When All Else Fails (Unwanted Affections)
McCoy decided to end his shift with a visit to Nyota Uhura.
More than likely he would be releasing her and allowing her to return to her duties. He had done a full medical examination and found her in perfect health. He had sent Dr. Mumba to do the psych evaluation and there were no problems found there.
He stood outside of her quarters and rang her doorbell. The door opened and he walked in and found her sitting on the bed. He hoped that she wasn't still upset with the fact that he had made her take leave.
"Hello, lieutenant" he said smiling. She gave him a shy smile.
"Doctor." she responded nodding her head. He walked over to her and she could smell his cologne.
He ran his tricorder over her. "I think you can report back to duty tomorrow. I hope that you are not holding this against me. I think you needed this time off."
Nyota looked at him trying not to stare, but her heart was beating at a rapid rate.
"No hard feelings, doctor. I understand." she said staring at her feet. She just had to ask him!
"Doctor, since you are here...I need to ask you something."
He cocked his head to the side and smiled. "Sure, ask me anything, darling."
His darling always gave her goosebumps. She licked her lips wondering if she should put herself out there.
"Do you feel that it is in wrong for crew members...officers on this ship to be in a relationship?"
The smile left McCoy's face and he became serious. "I think that depends on the parties. Just because you may want to be in a relationship with someone does not mean that they want to be in a relationship with you."
He watched as her eyes grew big and then her face fell and he realized that maybe he had been a bit harsh. It was normal for women to fall for the captain, hell but he didn't think she'd be one of them!
"Look Nyota," he said walking over to her. He sat next to her on the bed.
"You are a young and beautiful woman. Why would you want to waste your time pursuing a man that is not interested? Life is too short."
She nodded. He didn't want her. She had misunderstood and she felt like a fool. She tried to hold back the tears. She could not look him in the face.
"Thanks for giving it to me straight, doctor." She held her head down and he lifted her head by her chin. She stared in his incredible blue eyes willing the tears not to fall. They were full of compassion. Why couldn't they be full of love for her?
"Hold you head up. You have nothing to be ashamed or sorry for. I believe if the circumstances were different, you could easily have exactly what you want. The man you want wouldn't be able to resist you" he said smiling.
He watched her smile in return. "Really? Then the only thing that is preventing the relationship is the captain's rule on fraternization?"
Maybe he really was attracted to her and it was the captain that was keeping him from pursuing her. Why would the captain care who his friend became involved with? It just didn't make any sense!
"I'm afraid so." McCoy said smiling. He stood up and headed towards the door. He knew that it was Jim she was pining over. Lucky bastard! Jim always had women running after him!
"Take care and I'll see you later."
Nyota watched him walk out of the door. So it was the captain that was preventing him from pursuing her! She thought as much. She could understand why the captain would not want to get involved with crew, but why was he holding McCoy to his rules? That puzzled her and she decided that she was going to find out one way or the other and the best person to find out from was Spock!
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Nyota walked into the mess hall and was surprised to see Janice Rand and Charlene Masters eating. They spotted her and waved, beckoning her over to their table. She walked over with her tray of food and sat down.
"So you're out of jail on good behavior." Janice said grinning. "I was beginning to worry about you."
"I'm fine" Nyota said rolling her eyes. "Talk about something being taken too far!"
Charlene leaned forward on the table. "Rumor has it that you've got the hots for someone around here. Care to share?"
"What?" Nyota gasped. Did everyone know about her infatuation with McCoy?
"Why am I all of a sudden such a hot topic?" she snapped. "People on this ship are involved with each other on a daily basis! Why am I being singled out?"
"Honey, you're the epitome of virtue, that's why. It's hard to believe that you'd be hot after anybody. Half the men on this ship are hoping that it's them!" Charlene said as she sipped her coffee.
"That's right" Rand chimed in. "Even Riley has the hots for you."
Nyota almost choked on her eggs. "Riley? You've got to be kidding. Riley is like a little brother to me. He's a kid. C'mon Janice!"
Janice rolled her eyes. "Have you looked lately, Ny? Riley is a man...a young one, but a man nonetheless. He has a man's body with a man's libido. He wants you alright. He thinks you want him too since you put up with his godawful singing."
