Starfleet Academy Desert Survival Course

[corn_fed_mind]

It isn't actually an academy course, of course. No member of faculty would be present, there would be no grade or credit given at the end, and there wouldn't even be a record of who ran the 17-mile-long course through the Mojave desert, but none of that stops any of the first year cadets that show up for it. It's still the first week of the Academy, before classes have started and the orientations and mixers are still in swing, and Jamie can't think of a better mixer than to put cadet against cadet simply because. 

That's why she's here, at least. It's her first and best chance to prove that she can breeze through this whole Academy thing and that no one's got a thing on her. She's definitely used to that feeling and has no reason yet to expect the Academy to be any different. The competition so far isn't much: it's mostly humans so far, including a tiny little kid who's barely more than a stick with curly hair on top, but there's a Rigelian, an Orion or two (and doesn't that get Jamie's attention) - and Uhura.

Jamie grins and saunters on up to her. "So, when we win this thing, care to tell me your name over a drink?"

Uhura keeps her head down, concentrating on her warm-ups, but Jamie can hear the grin. "First round's on you."

"How about the first round's on me?" A tall, bulky Andorian male says, squeezing himself in between them.

Uhura rolls her eyes, but Jamie takes a different tack. She eyes him up and down and looks mildly interested. He clearly doesn't need much encouragement, so why bother putting in much effort?

"Find us at the finish line, then we'll talk. Now, if you'll excuse us." Jamie grabs Uhura's hand and drags her to the opposite end of the starting line.

"Tell me you did not just agree to a date with him," Uhura insists.

"Please. He'll have completely forgotten us by then. If he manages to finish at all. I bet you half the people on this starting line don't make it."

"Does that half include yourself?" She teases, taking her place as everyone lines up to start.

Jamie just grins back. "I'll be the one winning this whole thing."

"Only if I let you, Kirk."

A shot rings out, and the runners take off. 

Things go swimmingly for the first couple hours. Sand dunes, fine. Open stretches of mesa and scorching heat? No problem. Even the free climb down a cliff face isn't that bad - until Jamie jumps off a little higher from the bottom than she thinks and more crashes than lands. She immediately gets back up, not wanting to admit defeat, but she can tell something's not right anymore. It's not going to slow her down, not when she's this close to the finish line, so close to winning, and no matter how many worried looks Uhura sends her way, she's not giving up.

But then the finish line approaches. Uhura leaves Jamie in the dust (not that Jamie can blame her, she'd have done the same thing if the positions were reversed), and when Jamie finally crosses that line, she's far from first place. Fuck. And to make matters worse, that goddamn Andorian is standing there, having won the whole fucking thing and preening. 

"So, pick you up at eight?"

She's tired, she's in pain, and her ego is busted about as well as her ankle. She is not in the mood for his shit. "Here I thought you'd be drowning in potential dates for tonight and didn't need little ol' me to keep you company."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong, sugar. Sure, I've got everyone lining up to get a piece of me, but I thought I'd let you take the first bite." He leers at her, his antennae twitching closer, and wraps an arm around her waist.

"Get your hand off me before I break it."

But if the Andorian hears her, he ignores it. "The name's Thanas. You know, for when you're screaming it later."

The only thing that keeps Jamie's flying fist from connecting Thanas' smirk is Uhura's last minute catch. "I'll be taking her from here," she says, spinning Jamie around and throwing her arm over Uhura's shoulder.

"I could have taken him, you know," Jamie insists, leaning on her friend a bit more than she'd like to admit.

"Test that theory out another time."

"What, don't want me all bloodied and bruised when you tell me your name?"

Another eyeroll. "Take a shower first."

Comments

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"Don't you worry, Jamie. You'll win the next one."

She says this as she reaches down casually and slaps her ankle. Not as hard as it could've been, but hard enough that it'll definitely hurt if it's the right one. However she does aim for the one that's a little higher up. She assumes there's a pillow or something that the injured one is propped up on.

[corn_fed_mind]

Pillow? Pfft, that would be admitting that something's wrong with her ankle. But the injured one is the one crossed over the other (it's her subtle way of propping it up), so it definitely gets hit.

She flinches, but she keeps her face as neutral as possible. She's had quite a few years to perfect the art of not looking injured, and that little flinch is the biggest reaction she's given someone in a long time.

"I dunno. Maybe there won't be a next one."

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"Got a problem?"

She smiles innocently and stretches out on the bed, over Jamie's legs.

"You're not gonna give up, are you?"

[corn_fed_mind]

DON'T WINCE DON'T WINCE DON'T WINCE

She sits up and shifts caaaaaaaarefully and tries to get that ankle out from underneath her.

"And let these assholes win? God, no."

