Jim opened his eyes. He was a bit alarmed for a moment, but then he remembered that he had been rescued. He realized he was not on the Enterprise, however. Then, he saw Bones coming in the door. He came over to the bed and picked up the chart. "Well, you're awake," he said as he stood beside the bed.

"Where am I?" Jim asked, but his voice had definitely not returned to normal yet.

"We're on the hospital ship. You had to have special care for that knee."

"The Enterprise?"

"Still attached."

Bones looked at the bandages on Jim's knee and then looked at his foot and felt for a pulse. "That's definitely better," he said. "You're very lucky."

Jim closed his eyes. "It hurt so bad."

"I know, but most of it's over now."

"How did…"

"Never mind all that. We'll tell you everything later. Right now, you need to rest."

Bones stayed there until Jim fell asleep and then he just sat down to wait for the doctor who was caring for him. He knew how bad that knee was. Those ligaments had not been easy to repair, and neither had anything else. He did not think he had slept much since they got to the hospital ship. The doctors there had done more advanced repair than he could do on the Enterprise.

Soon, Doctor Sandra Flannigan came into the room. Bones resisted the urge to say It's about time. He would have said that even to Jim. Here, he had to not be so insulting and cynical. He waited while she looked at the chart. "Good morning, Doctor McCoy," she said.

"Morning," Bones replied.

"You should be monitoring him yourself. You're here before I am every morning."

"I'm worried about him."

"I understand." She put the chart back in its place. "Sitting here and not sleeping or eating is not going to help him. I think his chances are fairly good. I already told you that. The circulation is good. If he's as determined as I hear, he should be up and about as soon as possible."

"Yeah, more like, before it's humanly possible."

Just then, Carol walked in. She had wanted to talk to the doctor as well, and she told her the same thing. His chances were fairly good. What did that mean anyway? Carol asked Doctor McCoy after Flannigan left.

"It means he has a fair chance that his knee won't be stiff enough to make walking difficult," Bones said.

They realized Jim was awake. "You guys are talking about me again," he said.

"You're supposed to be asleep."

"Who can sleep with you talking?"

Carol went over to Jim. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"Like…I want to kiss you," Jim replied.

Bones rolled his eyes at that line. "I think he's already feeling better," he said. He sat and listened to Jim and Carol talk to each other. Now that all the worry was over, he had time to think about Andrea again. She had kissed him again. He thought he must be a basket case. It was just a kiss…

No, it was not just a kiss. It was a kiss from someone he cared about and he was dragging his feet. Sometimes it worried him so much that he felt nauseous, and his stomach hurt too. How could anyone just fall in love again after…

Bones stood up. "I'll see you later," he said and left the room. He wanted to go to the Enterprise. He went to his own quarters on the ship where it was quiet and he could think without anyone else around.

He flopped on the bed and wished he had not let himself get into this situation. He knew what Jim would say…Relax, Bones. Just let yourself be happy. It was not that simple. He supposed he could not expect Jim to understand how he felt. Even Spock had told him that he should not let a past event stop him from being happy. Wow. What did the Vulcan know about being happy? Solan never said anything to him about it, but he had found out that that young Jim West liked Andrea.

Bones sat up on the bed and thought about that. Why had she not dated Jim West? He had made himself believe that she was infatuated before, but if she did not want to date West, what did that mean? He stood up and paced back and forth. Why did his heart have to get involved in this?

While he was debating with himself, the door chime sounded. "Can I never have time alone?" he grumbled. He went over to the door and opened it to find Spock there. "Spock, what do you want?"

"I wanted to know your opinion about Jim's condition," Spock replied. "I cannot seem to get much from the doctors on the hospital ship."

"Well, if those ligaments heal right and if the bones heal right, and the nerves aren't too damaged, he'll be able to walk after extensive therapy."

"Do you believe his chances are good?"

Bones paused a moment. "No. I don't," he answered honestly. "I really don't." He stood back from the door. "Come on in."

Spock went into the room and stood like he usually did. "You do not believe he will fully recover?" he asked.

"I don't know. It was a really bad injury, Spock."

"I find it admirable that he was able to escape from his captors in that condition."

Bones shook his head. "I find it baffling. Just shows you why he's the captain of this ship. How did he even manage to get down that tunnel?"

"I have not had a chance to talk to him about that yet. However, I would like to hear that story."

"What do you think he's going to do after all this?"

"I have been contemplating that. The five year mission will soon be complete."

"Fourteen months left. I've been marking the calendar."

"There have been some good points about this mission."

"Yeah, if you get past all the murder crazed maniacs, and all the hostile beings wanting to kill us."

"At least we have not become infected with a…how do you say it? A deadly virus that has never been heard of in the history of mankind?"

