Lorna had been quiet all day, uncommonly quiet. In fact Leonard McCoy couldn't recollect a time he'd ever known her not to be her usual, effervescent self. On a number of occasions throughout the day he had set off with the intention to ask if everything was alright but had been thwarted in his efforts each time. After spending the last few hours on the bridge he was resolute in his objective, walking in to the medical bay his eyes scanned the room for her short bob of blonde hair. It was nowhere to be seen.
"Doctor Peloquin?" The grey haired man, who looked uncommonly like Father Christmas looked up as McCoy made his way over. "Have you seen Doctor Heiland?" He asked gruffly.
"She left for the day." He answered plainly. McCoy nodded his head slowly, contemplating his next move.
"Did she say where she was going?"
"No." Peloquin eyed him suspiciously, as far as he was concerned McCoy had never bothered himself with the comings and goings of the medical staff? McCoy turned on his heel and left, making his way to her quarters he realised that, without evening becoming aware of it, that he had quickly fallen into the habit of thinking about Lorna Heiland. As he readied himself for work, whilst he was on shift, pretty much whenever he wasn't in the medical bay with her. She was a constant source of reflection, anxiety and absurdity. He felt angry that he hadn't made more of an effort to speak to her earlier and as he pressed the console outside of her quarters he tapped his foot nervously.
The red, puffy eyes, snotty nose and puckered lips that greeted him immediately weighed him down and when, without saying a word, she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms round his waist and squeezing, well he knew. He knew everything. He shuffled them both into the living room, Lorna still comically attached to his midsection. His arms had come to encircle her and for the next few minutes he gently stroked her back as she snivelled into his chest. She was a crier as well, oh boy was she a crier! There was no slight hitch in her breath, no single tear slowly falling down her cheek as she looked wistfully into the distance. No, Lorna Heiland bawled, tears and mucus mixing together and being unceremoniously and unapologetically wiped onto McCoy's uniform.
"Are you alright?" He finally asked, having to stifle a laugh even though he knew she was genuinely upset.
"I'm okay." She mumbled into his ribs.
"You don't sound okay?" Speaking into her hair McCoy pushed her back slightly so that he could look at her. Wiping her nose on the back of her sleeve Lorna gave him a lopsided grin.
"I'm okay." She repeated.
"I've been worried about you all day Lorna, I was meaning to speak to you before but…"
"Oh that's alright, you were busy…" She was already dismissing his concern but McCoy wasn't going to be dissuaded that easily.
"Spill the beans Heiland." He said pointedly and that was that, he watched her face crumple and a flurry of blubbering erupted again. "Oh Darlin', come on."
"My Dad died." Lorna told him quietly and McCoy closed his eyes in empathy.
"I'm so sorry Lorna." His arms practically enveloped her head and shoulders as he brought her even closer to him. Lorna finally pulled away, giving him a tight smile and telling him she was going to wash up. He waited for her, taking a seat on the small couch in the living room. When she returned she didn't look much better but she'd stopped crying and her nose was no longer running. Sitting down next to him and tucking her feet under herself he waited for her to speak.
"There was this band my Dad use to listen to when I was a kid, he'd always have their music on when he was taking me to school. They were obscure and weird but Dad loved them, I think he went to see one of their concerts when he was teenager? I was nine and I knew all the words to these songs that nobody else knew!" Lorna smiled at the recollection and McCoy couldn't help but smile also. "So, I remember when it was announced at school that they were going to have a talent competition and anybody could enter I thought, 'Fantastic! I'll sing one of their songs!' Without giving it another thought I put my name down and for the next three weeks I practiced and practiced. At some point, and I still have no idea why, I thought an even better idea would be to mime along to the song, yeah, I don't know? I was nine! I'd told my Dad and he said it was a great idea, he never discouraged me or told me I couldn't do anything I set my mind to." Lorna felt her eyes well up again and cleared her throat. "Sorry." She apologised.
"Don't say sorry, your Dad sounds like a good man." McCoy spoke so compassionately that Lorna felt like she could have lost it all over again but she wanted to tell her story, so willed herself to keep it together.
