That morning Spock stood on a step Jim had brought him so that he could brush his teeth looking in the mirror. He was due a visit to McCoy that morning. That had been the deal that allowed him to sleep in his own quarters and he much preferred it, away from the prying eyes of nurses. McCoy seemed to feel better with Spock in his own quarters with the knowledge that Kirk's bathroom was shared with him. So there he was, brushing his teeth with a green paste tasting like sour green tea and lemon. No mint for him. He spat the froth from his mouth, and he looked back up to examine his face. His teeth pearly white and his face, green. A deeper green began to flesh out from his nose, and grey bruises began to seep around his eyes. The rest of the marks on his body were gone, but recently they'd been targeting his face, and there was nothing he could use to cover it. Today he didn't have a choice. The doctor would notice anyway.
There was a coo of awe's and cute's from the med bay room which led McCoy into awakening, which subsequently led to his bad mood. He pulled on his jumper from the desk pulling fingers through his soft hair as he walked out his office to greet Spock.
"Good Morning Spock" McCoy said gently moving the nurses out his way.
"Morning" Spock replied showing his bruised face.
McCoy sighed grabbing his medical scanner "alright, off with you all, I don't pay you to stand around. Especially not to coo clearly injured patients."
"You don't pay us at all. Sir."
"Get out." McCoy grumped leading Spock to a private area of the med bay. Spock sat on the end of the bed as McCoy scanned him.
"What happened to your face?" McCoy asked.
"I quickly became acquainted with the floor" Spock replied placing his hands on his knees. A tiny smile tried to claw it's on to McCoy's face as he spoke again.
"Which means?"
"Ah, I fell over."
McCoy shook his head the smile having made it's way out "okay let me go get the kit for that bruise. Does that hurt any?" McCoy asked with concerned eyes.
"No."
With the bruise soother retrieved (a mechanic device looking similar to a sonic screwdriver) McCoy turned it on and carefully scanned the light over Spock's face. Over his cheeks and beneath his eyes. The bruises slowly began to fade from his pale skin before they were completely gone.
McCoy picked the grey scanner back up again and began to scan him again. A few lights flashing. He was just about to put it down when he saw bruises blossoming on Spock's face again. Like a fungal disease that refused to settle down, they scarred across his nose.
"Hey, are you okay?" McCoy asked worried his heart panicking in his chest. He was aware this sort of thing could have happened, yet he found himself helpless to heal a wound being made. It stopped and the guise settled on Spock's face, almost exactly like the one before it, but different enough. McCoy sighed picking his bruise soother back up.
"You know, I'm a professional Doctor Spock-"
"It would not make sense for you to be a novice Doctor-"
"I know you didn't get this falling over."
"Perhaps, now you've voiced that some of my respect can be restored to your work."
McCoy began to heal the bruises "Spock I don't mean to pry, and I don't want to make things weird for when you're an adult again, but, if this is what you are currently experiencing I need to know you are okay."
"I am adequate Doctor" Spock said.
"Who did this to you?" McCoy asked.
"I hardly see how this is relevant" Spock said as he tried to move off the bed.
"Hey I need to know I can treat you now" McCoy said holding his hand up and stopping him "you tell me what I want to know, and logically you will be able to go sooner."
Spock chewed at his own teeth staring up at McCoy "Stonn."
"Stonn? Is he an uncle of yours-"
"Classmate."
"Vulcan?"
"Obviously."
"Can I ask why he's attacking you?"
"I presume it's because of the evidence I showed him."
"What evidence?"
"Stonn implied that due to my 'half breed' status I was physically weaker than all vulcans and a crippling to vulcanity. This happened on a rare occasion when he did not have any supporters with him, so I showed him thirty-seven situations that presented him with physical evidence that if anything I was stronger than my size and age would represent by pure glance, and certainly stronger than him. He was hospitalised for a month and appears to be seeking revenge despite that being most illogical of him."
McCoy frowned with a hand to his face "thirty seven situations?"
Spock nodded.
"You punched him thirty seven times?" McCoy asked shocked, his eyes widening.
"Thats a crude way of putting my evidence, but yes."
"Jesus christ Spock. Uh. Well. Isn't there someone you can tell to stop this 'Stonn' guy punching you? He shouldn't be doing this."
"The situation has it's complexity's."
"So, If I heal your bruises-"
"It appears that in the short term these will keep reappearing" Spock replied.
"Are you sure you're not feeling any pain? Oh I don't really want to let you out of here."
"The bruises do not hurt. I have control of the pain and I choose not to feel it."
"Right. That sounds like your in pain-"
"I am not. Besides you already said I could leave if I talk."
"And I would give you something but, I might just make you feel worse so, if you say you're okay-"
"I am okay."
"Then fine. Now I know I haven't told you yet but I had arranged for you to do some fun exercise today. Considering what you just told me I want you to go easy on Jim."
"Okay.." Spock said clearly not understanding. McCoy pressed his comm unit.
"Jim, Spock's ready for you."
"Oh, sure send him down then" Jim's voice said.
"Do you know where the gym is Spock?" McCoy asked. Spock eyes widened as though he was talking to a mad cat.
"Obviously not unless you tell me" Spock said, despite knowing where the gym was, and only mishearing as to the position of the Jim.
"Well, I'm sure you can ask the computers to lead you there."
"I can?" Spock asked surprised.
"Yeah, off you go now" McCoy said. Spock frowned but followed McCoy's advice. As soon as Spock left the room McCoy was commed Jim.
"Jim, you're going to want to clear the room out."
"Why whats wrong?"
"Spock's a little beat up. There are bruises on his face but it might be best if the whole crew isn't there to stare."
"Understood I'll make most people leave, there's a few folk I want to stay around. Think that will be a problem?"
"Thats down to you Jim."
The gym. Half a bucket of sweat mixed with the motivation you lost in your boots last week, followed closely by panting, regret, confidence and tiredness. Followed closely by a pair of shockingly bright red trousers. Kirk wore the pants with a tight white top, showing muscles, and also the becomings of a belly. Spock informed of his exercise had made put on a pair of jogging bottoms (black, and elasticated around the feet) and he wore a thin black jumper, that kept him fully covered.
"A jumper Spock?" Kirk asked spotting him.
"It is… somewhat colder here than on vulcan."
"Oh right, I forgot- are you warm enough here?" Kirk asked concerned the room, which could give a person that failed to exercise goosebumps would suddenly hurt him.
"It is sufficient."
"Ain't going to get hyperthermia are you?"
"It would take nineteen hours before hyperthermia would begin to be a problem for me." Spock said.
"Nineteen?" Kirk frowned with a raise of his eyebrows "well s- sugar, lets hope you never get stuck in here. How long would it take before it urm-"
"Killed me?" Spock asked.
"Well-"
"Between thirty eight and fifty six hours."
"I feel this is something I should have been made aware of a long time ago. Anyway. I was thinking, how would you like to try your hand at fencing. I've message Sulu, so he'll come down and fence with us later. But thats only if you feel like it okay buddy."
Spock looked up to Kirk, he now only had a lightly bruised face "I don't feel anything."
'Well if you have, a logic, to not want to do fencing."
"What that is fencing?"
"It's like sword fighting but it's fun, and no one gets hurt." Jim said "you and Sulu would occasionally fence when you were adults. But right now, we're going to be warming up."
Kirk grinned "this is going to be fun, trust me."