It had been a whole day since Leonard had last seen the Captain. After the dinner and the breakfast they shared together, he had assumed that he would be seeing Jim more often than catching glimpses of him every now and then. First, he was curious as to why Jim hadn't come by their table for the dinner. Even the other passenger had no idea why he wouldn't join them, especially after going through so much trouble of making friends with each one of them.
Later, he grew concerned. Jim might have been a captain but he still seemed like an overexcited kid to Leonard and overexcited kids tended to put themselves through all sorts of difficulties. He decided to check on him but he was faced with the major problem of not knowing where Jim's great cabin was. His one chance to find the guy was to go to the Bridge and that was a scary thought. He already tried it once and even with having an already existing pull towards that room, he was reluctant to follow through that idea.
Then the day turned and a late breakfast was eaten alone because first class passenger were morning people unlike McCoy and had already finished their meals and moved on to brunch. He found the peaceful change somewhat boring and eventually, dragged himself to read a book in the crowded game room, the lively background sounds soothing him. When those noises grew too much to bear, he put the book down and turned to leave the room. He made it as far as the door before a blond lady in a blue dress stopped him. He was pleasantly surprised as she introduced herself as Madam Christine Chapel, a widower who used to be a nurse in St George's Hospital, and he recalled her name being mentioned by Jim during their dinner conversation.
He hadn't meant to join and play the game of poker for as long as he did nor drink as much as he had but their conversations with Madam Chapel was beyond riveting as well as refreshing. He could tell that no one around them could keep up with their medical jargon and it was rather amusing to watch them as they exchanged theories and ruled the game equally at the same time.
He had a great time for a while but the absence of a certain someone dampened the joy he felt. It really didn't make much sense; why pin over a guy he barely knew, for no more than a day? Then again, little made sense in Leonard's life so why start now? Why not stay with this lovely lady who enjoyed his non-sophisticated topics of choice? Why not stay where he was and grab his cards once more, handing everyone their asses back to them? Why not have another drink and laugh away with the relaxed participants of the game who didn't mind losing their dimes; Instead of, going off to his room, changing into his stolen (no, borrowed) sailor uniform and sneak into the restricted area?
Oh, wait perhaps that last drink was a bit too much. Like the final droplet on the glass that spilled and jogged him into action. Reminding him that he had very little to lose, and a lot more to gain had he managed to find Jim. He didn't really know what he was going to gain with this per se but some good was bound to happen. Right?
So, in his white trousers, the blue striped jacket and the hideous cap, he went off to the Bridge. It was a big ship, he realised but it wasn't a labyrinth. He could navigate his way through the corridors and the crew only areas just as easily even though the ship had begun to sway with increasingly dangerous angles. He would later blame the drink for that added effect to his poor, throbbing head. But first, he wanted to indulge himself and reach that Bridge once more. He didn't notice when his objective shifted from finding Jim to visiting the Bridge but it almost felt like the same thing to him. He imagined the Captain in gold instead of blue and a big flashy chair that didn't appear the least bit stable. He could hear Uhura on Comm unit conversing, no communicating with others. He heard someone calling out to him but with a wrong name; Bones, they said but it meant nothing to him. He could see flashes of blue, red and most predominantly yellow colours running around in the Bridge. Something called a Spock, giving him a nasty look for being there instead of down in the Medbay and a blur of emergency lights flickering. Then, it all went to Hell. A bad memory, he recognised one second too late. His world swirled downwards as he did.
He gathered himself in a moment, though. As the shadows at the corners of his eyes cleared up, he picked himself up while massaging his temples. The sudden change in the scenery did little to help ease his headache but Leonard was resilient if nothing else. He dusted off his trousers, straightened his back, turned around and bumped straight into Jim.
"This isn't what it looks like," he whispered as Jim only raised his eyebrows and brought up his hand to his mouth. Leonard's face was going through four different shades of red as Jim laughed at his expense.
"I am guessing you enjoyed your day, Doctor McCoy," came the muffled response. Leonard was already regretting this day so much.
"Shut up, kid. It's your fault."
"Oh, how so?" Jim said and to his credit, he stopped laughing as well. Leonard pondered on the answer and reached the conclusion that it was worse to admit that he had been worried about Jim than to lie. So he lied.
"I grew fond of the uniform," Jim wasn't impressed with him even when he elaborated "Also, I figured it might help me remember the past if I repeated what we did before."
"Did it work?"
"As a matter of fact, yes. Maybe no, I am not sure."
