Ch 16: Expect The Unexpected

A beautiful blond woman stood before several love struck crew members, none of which were patients. She had only been on the Enterprise for a few hours and already she had more than just a handful of admirers. McCoy stood scowling against a wall monitoring the spectacle the men made of themselves as they fought to impress the overwhelmed woman. She was indeed a sight to behold with her fair skin and delicate pink lips; regretfully she was also too shy to reject the overzealous men.

Having had enough, McCoy spoke above the din of the rambling crewmen. "Alright ya hound dogs, leave the lady be. She didn't become a crew member just to give y'all something to fantasy about! Go on, get outta here!" The men looked at McCoy with disdain, but didn't dare go against his wishes. After all, they'd be under his knife if anything ever happened to them. Disgruntled and defeated, they slowly wandered out of the sick bay, giving the nurse one last longing look before they left.

The woman smiled a dazzling smile at McCoy, which didn't faze him in the least. He had had enough of petty feminine wiles, more than enough to last him a lifetime. Not quite scoffing at her, he scolded, "Perhaps if you had spoken up a bit, they would have left sooner. I'll make this clear now because I don't want to have to say it when it really matters. This is a sick bay, not a place for courtship. Tell your admirers to admire you outside."

Her smile quickly disappeared at McCoy's stern voice. In a small yet musical voice, she apologized. "I'm sorry Doctor. I was a bit overwhelmed with their enthusiasm. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again." She bowed her head and looked up coyly at him. This look, which would have caused the heart of any other man to skip a beat, had as little an effect on him as her smile did. "Make sure that it doesn't, Nurse."

"My name is Christine," the nurse said, her voice strong now. "Christine Chapel. If I'm going to be working with you Doctor, I'd prefer if you called me by my name."

McCoy gave her a look that could have melted steel. She immediately regretted speaking up, but she didn't feel like she was in the wrong to request being called by her name. Venomously, McCoy hissed, "So long as you call me Doctor, expect to be called Nurse. That's what you are and that's how you'll be addressed unless I feel it absolutely necessary to do otherwise. Is that clear?"

Seething internally, she nodded. "Yes Doctor. If you'll excuse me…" Christine made her way to the door, but stopped in her tracks when the ship's captain came barreling through the door. He had bumped into her, but caught her before she could stumble backwards. Christine came face to face with the most handsome man she had ever seen and it showed clearly on her face. Golden hair, tan skin, sapphire eyes, a nice muscular body, and a smile that easily outshined hers. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath caught in her throat.

"Whoa there," Kirk said in a velvety smooth voice that made her swoon. "No need to give me a real reason to be in here now." He looked closely at her face and realized he had never met her before. "You're new to the ship, aren't you?"

"Yes, she's my nurse," McCoy cut in before Christine could utter a single word. He was going to nip this in the bud before it went any further. Kirk's head was too easily turned toward a pretty face, all the more so if it was one he hadn't seen before. McCoy wasn't about to have Kirk hanging around the sick bay pretending to be sick just to catch another glance at her. "Hands off Jim, I need her attention on the injured, not on you. Nurse, I believe you were leaving?"

She looked at McCoy, frustration and a hint of sadness in her eyes. Kirk released her and watched her walk out of the sick bay with her head down. Cutting an eye at his friend, Kirk thought, well, someone's a little cranky today.

Right on cue, as if he had heard Kirk's thoughts, McCoy said, "Weeeell, look who finally comes to say hi," crossing his arms like an angry wife who had waited hours for her husband to come home. "For a while I thought I'd either have to wait for you to crack your head open or hunt you down just to see ya!"

Rolling his eyes at McCoy, Kirk hopped onto the medical table in the center of the room and swung his legs lazily back and forth. "I'm a captain, Bones! I've got lots of captain-like duties to deal with! I just spent the last 5 hours taking care of an obscene amount of paperwork!"

"So that's your excuse for not seeing me?" McCoy retorted, not buying Kirk's excuses for a minute. "You can't honestly expect me to think that you of all people were busy doing work, do you?!?"

