driftfleet | It's time for your monthly Capringle Mingle <3

_{[ Potentially. Seems like you dealt with stress issues one of two
ways, after all, but he's glad it's this way. He would have been a little
disappointed if you had chosen another way, honestly. You're still his
Bones, even if they who knew how many light years from the Enterprise.
]}

It's the leisure ship basically. There's a bar, a library, ab obstacle course, a park, meditation center, a multi-religious center if you're so inclined, a gym. Basically the things we can't fit on our own ships, and a good neutral ground. I'll introduce you to my friend Remy - he makes some mean Cajun dishes at one of the bars.

[He would have been well within his rights to choose the other way, all things considered. Almost did. Ultimately decided that being sober was probably the far wiser choice in all of this.

When he was younger perhaps, and not quite as, well, stable as he is now, it would have been the go-to choice.]

Regular cruise ship out here, ain't it? [So much disgust packed into one small comment.]

_{[ It really is a particular gift you have, Bones, packing so much into
so few words. It's a skill Kirk envies, actually. ]}

Even includes the annoying cruise director. Goes by the name of Diamond. I'm sure you'll hear one of her 'updates' soon.

[It's a fine skill, carefully honed over years and years of practice.]

The whole reality show thing they're calling it? [And, again, the disgust is rather evident.]

_{[ Good to have the master back so he may continue learning from him.
]}

Yeah, exactly. I did say I don't believe a word of that, didn't I?

You may have mentioned that. [They're of the same mind on that one. He idly turns back to organizing, though he honestly not paying much attention to it. It's great that you're here and all, Jim, but abduction kinda sucks. It's driving him a bit crazy.]

It's in the back of my head all the time, that I'm being watched thanks to that. [Which is really not okay.]

_{[ He knows the feeling. It hasn't been a picnic for him either, to say
the least. ]}

I know. And even if it's not true, I'm sure we are being monitored in some form or fashion. The prickling sensation never really goes away, but you get used to it. Otherwise you drive yourself mad, and I'm not about to hide in my room all day and do nothing just because of that. Which, in a sense, is playing right into their hands in some way, I'm sure, but I can live with that much.

[McCoy might be good at packing a whole lot of derision into just a few words, but Jim's damn good with those pep talks. He sighs, rocks back on his heels, and crosses his arms.]

You're right. I don't like it, but there's not much that can be done about it.

_{[ He's the captain, it's practically a required skill. And not one
they teach. They grade you on it in secret at the Academy, you know. ]}

Nothing ever got done hiding in a room, after all. And even if we don't like the situation, we are getting to visit new planets. A small consolation prize.

[Captains have charisma. Chief medical officers have... uh. Sarcasm?]

Oh, good. All the exploring, none of the perks. [You know, perks like having a nice big starship and crew backing you up.]

_{[ It's what made their relationship work, honestly. ]}

Silver linings, Bones, silver linings.

_{[ You're going to have to work with him just a little bit here, McCoy.
]}

[He snorts.]

When was the last time I saw a silver lining? [No, really. Truthfully. When was that? He can't remember.]

Surely there was one during that whole episode with Krall? Maybe during your special alone time with Spock?

Oh. Oh, that. Sure. Which part? [He's just gonna count these on his fingers. Try not to interrupt here, Jim.] The, uh, turbolift ejected into space? That was fun. Can't wait to do that again. Crashing the ship we commandeered? Definite silver lining there.

Wait, wait. I know. Keeping a Vulcan from bleeding out without any resources. What about when the Vulcan goes completely delirious and starts laughing at me. [Hope you didn't want that kept a secret, Spock. Goddamn it, he's starting to run out of fingers.] That could only be trumped by facing down three swarm ships by myself when said Vulcan gets beamed away without warning.

So, yeah. Sure. Silver fucking lining. All of it.

[...He might still be a little jittery about all of that.]

_{[ He can see that. ]}

How about we saved York Town and probably a good portion of the federation? How about you and Spock bonded - Vulcans are capable of humor, it's just a logical sort of humor, though I give you laughing is worrying. How about we finally closed the files on those missing crew from the Franklin? If there was any remaining family, it was probably a relief to them. We obviously discovered ways through the Nebula, which opens up new places to explore, and we got Jaylah off that planet and now she's working to become part of Star Fleet.

_{[ See? You just have to open your eyes, Bones. ]}

It wasn't all bad.

[Okay, he'll give you a few of those points. Jaylah didn't deserve to stay bound to that planet any longer than she already had -- he kind of liked that kid -- and yeah, saving a starbase and the rest of the Federation was pretty much all in a day's work.]

It wasn't all-- [He cuts the exclamation off with a grunt. Wasn't all bad. That's what he says. Wasn't all bad.] Enough of it was.

[He sighs, rocks back on his heels and crosses his arms.] Balthazar Edison was the best of the best. Out there representing Federation ideals.

[And he comes back and nearly destroys them all. How's that for terrible irony?]

That's right. He was. And that's how he'll remain.

_{[ He was angry at Krall for taking his people, for killing those he
had, for taking out his anger on innocent people. But he was also sad for
him - to have been lost all those years, waiting for help that would never
come through no fault of the Fleet. They simply couldn't hear them through
the Nebula. Isolation and feelings of abandon had driven him mad, and he'd
become lost. Still, those feelings were no reason to take away Balthazar's
accomplishments, and the truth of that wouldn't serve a greater purpose.
Let the legend live as it had, and give the families closure without pain.
]}

Tell you what, if you can look on the bright side of a situation just once without my prompting, I'll give you a prize - I won't fight you the next time you want me to get my physical.

[He sighs deeply. That's how he'll remain and he's not gonna fight Jim on that one. In fact, he agrees with most of Jim's reasoning on it, though there's an ember of anger at what Krall had done that will never go out. McCoy's not commanding a ship, doesn't quite get the isolation and loneliness that comes with it, but he has his own baseline for isolation and abandonment and humanity.

Krall let what happened take away what made him good.

But the Federation needs her heroes.]

You want me to... do what?

[Jim, do you know how difficult that is?]

_{[ Kirk would agree that Bones had every right to be angry and to always be angry. He would be too. He tried to be a good man, but some things he wasn't good enough to forgive and the destruction of his home and the death of his crew was one of those things. He was a good man, not a saint. ]}

You heard me. I want you to look on the bright side of situation, once, without my prompting. And if you do, I won't fight you the next time you want me to get a physical.

It's time for your monthly Capringle Mingle <3

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