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Erica wasn’t surprised by the danger of Starfleet. She was taught when she joined exactly what she was risking. That didn’t stop her from being reckless, obviously, with Pike as a captain it was easy to feel invincible. Which didn’t matter most of the time.
This was not that time.
The latina struggled to focus on the helm when they returned from a First Contact. A hostile one at that. They weren’t as advanced as expected, and it was handled fairly easily, but that didn’t erase the wound in her side. She wasn’t sure what the projectile was, just that her bandages weren’t doing much but keeping blood off the floor of the bridge.
Not that the bridge hadn’t seen its fair share of blood. Even hers. Normally, she’d’ve just gone straight to Medbay and get it fixed up properly by one of the doctors. Except she couldn’t bring herself to.
Injury or no, she didn’t want to see the new Nurse right now. Sure, she and Chapel had been close at the academy and Ortegas was excited to have her on the enterprise.
Until she remembered her crush.
Her stupid inexplicable crush on her brilliant gorgeous friend, who she knows is in the medbay right now.
So instead of getting what was probably an easy fix, some pain relief, and a short break before getting back to work, Erica was sitting at the helm.
And resigning herself to her fate of slowly - and painfully - bleeding out on the bridge.
“Erica?” Mitchell asked from beside her, tapping her fellow helmsman’s shoulder.
“Yeah?”
“Oh, good, you are alive,” Pike spoke from beside her, “You weren’t answering.”
“Sorry, Captain,” the pilot looked up, “How can I help you?”
“I’m letting Cadet Sulu relieve you of duty. Head down to medbay,” he stated, “You’re looking pale.”
“...Alright, captain,” she agreed, nodding to the asian man that took her place at the helm and walking to the turbolift.
Now what? Disobey direct orders? No. Go to medbay while Christine is there? Absolutely not. If only there was a way to know exactly where Christine was at any given moment.
Oh yeah.
“Computer, locate Nurse Christine Chapel,” she called up to the lift, ignoring the stinging in her side.
The robotic voice waited a moment before announcing, “Christine Chapel is currently in the dining hall.”
Erica lets herself relax, Christine is on lunch then. It’s safe to go to Medbay and get this fixed. Luckily the turbolift can go straight there, so she won’t have to worry about running into her crush either.
“Officer Ortegas!” M’Benga looked up and grinned when she stepped out of the lift, “Hello, the captain told me he was worried you’ve gotten sick.”
“I haven’t.”
“No?” He asked, “Sit. You are looking paler than usual.”
Of course, Christine came in right before the pilot can explain and get it fixed, “Who is? It might be an ensign that I was testing on.” She grabbed her clipboard and walked over to the bed, “Oh…Erica? Are you alright? Why are you here?”
“I’m fine, the captain wants me checked for viruses,” she answered blankly, “Doctor, could you scan me? Then I’ll go straight to my quarters.”
"I'll do it!" Christine offered brightly, tri-corder already in hand.
“I’d prefer Doctor M’Benga do it.” the latina said, “Since he has a direct line to Captain Pike.”
"What? You don't think I'm qualified?" Christine was joking, but Erica could hear a touch of hurt in the blonde's voice.
The brunette shook her head, trying to sound as normal and unguilty as she could, “Of course you are, I just want the Captain to be told as soon as possible so I can go rest.”
"You're a terrible liar."
“You’re being insecure,” she stated, and immediately regretted. Erica couldn’t apologize right now though, she needed to lie down, “I just want to be in and out as soon as possible.”
"Which is why you should stop arguing with the doctor that's trying to help you!"
Yeah, Christine was definitely hurt.
“Chapel, could you double check the data I was running on your simulations?” The man interrupted, waving his tricorder over the pilot, “Erica, you’re good to go. No illnesses. I’ll be sure to tell the captain.”
“Thank you.” the shorter woman said as she left the medbay, she didn’t want to hear Christine being upset any more than necessary.
It wasn’t a long walk to her quarters. It was tiring, and she couldn’t think straight, and she was getting dizzy, but that would be solved by a long nap. Her injury will scab over anyways. As soon as she got to her room, she focused on changing into loungewear. First sweatpants, then her uniform shirt, then her-
“Why is your undershirt bloody?” Christine asked from the doorway.
