Title: The Colors of the Holidays
By Mary Barnes
Series: TOS
Pairings: S/Mc
Rating: PG for holiday-themed
h/c and illness delusions*
Disclaimer: Star Trek belongs to Paramount/Viacom. I own this story and make no profit from
it; it is for entertainment purposes only.
THE COLORS OF THE HOLIDAYS
“How was yer mission helpin’ the wee ones, Doctor?” Scotty asked Dr. Leonard McCoy
as he finished materializing. Then he looked up at the doctor, “Oh….I think I’ll stay back on this
side of the console.” Scotty said as he shook his head in a slightly empathic manner and clicked his tongue.
The transporter tech wrinkled his nose and made a face at McCoy.
“Ahhhhchooo dammit!” McCoy said after a loud sneeze. His brown hair was unkempt
and his blue eyes had purple tinged bags under them. It was his nose that was the most alarming, it was bright red.
He dragged his duffle bag and suitcase off of the platform and made a groan as each piece of equipment made a thump on the
stairs. He stood still for a moment, his face blank and then he grimaced and sneezed again in the bend of his elbow.
“It was okay until a bunch of the ‘wee ones’ came in with the Omecron Rhinal virus. Red runny noses
and mucousy sticky hands all up in my face, I can’t count the number of times the little……brats sneezed
in my face. Their clothes covered with snot and they coughed without covering their mouths, spewing…”
McCoy stopped his dissertation when he saw the tech place his hand over his mouth and nose and made a dash out of the room.
“What ya’ need is a good dose of Scotch, that’ll kill any virus that ya’ have and
ye’ll sleep like a baby.” Scotty said offering his prescription to the ship’s CMO, but he remained
safely behind the transporter console. It was December 24th and the Enterprise was to drop off the lucky crewmembers
that had a week furlough. Scotty was one of them and he did not want to be sick.
McCoy snorted with a wet sounding inhalation. “Bourbon’s my choice of treatment, Scotty,
and I can’t wait to take the first dose.” He let out a long sigh then left the transporter room for his
quarters, dragging his belongings behind him. Several crewmembers gave him wide berth in the hallways as the sniffling,
sneezing and miserable CMO made his way to his quarters.
He checked in with Christine Chapel, he could hear the holiday music in the back ground and saw a large
plate of cookies on a plate by the viewer. Christine’s pretty face stared at him though the monitor.
“Oh, Doctor you look pitiful. Your nose is so red, I bet it’s sore. What do you
need? Do you want me to bring you some cookies?” She asked as she bit off the head of a bright blue reindeer cookie.
“No, I can’t taste a damned thing. I just wanted to check in with ya’ll.”
He said as he rubbed his nose and winced at the pain from the raw skin. Dr. Geoff M’Benga stepped in beside Christine.
“Whoa, Leonard you look like Rudolf. I bet you caught the Omecron Rhinal virus. Nasty
stuff, that virus. You were going on leave weren’t you? You’re not going to feel like going on leave
and you can’t cover Sick Bay having that crap.” M’Benga said.
“Have you gone from green to yellow?”
“What?” McCoy asked then he sneezed again.
“You’re nasal secretions, are they yellow or have they gone to green?” Geoff asked.
“They’re yellow-green.” McCoy groaned. His head was killing him, his throat
was sore and it was cold in his cabin.
“Too, bad, Boss. Let us know if you need anything, we’ll bring it to you, don’t
come in here.” Geoff said as he grimaced at the sound of McCoy bowing his nose. “Get some rest, Boss.”
Before he signed off, McCoy heard several people in the background singing “Leonard the red nosed doctor, had a very
snotty nose.”
“Who’s singing that song? I’ll hypo them into the next dimension!” McCoy
asked.
“Bones! I heard you were back. I thought you’d come here first. I missed that
part about the yellow green stuff, what was that about?” Kirk asked as he leaned into the monitor.
“Like you all were singing, my snot. It’s the color of your other uniform.”
McCoy growled.
“Hey, cut that out, that’s my favorite uniform. Bones, you’re nose
is really red. You’re not going to attract any girls with a nose…” Kirk paused as McCoy sneezed
several more times and then he started coughing. “Are you finished? I think I’ll go to Admiral Kreston’s
party with someone else. You’re going to scare everyone away.” Kirk said, and then he looked concerned.
“I’m sorry you’re sick, Bones. You look miserable. Get some rest; I’ll bring you back
some goodies from the party…the edible ones of course. I’m sure your staff will take care of you.”
Kirk ended with one of his devious smiles, his hazel eyes twinkling.
“Dammit, Jim, so help me I’ll….AHHCHOOOO” McCoy cursed then sneezed.
“Take good care of McCoy.” Kirk said to Chapel and M’Benga as he walked away.
“Uh, got to go, Boss.” M’Benga signed off.