"All the other kids were playing instruments, dancing, you know, actual talents. So, when it came to my turn I got up on stage, the song began to play, which, when looking back had some pretty inappropriate lyrics for a nine year old and I gave it my all."
"What happened?" McCoy asked, a perfect picture in his head forming of a nine year old Lorna Heiland.
"I bombed. The song bombed, I bombed, and I can still see their faces. The kids looking at me like I'd lost my mind and the teachers looking at me with what can only be described as a mix of horror and sympathy." Lorna laughed.
"How did you feel?"
"On top of the world, I did what I wanted to do, how I wanted to, with no fear of what anybody thought. That's what Dad taught me. And even though it was probably one of the most monstrous things to ever grace that school stage, or any stage for that matter, I couldn't have cared less."
"So you've always been like this." McCoy took her hand and squeezed.
"I guess so."
"And you have your Dad to thank for it." Lorna barked with laughter.
"Yeah, I guess so, thanks Dad!" She said sarcastically, finding herself getting upset again. "I'm really going to miss him."
"You will, but it'll get better."
"I know, thank you Leonard." She couldn't look at him, his compassionate eyes too much for her in that moment.
"Don't mention it." Leaning forward and kissing her cheek McCoy whispered in her ear. "I would have clapped till my hands hurt." She didn't trust herself to respond to that.
"What were your parents like?" She asked after a moment of reflection on both their parts.
"My Pa was a serious man and my Mother proud." He answered honestly, not feeling his usual level of anxiety when talking about himself.
"The apple didn't fall far from the tree then?" Lorna commented, a few little pieces of the jigsaw she had yet to find a place for coming together.
"My Pa though, he loved a practical joke! He'd vex my Mother something rotten, buckets of cold water, trick glasses that he'd give to one of her friends when they came round." McCoy chuckled at the memory. "She would get angry and not speak to him but by the end of every day they'd be dancing in the living room together after dinner. They loved one another a lot."
"Do you take after your Father?" Lorna asked.
"I was known for playing a few practical jokes when I was at medical school." He told her conspiratorially. They both stood and McCoy made his way over to the door. "You going to be okay?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay." Giving him a small wave she watched him leave, thankful to have him in her life.
When Lorna arrived at her desk the following morning she immediately spotted the Red Velvet cupcake sitting perfectly proud and pretty. She pressed her lips together to stop from grinning, having no doubt in her mind who had gifted her with the delectable confectionary. Setting herself up for the day and grabbing a coffee she sat down and, unusually, she opted for the 'shove as much cupcake into your mouth as you can' approach as opposed to her exacting 'sponge to cream cheese ratio' methodology. And of course, because how could it not have been? That was the moment McCoy walked in with Captain Kirk. And what's a woman to do but smile broadly, open mouthed at her fellow Physician and fearless Captain. The display of masticated sponge a sight to behold!
McCoy actually snorted! A sound Kirk had never heard his good friend make in his life.
Toasting the remainder of the cupcake in their direction Lorna gave McCoy a thumbs up and then went back to her work. It took all of Kirk's resolve to keep quiet until they were safely hidden away in McCoy's office to ask.
"Can you explain to me what just happened?" McCoy nonchalantly regarded his friend.
"Oh? The Cupcake?" He asked to which Kirk made a 'yehuh?!' sound, arms stretched out in front of him, palms up in despair.
"Doctor Heiland had a rough day yesterday, I thought it would make her feel better." Quickly picking up a PADD or two McCoy tried to change the subject.
"Oh no you don't! Bones?!" Kirk dropped his chin and looked at him insistently.
"Yes Jim?" Calm as a mill pond.
"Are you and…? You know what, never mind, I don't want to know?" Kirk sat down and picked up a PADD himself. "No actually, scratch that, I do want to know." McCoy considered his words carefully.
"I care about her a lot Jim." He finally settled on and Jim Kirk knew enough of Leonard McCoy not to mock him.
"I'm happy for you Bones, I really am." McCoy was about to explain that they weren't, in fact, what? An item? A couple yet but a knock at the door attracted both of their attentions.
"Come in." McCoy called out. Nurse Rakam appeared with a worried look on her face. "What is it?" He asked.
