Title: The Greater Good
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Kirk/McCoy
Word Count: 607
Warnings: preslash, this is a snippet from a larger modern day AU in my head that may or may not ever see the light of day full story can be found here
Summary: Inspired by this prompt at buckleup_meme and for the hc_bingo prompt claustrophobia and the au_abc prompt Y is for Yuppies - The first meeting of Leonard McCoy, surgeon, and Jim Kirk, helicopter pilot.

+++

Leonard's standing next to the helipad, the wind whipping around his hair and lab coat, watching the Medivac chopper land. He already feels sick to his stomach, and he hasn't even climbed in the damn thing yet.

He tightens his grip on the cooler in his hand, this precious thing that he has to transport to another hospital that will mean the difference between life and death for a twelve year old boy with a bad heart.

He can do this. He has to do this.

The pilot waves for Leonard to approach, his face almost completely obscured by his helmet and aviators. Leonard ducks as he gets closer, trying to keep out of the buffeting wind created by the spinning rotor blades overhead. He pulls the door open, climbing inside with a silent prayer, and shuts it behind him before strapping in as tight as the belts will allow. Not like they'll do any good should anything happen.

Leonard screws his eyes shut during takeoff, stomach feeling all too well how the helicopter lurches as it gains altitude. He clenches the cooler in a white-knuckled grip, his purpose for this trip on repeat in his head in a poor attempt at keeping the nausea at bay.

"You doing okay back there?" The pilot calls from in front of Leonard, who opens his eyes to respond but almost immediately regrets it as he swallows bile.

"I'm fine," he grits out, not wanting to make smalltalk. He just wants this trip over with. Leonard doesn't care how expensive it'll be to take a cab back, he's willing to do it. He only had to use the Medivac helicopter to begin with since the trip by car would've taken too long. The heart is only viable for so long, and there's more kids out there that need them than donors on the market.

"Sure, if you're normally green. You're not going to throw up back there, are you? I'm going to be the one that has to clean it up, so please don't."

"I don't like flying, I get motion sickness, and I tend to not do well in small, enclosed spaces. The odds don't seem to be in your favor."

"They sure picked the right sawbones for this ride, didn't they?" The pilot has a laugh in his voice, which irritates Leonard that the bastard seems to be amused but this, and it only manages to make him feel more sick. "Why don't you come up front and take the co-pilot's seat? Being able to look out the window instead of at the back of a seat might help with at least the motion sickness and the claustrophobia, but I doubt it'll do anything about your fear of flying."

It might save him some dignity, Leonard supposes, so he unstraps himself from the seat and shakily goes to the cockpit.

"I'll try to make this nice and smooth for you, Doc," the pilot says, offering an indulgent smile. "I'm Jim Kirk, by the way."

"McCoy," he responds, although he doesn't see the point in the introductions when he plans on never having to see the pilot again. He doesn't need to relive this experience. "Leonard McCoy."

"Why don't you tell me about the patient you'll be saving today?" Jim asks, seeming genuinely interested instead of just trying to be polite, and Leonard lets himself get lost in the science and detailing the procedure he's going to perform once they land.

And because Leonard is the type of person who thinks that the universe is out to get him, this is not the last time he meets Jim Kirk.