#bones tag

Maybe he WOULD ask to be re-assigned to Engineering. If it meant he never ever had to go on an away mission like this, the training would be worth it.

They'd gone down to explore a planet they'd discovered - a standard away mission. What wasn't standard, was the anomalous entity they crossed, who kept the planet in a near constant time-flux. It wasn't wild or uncontrolled, but deliberate on the Entity's part.

Someone had jokingly made a comment about the Entity being like a caregiver to the planet. One thing had led to another, and the Entity seemed pleased to declare that it would grant a temporary gift upon the away team.

Before anyone could react or respond, the world around them seemed to grow strange. Tingly, fuzzy, like a more comfortable version of the pins and needles of a foot falling asleep. At least- it did for certain members. Three of the away team had been regressors - not small at the time. Abby had changed slightly, looking more along the lines of her middle-regressed age, though her blue uniform still fit decently well. Tony hadn't changed too much- not until he noticed the small fuzzy ears, hands turned paws, and the tail. He immediately made a joke about finally going for walkies.

Cooper hadn't escaped the effects, though he wasn't as nonchalant or amused. It was disorienting to see the world like this. He felt unbalanced, vulnerable. He could feel the eyes shift to him, standing there with a stricken expression on his face.

Fortunately, the captain immediately sprung into action, calling for the three to be beamed up, three non-regressing replacements, and for "Dr. McCoy to get to the transporter room, ASAP."

Cooper barely had a chance to suck in a lungful of air before the world around them sparkled and he found himself on the transporter pad. The other two hurried away, ushered out by Dr. McCoy the second he arrived. He'd had them immediately beamed directly to his own quarters, and that had them here now.

---

"Shh, I know, Coop, I know." McCoy tried to soothe, rubbing a hand along Cooper's back. Cooper just kicked in response, another wordless shriek bubbling up. Despite that, he kept his hands fisted in McCoy's shirt, gripping the fabric as if his life depended on it.

"C'mon, Coop, breathe for me. Take a breath, hold it for a moment," McCoy murmured, taking an exaggerated breath himself to demonstrate. Cooper just hiccuped in response, burying his face in McCoy's shoulder. He hiccuped again, the caregiver still rubbing his back slowly.

McCoy's hold on him shifted slightly, moving to bounce him gently. Cooper's breath stuttered and he choked out a distraught sob, McCoy humming quietly.

"You'll be okay, Coop. Jim's getting it all sorted out and fixed, and we'll go down as soon as he gets that thing figured out. Until then, it's just me and you. Ward's worried, but I told him to go hang out with some of his other friends, okay?" McCoy spoke quietly, still bouncing the regressed ensign. As nice as it was to be able to hold and rock Cooper, it was terrible to see how upset it made him to be physically changed again. That transporter anomaly hadn't been fun for him either. "You're okay, Coop. You let it all out, I got ya."

Cooper just gripped his shirt tighter in response, another hiccuped sob escaping him. He couldn't shake the feeling of being disoriented, of everyone staring at him. Whispering, tutting, irritated voices telling him to "take a breath and shake it off".

He knew McCoy wouldn't do that. If anything, McCoy tended to indulge him when he got whiny and fussy. Just like he was now, no complaints. Not even when Cooper had kicked him when McCoy first picked him up.

"H-Hck-" Cooper hiccuped, another sob bubbling up and out of him. McCoy's only response was to keep rubbing his back as he moved to sit on his bed, tugging the blanket over them both.

"You'll be okay, Coop, I gotcha. Ain't gonna let nothin' hurt you, sweetpea." McCoy soothed again, and Cooper could hear the worry in the older man's voice. It struck guilt straight into his chest, tightening and twisting like a screw panel. That he was here, putting up such a fuss over something that ultimately didn't hurt him, wasn't permanent.

McCoy no doubt had work he could be doing, reports to file or patients to see. Instead, he's holding Cooper, bouncing him on his lap like- like a toddler.

Cooper squirmed, trying to shove away. He bit his lip, willing himself to swallow down his sobs. He needed to be fine and okay, because McCoy had things to do.

The older man had a different opinion, apparently.

"Don't you do that, Coop. I know what you're thinking, and don't you keep thinking it," McCoy held him firm, tugging the blanket closer around them into a messy swaddle. Cooper hiccuped in response as McCoy wiped his cheeks. "Don't you do that to yourself, baby boy. You're allowed to be upset and scared about this, you're allowed to throw a fit and cry. I'm just gonna hold you, baby. Ain't gonna let you be alone." Cooper buried his face back in McCoy's shoulder with a whimper, the caregiver resuming his quiet humming.

---

"Hi, sweetpea. You wakin' up for me?"

Cooper whined, curling more into the warmth at his side. His pillow chuckled, a hand gently running through his hair. There was a few moments of silence and Cooper had almost drifted back to sleep, only to be stirred again by a hand patting his shoulder.

"You can keep restin' yer eyes, sweetpea. Mama's got you, right?" The voice came again, just as soft as before. Cooper whined again as he was shifted, lifted up from the warmth of the bed, only to be held against someone's chest. McCoy's, Cooper thought fuzzily, it must be McCoy's.

But McCoy had called himself Mama, and that felt so much nicer to think. They were being held by Mama, his voice soft and soothing. They rubbed their eyes, blinking blearily up at McCoy as he settled them down on a slightly harder surface.

"Hi, baby," McCoy murmured quietly, "Just getting you all cleaned up real quick. I'll make you something yummy after, okay? You just let me do everything, a'ight?"

Cooper shifted at that, rubbing their eyes. The earlier meltdown seemed ages away, though the world still felt too wrong. He whimpered, only to immediately be soothed.

"Mmm-mmuh," Cooper made a quiet noise, and McCoy leaned down to press a kiss to his nose. He kept up a steady string of quiet words, managing to keep the poor ensign calm and settled. Cooper didn't often let himself be changed or cleaned up, but he certainly wouldn't be able to do it himself now. Thankfully, he was too sleepy and small to have much of a protest.

"Alright, baby. Mama's gonna get you a bottle, and I'll see how Jim's doing." McCoy finished up the change, discarding with the dirty supplies. With Cooper held on his hip, he went through the motions of washing up, preparing the bottle, and finally, getting them both settled on the couch.

He'd check in with Jim, and in the meantime, just sit with Cooper. Let him be settled, maybe even go back to sleep.