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"Can't run with a bum ankle," she says and moves off of it. She never intended to put all of her weight on there anyway.

[corn_fed_mind]

"Bum ankle? My ankle's fine. Just a little sore."

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"Lemme look at it?"

[corn_fed_mind]

"Yeah, alright."

She flips the blanket off her leg, and oh, she knows she's going to get bitched at, but as long as Bones doesn't make her go to the clinic, things should be good. Right?

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"Good god, Jamie!"

She only needs one glance at that purple and blue ankle to jump off the bed.

"You idiot! What the hell are you doing in bed? Why didn't you come see us right away?"

[corn_fed_mind]

"It's not that bad, right?"

No, she knows it's bad. She's just trying to act like she's a complete bimbo and doesn't get why a discolored, swollen ankle is maybe a bad thing.

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"I'll be surprised if you can walk right ever. You might have destroyed the muscle permanently. I gotta take you in for some real scans."

Notice how that's not a question. She goes out and right outside their door there is a wheelchair ready and waiting. One she brings in and parks next to Jamie's bed.

"Am I gonna have to carry you into the chair or are you gonna cooperate?"

[corn_fed_mind]

Oh fuck.

"I don't need scans, it's completely fine, look."

She swings herself out of bed and tries to stand on it, but immediately goes down. Putting weight on it is NOT a good idea after resting it.

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

She's there to catch her. It also gives her a chance to swing Jamie over into that chair instead.

"You're gonna get those scans and you're gonna get treated, and you best hope and pray they don't assign me as your doctor 'cause I'll tell you right now: I'm the meanest doctor you could get. Your bullshit won't fly with me, kid. And I know where you sleep at night."

[corn_fed_mind]

........is it bad that turns her on a little? You know, if the pain wasn't overwhelming. Once she's seated, she grabs Bones' arm to keep her from moving too far.

"No, I don't want another doctor, you be my doctor."

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"Didn't I just tell you that's the last thing you want?"

She isn't going to move too far. She'll only move behind the chair so she can wheel her out of the room. And you better believe she'll take the long way to the hospital to make sure they pass by aaaaall of Jamie's hangouts at the Academy and where they're most likely to run into the golds.

[corn_fed_mind]

It's when they pass Cochrane Hall that Jamie realizes what's going on and sinks as low in the chair as she possibly can.

"I hate you, you know."

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"The feelin's mutual, darlin'"

[corn_fed_mind]

"Just get me to the damn clinic already."

She's just going to sit here and try to cover her face well enough. Like ANYONE wouldn't instantly recognize her no matter what.

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

Despite everything she said, McCoy registers in as her own patient when they reach the clinic. And she rejects the nurse's offer of help. Somehow she's certain Jamie will be happiest if she deals with it on her own. Teasing and tormenting her roommate is one thing, but now they're doctor and patient and she will do her best to make this easy on her.

[corn_fed_mind]

She might not necessarily say it, but she is grateful that Bones stays on as her doctor. Jamie has a long and infamous history with doctors, but for some reason, she trusts Bones enough to take care of her. That while she may mock Jamie and try to embarrass the shit out of her, she's still doing her utmost to make her better.

There's something reassuring in that.

And that's why she tries her best to be a good patient the whole time.

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

Since it's their first time, McCoy's gentle and takes it slow. She doesn't want to spook Jamie, so they take it step by step and with a lot of little breaks between to give her time to get comfortable and adjust, and protest if she's too nervous.

She scans the ankle and instead of showing her in the hands of a nurse to get it wrapped, she crouches down to take care of it herself.

"You're lucky it ain't broken. I'm gonna give you a shot to help the healing. Just gotta keep off of it for a day or two, and be a little careful for a week or so."

[corn_fed_mind]

It's because she takes the time to wait for Jamie that there's very little protest on her part. It's almost.... nice.

"See, I told you it wasn't that bad."

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

"Without treatment, you could've torn a tendon and permanently decreased your mobility. You can't hide these things and pretend they'll go away," she snarls as she jabs her with a hypo.

"Next time, just tell me. Gotta be some advantage to bunking with a doctor, right? I'll let you cut ahead of the line every time. I promise."

[corn_fed_mind]

When she looks back years from now, Jamie will definitely be able to identify the emotion she's feeling in this moment. Right now, though, she's not ready for it, and instead smirks.

"Oh, I hope there's other advantages."

[sweetgeorgiapeach]

McCoy just laughs. One day, she might look back at this and laugh at how foolish she was, but in this moment, she's pretty damn confident that she'll stand by her words.

"You wish. I don't fool around with my roommates. That's just a mess waiting to happen."

Yet another reason why Christine was perfect. She could not be less McCoy's type.