I

"Torpedo secure, doctor," chirped Dr. Marcus, turning and nodding to Dr. McCoy.

"You catch that, captain?"

"Affirmative, Bones." Kirk sighed deeply and shared a look of relief with Sulu. "When can we expect your rendezvous with the Enterprise?"

"I believe our good doctor the advanced weapons specialist has a few diagnostics yet to complete. Isn't that right, Dr. Marcus?" Bones turned to see her waving a tricorder over the compartment that had lately held his arm in a death grip.

"It is, Dr. McCoy," she said without looking up. "You see, captain, although I managed to disarm the torpedo, I… well, I hate to admit this, but I'm not exactly sure why what I did worked. It's my hope that in the weapon's non-active state I may gain insight into—"

Kirk cut her off. "Yes, well, Dr. Marcus, I leave the technical intricacies of this particular problem in your capable hands. Anyone with the nerve to tear the guts out of a missile with her bare hands has my full confidence and respect."

She laughed. "Yes, sir."

"Do not hesitate to contact the Enterprise should you require any assistance. Oh, and don't let Bones put his arms into any more small spaces." Sulu's chuckle in the background drifted over the comm line. "Well I won't disturb you any further, doctor. I'll be eager to read your report."

"Thank you, captain."

"Kirk out."

Carol sat back on her haunches, leaning away from the torpedo as she exchanged her tricorder for another instrument. As she turned back to her work, Dr. McCoy caught her eye. His brow had a slight furrow and he looked deeply serious.

"I am sorry doctor. I know I'm working slowly, but I do want to be thorough." Carol tried for polite but firm. Even the admiral's daughter had faced prejudice at the academy when she chose to specialize in the male-dominated discipline of advanced weaponry. Despite her self-subjugation to the captain, she didn't want Dr. McCoy to think her disarming of the torpedo had been pure chance.

Bones raised his eyebrows. "No need to apologize. I was actually just admiring your work. This crew needs a little more paranoia if you ask me." He shifted in his chair, looking annoyed.

"I've noticed that the captain can be a little…"

"Cavalier?" he supplied.

She looked uncomfortable.

"Relax, I'm not gonna rat you out." Bones rolled his eyes. "And I didn't mean to make you self-conscious while you're working. Now that this mess with the missile's sorted out, I don't have anything left to work on while we're off the ship." He threw his hands up. "S'pose I could start a medical analysis of myself to see if I'm exhibiting any early signs of post-traumatic stress."

Carol could tell by his tone that Dr. McCoy had meant this last comment as a joke, but once he finished speaking he appeared oddly thoughtful. She thought it best to divert his attention in order to stall his hypochondria.

"Well, what would you normally do in this situation?" she asked as she focused back on the torpedo.

"Typically when a patient comes to me demonstrating symptoms of acute stress—"

"No, doctor, that isn't the situation I mean."

"Call me Leonard, and what is the situation you mean then, Dr. Marcus?"

She flicked her eyes over to him. "It's Carol. I mean when you're stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman. Though, more accurately, inside of a shuttle on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman." She turned her face fully to the missile to hide her smile.

"Uhh." Suddenly Bones couldn't find a comfortable position in the chair and shifted around. Whoever designed the damn chairs in these things obviously never heard of ergonomics. "I—I'm not sure—What do you…?"

"Open comm lines, Leonard." Carol glanced back over her shoulder but Bones was staring intently at his feet. She turned back to the weapon. "We had them on from the moment we landed the shuttle on the surface."

Bones opened his mouth to speak, but Carol ploughed ahead. "And please, don't pretend that was the most embarrassing statement you've made since we've been here. I was not so focused on the torpedo that I managed to miss your obvious euphemisms." She completed her scan and replaced the instrument, turning to face her companion.

Don't be a damn child. Look her in the eye, man. Bones glanced up at her and saw she was smiling. "You see, doctor—"

"Carol." She grinned.

"You see, Carol, I'm not sure what it's like for you science officers, but practicing medicine on a starship can be a bit of a solitary profession, so I tend to talk to myself while researching. Makes things more interesting." He nodded at her, a slight smile on his face. "As a result, I possess the unfortunate habit of occasionally speaking before I think, even outside of the med bay. I can understand if you don't consider this a very good excuse for what you heard, but the main thing I want you to know is that I didn't mean anything by it and I don't want you to feel in any way threatened or…" he waved his hand to prompt himself, "…harassed."