"Spock, are you trying to be funny?"

"You seem to be perplexed about something."

"I am perplexed. I've been perplexed for years!"

"Have you had breakfast this morning?"

Bones just stood looking out the viewport. "No."

"If you would accompany me, we could discuss this further," Spock said.

"I don't feel much like eating."

"Very well. I will talk to you later then."

Spock turned to leave. "Wait a minute," Bones said. "I'll go with you."

They left there and went to the mess hall in the ship where Derenda was still cooking the breakfast. Bones thought everyone would be over on the other ship, but it seemed that they would rather be on the Enterprise.

Bones and Spock got their trays and sat down at a table. Bones leaned on his hand and picked at his food. Spock was silent for a few minutes. "Doctor, you should eat," he said.

"I don't feel like eating," Bones replied.

"Could I ask why?"

"I guess you just did."

"Are you that worried about Jim?"

"It's not just about him. I don't really want to talk about it."

Spock did not see how doing without food would make one feel better about a worrisome situation. However, he had seen Jim unwilling to eat as well, so he assumed it was a human way of dealing with stress.

"Okay," Bones said as he laid his fork down. "I'll tell you, but only because you're forcing it out of me."

Spock raised an eyebrow. "I did not realize I was forcing the subject," he replied.

"Yeah? Well, I know what you're thinking."

"Please, tell me."

"You think I should stop avoiding Andrea."

"Are you avoiding her?"

"Don't act innocent."

"Doctor, I assure you, I have not given much thought to the relationship between you and Andrea. However, I thought that it was over."

"So did I."

"I assume it is not then?"

"You know what she did?"

"What?"

"She kissed me. She knew that would just get me to thinking about this again."

"Doctor, you seem to let yourself be more frustrated over little things than an average human. It is logical to believe that she would know how to frustrate you."

"Are you saying that I'm overly emotional?"

Spock considered that a moment. "Yes."

"Well, thanks a lot. That's quite a put down coming from you."

"I did not mean it as a put down."

"It's kinda hard to have a relationship onboard this…ship. Everyone knows everything."

"Are you embarrassed about your relationship with Andrea?"

"I don't know. I just feel like everybody is wondering how it's going to go like we're in some novel."

"I do not believe everyone is so concerned about what you are doing. You are simply self-conscious yourself."

"Are you saying I'm paranoid?"

"Perhaps you should see a counselor while we are on the hospital ship."

"Now you think I'm crazy?"

"No. I believe you were deeply hurt in the past and when you consider having a relationship with Andrea, your feelings of hurt overwhelm you."

Bones just sat there wondering how Spock could have just put his whole problem into one sentence. "I guess I'm just stupid," he said.

"No, Leonard, you are afraid," Spock replied. "I do not know how you felt then nor how you feel now."

"I guess I wasn't the perfect companion."

"Define that."

"What?"

"Define what a perfect companion is."

Bones considered that a moment. "I don't know, but it's not me."

"I cannot say that I am a perfect companion. I fail to meet Uhura's emotional needs at times as I try to control emotions. However, she seems to understand that and loves me anyway. I find it difficult at times to talk to her when she is angry at me, but I still love her. I believe there are differences in people but those differences do not have to keep them apart."

"Am I getting relationship advice from a Vulcan? I must be worse off than I thought."

"If you consider our relationship: an overly emotional doctor, and a Vulcan who tries to control emotions, you would surely know that people can be friends without having the same opinions, or ways of dealing with stress."

"How did you ever end up with Uhura?"

"We met at the academy."

"I know that, but…how?"

"She asked me for help with the class subject and we met at the library. We found that we enjoyed talking, and I suggested that I could tutor her any time she felt that she needed help."

"That was really smooth."

"I assure you that at the time I did not intend to pursue a relationship, but as we met more often, I realized that we were attracted to each other."

"And you asked her out?"

"No. She asked me."

"Oh. What? Were you afraid to ask her?"

"I would not say I was afraid. I merely did not know if it was appropriate since she was my student."

"Adult student. So what made you like her? The way she could speak Klingon or something?"

"Perhaps, but I simply enjoyed being with her, and she enjoyed being with me. I had never had friends before I met her, and then I met Jim."

"You guys were definitely not friends."

"I saw him as a nuisance. He did not care deeply for anything or anyone. However, he managed to be at the top of his classes."

"And that annoyed you?" Bones asked with a smile. He finally took a bite of his breakfast.

"I have to be honest…it did annoy me. He also made several passes at Uhura which annoyed me even further."

"I'm hearing a different side of you, Spock. You were jealous?"

"Immensely."

"Have you told Jim this?"

