Chapter 10 - Recovering
Bones took his position behind the wheelchair and started pushing it through the hallways towards the Enterprise's Spa. Lilly sat back in the wheelchair, letting the sturdy device safely hold her weight. She closed her eyes to all the stimuli around her and focused her internal thoughts on the quiet solace of the steady breathing of Leonard.
Her small frame ached horribly. She felt like she'd simultaneously been bulldozed over by a raging Klingon, and trudged through a million miles of chest deep gelatinous mud. Her muscles fought against the strains of moving and functioning, from their excessive buildup of lactic acid.
She glanced up towards Leonard's comforting face, and smiled ever so softly.
"Where are we going first, Leonard?" Lilly spoke softly.
Leonard glanced down towards her radiant grey eyes and cleared his throat.
"I figured you'd like a massage, something to help work out all the kinks in your muscles. We can get you into a bath first though, if you'd like." The Doctor authoritatively stated.
"A bath sounds wonderful, thank you." Lilly gently replied.
Lilly rolled her stiff neck around her shoulders and tried to focus her thoughts on the day of her attack, trying desperately to recall what exactly had gone wrong. She could vaguely remember getting to the cave and laying down to rest, but what came after was a blank space. She sighed discontentedly and resigned herself to being ushered down the hall by her Doctor and his favored Nurse.
"So, Leonard, how long have you been with the Enterprise? I thought you hated Starfleet and wanted nothing to do with the 'fleet?" She asked inquisitively.
"Two years. Uh. Pamela took the whole damn planet in the divorce, decided to join Starfleet to start over. Enlisted in the Fleet and the rest is history." Bones softly spoke as he continued to push Calla down the hallway.
"I see." Calla stated sadly.
"It was complicated Cal. I was complicated. My career started to go one way and hers the other. It's hard living a lie every day of your life and trying to tell yourself that it's okay when it really isn't. Pamela knew the truth, but she was so damned fixated on making a name for herself, she didn't give a rat's ass who she hurt in the process." Leonard lamented.
"Len, I didn't mean… I'm sorry." Lilly stammered.
Lilly's shoulders drooped down and she closed her eyes. She sighed and resigned herself to not bringing up painful memories for her friend. She cast her gaze on her lap as she was wheeled into the Spa.
Christine walked to the Service Station and activated three of the baths. She opted to give the two some privacy and selected the rear-most baths for Leonard and Calla, while she took one near the front. The attendant, a young Ensign greeted them as he came out with a Robe for each of them.
"Welcome to the Spa. I'm Ensign Warden. We have several services available as well as some limited freshly prepared meal options. You can view the list of services on the PADD near your assigned bath. If you need anything, please call for me. May you have a relaxing time." The young man stated.
Christine took the robes from the young man's outstretched hands and placed two of them on Lilly's lap. She took the last robe and headed towards her own bath. She slipped her shoes off and turned her back towards the bath.
"Leonard, the baths in the very back are reserved for you and Lilly. I assumed you'd both like some privacy. I'll be here if you need me for anything." Chris smiled as she spoke.
"Thanks Chris. Enjoy your bath." Leonard huffed out softly.
He pressed forward and continued to wheel Lilly to the very back of the joint Spa / Salon room. Here the baths were reserved for senior officers and came with an added air of privacy. All the bathing units were private, but the back units were kept to a higher standard. Slightly better offerings on the services and significantly more private when the Spa is deserted.
Leonard parked the Wheelchair in the back corner of the Spa and gently offered his hand to Lilly. She took the offer and smiled internally as Leonard hefted her into the air effortlessly. Her heart rate increased, defying her will to slow down.
His hazel eyes sparkled with color for a brief moment. His thoughts rushed to the last time he held Lilly in his arms so long ago. His heart sank with the dawning realization that the love he once had for her would never be returned. He lowered her as gently as he could into the bathing unit. He deftly pressed the activation keys for the clothes transporter and the privacy screen that covered the top of the unit. Bones pulled the wheelchair around and parked it next to the head of the unit and sat down in it.
"What kinda bath do ya feel like, Cal? Sonic, Mud, Wine, Chocolate? Fair bit of choices here." Bones drawled.
Lilly took the PADD from his hands and quickly made her choice. Hydrotherapy with Mint and Lavender Oils. She gasped as the tub filled and powerful jets surged to life easing the stress and pain from her spent muscles.
Leonard stood to retreat to his own bath, but was stopped by Lilly's suddenly outstretched hand. She turned towards him and drew a breath silently. Words needed to be said, but finding the courage to speak them was something she was scared she was unable to do. Rationally speaking, she knew he had his career ahead of him. She was still stationed on New Vulcan, and maybe there was someone else in his life, but if you don't take a chance, how will you ever know?