"What was it?" Jim kept on asking and Leonard sighed. The captain had a look of distress that he couldn't ignore.
"Explosion, death, mayhem... the usual stuff of nightmares." He honest to God flinched at that, physically moving backwards from Leonard to take a deep breath in and relax his shoulders. Leonard observed the movement with his eyes. He wanted to pull him close and whisper that everything was going to be okay, whether he believed it or not.
Before he had the chance the act on impulse, someone else emerged from the shadows, nearly stopping his heart. Lieutenant Uhura greeted him with a fake smile that spelled trouble for him and Jim both. Leonard smiled back and gestured a sign that hopefully conveyed his apology. It didn't.
"Doctor, I appreciate you bringing back the uniform our dear Captain borrowed," she said, her tone clearly implying that it was stolen rather than borrowed and she was not happy with that fact. "but next time, try to take it off first. It'll be a lot easier to return it back to its owner."
"Right, that's what I was doing. Too bad, I had one too many to drink and forgot to not wear them," Leonard mumbled much to Jim's delight.
"Of course," Uhura responded sweetly (which terrified them both) and dragged Jim by the arm to stand by McCoy "How about our Captain walk you back to your cabin and help you out?"
"Right, help a guy out, will ya?" he parroted and grabbed Jim's free arm. "That a problem, darlin'?" he added teasingly because alcohol was still roaming in his system and he clearly had no such thing as a mouth filter. Even though they were about the same height, Leonard had to gaze up into the blue eyes that reminded him so much of the sky, gauging Jim's response. Trying to figure out whether he was going over the board with this.
"How drunk are you?" was not what he was expecting to hear.
"Pfft, I am not," Leonard shrugged but did not remove his arm "It's the sea and the memory bomb that dropped on me. It's more exhausting than I thought it would be."
"Are you alright?" Uhura asked with concern.
"Thank you, I am alright, Nyota darlin'." He bowed a little and pointed an accusatory finger at Jim "You see, you brat, that's how you react to a poor man, having trouble standing up. Not by giggling at them."
"Yes. Yes, I am an ass." Jim rolled his eyes at him.
"Did you remember something?" Uhura asked. Like the captain, like the lieutenant, Leonard supposed. They were of the same breed of curious cats.
"Nothing legible." He shrugged and then added "Almost. There was something about a Spock. I don't know what it is but it was damn annoying!"
"You remembered him?" The speed with which Jim whipped his head at him, scared Len into thinking that he broke his neck but the captain was alright. He was just mortified; looking like a rabbit caught in a trap. "Of all the people in the universe, and his name is the one that pops up into your mind? Unbelievable!"
"So, Spock's a he? As in a person?"
"Yes, Doctor McCoy and apparently he is your damn best friend..." Jim snapped and realised what an actual ass he was being. He tapped his feet on the ground, "Sorry, that was petty of me. Commander Spock is my first officer. I had mentioned him before to you. You probably mixed it up with your old memories."
"I don't-" Leonard started but then a sudden flash of a moment when Jim complaining about someone called Spock came back to him. There were drinks in their hands, a dark night and endless stars before them. A view that mimicked the darkness of the night, as if they were standing in between the stars and not below them. On a deck? In a ship? Could it really belong to the night before? Or was it someplace else?
"Take it easy, Bones," he heard and whipped his mind back to reality. Jim had wriggled his arm out of Leonard's grasp but he was standing close with a hand behind his neck.
"Is that the prickly bastard who doesn't know how to switch off and I quote who likes to keep it neat and never cut you some slack? That one?"
Jim was about to agree and praise Leonard but a sudden chill filled the room, instead "He... uh."
"He is right here," said a figure from behind Leonard who swore to God was going to die that night if every crewman persisted on sneaking up on them.
"Yes, that he is," Jim forced a smile, "This is Commander Spock, McCoy. Is he everything you remember him to be?"
Oh, Jim was being a little shit, Leonard figured and decided not to indulge the infant in his plays. Instead, he turned to the stoic man and greeted him kindly. This Spock was paler than anyone McCoy had ever seen. He was tall and had a weird-ass long hair style covering his ears, which was not regulatory for sailors and alike. His blue frock coat was similar to Jim's but the white vest he wore underneath did nothing but contribute to his ghost-like features. More importantly, he had a face that said, come punch me at once. Or it could have been just the eyebrows...
"Doctor, captain, lieutenant," Spock greeted everyone curtly in return. He was unfazed by his captain's antics which Leonard commended. Jim had gone equally stoic in this guy's presence and Uhura... Was that a genuine smile blossoming on Uhura's face; he didn't want to know.