Kirk put a hand on his chest and feigned indignation. "Bones, you hurt me! Did I not prove I was worthy to become the captain of the Enterprise?"

"The only thing you proved was that you could get your ass kicked and get yourself into a heap of trouble!" McCoy said with a smile. He took a moment to gaze at his energetic friend. He may have been upset that Kirk had taken so long to come and visit, but he was still glad to see him. It wasn't like Jim to stay away; normally he'd rush over to the sick bay as soon as he got a chance to titter excitedly at him. Something must have happened to keep him away, and whatever it was, it was a far greater distraction than spending time with McCoy.

"Tell me straight Jim, what have you been up to lately?"

Kirk took stared at McCoy, unsure of how to answer. The truth would be a little too jarring, but he couldn't lie to his best friend. So, naturally, he dodged the question. "What about you? What'd you do back in Georgia during leave?"

This turned out to be a poor topic of choice. McCoy's face turned sour, as if he had swallowed a bug. "I had to finalize my divorce with my wife. As I expected, she was trying to milk me for all I had left, which wasn't much after she ran off! I spent the entire time I was in Georgia pulling that blood-sucking leech off of me! I barely had any time to say goodbye to any of my friends or family." He sighed, moving his hands to his hips. "It just goes to show you how treacherous women really are! The universe would be better without the whole lot!" A smirk pulled at the corner of Kirk's mouth. It was amusing to him how someone as good looking as McCoy could have so much trouble with women. Then again, once he considered his personality, it made perfect sense.

Kirk was only able to avoid the subject for the slightest of moments. McCoy's eyes bore into him, his anxiousness to have his questions answered shining brightly within them. "Come on Jim," McCoy prodded. "What have you been up to?" McCoy had moved uncomfortably close to Kirk, who was now beginning to fidget. He was feeling less like he was having a friendly conversation about his shore leave and more like he was being interrogated.

Finally cracking, Kirk looked around. No one besides him and the doctor were in sight, but that meant nothing to him. In a low voice, Kirk asked, "Hey uh, is there…is there anybody else in here?"

"Why no," McCoy blinked. "It's just you and me."

Kirk breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was for someone to hear him. He leaned forward and began to gossip. "Did you hear about Spock and Uhura?"

McCoy's brow furrowed. What did Spock and Uhura have to do with Kirk? "I've been far too busy chasing out Chapel's admirers to hear any rumors." He gave Kirk a tentative look. "Why, what happened?"

Nervously, Kirk looked around again. Satisfied that they were completely alone, he continued. "Well, Spock dumped Uhura yesterday." McCoy's eyebrows shot up on his forehead. He leaned in closer, his voice down to a whisper. "You can't be serious?!?" he asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.

Kirk nodded. "Yeah, Uhura's pretty torn up about it too. I saw her on the bridge this morning and offered to lend an ear if she needed to talk to anyone." McCoy shot Kirk a knowing look, but Kirk ignored it. "So she comes to my room and starts giving me the scoop, right? Well, we kinda got into an argument, but then the craziest thing happened…"

"She kissed you," McCoy interrupted, already seeing where this was going.

Blinking, Kirk nodded again. "Yeah, yeah, she kissed me. Now, don't get me wrong, it was a really nice kiss, but I stopped her." Shock sent McCoy's eyebrows flying back into his hairline and made him take a step back. Kirk couldn't help but roll his eyes at the doctor, but was glad to have a little breathing room. "Yeah, I know, unlike me, right? But the thing is I couldn't take advantage of her when she was so vulnerable. It…it just didn't seem right to do it."

A smile spread on McCoy's lips as he leaned back and looked at his friend. "Well Jim, I've got to say I'm very proud of you. It seems like your getting into the captain's seat has taught you a little self-control when it comes to the fairer sex!"

