Title: Doctor's Logs 34
Author: Istannor
Series: TOS
Part: 1/1
Rating: [PG 13]
Codes:
Summary: McCoy and Kirk get in trouble.

Disclaimer: These are the characters of Paramount and
Viacom, they own them I only check 'em out from the library.
I promise to bring 'em back.



Doctor's Logs 34

We had a really nice time yesterday. I should've known that
meant something was going to happen. So,we had a little
excitement last night.  This is our seventh day on this
water world and each day had been more pleasurable than the
previous one.  We had a giant barbecue after sundown and I
think probably half the damn crew was down there partying.
We had veggie burgers, reconstituted steaks, and
reconstituted corn on the cob, and we actually did eat some
fresh fish from the planet's surface.  Needless to say, I
pulled out my bottle of Kentucky bourbon and tried to get my
Captain drunk.

He thinks it's funny when I do that.  He sits back and looks
at me with this amused expression on his face, and matches
me drink for drink.  I gave up after about three hours.  So
guess what he did? He jumped up and went for a swim.  You
could see him out there against the glow of the moonlight.
One lone figure, swimming back and forth against the flat
horizon.  Occasionally, a Seadog would push his head up out
of the water to take a look at what idiot was disturbing
their peace.  I almost hollered out: "Never mind him.  It's
just Jim and he doesn't know how to relax."

Nyota and Hikaru went off behind one of the dunes.
Personally, I don't like to have sex on the beach.  You get
sand everywhere.  At one point it seemed like every single
person on the crew had someone to snuggle with it except for
Spock, Jim, and me.  I don't count Scotty because he
snuggles with his engines.

Spock just sat and read a scientific journal. He did make a
concession in that he had on a swimsuit, but he didn't get
in the water during the day.

Later in the evening, when I had given up on my Captain
getting blasted, I leaned back and relaxed in the sand. Most
of the crew had wandered off. . .for a little island
privacy. We had built a huge bonfire, it sparked and
crackled in the background. Jim was out pretty far, too far
for my comfort, swimming. Occasionally, a Seadog would come
up beside him. He'd grab hold of it, and it would pull him
along for a way. It was pretty damn idyllic.

Suddenly, Spock stood up and yelled at the top of his lungs.
I didn't know what he was yelling about, so I panicked and
ran over to him. My heart was thudding in my chest like a
snare drum. All of a sudden, I saw. Something big was coming
in towards the island and fast.  I mean big enough to see
the ripple it was making. Jim must have heard us. I was
screaming now, and Spock was contacting the ship. He turned
towards the shore and then swirled around to see what was
coming. It was too close; they couldn't get a lock on Jim
fast enough. Suddenly, you heard this loud whoop and a
scream of laughter. Jim came up out of the water on the back
of a damn Seadog as big as an elephant. He was riding it,
and it was swimming faster then I have ever seen anything
swim. That damn fool stood up on the Seadog and started
beating his chest and whooping like a lunatic.

I almost wet on myself and he was laughing on the back of a
new pet. I really wanted to beat him to death.

Spock shut his eyes and closed the communicator. He took out
his ever-handy scanner and began to take readings on the
thing. I swear I'm telling the truth. Jim rode that thing
for at least twenty minutes, and then it just came in
towards the shore, close enough for us to walk out into the
water and touch it. The real weird thing about it was, when
we called out to Jim, he was just lying on the Seadog's
back. Spock ran into the water and grabbed Jim off of the
Seadog. The idiot had gone to sleep. He woke up with the
stupidest expression I've ever seen from him, on his face .
Spock half carried him to shore and plopped him down on the
sand.

If you think I was mad, you're damn tooting I was. If he was
so buzzed he was going to fall asleep in the water, he
should've never gone out there. Okay, I was feeling guilty,
too. I meant for him to get drunk, not eaten alive or
drowned. Spock was looking at both of us with a look that
would have been called disgust in a human. "Captain, it was
not  wise to swim while intoxicated and it was especially
unwise to do so on the back of a beast you were unsure of. "
Now that sounds mild, but mind you, Spock usually doesn't
criticize Jim.

Jim acted sort of strange. He shook his head and mumbled. I
think he mumbled, but Jim never mumbles. I couldn't
understand a word he said. Spock's eyebrow came up next, he
touched Jim's temple for a brief second, and then he
frowned, stood up, and pulled Jim up. Spock grabbed Jim's
chin and pulled it up so he could look at Jim's eyes. I'm
not sure what happened next, maybe command training asserted
itself, but suddenly Jim was all there.  I mean, he was
fully alert. He reached up, took Spock's hand away from his
face, and stepped back.