Nyota sat there with her mouth hanging open. Surely Riley didn't think that she wanted him? She thought back to when he and Sulu had been in her quarters.
"And lets not forget Mr. Sulu" Charlene said. "Monty told me that he'd given you his prize purple Lavedia plant from the Orion sector he obtained. It's rare and its costly. He told Monty that he wanted you to know he was serious."
"Sulu!" Nyota gasped thinking about the conversation in her quarters. "I'm not interested in Sulu. He's just a good friend! By the way, what's with this 'Monty' business? Something going on between you and Mr. Scott?"
Charlene grinned. "We have a lot in common, we like the same things."
"I bet" Janice said looking at her. "Can he get his head out of any of those circuits long enough to kiss you? I swear, I've never seen a man so into the guts of a ship in all my life! Do you have to recite the Engineering Manual just to get him hard?"
Nyota snickered and Charlene rolled her eyes. "He's all man, don't you worry about that!"
Janice leaned over to Charlene. "Have you done him yet?"
Charlene giggled looking away. "I'm not telling."
Janice looked at Nyota and grinned. "She's done him! No wonder she's been all sweet lately. I guess Monty must have gotten rid of the cob webs that were growing under her skirt!"
"Oh excuse me, Miss Change-a-boyfriend-a-month!" Charlene quipped. "Who is the lucky guy this month?"
"I'll have you to know that I've been seeing Charles for the last eight weeks thank you" Janice said. "You however, haven't had a boyfriend in two years and now you're doing Montgomery Scott of all people! Oh my god! What's he got on under that skirt he wears? He must be something special. It took you long enough to find somebody!"
Charlene gasped and then broke out in a grin. "Well I can't help it if I'm choosy. Now let's get off of me and back on Nyota here. Who is he?"
Nyota was glad that the subject had changed, but now both of them were staring at her waiting for her to answer.
"C'mon Ny" Charlene said. "Out with it. You know all about us. So who is he? Maybe we can help you."
"There's no need to try to help me. The captain does not allow fraternization between officers." she said sadly.
Janice gasped. "You want to do the captain? God Ny!"
"I don't want to do the captain! Are you kidding? He scares me to death" she snapped. "I can't imagine even kissing him. He's cute and all but ugh! He's the captain! No thank you!" She shivered thinking about it.
"Well then who is it?" Charlene leaned in closer to hear her reply.
Nyota looked around and their three head came close together before she whispered her answer.
"Dr. McCoy." she said grinning.
"Oh, boy! Not grumpy, cursing, drinking, non-smiling with a chip on his shoulder McCoy. Boy can you pick 'em! You're as bad as Charlene!" Janice said shaking her head.
"He's not mean to me...and he has the sexiest smile and those big blue eyes...."
Charlene looked at Janice. "She's getting wet just talking about him. She's got it bad."
Janice nodded in agreement.
"So what's stopping you? Has he turned you down?"
"In a way" Nyota said sadly. "The captain came in talking about non fraternization between crew members and I asked McCoy about it and he as much told me that if the circumstances were different, I could have the man I wanted. I've decided to try to talk to Spock at our next lute lesson to see why the captain is holding McCoy to his rules."
"That's crazy!" Janice said. "Why would the captain hold McCoy to his rules? They are his rules for himself" She became thoughtful a moment. "Unless..."
"Unless what" Charlene said looking at her.
"Unless he's like Riley and Sulu and thinks that you want him."
"What!" Nyota shrieked loudly and everyone stopped and stared over at their table.
She lowered her head and then thought about what the captain has said in her quarters.
"He did come to my quarters spouting off about what a good officer I was and now I wonder if he really did think I wanted him. God Janice! What am I going to do? I can't have that man thinking that I'm trying to get into his pants!"
"Just his best friend's pants, right" Janice said snickering.
"This is way out of control. How did this get started anyway?" Charlene said shaking her head.
"I really don't know." Nyota said looking puzzled.
"So what are you going to do?" Janice said looking at her friends puzzled expression.
"You have all these men thinking that you want them, and the one that you really want doesn't have a clue."
Nyota looked surprised. "You think that he really doesn't know?"