Kirk looked away, blushing slightly. "Well," he continued, "that's not the main reason I broke the kiss. I've, uh, I've got someone else I've got my sights set on." Not a complete lie, but not the complete truth. Kirk wasn't exactly sure how McCoy would react if he told him everything, but he had a pretty good idea.

The doctor leaned back in, curiosity getting the better of him. "Someone else, huh? Alright, out with it, who's the lucky girl this time?" Kirk's blush began to deepen. "It's…it's not a girl," he said, his voice becoming more of a mumble. "It's a guy."

McCoy's heart did a back flip when he heard this. A guy?!? He didn't know Jim was playing both sides of the field! It wasn't entirely surprising considering his good looks, and his overly masochistic attitude always seemed to be more of a cover than a true way of life for Kirk, but still, to hear that the Great Womanizer was interested in men was news to McCoy. He gulped, now becoming more than just a little nervous. "A, uh, guy?" He asked softly.

Kirk nodded. "Yeah, it's a, uh, guy. And he's someone really close to me…"

McCoy's heartbeat had skyrocketed. Blood pumped violently in his ears. His palms began to sweat. No way, he thought. He couldn't be referring to me, could he? He wiped his now very sweaty palms on his pants then rubbed them together nervously. He wasn't sure if he wanted to find out who he really meant, but if Kirk really did have an interest in him…

"Who…who is it Jim?" McCoy was having trouble keeping his voice steady. He desperately hoped Kirk was too embarrassed to notice. Kirk turned his head and looked away, his face beet red. McCoy tried again, anxious to know who it was that Kirk was interested in. His own cheeks began to burn as he moved a little closer to the blond-haired man, crowded him once again. "Come on Jim, we're friends. If ya can't tell me, who can ya tell?"

Kirk's eyes flickered towards McCoy's face, not daring to linger there for long. Finally, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply, he revealed himself to McCoy. "It's……Spock."

McCoy flew backwards, the blood in his face draining away. "Spock?!?" he shouted, unable to contain his disbelief. "You've got a thing for Spock?!?!? That green-blooded, pointed-eared, computerized, emotionless hobgoblin?!?"

Flying off the table and rushing over to the crazed doctor, Kirk clapped a hand over his mouth and shushed him loudly. "Shut up Bones! Do you want the whole ship to hear you?!?"

The doctor slapped the hand off of his mouth and glared at Kirk. "Have you lost all sense of reason, man?!? What the hell happened to you during the break that rattled you so much you've fallen for Spock?!?" Kirk whirled away, placing his hands on the table he had just launched himself off of and leaning on it as if to steady himself. McCoy wasn't about to let him off the hook, even though he knew he was upsetting him. "Answer me man! How the hell can you have any feeling other than sheer hatred for that alien?!?"

"ENOUGH!" Kirk pounded the table and spun back around to face a shocked Doctor McCoy. Anger set his clear blue eyes on fire, a look McCoy was seldom, if ever, on the receiving end of. He slowly moved forward, unable to hide the rage in his voice. "I don't expect you to understand why I feel the way I feel for Spock. Hell, I'm still trying to understand why I feel the way I feel! But I can't help it Bones! Spock makes me feel different than all the other girls I've ever been with! It's not some bizarre new fetish, this is real love!"

"But Jim," McCoy begged. "Spock doesn't know the first thing about love…"

"How would you know? You don't know the first thing about Spock! You don't wantto know anything about Spock! You'd rather complain about how different he is! For Christ's sake Bones, you don't even know the first thing about his anatomy, and you're his doctor!"

McCoy felt rage begin to build inside him as well. It was frustrating enough to know that Kirk had fallen for the most unlikely person imaginable, but to have Kirk criticize him as a doctor was crossing the line. "Do you really think he can give you what you need? Honestly? You're talking about a man who has spent his entire life denouncing all emotion! You really expect him to love you the same way you love him?"

Silence hung thickly in the air. After what he and Spock had discussed, it was strange that McCoy's words were actually affecting Kirk, but perhaps he was right. Though they agreed to build a relationship together, Spock's experience with love was limited to his now dead mother and the seemingly one-sided love from Uhura. Could he really love him the way he would need to be loved?

