Chapter Text
Getting a call from Starfleet Medical on his day off was never a good sign. Leonard was actually tempted to ignore it, certain that the current staff had the collective braincells to figure out whatever crisis was happening without him, but he knew his conscious wouldn't let him hear the end of it.
With a bone-deep sigh -- and Jim would have cackled at the wording -- Leonard opened up his comm and greeted the nurse on the other end.
He honestly didn't remember ending the call. As soon as whoever-the-hell-it-was stated that, "James Kirk has been admitted for blunt force trauma to the head," Leonard was racing out of the dorm and to the hospital.
"James Kirk's room," he snapped as soon as he got close enough for the front desk receptionist to hear him. "Now."
"Doctor!" Christine Chapel was nearly jogging down one of the corridors to meet him, and Leonard ignored the receptionist in favor of catching up to his, honestly, favorite colleague. "Knew you'd come quickly."
"Talk to me, Chris," Leonard said, and he almost started moving through the hospital as if he knew which room Jim was holed up in. He fidgeted for the two seconds it took Chapel to take the lead, and she didn't disappoint him.
"He's in room 324. Jim's soccer team had practice," she said, "and his face got smashed with the ball."
Leonard almost screeched to a stop. "Wait, that's it?"
"Not at all." Chapel's answer was firm. "He was playing defense and was right by the goalie. The force of the ball hitting him in the front of the face made his head snap back so it crashed into one of the goal posts. He was knocked out cold."
"Shit." Leonard ran a hand through his hair.
"He was rushed here and, fortunately, his vitals stayed fine. The skull isn't damaged, but there was some swelling in the temporal lobe. He woke up not too long ago, thankfully--"
"Oh, thank God," Leonard said, nearly overtaking Chapel in the hallway. "He's just got a concussion?"
"Perhaps a mild one, but--"
"Mild is pretty good, all things considered."
"Doctor--"
"I'm going to give him such shit for getting knocked out by a soccer ball--"
"Leonard McCoy, you stop and listen to me." Chapel's sharp tone made Leonard freeze, memories of his mama catching him stealing cookies in the middle of the night being hauled up in his brain. He turned on his heel, face pinched in both confusion and a bit of fear, as he looked at her.
She took a deep breath. "He doesn't remember."
Leonard's brows furrowed. "Wha--He doesn't remember what?"
"Anything."
Leonard's blood ran cold.
"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice dropping low.
"I mean," Chapel said, closing the distance between them with long strides, her volume matching his, "that the blow on the head gave Jim amnesia."
Leonard felt like he was hearing the rest of Chapel's explanation through a tunnel. Jim recalled his own name, at least, but seemed more inclined to remember emotions. He was putting on a brave face, but was clearly terrified of the hospital and the doctors surrounding him. He asked once about someone named Sam, and Leonard dully mentioned that Sam was the name of Jim's brother.
"Dunno where he is, though," Leonard said. "Is he Jim's emergency contact? Did someone check?"
Chapel pursed her lips. "Len, you're his emergency contact."
Leonard's brain short-circuited. He presumed he was called down to Medical because he was Jim's primary care, not because he was his emergency contact. Jim and he had only known each other for a year. Granted, Leonard had thought it was odd that Jim asked for him to be his PCP not too long after they started rooming together. When had Jim put him down as his emergency contact, too? Did Jim have no one else other than his roommate?
Chapel seemed to read his mind. "I don't think Jim really has anyone else to contact."
"Who's treatin' him, then?" Leonard spun on his heel and kept going in the general direction of the room.
"Dr. M'Benga," Chapel said, and Leonard was a little mollified by that. "He was actually speaking with Captain Pike when I went to collect you."
That was all the warning Leonard got as he rounded the corner to see both M'Benga and Pike in the hallway outside of patient room 324. He supposed it made sense that Captain Pike was there, being Jim's advisor and all. Pike was pinching the bridge of his nose as M'Benga clinically stated Jim's symptoms, and the other doctor looked relieved when he spotted Leonard catching up to them.
"Cadet McCoy," Pike greeted, weariness dripping in every syllable.
"Doctor." M'Benga nodded to Leonard, and he returned it after saluting the captain.
"What's the situation?" Leonard asked. "Did you leave Jim alone in there?"
"Only for a few minutes," M'Benga assured him. "The captain arrived and I felt it would be best to explain everything out here rather than right in front of Jim."
"Chapel said Jim doesn't remember much aside from his name," Leonard said carefully.
"That's what he is most sure of," M'Benga said, and Leonard may have hated how gentle M'Benga's tone was. "We explained he was here in Starfleet and what brought him to the clinic today, but... Well, I'm not sure if Jim was just pretending to understand everything. His long-term memories seem to be mostly intact, but anything from the past year appears to be jumbled. He knows what Starfleet is, but he doesn't recall enlisting."
Leonard did his best to pretend that didn't hurt. There was a damn good chance that Jim wouldn't remember him.
