There was a moment of stunned silence as nobody had ever really challenged the Captain before. The others there all knew him and respected his judgment too much to protest.
Kirk half-smiled as he looked at the officer remembering what it was like wanting to prove how capable of captaining a ship some were before it was their time. "That may be, Officer Ganner, but on this ship Sulu is your senior as he has had experience of being in command of this ship, he knows this ship and he knows this crew better than you. The crew trusts him as he has had command of the ship before. Sulu is in command till I relieve him. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Sir. As I said, no disrespect was meant."
As they walked to his quarters Kirk could sense something was bothering the Doctor and once they got to his quarters he invited the Doctor in. "Okay, Bones, what is it?"
"Ganner." The Doctor sat across from Kirk and looked steadily at him and saw the question in the hazel eyes that looked back at him. "Now I may be very wrong but there is something not right about him. I mean have you read his record? I thought you got through the ranks in a hurry, he is not far behind."
"I had noticed he is obviously a fast learner and keen to get ahead. Very fixed on achieving his goals. We have had the occasional discussion and he hopes to get onto the bridge of a starship full-time one day. He has his mind set on being the captain of a starship one day." That question as still clear in the blue eyes, "You don't have anything against somebody for wanting to make a career in Starfleet and aim for a captaincy, do you?"
"Of course not. You know me better than that, Jim." McCoy momentarily glared at Kirk, "I just feel there is something not right about him on this. Something in me just cannot let go of that. It may be just that I keep thinking if he had gone and not Spock."
"You know Spock had the strength to shift the debris that he didn't. You know Spock would have gone to help the other officer. Everybody knows how much value Vulcans, especially Spock, put on life. Once he heard that Officer Dint was pinned down there was not stopping him."
"I know but I still say there is just something odd about him." McCoy shook his head. "I guess it could be all that just happened that is getting to me. There is just something that Spock would have called an illogical Human feeling that I cannot shake about him. The way he left the Transporter Room while Scotty and I got to you, not waiting to see how you were, saying he had a report to write. It is like there is something almost treacherous about how he got where he is so fast if that is his attitude. That scene on the bridge showed a great deal about him that I do not like. You did notice his attitude towards others of what he considers a lesser rank? Now I may just be an old country doctor but that seemed to be just one step away from saying he would use others to get what he wants." Briefly McCoy closed his eyes and shook his head then opened his eyes and looked at Kirk, "Must just be losing Spock is really getting to me. I will be in Sickbay if you need me for anything. Try to get some sleep."
Back in his office in Sickbay McCoy pulled up the medical records of all three officers he was thinking about. By regulations he knew he should be filling in where and when and how Spock and Officer Walker had died. Twice he had started to log the information but had stopped and deleted what he had. There was something that just was not right. He knew Jim possibly would not have felt it, in the state of shock he was bound to be in he was not up to feeling much of anything. He had ssn him in this state only a few times, those times when Spock's life hung in the balance but this time. This time was different. Slowly he walked to his special drawer and got out a glass and bottle; poured a drink, sipped it, then sat looking at it.
There was the calming he usually got from this private routine when he wanted, needed, to be alone. It was as though somehow this allowed him to deal with any problem he was having. This allowed him to ask and answer his own questions, those questions he would not, could not, ask of Jim or Spock.
Damned Vulcan, he poured a second glass and put the bottle away, associating with you for so long has rubbed off on me. I need the proof, dammit. I may not like the proof but I need the proof to believe it. Deep within himself McCoy knew he could not accept Spock was dead. He would not accept it till he saw the Vulcan's body. As for Angus Walker, despite his despair, a part of him could not believe the man would not either come into Sickbay or be brought in and say to him, "Hey, Doc, I think you should look at this." as he had done after so many rescue missions he had been on as well as the times Scotty had brought him in after they had tried one of their new ideas and it had not gone as planned. There was no doubt in his mind that Scotty would be mourning both of them to a slightly greater degree as he was closer to Walker in many ways yet had known Spock longer.
What of the others? What must Chekov be feeling as there had been almost idol worship towards Spock from the young officer? Uhura and Spock often shared so much in the quick glances they gave one another on the bridge, the deep way they communicated without talking both on a private and professional level. And Sulu, suddenly having command of the ship for who knew how long before Jim would be ready while dealing with the loss of Spock. The three of them on the bridge looking at that damned planet as they orbited it to evaluate its stability and verify it was uninhabited.
Out of habit more than anything he had gone to the bridge. They were as he thought they would be. All three were looking at the planet. Uhura sitting with the earpiece listening to who knew what but looking at that damned planet, Sulu sitting in the command seat looking at the planet in a way McCoy knew he was praying for his lost friend, and Chekov bent over the Science Station's monitor scanning the planet. And there was Officer Ganner.