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“Doctor McCoy, to Captain Kirk. Please report to Sickbay.”
Jim sat in his chair, the center seat of the Enterprise, and continued to watch the view screen, making no move to leave.
“Captain?” Spock said, approaching his side. “The doctor has paged you to Sickbay. I can take over for you here if...”
“That will be unnecessary, Mr. Spock,” Kirk answered curtly, not breaking eye contact with space.
Spock simply raised an eyebrow and walked back to his station.
Activity on the Bridge continued as normal for thirty minutes before the regular chatter was interrupted again. This time, it came from the comm on the armrest of the Captain's chair.
“McCoy to Kirk.”
Jim made no move to answer.
“McCoy to Kirk, please answer, we're on a private channel.”
Jim still made no move to answer and the Bridge crew had begun to give him alarmed side looks. It was highly unusual for the Captain to ignore a commanding officer, but especially that one.
“Damn it, Jim, don't make assume there's a medical emergency on the Bridge!”
Jim finally stabbed the comm button, irritation clear in his posture and in his voice.
“Some of us have pressing work to do, Doctor,” he bit out. “Now get back to yours.”
“Some of us,” McCoy spluttered. “Excuse me?!”
Jim hit a few more button, effectively muting Sickbay. Jim sat in his chair and fumed.
“Captain,” Spock said quietly, standing close and leaning in. “Is there a domestic disagreement between you and the Doctor?”
“Nope,” Jim answered with short, clipped words. “A professional one.”
“Jim, ignoring Leonard will not solve the problem, whatever it is. I know this from experience. If he can not get you to come to him, he'll simply come to you.”
“If that man comes on this bridge without asking permission and waiting for ME to grant it, I want you to haul him off and back down to Sickbay.”
“Captain?” Spock said with mounting concern. “He never has needed permission to be on the bridge. It has always been assumed that if he is here, it is in the line of duty.”
“And is it always?”
“Sometimes,” Spock countered, completely unfazed. “You are acting erratically. Does this have something to do with why the Doctor wishes you to see him in Sickbay?”
“It most certainly does!” McCoy announced himself, down by the center seat before Jim even realized he had stepped through the turbolift doors.
“You,” Jim hissed, “did not ask permission to...”
“And I won't. Get up and let's go.”
“Dr. McCoy...”
“Captain, I must insist,” Spock interjected, straightening to his full height and letting his arms drop to his sides. “Clearly there is something amiss with you and I agree that the Ship's Doctor should examine you. Please do not make it an order. From either of us.”
Jim looked back and forth from his very serious First Officer, clearly ready to physically remove him, to his CMO, whose expression was an odd mixture of triumph, exasperation, and humor. He then looked around the Bridge, finally noticing the attention he had garnered and his face contorted in embarrassment.
“That won't be necessary, gentlemen. Perhaps I'm not feeling completely myself. Lead the way, Doctor. Mr. Spock, you have the Bridge.”
“Doctor, will you need the scans from our last away mission?”
“No, Spock, I know what's wrong,” McCoy said tiredly.
The two men stepped into the turbolift and stood side by side, not making eye contact, even in the reflection of the doors. When they were halfway there, Leonard hit the emergency stop, sticking them between levels.
“I can't believe you,” McCoy finally sighed.
“You threw such a fit that Spock thinks you've been infected by something on the last planet you were on.”
Jim didn't reply, keeping his lips pressed shut out of stubbornness and shame.
“You know I'm going to make this as easy on you as possible,” McCoy went on. “For god's sake, Jim. You were the one who picked out our honeymoon destination!”
“I know,” he finally said, sounding not the least bit combative, and turning to face his husband of two days. “I'm sorry, Bones. I didn't mean to be such a jerk to you.”
“I know, Darl'n,” McCoy said gently and pulled the other man to him, pressing him tightly to his chest and wrapping his arms around him. “I know it's a lot of hypos and I know how you feel about them. I shouldn't have let you put them off to the last minute, but you have to have all of them. The planet is fairly new to the Federation, the people of the planet are very new to Human contact and the resort we're going is brand new and surrounded by nature. It's beautiful, but we don't know how we're going to react. Plus, you're behind on some of your regular vaccines.”
“Why did I marry a doctor, again?”
“Cause I'm sexy and good in bed.”
“Oh yeah.”
“And I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Jim sighed and pulled back, straightening his shirt. “And I really am sorry. That's no way for a husband or captain to behave. It won't happen again.”
“Good,” McCoy smiled and restarted the turbolift.
Kirk followed McCoy into Sickbay, head held high, step sure and authoritative. Until they rounded the privacy partition to the biobed Bones was leading him to and he found Nurse Chapel waiting with two trays, one on either side of the bed, each holding at least ten hypos.
“Actually, Bones, I have this thing to do in Engineering...”
“Oh no you don't,” McCoy shot his hand out and latched onto the Captain's arm. “I'm not losing you in that maze. Hop on the bed. We're going to double team you so it will be over in no time.”
“Please...”
“James Tiberius Kirk, don't make me make this a medical order.”
“I was just kidding!”
Finally, Jim jumped onto the bed, got into a comfortable sitting position, and gritted his teeth. Doctor and Nurse both picked up a hypo and began to rapidly vaccinate their Captain, before he could make a break for it.
To be continued tomorrow, Day 23, Vacation away from home.