Chapter Five - Five Year Mission
When McCoy stepped into Sickbay, what he saw was not what he had expected. Jim was laughing and crying all at the same time, David watching in wonder. Carol was smiling broadly, and none of them even looked up when the doctor entered.
"Jim?" McCoy asked after a moment, awe-struck at the scene.
Kirk looked up, startled. "Bones! I remember! I remember everything!"
McCoy was stunned. "Everything? Are you sure, Jim? How do you feel?"
Kirk's smile was definately contagious. Now he had McCoy doing it too. And oddly, that was the way he preferred it. Sure, Jim may be almost twenty years younger than he should be, but that didn't change a thing.
"I'm alive, Bones. Shouldn't that be enough for you?" Jim said. "And best of all, I'm back on board the Enterprise with friends and family. Literally."
McCoy ran a scanner up Kirk's body. "Well, according to this you're just like new. Minus about fifteen or twenty years, of course..."
Kirk laughed. "Hey Bones? I've got an idea for a GREAT practical joke we can play on the crew. I bet it'll make even Spock surprised."
"Oh, THIS I've gotta hear!"
~~~~~~
The bridge was considerably quiet that morning, and not out of grief. This time it was due to the tired joy they all shared. Excluding Spock, of course, who denied feeling any emotion but could feel his human side surging away under the Vulcan calm. With any other man, on any other ship, what they had done would have been impossible.
The turbolift doors swished open, but no one bothered to turn around. Everyone assumed it was either McCoy, David, or some other crew member. So it was only when the familiar voice spoke did everyone spin around in shock.
"Mister Spock, report!"
Everyone gawked at the sight of Admiral Kirk, alive and well, standing on the bridge behind them. He had changed his uniform to the old gold command shirt and black pants he had worn on that first five-year mission. The entire bridge crew felt as if they were looking into the past, and it was looking back.
Spock had stood up rather abruptly, uncharacteristically open about his staring. He finally shook his head to regain the Vulcan calm, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward in a barely-hidden smile.
"The Enterprise is on course for Earth, Admiral," Spock reported. "We estimate two days before arrival."
"Very good, keep me posted." Kirk glanced around at all the people on the bridge. "Told you it would work, Bones."
McCoy, unnoticed until that point, burst out laughing. "That it did, Jim! I never thought I'd see the like! Hell, you even made Spock look emotional!"
"He did not," Spock objected, almost welcoming the banter.
"He did too, you green-blooded computer circut!" McCoy almost yelled back, pointing an accusing finger at the Vulcan even as he shook with laughter. "And you just lied, too!"
Kirk glanced around the bridge again, seeing a dozen laughing faces. And one pouting Vulcan in the command chair. He finally let that smile he'd been hiding show on his face. "Mister Spock, do I sense emotion in your actions?"
"That statement is not logical," Spock replied. "I am a Vulcan, I show no emotion."
Kirk shok his head, still smiling. "As you say, Captain Spock. If anything comes up, I'll be in my quarters." He about-faced and entered the turbolift, a laughing McCoy on his heels.
"Hell, Jim. Where do you come up with these things?" the doctor sniggered as the doors closed.
When McCoy stepped into Sickbay, what he saw was not what he had expected. Jim was laughing and crying all at the same time, David watching in wonder. Carol was smiling broadly, and none of them even looked up when the doctor entered.
"Jim?" McCoy asked after a moment, awe-struck at the scene.
Kirk looked up, startled. "Bones! I remember! I remember everything!"
McCoy was stunned. "Everything? Are you sure, Jim? How do you feel?"
Kirk's smile was definately contagious. Now he had McCoy doing it too. And oddly, that was the way he preferred it. Sure, Jim may be almost twenty years younger than he should be, but that didn't change a thing.
"I'm alive, Bones. Shouldn't that be enough for you?" Jim said. "And best of all, I'm back on board the Enterprise with friends and family. Literally."
McCoy ran a scanner up Kirk's body. "Well, according to this you're just like new. Minus about fifteen or twenty years, of course..."
Kirk laughed. "Hey Bones? I've got an idea for a GREAT practical joke we can play on the crew. I bet it'll make even Spock surprised."
"Oh, THIS I've gotta hear!"
~~~~~~
The bridge was considerably quiet that morning, and not out of grief. This time it was due to the tired joy they all shared. Excluding Spock, of course, who denied feeling any emotion but could feel his human side surging away under the Vulcan calm. With any other man, on any other ship, what they had done would have been impossible.
The turbolift doors swished open, but no one bothered to turn around. Everyone assumed it was either McCoy, David, or some other crew member. So it was only when the familiar voice spoke did everyone spin around in shock.
"Mister Spock, report!"
Everyone gawked at the sight of Admiral Kirk, alive and well, standing on the bridge behind them. He had changed his uniform to the old gold command shirt and black pants he had worn on that first five-year mission. The entire bridge crew felt as if they were looking into the past, and it was looking back.
Spock had stood up rather abruptly, uncharacteristically open about his staring. He finally shook his head to regain the Vulcan calm, but the corner of his mouth twitched upward in a barely-hidden smile.
"The Enterprise is on course for Earth, Admiral," Spock reported. "We estimate two days before arrival."
"Very good, keep me posted." Kirk glanced around at all the people on the bridge. "Told you it would work, Bones."
McCoy, unnoticed until that point, burst out laughing. "That it did, Jim! I never thought I'd see the like! Hell, you even made Spock look emotional!"
"He did not," Spock objected, almost welcoming the banter.
"He did too, you green-blooded computer circut!" McCoy almost yelled back, pointing an accusing finger at the Vulcan even as he shook with laughter. "And you just lied, too!"
Kirk glanced around the bridge again, seeing a dozen laughing faces. And one pouting Vulcan in the command chair. He finally let that smile he'd been hiding show on his face. "Mister Spock, do I sense emotion in your actions?"
"That statement is not logical," Spock replied. "I am a Vulcan, I show no emotion."
Kirk shok his head, still smiling. "As you say, Captain Spock. If anything comes up, I'll be in my quarters." He about-faced and entered the turbolift, a laughing McCoy on his heels.
"Hell, Jim. Where do you come up with these things?" the doctor sniggered as the doors closed.