Chapter Text
Leonard McCoy looked around, confused, at the unfamiliar room he was in. His clothes were too big. What even were they? A starfleet uniform? Where had he gotten that? Beside him were two boys much younger than him, and in uniforms that were ridiculously large on them. He guessed they were around 6 years old. He spotted the man behind the control panel, a man in a red shirt who was staring at them in shock. “Are ye alright?” The man asked in a thick Scottish accent.
Leonard stepped forward, mind racing. Had he and the children been kidnapped? He mustered up his courage and shouted “Who are you and why are we here?” He tried to step farther in front of the younger boys, feeling an overwhelming urge to protect them.
The man spoke in a gentle voice. “Easy, lad, we willna hurt ye. I am Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott, Chief engineer on the USS Enterprise. But you can call me Scotty. As for why you're here, that's a wee bit harder to explain.” He sighed. Ye are all officers on this ship, but a transporter malfunction seems to have turned ye into children for the time being. Hopefully, I can fix it and restore ye to your proper ages, but I don't know how long that'll take.”
“Fascinating” said the small dark haired boy.
Scotty smiled. “You're Mr. Spock alright” he said quietly.
“What do we do now?” Asked the blond haired one. “Can we see other parts of the ship? What rank are we when we're grown up?”
“All in good time, Jim,” Scotty said. “I think first I'll take ye to see Dr. M'Benga, just to make sure you've no health problems from this.”
Jim's eyes widened. “No!” he cried, looking as though he was preparing to run. “I won't go!”
Leonard knelt down beside Jim, laying a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, it's okay Jim. They're just going to make sure you're healthy, they won't hurt ya.”
Jim frowned. “I don't like doctors. And I feel fine.”
“It's just to make sure. Spock and I are coming too. I'm sure it won't take long. And doctors are only there to help.” He tried to smile reassuringly. “There's no need to be scared.”
Jim looked offended. “I'm not scared!”
“Of course you aren't,” Leonard grinned. He looked over at Spock, who looked anxious but Leonard could tell he was trying his best to hide it. “You doing okay Spock?”
“I must admit my experiences with healers have been unpleasant. They don't always know what to do with my hybrid physiology.”
Leonard was surprised. Spock certainly didn't speak like a six year old. Did all Vulcan children speak like that?
Scotty walked around the control panel. “Don't worry, Spock, Dr. M’Benga is well aware of how to treat any ailment you may develop.”
Spock nodded, reassured, as Scotty spoke into the communication device built into the wall. “Scott to Medical- I am on my way with the landing party. Something mighty strange has happened but ye probably have to see it to believe it.”
In sickbay, all three were directed to sit on separate biobeds, while Dr. M'Benga scanned them and checked over their vitals. Spock seemed immediately calmed somewhat when M'Benga spoke to him in Vulcan, but Leonard thought Jim still seemed rather nervous. Leonard himself found Sickbay fascinating, and looked around curiously. “How old are you, Leonard?” M'Benga asked.
“I'm sixteen,” Leonard answered. “I'm going to be a doctor when I'm older.”
Dr. M'Benga smiled. “You certainly will, and a very fine one. You seem perfectly healthy.” He held out the tricorder to Leonard. “Do you want to help me scan our friend Jim? I think he trusts you more than me at the moment. Just press this button to start scanning.”
Leonard took the tricorder and walked to Jim's bed, smiling reassuringly as he scanned. The scanner came up perfectly normal for a kid his age, and Leonard showed it to M'Benga.
Jim swung his feet back and forth. “Can we do something fun now? I'm bored.”
Leonard looked at M'Benga and Scotty who were conferring together quietly. “I'm not sure.” He could hear parts of the adult's conversation.
“McCoy is old enough to sleep in his quarters” Scotty was saying, “but I canna leave Kirk and Spock unsupervised.”
“They could sleep here in Sickbay” Dr. M'Benga replied. “The night shift nurses could look after them.”
Somehow, Leonard knew that wouldn't be a good idea and walked over to the adults. “They can stay with me” he said, while Scotty and M'Benga looked at him doubtfully.
“I know ye are responsible and mature, lad” Scotty said, “but that's too much responsibility to lay on ye. You're not fully grown yourself.”
“I have younger siblings and cousins,” Leonard told them. “I have enough experience. They're both nervous about Sickbay, sir, they won't sleep well here.”
Scotty thought about it carefully. “Alright,” he finally decided. “But come get me if ye need me. My room is right next door to yours. And ye aren't to go wanderin unsupervised around the ship. In the daytime, ye can explore, under supervision. I'm sure we can find something entertaining for ye all to do. Understood?”
Leonard nodded.
Scotty smiled. “Alright, then, it's getting rather late. After we find each of ya something to wear that fits, let's get something to eat, and I'll show ye to your quarters. I'll have two extra cots sent up. "