Erica spun around, “I’m- how’d you get in?”
“Medical override.”
“...That feels like a misuse of power.” she grumbled.
"It might be," Christine conceded, "if I wasn't checking on a crew member who refused medical care. Why's your undershirt soaked in blood?"
“Bad first contact. My uniform shirt is red so it hides it.” she lied smoothly, “I didn’t refuse medical care.”
"You refused the medical care you needed," Christine argued, "And you can't lie to me and tell me you didn't notice. You never snap at people like that. Unless you're in pain."
“I’m not in pain, I held one dying alien and they bled on me, it’s not that serious.” she frowned, “They aren’t all green-blooded like your crush.”
"I don't-" Christine spluttered, before shaking her head, "Then why is only your undershirt bloody?"
“My uniform is bloody too, it’s just red so it blends in,” she rolled her eyes, “keep up, Christine.”
"Your undershirt is black," Christine Leaned against the doorframe, "that also hides blood. It's just also glistening with how much there is. So I'd advise telling the truth."
“I sweat,” Erica sat on her bed, trying to keep focused on the conversation and keeping her eyes open, “It’s just sweat.”
"Weird place to sweat from."
“I guess?” she rolled her eyes, ignoring the black spots creeping into her vision, “I’m fine though.”
"Ortegas- Erica, don't make me declare you unfit for duty."
She just stared at the blonde for a minute before grumbling, “Fine, what would you like from me?”
"Take off your shirt so I can see."
“Usually people take me to dinner before asking me to undress,” she joked, not moving yet.
"Patient is being uncooperative and ignoring medical personnel's prompts," Christine hummed, pulling out her padd that Erica had failed to notice.
“You don’t mean that,” Erica stated as calmly as she could.
"Do you want to bet?"
The latina sighed, hooking her hands at the bottom of her shirt and pulling it up, revealing the soaked through bandages, “Happy?”
"Fuck," Christine was kneeling next to Erica in what seemed like an instant. Though Erica wasn't exactly reliable at knowing how much time passed at the moment, "Erica, why didn't you say anything? Jesus."
“Why do you care so much? It’s not that bad,” she grumbled, weakly pushing away Christine’s hands, “I’m fine.”
"No you aren't!" Christine started working at removing the bandages, despite Erica's protests, "God, how much blood have you lost?"
Erica frowned, laying back on the bed once her bandages were off, “I don’t- is that a serious question you think I can answer?”
"It was rhetorical," Christine looked up at Erica, "You are such an idiot sometimes, why would you try to hide this?"
“Thank you nurse, your bedside manner astounds me,” she yawned, “And it’s not a big deal.”
"Yes it is, Erica! Why don't you care?"
Erica leaned her head forward, “About the hole in my side? I do and I was handling it. Why do you care so much? I’ve had worse.”
"Because I've been in love with you for ages, and the entire reason I requested the Enterprise was that I missed you, and then you've just avoided me until I found you bleeding out in your quarters!" Christine wasn't yelling, but it felt like she was, "What do you mean why do I care?"
Erica stared blankly at Christine, she was pretty sure this was a hallucination, “You’re in love with Spock. You know, Science Officer, half Vulcan, scientific anomaly?”
Christine looked at Erica, hands stilling, "Spock?" she repeated, "You think I'm into Spock? The guy has the emotional range of a teaspoon. I've met vulcan children with more emotional intelligence than him."
“I’m sure his fiance resents that. And you.” she yawned, letting her eyes close, “You like them a little emotionally unintelligent. Makes them mysterious…or something.” Erica took a deep breath, “Blood loss causes hallucinations, right?”
"His fiance resents him for abandoning her to go to space," Christine frowned, "I'm taking you back to medbay."
“I’m heavier than you can lift.” she hummed, “You can’t take me anywhere.”
"Luckily for me, there's a strong doctor in medbay that could probably carry us both if he wanted."
