Title: The Odds Are Better Together
Author: klmeri
Fandom: Star Trek TOS and AOS
Characters: Kirk, Spock, McCoy
Disclaimer: I humbly disavow any rights to Star Trek.
Summary: A collection of short drabbles about our favorite three!

1.

Jim is beating a PADD on the edge of the Captain’s desk with heavy thwap-thwap-thwap‘s. This gives the First Officer pause in the entryway. He approaches the man with caution and feels that he must explain to the Captain, “Captain, you are deliberately destroying Starfleet property.”

“Yeah,” Jim agrees and continues using the device like a hammer on a nail.

“You are accruing unnecessary supply expenses. May I inquire why?”

“It’s better than being sent to a reform colony for assaulting my CMO.”

“Ah.” To Spock, who does understand the imbalance that Doctor McCoy can cause in a sane being, this is an acceptable explanation.

“My—Chief—Medical—Officer—drives—me—CRAZY.” Each word is punctuated with a smart bang. Finally, the PADD can withstand no more abuse and breaks into pieces in Jim’s hands. He scatters the bits across the desk, and with now empty twitching fingers, turns to Spock.

Vulcan discipline keeps Spock from taking a step back as a pair of crazy blue eyes lock onto his.

“What do you need, Spock?”

“Your yeoman notified me of your… irregular behavior.”

“And you came to talk me down off the ledge?”

“Pardon, Captain?”

Jim lets out a deep sigh, scrubbing a hand over his face. “I am still myself, Spock. No worries. Well—there’s only one.” He pauses. “You might have to search for Bones’ replacement.”

Spock says nothing for a moment. “I was unaware that Doctor McCoy intends to resign from his position.”

That sets Jim to pacing across the room. “He’s insane! What makes him think that the Enterprise is better off without him?” The Captain whirls around, points a finger at the Vulcan. “We need him, Spock!”

Now the situation becomes clear. Spock has noted McCoy’s absence on the Bridge for the past few shifts. The Doctor must still blame himself for the incident on their last mission. Perhaps Uhura’s not-so-subtle nudge to get Spock to visit McCoy in Sickbay was for more than medical reasons. (Indeed, it must have been because Spock is in excellent health.) He, even after one year aboard the Enterprise, is still not conclusive on the Doctor’s behavior. The man’s personality eludes solid logical thinking.

“Do you wish for me to speak with Doctor McCoy?”

Jim drops his arm and looks uncertain. “I-I don’t want to be rude, Spock, but you and Bones aren’t exactly on friendly terms.”

“It is my responsibility to record the condition of the officers aboard this vessel and determine if they perform their duties as required.”

“If you approach him with that explanation, you’ll just add insult to injury. He’ll think that you are criticizing his job—which he claims he can’t perform anyway.” Jim throws himself into a chair. “I’ve tried every tactic that usually works on him. He just won’t come around and see the truth.”

“What is the truth, Captain?”

“Jim. The truth is that Danvers would have died anyway at those sadistic bastards’ hands, no matter what Bones agreed to do.” There is pain in the Captain’s eyes. “He thinks he is a liability to the crew.”

“Negative. By Doctor McCoy’s oath, he cannot harm. I suspect that even if he were not a doctor—bound by a doctor’s pledge—then he would not intently cause injury to another being. Therefore, his actions were reasonable.”

“You know that; I know that. How can we make him see it?”

Spock tilts his head just so, fixing his dark eyes on Jim Kirk. “The PADD you destroyed—did it contain the Doctor’s resignation?” Jim nods. “Inform Doctor McCoy that you have the form ready for transmission to Starfleet. Invite him to a… last meal—” Jim grins here. “—a private one which you feel is necessary before his departure from the Enterprise.”

Jim says, “Lure him in. I’m with you. And then what?”

“And then we will convince him of his value to this ship and her crew.”

There is a fire in Jim’s eyes now for the challenge that Spock suggests. Leonard McCoy is a stubborn man. Jim Kirk is twice as stubborn—but certainly more impressionable than a Vulcan. As a team, Jim and Spock will be a wall of tenacity. Bones doesn’t stand a chance.