"What kind of a name is Spock?" he asked before he could stop himself. Jim's eyes widened and a comical panic crossed his face. Leonard wasn't going to try to decipher what it meant.
"He is a foreigner," Jim replied with throwing an arm around Spock's shoulders who glared at him, "A good man, and a bit strict at times but it's for a greater good."
"It's customary in your country to scare the living lights out of a passenger, Commander?"
"That was not my intention, doctor," Spock replied "It is, however, considered rude to disturb an ongoing conversation. I was merely waiting for the right moment to introduce myself."
"Well, you certainly made an entrance, you... uh?" For a change, Leonard managed to keep his tongue between his teeth before he threw a colourful array of names at the Commander. He took a moment to clear his thoughts in order to avoid any unwanted dispute between them. He didn't particularly care but it was below him to deliberately be cruel to a man he just met. Or had he? He needed that one question answered first. "Have we met before?"
"Yes," The answered filled the doctor with great hope and happiness. Caught up in his happy little inner dance, he missed the utmost terror written all over both Jim's and Uhura's faces. "It was on the first day of our voyage, doctor. You had taken ill and I had helped you get to your cabin. Do you not recall?"
"No," he answered, his hopes deflating once more. This was becoming a habit "It wasn't you. It was a boy who helped me out. I think."
"That is most unfortunate. It was I who had guided you."
"Your old memories are surfacing but not in the right order, Leonard," Jim cut in, "Perhaps it's all too confusing to think when you are, you know, tipsy."
"For the last time, I am not drunk, Jim."
"Tired?"
"Yeah..."
"Ok, enough with the interrogations, my good man and my lady. Everyone go back to your posts and I'll walk Dr McCoy to his quarters." Leonard wasn't going to argue with that. The idea of reaching a soft bed was enough to remind him of his exhaustion. He began yawning in no time.
"Good night, doctor and take care," Uhura whispered as he planted a kiss on his cheek.
"You too, darlin'," he responded and nodded to Spock. As Spock placed a hand on his neck, he didn't pull back, accepting it as a friendly gesture but before he realised what was going on, he felt a pinch and Leonard's vision blackened.
"What the hell, Spock?" Jim hissed, struggling to hold Leonard up. He failed and both landed on their knees on the cold floor.
"I fear, not all is well in the doctor's mind, Captain," Spock explained and got on his knees as well.
"You think?" Jim shot back. He was seriously questioning his friend and officer's motives. Instead of bad-mouthing him, he returned his attention to Bones. He pulled him close, letting his head fall onto his shoulder and sneaking an arm around his waist.
"Beyond what we anticipated, Doctor McCoy's brainwaves are erratic and uncoordinated. Had the incident occurred a few weeks or months ago, I would have considered this normal but after a year of no change and then having an abnormal increase in memory surge, it very may have an adverse effect in the long term. If it can be saved at all."
"Are you suggesting that Leonard's remembering too quickly and that could fry his brain?" Jim asked to clarify. Spock nodded solemnly.
"It is a possible outcome."
"Is there anything we can do to slow it down?" Uhura chipped in, grabbing hold of one of Leonard's hands.
"Keeping me away was the solution but it clearly failed. If anything, his flashbacks are happening more violently now. He remembered so much more in the last two days than what he did in one year!"
"The fact that we are on a ship probably assists in that. There may be nothing for us to do, except..." Spock trailed and dread filled Jim. He was going to suggest something that he and Bones would definitely hate. Nevertheless, he motioned for Spock to continue.
"I will brain meld with the doctor and in order to slow down the acceleration, I'll access parts of memories, blocking them. As he regains himself more in the future, I can manipulate the parts of the memories that they hid away and allow them to surface with no harm done."
"Or without risking overheating," Jim finished and shared a worried look with Uhura. They both equally appeared put off with the idea but neither were in any position to propose a better idea. Jim spared a glance at Bones, sleeping soundly. He buried his nose into the doctor messy hair, smelling of a weird sea-scented shampoo that Jim wasn't acquainted with. It pissed him off but didn't stop him from planting a small kiss on top of Bones' head. "He is going to hate us both when he notices what you did, Spock."
"He will hate me all the same if we leave him be. It seems that is a universal constant."
"That's not true, Spock," Uhura said, gently caressing the Vulcan's cheek, "And, Leonard isn't capable of hating you, Jim. I know, he tried."
