A/N: Hello! Do you remember me? :) It's been over a year! My love for Star Trek is back and so am I! I had this outlined in my notebook, it was written SO LONG AGO. Today I just rewrote this because hey, why should it go to waste? I don't know what to think about this, but I want to start writing again. So I'm publishing this. Please review. I had a problem with tenses in this one, so tell me if something's wrong, okay? :)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The color of a heart

The night after their adventure with the Vians Spock found himself unable to fall asleep. Not that anything was wrong. McCoy had been healed and would be back on duty the following day. There was nothing to be worried about.

Still, no matter how hard he tried, he could not sleep. His thoughts revolved around the day's events. Around McCoy.

Spock had to admit that he felt... guilty. What had happened that day was, after all, his fault. After the Doctor sedated Jim with a hypospray, he allowed himself to think that he won. That he managed to protect these humans once again, that they were safe. He allowed himself to believe this and that is why he made a mistake. How could he forget that McCoy was so clever? And, what is even more important, so selfless? Did he not know him? He underestimated him, which resulted in that tragic situation. The Doctor turned out to be braver and more... human than Spock suspected. He sacrificed himself for him, even though it was Spock's duty to protect him. He was the one in command.

He could have... no. He should have predicted this. It was just that... Spock, being a Vulcan, was stronger than humans. The Captain, too, was perfectly capable of defending himself. And McCoy was not. He and Jim had always tried to shelter this man. Spock had always thought he was rather fragile, which, apparently, resulted in him not realising just what McCoy was able to do.

Well. Spock would have to take it into account the next time they were on a mission. He was not going to let anything like that happen again to that grumpy, annoying man. That man with a golden heart.

Spock's heart was green. He had always thought that McCoy's was red.

What a surprise.