"I doubt it, Ny. McCoy is very direct and if he thought that you wanted to get in his pants, he'd address that issue forthright. Now has he addressed the issue?"
"Not really....I just thought-"
"Yeah, you just thought! He probably heard the rumors going around. If Monty heard about it from Sulu then it's a pretty good bet that he's heard it too...especially if the captain thinks you want him.
Nyota stood up. She had heard enough.
"So what's your plan?" Charlene said picking up her tray.
"I'm going to talk to Mr. Spock and confirm what you guys have said first...and then I am going to seek out Dr. McCoy!"
Nyota left the mess hall determined. She was going to get to the bottom of this once and for all!
She wasn't scheduled to meet Spock for the lute lesson for another two days, but she couldn't wait that long.
She quickly returned to her quarters and sent him a message asking to talk to him. She wondered how he would respond.
She sat down a moment and thought about what Charlene and Janice had said. Could Riley and Sulu both believe that she was attracted to them...and also the captain? She shook her head in disbelief! Maybe Mr. Spock could shed some light on this mess!
It wasn't long before her door chimed and she hoped it was Spock and not Riley or Sulu. She was glad to see that it was Spock and he walked in with his hands behind his back.
"I was surprised by your message lieutenant" he said looking at her. "I came immediately."
She looked at him and then at her hands. "Look Mr. Spock....I just want to ask you something. When the captain talks about not fraternizing with the crew, is he talking about himself or is he including all of his officers in that rule?"
Spock walked over to her. "I believe, lieutenant that is something you should ask the captain."
She looked at him, her face grim. "I'm asking you, Spock."
Spock stared at her a moment. "I believe the captain holds himself to a higher standard. I do not know of any instance where he has made that same demand upon his officers. Why do you wish to know this information?"
"Because I'm interested in someone...not the captain. There are rumors going around-"
"I have heard them" Spock said "I found that rumors are often riddled with errors. They are illogical and untrustworthy. You should not listen to them."
"It seems that they are about me."
"All the more reason not to listen." Spock replied.
She paused a minute. "I am unsure of what to do next."
"Do? I do not know what you are talking about, Ms. Uhura. Why must you do anything in response to illogical rumors?" He walked over to her. "You stated that you are interested in someone. What do you wish from me?"
"I just wanted to understand the captain's rule, that's all. I hope that he doesn't think that he is the object of my affections."
"That would call for speculation, lieutenant as the captain has not shared any information on the subject with me. I suggest again that you talk to him."
She did not respond and he turned and headed towards the door.
"Thank you, Spock" she said.
He turned back around. "The most logical thing for you to do, lieutenant would be to talk to the one who is the object of your affection and ignore these rumors."
She did not reply and watched him walk out of the door.
He was right. She needed to talk to McCoy.
She was about to leave when her door chimed.
She was surprised to see Riley.
"Nyota my dear" he said walking in with his guitar. "I am here to talk to you and to sing for you."
Nyota tried not to be irritated. "Look Riley, I was about to leave, but maybe we do need to talk."
He began strumming to guitar. Nyota walked over and put her hands over his.
"Stop for a moment and listen to me, Riley." she said crossing her arms across her chest.
"Look, Nyota. I know you want me. I wrote a song for you. I want you to listen to it." Riley began strumming the guitar again and then he began singing.
Nyota was tired of being polite and grabbed the guitar out of his hands. He stared at her dumbfounded.
"Riley, I'm not attracted to you, OK? You're like a little brother to me." she snapped.
She regretted her outburst as soon as she saw his face fall.
"So it really is Sulu, huh?" he said sadly.
"No it's not!" she snapped. She then attempted to get herself under control and sat down beside Riley.
"Look Riley, you're a great friend, but that's all. I like you...and I like Sulu, just not the way you think, OK?"
He nodded and stood up with his guitar. "Well I guess I've wasted a totally good song!"
"I am sure that there are a host of women wishing to hear it." she said smiling.
He smiled back at her. "Of course there are!"
He walked towards the door. "See you later, Nyota!"
Well so much for being in love with her. Riley was off to his next conquest and she was glad. She smiled to herself. She then decided to hurry out of her quarters before another one of the Enterprise Romeos showed up.