McCoy took the silence as an opportunity to get his own thoughts out. "Jim…if its love from another man you really wanted…I could give you that." It was now Kirk's turn to have his eyebrows disappear into his hairline. "And you'd never have a reason to doubt it, because I'd show you every single day that I care…"

The color drained out of Kirk's face. He didn't like the direction this conversation had taken, not one bit. He began to back up slowly, but the doctor followed, eager to close the gap between them. Kirk had quickly run out of room to back up and now stood against the table. He cursed the building crew that bolted the table to the floor. McCoy reached out for Kirk's face with a trembling hand. Kirk flinched as it made contact with his face, the doctor's surprisingly smooth hands stroking the stubble he had yet to shave off.

"Don't waste your love on that hob-goblin, Kirk," McCoy said, getting closer and closer, a look in his eyes that Kirk immediately recognized. He was about to get kissed…again. Kirk couldn't help but wonder what it was about him that was making everyone want to kiss him lately. Was he excreting some kind of weird pheromone now that he was with Spock?!?

He couldn't kiss McCoy, not after what had just happened with Uhura. Besides, this was his best friend, the first one he made after entering Starfleet Academy. He didn't want to ruin that with romance, especially when he didn't feel the same way. He tried to pull away, but to his surprise, McCoy didn't allow it. He pulled Kirk closer, his gentleness swiftly becoming fiercer and more desperate, as if he'd lose everything if Kirk were to get away. Kirk grabbed onto McCoy's broad shoulders and using almost all of his strength, he managed to push him away before their lips could meet.

Kirk's heart ached when he saw the look on his friend's face. Disappointment and sadness were not usually seen on the doctor's face, and it ripped Kirk up inside to see it directed at him. Breathless, he stared back at his friend, unable to hide his own sadness. He shook his head, and said, "I'm sorry Bones…even if Spock weren't in the picture, I just don't feel the same way as you do…"

Unable to bear the despair on his friend's face, Kirk swiftly left sick bay. What he didn't notice in his haste to leave was that right outside the door was Uhura, who had heard everything.

Uhura clomped down the hallway, still reeling from what she heard. She wanted to believe that she had simply misheard, but as loud as Doctor McCoy had screamed, she'd only be fooling herself. Kirk has a thing for Spock? I was a little suspicious after the Nero incident, but I never really believed it until now… Soon after Kirk became official captain of the Enterprise, they seemed to bury the hatchet for the most part. Sure, they bumped heads here and there, but it seemed like they had come to understand each other and that they were willing to co-exist.

She recalled how Kirk began looking at Spock over the last couple of months. How his eyes sort of twinkled. How they tended to follow Spock whenever he entered or left the room. The way he smiled a smile that seemed somewhat more personal than one usually shared between comrades, or even simple friends. No, there was much, much more behind those looks. I should have known he was interested in Spock, she thought bitterly. That fool loves a challenge, and Spock would be the biggest challenge of his life.

She stopped in her tracks. Why should Kirk having a thing for Spock be a big deal for her? Just because Kirk fancied Spock didn't mean that Spock felt the same. He did after all feel the same way she did about the foolhardy captain who had lucked into his position. But then she began to remember some of the things she heard Spock say in reference to the captain. She took them as simply backhanded compliments at the time, but the more she thought about it, the less backhanded they seemed. One particular night stood out in her mind:

The two were in Uhura's room, where they spent most of their time together. Spock's room was uncomfortably small for Uhura's taste, so she volunteered her room often to avoid feeling claustrophobic. She sat at the edge of the bed, Spock's head in her lap facing the door. She gently stroked his hair as they talked.

"He is completely illogical," Spock said, staring blankly at the space in front of him. "It is as if he has no regard for his own well being. He recklessly throws himself in to every situation head first and fights his way out. Such behavior is unbecoming of a captain."

"He's been that way since I met him," Uhura replied. "Ever since I met him in that bar in Iowa, I've seen how hard-headed and persistent he can be."

