Title: Taming the Lion
By: Dragonfire100
Chapter 5
When Leonard had written the report he'd made a point to state that Young was more a victim of Summers stupidity then anything. Which was true. It didn't take long before he got a response stating that the Cadet had been found, raging with fever in his room, his roommate having assumed he'd come down with a cold. Sadly Summers had been practically all over campus having not come in like Young had when he'd started to feel ill. Idiot.
The labs were instantly bursting with activity, racing to compile massive amounts of the vaccine. The academy had immediately sent out an alert that everyone was to receive it regardless if they were feeling ill or not. Every small clinic and the med bay was bursting at the seams as they tried to inoculate the thousands of students on the campus.
Lansing was on report, thank god, and after Leonard had given the younger doctor a piece of his mind-in front of almost the entire staff-Harold had looked thoroughly pale and chastised. He hoped the younger man would learn from this.
Luckily further research had shown that though Gatalis Fever was a down right awful illness to have, if a patient was given the treatment in time the likelihood of death fell by leaps.
McCoy sighed running his hands tiredly down his face. The whole thing would take weeks maybe months to resolve but they had caught it in time.
For the past two he, and a handful of other doctors, had been orchestrating everything and finally they had reached a form of controlled chaos. It was times like these that Leonard actually appreciated Starfleet's regulations, it helped create order in all this mess.
It was mostly nurses who administered the vaccine trained to call for a doctor if the patient had an adverse reaction. So far there had been a blessed few, Jim included. To his irritation he hadn't been there when he'd gotten his shot, idiot was still avoiding him. It wasn't as if he really had time to talk to Kirk anyway, he'd barely been back to their room spending most of his time in the medbay. His back was already protesting his sleeping on the couch in the lounge.
He sat back in the plastic chair equally uncomfortable but even so, glad to be off his feet. Things were surprisingly quiet at the moment, a lull in the storm and he'd found himself in Young's room silently observing her bio readings and sleeping form. He told himself it was because her room was the quietest, being private and all.
Her fever had stopped it's annoying fluctuation and broke the evening prior, most of her other symptoms dissipating. The ordeal had left her exhausted and she spent most of the time sleeping, her body recovering from the trauma. He hadn't seen much of her actually since they'd finished synthesizing the cure.
It was getting late, he noted the time on the wall; nearing ten in the evening and he felt he could finally sleep in his own bed without worrying. Still, he found himself oddly reluctant to leave. He hadn't seen much of her since they'd synthesized the cure and given it to her, the nurses doing most of the monitoring. Leonard realised he felt bad, she had told him she hated hospitals and visitors weren't allowed until she was deemed no longer contagious. Which meant she'd been surrounded by strangers.
Ture he'd only met her a handful of times but his had to be a friendly face by now.
"Rough day." The soft words nearly made him jump and he drew his eyes away from her readings to find Young watching him. A little smile graced her lips and he found himself returning it.
"You could say that." He leaned forward a little.
She appeared to swallow thickly her eyes suddenly darkening.
"Was it bad?"
Leonard blinked. "No, no you're recovering just fine." He was quick to reassure. "You're vitals are stabilizing and-"
"No," He was surprised at the slight desperation in her tone."Sorry," Sheepish now. "I mean, for everyone else, I know how contagious this thing is."
McCoy found his smile broadening warmly at her concern. "Well, it hasn't been easy but things are looking up, with your help we caught it in time."
She closed her eyes briefly in obvious relief. "Good."
"How are you feeling?" He asked after a pause.
"Exhausted, this thing kicked my ass." She mumbled and he chuckled, which was met with a mock glare that turned into another soft smile. "But I'm weirdly tired of sleeping." This was added with an endearing little frown and Leonard allowed the odd tingling in his chest to grow; how tired was he?
"Why are you still here? If you don't mind my asking." Her gaze was oddly intense, as if she could suddenly see right through him.
He shrugged."Guess I'm just restless."
"Well, then, let's be restless together." She suggested. "Can you tell me what's been happening the past few days, hell, I don't even know what day it is."
Leonard huffed a laugh some of the tension leaving his shoulders. They slipped into easy conversation after that, their soft voices filling the once silent room.
He told her about Lansing.
"Thank God." She'd sighed looking relieved and satisfied. "Is it wrong to say I really don't like that man?"
It was his turn for his eyes to darken. "No." He'd muttered and she'd eyed him for a moment before changing the subject.
He learned a surprising amount about her as they chatted. It had been a long time dream of her's to board a starship and study wildlife on different planets.
"You can learn a lot about a planet from its animals." She'd said.
Xenozology was her passion. She was upset that the minnix-an apparently rare creature-had been basically torn from it's home to be sold as an illegal pet.