"Sorry. That was stupid on my part. Fun, but stupid."

"You were almost unconscious." Spock replied.

"It was a smooth ride, and it hummed to me. I guess I got
too relaxed; no more night swimming for me. Why haven't we
seen something that large before, I wonder?"

Right about then I wanted to barf. All the alcohol and the
excitement were a bit much. I held it in because this was
too good to miss.

"I have no idea, but it is a planet. I am sure there are
other things we do not know about, swimming in the night-
time ocean. Perhaps, the larger Seadogs prefer moonlight.
Who knows what else could surface at night? It is even
possible that a predator chased it to the surface." Now that
was equivalent to Spock slapping the shit out of Jim for
scaring him. First, Jim's head shot up and his eyes sort of
gleamed, like he was about to tear a new hole in Spock's
you-know-what for criticizing him. I'll give Spock credit;
he didn't back down. He just stared at Jim and refused to
look away. Spock won that battle because Jim blinked first.
He actually hung his head like a kid. Woo, boy was he
feeling it, if he did that. Usually, he gets pissed and
rears up like a pit bull if someone reprimands him.

"Complaint noted and logged, First Officer. I will put
myself on report. You're right, I'm wrong." He wheeled
around and walked away. Damn. Spock turned to look at me and
I wanted to slink away too.

"I didn't do anything." You know I couldn't just stand there
and be silent. He looked away. Jim was getting in a sleeping
bag, and zipped the top over his head.

When I looked back at Spock, he was staring at me. "Why do
you insist on trying to get him drunk and out of control?"

I shrugged. "He's always on, Spock. I want him to be able to
let his hair down, relax, shoot the breeze, have an
unguarded moment. I haven't been able to get him to do it
any other way. He needs to let go. I had no way of knowing
he would decide to ride a damn water elephant. Your whole
team said this place was safe."

"He was not drunk, Doctor, and he was not asleep. The
creature must have some soothing emanations, because he was
in an almost trance-like state. However, I would not have
expected you to realize that, since it is obvious you have
'let your hair down'." Ouch, that hit the mark. I, for once,
had nothing to say. The truth can do that to you, shut you
up, I mean. "As for letting go, perhaps you should consider
his needs more closely. Has it ever occurred to you that he
has seen that part of himself and does not wish to see it
again? Has it occurred to you that the time he spends with
us is the time he lets his hair down? Until now, your
attempt at manipulation has been amusing to him, but not to
me. You will cease with this behavior, or I will officially
reprimand you for engaging in actions harmful to the
Captain."

Yup, that's what he said. As a matter of fact, it had
occurred to me, and I dismissed it. Jim is one of the most
secretive men I have ever met. Oh, he seems to be open and
friendly, but its all surface. He doesn't really share
anything. He holds almost everything back that will open up
any sign of weakness. He avoids doing anything that
tarnishes his Starship Captain image. Well let me clue you
in on something, only 40% of Starship Captains survive their
tour of duty, and of those who do, only 20% last ten years
after the end of their last Starship tour. Over-trained,
over-hyped, too far away from routine life, they never fit
in again.

Imagine being the real boss, parsecs away from anyone who
can stop you. If your crew believes in you, you can destroy
worlds, feed planets, cure races, and then, it's over and
you're a paper-pusher asking landlubbers if you can wipe
your own arse. They all have self-destructed from drugs,
thrill seeking, self-sacrifice, or suicide. So there, I've
said it. He's the youngest and probably the best we've ever
seen. All that means is that his tail will be that much
brighter when he burns up on re-entry, unless I can reach
him first.

Screw Spock. I know what Jim needs better than a half-breed,
anal retentive, confused Vulcan celibate.

I brought Jim into sickbay today and gave him a thorough
going over. There ain't nothing wrong with that man. He's
fine; his brain-scan and his bio-filters are all normal.
Blood alcohol level was a little high, but I fixed that,
since I caused it, so to speak. Spock is a worrywart. Next
time, I'll just check for dangerous stuff first, before I
get him toasted. And I'll make sure we don't drink near
water, mountains, or wild animals . . .or fast ships . . .or
itchy Klingons . . . you get the picture.

Speaking of pictures, I don't think I'll ever forget the
sight of Jim standing on top of that gigantic Seadog,
whooping, hollering, and beating his bare chest. The
moonlight made him glow. He looked more than a little
magnificent, and less than really scary, if you know what I
mean.

It was a sight, I tell you.

End Log