When Leonard McCoy returned to his room after his classes the next night there was a package waiting at his door. His brow furrowed in wonder at what it would be till he saw a handwritten note attached. To LM, from JP. His heart skipped a beat. The illustrious computer whiz Jessica Patton had left him something. He went into his room and quickly opened the stark white box. Packaged within was a brand new top of the line PADD. Another handwritten note was attached.
Don't get your feathers ruffled. I didn't purchase this personally. It's Starfleet issue. I'll explain more later. Message me when you have time and we can get together so I can help you transfer your files over. ~JP
Leonard set his bag down and forced himself to take the time to change out of his cadet uniform into casual clothes before sitting on his bed and leaning back against the headboard. He pulled out his old PADD and sent a quick message.
LM: Don't know what you did to get me the new gadget, and maybe I don't want to know, but thank you nonetheless. How's your night looking? Can I take you up on that offer for tech support assistance to get the thing set up?
He wasn't expecting an almost immediate response, but he got one.
JP: No plans tonight, and since you already know where I live, why don't you stop by? I can fix coffee.
LM: Sounds great. How do you feel about donuts?
JP: Donuts are amazing. Why?
LM: You make the coffee. I'll bring donuts. See you in a bit.
When Leonard approached her dorm room a while later it was hard to miss the three younger first year students giggling from a doorway several doors away as they observed him. He nodded toward them. "Good evening, ladies," before tapping the chime on Jessica's door. It was only then that he realized there was loud music coming from the other side of her door, but he couldn't help but smirk—it wasn't the thumping beat of the music he usually heard when Jim dragged him to the bars, or the rock and roll electric guitar he'd heard from Jim's playlist. It was guitar and a distinctly country sounding singer. This girl really was from the mountains of North Carolina, and he may have softened even further to her in that moment.
"Just a minute!" he heard her yell before the music got turned down and then the door slid open. She was running a towel through her damp hair and wore a pair of leggings and an Academy t-shirt. Her face lit up when she saw him. "Hey Leonard, come on in." He worked to swallow and took a deep breath as he followed her in. "I wasn't sure how soon 'a bit' was so I thought I'd grab a quick shower. I was crawling around Jeffries tubes all day long being quizzed on maintenance procedures."
"That's right, you had a test today, too. How'd it go?"
Her face lit up even further as she poured their coffee. He set the box of donuts and the new PADD box on the table where they'd sat the night before and sat in the chair as he watched her. "It went really great! I am so ready to relax now."
He frowned. "I'm sorry, I'm sure the last thing you want to do is help me with my technological deficiencies."
"Nah, helping you set up your new PADD is easy peasy. You brought your old one?" she asked as she sat down across from him and rested his cup in front of him.
"Oh, yeah," he said as he reached into his bookbag he'd set by the chair he sat in and slid it across to her. She opened the box and pulled the new one out and began tapping on each of them in turn. As she began working he took a sip of coffee and began looking around her room, only then realizing there was only one bed. "So how did you rate a solo room?"
She glanced around then back to the PADDs. "Oh—well, there have to be some perks from receiving life insurance for my husband's death. It feels weird using the money, but when I considered the alternative—sharing a room with some giggly young thing barely old enough to tie her shoes, this seemed a valuable use of the money."
Leonard snorted out a laugh. "Careful, you're starting to sound as old and crochety as me."
"I'm certainly above the typical age bracket for 3rd year Academy students, so if being responsible and mature means I'm 'old and crochety' I'll take it."
"Agreed," he said as he raised his glass in a pretend toast of agreement. They were quiet a moment as she worked. He glanced around the room a bit more. It was in almost immaculate condition, except the towel she'd been using to dry her hair was now tossed onto the perfectly made up bed. For a moment, Leonard thought he may have died and gone to heaven having found the perfect woman. Then he frowned as he considered her past. "Is it too bold of me to ask what happened to your husband?"
She shook her head. "It's alright, I don't mind telling the story when I get the sense someone really cares." She looked up into his eyes. "I get that sense from you." They were quiet a moment as her gaze remained on him. After a moment she shrugged it off and went back to working as she continued. "He worked as an engineer at the Atlantic Deflector Shield station. There was an incident."
"I'm so sorry."
"Yeah, it took me a couple years to realize that I could actually live again after that, you know? Not just survive—but thrive—to really live. I'm sure there has to be something of a similar feeling in divorce."
"Yeah—yeah, I guess there is. Though, I think I'm only just beginning to believe what you're saying—that I can live again."
"Well, you made the decision to join Starfleet—that was a big step for yourself."
"It felt more like an act of survival, though. This whole damn planet feels too small knowing she's out there on it somewhere."
