"Hi daddy!" his daughter's happy voice greeted him from the screen, and McCoy quickly put a silencing finger to his mouth.
"Hi sweetheart!" he grinned at her. "So good to see you! But Jenny's already asleep."
"Oh, sorry!" Joanna dropped her voice to a whisper. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"And you didn't, honey. It's just that Jenny had a bit of a rough time lately. But you know you can call me anytime. Anytime at all. I'm always happy to hear from you."
His daughter smiled.
"Love you, daddy!"
McCoy almost teared up at that. Only two years ago, he wouldn't have thought they'd ever be this close again. Another 'miracle' that he had to thank Hope for. He cast a fond glance at the sleeping woman in his bed.
"Love you, too, sweetheart!" he beamed, the words tasting wonderfully sweet in his mouth. "So, what's up? Are you feeling all right? All the symptoms of the Andorian fever completely gone?"
"Yes, daddy," Joanna smiled indulgently, "your serum worked like a charm. And as you already know, I was completely back to normal by the end of the second day."
"I know, baby-girl," McCoy grinned sheepishly, "I just can't hear it often enough. So, what are your plans until nursing school starts again? Are you staying on New Oxbridge?"
"No, dad," Joanna said proudly, "I'm assisting with a project on preventing interracial disease transmission in hotspots. Like starbases for example."
"That sounds interesting," the doctor smiled at his daughter's eager face, allowing himself a moment of fatherly pride.
"In fact, I'm already on my way to starbase 49 for some on-site research. You know, the one close to this amazing recreation planet?" she continued, oblivious to her father's eyes suddenly growing wide. "Who knows? Maybe I'll even get the chance to go there!"
McCoy felt the colour draining from his face. His mind was racing. Joanna would be at the very starbase the Enterprise was heading towards. He hadn't seen her since a quick stopover at another starbase, when Hope had still been on the Lexington. And then they'd barely had a couple of hours until her connecting flight.
Here was a chance to really spend time with his daughter! And after the New Oxbridge scare, he so wanted to hold his baby-girl in his arms again. But he just couldn't do this to Hope. Not when the prospect of this shore leave was the one thing between her and a break-down. After all, she'd already been in desperate need of shore leave even before New Oxbridge happened, and yet had unhesitatingly stayed with and been there for him all through these terrible days and nights. She really deserved a break.
And he couldn't really let her go alone, either. She was too vulnerable at the moment. Just that evening had been proof enough that she was still a long way from all right. Whatever was troubling her, might erupt anytime. He needed to stay by her side.
But what was he going to tell Joanna? If he told her, she'd be so disappointed. And there he'd thought he was done being a crap dad. But he couldn't just not tell her, either. She'd see the Enterprise docked at the starbase. Unfortunately, he couldn't even ask Hope's advice in the matter, because she'd undoubtedly make him go see his daughter.
"Daddy? Are you even listening?" Joanna's concerned voice broke into his thoughts. "What's the matter? You've gone all pale!"
"Sorry, sweetheart," McCoy tried to pull himself together and, with a quick glance, made sure that Hope was still fast asleep. "I'm all right. It's just that, right now, the Enterprise is headed for starbase 49, too. But there's something I need to ..."
He was interrupted by a delighted squeal coming from the screen, followed by Joanna quickly clamping her hand over her mouth.
"Sorry, daddy," she giggled, "but this is just such a perfect coincidence. I can't wait to see you! And finally get to know Jenny. After all you've told me about her, she's got to be pretty awesome. And from what Elizabeth said, she also played a big part in keeping you together and focused on finding my serum."
"She sure did," McCoy replied quietly, overcome with endless love for both Hope and his daughter.
Staring at Joanna's face for a few moments, he tried to find the right words to tell her that their meeting was not going to happen.
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart, but I won't be there," he began, his heart breaking when he saw Joanna's face falling. "I can't, baby. I wish I could. But Jim's sending us to this recreation planet, and Jenny really needs to go. She's had some terrible things happen to her recently. And even before she returned to the Enterprise, too. Apart from that, she's already sacrificed one shore leave to help me with your serum."
"And you're going with her, I take it?" Joanna's disappointment was more than obvious.
"She's not in a good state, emotionally. I'd really rather not leave her alone for several days in a row right now."
"Of course," Joanna nodded, an understanding smile on her face. "I couldn't just come, too, I guess?"
"Unfortunately, it's not that easy, honey. Access is limited, and I can't really ask anyone else to give up their ticket. We've only got tickets for those who stayed aboard to help me with your serum during our last shore leave in the first place."
"I see," Joanna nodded again. "It was very short notice anyway. We'll meet up some other time."
"We definitely will, sweetheart," McCoy said. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. We'll make plans for a proper vacation, all right?"
"All right, daddy, I'll hold you to that," Joanna smiled, no trace of reproach in her eyes.
She was a wonderful girl. Always had been. Sweet-tempered and forgiving. Come to think of it, she was a lot like Hope in many ways.
"Jenny's been there for me all through your sickness, sweetheart," he couldn't suppress the urge to explain some more. "And now someone died to save her life. It's difficult for her to come to terms with that."
"Don't worry daddy, I understand," Joanna looked straight at him, and he could see the compassion in her eyes. "Survivor's guilt. That's heavy. Incidentally, that was a big part of my finals just before I went to New Oxbridge. You'll need to ..."
