The Enterprise, Starfleets' flagship. It's pride and joy, it's show pony and talking parrot.
Or so it felt sometimes.
It's crew and Captain had been to so many dinners, meetings and photo ops over the last 5 weeks, everyone felt as if the diplomatic, congenial smiles would be permanently etched to their faces.
The new treaty had been hard earned and the Enterprise crew had been there for every squabble and step forward. Having finally finished their assignment, they were relieved of their diplomatic duties and were headed out of the system.
Understandably, the ship was buzzing with excitement over the prospect of two weeks shore leave. They had more than earned the down time.
Captain James T. Kirk strode down the halls of his ship taking it all in. He loved his ship. His crew. They were the best in the Fleet and though he expected excellence from each and every one of them, they were also a family and treated each other as such. Each crew member he passed straightened up and gave a formal nod and a "sir" with a smile. They were all excited about their upcoming vacation.
Well, most everyone.
Jim knew it would take some smooth talking to convince his CMO to go planetside. He had heard from nurse Chapel the grumbling had already began in earnest and had increased in frequency as they approached the planet. He was sure that, if allowed to, Bones would stay barricaded in Medbay with his hypos and bandages ready to battle whatever space had to throw at them. He complained and grouched but he was just as protective as Jim when it came to the crew. He just had his own gruff way of showing it. Jim squared his shoulders as he approached the door to medical. Here goes nothing.
The doors slid open to the pristine medical bay. None of the beds were occupied at the moment and all was quiet.
The door to Dr. McCoy's office opened and he walked out to see who had come in. He took one look at Jim's not so innocent smile and frowned.
"No." He said pointing a finger at Jim's face.
He walked back into his office and shut the door behind him.
Jim sighed. He walked over and punched in the code to open the locked door.
"I'm tellin you Jim I'm not going!" Dr. McCoy sat down behind his cluttered desk with a huff doing his level best to look as gruff as possible.
"I have plenty to occupy me right here. I don't need to go down to some alien planet to relax. Now leave me be. And stop breaking into my office!" He turned back to the pad in his hand pretending to read it. Jim came over and perched on the edge of the desk, crossing his arms.
"Why do you always have to be so difficult? Everyone else is dying to get off the ship for a while and here you are like some kind of crusty earth barnacle stuck to the hull. Come on. 48 hours. If your having an absolute terrible time after that you can come back but this is a tourist planet Bones. I'm sure we can find something you want to do."
The frown on the doctors face deepened and he opened his mouth to protest.
"I can make it an order Doctor."
Dr. McCoy snapped his mouth closed.
"48 hours Jim. That's all" He said giving Jim a withering glare. The captain rubbed his hands together in triumph.
"Perfect! I'll meet you down in the transporter room at 1800 hours." He clapped him on the shoulder as he stood to leave. "Your gonna thank me later. You'll see."
"Hmph."
McCoy paced the length of the transporter room, his irritation growing with each pass. The technician glanced up at him as he made yet another loop.
Jim was seventeen minutes late.
He hated space. But what he hated more was unfamiliar planets with all their hidden dangers and diseases. Jim knew very well he would be just as happy to stay on the ship and finally get some peace and quiet.
He was about to throw in the towel and go back to his quarters when the console chirped.
"Message from the Caption sir. I'm to beam you down to the planet and the Captain will follow in a few hours. He sends his apologies. He has included a set of coordinates for you as well."
Well that was just great. Not only had he let himself be talked\ordered into going own to some backwater tourist planet, now he was supposed to go by himself and wait around Jim to show up. He would be sure to include a few extra hypos with Jims next physical for this little stunt.
His baby of a captain didn't even have the decency to call him himself. Had the poor little ensign deliver the message. No doubt he had expected an epic level temper tantrum and wanted to avoid the fallout.
The ensign at the console was watching him expectantly no doubt waiting for him to hop his grumpy ass up on the pad at get to of his transporter room. McCoy did not hop, but stomped over and most certainly did not hesitate for a brief second before tossing a glare at the offensive pad and stepping on. He gave a curt nod and felt the familiar and unsettling tingle of his atoms being scatted through space.
Jim shut off the monitor at his desk and sat back in his chair, rubbing his hand over his face. Leave it to the brass to screw up his vacation over a reporting error. He looked at the time and shook his head. Bones was going to kill him.
Jim beamed down to the spot he had picked out for him and Bones to spend a couple quiet days relaxing. He had meticulously researched the attractions the planet had to offer and chosen the most out of the way, quiet and unpopulated location he could find. Dull and uninteresting would be Jim's description but his goal was to find somewhere Bones would enjoy himself. He could handle a little boredom for a few days if it meant the doctor could unwind a little.