McCoy unpacked his duffle bag and suit case then collapsed on his bed. He felt miserable. He
and Jim Kirk were going to spend the holiday together starting with Kreston’s party. Then check out some of the
local women while on their furlough. It was Kirk’s idea more than his; he went along since he enjoyed Jim’s
company. Now he was going to be ship bound and sick. He wondered what Spock was going to be doing. Probably
stuffing more scientific facts into that super brain of his. He rarely went on leave; he stayed on board and watched
the ship for Jim. McCoy snorted at some of the comments that Spock had made about crewmembers who celebrated such an
antiquated holiday. There was no purpose to celebrate the same behavior that they partook in on non-holiday leave.
He had seen Spock raise an eyebrow over some of the songs, the kissing under mistletoe, the decorations and the exchange of
gifts during this season. McCoy smiled as he pictured Spock decked out in red and green or even wearing an elf
costume. Then he recalled the red colors in Spock’s quarters and Spock was green.
“The pointy eared elf is ready for Christmas year round.” McCoy thought to himself.
He took a long hot water shower and indulged himself in it. He had earned this shower, after all of
the goop and germs that had been plastered on his body. When he got out of the shower, he totally relaxed and then he
really felt how tired he was. McCoy put on his red flannel pajamas, which he rarely wore, and some soft blue fuzzy socks.
He lay down on his bed and started to drift off when he started sneezing and coughing again. Someone rang the chime
on his door. He staggered to the door and peered at the person through watery, squinted eyes. It was Christine
holding a plate of cookies and a medication bottle; she had that mother hen expression on her face.
“What do you want?” McCoy gasped.
“I felt sorry for you so I brought you some cookies. Dr. M’Benga sent you these pills
to help with the symptoms.” She said as she pushed the plate at him. Then she wrinkled her nose as he made
a wet snorting sound. “You look miserable, maybe these will cheer you up?”
“I’m practically drowning in my own secretions and you bring me cookies?!” McCoy
snarled. “It would have been nice to have another volunteer on that mission, but no one could get away.”
Christine put her hands on her hips, “Now you listen here Leonard Horatio McCoy, you know all of us
have been busy after that last mission and with other research. I remember you saying that ‘I want to give you
all a well deserved break; I’ll go on this mission. It’s no big deal’.”
McCoy slumped against the open door, “Alright, I remember. I didn’t know that there would
be disease ridden brats on that mission.” He rubbed his eyes then looked at her, “Thanks for the cookies,
Christine. Merry Christmas.”
Her expression softened then she kissed her finger and touched his nose. “Merry Christmas to
you, too. You’re in isolation, Doctor, be a good boy and stay in your quarters.”
“By myself?” McCoy said, his voice was raspy and then he sneezed again. “Dammit!”
“Unless someone else comes down with the Omecron virus or if someone who is immune to it can stay
with you, yes.” She said as she backed away from the door. “Call us if you need anything.”
McCoy was going to say something but a round of coughing took the words away.
He put the plate of cookies on his desk and the bottle of pills at his bedside.
He tossed and turned most of the night, either sneezing or coughing and shivering.
McCoy had never had such a miserable Christmas in his whole life. He gave up trying to sleep
and sat at his desk. He finished some of the computer work he needed to do on his humanitarian mission. The children
of this colony did not have full time medical care, so Star Fleet encouraged the Medical branch to send volunteers on a rotating
schedule. This was the Enterprise’s first year to help out.
There was no cure for the Omecron Rhinal virus,
it made the infected person very miserable and it could lead to pneumonia. One could treat the symptoms but that was
about it. At this point McCoy wanted to laser scalpel off his nose and find a way to totally numb his throat.
He sorted through the cookies that Chapel had brought him. Bless her, all were his favorites. Uhura made the best
whiskey brownies in the entire galaxy. He bit into one and chewed it, the texture was perfect but he could be eating
a sponge for all of the taste he had. McCoy placed it back on the plate and sighed. He poured himself a generous
glass of bourbon and tossed it back. He could feel the burn of the alcohol but not the taste. He poured himself
another shot and drank it. The effects were slowly warming him and his lips felt a little numb.
He poured another shot and this one he drank slower. The warmth in his body and the misery of his
cold were transforming his perception of his condition. He remembered one Christmas when Joanna was six years old; she
had a bad cold on Christmas Eve. That was a long time ago and so many painful changes later. He put his head down
on his arms, closed his eyes and focused on his little girl. The memories of that night slowly came to the surface.
She had been fussy all day and her mother had grown tired of her whining. Jocelyn had hired a baby sitter to stay with
Joanna so she and McCoy could go to the Christmas party that was being held at one of the Country clubs. McCoy was in
surgery most of the day and was exhausted; he didn’t want to go the damn party. He told Jocelyn to go without
him; he would stay with his little girl. He didn’t have to tell his wife that twice and she left all dressed up
to meet the person who she later had an affair with. He dressed Joanna in her favorite pink bunny pajamas, the ones
with the covered feet and cotton tail.