"No. I did not see that it was necessary."

"I think that was why you hated him so much when he got onboard the Enterprise. He flirted with your girlfriend." Bones could not help but laugh at that notion.

"How did you tolerate Jim as his roommate?" Spock asked.

"Well, we argued a lot, and I tried to lock him out a few times, but he seemed to also be the only one who would put up with me, so we stuck together. Face it, he's a good friend when you get past the arrogant part."

"Yes, he is. He is much different now."

"I'll say. Who would have thought he would be married with a kid?"

"People grow up and change, Doctor."

"Even Jim."

They were silent a moment, and Bones realized he did not feel quite as stressed out as before, and he was eating too. He thought Spock was beginning to be as good at getting someone's mind off their trouble as he was. "So, what did you do when you found out Jim flirted with your girlfriend?" Bones asked.

"Nothing," Spock replied.

"What did you want to do?"

"There was nothing that I could do."

"Is that why you were so angry when he figured out how to beat your test? Admit it, you were furious that this miscreant could outsmart you."

Spock just sat there a moment. "I will admit I was angry."

Bones chuckled at that. "First, he flirts with your girlfriend, and then he beats your test. No wonder you wanted to throw him off the ship."

"Doctor, if you are implying that I…" Spock stopped. "He did not only flirt with Uhura," he said. "He was very rude and insulting. Besides, that is in the past and once he knew she and I were seeing each other, he respected it."

"I don't think anyone saw that coming. Did you ever tell her about the jewelry?"

Spock looked at McCoy. He had never wanted to stop teasing him about that. "No. I have not told her," he said.

"I wonder what she would say," Bones replied.

Spock thought Leonard McCoy was one of the most annoying friends a person could have, but in another way, he was very loyal and obviously did not gossip since he had not told Uhura about that himself. "Does it really matter?" he asked.

"I think you're just scared."

"Would you tell something like that?"

"I don't know, but I'm not the painfully honest Vulcan here."

"Doctor, I did not give that pendant to Uhura as a tracking device. It was something my mother wore and presented it to me to give to someone that I loved as a family heirloom, which was a custom among her own people. I presented it to Uhura for that reason only, and I remembered that it had a distinct signature when we were on Altamid."

"But you never told her."

Spock thought he might just tell Uhura about that so that Leonard could stop hounding him about it every chance he got. He seemed to like butting into people's personal lives, but he did not want anyone butting into his much. "I will also ask you a question," Spock said.

"Go ahead," Bones replied.

"Why are you afraid to pursue your relationship with Andrea other than the fact that you are afraid of what happened in the past?"

Bones just sat there a moment. "How do you know there's anything else?" he asked.

"I do not know that there is. You are afraid that your heart will be broken again."

"I am. I don't know how to not be. I mean, if you only think of the here and now, you could say it was a beautiful relationship and there's no way that could ever happen, but I didn't think the other one would turn out like that either."

"One cannot see the future, and furthermore, you may have learned something in the past that would keep you from making the same mistake again."

"Me? How do you know it was me?"

"You always insinuate that if there is a problem between Nyota and myself, that I must have caused it. Therefore, I assume that it is you who caused the rift in your relationship."

Bones' mouth dropped open slightly with that revelation. "Oh, so I assume that's the logical reasoning, right?" he asked.

"Precisely."

"I didn't cause it all."

"I am not a marriage counselor, and have no desire to delve into the abyss of your failed marriage. However, I do believe that you should stop comparing the relationship you have now with the past one. You are not the same person that you were then, and it is certain that Andrea is not the person you loved before."

Bones could not think of any clever comebacks for that. "You know, Spock, I never thought I would be discussing this with you," he said.

"We are friends, are we not?"

"Yeah."

"Then it is likely that we would discuss personal problems. Have you discussed this with Jim?"

"Not much. He's always trying to talk to me about it, but he has his perfect relationship, and…"

"I would not say that any relationship is perfect. They have simply learned to live with their differences and to discuss their problems, as Nyota and I have. You, on the other hand, do not wish to discuss things that bother you, but only to be cynical and pretend that you do not care."

"I do not."

"I also believe you are afraid of your own emotions."

Bones' shock at that statement was evident. "Are you kidding me? You don't have any business talking to me about emotions."

"We are two different species. I control my emotions for different reasons than the reasons that you choose to hide yours."

"Well, excuse me, Mister Noble."

"There is no reason for you to get defensive."

"I'm not getting defensive. Why don't you stop trying to analyze me?"

Spock went back to eating his breakfast, and Bones just sat there. "You mean, you're just going to eat now?" Bones asked.

"Do you not wish to end this conversation?" Spock asked.