As promised the small village with a population of less that 300 was nestled in a valley just below one of the planets taller mountains and offered breathtaking views of the opposing cliff face that disappeared into the clouds far above. He had booked a cabin farther down the valley at the edge of the river that boasted an actual wood burning fireplace. Jim was sure the grumpy doctor would love it.
He looked around the cobblestone street and the shops lining it.
It was exactly as advertised. Quaint shops and little restaurants with heavenly smells wafting through the air. However it was decidedly...not quiet.
Very much the opposite in fact.
There were people absolutely everywhere.
They were gathered in groups along the road laughing and talking loudly, passing drinks and food between each other. Everyone seemed to have a bright purple drink in one if not both hands. It looked to Jim like one big party. He checked the coordinates to be sure he been beamed down to the right place. Everything checked out. Still slightly confused, he headed out to find Bones.
The majority of the festivities seemed to a block or so down the way and he headed that direction. As he walked people waved and raised glasses in greetings. He nodded, keeping his eye out for a sullen southern doctor.
As he neared the center of town the crowd grew even more dense and he was forced to thread his way through with mumbled apologies as he went. He could see a clearing up ahead and as he got closer a cheer erupted all around him, startling him.
He finally broke through the throng of people and looked around to see what the commotion was all about.
In the center of the clearing was a row of wooden tables set low to the ground, each with a hole through the middle. Several people were in the clearing placed about 20 feet from the tables. The crowed hushed around him and as he watched one of the men bend to pick up a small ball he hadn't noticed before.
Everyone watched as he studied his target and, finally, threw the ball underhanded towered the table. It sailed through the air and slipped right through the hole. All around him the crowd collectively lost their minds. The man who had made the winning shot bent over in a graceful, exaggerated bow. He turned as he straightened up with a huge grin that Jim would have recognized anywhere.
"Bones?"
He blinked sever times in case his eyes deceived him. This was in fact Leonard McCoy. Mother hen. Mom friend. Worrier Extraordinaire.
So just what was going on?
He watched in awe and confusion as the Doctor all but swaggered up to him, the ear to ear grin still on his face. This should be good.
"Hey Bones..."
"Jimmy my boy! About time you made it down here! Have you seen this place?" He gestured to the general surroundings. "It's incredible! There is some kind of festival going on and all the people come in from the outlying farms and stuff. It's a party!"
Jim noticed the slight flush to his cheeks and the sparkle in his eyes. Oh boy...
He watched as Bones accepted an offered purple drink from one of the locals and drained a third of it in one go. He held out the glass to Jim.
"Have you tried this yet? Made from some kind of flower. It's no mint julep but its pretty good."
Jim peeked into the glass and studied its contents. There indeed seemed to be flower petals in it. He scanned it quickly, confirming his theory. The drink contained a significant concentration of alcohol. Well, that explained the odd behavior, Bones was a cheap drunk. He looked up as the tipsy doctor pulled on his sleeve to get his attention.
"It's cornhole Jim!" He said excitedly. He looked at Jim, clearly waiting for him to respond. Jim looked around the clearing and made an honest effort to understand just what the doctor was talking about. He came up empty.
Bones dropped his sleeve wish a sigh and pushed the glass he was holding into Jim's hands. "Here. Hold my drink." And he took off across the field.
Jim watched as Bones pointed to the wooden stands in the clearing making all kinds of motions and gestures, his curiosity building. Several of the townspeople had followed him and were now listening and nodding in agreement to whatever Bones was talking about.
Two of them proceeded to lift the wooden table up off the ground while Bones and the others pulled and pried at the legs. Finally, they were able to remove the front legs from the table and set it back down. The table now rested at an incline, the front lower to the ground that its back. Bones clapped in approval.
He gestured to an apron one of the women wore and she nodded, tearing a section off an handing it to Bones. He took the offered material and kissed the back of her hand with a wink.
Jim groaned and rolled his eyes. Good lord.
Bones scooped up some of the loose dirt from the clearing, placed it in the cloth and tied it off making a soft ball of sorts.
He walked back to his starting position, bouncing his new toy in his hand, looking so very proud of himself.
He pivoted on the spot and faced the now inclined stand. The crowd around him grew quiet again.
Bones stooped and studied his target. He slowly pulled his arm back and tossed the pouch. It arched through the air and slipped through the hole yet again. Everyone whooped and cheered and Bones raised his hands in victory. Jim just shook his head and smiled. He had wanted Bones to relax and have fun, although he had pictured a different setting the result was the same. Bones was smiling and happy.
...and Jim had recorded it all.