2.

On Spock’s fourth (practically consecutive) visit to Sickbay to hover over the comatose body of the Captain, Leonard tells him, “Jim won’t be awake any time soon, Spock.”

“I am aware of this, Doctor.”

“Then you got a reason for moping in my Sickbay when you know he’s gonna be fine?”

“I fail to understand his reasoning for his actions.”

Doctor McCoy props a hip against the foot-railing of Jim’s biobed. “That’s an easy one. Reason rarely has anything to do with his crazy stunts.”

“He has no regard for his safety.”

Leonard eyes Spock somewhat seriously. “That’s why he needs a First Officer like you.” McCoy narrows his eyes. “If you ever tell anyone I said this, Spock, I’ll deny it—but I’m glad that the Captain’s First Officer is Vulcan. Jim needs every ounce of logic and plain straight-thinking you can muster to keep him safe.” The doctor is almost sad, then, as he turns to look down at his sleeping patient. “There might come a time when he does something so foolish, I won’t be able to patch him back together. God help us all, I hope it never comes to that.”

Spock thinks he understands. “I will perform my duties to the best of my abilities, Doctor,” he promises. Then, with a surprising softening of his eyes, he adds, “I know that you will do the same. Perhaps it will be enough.”

Leonard gives in to the smile pulling up the corners of his mouth. “I suppose I could make a deal with an emotionless computer. For Jim.”

“Indeed, the Captain gives us sufficient cause to combine our skills.”

“And our wits!”

“Undoubtedly.” Spock turns on his heel, hands still clasp lightly behind his back. “I must return to the Bridge. I will expect a report on the Captain’s condition in due time.”

Leonard calls after his retreating back, “How about Please!” The Sickbay door slides shut. “Damn hobgoblin.” If the words are said fondly, no one—awake and aware—is around to incriminate Len.

The Captain sleeps on, oblivious to just how protected he truly is.

3.

No one could ever claim that Mr. Spock delivers monotonic speeches. There’s something about the way his sharp eyes browse his audience, how he maintains an elegant posture as he speaks, that lends a similar quality to his words as Jim’s bright-eyed presence commands. No man can walk away while the Vulcan educates, questions, or muses—and certainly not when Spock chastises, either.

Doctor McCoy is the first hear the flatness of the Vulcan’s voice and feel concern. So he purposefully works a dig at Spock into their very dull (duty-oriented) conversation, but the First Officer does not respond, not even with a lift of his eyebrow.

Leonard does what his job calls for—he examines to diagnosis. “Spock, forget the report for a minute. What’s the matter?”

“I do not understand your question. Please rephrase.”

“Are you ill?”

“My health is satisfactory.”

“Then why are you acting so weird?”

“My behavior remains unchanged, Doctor.”

“God dammit, don’t play me for a fool! I can see that something is bothering you. Now either you can explain the problem to me—as your doctor—or I’ll inform the Captain of my suspicions.”

Spock is silent, then—and it’s barely for a half-second that he drops his gaze. That’s all Leonard needs to know. He takes the Vulcan by the arm and drags him down the corridor towards Sickbay. Spock, caught off-guard by McCoy’s quick and unpredictable actions, pulls out of the doctor’s tight hold by the time they are halfway to the turbolift. There might be some slack-jawed ensigns stopped dead still in the hallway, but neither plays them any attention. The two face off.

“I am functional, Doctor. You will desist in this erratic behavior.”

“Oh no, you don’t! Don’t you dare walk away! I’ll pull rank—I’ll order you to come down to Sickbay!”

“On what pretense?”

“On the very big one that you’re acting strange! And if memory serves me correctly, last time that happened you almost died!”

“Doctor McCoy,” Spock actually lowers his voice (it’s a bit deadly). “You will not speak of confidential matters in public. If you wish to ascertain my physical well-being, I will comply. I have little choice but to comply. Is that what you desire?”

