Just a few more questions, Doctor... [Bones, Starfleet Admin building]
"Can you describe again the injuries you treated in regard to Captain Pike?"
McCoy tried not to sigh loudly as he reviewed the record for what felt like the hundredth time and began speaking in that low, calm voice that he hoped irritated them. Sitting in front of the Starfleet board that had been interviewing the cadets regarding the day that Nero and the Narada attacked, Leonard felt distinctly uncomfortable and just wanted all of this to be done and over with.
Stay calm, Leonard, don't let them get you riled. He explained the damage done to Pike's central nervous system, how that slug had twisted inside his body, secreting a nasty toxin that damaged the nerves, the spine. Removing the slug had been one of the most delicate surgeries that he'd ever performed, and even now Leonard wondered to himself if there was more he could have done, something that would have given the captain a better prognosis.
"Before that - there was an incident between Acting Captain Spock and Cadet Kirk, then First Officer Kirk." Admiral Lui looked up at him. "Can you describe the event to us?"
This too - they had his account of the events. Every question felt like they wanted him to mess up, say something that would implicate either man. "Acting Captain Spock became enraged when Kirk provoked him."
"So he was provoked."
Yes, he was provoked. They knew this. "Yes."
"Acting Captain Spock had Jim Kirk tossed from the ship," Barnett added, speaking for the first time to McCoy.
"Yes, he did, sir." Leonard looked down, then back up at the board. "He had Security remove Jim." What security was left after Jim attacked them, he wanted to add proudly, but managed to refrain from saying that.
"This didn't seem strange to you? You didn't object to this order at the time?"
"...No, sir, I did not object to it at the time." An act of cowardace Bones would go to his grave regretting.
The one who seemed to be tasked with asking the repetitive questions kept going. "So you approved of this action"
"No, sir, I did not." He stopped long enough to take a drink of water from the glass someone had provided. "I did state my my objections later, after Kirk had been... removed from the ship." Too late to do much that alleviate his guilt.
They paused, several of them talking quietly to each other. Leonard sat there, arms at his side, watching them, wondering what they were really trying to get. It was obvious they had all the facts. But without being there that day, seeing how passionate Jim was that his plan was right, how stubborn the damned Vulcan was being, both men so sure of themselves and everyone else just plain scared - there was no way Bones would be able to explain what it had been like.
"Later, Acting Captain Spock relinquished his command, explaining that he was emotionally compromised. Did you agree with his self-diagnosis?" Admiral Chandra asked, a little smirk on his lips.
Asshole. "I accepted his word on the matter. He had just lost his entire planet, and his mother specifically. His actions previous to that statement indicated to me that he was not in control of his emotions."
"When he attempted to kill First Officer Kirk?"
Angels preserve him. "Spock wasn't trying to kill Jim," Leonard started, then stopped, not sure how to explain. "Jim had been trying to prove a point-"
Komack stopped him. "Kirk provoked Spock again?"
"Yes, but-" Bones started, but was immediately interrupted again.
"And he became Captain after Spock removed himself from duty," Admiral Rawlings said, a statement rather than a question.
Bones just nodded, wondering if he should just stop opening his mouth. It felt like he had to watch every word or he would get one or both of them kicked out of Starfleet altogether.
After a few more questions about the transition in Sickbay, how they dealt with the injured Vulcans, they brought up Jim again. "Doctor, you know Jim Kirk personally, don't you?"
"We are friends." Best friends, maybe more now, but these assholes didn't need to know that.
"He was not cleared for duty that morning, yet you brought him on board the Enterprise with you." Suddenly all eyes were on him. "Can you explain that?"
"Yes sir, I did," Bones replied in that calm, even voice, completely at odds with the knot tying up his stomach. "Jim was ill, and I felt it was my duty as his personal physician to oversee his medical care."
Barnett leaned forward, staring at him and Leonard felt as if could hear the Admiral internally rolling his eyes at him. If anyone was going to call him on the carpet, it would be Barnett.
But Barnett remained silent, leaving Nogura to continue the interrogation. "So Kirk became ill and you brought him on board. That seems convenient."
"As it turned out, yes."
That got Barnett's attention. "Look, McCoy, you've taken the classes, you know what it takes to be a captain out there. Can you sit there and honestly tell me that Jim Kirk being responsible for a starship doesn't scare the shit out of you?"
Leonard turned in his chair to face Barnett head on. "With all due respect, Admiral, you give Jim Kirk a starship, and I'll be the first one to sign-on. The problem is you confuse his bravado with incompetance, arrogance. A lot of people make that mistake, just once. There's an old sayin' my dad used to be fond of. 'If you can do it, it ain't braggin'." He took a breath, wondering if he was signing away his future here with his comments. "What you guys don't get is that he can do it, or he'll die trying. It's just not in his nature to quit." Of that, Leonard was completely certain and it both filled him with pride and terrified him.
They looked at each other, then started fiddling with their datapads. "Doctor McCoy," Admiral Nogura said, "the board has completed its review of your observations. Thank you for your candor in this matter. If we need more, we'll be in touch."
With that, Bones collected himself and nodded at the group. He stood and exited the building, not stopping until he got to one of the benches outside the Administration building. There, finally, he let out the breath he'd been holding, feeling his stomach slowly start to unwind inside him. What was that? He sat a moment longer, collecting his thoughts before getting up and heading to class.
