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

Part 9

"First we have a visitor, then we have Jim go in there, and then we have a distress call," Pike said, lowering the padd to the desk. He whistled. "this is a eventful day."

"Yes, captain," Una said.

"Has the doctor awaken since then?" Pike asked.

"He is resting," Una said.

"And Jim?" Pike asked.

The scenery changed to sick bay.

"He hasn't left the admiral's side," Una replied.

McCoy's eyes slowly opened to see the blue eyed ensign. Jim had the familiar concerned look on his face. He remembered that look so well. From behind the man he saw a doctor in white uniform tending to a patient, Andorian, by the looks of it. He saw the two light blue antanna's standing out from the forehead beside the doctor's shoulder. The Enterprise was busting with activity just as usual. The more things changed, the more they remained the same. He smiled back at the younger man.

"Hello. . . Ensign Kirk," McCoy said. "Sorry, I thought ya were a Lieutenant."

"It is all right," Jim said, with a smile. "I had a grandparent who had memory problems sometimes."

"Really?" McCoy said. "What brought ya into science?"

"Because science is interesting," Jim replied.

"It is," McCoy said, with a nod. "I can agree with that."

McCoy propped himself up with a wince placing a hand on the pseudo injury.

"Hey, hey," Jim said, softly. "the doctor in charge said you needed bed rest."

McCoy snickered.

"Now did he?" McCoy asked. "If I had bed rest all the time, nothin' would get done." he moved himself to the edge of the bed. "Ya remind me of a old friend I once had."

"You knew my dad?" Jim asked.

"Knew him, I served with him," McCoy said, with a nod. It wasn't a lie as long as the man had been part of the first mission in the five year mission in deep space. Dying the way he did leaving his wife widowed. He shared more similarities with George Kirk than he did with Kirk. McCoy had a fond smile on his face. "best officer in the fleet. Quite a shame that he died too soon."

"Wish I knew him too," Jim said.

"Ya didn't get the chance to meet him?" McCoy asked, in dismay.

"Not a bit," Jim said. "He is the reason I am still alive today. Me and eight hundred others." It hit McCoy.

The Kelvin.

McCoy's eyes closed then reopened. This man was someone else.

"I wish I knew him longer to tell ya more," McCoy said, regretfully.

"Don't be," Jim said. "I heard all the stories about him in every possible way."

McCoy noticed that he was not in a patient outfit. It relaxed the doctor. They had discovered no external wounds or internal wounds for that matter after taking him to sick bay. A place that looked more alien than anything. McCoy felt like a stranger than a visitor. And he didn't like it a bit. McCoy struggled to stand on his feet feeling the wave of pain coming from his side. Kirk caught the man with ease.

"I am fine," McCoy said.

"Doctor," Jim called.

"What is it?" the figure behind them turned, and there was his face. McCoy's face. But younger and different. He had brown eyes. He had broad shoulders rather than a slender one. There was a striking resemblance between their faces, distinctive, yet different. The man raised a arched eyebrow back at the admiral who was speechless. So many things were different. McCoy stood there considering his word of choice. McCoy realized he was in a alternate universe. And his younger self was watching the idiots fall in love.

"Tell him he is not fine," Jim said.

"He is fine," Leonard turned back in the direction of the patient. Jim let go of the admiral. McCoy used the chair as his support.

"But Bones, he is not fine," Jim said, gesturing toward the elder. McCoy looked up toward the younger counterpart. "he just about fell."

"Just about fell--" Leonard turned away from his patient with his eyebrows knitted together. His bangs were different, swept from the left rather to the right, a boyish southern hair style. "Just about how old are ya, Admiral Cartwright?"

"I was once your age a hundred years ago," McCoy said. He was tempted to call him junior. But he restrained himself. He could not afford to let it slip that he was the aged version of himself. "Doctor."

"A hundred thirty something?" Leonard asked.

"Mmmhhm, older than that," McCoy said. Leonard observed the man

"You hardly look that old," Leonard said.

"Got the best medicine runnin' through my bones." McCoy said, taking his hand off the chair.

"Oh, and what is that?" Leonard said.

"Good old fashioned will to live," McCoy said.

"I am serious, Admiral, someone who is one hundred forty---" Leonard was cut off.

"Older than that," McCoy grunted.

"One hundred fifty---" Leonard said.

"OLDER," McCoy said.

"One hundred sixty," Leonard said.

"Ah, no," McCoy shook his head.

"One. . . hundred. . . seventy," Leonard said, as Jim stood by his side looking at him with wide eyes.

"One hundred sixty-two," McCoy said.

"Ya mean to tell me that ya were born in the year 2127 . . ." Leonard said.

"Uh huh," McCoy nodded.

Cartwright's file didn't have a specific date when they were born. And lied, notoriously, when they were born in the official files. Lying left and right on their age even to the doctor himself. He understood the officer's desire to leave others baffled and their reactions were worth it. The silent sick bay staring at him, officers staring at him, patients staring at him, and nurses staring at him. Cartwright was an old man who looked younger than he was. Came with his 'youthful' personality. The initial disbelief faded from the youthful doctor's face. McCoy was feeling gleeful. More gleeful than he should seeing the reaction on his counterpart's face. He linked his hands behind his back then made his way out of sick bay going past the speechless sick bay. The sick bay reminded him of the refit yet more different. He used the wall as his support looking on to see a different hallway. The halls that he hadn't paid attention upon his initial arrival. They were more curved and flat. He straightened himself up then made his way down. He passed by several yeoman's and other officers. He stopped at the sight of a jefferie tube. It was so different. The change had been larger than thought.

How?

It stumped the doctor.

"What else is different about this ship?" McCoy asked, out loud. He sighed. "Check the shuttle craft before observing the Enterprise," it was a habit of making some notes to himself as he turned away. Used to giving orders to officers who were inferior around him. Only he was ordering himself around. "Hate to see if some of the phasers damaged it."