Lexxi gasped, but quickly choked it down.  She settled down to wait for McCoy's inevitable entrance.  When it came to his patients, the good doctor could have almost Vulcan hearing.

"What's wrong?" McCoy asked, bursting into the room, his eyes instinctively finding the monitor, his face creased with concern.

"Nightmare," Lexxi replied, sighing wearily.  "It was nothing.

McCoy's face relaxed and his eyes flooded with sympathy.  He could only imagine the horrible images stored in that pretty head.

Lexxi looked away.  She couldn't stand the pity.

"You're getting restless," McCoy observed, "I'm going to release you."

"To sleep?" Lexxi asked.

"If that's what you want," the doctor replied.  "The captain put you in the shore leave party for tomorrow."

"Am I confined to quarters?"

"I don't know, are you a bad girl?"

Lexxi frowned and didn't answer.

"No, you're not," McCoy admonished quickly, "but I want to you take it easy."

"Do you think I could see the ship?  I've never seen a Constitution class starship."

"Never seen…well you will today.  Let's see if Scotty's gone on leave yet.  He'll be happy as a donkey in a circus to show off his engines."

McCoy went to his office and soon a voice could be heard exclaiming, "Ach, so she wants ta see the ship?  The lass has taste.  Send her down!"  Coming back, McCoy was grinning.

"Is that how a donkey reacts to clowns, Doctor?" Lexxi teased.

"Sure is!" McCoy replied, stretching his grin.  He suddenly became serious.  "I don't want you wearing a uniform yet.  Keep to the open back shirts.  When you reopened your burns, they didn't heal as well.  I don't was to regenerate anything yet."  He paused, thinking.  "Do you think you could…"

"No."  The answer was short.

"So I don't want to try regeneration on you until I can be sure your physiology won't reject it."

"It rejects everything else."

"Exactly." McCoy stopped again, studying his patient.

Lexxi studied the doctor.  "Could I have a pair of pants?"

"Pants?"

"Or a long skirt.  I don't really care."

"Why?  Your legs are gorgeous."  He waited for her to look down and make sure.  Her eyes remained steady on his.

"I'm sure you and a majority of the male population on this ship would love to have my legs on display, Doctor, but I'd prefer not to have half my ass hanging out as well."

"I see," the doctor chuckled.  "You state your case well.  You sure don't act like the diplomats I've known."  McCoy thought about all the vain, high and mighty ambassadors the Enterprise had hauled around and their god-awful practice of prolonging everything.

"I like to keep things simple and precise," Lexxi retorted.

"And short," McCoy added.

"Yes, well…"

"I thought patience was a common trait among you people."

"To much patience, Doctor, can kill."

There was an awkward silence.  At least on McCoy's part.  He shifted under Lexxi's hard gaze and noted that such situations happened often with her.  Thankfully, Scotty's happy brogue broke through the tension.

"We're ready for the lass, Doctor, if ye'll just send her down."

"Thanks, Scotty, will do," McCoy replied.  "Christine!" he called and Nurse Chapel appeared, ready and willing for anything.  "Get Lieutenant Montgomery a fresh shirt and a pair of slacks."

"Yes, Doctor," Chapel replied and hurried to complete her task.  She returned and McCoy watched as Lexxi ditched the miniskirt of the pair of pants, marveling at her lack of modesty.  She struggled with the shirt and he subconsciously stepped up to help, gently tying the strings loosely crisscrossing her back.  Something he was a time ago popped into his head.  "I'm a doctor.  When I peek, it's in the line of duty."  A smile played across his lips.  He'd been flirting with a yeoman.  Where'd that gone?  Nowhere.  Precisely where Jim was going with this one.  Still…

"There," McCoy stated and took a step back as she turned to face him.  "I suppose you're now officially released."

"Thank you, Doctor," Lexxi replied, heading to the door.  "As always, it's been fun."