"Will his memories return?" Captain Pike asked, getting straight to the heart of the matter. "Is there hope for that?"
"I have hope," M'Benga said, and he handed over his PADD to Leonard. "One method would be to hit him again, but I obviously do not want to try to whack him over the head to shake his memories back into place until and unless that is absolutely necessary."
Leonard stared at the results of Jim's CAT scan. "It's possible that once the swelling goes down in the temporal lobe his memories will return. Aside from that, doesn't look like he's in danger from anythin' else."
"He was fortunate," M'Benga agreed.
"What does this mean for him now?" Pike asked. "Should he remain in the hospital?"
"He'd hate that," Chapel said, "especially since he can't quite place why. There's not much of a need to keep him here, either."
Pike glanced around at them. "Jim should not be alone."
"He won't be, Sir," Leonard said. "I'm his roommate and his PCP. I'll take care of him."
"At what cost to you, Cadet?" Pike asked. Leonard tore his gaze away from the PADD to look at the captain, and Pike elaborated. "You've your own schedules to keep to, homework and tests you need to complete, classes that I'm certain you do not share with Kirk. You believe you will be able to keep up with your own needs while also helping Kirk?"
Of course Leonard would. It was Jim.
"I will, Sir," Leonard said, conviction in very word. He swore there was a hint of a smile twitching at Pike's lips.
"And what of Kirk's own classes?" Pike asked, turning this question to all three of the medical professionals. "I may be able to persuade his professors to go a little easier, perhaps give Kirk some extensions, but for how long?"
"Would a week be feasible?" M'Benga asked. Pike mulled on that, and M'Benga said, "Letting Jim keep his schedule as normal as possible may be one of the best ways to help him, but we know he shouldn't be participating in Flight Training or the like--"
"Of course not," Pike said. "I'll contact his professors and figure something out."
"What happens if a week is up and Jim doesn't have his memories back?" Leonard dared to ask, his stomach sinking to his toes at the mere thought.
Pike was quiet for a little too long. "We may have to reconsider his place at Starfleet. For this year, anyway," he added quickly when Leonard bristled. "He's in no danger of being kicked out onto the street or anything of that sort, McCoy, you have my word."
Damn right he wouldn't be, because if Starfleet did try to kick Jim out, Leonard would be right there with him. He'd probably take Jim to Georgia or something. Of course, with how thoughtful Pike seemed, Leonard guessed that the captain would consider adopting Jim, if that became an option.
Despite his rough past, Jim had plenty of people who cared for him in the here and now. Leonard just hoped that his memories returned enough so Jim could remember that.
"Well." Leonard handed M'Benga's PADD back to him. "He good to be discharged now?"
"I'll get that started," Chapel volunteered, and Leonard thanked her as she returned to the front desk.
"McCoy," Pike said, "if you need anything, let me know. I'll support you both as much as I can."
"Thank you, Sir," Leonard said, saluting the captain before Pike took his leave after glancing one last time at the door to Jim's room.
"Shall we?" M'Benga asked when it was just the pair of them. Leonard nodded, not ready at all, but he wasn't sure if he ever would be ready for his best friend not recognizing him.
M'Benga opened the door and led the way into the patient room, and Jim's bright blue gaze snapped up to both of them. Caution was laced in every part of his body even as he tried to sit up straighter and mask it. It was just wrong to see Jim as a bundle of nerves rather than confident.
"Jim," M'Benga said, "this is Dr. Leonard McCoy."
"Another doctor?" Jim's eyes flickered to Leonard before going back to M'Benga. "I thought you said my roommate was coming?"
"I am your roommate," Leonard assured him. "We were both late recruits and were thrown together in the same dorm as a result."
"Oh," was all Jim said, and Leonard wasn't sure if he sounded suspicious or not.
"Considering what brought you in today," M'Benga said, trying to install optimism into the conversation, "it's a happy coincidence that your roommate is a doctor. He's the best person to help you." He paused. "I know you can only take my words at face value at this time, but please know that Leonard and yourself are good friends."
Leonard wondered if it was normal for good friends to want to envelop the other in bubble wrap until everything was better.
Jim fully looked at Leonard, appraising him, and Leonard hoped that the smile he gave Jim would help put him at ease. It was difficult -- Leonard could never have been prepared for how much it hurt to see Jim look at him like he was a stranger.
A tentative smile placed itself on Jim's face after a moment, one that didn't reach the eyes, but at least Jim was trying.
It just looked so wrong.
"Your discharge paperwork is being processed," M'Benga said, "and Leonard will take you home."
"Okay. Thank you for your help," Jim said to M'Benga. He hopped off of the biobed and reached out a hand to Leonard. "Uh, despite apparently already knowing each other, it's nice to meet you, Leonard."
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
Leonard kept his own smile on, hoped it didn't look fake, and clasped Jim's hand in a shake. "Nice to meet you again, Jim."