I do not own these characters, and I make no profit from this story.
Amok Doc --
Part I
Christine stared, shocked. She backed out of McCoy’s quarters hastily, and stumbled over a pair of boots just outside the door, in the corridor. “Thank you most kindly!” floated out after her.
The owner of the boots caught her easily around the waist, and stared into her face, concerned.
<The Captain. Of course it would be the Captain,> she groaned internally.
“Nurse Chapel?” he asked, hazel eyes worried. “What’s wrong?”
“Is everything all right, Miss Chapel?” Spock - <Of *course* Spock’s here too. It wouldn’t be a proper nightmare otherwise> - stood most properly behind his Captain’s left shoulder, hands clasped behind his back.
“Oh, Captain,” she gulped. “It’s nothing – I just –” To her horror, she dissolved into tears. Kirk’s muscular arms came up easily around her back, enfolding her. She buried her face in his masculine shoulder, taking comfort from his strength. Kirk was much more touchy-feely than any other captain she’d ever had, but he was awfully sweet about it. And it was so *nice* to be able to fall into someone’s arms, to know that he would do everything in his power to help her.
“What is it, Christine?” he asked warmly, intimately.
“It’s Doctor McCoy,” she sobbed. “He… was polite to me!”
Kirk and Spock reeled in shock. Christine pulled back, wiping her eyes. “Doctor Dyson is sick today, so I had to ask him to start early. I thought he’d take it better if I told him in person. I took him some coffee to, to make it easier for him, and he didn’t scream at me.” She sniffled, then continued in a hushed whisper, “He didn’t throw it at the wall. He accepted it and thanked me! And then, and then he told me I was a good person and too kind to him!”
Kirk gasped. Spock’s face became more implacable, carved from granite.
“I didn’t know what to do.” She bit her lower lip, struggling not to cry again.
“Nurse Chapel,” Kirk said kindly, “I want you to take the rest of the morning off. Spock and I will take it from here.”
“Thank you, Captain,” she said gratefully, and fled.
“Wait here, Spock. I’ll be out in a moment.”
They exchanged glances. “Be careful, Captain.”
Kirk called, “Doctor, I’m coming in,” then he entered McCoy’s quarters with every sense on alert.
He expected to greeted by an unshaven, dishevelled, grumpy Doctor with the usual “Dammit, Jim, doesn’t a man get any peace? I’m still in my skivvies!”, but instead he saw McCoy in full uniform. Seated at his computer, sipping coffee.
He turned to Kirk, smiling. “Hello, Captain. I’m catching up on the current mission. The bridge collected some very interesting data on the second planet last night. It’s fascinating reading.”
Kirk stared. “You’re… reading planetary surveys?”
McCoy nodded. He said mildly, “Gets me in the mood for work, before I go off to Sickbay. You never know when you might need more information. You can never learn too much.”
“I see,” Kirk’s mind was racing. Something was horribly wrong with his friend. At a loss, he said, “Just a moment, Doctor,” and backed out.
Spock had the back of his tricorder open, running diagnostics. He looked up. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure,” Kirk answered, still thinking. Then his eyes lit up. “Spock, I have an idea.”
The door opened. McCoy came out, smoothing his hair. “Doctor, may we accompany you to Sickbay?” Kirk asked.
“Of course,” McCoy said politely.
They stood in the turbolift silently. Kirk looked at his two friends. “So, Spock,” he tried. “I hear you had trouble with Lieutenant S’Hassa yesterday.”
Spock gamely picked up the conversational ball. “Yes, Captain. She was listening to the music of W’Taral when she should have been working. I had to speak to her quite severely.”
McCoy didn’t react.
“Did she have an excuse for her misconduct?” Kirk prompted.
Spock considered. “Apparently, she has had some family problems. I explained to her that she should either take compassionate leave, or do her work properly.”
Still no reaction from McCoy.
Kirk’s stomach felt hollow. “I believe her father died recently?”
“That is correct,” Spock agreed.
Kirk made frantic ‘forgive me’ faces behind McCoy’s back. “Perhaps you should have been more tactful – you pointy-eared…” He left a gap for McCoy to jump in, but McCoy simply stared straight ahead, face blank. “…computer,” Kirk finished lamely.
The lift stopped at Sickbay. McCoy exited with a civil, “Goodbye.”
“Bridge,” Spock commanded. The two men looked at each other.
“This calls for an experiment,” Kirk said shortly, face like thunder.
Spock raised one eyebrow. “Mr Chekov?”
“Mr Chekov.”
