Between the Stars | an AOS fanfic

Chapter 9 [the crush]

The doors to medbay quickly slid open and Spock walked in. His hands, balled into loose fists at his sides, unfolded themselves. He looked around a moment, nobody was there.

At the desk off to the side, there were two cups and a curved, red bottle fill with some kind of liquid- most likely alcoholic. But they had not been touched. They look like they had just been set out.

"Ah, Mister Spock," McCoy announced as he came out of his office. He was holding another bottle. Simple, rectangular. "What can I do for you?"

The Vulcan looked behind Doctor McCoy to see if anyone was behind him, then he quickly glanced at the door. He didn't have time to answer before McCoy spoke again:

"Oh... I know what it is..."

He walked back into his office and reappeared a few seconds later carrying a blue recording card. Once he was within arm's reach of Mister Spock, he held the card out.

"Here." He said solemnly.

Spock took the recording card, studied it for a moment, then replied, "thank you."

"Whatever."

He watched as the doctor walked to the desk and set the bottle next to the other. Spock raised an eyebrow at McCoy's sudden change in mood, and put his hands behind his back.

"Is something troubling you, Doctor?" He asked.

McCoy clenched his teeth, while he averted Spock's curious stare. He took a deep breath in, then turned to him, making no attempt to hide his agitation.

"Permission to speak freely, sir."

"Granted."

The doctor nodded at the eager response, "Granted, alright, you asked for it..." He muttered. "Are you out of your Vulcan mind?"

Spock blinked at the man's sudden outburst, but continued to listen to his tirade:

"Do you understand what kind of hell Indiana'll put us through if she finds out about this? You can just kiss those chess games of yours goodbye. On second thought, we can just kiss her goodbye, 'cause this isn't right. You 'n I both know it."

"What we are doing is perfectly legal. Since I am in a superior position, your orders of giving me reports falls nothing short of-"

"Just because it's in the books, Spock, doesn't make it right. But of course your selfish mind wouldn't understand that."

"Selfishness is a human characteristic that I do not display."

"Now, why do I find that hard to believe?"

Spock's mind began raging. It took everything in his Vulcan side not to lash out at the Doctor. It would simply not be logical if he were to do so. He had given his consent for free speech, so, yes, he asked for it.

"I just don't think it's right." Mccoy calmly concluded. "Indy doesn't deserve it..."

Spock took a sharp breath in. Something in him became defensive over the Doctor's words. Perhaps he had taken them the wrong way, but he dispised them either way.

The turmoil in his mind didn't completely show on his face, but the flame in his eyes revealed to Doctor McCoy what he was actually thinking- and he didn't even have to say a word.

"Now just a minute," McCoy snapped. "If you're thinkin' that I've fallen in love with the girl, you're sorely mistaken."

"I never said-"

"And I never said you did, but I know what you're thinking, so don't try to hide it. I also know that I've got a reputation of being a womanizer, but I'm not. I care about Indiana because I know what she's been through. The things she's gone through is more than anyone should have in ten lifetimes. She nearly quit Starfleet because of her sister, and for some reason, she's come back for more. Now on the Enterprise, somethin's making her kill herself and I can't figure out what. She's runnin' on empty, and I don't know how to help..."