"Stay. Please. We… I need to talk to you. To tell you things. Things I should have told you years ago. Please just stay, for a moment." Lilly asked as her voice faltered and wavered.
"Wait." Leonard replied softly.
He ran to the nearest console and activated the privacy wall shutting off the Officer Baths from the regular Spa. He returned just as quickly to Lilly's side and spun the wheelchair around so while sitting, he faced her.
"I'm going to make a mess of this, I know it, but I made a mistake all those years ago when I ran away. I was so scared of everything going wrong with you, with us, I never even gave it a chance to go right. I felt awful when Jocelyn and Clay and the others started treating you terribly because of me. Then when I was offered the chance to enroll early, I took it, thinking it would make everything okay. I get asked, almost daily, who my mate is, and when I tell people, they're so surprised. Half the Vulcans I work with think there's something wrong with me because I'm 35 and still unwed." Lilly paused while drawing in another breath.
"Your mate. What's their name?" Pain flashed across his face as Leonard spoke the question.
"There isn't one. There never has been. I dated a few times in the Academy. I think you remember Caine." Lilly stated with tears filling her steely grey eyes.
Leonard growled deeply, rage overcoming him at the mention of Caine's name. After McCoy had enlisted, he'd found Calla at the Academy teaching. He still had nightmares over the night Calla called him because Caine had torn their shared apartment to pieces, including Calla. She'd spent a week in the hospital recuperating from the damage he'd done to her.
"How could I forget? Jim threatened to kill him. I wanted to do things to him the Hippocratic Oath didn't cover. Why didn't you ever contact me? Did I hurt you that badly?" Bones asked trepidatiously.
"The first few years at Academy cinched the feeling that I was following a logical course of action. I picked up Mom's work. Yes, I got sidelined by Caine, but I didn't let that stop me. It wasn't you that hurt me, Leonard. It was Caine. I felt like I'd failed myself, my heritage, my family, everything. I was offered a position as a Researcher and decided to take it. The salary was adequate and it allowed me to truly blossom in my work." Lilly replied nervously.
Her eyes softened as she stared into Leonard's hazel eyes. Nothing but compassion and love radiated off of him. Her heart felt like it had leapt into her throat as she willed herself to continue speaking.
"I'd heard stories about you and the Enterprise. I assumed you were busy and had made your own life. David talked about you a lot. Dad finally figured out that bringing up your name hurt me too much. I had my friends around, sure. There's been plenty of people interested in me too, but I've always kept busy with my work. There's so much I accomplished it kept me occupied. When I came to, you told me you loved me. Did you mean that?" Lilly continued.
"Cal, I've never lied to you about how I felt. You know that." Leonard replied.
"What are you saying, Len?" Lilly cautiously asked.
"I'm sayin' I love you. I've always loved you. My marriage to Pamela failed, because she wasn't you. There's been this gaping void in my life for the last 15 years. The day you left, I vowed I'd never be happy again, because you were my happiness, Calla. When you left Atlanta I died inside." Leonard spoke softly, almost afraid of his own words.
"Leonard Horatio McCoy, I love you too." Calla stated as tears flowed down her porcelain cheeks.
Leonard closed the distance between their mouths and crushed Lilly's soft pink lips with his own. Years of longing and desire burned between the two as the kiss deepened. Lilly moaned softly driving Leonard to continue the assault on her lips. He threaded his fingers through her soft mahogany hair and pulled her closer to him. Minutes passed and Leonard finally broke the kiss.
"I can't imagine my life without you in it, Cal. Where do we go from here?" Bones asked inquisitively.
"Right now, somewhere we can talk more privately. I was so scared in the coma. Scared I was never going to wake up, never going to see you again." Tears streamed down her face as Lilly spoke.
Leonard shut her bath off and handed her a robe. He blushed slightly and turned his back to her as she stood and withdrew herself from the bathing unit. She fastened the ties on the cotton robe and sat down in the wheelchair again.
Bones turned and grabbed her clothing from the receptacle before deactivating the privacy wall. He pushed her down to the Turbolift and effortlessly guided the chair inside. He quickly punched in the code to take him straight to Deck 9 where his Quarters were located.
The Lift doors swooshed open and Bones again effortlessly guided the wheelchair down the hall to his personal quarters. He deactivated the lock and pushed Lilly inside. He shucked his uniform off, tossing it in a pile on the floor, and scooped Lilly up and carried her to his bed. She quickly shed her robe and smiled brightly when Leonard pulled her as close as possible to his body. She tucked herself against his lean frame and closed her eyes.
Leonard kissed her softly and drew the blanket over them, eager to get some restful sleep for the first time in months. Everything was turning out perfectly. Blissfully elated to sleep, he pulled her even closer and protectively wrapped his arms around her before quickly falling asleep.