There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship. - Author Unknown
Disclaimer - see Chapter One.
Chapter Two: When the Whole World Walks Out
If Bones were completely honest with himself, he was a little sad to be done with their community service. He'd grown attached to the kids. He was fairly confident that he'd even convinced some of them to be doctors or nurses one day. He had regaled them with tales of the ER at Atlanta General, helped them with homework, and gave them advice on girl problems. Minnie had always been found in the midst of a group of giggling girls, trying to convince them that Starfleet Tactical and weapons engineering was lots of fun, often without success. That never stopped her from helping them with their homework. She was just a natural. Then there was Jim. He would always complain before they arrived and after they left, but he seemed to have the most fun while they were there. The older boys flocked to him, asking him for advice in fighting, but he always just said, "Don't have them," and helped them do their work. However, he was approached by a couple boys who were being bullied and showed them a couple moves. They adored him after that.
"Aah… it's good to have that over with," Jim said once they were on the shuttle.
"Don't lie to yourself, Jim," Minnie piped up, "You got attached to some of them. Me and Bones did."
"Whatever. Well, I say we go celebrate the successful end of our community service. There's this nice little bar on-"
"I can't go to a bar! I'm only eighteen!" she exclaimed.
"Really? Oh yeah… Okay then, I know this nice little dive where they serve anyone, and I mean anyone. I saw some sixteen year olds in there once. It's a bit shady of course, but it's good. Come on, let's go. Bones?"
He looked expectantly at the doctor, who said, "I dunno, Jim. You have a tendency to get into trouble in bars."
"Oh, it'll be fine. Don't worry."
Jim put his self-confident grin back in place, and Minnie and Bones gave in. Therefore, after dinner, the three of them put their civvies on and caught a taxi into the city. Jim was grinning like an idiot as they walked into the dive. Jim bade them go sit down while he got them some drinks. It was dark and smoky within, with neon advertising signs hanging all over the walls. The clientele seemed less than reputable. Bones ignored the hinky feeling in the pit of his stomach. Minnie looked uncomfortable.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I guess," she replied, "It's just weird for me to be here. I could get kicked out of the Academy if anyone saw me."
"Good point. I'd be nervous, too. Maybe Jim will have some sense and get you something non-alcoholic."
Minnie snorted at that statement, knowing as well as Bones that Jim never had that kind of sense. However, when Jim arrived with their drinks, he gave Bones a whiskey, placed a beer in front of himself, and offered the final drink, a Pepsi, to Minnie; she smiled at him. The evening wore on. Jim got increasingly wasted. Bones was vaguely tipsy. Minnie continued nurse a Pepsi. All in all, it was a fun evening… until a random guy came over and started demanding Minnie's company. Jim took great offense to the man's behavior and began challenging him.
"Stop it, Jim," Minnie said, "Let's just pay and get out. He's not worth it."
"Oh, I think you'll find I'm well worth it, sweetie," the man slurred at her.
"Dude, just leave. We don't want any trouble, but if you keep harassing-"
"I'm not harassing her! I just want the pretty little slut-"
BAM! The drunk had no idea what him when Jim's fist connected with his face. Minnie shrieked and shielded herself before Bones yanked her off her chair and shoved her under the table, shouting, "Stay there!" over the din. He looked around for Jim. The younger man was now occupied with the man's three less drunk buddies, and they weren't dropping after one blow. Bones stepped forward to help when he heard a thud behind him. He spun, fists ready, to find that Minnie had tackled a guy that had been ready to come after him and smashed his head into the floor, rendering him unconscious. She stood up and got to Bones' side in time to watch Jim get viciously beaten. They rushed forward and managed to pry the larger man off. Minnie slapped him, shouting, "You asshole! You could've killed him!"
Out of nowhere, the man's fist collided with Minnie's jaw, sending her sprawling to the floor. She stared up at him, a bit dazed and bleeding from her lip. Bones lost it. He snatched up the offender and hurled him to the floor, his head making a sickening crack. Then the doctor laid into him, landing five blows in twice as many seconds.
"Where I come from," Bones hissed, "this is what happens when you hit a lady. I suggest you apologize to her."
The man merely glared at him. Minnie rose to her feet, and the man shifted his gaze to her. She moved so quickly that Bones barely saw her foot nail the bastard right in his crotch. As he howled on the floor, Bones collected Jim from the bar. He was a mess, blood covering his face and congealing in his hair. Minnie was still glaring at the offender. Bones gently gripped her arm, trying to get her attention to get her to leave. With one last glare, she spat on the drunk who hit her and allowed herself to be let out.
