Chapter Three
Two happy days later, the Enterprise crew, well rested but neatly dressed, was aboard the ship again and ready to leave the hangar. Their shore leave, sadly, was over.
The bridge seemed as clean as ever when the Captain sat down in his chair. Everyone was at their positions—Checkov at the first officer's post and some kind named Stinson at his old one, navigation. He was still getting used to that.
"So!" Jim said as the hangar door crept open. "Everybody ready for this?"
A disorganized cacophony of "Aye sirs!" answered him. All eyes were on him. Uhura's seemed especially bright, so bright that Jim had to reconsider the conversation he saw between her and Scotty yesterday right before he'd gone off to bed.
"Alright!" Jim said. He turned his attention to the PADD he held in his hand. Scanning the device for the mission briefing, he drummed his fingers on the side of his chair and hummed an old military tune from the U.S. Air Force. "Ah!" he said finally. "Here we go."
He punched his finger into a button on his chair to make an all call.
"Hi everyone. Your captain speaking! We are currently heading to the edge of the Gamma Quadrant to deliver some supplies to new colony planet Nascea. On our way back, we will be conducting research on another planet, newly discovered, to find out if it carries life. Keep in mind, this will be a two day journey. Kirk out!"
After Jim became "un-busy" (which wasn't long; there wasn't much to do on the Bridge with no emergencies) he escaped down to sick bay to see Bones. His Bones, who was likely unoccupied just like himself. On his way there, he pondered the nickname and how he'd gotten it. He was right, of course, about how the doctor wasn't busy. In fact, he was playing chess with Christine Chapel when he walked in and asked,
"Bones, can I call you Leonard?"
"No." he didn't miss a beat. Nor did he look up. He moved a chess piece.
"No?" Jim went over to the table they were sitting at and leaned on it. "What am I supposed to say when I propose to you? Bones, will you marry me? I've got to get the full effect, see, I want to be able to say your entire name. Ya know. Leonard McCoy. Wait a second." He paused. The doctor finally looked up. "What's your middle name?"
"To hell if I'm tellin' you," he said. "Why aren't you on the Bridge?"
Jim wagged his finger. "No subject changes. Can't you tell me?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Come on!"
Chapel was looking at the couple oddly. She held a chess piece, but did not put it down.
McCoy was smirking now, almost smug. "No," he said simply.
"BonesBonesBones," Jim groaned, slumping to his knees and smashing his forehead into the table. "Tell meeeee."
"You ain't going to hear it. Chapel, your turn."
She shook her head and returned her attention to the board.
A thought occurred to the captain. He whipped his head up. "I'll tickle you if you don't."
"I'm not ticklish," the doctor replied. Christine moved a piece and smiled, saying, "Check."
"You aren't, huh?"
"Nope. Damn, I suck at this game."For a while, his boyfriend stared intently at the board.
Jim Kirk stared at his sides.
Slowly, he straightened up and peeled himself off the table. He walked around behind Leonard's chair and leaned close to his ear.
"Psst."
He grunted.
"Don't move there."
McCoy's hand was hovering over and empty space of board, a horse enclosed lightly in his fingers. He looked up at Jim, incredulous.
"See, you should move it over—"
-Jim quickly reached out and tickled the doctor's sides. He flew up, cursed loudly, and tried to throw a chair between him and his captain, who dodged it, but just barely. He grinned widely in return.
"I thought you weren't ticklish."
Jim lunged forward. McCoy tried to escape but wasn't fast enough. He ended up tripping and falling to the floor.
"Damn it!" he yelled, trying to dart out of reach. He ended up tripping backwards and falling to the floor. Jim dove after him with the agility of a cat, pinning him there. He relentlessly tickled him while Chapel watched her usually serious medical officer dissolve into a puddle of giggles and grins.
"Stop! God, Jim—I swear to God, I'll—You're…hehe…Going to…hehehe—" He grabbed Jim's arms and attempted to throw him off. He failed.
"Tell me, Bones!"
"Ah—hehe—NO!"
He kicked and squirmed. But Jim was determined.
"Booooones!"
"Horatio!" he cried finally, "That's my damn middle name! Now…hehe…get your damn hand…haha…off me!"
Jim stopped. "Not ticklish my aching ass!" he yelled.
Leonard kneed him in the stomach, hard.
"Aah!" he groaned, clutching his waist and falling over to his right. The doctor stoop up, jaw locked, and dusted himself off. Lazily, he turned his attention to Jim. He crouched down at his side and slipped one hand under his neck and the other under his knees. He stood up, executing a perfect one-man carry.
"Leonard!" Jim gasped, squirming and kicking. "Shit! I'm pretty sure you're not supposed to—Put me down!" He tumbled over, falling to the ground.
"Get up!" McCoy said, exasperated.
He pulled himself to his feet. McCoy jabbed a finger into his chest.
"You. Bridge. Now." His thumb pointed to the exit, and Jim quickly retreated there.
The dream was recurring. The details, however, were more vivid. Jim could clearly tell now that he was in a cave, dark and dank. It felt as if he were fifty miles underground. It also felt like he had been running for a while, a long, long while…
He woke up shaking and hyperventilating, with a feeling of panic. He thought he must be losing his mind.
McCoy was wide awake as well, rubbing his arm and urging him to calm down. He did, eventually, and fell back to sleep.