#mccoyfic

-A Leonard McCoy x reader mini series-

Part 1  Part 2 Part 3

When Dr. McCoy stepped back into the room, he looked a little more sullen than before, a little more...

You resisted the temptation to get your display to scan for emotion, because that’s what Mr. Scott said brought on your headaches. 

“Is everything alright?” You asked as the doctor wordlessly resumed his spot in front of the screen next to the bed. 

“Other than my fellow crew-members and friends being trapped down there, fighting your people, everything’s just peachy.” 

You didn’t need your display to tell you that he was being snarky, and you were a bit taken aback.  The doctor had been nothing but kind to you up until now, what changed?

“Did I do something wrong, doctor?”

His eyes flicked closed and he let out a breath, his shoulders falling a little before he responded. “No, it’s not you.” He seemed to want to continue, but stopped.

“When can I be returned to my people?” You asked, and you could feel the effects of the relaxant slowly starting to wear off. 

Dr. McCoy’s eyes suddenly flicked to yours.  Hurt. Your display provided without you ordering it to. 

“You want to go back there?” His voice was rough. 

“Alllllright, lady and gent, shall we take another look at what we’ve got goin’ on here?” Scotty’s loud voice cut through the tension that Dr. McCoy’s question left hanging. 

His eyes lingered on yours for a second more. 

“Didn’t you fix it when I almost blacked out last time?” You questioned, turning now towards the hesitant-looking engineer. 

“Yes... an’ no.” He grabbed his PADD and sidled up next to you. “Ye see I could only shut down tha’ part temporarily, the signals are becoming too compressed to stay stable for long periods of time.”

“Compressed?”

“It’s building up too much pressure, tha’ no matter how many times we release it, it’s goin’ t’a continue to build back up.”

You contemplated the meaning of this for a minute. “So you’re saying if I continue to use my ISD that I will eventually overload the system?”

“ISD?” He asked. 

“Internal Software Display.”

“Ah... and yes, eventually, the signals will put too much pressure on the nerves an’ tissue tha’ they are attached to and ye will eventually... short circuit, for lack of a better word.” 

“Your brain will shut off and you will die.” Dr. McCoy’s voice cut in and you looked up at him, the annoyance in his eyes making anger fizzle in your fingers. 

“Do you know nothing of my species?  We don’t have brains, or nerves, or tissue, or hearts.” You looked at Dr. McCoy pointedly on the last word. 

“The thing is, you do.  You do.  You have a heart and a brain and nerves.” He stalked to his screen and turned it sharply so you could see it.  “Look.  Lungs and a stomach and everything.”

The glowing screen showed what looked like a green outline of a body.  An x-ray, you recalled.  But you had only heard of x-rays from classes you’d taken, and since your people never needed them, you had no idea what the inside of a body looked like, let a lone a human one. 

“This makes no sense to me.  You could be showing me anything, anyone.  I don’t believe you.” You growled. 

“It’s all right here!  Heart, lungs, brain.” He pointed to the different parts as he spoke. “And it’s a live x-ray from the bed you’re on, go on, move your arm, you’ll see it move on the screen.”

You didn’t move, only stared at him, your jaw set. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’m trying to save you, damnit!” His chest heaved with angry breath and his eyes were alight with an emotion you couldn’t place. 

“You’re not saving me by telling me lies, doctor.  Now, take me back to my people.” You lifted your chin and tried to keep as much dignity as you could from your spot on the bed. 

Dr. McCoy wasn’t the one who responded this time.  It was Scotty.  “Lass, if we send you back down there, you’ll die.  The software will overwhelm your system.”

“Then how do we fix it?” You fell back in the bed a bit. 

Dr. McCoy spoke up again from behind Scotty, and his three words shook you to your core.  “We remove it.”

-Tags below cut-