"Mr. Spock?"
"Yes captain?" the first officer did not turn from his viewer.
"It is 1700, Mr. Spock." The captain's tone sounded like a warning, but the bridge crew knew it was humor.
"Yes, Captain." Spock responded evenly. He still did not turn.
"Mr. Spock I expect you to report to transporter room 4 in the morning for the landing party." Now he was quite serious, this was not a request.
The Vulcan sighed slightly, efficiently saved his work and rose from his chair. His reluctance was quite apparent.
The captain rose as well, a spring in his step as he moved to join his friend in the turbo lift. "You have the con, Mr. Kyle." He said as the doors closed on them.
"Relax, you'll do fine."
"I have no doubt about my ability, I simply fail to see the necessity for such an illogical use of time."
"Doctor's orders, Spock you know that. You can't return to regular duty until Bones is sure you're back to normal." He managed to keep from grinning widely. Well, mostly.
The doors hissed open. The captain gestured forward grandly with a slight bow. His friend cocked an eyebrow and sighed, resigning himself to his fate he moved forward.
The Rec Room was more heavily occupied than Spock would have preferred for this. Doctor McCoy had preceded them and sat at a round table in the far corner. He had changed into civilian attire and supplied a bottle of what Spock recognized as his notorious "private reserve".
It was green.
"Ah there you are!" The doctor rose, gesturing to a chair next to him indicating where Spock should sit.
Spock did not sit.
"Now Spock, if you want to return to full duty in time for the mission tomorrow you'll have a seat."
"I fail to see the logic in this, Doctor."
The doctor grinned widely, "No Spock, you see it, you just don't like it." He raised a hand quickly forestalling the Vulcan's protest to the emotion.
"I've explained it thoroughly. Having your brain removed is a gawd awful unnatural thing. And despite the fact that I am a brilliant surgeon, I want to make sure you're in full working order. This is just a little test to make sure you're up to snuff. Relax Spock. It's just a game. But it will require you use your precious logic and that impressive memory as well. It tests your ability to troubleshoot, multi-task, learn new things and incorporate your notorious charm." He snorted slightly, cocked a very Vulcan eyebrow and gestured once again to the chair.
"Ante up Mr. Spock!" He grinned. "We'll begin with five card stud..."
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
The game came to an abrupt halt at 2307 when a message came in from the bridge that there were anomalous readings on one of the planet's moons indicating that the planet's inhabitants were less than truthful about the status of their 'long ended' civil war. Mr. Kyle put the ship on yellow alert and summoned the captain and first officer.
Dr. McCoy retrieved the cards with a cat that ate the canary expression that would certainly last for weeks.
"I wanna see you dance, Mr. Spock."
"I beg your pardon, doctor? Is this an additional requirement to my returning to active duty?"
The doctor winked at him, "Now there's an idea!" He laughed at the Vulcan's predictable facial expression of exasperation. "Nah, Spock. I won't do that to you. It's your choice a month's pay or you dance. I leave it up to you. The wager was for credits not dance steps and I'm an honest man."
Spock raised his eyebrow at that, however having no proof to the contrary he could not refute the doctor's claim. It seemed highly unlikely that the doctor's losing streak had suddenly been overturned on this, the final hand of the evening.
"Very well, Doctor." He rose to leave. Not commenting on which how he would pay his debt.
"Mr. Spock?" The doctor's voice stopped him before the door, "It is customary to pay up at the end of the game."
"Yes, doctor. However I am certain that you will agree that in view of the circumstances now is not the appropriate time."
"When will it be an 'appropriate time' then?" he responded quickly, not willing to let Spock off the hook just yet, especially since it was quickly becoming apparent that he had just gotten the Vulcan to agree to dance.
"Bones, let it go. We'll haggle about it another time." the captain had risen and was already heading to the door.
"I will most certainly notify you, Doctor" and without further discussion he turned to the door in step with the captain.
"Yeah, when pigs fly!" McCoy muttered to the exiting first officer as the doors shut behind the pair.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
"You didn't!" Christine said. Her tone was torn between anger and amusement as she walked into the CMO's office the next morning.
The doctor was still chuckling. The Captain however gave a guilty start.
"I didn't what?" he looked up at her in mock warning, "You weren't eavesdropping on your boss were you? I'd hate to think I couldn't have a private conversation in my own office."
"Leonard McCoy, I swear!" She put down the pad for him to approve and crossed her arms. "If it was such a private conversation you wouldn't have had the door open. Sometimes I just can't believe the lengths you'd go to just to get an emotional response out of him. You're merciless!" she took the pad from him smiling, "I'm glad I'm not on your bad side!"
"Give him a break, you should've seen how Spock played! He nearly cleaned us all out!" the captain smiled over his coffee cup. "Besides it's all in good fun."
"Well what did you expect? You know, one of these days your 'fun' is going to backfire on you both!" she warned playfully wagging her finger at them.
"C'mon, Chris. Tell me there isn't some small part of you that'd just about kill to see him dance, just once. A waltz, a two-step, maybe a little mambo?" The doctor's eyes glinted mischievously as he raised his hands and took an invisible partner into a low dip.
"Humph! You of all people should know better than to listen to the rumor mill! Besides, I'd much rather see you dance." she winked picking up the pad and then turned on her heel and marched out of his office, narrowly missing Mr. Spock.
He was presumably looking for the captain.
She instantly went scarlet.
She silently cursed her fair skinned and ducked away.
She had the worst timing. She could go an entire month without even saying his name, but the instant she had finished even the most innocuous of comments about him he was just there.
It was no wonder he avoided her so much.