That was the last thing Erica remembers, besides the pain in her side. Next time she opened her eyes, she was in medbay, more than a little disoriented, and fairly sure she either fell asleep or died.
“You’re awake,” the captain smiled down at her, “Here I was thinking I’d lose my best pilot to a bullet wound. Are you feeling alright, officer?”
“I’m…yeah?” she offered lamely, frowning at the dryness of her mouth, “Hi, captain, can I get water?”
"Hello lieutenant," Pike looked almost amused, "nurse Chapel set a glass on the table next to you about 5 minutes ago."
“Oh.” Erica pushed herself up, wincing at the stinging in her torso, “Sorry.” The pilot grabbed the glass and took a sip, sitting up fully.
"You're forgiven, as long as it doesn't happen again."
"No you aren't," Christine announced her presence as she walked over, "what the fuck was that, Ortegas?"
“Hi Christine,” she mumbled, looking up at the brilliant and very angry pretty nurse.
"Don't hi me!" Christine huffed as she messed with something Erica was attached to, "You could've died, but you were too busy avoiding me to do anything about it! I don't care what the grudge you have against me is, it's not more important than your life."
“I’ll excuse myself.” the captain stood, “You’re on medical leave for a week, Ortegas. Feel better.”
“...bye Captain,” Erica sighed, “What are you doing, nurse?”
"Giving you more painkillers," Christine managed to make even that sound biting, "don't do that again."
She took another sip of her water, refusing to look at her friend, “I won’t. Thanks for the meds.”
"Only you would get yourself shot and then refuse medical care until after I admitted I was in… to you."
Erica choked, and the sudden movement made her side explode in pain. She set the water down on the table shakily and coughed a few more times before saying, “I thought…I didn’t think…I thought that was…that…I didn’t know that was real?”
"Don't move so much. Are you okay?"
“My head and stomach hurts?” she offered lamely, “And I feel bad.”
"Well I can't give you any more pain meds," Christine glanced at the padd on her hand, "but I can give you something to eat if that'll help."
Erica stared at the nurse in silence before announcing, “I’m in love with you.”
"What?"
“I’ve been avoiding you because I keep thinking about kissing you but I thought you were into Spock and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.” she explained, “So I thought I would go to medbay while you were in the dining hall but you came back and then I- I thought I’d be okay a while longer?”
"So you almost died," Christine started, staring at Erica, "because you thought I was into Spock?"
“I guess?” she nodded, “Because I’m in love with you but I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
Christine laughed softly, "You are such an idiot sometimes, Ortegas. Have I ever told you that?"
“Yeah, all the time, which I don’t think nurses are allowed to do.”
"Well I wouldn't have had to this time if you had told me how you felt."
“You could’ve told me how you felt.”
"I figured requesting a transfer to the starship you piloted was pretty obvious."
Erica frowned, “I assumed that M’Benga requested you.”
"No, he just approved the transfer the same day I requested it."
She nodded, “So he was just desperate for a mad scientist on the crew.”
"And I benefited from the transfer."
“...Sorry I didn’t tell you.”
"Sorry you didn't tell me about what?" Christine raised an eyebrow, "because if it's about being shot at, I don't forgive you"
“How can I convince you to forgive me?” she frowned, “I feel like as your patient I should be forgiven.”
Christine paused, humming, "Kissing me might be a good start."
“Can you come closer?” she asked, sitting up a little more.
Christine laughed, leaning toward Erica.
Erica grabbed her cheeks and pulled her in for the kiss, smiling as their lips touched for the first time.
“Excuse me, nurse, is that the recommended treatment?” a deep voice interrupted from a newly formed gap in the curtains. Doctor M’Benga laughed, “Ortegas, are you feeling better?”
“Yup,” Erica nodded, “Thank you doctor.”
Christine flushed, but tried to school her expression as she looked at the doctor, "Yes, and it's proven to be quite effective."
“Just making sure you’re following protocol.” M’Benga chuckled.
As soon as he left their sectioned off corner, Erica started laughing, and soon enough Christine joined in. Things were going to be okay with her by the pilot’s side.
Now, she was definitely invincible.