"I understand. Even though he's gone, everything about it feels like a memory. It's not that I don't want to remember him. There will always be a part of me that loves David. But good God, I've got to move on and live again."
Leonard raised his coffee mug towards her. "Here's to living again."
She smiled and gazed at him, tapping her mug against his. "To living again. Here here."
They both took another sip from their coffee. "Your coffee is good, but next time, maybe we go for something stronger."
She smirked, and glanced at the donuts. "We haven't touched the donuts."
"We save the donuts to celebrate your completed work."
She grinned. "Good, because I'm done."
He shook his head. "You really are a genius with these things, aren't you?"
"Probably as good as you are with your hands, Doctor," she said with a shrug. His eyebrow raised and she blushed. "I didn't mean—"
"It's alright, darlin'—I know what you meant. Not going to lie though, you're kind of cute when you blush."
She rolled her eyes. "Stop flirtin' and dish out the donuts, Doc." He chuckled and leaned forward, opening up the box to reveal a dozen assorted donuts. Her eyes went wide. "I'd planned on having one, but wow these look good."
"They're from Darlah's Bakery, down the street."
She gave him a blank stare. "Darlah's Bakery?"
His eyes went wide. "Oh, sweetheart, if you don't know about Darlah's Bakery then you have been studying way too hard. And that's coming from a workaholic. You have got to take a study break."
She carefully examined the assortment before picking out a donut covered in white powder.
"Mm, good choice," he said with a nod before taking one that appeared to be half-dipped in chocolate.
An hour later they were both leaned back in their chairs and the box was missing a half dozen donuts. "Oh my goodness, I think I'm going to pop. Aren't doctor's supposed to encourage people to live healthy lifestyles? This does not seem healthy."
"Food is just as important for our mental health as it is for our physical health. Sometimes—you need a donut to aid your mental health. Eat a few more vegetables and exercise a little more tomorrow and it'll all wash out."
She grinned. "I like the way you think, Leonard McCoy."
"Good—keep thinkin' that way, because I have a proposition for ya."
She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, what's that?"
"Hear me out, now—before you turn an old guy down."
"I think we've pretty much indirectly established you couldn't possibly be too much older than me, Leonard."
"Still—I'm hoping if you hear me out, you won't turn me down."
"Consider me intrigued—I'm listening."
"The way I figure, I owe you one."
"You don't owe me anything—you brought donuts, and—
"To hell with the donuts, sweetheart. You saved my hide last night, and then this—you still haven't explained how you got this—" he said, waving his hand over the new PADD. "So, for the sake of my argument, let's say I owe you one. And I was thinking maybe I could repay you with a little more than a few donuts. How about dinner? Friday night, after class. I've got the night off from the hospital."
"Dinner?"
He nodded. "If it makes you feel better, consider that you're helping me not feel so bad about all the trouble you've gone through."
"It was no—"
"I know, I know—I understand how you feel about the whole thing. But that doesn't answer the question. Will you go to dinner with me on Friday night?"
She leaned forward on the table, hands slipping around her mug as much to keep them busy so they didn't tremble as out of necessity. "Are you asking me out on a date, Leonard?"
"It depends—if I say yes, will you?"
After a moment, her eyes twinkled and she raised her coffee mug again, tipping it towards him. "To living," she said with a nod.
He smiled back and raised his mug, and clinked it against hers. "To living." With that he finished one last sip and sighed. 'I should get going. It's insanely late and even Jim will probably be back in our room by now."
Jessica waggled her eyebrows. "Oh, he'll be positively giddy that you've been out late in a woman's private room, Leonard. What are you going to tell him?"
"I'm going to tell him to mind his own damn business, that's what," Leonard said as he stood, stepping over to the kitchenette and rinsing his mug out and washing it with the scrub brush before setting it on the drying mat Jessica had by the sink.
She smiled at the action and stood, handing him hers before leaning against the countertop by him as he washed out her mug. "You should take the donuts with you and share them with Jim."
"Oh no, those donuts are a part of my thank you for saving my technologically inept self from total failure."
"Still, I'm just one person, they'd go bad before I had the chance to enjoy all of them. That would be a tragedy."
"Well then," he said as he wiped his hands on the dishtowel and turned towards her. "I insist you at least keep one for yourself for the morning. A little pick me up before classes start."
She looked up at him with a smile. "Alright, I'll keep one. I know you keep thanking me, Leonard. But I should thank you. It's been really nice getting to know you and it's made me a little less homesick."
"The pleasure is all mine, darlin'. But I'll say you're welcome. If I don't see you or hear from you before then, then I'll see you Friday at 1800 hours. Sound good?"
"Sounds great."