"Err, Doctor Heiland walked into the overhead cranial scanner, she's got a nasty gash on her head." McCoy let a breath out slowly and then looking at Kirk who was smirking at him, onerously heaved himself from his chair.
"You know you're singlehandedly pulling down my SHE stats Heiland!" McCoy shouted at her as he approached, Kirk hot on his heels. Lorna grimaced and mouthed a silent apology. McCoy set about healing her head as Kirk asked her what happened. "I've learnt there's really no point asking that question Jim." He muttered under his breath.
"It came out of nowhere Captain!" Lorna answered dramatically. "How are you Captain?" She asked politely a moment later, fighting against McCoy's grip on her jaw.
"Me I'm fine, faring better than you!" Kirk enjoyed the easy way in which Lorna talked; it was charming and always courteous.
"Umhmm, I'm an accident prawn." Lorna answered.
"Accident prawn?" McCoy couldn't help himself, he had to ask.
"Yeah, you know, a shellfish walking around the seabed knocking into things? An accident prawn." Lorna was very proud of herself of that particular joke. Nurse Rakam found it hysterical and had to excuse herself, especially when Lorna mimed her own drum kit 'bum bum tish' sound.
"Don't give up the day job Doctor Heiland!" Kirk shouted as he left the medical bay. When the pair were alone Lorna looked up at McCoy sheepishly.
"It really did come out of nowhere." She told him quietly.
"Now listen here see, you better watch your step around here!" Lorna bopped up and down on the spot in joyful reaction to his 1930's private eye inflection. "I don't want you hurtin' that pretty little face of yours you hear?"
"Sure thing Doll." She answered softly and then a second later, when his words had sunk in. "You think I'm pretty?" McCoy closed the gap between them.
"I think you're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on." Lorna's jaw dropped like a cod fish.
"That's one hell of a line." She gasped out.
"It's the truth Darlin'" McCoy replied.
"This isn't some weird daydream is it? I'm not unconscious am I? You know in the movies when the person imagines an entire conversation with somebody and then BAM! they wake up and they haven't actually had that conversation at all…!" McCoy just let her ramble; he enjoyed watching how animated her face got.
"I have to go, I've got a meeting." His hand rested on her knee and Lorna stared at it.
"What? You say all that and then you tell me you've got a meeting?" Lorna looked at him aghast.
"I think all I said was that I don't want you hurtin' that pretty face of yours." McCoy laughed.
"That's a lot!" Lorna's voice was louder than she anticipated but she tempered her reaction quickly. "Fine, go to your stupid meeting." When McCoy jiggled her chin with his thumb and forefinger playfully before walking away she couldn't help but watch after him until he was out of sight. It was a few more minutes before she trusted herself to get down off the bed and for her legs to work.
Nurse Vallo stood at the very end of the medical bay, knees bent and ready for anything!
"Bring it on old lady!" She shouted.
"Less of the old lady!" Lorna shouted back, perched on the stool with wheels and flanked by Doctor Kostas and Nurse Rakam. They were going to do it, they were going to break the three bed record.
"You sure about this?" Rakam asked, holding on to the side of the stool and grimacing.
"Of course she's ready, she was born ready." Kostas answered, giving Lorna an enthusiastic nod!
"Ready?" Lorna shouted out.
"Ready!" They all replied.
"Three!" She shouted.
"Two!" Rakam shouted.
"One!" Kostas shouted.
"Wait!" Lorna pushed her feet out in front of her to make sure she didn't set off.
"What?! Heiland, we were ready to go!" Kostas circled round on themselves in frustration.
"Did we say on one or after one, like? Three, two, one, go or three, two, one go on one?" Lorna asked the pair.
"After one." Rakam answered.
"What's wrong old lady?! Is it time for your nap?!" Vallo shouted from the far end of the bay.
"Enough with the fighting talk Vallo!" Lorna shouted back at her.
"Sorry!" Vallo replied, holding her hands up.
"Are we doing this or not?" Kostas had had enough.
"We're doing it." Lorna returned to her position. "Come on team, we can do this, on one!"
"AFTER ONE!" Rakam and Kostas shouted in unison.
"AFTER ONE!" Lorna repeated, lowering her head and picking up her feet.
