Lawful Obedience, Part One

by J. Rosemary Moss

Genre: Slash Fan Fiction (Star Trek)
Rating: PG-13

Summary: McCoy meets a man he has admired since childhood--but Spock remains unimpressed...

(This story begins in the aftermath of the episode Miri.)

~

“May I have a word with you, Doctor?”

McCoy glanced up from his paperless ‘paper-work.’ Spock was standing at the entrance of Sick Bay, hands behind his back, staring intently at him.

McCoy couldn’t help but smile. For a being who had sworn off emotions, the Vulcan had an extremely expressive face. And right now that face was expressing a mixture of admiration and disapproval. Now why was that?

“Of course, Mr. Spock,” he answered. “Come on in.”

“Alone, Doctor,” Spock specified.

McCoy nodded at Nurse Chapel and the technicians—all of whom were pretending not to look interested. They each left the bay without quite being able to hide their disappointment.

“What can I do for you, Spock?”

The Vulcan hesitated for a mere second before launching into his complaint. “Dr. McCoy, you disobeyed my orders and thereby jeopardized not only your own safety, but the safety of the entire landing party.”

Bones rolled his eyes and swore under his breath. He should have seen this coming. “And just what orders did I disobey?” he asked.

“I had ordered you to wait for the Captain, in the hopes that he would locate and retrieve our communicators. Once that was accomplished, we would have regained access to the ship’s computers—and we would have been able to safely test the vaccine that you developed.”

McCoy clenched his fists as he tried, unsuccessfully, to control his temper. “We didn’t have time to wait, Spock! We had to know—”

“Instead,” the Vulcan continued calmly, ignoring the doctor’s outburst, “the moment my back was turned, you injected yourself with the vaccine.”

Bones stood up and folded his arms across his chest. “You know how desperate we were, Spock. We were down to a matter of hours. So why are you bringing this up?”

“Your disobedience could have had dire consequences to yourself and the landing party,” Spock repeated—speaking slowly, as if there was some doubt that McCoy could understand him. “If that ‘vaccine’ had killed you—”

“It didn’t, you pointy-eared—”

“Doctor,” Spock continued, again ignoring the interruption, “I am confining you to your quarters for the remainder of the week whenever you are off-duty.”

McCoy stared at him, not quite believing what he had heard. “Spock, I’m the chief medical officer—not some raw recruit…”

“I fail to see what bearing your rank has. Disobeying orders calls for disciplinary measures regardless.”

“Oh it does, does it?” McCoy demanded. “Would you care to take your belt to me, Pa, while you’re at it?”

Spock cocked his head at him. “I do not know what you would expect me to do with a belt. And I am most certainly not your father.”

Bones took a deep breath, wondering how such a God-damned genius could possibly be so obtuse. “That’s my point, Mr. Spock. You’re not my father—you have no right to ground me.”

“I have every right, Doctor—”

But McCoy was of no mind to listen to a detailed description of Spock’s rights and privileges as second in command. “Fine, Spock,” he spat. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy explaining why I’m missing tonight while everyone else is celebrating our safe return.”

“I take no enjoyment from this, Doctor,” Spock said. “Nor do I see any reason to publicize this disciplinary action.”

“Well, don’t keep it secret on my account, sir,” Bones told him, aping a cold, formal tone. “Now I’ll ask you to leave sick bay, so I can return to my duties.”

Spock hesitated again—a little longer this time. But in the end he just nodded and took his leave.

McCoy, for his part, tried to unclench his fists…but failed miserably. That green-blooded devil was going to be the death of him yet.

~

Kirk cringed when he saw the disciplinary measure Spock had inflicted on Bones. He wasn’t about to pull rank on Spock and counteract it—especially since Spock had kept the matter quiet. But he wished that Spock had found a better way of making his point.

He sighed, wondering if Spock realized how insulting Bones would find that measure. Kirk knew how much Spock admired the doctor for his courage and ingenuity—he had seen that admiration written plainly on the Vulcan’s face while Bones was unconscious. Spock had even clung to Bones’ hands, as if he could will the doctor to stay alive.

But Bones hadn’t seen any of that.

Thus, instead of joining the evening’s festivities, Kirk settled into a chair in his cabin and summoned Mr. Spock to join him. The science officer appeared promptly, wearing an inquisitive look.

“Sit down, Mr. Spock,” the captain invited with a smile.

Spock nodded and took a seat opposite him. Then he cocked his head at him. “What is it, Jim?”

“I thought about keeping Bones company tonight, since you didn’t forbid anyone from visiting him—but I didn’t want to give the impression of going over your head.”

Spock cocked his head at him. “Over my head?”

“Pulling rank,” Kirk explained. “But if I know Bones, he’ll be eager for someone to share a drink with.”

Spock seemed to give that matter due consideration. “Perhaps a word to Mr. Scott?” he said uncertainly.

“Actually, Spock, I was thinking that you might want to keep Bones company instead,” the captain suggested. “You can’t pull rank on yourself, after all, and that way we’d still be able to keep things quiet.”

“I do not think that the doctor will welcome me, Jim.”

“I think you’re wrong,” Kirk told him. “Just find a way to let him know that—well, that you admire what he did, even though you had to reprimand him for it.”

“That would only encourage the doctor into taking such risks in the future—”

“Spock,” Kirk interrupted. “Bones is no idiot daredevil; you know that. It was a calculated risk that he thought was worth taking. He should have let you know what he was up to—and he shouldn’t have disobeyed you—but you know he’s not foolhardy in general.”

Spock furrowed his brow. “That is true,” he owned.

“Will you go see him?”

He folded his arms thoughtfully. “I have no desire to share one of Dr. McCoy’s drinks,” he said at length. “But if the doctor does not object to my presence, I would not mind spending some time with him.”

Kirk grinned. “That’s the spirit,” he said.

He leaned back and sighed with satisfaction as Spock left. Now if those two could manage not to kill each other tonight, they might just reach a better understanding. How good of an understanding was another question, of course. But Kirk had high hopes.

He had high hopes indeed.

LINK TO PART TWO