McCoy was deeply touched as she launched into a list of things he should do for Hope. Nothing he hadn't known before, of course, but the way she'd switched from disappointed to trying to help in the blink of an eye just melted his heart. She really was his girl.
"Will Uncle Jim be at the starbase?" Joanna asked, suddenly perking up.
"Oh yes, he will," McCoy chuckled, thinking about how Jim had, of course, managed to wiggle his way into his daughter's heart at the very first meeting. "And I'm sure he'll be more than happy to meet up with you."
They chatted a little longer, and McCoy was relieved to see that his daughter genuinely wasn't angry with him. But when, after they'd ended the call, he quietly crawled back into bed, nestling up against Hope, he started to have second thoughts. Had he done the right thing? Hope needed him, and he'd do anything for her. But he'd just had the chance to see Joanna after her illness, and he'd blown it.
-x-x-x-x-x-
Jenny woke up to the sound of hushed voices, but chose to stay quiet in order not to interrupt the father-daughter conversation. Leonard always used this special voice for Joanna, so warm and soft, and Jenny loved to listen to him talking to her. But when she heard McCoy rejecting the chance to meet his daughter on her behalf, she was appalled.
Her first impulse was to jump up and set this straight. There was no way she'd let him miss out on a chance to see Joanna. But then she thought better of it. Knowing Leonard, once he'd made up his mind not to leave her, because, apparently, she needed constant monitoring, he'd never agree to go. She'd have to find a way to make him.
Jenny felt terrible about having worried him so badly, even though she hadn't even been aware of it, but that couldn't be helped now. She'd go see the captain tomorrow and ask his advice. After all, he was Leonard's best friend and had known him and Joanna for years.
-x-x-x-x-x-
"Have you got a minute, Captain?" Jenny asked the next morning, right after breakfast. "I'd like your advice on something."
McCoy had seemed rather down when he'd got up that morning, and although he'd tried to pass it off as his usual early morning grumpiness, Jenny knew better and couldn't wait to put things right.
"Of course, Hope," Kirk smiled at her, "What can I do for you?"
"It's about Dr. McCoy," she replied, and was glad when the captain took her by the arm and guided her to a quiet corner table in the mess.
"Shoot," he said with an encouraging smile, but she could see the concern in his eyes.
"Joanna's going to be at starbase 49, too. Leonard only found out yesterday evening, but he told her he couldn't meet her, because he needs to come with me. After my stupid breakdown when Calmara got shot, he's so worried about me, he won't leave me alone for a minute. But I couldn't live with myself, knowing that he missed out on a rare chance to see his daughter because of me."
"I see," Kirk said, nodding thoughtfully. "Did you tell him that?"
"No," Hope replied quietly, "he doesn't even know I know. And what would have been the point, anyway? You know him, he invented stubbornness."
"You're probably right," the captain agreed. "How can I help? Have you got anything in mind?"
"Actually, yes, I have," Jenny grinned. "But I'd like your opinion first, and I'll definitely need your and Mr. Scott's help to put my plan into action."
"Right," Kirk grinned back. "Let's get on it, then."
Plotting behind his friend's back to surprise the grumpy doctor and make him happy was right up his alley.
The captain made a few calls, Jenny talked to Scotty, and by evening, everything was arranged. There was only one thing left to do: call Joanna and let her in on their plan. So, Jenny sent McCoy on a 'men's night out', and settled down in front of the computer to call Leonard's daughter, who was rather taken aback to hear from her.
Jenny quickly explained her plan, and wasn't too surprised when Joanna, in true McCoy style, refused the offer.
"This is awfully kind of you, Jenny," Joanna smiled, "but I couldn't accept that. Daddy would be livid, if I did."
"Of course, you can! Don't worry about your dad, Joanna," Jenny smiled. "I'll make sure to let him know that it was all my idea. Besides, when he sees you, he'll be so delighted, he'll forget all about being angry with either of us."
"You think?" Joanna asked, and Jenny could see her eyes lighting up with hope. "Daddy seemed pretty concerned about you."
"Your dad is overreacting," Jenny reassured her. "You know how much he worries and how protective he gets. But he really needs to see you! He was worried sick about you, when you had the fever. I've never seen him so distraught, so afraid before. He was in pieces, and he definitely needs to spend time with you."
"Okay, then. Thank you, Jenny," Joanna said with a grateful smile. "You really love him, don't you?"
"More than you can imagine," Jenny smiled back. "Your dad is the most wonderful person I've ever met. He means everything to me."
-x-x-x-x-x-
A few days later, McCoy and Hope stepped onto the transporter platform. They were the last of the small group of lucky crew members to beam down for what was advertised to be an unforgettable shore leave, and McCoy found himself really looking forward to it.
He still felt bad about not seeing Joanna, of course, but when he looked at Hope's beaming smile, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, he couldn't really feel sorry. Her delight was contagious. Even Scotty at the transporter console seemed to be affected by her happiness. McCoy could have sworn he saw him grin and wink at Hope as he entered the coordinates.
At the last moment, Hope pressed a kiss on McCoy's cheek and a card into his hand, before stepping onto her own pad.
"Please take this, Leonard," was the last thing the surprised doctor heard before feeling the familiar tingling of the transporter beam taking him away.
