57. Heart

57. Heart

Leonard McCoy and Spock did not become friends immediately. In fact, if one were to suggest such a thing most of the crew would outright laugh in their face. Doctor and Vulcan were very different people, Spock a logical and cool tactician and McCoy an old school and emotional grump. If Jim and Spock were fire and ice, then Spock and McCoy were oil and water. They just couldn't seem to get along and their arguments and verbal sparring became legendary among the poor men and women they worked with.

After Doctor Piper's retirement, Jim had immediately sent a request for his friend to take over as CMO. He hadn't expected them to get along, but he admitted that he'd hoped that they could at least work together without the threat of WW4. They both attempted to tone it down after one evening where Jim finally had enough and told them off in the serious 'captain' voice he almost never used off the bridge. Taking the hint, the animosity became a much quieter and subdued affair but still hovered like a giant Klingon Warship every time they were in a room together.

McCoy couldn't understand why Jim would ask someone like the Vulcan to be his First Officer. They'd argued for hours after a somewhat disastrous mission before Jim had lashed out with "I thought you didn't like that I had Gary as my First and that I needed someone different than me; do you just not trust my judgment?" and McCoy had backed off because there was still that pain in his younger friend's voice when he talked about his late friend.

Spock had on numerous occasions questioned the legitimacy of the Doctor's right to practice medicine. The skepticism and disgruntled comments had gone on so long that Jim physically pulled up McCoy's papers and told the Vulcan that if he heard one more comment that he would give Spock a reason to see the man's abilities first hand. Spock left it alone after that.

McCoy thought Spock was a cold so-n-so.

Spock thought McCoy was unstable at best.

Jim just knew he was going to go insane.

Then came the mission to M-113 and a stressful and confusing day for McCoy. It wasn't until after the whole thing was over and he'd managed to stabilize his own adrenaline drunk body that he realized the shocking thing he'd witnessed. Spock had been damn near panicking. McCoy could suddenly see the whole thing in a new light, see the concern in the Vulcan's eyes and the fear that their friend was going to be killed by that creature. He'd been worried about Jim. And afterwards, when Jim was trying to calm him down, Spock had stood there and kept watch over them both as though... He'd been worried about McCoy too.

When the ship was hit by a nasty bit of debris on a rescue mission they'd lost three crew and had six others taken to Medbay. Spock managed to avoid going down himself for three hours until Jim all but threw him into the room. He'd been greeted by the sight of a grumpy as ever Doctor berating a young ensign who was arguing right back. The Vulcan observed the way he administered a vaccine and sedative while the young man was distracted and then smiled fondly down at the man as the young red-shirt fell asleep. Spock was silent as he slipped back out, but not before he watched McCoy ruffle the patient's hair gently and turn to a nurse with a sympathetic smile.

Perhaps Spock had a heart after all.

Perhaps McCoy was qualified after all.

All Jim knew was that the banter became much more light hearted and even when they really went at each other, something was different. The young man was glad. For all they were different, they were very similar. No one else would he ever trust himself too with so little thought.