Show Me How To Love You

Sixteen

The next morning, Leonard walked into Sickbay and heard the nurses chattering in the distance. He just rolled his eyes and trudged on, knowing that the whole ship was prone to petty gossip. That is, until he heard his name. He glared and strained to listen.

"... but is it real? ... you think so?"

"... but Leonard seemed so interested in women, I..."

"... how long do you think..."

"... saw them going to Spock's quarters..."

Leonard glared harder and sighed. He'd have to face this head on. He walked around to the location of the nurses, and they stopped talking immediately when they saw him. "What did I say about gossip in my sickbay?" He lectured, and a few of them blushed and looked away. "If you have any concerns, tell me directly, otherwise-"

"Doctor, are you and Spock really together?" Nurse Lanna blurted out, looking embarrassed after she said it. Christine gaped at her.

"Yep. Is that all?" Leonard said bluntly, still scowling at them. They looked at each other, seeming to communicate telepathically. He tried not to just walk away or to yell at them. Both options were equally tempting.

"Well..." Nurse Jen said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "It's hard to imagine that Spock can be very... intimate. And you've always seemed so interested in women."

"Well, girls, hate to break it to you, but it ain't really any of your damn business." Leonard said angrily. "But if it helps you sleep at night, our relationship a very happy and very healthy one. So zip your little mouths shut about it and get to work!" They all nodded avidly, and scrambled away. Christine was the only one that lingered, but she eventually went off to work. Leonard sighed. Of course he had to lie about the happy and healthy relationship thing. The only way to shut the little lambs up.

--

Half-way through his shift, Leonard bumped into a piece of equipment distractedly and flinched when his arm started burning. Panicked, he checked his arm for any wounds. None? He looked at what he bumped into, then looked at his arm. Then the equipment, then his arm again. Why did that hurt so damn bad?! Nothing cut him, and there were no substances to burn him.

Leonard frowned at his arm for a while, and touched it even, but couldn't come to any conclusions. Until it clicked. Spock! It was probably Spock that got hurt! Looking around, he grabbed the first Regulation First Aid Kit that he could find, and ran out of sickbay. A nurse called after him, but he ignored her.

It took far too long before he got to the science lab (how'd he know Spock was going to be there, anyway?), and he was heaving once he got through the door. He saw Spock, standing in a defensive position, trying to negotiate with a another science officer named Beur, who was across the table from him. Beur was holding a dissecting knife, breathing heavily. He hadn't noticed Leonard yet, but Spock didn't give any signs that would allow Beur the suspicion. "If you would accompany me to Sickbay-"

"I said no, Vulcan scum! Romulans killed my brother two weeks ago on his two year mission! You and all your kin deserve to be wiped from existence!" Beur screamed, and Leonard quickly but quietly went through the first aid kit to see if there was a damn sedative in there. Evidently he wasn't quiet enough, since Beur wiped around and saw him. "Oh, so the little boyfriend of the stupid devil-spawn comes to try and save the day! How cute! Drop the kit and get over there with him!" He pointed at Leonard with his knife, and used it to gesture over to where Spock was standing, across the table from them. Leonard glared and moved over to join the Vulcan.

He immediately scanned Spock with his eyes, seeing that the only injury visible was a faint cut on his arm. He must have been quick for the knife to barely have broken through his sleeve, but there was still blood seeping through. Spock gave him a look that either said "What the fuck are you doing here" or "Get ready to fight." It could've been either.