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"...there are no major problems with sickbay. Well,"
Leonard amended,
"Other than the lack of enough sanitary stations, workspace, certain medicine vials, hypo sprays, overworked staff, and all that. But on my half, the biggest concern I can think of is keeping your damn redshirts out of my medbay. How many of those poor kids get hurt for the stupidest of reasons? I mean, come on, Jim. And who has to deal with the paperwork? Me! That's who," The doctor huffed, leaning back in his chair.
It only took him a second to realize that everyone in the room, all of the senior brass--his friends--was just staring at him, not saying a word. They all looked at him like he had the damn plague, practically covered in disease or something.
Finally, after what felt like a solid minute, he finally spoke up, his voice gruff and defensive.
"What?"
They just continued to stare as if they blanked out or something. He looked at each of his friends with concern.
Hikaru was actually grinning a tiny bit and whispering something to Pavel who was only nodding absently. Nyota was just straight up staring and her girlfriend Christine was giggling to her about something. Even Spock was affected by him somehow, and though not a muscle in his face changed, there was bewilderment in his eyes.
Jim was just straight up staring at him as well, but unlike his first officer, his eyes were wide and he was very obviously bewildered.
"What?" Leonard repeated, now getting somewhat worried. This was so unlike his friends, and it was so strange, them just staring in shock like they were doing now. Was his eyeliner smudged? Did he remember to brush his hair?
No, he did all of that-
Finally, Jim cleared his throat roughly and opened his mouth. "Is that...normal?"
"Is what normal?"
Now Leonard was getting kind of annoyed. This was dragging out stupidly long and for what? WHAT was the problem?
"Goddammit man, stop beating around the bush! What is the problem with all of you? You all look like my great grandma's ghost walked right through you!"
"Bones, look down!" Jim burst out and he was met with everyone muttering reprimands and quiet scolding.
And Leonard looked down to see Montgomery--his boyfriend who was supposed to be sitting next to him--asleep in his lap. And this whole time, Leonard had been casually running a hand through his hair, which was so soft and smelled like the 5 in 1 coconut shampoo he used in the shower.
He hadn't even realized he'd been doing it, this whole time. But then again, it was kind of second nature. Whenever they were alone or in between shifts, Montgomery would end up falling asleep in his lap and Leonard would continue to work but allowed his free hand to card through his boyfriend's hair. It was almost a stress-reliever--no, it definitely was. It helped that Monty loved to have his hair petted, and it relaxed him and put him to sleep almost instantly. It had been a busy few days for the poor engineer, and the room was warm. Paired with the gentle, steady hum of the ship and the expert fingers that weaved through his hair...well, no wonder he clocked out.
"And?" Leonard was still not shocked about this new information.
It didn't change the fact that they had a meeting to get on with.
"To make it clear, I think new recruits, specifically redshirts should be instructed on how to prevent injuries so I'm not up to my neck in young kids floundering to sickbay after every mission. I already put up with that with you Jim, I don't need forty more men just like you..."
Eventually, the meeting relaxed and everything seemed to go back to normal, though Jim's eyes couldn't help but wander back to the hand in Montgomery's hair and the quiet, grateful purrs that escaped the engineer's lips in return.
Then it was as if this is how it had always been: A purring Scotsman fast asleep in the lap of a Doctor who was determined to multitask and go one with the meeting like this was as it was meant to be.
And to Leonard, it was.