McCoy tried not to sigh loudly as he reviewed the record for what felt like the hundredth time and began speaking in that low, calm voice that he hoped irritated them. Sitting in front of the Starfleet board that had been interviewing the cadets regarding the day that Nero and the Narada attacked, Leonard felt distinctly uncomfortable and just wanted all of this to be done and over with.
Stay calm, Leonard, don't let them get you riled. He explained the damage done to Pike's central nervous system, how that slug had twisted inside his body, secreting a nasty toxin that damaged the nerves, the spine. Removing the slug had been one of the most delicate surgeries that he'd ever performed, and even now Leonard wondered to himself if there was more he could have done, something that would have given the captain a better prognosis.
"Before that - there was an incident between Acting Captain Spock and Cadet Kirk, then First Officer Kirk." Admiral Lui looked up at him. "Can you describe the event to us?"
This too - they had his account of the events. Every question felt like they wanted him to mess up, say something that would implicate either man. "Acting Captain Spock became enraged when Kirk provoked him."
"So he was provoked."
Yes, he was provoked. They knew this. "Yes."
"Acting Captain Spock had Jim Kirk tossed from the ship," Barnett added, speaking for the first time to McCoy.
"Yes, he did, sir." Leonard looked down, then back up at the board. "He had Security remove Jim." What security was left after Jim attacked them, he wanted to add proudly, but managed to refrain from saying that.
"This didn't seem strange to you? You didn't object to this order at the time?"
"...No, sir, I did not object to it at the time." An act of cowardace Bones would go to his grave regretting.
The one who seemed to be tasked with asking the repetitive questions kept going. "So you approved of this action"
"No, sir, I did not." He stopped long enough to take a drink of water from the glass someone had provided. "I did state my my objections later, after Kirk had been... removed from the ship." Too late to do much that alleviate his guilt.
They paused, several of them talking quietly to each other. Leonard sat there, arms at his side, watching them, wondering what they were really trying to get. It was obvious they had all the facts. But without being there that day, seeing how passionate Jim was that his plan was right, how stubborn the damned Vulcan was being, both men so sure of themselves and everyone else just plain scared - there was no way Bones would be able to explain what it had been like.
"Later, Acting Captain Spock relinquished his command, explaining that he was emotionally compromised. Did you agree with his self-diagnosis?" Admiral Chandra asked, a little smirk on his lips.
Asshole. "I accepted his word on the matter. He had just lost his entire planet, and his mother specifically. His actions previous to that statement indicated to me that he was not in control of his emotions."
"When he attempted to kill First Officer Kirk?"
Angels preserve him. "Spock wasn't trying to kill Jim," Leonard started, then stopped, not sure how to explain. "Jim had been trying to prove a point-"
Komack stopped him. "Kirk provoked Spock again?"
"Yes, but-" Bones started, but was immediately interrupted again.
"And he became Captain after Spock removed himself from duty," Admiral Rawlings said, a statement rather than a question.
Bones just nodded, wondering if he should just stop opening his mouth. It felt like he had to watch every word or he would get one or both of them kicked out of Starfleet altogether.
After a few more questions about the transition in Sickbay, how they dealt with the injured Vulcans, they brought up Jim again. "Doctor, you know Jim Kirk personally, don't you?"
"We are friends." Best friends, maybe more now, but these assholes didn't need to know that.
"He was not cleared for duty that morning, yet you brought him on board the Enterprise with you." Suddenly all eyes were on him. "Can you explain that?"
"Yes sir, I did," Bones replied in that calm, even voice, completely at odds with the knot tying up his stomach. "Jim was ill, and I felt it was my duty as his personal physician to oversee his medical care."
Barnett leaned forward, staring at him and Leonard felt as if could hear the Admiral internally rolling his eyes at him. If anyone was going to call him on the carpet, it would be Barnett.
But Barnett remained silent, leaving Nogura to continue the interrogation. "So Kirk became ill and you brought him on board. That seems convenient."
"As it turned out, yes."
That got Barnett's attention. "Look, McCoy, you've taken the classes, you know what it takes to be a captain out there. Can you sit there and honestly tell me that Jim Kirk being responsible for a starship doesn't scare the shit out of you?"
Leonard turned in his chair to face Barnett head on. "With all due respect, Admiral, you give Jim Kirk a starship, and I'll be the first one to sign-on. The problem is you confuse his bravado with incompetance, arrogance. A lot of people make that mistake, just once. There's an old sayin' my dad used to be fond of. 'If you can do it, it ain't braggin'." He took a breath, wondering if he was signing away his future here with his comments. "What you guys don't get is that he can do it, or he'll die trying. It's just not in his nature to quit." Of that, Leonard was completely certain and it both filled him with pride and terrified him.
They looked at each other, then started fiddling with their datapads. "Doctor McCoy," Admiral Nogura said, "the board has completed its review of your observations. Thank you for your candor in this matter. If we need more, we'll be in touch."
With that, Bones collected himself and nodded at the group. He stood and exited the building, not stopping until he got to one of the benches outside the Administration building. There, finally, he let out the breath he'd been holding, feeling his stomach slowly start to unwind inside him. What was that? He sat a moment longer, collecting his thoughts before getting up and heading to class.