Authoress' Note: I have to admit that I was absolutely terrified of reading your reviews. Don't ask me why. I think it's some psychological thing I have against constructive criticism. I'm afraid people really are going to hate what I write. I should have more faith in all of you though. I didn't get one complaint, although I have to admit I'm not very good at reading sarcasm over the Internet, so perhaps some of you meant to be mean, but it didn't come across that way. *shrug* I don't know. Anyway, enjoy Kirk & McCoy and some interesting situations!

Breaking Monotony

Dr. McCoy shakes his head as he reads the cadet's charts on the wall screen as the young woman frets nervously, wringing her hands together as she lies on the bio bed. McCoy glances at her, and she bites her lip perhaps wondering what he is thinking. He shakes his head again and switches off the screen. She sits up slowly, eyeing him cautiously, her eyes wide. God, she's so young, is all McCoy can think to himself as he prepares to make an announcement that will change her life. At the same time he's fuming over the fact that people, even in this century, still don't know how to protect themselves properly.

"No STDs," he says. The cadet actually gives an audible sigh of relief, but before she can jump off the bio bed and exit the room the doctor reveals the other half of the diagnoses, "You are pregnant though. About seven weeks along. You wanna call the father?"

He says all this in a rather rushed way so that the young woman stares at him for a moment as though she hasn't understood a thing he just said. Just when he's about to repeat him self she crumples into hysterics, sobbing loudly, and McCoy isn't half surprised. He guides her to the bio bed once again where she curls up into the fetal position as though he's just delivered the news that she's going to die. He calls for a nurse then, and as one is running in with a light sedative, he slips out of the exit.

Five minutes later he's already looking at a new case after gazing bleakly at the myriad of Starfleet staff and students in the waiting room. He can't believe that he has to deal with this kind of stuff. In some ways it's insulting that he's been reduced down to treating burns, cuts, and colds of a hardly sinister nature while wondering about the merits of sex education, that seem to have failed quite a few of his patients. The cadet, who is finally asleep, isn't the first he's had to deal with, and nor will she be the last.

The mass of people in the waiting room finally thins out several hours later when all McCoy wants to do is have a drink and go to bed. That's how he usually feels at the end of any clinic day. There's not even one nurse in the whole damn place with a sense of humour to keep him sane. God, he can't wait to see Nurse Chapel again. There's a woman that can make him laugh.

McCoy's hanging up his coat for the day, his mind lost in thought, when his PADD gives a muffled beep from inside his pocket. Pulling it out, he looks at the screen where a colour-coded calendar is flashing at him. He clicks on the current date and reads the message that takes the place of the calendar.

ENTERPRISE scheduled to arrive at space dock. Meet Kirk at hangar 12 at 15:00.

The doctor glances at the astronomical clock on the wall that reads just past 15:00 and smacks his forehead with his palm. It'll take him a good fifteen minutes to reach hangar 12, and that's if he runs the whole way. Throwing his coat onto the rack, he rushes out of the clinic and sprints a full nine blocks to hangar twelve. He spots Kirk outside the entrance still sporting his black teaching uniform. McCoy doubles over, his sides heaving, as he sucks in as much air as he can.

"Sorry I'm late, Jim," he says through gasps, "Did he arrive already?"

Kirk shakes his head, and McCoy straightens up his breathing instantly normal.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"The shuttlecraft carrying personnel from the Enterprise came in about a quarter of an hour ago, but Spock wasn't on it. I saw Christine Chapel and Admiral Pike, but no Spock, so I caught up with the Admiral and asked him about it. He said that they dropped Spock off on the new Vulcan planet for 'reasons unstated'. Whatever that means."

McCoy ponders this new twist in events for a moment, and then his eyes widen in realisation.

"Oh shit."

"What? What do you know?"

"Spock, he went back to Vulcan, 'cause he's getting hitched to his Vulcan wife or whatever. I know it!" McCoy says quickly with a note of triumph in his voice.

Kirk stares at him, dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open momentarily as he takes this new bit of information in. He's not even sure he can imagine anyone getting married to Spock, not even Uhura.

"Nah, Bones," he says finally, "He's probably just visiting his dad or something."

"Yeah, sure. That's what he wants you to think," McCoy drawls, raising one eyebrow for emphasis. "Next thing you know he'll want us to baby-sit his devil-eared kids."

"Oh God," Kirk says, a look of horror on his face, "I don't even want to think about that!"

"Well, fine. You don't have to," McCoy says, "Let's go get a drink and call it a day instead. Okay?"

"No, I have a better idea. Let's go see Admiral Pike. I want my Enterprise back as soon as possible. I'm ready to get out of this joint, aren't you?"

McCoy shrugs, and Kirk gives him a look that says are-you-kidding-me?

"Oh, all right. What the hell."

It takes them an hour to find the Admiral after taking a detour around the entire Starfleet campus and asking every higher up personnel that they could find. Finally, a secretary at the tactical building points them in the right direction, and they catch Pike just as he is exiting a meeting with Starfleet Command officials. He looks tired and much older than Kirk remembers him, even before Nero's attack, but he smiles when he sees the young captain and shakes his hand.

They go out to the nearest bar as soon as Admiral Pike hangs up his uniform for the day. All the while, Kirk quizzes him on every aspect of the Enterprise's functioning and health. To stop the eager captain, Pike holds up a hand good-naturedly. Kirk shuts his mouth instantly, listening intently, his drink untouched.

"Well Kirk, I think you're in luck. This last mission was such a success that Starfleet Command is willing to give you control of the Enterprise for a five year mission in deep space. There'll be an official briefing on it in about a week, but I didn't see the harm in telling you about it now. To placate you if anything," the Admiral says as he takes a sip of his drink, a twinkle in his eye.

"Bullshit!"

McCoy chokes on his drink, but Kirk doesn't notice.

"A five year mission?" he asks, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"Yes, sir. You'll get to assemble your own crew and leave in about a week and a half."

Kirk can't even find the words to reply. He knew his waiting wouldn't be in vain; he knew that Starfleet Command would recognise his abilities and realise that it was his destiny to captain such a ship. Such an assignment couldn't have come soon enough.

Authoress' Note: LOL. That whole chapter almost felt like a House episode. :P