.
The look on your face said it all, Milena.
She blinked, her eyes refocusing on him.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked, reaching forward to twist his finger around a few stray hairs that fell from her bun.
She closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly.
His body left hers and she opened her eyes, watching him walking away, letting out a heavy breath as a fist slammed down on his desk, making her jump.
"I'm in love with you," she barely whispered, but the way his body tensed up – he heard her.
He spun back around, taking two big steps towards her, crowding her in again even though she hadn't moved.
"What?"
She swallowed, and gave a small cough to clear her throat.
"I'm… I'm pretty sure I'm in love wi-"
He cut her off by melding their mouths together. It wasn't hurried, or angry, or devouring like the others they'd shared; it was soft, delicate…
He pulled back, letting out a small hum, keeping his eyes closed.
"The year probation was definitely worth hearing that," he said.
Her eyes shot open.
"A fucking year?!"
"This is unacceptable, Captain!" Admiral Pike almost shouted over the intercom, his angry yet reserved face filling the window of the bridge.
Kirk only gave a curt nod.
"I delivered him his reprimand. He has taken it in stride."
"He's off the ship during his probation," the Admiral said, and the whole bridge fell silent.
If crickets could survive in space, one would be heard.
"Apologies, Admiral, but I thought I just heard you say-"
"You heard me, Kirk. He was in direct violation of not only Starfleet Regulation, but of the Geneva Laws that have been in effect for centuries. What he did to that prisoner is deemed torture, any which way."
"Sir, none of our shuttles have the capacity for such deep space travel, how will he-"
"The moment we learned of the escaped prisoner March Gold was in your custody, a sub-Ship was sent to your location. He is a prison under federal custody, not Starfleet. He will be dealt with the proper authorities back on Earth. And our dear Officer Bones will spend the duration of his probation here, working at Starfleet offices, training new recruits."
"He's gonna love that," Uhura muttered, and Kamira stifled a laugh, glancing over at the image of her father. She had just had a teleconference with him earlier that week, and he'd noticed right away that something was off with her.
She passed it off as excitement and lack of sleep, being on such an exciting ship.
Pike had only stared at her, but given that he wasn't there in person, she didn't cave and tell him that she didn't think she even wanted to be on the ship anymore.
She wasn't an official member of Starfleet. She was there by default. And Kirk… she knew she felt something for him that he didn't return – at least not completely. The way they were now, it was as though the both of them knew it was a temporary something… it wouldn't last forever.
And she didn't want to be stranded on the ship when their end time came.
"That is all, Captain," her father said over the com.
Kirk, sitting straight in his chair uncharacteristically, only nodded.
"Admiral."
"Captain," Pike said as he reached forward and the comm. disappeared, showing the endless stars outside the bridge window.
The bridge stayed silent, everyone staying still in their seats, their eyes glued to their Captain.
Karmira stared at him.
She had to leave. She had no place here. The more she thought about it, the man sitting in that chair was the only reason she was still there.
And now…
Kirk stood up, staring out the window before taking in a deep breath.
"Spock, you've got the bridge," he said, briskly walking towards the lift without a backwards glance.
Spock walked towards the chair but only stood beside it, as though he was still second in command.
Kamira turned away, back to the controls, with nothing to do now that her dad's comm was down.
"Hey," Uhura said softly, and she looked over, "you okay?"
Kamira gave the best smile she could before shrugging.
"This is all so weird… but yeah, I'm okay," she said, turning her head back to the controls so her lie wasn't so obvious.
