"It has been years since I last met Nancy," McCoy mentioned to Mitchell. "She could be different, but, to me she will always look the same."
"She must be on a streak." Mitchell said.
"Don't suggest what I think you are goin' to suggest!" McCoy said, glaring his eyes at the captain's direction.
"Why, a married woman should be lucky to have a friend like you." Mitchell said.
Ensign Darnell came into the room wrapping the belt around his waist with the phaser in its holster. The two men boarded the transporter pad. It had been two weeks since McCoy had been assigned to the starship. They had missions after missions which made McCoy get to know Mitchell very well. Spock, as well, but there were striking physical similarities from his older counterpart coming to. Spock's cheeks had become distinctive, the jawline, those eyebrows, and the face. McCoy understood why his counterpart compared Spock to a computer. McCoy quickly learned when to time his insults when it came to a bunch of alien security guards 'attempting' to tow them to their prison and end up knocking them out when 'pretending' to come down to blows with the other (and the captain wasn't around for that, he would normally be busy with the leader).
Spock was currently on the bridge.
"We are friends," McCoy said. "What we had is in the past."
Mitchell snickered.
"Energise." Mitchell said.
Scotty slid up the bar.
His surroundings changed from the transporter room to a desert like scenery complete with structures that once belonged to walls, hallways, and building constructions. There was one building that remained standing despite the wrath of time. There was a large deposit of sand far as the eye can see. There were dead bushes seen here and there. It looked depressing compared to Earth. To lighten the mood, McCoy purposely imagined there was grass and bulky green bushes.
"Wow," Mitchell said. "Their Rome turned into a Egypt."
"Rome did not turn into dust." McCoy said.
Darnell followed the two men into a building that seemed otherwise unfit to be compared to a typical housing. Robert Crater was at his desk, holding a small magnifying glass, set and lowered to a handle. His brown hair was wild, strikingly, going all over the place. He had met Robert roughly the same time he had met Nancy, and one of Robert's hand had a pen jotting down notes on the padd. Surprisingly, there were visibly three passage ways in the building that lead to two rooms from just standing here in this point of the house. It probably had been a building that survived the fall of a civilization now being dug up by Robert.
"Hello, Robert," McCoy said. Robert turned away with slightly widened eyes. "Look like you have been through hell!"
"Go away, Len," Robert said, turning away from the desk putting the object carefully down. "We don't want you here!"
"What you want is unimportant right now," McCoy took a medical tricorder from his bag with a 'you are going to allow me to do my job, or else' attitude. "What you will get is what is required by the book."
"I take it you met him before?" Mitchell said.
"Lon' before I joined Star Fleet," McCoy said. "Festival lights, fair, a attractive pretty girl who'll drop you like a rock after dumpin' you with the worst case scenario being your later-to-be-ex-wife."
"You divorced Jocelyn, and joined star fleet?" David said.
"Yes," McCoy said. "Though on the same day."
"I can't believe it!" David stepped aside acting like he was genuinely shocked. "The man who swore he wouldn't follow his father's footsteps is following his footsteps! David must be incredibly amused-"
"David died." McCoy said.
"I am so sorry-Hey, don't point that thing at me!" Robert swatted at the tricorder.
"I will and I have to, standard procedures." McCoy said.
It occurred to McCoy that his counterpart probably shared the same fate. Assisting his father's last wish on death bed to ease his suffering. It was a day that McCoy regretted and deeply felt for. Why? Because the incurable disease that his father was dying from got a cure soon afterwards. A needless and pointless death. He had met Jocelyn prior to his father's death. His father did not approve of her, that McCoy should have taken and dumped her on the spot but he didn't. She had a way of making men's heads turn in her direction. She contrasted with him as he contrasted against her.
"Did I hear a McCoy in here?" Came a woman's voice.
Darnell was leaning against the wall when he saw a blonde woman with rosy red lips, perfect skin,light blue eyes, and curled blonde hair. She held a artifact in her arms.
"Nancy . . ." McCoy said.
McCoy saw Nancy as a young woman he had known all those years ago. McCoy had forgiven her for dropping him like that but the feelings he had for her remained. Her pink colored lips. Her squared face. That gorgeous ass smile on her face. Her long but otherwise short eyelashes.
"You look fine for your age." Nancy said.
"You haven't changed a day, Nancy." McCoy said.
Mitchell saw a woman with dark hair that was graying up in a bun with lips that were not applied by lip-stick.
"Ah," Nancy said. "Nice to hear from someone who isn't so blindsighted by his work."
"Sorry mam. . ." Darnell said. "But you remind me of someone I knew on the pleasure planet. But slightly . . . more gorgeous."
McCoy raised his eyebrow.
"That is a married woman you are talking to," McCoy reminded him. "Twice your age!"
"Officer Darnell," Mitchell said. "Please wait outside."
Robert had been scanned by McCoy's device as Darnell came out of the building.
"If anything, she looks nothing short over twenty-nine," Robert said, rubbing the side of his shoulder after McCoy hypoed him. "Ow!"
"You have unusually low salt levels," McCoy said. "This dose is getting them up where they should be. God knows how you have been over-working yourself!"
"That is what I say," Nancy said. "Regarding his work and no play. He simply refuses."
"Digging up a extinct civilization has no play, sweetheart," Robert said, motioning over to the woman. "Why I will pay more attention to you when we have more archeologists around to take up the job of fifteen men being done by one man."
"Fat chance over me getting beautiful every day." Nancy said.
"And we need salt tablets," Robert turned his head away. "You got plenty of them on the ship?"
Nancy put down the artifact on the nearby table.
"That we do," Mitchell said. "One of the many supplies . . .Which I find startling that you need so little."
McCoy used a different scanner.
"Well, my wife does all the eating," Robert said. "I don't eat that often. I just take a tablet to make up for the lack of fluid."
"Of course you do," McCoy said, resuming his scans. "And she makes you stay in bed when you are sick."
"Yes, she does!" Robert said. "Right when I have precious work."
McCoy lowered the device.
"You are the luckiest man in the galaxy living with a jewel," McCoy said. "The nicest woman you could ever have and you dismiss her over your work."
"She does not mind." Robert said.
"Other than the salt oddity, you have a clean bill of health." McCoy said.
Then they heard a woman's scream.
"Nancy." Robert said, perhaps in fear as he momentarily stood there frozen then went through the threshold followed by the two.