"You didn't mean anything by it?"

"No. With today's little crisis, I put my runaway mouth down to nerves, plain and simple."

"The proximity of the torpedo."

"Exactly." Bones nodded, thankful that she seemed more interested than offended. "Even now the damn thing's making me nervous."

Carol glanced behind her at the torpedo, then whipped her head back around. "I can assure you, Leonard, it's completely inactive. You're welcome to examine my readings if it will be any comfort to you." She rose from her crouch, extending one of the instruments towards him.

Bones looked into her earnest blue eyes as she leaned towards him and felt his heart thump. Probably giving myself a damn arrhythmia.

Carol dropped her arm. "Are you all right, doctor? You look flushed."

"Fine." Bones pushed himself up out of his chair. "I'd say I just need some fresh air, but who knows what sort of microscopic toxins I've already breathed in since we've been here." He crossed his arms, staring hard out the window at the arid landscape.

"We selected this planet as an ideal location because of, among other things, its atmospheric composition. I'm sure that—"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't be so quick to buy everything those science officers tell you. No offense," he said, turning to face her.

"Why don't you talk to me about something more pleasant then? It will help you pass the time and perhaps take your mind off of your discomfort." Carol raised her eyebrows encouragingly.

"And what makes you think you're qualified to offer me psychological advice?" His anxiety was making him irritable.

"I studied psychology throughout my years at the academy. For some reason, they thought it was a good idea to provide an understanding of the mind in distress to students who would be working in contact with live weaponry." She smiled at him through her sarcasm.

"Point taken." Bones planted one hand on his hip and gestured at the torpedo with the other. "But shouldn't you be concentrating rather than listening to me yap?"

"With all due respect, sir, I wouldn't be in this position if I wasn't able to multitask."

"If you say so." He looked far from convinced. "But if that thing goes off," he jabbed his finger in the direction of the torpedo, "you'll be glad you had a medical doctor with you."

Carol pivoted to face him. "Leonard, if this thing goes off it will blast a crater half a mile deep into the surface of this planet and turn our shuttlecraft into scraps so small you wouldn't taste them in your morning coffee. At that point it really won't make much difference just how legendary your hands are." She raised an eyebrow.

"Well I'm glad you appreciate the amount of danger we're in, but you're scaring the hell out of me, Carol."

She smirked at him and suddenly Bones' nervous energy was propelling him forward. He reached down for her hands and yanked her to her feet, turning her away from the missile and pressing her back into the bulkhead. He looked her in the eye for a split second then felt her silky-soft hair brush his face as he kissed her.

Carol was shocked but thrilled by this development. Bones wouldn't have been her last choice for a deserted planet companion either, but at least she had the professionalism not to announce this to the bridge. She hated to stop him, but didn't want him to be embarrassed about this episode later.

"Leonard," she said, pulling out of the kiss. "I'm afraid you're acting out of—"

He looked her square in the eye. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

His lips had just touched hers when, summoning all her mental fortitude, she pulled back again. "You know, for all that bravado, I can't help but wonder at your reasoning."

Bones took a deep breath and shook his head. "Honey, when I referred to you as a gorgeous woman, that was me calling it as I saw it. I've been attracted to you physically since you signed on with Jim en route to the Enterprise, but that verbal dressing down you gave me a minute ago showed me you might be the only one on this damn ship that actually thinks the same way I do. Now unless you have an objection to my actions, which so far you haven't seemed to, please let me get back to them and quit interrupting." Bones raised an eyebrow, trying to assess how she was taking his rambling. She looked surprised and defiant. "That's an order," he added.

Carol shook her blonde hair back from her face with dignity. "I'm not entirely sure you outrank me, Leonard."

He dropped his chin, fixing her with a firm stare. "Then listen to me as your attending physician because you're about to get a thorough examination."

Carol felt a deep blush flood her face and her delicate lower muscles give a firm squeeze. "Then the 'legendary hands' remark wasn't an exaggeration?" She struggled to look composed and he smirked.

"Darlin', these hands could stitch a steady line on a bleeding bandit while he's robbing a moving train. And you're not going to find somebody with a better knowledge of human anatomy in this galaxy or the next one."

He leaned in to her again but she spoke up. "Even with the torpedo just over there?" She jerked her head to the side.

"Carpe diem." He brought his mouth down on hers so insistently Carol moaned.