Echo

Chapter 2: Clarity

Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, your words of encouragement are greatly appreciated! Suggestions, comments, and constructive criticisms are welcome. Keeping Bones in character is tricky sometimes, but I will do my best to stick to the canon in characterizing our beloved jerk. Enjoy!

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Echo

You popped a nausea pill into your mouth and swallowed a sip of water, inhaling and exhaling deeply a few times with your eyes tightly shut before opening them again. The shuttle was set to take off in a few minutes by the announcement of the pilot, and so would begin your first, and possibly your only expedition into space.

Arthur, you hoped, was doing alright in his temporary environment. You had packed him a salt lick and some toys to chew on in case he got nervous, but the takeoff and arrival were rumored to be smooth. Aboard the Enterprise, you could only pray that he would adjust. Both of you would have to get used to it, and swiftly if you were to do your job correctly.

Leonard McCoy was your charge, and you had to say that already the task of looking after him was proving to be difficult and daunting. Alpha, Beta, and Theta were riding with their respective people, but McCoy had insisted that you stay with the other cadets. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that you had hardly met, but he already didn't appear to like you.

Perhaps you ought to have taken it easier on that bodyguard you defeated in front of him. Then again, being gentle was not your forte.

"First time, honey?" Asked the girl beside you.

You looked over at her, smiled, and asked, "That obvious?"

She giggled and said, "Don't worry about it, it will be over soon, and the ship is smoother sailing than even the shuttles."

You nodded, and after a pause, assuming you ought to continue the conversation, you inquired, "What's your name?"

"Stephanie," she said, reaching her hand out to take yours, "What is yours?"

"Jane," you replied, clasping her outstretched hand, "Jane Malcolm. I'm a new member of the nursing staff."

She grinned and said, "I figured...I couldn't help but notice that you have a copy of Dr. McCoy's most recent essay."

You glanced down at your lap in alarm and realized you had stowed it in a book, but left the eighth edition of A Basic Study in Foreign Planetary Diseases open atop your thighs for any curious person to catch a glimpse of. Clearly your new friend was observant. That may present problems in the future, but instead of going silent or showing a sign of annoyance, you laughed.

"Yes, that would be why. What do you do on the ship?"

Making friends was good. It helped you blend in. Plus, you weren't one to avoid companionship. You always liked having pleasant relations with the people around you, and if you already seemed to know somebody who worked on the ship, it would be less obvious that nobody aboard had ever seen you at Starfleet.

After all, your admissions papers, your record, and your third-year cadet's status had all been fabricated by the board of governors.

"I'm a laboratory technician, I work in the med bay as well." She informed you. "I've been with the Enterprise for three years."

You raised your eyebrows and said, "You must know Dr. McCoy fairly well then."

She nodded and said, "I suppose as well as one can know the doctor on a professional level."

"What's he like?" You inquired, careful to add, "I mean...I met him, briefly, but he didn't say much to me."

"That certainly sounds like him," she said with a little smile, glancing out the window before returning her gaze to you, "Don't let those boyish good looks fool you, hon. One thing you'll learn very fast is to stay out of his way and off of his shit list. He's tough to work with, but probably the best in the business. As long as you remain off of his radar, you'll be fine."