Forwarded by the ASC-VSO Posted: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 00:05:44 -0500 (EST) In: alt.startrek.creative From: kdj2020@webtv.net (Kevin Johnston) Title: Image Of Thyself Author: Kevin Johnston Series: The Original Series Rating: G, just like in 1979 Archive: Yes For ASC Feedback: Always welcomed. (Personal Note from The Author- Many apologies for the long time in between posts. I had been fairly ill for some time, but am better now, for which I am very grateful.) Thirty-three minutes later, Kirk entered Sickbay, for the first time since returning to the ship. Struck by all of the changes, Kirk took a full minute to give the main area a once-over. Chris Chapel smiled at him, pointing towards an enclosed office area. "He's in there, Captain." "Thank you, Commander, or should I say "Doctor" ?" Kirk smiled as he said the last word. He hadn't been able to take time to follow Chapel's progress after she left the Enterprise, but he felt happy for her. She had signed on aboard his ship, years earlier, as a nurse. In fact, though, she held at that time, a degree in biology. Added to that, now, was her medical degree. "I do like the sound of "Doctor". It has a certain ring to it...Doctor Chapel." "It does, doesn't it?" Chapel nodded her head in agreement as her captain moved towards the office door. Kirk signalled for entrance, and a few seconds passed. Kirk moved to press the buzzer again, only to have the door slide open, followed by Ilia passing him on her way out of McCoy's new workspace. "Captain.", she intoned, managing somehow to put a smile into the formality of the one word. She showed no outward sign of emotional distress, something Kirk took as a good sign. "Lieutenant." Nodding to Chapel as she headed for the exit, Ilia glanced back quickly, calling out. "Doctor McCoy, thank you, again." Sticking his head out to answer her, McCoy smiled. "Anytime, Lieutenant, anytime." Waving his captain in, the good doctor kept his head peeking out long enough to address Chapel. "Chris, how much longer on the diagnostic boards?" "Ten more minutes, maybe fifteen at the most." "Good. I've got customers waiting.", then, turning to his captain, "Well, don't just stand there. Come in and pull up a seat." Doing as his friend bade him, Jim stepped into the office. It didn't surprise him that Leonard McCoy had already put his own personal stamp on the room. A picture of his daughter Joanna, her husband S'oral, and their infant daughter, Kristina, sat on the desk. Waiting for Kirk to sit down, "Bones" then proceeded to say what he had to say, speaking as he took his own chair. "Don't get started, Jim. She came to me, asking for advice, and I gave it to her. Nice girl, but those Deltan pheremones...well, let's just say I could use a bucket of ice water right now." "Hadn't noticed." "Mmm-hmm. Anyhow, you heard Chris, it's gonna be a few minutes before we can get you checked out, though," and here, he paused, looking Kirk over carefully, "I'll guess that for once, your weight isn't up a few pounds." "The benefits of cooking my own meals... first I lose my appetite, and then I lose weight." "Well, now that you're back aboard ship, I'll set up your diet card real carefully. Still enjoy a good salad?" "About as much as I enjoy my own cooking." "Right. You wanna know what I told her?" Jim had to think about it, before answering. He knew very well that Leonard McCoy respected the doctor-patient relationship as few physicians did. He also knew, that for the safety of the Enterprise, and the future of Earth, that the relationship could, and would, be set aside, if he, Kirk, asked it. "I need to know." "Okay. I told her two things. One, that Spock, right now, is in no mood to talk about old times, and may never be. Two, I told her, is that you and I will do whatever we can to help her, as her doctor, and her captain." "And?" "She told me, she has no interest in forcing Spock back into a relationship, or making him relive the one they had. Frankly, I think losing Will Decker is on her mind, more than anything having to do with Spock. Decker backed out of marrying her, for his career, and that hurt a lot more than Spock leaving her to be true to the Vulcan way." Kirk exhaled the breath he'd been holding in. "In a way, I'm glad to hear that. I need her to focus on this mission." "Speaking of that...I'm glad you're focused on the mission, and nothing else. Jim, do you have any idea how much you had me worried?" "That bad?" Nodding his head for emphasis, McCoy answered. "I really was ready to relieve you of command. That would have been painful for me to go through with, but I would have, none the less." Silence would have fallen, after the last syllable, had Chapel not signalled for entrance at that very second. "Come." Sticking her head halfway through the doorway, Chapel gestured in the general direction of the examination table. "Okay, more like five minutes.", then, knowing Kirk's dislike of the whole process, she impishly followed up with, "Step into my parlor, said the spider...." As both men stood up, Kirk feigned anger. "Bones, when we're done... I need to speak to you, about transferring one of your people to the mines on Delta Vega..." -- Stephen Ratliff ASC Stories Only Forwarding In the Pattern Buffer at: http//trekiverse.crosswinds.net/feed/ Yahoo! Groups Links To visit your group on the web, go to:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCL/ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:ASCL-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. From ???@??? 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