Leonard steps up to Spock, in that instant, and says, “I’m worried about you, you blasted Vulcan! And yes, if an order is what I have to do to figure out how to help you, then by God, that’s what I’ll do.” He leans back, arms crossed. “Now, the choice is yours: will you come willingly, or do I have to get others involved?”

Mr. Spock pivots and leads the way to Sickbay.

If Spock expects McCoy to leave well enough alone after he is declared fit by the medical tests (but not by Leonard himself), then he is seriously mistaken. While Mr. Spock sits on a biobed with his hands folded, Leonard is in the other room placing a call to the Captain on the Bridge.

“McCoy here, Captain.”

“Bones, have you seen Spock?”

“He’s in Sickbay.”

There is instant concern in Jim’s voice. “What’s the matter?”

“Asked him the same myself, Jim. That Vulcan is tighter-lipped than an Andorian schoolmarm.”

“Want me to come down there?”

“Well, I ain’t calling for chit-chat, Jim-boy.”

“On my way. Kirk, out.”

So it is that Spock faces not one irritated, gravely alarmed Human but two when he has need of a friend most.

4.

Three Starfleet officers are kicking up sand as they run for their lives. Literally. Behind them is a gigantic gruesome, six-legged creature with five-foot fangs, a rank smell, and the hungriest howl this side of the Beta Quadrant. It lopes, copious amounts of brown saliva trailing in the wind.

Jim, of course, is in the lead with Spock a close second—despite Vulcan capacity for speed. Bones is on both their heels because, while he might not be the fastest runner, he is intent on not becoming a crunchy snack for the scaly thing chasing them. Adrenaline has its perks.

Then there is a quick, echoing shout from Jim, who disappears right down a hole as sand gives way, Spock latched onto his back and dragged with him. McCoy, of course, has too much momentum to stop but it matters little because he would rather fall down a hole than eventually get caught and devoured. So down he goes too.

Some minutes later…

“Ow, that’s my stomach! There’s a boot in my stomach!”

“Well, that boot is attached to my foot so quit smacking it, Jim!” The Captain gets an angry shove into his soft middle.

“Do you require assistance?” inquires the Vulcan First Officer. Apparently Vulcans are descended from felines because Spock landed tidily on his feet—in the pitch dark—and left McCoy to crash onto Jim. (Damn Vulcans!) The Humans sort themselves out with no few curses and possibly a couple of (uncalled-for) slaps.

Eventually Jim wants to know, “Does anyone have a light?”

“Yeah, I’m carrying a torch in my pants, Jim.”

This startles a laugh out of the Captain. “Seriously, Bones, when’s the last time you had a decent shore leave?”

McCoy shuffles along in the dark until he is next to Jim (so he hopes). “Don’t remember. When’s the last time you had shore leave that didn’t involve angry papas, spouses, or male relatives?” Leonard pokes the man’s arm.

“Doctor, is there a reason for your prodding?”

Leonard almost jumps out of his skin. “Damn it, Spock! Is that you? I thought you were Jim.”

“The Captain is on your right.”

“Oh. Sorry about that.” McCoy decides to scoot into the middle and stay put. “So who has a good idea on how to get us out of this hole?”

“I would suggest that we refrain for removing ourselves at this time.”

“Why?”

“The creature is outside. It has a unique breathing pattern.”

“Is that what that smell is?” Jim asks in a muffled voice.

“I doubt it remembers to floss after it eats, Jim.”

Luckily, Spock’s communicator remains uncrushed (“…because he lands like a damned cat!”), so he sets a frequency signal that will draw a Enterprise rescue crew—eventually someone will come looking for the trio—to their hole in the sand. If Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are even luckier, the Security red-shirts will be quick enough to kill the monster before it gets feisty.

If only.

It’s a long wait.

5-8

Related Posts:

• The Odds Are Better Together, 17-20 – from July 1, 2010
• The Odds Are Better Together, 13-16 – from June 30, 2010
• The Odds Are Better Together, 9-12 – from June 29, 2010
• The Odds Are Better Together, 5-8 – from June 29, 2010