"Oddly enough, that is simultaneously a negative and a positive aspect about the captain."

She looked down at Spock, confused. "What do you mean?"

Spock turned his body so that his head looked upward at Uhura. "While Captain Kirk has repeatedly put himself and the Enterprise in unfavorable situations, the mission's success and the safety of his crew are always his sole objectives. He is ready and willing to risk bodily harm, so long at those he swore to lead and protect are not compromised. There is also a sort of fire in his eyes, as you humans would put it, that I find incredibly fascinating. Perhaps in his particular case, a captain that is passionate about his position, but takes unnecessary risks is better than a complacent captain who follows the rules."

Uhura couldn't help but stare in disbelief at Spock, who innocently stared back at her. "Are you trying to tell me that you respect the way he handles his position as captain?!?"

Spock blinked at Uhura, unsure of why she reacted so. "I merely implied that his recklessness is rather noble when more closely examined." Spock raised an inquiring eyebrow. "Does this bother you?"

Uhura's fists clenched without her realizing it. Yes, it did bother her. She had thought that Spock shared her dislike for the way Kirk treated his position with wanton abandon. He may have avoided large amounts of casualties, but his wild approach to each situation they had encountered to date got under her skin. One of these days he would get them all killed, and where would Spock's respect be then?

The more she thought about it, the more it sounded like Spock more than just admired Kirk. It started to sound like Spock… She shook the thought out of her head before it fully formed. She had to talk to Spock. It was too coincidental that she would overhear that Kirk liked Spock so soon after she got dumped. Deep in her heart, she wanted to think the events were completely unrelated, but her gut told her otherwise.

As if he were magically summoned by her own will, Spock turned a corner and walked down the same hallway she was in. He was immersed in his data pad and didn't even notice her presence. In fact, he was so focused he actually passed Uhura completely without knowing she was even there. This was her chance to ask him; if she didn't do it now, she may not have the courage to do it later.

"Spock!"

Her voice echoed slightly in the otherwise empty hall. Spock froze in place, his attention finally drawn to her. He slowly turned around and looked at her blankly.

She walked up to him and pulled at his arm. "Come with me," she said, urgency in her voice. "We need to talk." Spock silently followed her as she pulled him into an empty room. Once the door closed behind them, she began her interrogation.

"Did you dump me because of Kirk?" she asked bluntly, getting straight to the point. Spock's eyes grew large, but only for a moment. Quietly, he answered honestly, "Yes."

"Are you kidding me?!?" she yelled. "You dumped me because of him? Why?!?"

Spock brought his hands behind his back, pressing his data pad flat against him. He took a deep breath and began doing the one thing Kirk had advised him not to do: he began speaking to her in terms of logic. "The captain and I are in a situation where close contact is not only unavoidable, it is necessary for us to properly function. I find it desirable to be involved with him on a level beyond professionalism. If I can get inside his head and know how he thinks at all times, I can better defuse unfavorable situations so that our missions have a higher rate of success."

"Bullshit!"Uhura screamed. Spock was taken aback by her violent reaction. "You can't fool me, Spock. I know the real reason why you dumped me for him! It's because you're in love with him!" The two stood staring at each other for some time. Spock closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again. "If you knew," Spock said, "then why did you inquire?"

Uhura's dry cheeks soon became wet with tears. Gritting her teeth, she answered, "Because I trusted you to tell me the truth."

Her words cut through Spock's heart like a knife. The very thing he had hoped to avoid was unfolding before his eyes. He was about to lose yet another very precious person to him, and this time, it was his own fault. "Does he know?" she asked, knowing the answer would break her heart. Still, she deserved to know. Spock turned away from her, not wanting to even be in the same room as her. "Answer me!"

