Echo

Chapter 19: Drunk-a-Logs

Author's Notes: Gah! Posting this so late, I know, but I've had a lot going on this past week. Thanks to all who have continued to review, your support and kind words have been invaluable. Nothing is more motivating than reading your comments:)

Without further ado, please enjoy this new chapter.

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Leonard

Initially when a group of four people stumbled through the automatic doors of the sick bay, McCoy whirled around on the spot, poised to receive anyone who might have caught an illness or sustained an injury from the planetary walk earlier that day.

Any time that crew members visited a new planet, they ran the risk of contracting a disease not previously seen by the seasoned CMO. It was rare, but it happened, and the signs weren't always clear. Kirk, Uhura, and the handful of science officers that accompanied them had been cleared when they returned to the ship earlier in the day, but Leonard was always prepared. Sometimes viruses needed time to incubate before symptoms began to show, and on occasion, even the most vigorous of tests didn't prove entirely accurate.

He always stayed late in the medical bay on the off chance that a crew member who visited a planet ended up sick or wounded, and this evening was no exception.

His initial productive alertness was immediately followed by annoyance when he realized that nobody who had entered the room was part of the aforementioned group.

Instead, there were two guys on either sides of a girl, who was barely able to walk, her feet dragging along the ground as she stumbled over the foyer. The only reason she appeared to be upright was due to their support, as each of them held her awkwardly under her armpits. Ordinarily he might have run over to receive his new patient, because anyone who had to be carried into the medical bay was probably in terrible condition. It was only due to the way she and the others were dressed, and how he was greeted with a powerful, overwhelming smell of alcohol that he knew immediately what the problem was.

He might have been less miffed if there were more members of his staff around, but it was 11:00 in the evening, and only the skeleton crew worked the night shift, which meant that he would probably be left with the lovely task of personally looking after the drunken crew member.

In tow of the three-person party was a woman that McCoy recognized. It took him a moment to realize with a jolt in his gut that it was Stephanie Powell, the laboratory technician who was under the impression that he was dating you.

The feeling was only worsened when the two men bore their burden forward, looking frightened, and said, "Please help, Dr. McCoy. We think she's really sick."

Rolling his eyes, he leaned in gingerly, hoping that he wouldn't get his nice shoes thrown up on as he asked condescendingly, "You alright, kid?"

To his great astonishment, the woman in question turned out to be you. You were hunched over slightly, only managing to remain standing based on the fact that the guys had not let go of you. He only realized who you were when you looked up at him, your hair falling out of your face as you tried to support yourself.

It was clear based on the way that you grinned at him and slurred, "Doc Mc...Mc...Mc...Coy," that you were completely hammered.

Sighing in frustration, he considered sending you away, but ultimately said to your escorts, "Get her on that cot."

He pointed at the hospital bed in question, and they dragged you over to it as Stephanie closed in a little, lowering her voice and saying, "Sorry Dr. McCoy, I didn't expect her to get so drunk, but she didn't like...kiss anyone or anything like that."