It was the most relaxed he'd felt in days.
"So did Kirk retake the test?"
He cleared his throat. "I'm not sure, haven't actually seen him for a few days." Leonard hoped that the odd irritation he felt at the question didn't show in his voice.
"He's still upset about me helping him?" She shifted as if uncomfortable."If I'd known he'd object to it that much I'd have let it alone." There was no anger or irritation in her words, more resigned than anything.
"Well, like I said, Jim's complicated."
She nodded looking down at her hands-he'd raised the bed some time ago-seeming contemplative. A corner of her mouth lifted in what appeared to be amusement.
"He wouldn't stop flirting with me you know."
Oh yeah Leonard knew. He sat back in his chair resisting the urge to fold his arms.
"Thought for sure he was going to ask me out." Amusement still laced her tone; McCoy nearly rolled his eyes.
"Well, I did tell him you were the one that hit Taggert and broke his nose." He grumbled and she looked over at him sharply.
"Hit him? What? I never hit Taggert." She all but stammered, looking both horrified and surprised by his words.
Leonard frowned, thinking back to their first meeting. "But you said-"
"When I pushed Walsh she ran into him and he hit a containment unit." Her face reddened as she spoke. "I feel a little bad but it was oddly satisfying and he did deserve it." She muttered.
It was McCoy's turn to be surprised, and amused. And here he'd thought she'd offed and decked him, somehow this was better though. He chuckled shaking his head and if it were possible her face got even redder.
"Does everyone think I hit him?" Horror still laced her words and Leonard had to rane in his growing amusement.
"Probably," His words had her covering her face. "Think you've earned yourself a bit of a reputation."
She groaned. "I don't see how, multiple people saw me not hit him."
McCoy shrugged."Makes for a more compelling story." He couldn't keep the smile off his face.
Young chuffed finally lowering her hands. "Yeah, I guess it does." She looked a little more tired now settling back against her pillow.
The amusement settled comfortable in his chest casting away earlier irritation and the remaining stiffness in his shoulders. Talking with her had been, cathartic.
He glanced at the chronamintor.
"You should sleep." He stood grimacing at the soreness in his muscles.
"Need anything?" He glanced one last time at her readings. Everything looked good.
"Hmmm," She sighed, eyes already closed. "I'd kill for a hot chocolate, with a little, a lot of whipped cream on top."
Leonard chuckled again shaking his head as he headed towards the door. "Maybe tomorrow."
"Thank you." Young's gaze was on him agian, he couldn't read the expression in her eyes but there was a smile on her face.
McCoy returned it before leaving, a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time blanketing his heart.
He'd slept for ten hours straight, and upon waking took a hot shower that worked a hell of a lot better than any muscle relaxer.
After that he'd spent the better part of an hour trying to find exactly what he was currently getting strange looks for.
A quick glare sent most people scuttling quickly on their way.
SFM had insisted he take a few days off, but they said nothing about paying any patients a quick non medical visit.
He easily navigated it's halls ignoring the strange looks he kept getting from the staff over what he had in hand. Could a man not carry anything through the halls anymore? Granted a steaming hot cup of hot chocolate with a mountain of whipped cream was a bit odd-especially for him-but honestly it could be worse.
He expected Young to maybe be with one of the nurses, alone, or even with a fellow Cadet friend. What he hadn't expected was Jim Kirk chatting up a storm next to her bed in the same chair he'd vacated last night.
She saw him first, eyes brightening at the sight of him, a smile gracing her features.
"Dr. McCoy." Her words caught Jim's attention and he looked over.
The blond sat back in his chair grinning. "Bones." He cocked an eyebrow at the drink in his hand. "Did you suddenly grow a sweet tooth?"
Leonard covered his sudden embarrassment at being caught red handed with good old fashioned McCoy grumpiness. "No." Followed by a glare that had Jim's grin widening.
"Is that what I think it is?" Young interrupted gaze landing on the mug.
Choosing to ignore Jim for the moment-because really there was no turning back now-he approached her bed holding it out to her. "Non replicated."
She accepted it without hesitation eyes widening comically. "Holy mother of-" A sip, a look of pure bliss. "You're a saint."
"Hot chocolate? Really? That's your drink of choice." Jim teased and Leonard held back another glare.
"I've got my reasons." She unabashidly licked cream off her upper lip. Her color was much better today, dark circles under her eyes fading, they'd be releasing her soon.
"Jim was just telling me that he retook the test." Young said after a moment as if sensing the odd tension in the room.
Jim? They were on a first name bases now? Leonard cocked an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah, I figured she'd went through all that trouble, might as well." Jim said rubbing the back of his neck in what McCoy knew was an uncomfortable gesture.
