The Doctor Will See You Now

Chapter Twenty One (UPDATED)

WARNING: Mentions of self harm and suicide

Star Date 2261.229 / 17.08.2261

Jim entered the mess hall after his shift, glancing around in search of Lex, clutching his PADD in his hand. Spotting Uhura and Scotty at a nearby table he walked straight over.

"Have either of you seen Lex?" he demanded, slightly more aggressively than he intended.

"No not since yesterday morning" Uhura said immediately, slightly taken aback at the Captain's demeanour "Why what's up?"

Jim shook his head declining to answer "I just need to talk to her, she wasn't in Med Bay"

"That's because she's on the night shift now" Scotty explained, she's probably only just getting up.

Jim and Uhura frowned at him "How did you know that?" Jim asked confused

"I ran into her yesterday in the corridor after shift" Scotty shrugged "She mentioned it"

"How did she seem?" Jim asked, staring at his engineering chief intently.

Scotty considered the question "A little off if I'm honest, but that's not unusual these days is it?" He turned to Uhura for confirmation, who pursed her lips "What do you mean off?"

"Looked like she'd been crying actually" he muttered uncomfortably.

"Do you know why?" Uhura asked, pressing him for answers, Jim now watching her closely suspecting she may know something.

"Well" Scotty thought back "She had a box of her possessions with her, and we were near Bones' quarters"

Uhura's eyes widened in horror "Oh No"

"What?" Jim asked sharply, what the hell was going on.

"When I spoke to her yesterday morning, she told me something had happened between them. I hoped it meant they might be getting back together, but I was worried she might just be getting her hopes up. I didn't want to be right" Uhura shook her head sadly.

"Do you know what happened between them?" Jim queried, needing to understand.

Uhura sighed "They slept together"

Jim exhaled "Explains a lot"

"What do you mean?" Scotty asked.

Jim waved his PADD "She put in for a transfer this morning, complete with a glowing reference from Dr. Leonard McCoy"

"He didn't" Uhura cried outraged.

"I think I need to have a word with my CMO" Jim ground out, striding from the mess hall without a backwards glance.

Uhura watched him go, the unease she felt yesterday morning intensifying "Scotty come with me" she said standing suddenly.

He trotted after her into the corridor "Where are we going?"

"To check on Lex" Uhura supplied, breaking into a run "I have a bad feeling about this"

Jim stormed into Med Bay unsurprised to find the doctor still there "Bones a word in your office. Now" he barked, turning on his heel and thundering down the corridor to Bones' office.

Bones arrived a few seconds later highly displeased at being ordered around in his Med Bay "What is it Jim? I'm a little busy as you can see" He punched the code into the keypad, entering before the Captain and heading for his desk.

"Where the hell do you get off recommending to Lex that she transfers off ship" Jim shouted at once, barely allowing the doors to close before he started "Nobody and I mean nobody has the right to suggest my crew leave my ship" He didn't actually know for a fact that Bones was behind this, but he knew them both well enough and had a hunch he knew exactly how this had gone down.