Once back at the dorm, Bones quickly cleaned Minnie up and suggested that she go back to her dorm; getting Jim fixed up had the distinct possibility of getting ugly. She thanked him, giving him a swift hug before exiting. She paused at the door, asking, "Will Jim be okay?" with a worried look. Bones placed a hand on her shoulder assuring her that Jim had been much worse than this before and would recover just fine. He plastered a false smile on his face for effect. Paired with a squeeze of the shoulder, it seemed to reassure her, and she bade him goodnight as she left. The door clicked shut. Bones rested against it for a moment with a sigh. This would not be fun.
"Here we go," he muttered, pushing himself off the door and removing his jacket.
He went into the ritual of undressing Jim down to his boxers, through which Jim giggled like an idiot and tried to flirt. The younger man then had to be helped into the bathroom, where he was ordered to get into the bathtub and then call for Bones so he could get treated. This elicited another giggle from Jim, as well as a sexual comment about Bones taking advantage of him. Bones told him to shut up and get in the tub. Five minutes later, the doctor knocked on the door and let himself in. Jim sat in the tub, grinning, still wearing his boxers. It took all of Bones' self-control to keep from face-palming.
"Jim, you have to turn the water on."
"What?"
Bones rolled his eyes. He reached into the tub and gripped Jim's biceps, placing him on the edge of the tub and turning on the water. The alcohol buzz had been slowly wearing off for a while now, ever since they had gotten to the room. Jim had stopped smiling and kept telling the doctor what hurt, mostly his face, something that only happened when he was hammered. Bones gently placed a hand on his friend's back.
"You have to stop doing this, Jim," he whispered.
"I know," he murmured, "I can't help it, though. It just happens."
He dropped his head to the older man's shoulder, the drying blood getting on his white T-shirt. Bones swallowed the lump growing in his throat and said, "Come on, let's get you into the tub. Clean you up. Okay, buddy?"
Jim nodded, and the doctor helped him back into the tub. Dark bruises were beginning to bloom on his bare torso. Bones wetted a washcloth and started dabbing at Jim's face, trying to clean off the blood. Jim would wince or whimper or pull away whenever Bones touched a particularly tender spot, another thing that only happened when he was drunk. Under all the blood, he was sporting a black eye, a cut lip, a small laceration on his forehead, and a nearly broken nose. Bones then applied some antiseptic, one Jim wasn't allergic to, which caused even more wincing until…
"Bones, I'm gonna throw up."
Jim was unceremoniously hauled from the tub and deposited in front of the toilet, where he promptly collapsed and emptied his stomach of the night's alcohol. Bones kept a steady, soothing rhythm while rubbing his friend's back, which arched painfully as he heaved until nothing was left but bile. The doctor's nose wrinkled at the mingling smells of vomit and drying blood. Once he was confident that Jim was finished, Bones gently got him up off the floor, allowed him to orient himself, and then got him back to the tub, draining the water out and grabbing the shower head.
"Bones?" Jim asked hoarsely, "Is Minnie okay? Did that guy do anything to her?"
"No, Jim, you took him out too fast," he replied.
"What happened to your hand?"
"The last guy, the one who did this to you, hit Minnie after we pulled him off you. I had to take him down. Defend Minnie's honor and all that."
Jim smiled weakly and closed his eyes as Bones started to rinse the blood out of his hair. He whimpered softly when the doctor put antiseptic in a cut on his head, but Bones was sure he was almost asleep by the time he was done cleaning him up. He towel-dried the younger man's hair and prodded him in an area that wasn't bruised.
"Come on, Jim. Let's get you into some dry clothes and into bed."
Jim merely grumbled in response as he was pulled to his feet, whereupon he was half-dragged, half-carried to his bed. The younger man struggled out of his wet boxers and into a dry pair before collapsing on the bed and falling asleep immediately. Bones covered him with his blankets and just sat on his own bed, watching Jim for nearly half-an-hour in case Jim was hurt worse than he thought. Once he was sure his friend was okay, he lay down and drifted off to sleep. He hoped he wouldn't have to put up with this kind of night again.
A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out. ~Grace Pulpit
Notes: 'Civvies' are civilian clothes, or the regular stuff people wear. I borrowed 'hinky' from NCIS. It means that something's not right.
I got this chapter out faster than I thought I would! I hope you all enjoy it, and remember, reviews make me feel all warm and fuzzy like a Tribble! (Plus they make me want to post more ;)