So that's why he was here, Kirk was apologising! He wasn't surprised, not really, Jim never could hold a grudge against someone who hadn't really wronged him for long.
"Really?" Leonard folded his arms some of his irritation giving way. He gave the younger man a look that made him squirm a little uncomfortable.
"Passed with flying colors." Jim grinned again trying to dispel it, but McCoy gave it a few more seconds.
"Where did you even get this?" Young asked suddenly, drawing attention back to her.
Leonard shrugged feeling Jim's eyes on him. He refused to be the one to suddenly feel uncomfortable. As a doctor it was only natural that he tried to make his patients feel better, even it was with simple hot chocolate.
"A place not far from here." He walked further into the room.
"Well, you'll have to show me sometime." She said it casually enough, but he really wished she hadn't, at least not in the presence of Jim.
The grin that appeared on the younger man's face was nothing but pure mischief, unadulterated interest sparking in his eyes. Leonard really hoped the glare he sent him would set him on fire.
"Yeah Bones, if the look on her face is anything to go by, that stuff is to good to not know where it came from."
Deep breaths Leonard.
Allison laughed and he felt a little better at the sound of it, though if he were honest he would have rather been the one to make her do it.
"It wasn't all that hard to find." He said with a shrug trying to seem nonchalant.
Jim gave him a look and Leonard chose to ignore it. He didn't particularly care what the blond thought.
"Well I've got class in like ten minutes," Jim stood flashing Allison that smile, the one he often used on women at the bar. "Nice talking to you Allison, hope they don't let them keep you for much longer."
"Thanks for visiting." She said with a smile that weirdly had Leonard's stomach turning.
Jim winked at her, then started for the door pausing to clasp him on the shoulder. "Bones," That spark of mischief was still in his eyes and McCoy found himself wishing he had a hypo with a very strong sedative in hand. "See ya later."
With that said Kirk left and Leonard found he couldn't be more glad, accept now he was alone with her, which wasn't a bad thing, right?
Allison watched Jim leave eyeing the door almost critically, before she spoke again.
"I think something's wrong with him."
Gone was her amusement replaced now with concern, Leonard blinked at the change.
"What do you mean?" He asked glancing back at the door, as if it could provide an answer.
She shifted as if uncomfortable, still cradling the mug in her hands. "Well he was limping when he came in here...I don't know, just didn't seem right."
Limping? Again he glanced at the door. Jim had always been good at hiding injuries-disturbingly good in his opinion-but he'd become pretty good at noticing. He looked back at her; then again he had been, distracted.
Now that she mentioned it though, he had seemed a little stiff in his movements, slow to get up from the chair as if reluctant to.
Leonard clenched his jaw trying to quell his annoyance in her presence, it was directed both at himself-for not noticing-and Jim, the idiot.
"Go, I'm good, thanks for this." She said holding up the mug and gesturing at the door.
Who was this woman?
He nearly shook his head, from his earlier talks with her-notably the one from last night-Young seemed like a compassionate person, who would go out of her way to help someone. A good quality actually, and a little, endearing.
Leonard hesitated glancing at her bio readings. "They should be releasing you in the next twenty four hours."
"Yes I know Nurse Pletchet told me, now go before he disappears." She insisted looking partly amused and concerned. But was her concern for that of a friend or, something else?
He took a deep breath, deciding for the moment to let that thought go, he did however find it hard to ignore 'that smile' Jim had given her.
"Right, thanks for the heads up." A few quick steps towards the door had him out in the hall before he said something stupid.
"Good luck!" She called after.
He supposed he needed that.
To his surprise Jim hadn't gotten far, and he was limping if just a little.
"Jim!" He called out to him.
The blond stopped and turned, smiling at him. "Bones, thought you'd stick around a little longer then that."
Leonard frowned at him, not falling for the bate. "Why are you limping?" He cut straight to the chase, with Jim sometimes that's all you could do.
"I tripped running some laps." He replied easily, too easily and McCoy could see the shutter that had risen in his eyes.
"So all of a sudden you've become a klutz?" He challenged folding his arms.
"I may have gotten, distracted." He grinned and now there was a bit of challenge in his eyes.
"Let me take a look." Leonard grabbed his arm intending to lead him to an exam room.
Jim pulled it free, looking annoyed now. "Bones it's fine, I just twisted it a little."
"You're a doctor now to?" Frustration made his words harsher then may have been warranted, but damn it there was something going on here.
Jim's features darkened, and Leonard realized he lost any chance of reasoning with him.
"I'm already late for class." He said lowly, turning.
"Jim." He tried anyway, annoyed that he'd ruined yet another chance of finding out what was going on.
Kirk ignored him disappearing into a lift.
Leonard wondered how much he was going to regret this.