Bones leaned on his hand again and ate a few more bites. "I don't know," he said.

While they were eating, Andrea walked into the mess hall. Bones almost knocked his chair over trying to stand up as she walked over to the table. "Morning," he said rubbing his knee as he had bumped it on the table leg.

"Good morning," Andrea replied. "Do you mind if I join you?"

"No." Bones thought he said that a little too anxiously.

"Thanks. I'll get myself a tray."

Bones sat back down and rubbed his knee again. "Would you like me to leave?" Spock asked.

"No," Bones said. "You can stay."

"How can you have a private conversation with her if I am here?"

"Who said I was going to have a private conversation?" Bones whispered.

"You are being quite childish about this whole matter."

"Childish? I am not."

"I believe you are."

"I don't care what you believe."

"I could always leave."

"You're not going anywhere."

Andrea soon had a tray and came over to the table and sat beside Bones. "Good morning, Spock," she said. "How are you this morning?"

"I am doing well, thank you," Spock replied. "I trust that you are doing well also?"

"Yes. Carol gave me the morning off." Andrea looked at Leonard. "I can do what I want this morning."

Spock looked at Bones to see if he was going to respond to that obvious invitation, but he was not…or was pretending not to pay attention as he was suddenly very interested in his food. "She certainly makes these eggs just right," Bones declared. "Do you eat in here a lot?"

Even Spock could see the disappointment on Andrea's face because Bones ignored her. "I do a lot of the time," she said.

"We're fortunate to have Derenda on the ship. Otherwise, we'd just have to fend for ourselves."

Spock could not understand Doctor McCoy's actions. He was deliberately ignoring Andrea, when it was obvious that he liked her and he was incredibly nervous in her presence. He feared that if he continued ignoring her, she would find someone else. He thought McCoy was taking her for granted with the delusion that she would be there.

Spock finished his breakfast. "If you will excuse me," he said. "I am on my way to see Jim." He looked at Andrea. "Enjoy your morning off."

"Thank you, Spock," Andrea replied.

Spock left, and Bones just continued to eat. Andrea moved around to the other side of the table so that she would at least be in his line of sight. "What's the matter?" he asked. "You don't want to sit beside me?"

Andrea leaned on the table. "Leonard McCoy, I am tired of being ignored by you," she declared. "If you don't want me around, then I won't be around! I will not keep making a fool of myself like some little lovesick girl. You are the rudest man I have ever met! You have a lot of nerve thinking you can just ignore me and I'll be here when you think you want me! Jerk!"

Bones was shocked at that, and he was even more shocked when she got up from the table and left, and she was wiping tears off her face. He had hurt her. He sat there for a moment, but then jumped up from the table and hurried out into the corridor. He looked both ways but did not see her. He thought she was probably going to her quarters so he hurried down there and rang the door chime. He heard nothing so he rang it again. "Andrea, are you in there?" he asked. He still got no answer, so he went to a computer terminal. "Computer, where is Andrea Farnsworth?"

"Andrea Farnsworth is not on the Enterprise," the computer said.

Bones considered that. She must have gone over to the hospital ship. He hurried over to the hospital ship. What would she be doing there? He supposed she would go to see Jim, so he went to Jim's room. Spock was there, but he did not see Andrea. He started to go on looking for her, but Jim called to him.

Bones went on into the room. Spock gave him one of his inquisitive looks. "Bones, are you alright?" Jim asked.

"I'm fine," Bones replied. "You feeling better?"

"I don't know. I'm awake though. I can't feel my leg…or much else."

"Well, they have you on pain killers or you might be climbing this wall." Bones put his hands in his pockets. "Jim, I have to go. I'm looking for someone."

"Who?" Jim asked.

"I'm looking for Andrea."

"Oh."

"I'll see you later."

Bones hurried out of the room. Jim looked at Spock. "When is that man ever going to learn?" Jim asked.

"I do not know," Spock replied. "I do not believe he has learned yet, however."

Jim grimaced as he moved in the bed a little. "I hate laying in a bed," he said.

"It is necessary."

"I know, but I still don't have to like it."

Jim looked at Spock. "Do you know what's wrong with Bones?" he asked.

"The same thing that seems to always plague the doctor," Spock said. "An overabundance of pessimism."

Jim almost laughed at that. "Well, it's just the way he is."

"I believe it is more than that, but I must get back to the ship. We are monitoring the area to make sure no one is pursuing us and would threaten this ship."

"That's a good idea."

"I will visit you again later."

Jim just lay there wishing he was not in that bed. He wanted to be up and over at his ship, but the injury to his knee was severe and he had to stay still. He thought Bones had seemed very upset when he came in there, and he wondered what had happened, but maybe he would find out later.