"Is Mr. Spock all right?" Lexxi asked as the doctor walked into the room. She was sitting up, her bandaged back to the door.
"Did I tell you that you could get up?" McCoy countered as he walked around the bed to face her. He was the concerned look on her face and sighed. "Yes, he's fine. Returned to duty two days ago."
There was a pause as McCoy examined Lexxi. He felt for her ribs through the slight, backless shirt with sure, strong hands and she jumped back.
"Hurt?" he asked.
She shook her head slightly. "Don't you have scanners for that?" she asked.
The doctor grinned. "That's too impersonal, I'm just an old country doctor. How can you heal without any touch?"
Lexxi smiled for the first time revealing white teeth. She changed the subject. "Could you tell Captain Kirk he has my graditude?"
McCoy motioned for Lexxi to turn around and as she did, said, "You can tell him yourself tomorrow." He gently unwound the bandages covering her burnt back. "I'm releasing you today, and we arrive at Star Base 028 for shore leave in the morning. I believe the captain wants to take you down with him. And I'm thinking about letting you go, if you rest for the remainder of the day." Lexxi felt his warm touch trace the outline of the healing skin. "Not quite, you'd better be careful for a while," the doctor warned.
"Yes, sir." McCoy noticed a hint of sadness in the girl's voice. He took a hold of her shoulders and softly turned her to him. She recoiled at his touch, as Spock would and had. He added this to his growing list of questions for her.
"Do you want to talk about something? What did they do to you down there?" he asked quietly.
She shrugged. "No." Lifting her eyes to his, she was startled by the caring in their beautiful blue. "You're releasing me?"
"Yes, but not before some questions."
Lexxi frowned. "Okay…" her voice trailed off as McCoy pulled a chair up beside the bed.
"I've been doing a little research," the doctor began, a hint of pride in his tone, "and there is no record of anything…anyone like you."
"I know."
"And…"
"I believe you are the one who needs to continue, doctor, you have yet to ask anything," Lexxi replied, aware of the frustration this caused McCoy.
"Right," McCoy replied curtly and then sighed. "Why?"
"Why what?" Lexxi countered, avoiding his question.
"I'm going to lay everything out on the table for you, Lieutenant, and you're gonna explain some things," McCoy raised his voice.
"Call me Lexxi," Lexxi asked calmly.
"Lexxi," he repeated and paused, thrown slightly off by her request. "I've looked over your medical records and they state that you are a healthy human."
"Yes."
"But I have seen with my own eyes and you have admitted to me that you are not."
"Right."
"How were you able to fool some of Starfleet's best doctors like that?"
"Very carefully," Lexxi answered, smiling. "What else?"
McCoy frowned. He obviously wasn't getting anywhere with this conversation. "When Jim…the Captain brought you in, you were dripping with silver blood. But when he set you on the bed and saw his shirt soaked with it, he look surprised, scared maybe. Why?"
"I can't answer that."
"Why the hell not?"
"You are asking me to explain another person's reaction. I can't do that. I can speculate. Maybe there was more than he expected, maybe less. Perhaps it wasn't the color he expected. Perhaps, doctor, he did not see it before. I don't see why you are so worried about this."
"Perhaps you're right," the doctor sighed. He sat back in his chair and looked thoughtful, his jaw jutted out to one side. "One more," he said after a few seconds of silence. "Is it warm in here?"
"Yes, slightly."
"Is it always warm for you?"
"No, I'm usually quite comfortable."
"Then why now?"
"You're the doctor."
"Dammit, girl!" McCoy suddenly exploded. "Why won't you tell me anything?"
Lexxi bit her bottom lip. Unshed tears welled up in her eyes, clouding her vision. She swore inwardly, tensing up. In and out, don't get involved, she told herself. But the doctor, with concern creasing his face and caring in his eyes stood and reached out to place a cool hand on her flushed cheek.
"Don't!" she spat, "You pretend to care, but only long enough to gain my trust." Each word came as though bitter in taste, hastily spit out.
"Is that what you think?" McCoy asked quietly asked, falling back into his chair, eyes wide.
"No," Lexxi replied, the epitome of calm, "it's what I know. People like you just can't wait to get your hands on someone like me."
"You know?"
"Yes, doctor. No one is perfect. Charades end and facades fall and soon someone knows. I was different. Something to fear."
"Something to fear," McCoy repeated, "you mean they…"
"Do you really want to know?" Lexxi interrupted, jaw set and eyes ablaze. "Yes, it is warm in here. But only because I have not been able to compensate for that yet. The captain froze at the sight of my silver blood because it was red the last time he had seen it. And I fool all of those damned doctors that same way I fooled you years ago, Doctor Leonard Horatio McCoy!"