You open the old time novel, where the heart is gone, and the hero would be me

Part 5

"Admiral, I am here to advice you take it easy," Annabella said.

McCoy went into the new, slightly less larger shuttle craft.

"Shuttle's have improved for the worse the last time I was in them," McCoy noted. "I liked the old version." he came to the front of the shuttle craft looking around curiously. He turned in the direction of the first officer to notice that she was in the way of the doors closing. He sighed, completely shifting toward her direction.

"You must give me your word that you will not over exert yourself," Annabella said.

"I give ya my word," McCoy said, crossing his two fingers behind his back with a polite smile. McCoy was in civilian attire consisting of a light blue buttoned up shirt that had sleeves at ended at the elbows, black vest, and matching complimenting dark gray pants.

"Can I expect you'll keep it?" Annabella asked.

"I am not frightin' to medical officers who violate their oath for no reason, sweetie," McCoy said. "My word is my word," he straightened his civvies. "Ya probably wonderin' why I am goin' in this instead of uniform." He gestured toward the outfit.

"I am," Annabella said.

"Wherever Spock is, whatever Star Fleet may be," McCoy said. "I will blend in easily," he looked around. "for this shuttle craft . . . I can't say the same for it." he smiled in return with a shrug.

"How are you going to explain that, admiral?" Annabella asked.

"I am going to say it's a modified version," McCoy winked. "I will be back in five minutes. Maybe."

"That's just hoping you do come back," Annabella asked.

"Wait a week," McCoy said. "See what happened. If I don't come back from that deadline. . ."

"We will return your family to Earth," Annabella said.

"Thank ya," McCoy said. "they will need the downtime." McCoy came over then checked the phasers. "Now hey," the tone came out as a alarm. "wait a minute," he turned toward her direction. "I asked for the classic phaser."

"I am sorry about that," Annabella said. "We didn't get told about that part."

"My fault," McCoy said, with a sigh. "Didn't mention there's a chance that I have to shoot my way in to get his green ass back here," he closed the box with the phaser. "Guess I will have to get him out in some other unconventional means."

"Not like he is a prisoner," Annabella said. "I am pretty sure his ship is equipped with self defense."

"First Officer," McCoy said, turning toward Annabella. He looked younger at first glance in a surprising way. A mid-second transformation. As though the clock had gone backwards restoring him to his golden years. "Spock would have been back by now."

Annabella nodded.

"Good luck," Annabella said, walking off the back end of the shuttle craft.

The shuttle craft's back end closed after the first officer left. He sat down into the pilots seat then looked down at the screen. He slipped on both halves to the glasses onto the bridge of his nose connected by a thick, long string looped around his ears. The shuttle craft flew out of the hangar. From the bridge, Jolene wished the doctor a silent good luck. He flew in toward the glowing mass of purple and pink. The power in the ship briefly went out then in a moment returned. He traveled through the anomaly. He turned the scanners on collecting as much data as he could for his return. Three weeks on the other half of the anomaly? Spock could be in danger. Spock was in danger. McCoy knew how easy it was for Spock to become threatened when somewhere that didn't know him or had back up.

The vessel that had taken Spock through was the USS Yorktown. McCoy stopped, gasping, once his shuttle craft passed through. There was the Yorktown badly damaged floating in space surrounded by what seemed to be Bird of Prey's. McCoy took out his old fashioned translator, a long bar, placing it onto the counter. There were likely officers still aboard the ship. It had over five hundred thirty officers, if this were the refit--which it was, McCoy decided upon further scanning. Spock was not gone. He was pretty sure of it. McCoy sensed the Vulcan. Thousands of light years away. McCoy sighed, resting his back against the seat and rubbed his forehead. Spock was, in fact, in danger. A sense of validation came over the human. He slid his hands together then came toward the console. He sent the standard request hail. He waited, patiently, watching the bird of prey's turning in his direction.

McCoy lowered his glasses then unclipped them. He placed the dangling pair onto the collar of his buttoned shirt. Th screen came to life displaying a---McCoy groaned. It was the pointy head Klingons. Klingons who didn't look Klingon. He was suddenly jerked by the flash of a Klingon coming on toward him with a bat'leth in a menacing manner. McCoy was making the injured crew members around him were getting to the escape shuttles. He remembered picking up a discarded tool and attempting to fight back to protect a paralyzed science officer. He remembered the fight that he shared with the Klingon. Fought to distract the Klingon. He remembered the war with the Klingons. He remembered his temporary assignment in space. The USS Tucker that had its nacelles destroyed. In 2256, the USS Cochrane, a ship that rescued him from his shuttle craft. He remembered the invasion into the ship. The scar on his cheek that a bat'leth had given him including notable others were still in his memory. The places where his scars had been stung. The USS Discovery had swept in during the evacuation and fired immensely on the Klingons. The USS Cochrane was destroyed in that battle but the USS Discovery came out victorious. He looked up toward the Klingon yet not quite Klingon. McCoy turned on his translator.

"Admiral McCoy," McCoy said. "I am looking for a very old Vulcan. Do ya have him?"

McCoy waited for a reply as the universal translator repeated after him in Klingon.