Putting Up Your Armor

[madimpossibledreamer]

Main Points:
Star Trek (the 2009!movie verse) Cambion AU
Summary: Annnd now it's Spock POV.  Yes, there's kind of a reference here.  Beyond the one mentioned below.
M'Benga has concerns...
(Posting now because I've, er, cheated, but I've seen M'Benga now so I'm not as worried I'm completely messing up the character)
Word Count: 636
Rating: Gen
Warning: references to Tarsus.  Nothing explicit, but Kirk's eating habits aren't exactly 'normal'.

         “Mister Spock!” The half-Vulcan slows a little as a fellow crew member runs to catch up. 
         “Yes, can I help you, Doctor?” he asks, slowing his pace a little.  He still has duties to attend to, but he has no reservations against speaking as they walk.
         “I was wondering if you’d noticed anything medically relevant about Captain Kirk’s behavior recently,” the CMO explains, which is something of concern.  Isolated incidents of anger or nervousness were to be expected under high stress.  If even a certified doctor is worried, however…
         It would be good to discern what, if anything, the CMO had observed.  “Only indications, as with the rest of the ship, that the Captain needs shore leave within the next two weeks.  His response times are suboptimal.  Why?”
         “Well…he’s getting restless.  I know he’s been known for that in the Academy.  Two hundred years ago he probably would’ve been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, before we stopped trying to demonize and label every psychological condition.  But it hasn’t really been a problem when he’s been in space.  It’s not even like the missions we’ve been on lately are uninteresting.”  He sighs.  “For another, Captain Kirk has always been hovering on the edge of some type of eating disorder, but he’s never crossed the line.  Until now.  I checked and he hasn’t eaten anything at all in three days.  He has managed to drink shakes—those are drinks with puréed fruit in them—”
         “I am aware of them,” Spock responds, frowning.  He’d been aware that sometimes the Captain had forgotten to eat; that, when presented with food, he devoured it quickly, as if it would illogically walk away from him if given the chance, but Kirk seemed to be good enough about dealing with it, and when he failed Boyce had picked up the slack.
         “He’s unhealthy as it is.  I tried to get a physical, but he’s been avoiding me based on my insistence, and I don’t want to just relieve him of duty based on suspicion.  I was able to get a surreptitious tricorder reading, and it’s as if he’s starving himself and not sleeping properly, but then we got attacked by the giant…whatever it was.  Seaweed creature.  And then I was busy keeping Medbay together…”  Unlike the rest of them, M’Benga is new, and seems to be under the impression he doesn’t belong as much as the rest of them do.  Humans are highly illogical creatures.
         “You need not explain your logic to me, Doctor.  I’m aware that as you trained on Vulcan your knowledge of it should be better than most of your species.”  That gets a smile, which is an emotional if optimal reaction.  Starfleet runs as much on trust as it does the chain of command.  “What did Dr. Boyce say?”
         The CMO looks surprised, but he should not.  It was logical to assume that the doctor had taken the necessary steps.
         “…He said he can’t betray patient confidentiality,” M’Benga finally states, sounding defeated.  “I don’t think he’s dying, just hurting himself, so I don’t think that I can get him to disclose what’s going on.”
         “That response indicates that both Dr. Boyce and Captain Kirk are aware of the nature of what is happening to the Captain,” Spock notes.
         M’Benga nods.  “They do, and neither are willing to talk about it.  Given the reputation Kirk has about avoiding doctors, I’m afraid that even talking to you about this right now would be considered a breach of trust.”
         Spock’s fingers tighten a little on the PADD he’s holding.  The stubbornness of humans is most illogical.  But, coming from Captain Jim Kirk, not unexpected.  “Thank you, Doctor.  I will endeavor to get him to take better care of himself or disclose the nature of his problem.”
         M’Benga nods and strides away.