"Two, one, go!" Rakam had had enough and quickly finished the countdown, Doctor and Nurse pushed with all of their might and Lorna set off like a rocket. Across the bay she travelled, all the while her colleagues cheering her on. Lorna screamed as she careened passed bed one, then bed two and then bed three.
"We did it!" She shouted, but just as she saw bed four approach she could feel the stool starting to change course, those little wheels wobbling and jiggling like tiny little crazy critters!
"Careful Heiland!" She heard Rakam shout after her. Astonishingly to all involved she kept it under control until slowly but surely, she began to slow down and as she came to an Olympic Ice skating level, beauty of a stop in front of Vallo, Lorna stuck two fingers up at her.
"Not bad for an old lady." The two women laughed and the pair gave each other a hug, a moment later Rakam and Kostas joined them.
"What's next?" Rakam asked, who initially when, at the beginning of their shift Lorna had suggested they try and break her record had been the most reluctant to embark on the whole endeavour.
"Oh no!" Kostas put their hands up. "Don't push your luck."
"Come on! We must be able to think of something." Rakam encouraged.
"I bet I can get to Engineering before you." Lorna looked at Vallo.
"Not a chance, I can run way faster." Vallo laughed, dismissing the challenge.
"You have to take the Jeffries tubes." Lorna countered, resulting in coos and chuckles from Rakam and Kostas.
"Oh, you're on Heiland!" Vallo held her hand up for a high five.
"Oh no, I don't do those." Lorna shook her head.
"What, high fives?" Vallo asked, her face creased in confusion.
"Yeah, they scare me." Lorna answered truthfully.
"Back to the bet." Rakam got them back on track.
"Right, yeah, so, I run, you take the Jeffries tubes." Lorna reiterated.
"Oh you're on Heiland!" Vallo shouted back.
"We've done this already!" Kostas exclaimed, getting fed up. "Heiland, go get ready, Vallo, you too. First one there wins." Lorna jogged over to the main door and Vallo went to the access hatch. "You ready?"
"Yes." The two women answered.
"After three." Kostas held up three fingers.
"Wait, is that on three, as in…" Lorna started.
"AFTER THREE!" Kostas shouted over her. "Three, two, one, go!"
And off they went.
Lorna immediately regretted her decision to accept Vallo's challenge; there wasn't a chance in hell she could beat Vallo! She pelted it down the hallway in any case; luckily for her it was pretty quiet. Her mind started playing tricks on her, she started to panic and not remember which way to go. Scurrying round a corner she narrowly missed a group of Ensigns coming in the other direction.
"Medical emergency!" She shouted as she whizzed by, hoping they'd just think she was on her way to mend a broken finger.
Taking the turbolift wasn't cheating was it?
Well, she took it anyway.
Careening down the main corridor towards engineering Lorna fought against the stitch in her side whilst simultaneously holding on to her boobs with both hands to stop them from giving her two blacks eyes! In the distance she saw two figures approach.
"Oh please no! No! No! No! No! No! No!" Lorna saw blue, and then yellow and then Leonard McCoy's face look at her aghast. As she whizzed by the two men (still holding her boobs in place) she threw them a laboured smile. "I'M NOT RACING ANYBODY!" She yelled, internally chastising herself. That made no sense! Kirk and McCoy didn't know she was racing Vallo to Engineering! They didn't know anything, why did she shout that?! Stupid brain not being able to come up with anything! The main engineering door was open, Lorna made one last ditch effort and propelled herself towards and through the door.
"Oh, hey old lady." Vallo greeted her, leaning against a console and looking like she'd just had a perfectly peaceful nap. Lorna on the other hand, coughed and spluttered for breath and on seeing Vallo shouted at the top of her voice.
"SON OF A BITCH!" Collapsing on the floor and telling everybody she was going to be sick might have been slightly melodramatic.
Kirk looked to McCoy once the engineering bay door had closed and they'd heard Heiland swear at the top of her lungs.
"Do you know…?" He started.
"I do not." McCoy answered quickly.
"Is she…?" Kirk started again.
"Oh, definitely. One hundred percent, certifiably insane." McCoy answered before carrying on walking, being careful to not let Kirk see him grin from ear to ear.
The End