Work Text:
Scores of mountains and hills scour the red planet. Buildings of stone turn to rubble by mortars set off by the enemy. Kirk’s boots crunch loudly into the ground as his heels dig into the red soil, unable to determine whether or not it's been tainted by spilled blood or its natural form. There’s a grunt. It’s sharp and echoes even in the chaos of the war surrounding them. It’s loud enough for Jim to hear because he knows that grunt anywhere and spins around in time to see Bones double over himself. He’s there just in time to catch his crumpled body. Panic wells up within, and he fights back the tears threatening to fall as he drags Bones over to a structure they can hide behind.
McCoy coughs, heaving out blood and letting it spill messily over his face. Jim winces, snapping off his jacket and trying to clean it up as best as he can before shoving it over the wound an old Terran bullet had made. His hands are bloodied over almost instantly. An artery, possibly an organ’s been hit. He moves one hand to cradle Bones’ cheeks, get him to keep his eyes on his. “Hey hey, stay with me. Ok? Stay with me—“
Bones starts to mumble incoherently, and Jim leans over. “What? What is it?”
“— the best of my — abil-ity— and judge— judgement..” Bones croaks over the blood, choking. Jim clasps a hand on his mouth, holds back a sob as the familiar prayer reverberates through his memories. It rips something anew inside of him, stripping his mind to the past in recollection.
“— and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow. I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures which are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.”
Jim opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it but Bones beat him to it. “It’s an Old Terran oath. Used to be a guideline, back in the day. Ain’t nothin’ but a page in a museum, now. Got rid of it ‘cause of all the controversial crap. I think of it like a prayer, before I do somethin’ stupid.” Bones landed a glare on Jim who barked out a laugh, taking the guy’s flask again for another swig.
“Didn’t you say you were scared of flying?”
Bones yanked back his drink and gulped it down with a grunt. “Why d’you think I’m drinkin’ this crap? I’ll say a prayer for you, too, kid. Look like you need one.”
Jim’s mouth quirked up. “Nothing but your bones, huh? Hm.”
“I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth,” Bones murmured and stopped, closing his eyes. He knew what he’d be doing would definitely get his ass kicked off the Enterprise. Jim sagged against him before McCoy righted him up which caused a gasp of pain from Kirk and headed to the docking port. “— sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon’s knife. Jim, you owe me big time. Don’t mess this up-“ before he began to bark at the officer who pointed at the obviously suspended Cadet Kirk.
“—problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and— Jim.”
Jim remembered how easily, albeit painful, it was for him to smile in the presence of his friend. He remembered sighing softly, waking himself slowly to the soft mutterings near his biobed which roused him in the first place. He drew in his brows, a little confused, and Bones established a great answer to it all.
“You were barely dead.” Those eyes crinkled with concern, though the happiness rolling off of the doctor in white was enough to earn a dry chuckle.
“You saved me.”
"Not just m-"
"Bones?"
"Yeah, Jim." Kirk closes his eyes to the buzzing sound as Leonard runs a scanner over his forehead.
"Thank you."
"You still owe me."
Jim had been silent on his entrance into the medical bay, casually leaning against the doorway as he watched Bones roll his hands over and again. He seemed deep in thought, but he knew almost by heart the muttering words McCoy spoke to his hands. Kirk fought the urge to place his hands on the man's hunched back as if he's bearing the world on his shoulders; lives. Jim tucked his head into his chest at the gnawing burden of familiarity to the loss of the crew. The Enterprise was undergoing her reconstruction.They all had just barely escaped death on Altamid.
“— I tread with care in matters of life and death. Above all, I must not play at—“ Jim remained there, head down, arms crossed listening to Bones voice echo within the empty medbay. A quiet prayer for absent friends.
“— not— not ashamed— not ashamed to say—“
“ Not ashamed to say ’I know not’, nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient’s recovery,” Jim intervenes as Bones’ voice begins to falter and grow quiet. Leonard turns his eyes onto Jim, a flicker of surprise is in them before they disappear into a world of pain. Jim calms himself and continues as he shifts himself to pick the man up into his arms, all the while grunting—
“I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know.” Jim steps through the battle field as the body within his arms increasingly becomes heavier, and the arms that have looped around his shoulders grow limp. Still, he carries on, dragging his feet over fallen comrades and enemies alike.
“Most especially.. must I tread.. with care.. in matters..” Something zips past his cheek and he feels a sting. He sighs. They missed. “of life and dea-“ This time the impact is almost too sure. His chest tightens and the world tips. It burns, where he’s hit right in the middle, right above where Bones’ body lays in his arms. “— of life.. and death. Above all I—” he chokes out before another hit slams straight into his knee crippling him to the ground. He sobs then as an uproar raises from both sides. Something along the lines of ‘Captain’s been shot’ echoes around him.
He rocks the body he still holds as he sags onto his knees. He brings the cold forehead to touch his own as he wails loudly, and words fill the air with his ending sorry. “— I must not play at God.” And something hits home, and his mind which had once been full of agony and prayers and hopes disappears into a blank shade of gray.