Chapter Five
Stardate 2266.89
"Incoming communication from Daran Four. Do you wish to receive?" the computer stated. The voice of the computer caused McCoy to open his eyes just after he had laid down to sleep in his bedroom. Who would be calling this late at night, he wondered as he sat up in bed.
"Receive comm." he stated as he walked over to the comm channel on his desk and smoothed his hair down. Instead of Natira as he had been expecting he saw some Fabrini official that he vaguely remembered Natira introducing him to when she was in San Francisco to officially open the Fabrini Embassy.
"It's Nevar isn't it?" McCoy asked.
"Yes it is Doctor McCoy. My apologies for interrupting your sleep but I thought you would wish to hear the news as soon as possible." the Fabrini man stated.
"What happened?" McCoy demanded.
"Natira leads a council for the Fabrini people once a month where the community can come and discuss a dispute they wish to have resolved. During the latest such meeting earlier today there was a Fabrini man by the name of Turvell who was very angry with Natira for her part in destroying the Oracle, which was the main computer on the Yonada. Turvell questioned her leadership as he thought that Natira could not be as wise or knowledgeable as the Oracle once was."
"He felt that the decision to become members of the Federation was misguided as those on Earth would never fully want to understand the Fabrini. Turvell claimed that it the Federation was purely a diplomatic organization then they would not fly around in heavily armed spaceships like the Enterprise. He stated that by doing so the Federation had given the Fabrini reason to fear them. Turvell claimed that not all invasions were at the point of a phaser. Some invasions came in the form of ideas or technology instead."
"Natira conceded that he might have a point but that so far the Federation had proven to be trustworthy allies and so she would not change the course of our society. Turvell then stated that he would have to change Fabrini society for himself. Before the guards or anyone else could react he stepped closer to Natira and…" Nevar paused and took a deep breath before he continued speaking.
"I'm sorry to say this Doctor McCoy but Turvell broke Natira's neck and she dropped to the floor. The guards took Turvell away and Natira was confirmed dead. I can assure you there will be a trial in regards to this matter. Given the overwhelming evidence and the witnesses the verdict for Turvell will likely be lifetime imprisonment in a detainment cell. I will inform you when this occurs. I suspect the trial will be tomorrow as will Natira's funeral."
"We took the liberty of searching through Natira's personal effects and found a data disk that was addressed to you with the instructions that you should view it in the event of her death. If you wish I can play that now." Nevar concluded. McCoy nodded tersely. A moment later Nevar's grim face disappeared from the screen and he instead saw the serious face of Natira. As she began to speak McCoy listened intently.
"Hello Leonard. If you are viewing this message then I am dead. Did I know that I might die? No, but I always thought that it was a possibility as the leader of the Fabrini. I told you when we first met that I would relish however much time I had with you. That time was not as long as I would have wanted. Now that I am gone I want you to find happiness without me Leonard. You told me once that I was all you ever wanted in a woman. But if there is someone you meet who you can be happy with then you have my blessing to pursue a relationship with them. I don't want you to spend the rest of your life so busy mourning me that you forget to enjoy love and happiness around you. You should enjoy every moment of your life for as long as you have it. I love you. Goodbye Leonard." Natira said. The communication ended a moment later. He bowed his head and closed his eyes briefly. Dammit, he would not cry right now. Not that there was anything wrong with doing so, he thought.
McCoy knew he wasn't going to get anymore sleep that night. So he went to the kitchen and pulled out the real alcohol from the cabinet. He poured himself a glass but paused before he drank anything. McCoy remembered that he and Jim had made a promise during the first semester of the Academy that neither of them were to ever drink alone. That promise had been made after Jim had found him drunk in a bar and escorted him back to their room on the evening Pamela had refused to allow him to talk to Joanna on her birthday. Thus far in their friendship they had kept to that promise. So McCoy dug out another glass, poured another serving of alcohol, then opened an comm channel to Jim.
"Hey Jim, how are you?" he asked.