He faced her and nodded. Tears continued to stream down her face. It was against his better judgment, but he began recounting the last two week. "During shore leave, I went to the New Vulcan colony to…spend some time alone with my thoughts. It was during that time that I came to realize how I…felt…about the captain. Apparently when I returned, the captain had used his shore leave to do the very same. We used the remainder of the time admitting the truth to each other and getting to know each other better. We shared stories of our past and…"

"I don't want to hear about how you two became lovers, okay?" Uhura interrupted with a look of disgust on her face. "All I wanted was a straight answer about your real reason for breaking things off with me." She turned and walked toward the door. She stopped herself steps away from the door, turning back around and looking at Spock, her chocolate brown eyes red and puffy from the tears she shed.

"Spock…" she said softly, her voice straining against the lump in her throat. "Does Kirk really mean more to you than I do?"

Spock walked up to Uhura and held her close. She wept on his shoulder, remembering how good it felt to be held by him. Instead of answering her directly, he said, "You will always have a special place inside my heart, Nyota." She smiled through the tears. Hearing him call her by her first name made her pain lessen, but only slightly. "However, I do not think we were meant to be more than good friends. I…feel…that my relationship with the captain is one that should be beyond simple duty and friendship, but much more."

Warm wetness began to seep into Spock's shirt where Uhura's tears soaked in. He hesitatntly raised a hand to her head and begun stroking her hair. "I will never forget what you did for me, how you stood by my side when I lost it all. I truly treasure you, and hope you never feel otherwise." He released his hold on her just enough to plant a kiss on her forehead, wiped a tear away with his thumb, and turned to left the room.

Just as the door opened, Uhura screamed, "I kissed Kirk!!!" Spock stopped midstride. No, Uhura thought bitterly to herself. If I can't have him, then I won't let Kirk have him! I'll ruin everything, even if it destroys everything I have with Spock! She continued, "He offered to comfort me, trying to be all Buddy, Buddy with me. When I went to his room, I kissed him! And he kissed me back!"

The door slid back closed as Spock slowly turned to face Uhura. To her surprise, instead of seeing incredulous pain in his face, she saw…rage? No, that couldn't have been it. She went on, "He doesn't love you! He doesn't have it in him to love you! You're just a play thing for him, another sexual target for his-"

Her voice trailed off when she realized that Spock was right in front of her, centimeters from her face. When had he bridged the distance between them? She hadn't even seen him move! Uhura had been so busy yelling that she didn't notice that Spock had also grabbed a fistful of her uniform. The rage she had thought she had imagined now stared her straight in the face. She hadn't seen that kind of look since Kirk exposed him as emotionally compromised on the bridge. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw that look was now directed fully at her.

"You lie," he rumbled. Uhura smiled evilly, doing her best not to show how unnerved she was. "If you don't believe me, ask him. He's wanted me since I met him in that bar in Iowa, and I could see in his eyes when we were alone that he still does." The words she spoke were completely unlike her, but she didn't care how she sounded anymore. She only wanted him to hurt like she did. "It's a shame he pushed me away, but I think if I persisted enough, he'd have easily changed his mind about refusing me. Who knows? Maybe I could have even made him forget all about you."

Spock's eyes appeared to almost glow red with rage. He pulled her closer and said in a dangerous tone, "Jim is mine, and mine alone. Regardless of whatever feminine wiles you attempt to seduce him with, nothing will change that." Spock released his grip on Uhura's uniform and she promptly pushed him away. "You're wasting your time!" she screamed, completely delirious with anger. "He's just going to break your heart! You'll regret you ever left me for him, you wait and see!"

He looked at her with a look of enraged pity. "I am disappointed in you, Uhura," Spock stressed the use of her last name instead of her first, which sent daggers through her heart. "I had envisioned you to be a much nobler and more dignified woman than the spectacle you just made of yourself. Apparently I was foolish to think you could handle this situation in a mature fashion." He turned away and left the room, stopping only for a moment to say, "Whether he breaks my heart or not is no longer a concern of yours. I will no longer divulge any personal information with you from this day forth."

The door slid behind Spock, leaving Uhura all alone. Uhura dropped to the floor and bawled like a child, not caring if anyone outside heard her.