"I hope you two are right, or the Enterprise will be left with minus a CMO." Jim sighed and although he tried to hide his own fears through professionalism, both Uhura and Spock understood the deeper meaning behind his words; a captain without a doctor; Jim without Bones. Neither commented but they nodded in sync.
Without further ado, he pushed Bones towards a wall with Uhura's help, lifted up his chin and supported his head with holding his neck. His thumb caressed the soft spot beneath Bones' ear, hoping to relay some sort of support. Spock replaced Uhura's place on his other side and reached out placed his fingers accordingly. Jim averted his eyes and focused on the steady rise and fall of the strong chest, how it seized a little every now and then. He traced Leonard's lean fingers with his own and grasped them when the doctor let out a particularly ragged gasp. Spock retreated after that and Jim cradled the dazed but awakening Leonard close to his chest.
"He will need a few moments to regain his senses, Jim. I suggest we get him up and take him back to his cabin in the meantime."
"Which memories did you misplace?" Jim asked slowly.
"Tonights', mainly. They were the ones muddling his thoughts the most. He will still recall meeting me but not where or how we met."
"Alright, good enough." Jim let out a breath he had been holding in, "In the meantime, make sure we got the coordinates right from the colonists. I doubt we'll have extra time if we end up lost in the ocean."
"Only two set of coordinates remain, Jim. We have got to get Leonard back before we reach the last position in a few days." Uhura whispered, "Do you think we'll have enough time?"
"Yes, as long as we have the time we need, we'll do fine. But, to make sure that we are on the same page with the colonists, sent Chekov and Sulu back to the Enterprise when you can and have them monitor our progress."
"We will be reaching the first set of agreed coordinates at four hundred hours sharp, we can transport them out then."
"Also, find Scotty. He has been blowing us off for two days now."
"Any reason as to why, Captain?" Spock asked but Uhura jabbed him in the ribs. It was all he needed to realise the answer by himself "He is feeling guilty over what had happened to the doctor."
"Thanks for stating the obvious, Mr Spock. Uhura, can you?"
"I am on it, Captain" she nodded, order received and understood.
"Good, you two better disappear, then. I'll take care of him"
"You don't need us, Jim?" Uhura asked and helped him get Leonard on his feet. The doctor's body was awake but his mind was in another land entirely.
"I got this. It's better this way, right? He would never have believed that Spock's a foreigner anyway."
"No, he wouldn't have," Uhura smiled as Jim threw Bones' arm around his shoulders. His hand on the doctor's waist slipped beneath the waistcoat and he stroked the delicate skin over the shirt. He wished Leonard wouldn't wear so many layers but damned Victorian values had decided otherwise to solely piss off Jim Kirk.
Spock and Uhura stuck around until they reached Bones' corridor, expertly deflecting any and all curious passengers who question their intentions, as well as Dr McCoy state of wooziness. After convincing everyone that he was suffering from a horrendous seasickness, they were finally left alone long enough for Jim to drag Leonard through the last part of the hall. It was at that time that Leonard came to himself. Uhura and Spock turned around so quickly and without raising a doubt that even Jim didn't notice the moment of their departure.
"What? Whaz happen'?" McCoy slurred and Jim held him tighter, amusedly watching him as Leonard grasped their situation, how close they were walking side by side. They were both hot, especially Jim was burning like a furnace with the exertion of carrying Leonard around. Subconsciously, Leonard nuzzled in closer, burrowing into the welcoming warmth.
"You ass!" he said suddenly and Jim visibly jumped out of his skin, "Where have you disappeared to all day? I thought you were joining us for dinner, or breakfast or something?"
"Sorry. Captainly stuff needed my attention. It's not easy handling this old girl."
"Oh God, we're not going to sink, are we?"
"What, no!" Jim exclaimed "You know better than this, McCoy, I won't let my ship get hurt. Not if I can help it."
"Sure, I'll believe in you." Leonard smiled. His eyes were unfocused but he seemed to have gathered his wits, "By the way, you can call me Len or Leo instead of McCoy, whichever you prefer. We are past the whole surnames exclusive state since yesterday."
"Yeah, yes. I totally agree, Len. Also, you never asked but I am Captain James T. Kirk."
"That name has a nice tune to it," Leonard mused "I'll try not to wear it out."
"Knock yourself out, man!"
"By the way, why the hell are you half dragging me to my room?" Leonard asked and knowing there was no other answer than the lie Uhura suggested, Jim began to elaborate on a story about Leonard's seasickness and his unlikely adventures with bourbon.