"Bones it's late. What can I do for you?" came the voice of Jim.
"Sorry to bother you at this hour Jim. I just wanted to have a drink with you. But if you're busy…" McCoy replied.
"Only with paperwork and I could use a break from that. I'll be over at your place soon. Kirk out." replied Jim. The communication ended a moment later. Jim was at his door shortly afterwards. McCoy was silent as he let Jim inside his quarters and they walked into the kitchen. The two of them took a seat.
"So why did you want a drink together tonight?" Jim asked as he held up the glass of alcohol.
"Natira's dead Jim." McCoy quietly stated.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Jim responded. They fell into silence and drank the alcohol. By now they knew each other well enough to know when neither was in the mood for conversation. But they also knew when to talk, as Jim proved when he looked at McCoy several minutes later after they had both finished their glasses.
"Do you want me to tell the crew of the Enterprise?" Jim wondered.
"You can mention it to Spock if you want. But I'd rather not have the entire crew know. Though they might find out if the Federation News Service mentions the funeral tomorrow." McCoy replied.
"All right. Take care of yourself Bones." Jim stated.
"Good night Jim." McCoy answered. Jim clasped his shoulder briefly then left the apartment. McCoy went back to bed. But as he suspected he didn't get any more rest that night.
Over the next week McCoy took all the extra shifts at the hospital he could. If he was working then he wouldn't be thinking about Natira. He only went back to his quarters to shower, eat, and sleep. As a result McCoy wasn't that surprised to find Jim on his doorstep a week after he had last seen him. Jim hadn't commed him in the last week which he was grateful for. McCoy let his friend into his quarters and brought out the alcohol again. He poured them both a glass.
"So it this the first drink you've had since the night you heard of Natira's death?" Jim wanted to know.
"Yeah." was all McCoy would say to that. He was a doctor and he didn't have the luxury of getting drunk anymore like he had after the divorce. Not that alcohol would solve any of his problems if he did get drunk, he knew. Jim nodded and took a sip of the drink.
"That's good." Jim said. McCoy took his own swallow of the drink.
"This whisky was a gift from S'nell." he admitted. He wasn't sure how S'nell had heard about Natira's death but he knew that she was in regular contact with Spock so that was likely how she had found out.
"So you and S'nell are free to pursue something together now." Jim remarked after he had finished drinking what was in his glass. McCoy raised an eyebrow at that.
"Jim, it's far too early for a romance with S'nell. Let me mourn the end of one relationship before I start another. Besides, who is to say that if I start something with S'nell that it will go well? After all, I don't have the best track record when it comes to keeping women happy." he firmly stated.
"Yes but there is more to life then being a doctor or my friend Bones." countered Jim.
"My duty as a doctor will always come first before everything else. Not everyone understands that." McCoy responded.
"I think S'nell does. She's seen how much being a doctor means to you. I don't think she would complain at you putting your patients first." Jim reflected.
"Whether or not she would isn't important. What matters is that right now is not the time to start something with S'nell. Jumping in with both feet right now would dishonour Natira's memory." McCoy insisted.
"Maybe you're right. But you should say something to S'nell about how you feel before the next five year mission Bones. Otherwise you might come back to Earth and discover that S'nell has found another man in your absence." Jim speculated. McCoy frowned at that possibility but he couldn't deny that Jim could be right about that.
"I'll think about it Jim. Now can we change the subject or better yet drink in silence?" was all he said.
"Sure Bones." Jim said. McCoy filled their glasses one more time and they finished this glass in silence before Jim looked at him again.
"Thanks for coming Jim." McCoy stated.
"Of course. Good night Bones." Jim replied.
"Good night Jim." he stated.
Jim nodded then left his quarters. McCoy turned to go to his bedroom. After those drinks he didn't feel quite as alone as he had earlier, McCoy thought as he prepared for bed. Jim was a good friend even if he was also sometimes a pain in the ass, was McCoy's last thought before he fell asleep that night.