He pulled the rocking chair closer to the fire and placed his bourbon drink on the
table by the chair. Then he held Joanna against him and rocked her. It took her a while to calm down, she was
crying because Mommy was mad and she felt bad from the cold. She snuggled her head under his chin and wrapped her arms
around his neck. He remembered her small warm body in his arms and how her coughs shook her chest, just as his coughing
rattled his chest now. He remembered stroking her silky long blond hair, why did it feel so short now? Her little
voice asking him why he didn’t go to the party and his reply was that he didn’t give a damn about the party.
He wanted to be with her and make her feel better. Her body eventually relaxed as she fell asleep
in his arms, funny that he felt so relaxed now almost limp. He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her up to
bed. What a funny dream, it was like he was Joanna as his body was lifted up and carried in his own arms, his strong
arms. He guessed to a six year old his arms would be strong. His head fell back against a warm chest just as her
head had rested against his shoulder. Then he laid her in her bed and covered her with her soft blankets. He placed
her favorite stuffed animal, a pink rabbit, in her arms and kissed her forehead. He stroked her silky hair from her
forehead. He could feel his hair being stroked so gently, it was so comforting. He had sat at her bedside for
a while, watching her sleep. This dream so real and so strange, he could feel her soft bed against his back and the
weight of the blankets over his body. When she coughed, he coughed and when she drank some water, he also drank some
water. He remembered her moaning from the ache of the cold and her fever, he told her he felt just as bad and he did.
Eventually the dream faded and McCoy was not aware of anything. A violent bout of coughing woke him up and he found
himself in his bed all tucked in. He looked around his room then he saw Spock.
“Spock, what are you doing here?” He asked, his voice was coarse.
“Nurse Chapel informed me of your illness, Doctor. I am unaffected by the Omecron virus and
I cannot carry it either. You have been quite ill from its effects.” Spock said as he stood up out of the
chair and walked over to McCoy’s bedside.
“How long have I been out?” McCoy asked.
“It is now December the 26th and it is 11:02 am.” Spock answered.
“I slept through all of Christmas?” McCoy said as he shook his head. “Have
you been with me the entire time?”
“Yes, Doctor, I have been here.” Spock answered as he ran the tricorder over McCoy’s
body. “Your fever is down to 37.6 C. Your lungs are slightly congested, you are improving.”
“I don’t know what to say, Spock, Thanks you. I’m sorry I made you miss Christmas.”
McCoy said.
“I do not celebrate Christmas, it is a human celebration comprised of singing, drinking and other
such activities. My mother would decorate her personal area of our library; her ancestors were of Jewish faith and she
like the seasonal changes in the home, since there are no seasons like Earth on Vulcan. It was tastefully done, not
to the excess that one sees on this vessel or in Space Ports where humans tend to dwell.” Spock said with an air
of irritation.
“When I was little, my mother would pull out all of the stops and decorate the whole house and the
outside of the house.” McCoy said softly as he reminisced. “When, Joanna was little, while I was still
with her. Jocelyn and I would decorate our tree and the living room. There’s something about seeing the
holidays through children’s eyes.”
“Was she ill one Christmas?” Spock asked.
“Yes, how did you know, Spock?” McCoy inquired.
“When I came in to check on you Christmas Eve, your fever was very high and you unfortunately had
imbibed on some of your Bourbon. Not a wise combination, Doctor.” Spock said sternly. “You were
semiconscious and reliving an experience that you had with your daughter.”
“That explains the weird dreams, how I could feel her hair and I felt myself as Joanna.”
McCoy blushed. “Did I stroke your hair?” Spock nodded. “Did you carry me to my bed and
cover me up?” Again the nod, “Did you….um…brush the hair off of my forehead?” McCoy
asked.
Spock looked down for a moment then he stared into the doctor’s intense blue eyes. “Yes,
I did. When I was ill as a child, my mother would do the same for me. It was very comforting to me. You
were ill; I presumed it would comfort you.”
McCoy looked into Spock’s ebony eyes. “It was very comforting, Spock. You have a
good bedside manner.”
Spock inclined his head, “You are welcome, Doctor. I assume the party that Jim went to was the
’damn’ party that you did not want to attend?”
McCoy laughed, “Did I really say that out loud? I guess I was upset that I was missing out on
all of the fun and my dreams of the past twisted it into the party that I didn’t want to go to. Was there anything
else that I said?”
“Well, after I laid you down in your bed, you encircled my neck with your arms and kissed me on my
forehead. You said ‘I love you, my little pink bunny’.” Spock said and he did not appear to be upset
by this action on McCoy’s part.
McCoy could feel his face redden again. “I’m sorry, Spock, I know it was an illogical
thing to say.”
Spock leaned over and kissed McCoy’s forehead, “Not illogical, Doctor, just an error in color.”
He stepped back and a faint smile was on his face, “I am a little green bunny. Belated Holiday wishes, Doctor.”
“Happy holidays to you, Spock.” McCoy said in the warmth of his bed and the lingering
touch of Spock’s lips on his forehead.
*A belated Happy holidays to All of the Spock / McCoy Haven
