[ let's just say this is an alternate timeline where mccoy never discovers that khan's blood can be used to heal others and so kirk never gets saved aw :'( ]

The familiar voice of the ever-cynical chief medical officer booms through the ship of dreams (or doom, it seems). McCoy struggles to choke out his announcement but somehow manages (he internally curses Spock for going to chase down Khan afterwards).
"James... Tyberius Kirk, Captain of the Enterprise... is dead, as of," McCoy checks his watch, teary eyed,"sixteen hundred twenty two. Four-twenty-two in the evening." (Approximately ten minutes ago.)

The bridge crew's expressions range from completely blank to that of absolute horror. Chekov's eyes well up almost instantly as he stares down at the console, Sulu staring forward blankly.

Uhura puts a hand to her stomach and her mouth and lets out a strange (choking, sobbing) noise, and simply leaves, attempting to stagger down a corridor to her room. (She collapses on her bed once she does.)

Somewhere down in the bowels of the ship, Montgomery Scott's stomach does a backflip and he is making his way to the nearest restroom. (He doesn't make it and ends up spewing puke everywhere.)
McCoy continues on the intercom, slowly, regrettably—"Spock is promoted to Captain of the USS Enterprise,"—and unsurprisingly, Leonard is choking up again,"McCoy out."

Twenty-four hours later, Nyota's fingers dig into Spock's venus dimples, and Spock whines quietly. She has been doing this for about an hour now, just sitting in between his thighs—in total silence. Spock has been really quiet, she thinks, without the snarky comments and the corrections. So has she, though.
(They have both been without their normal spirits and they both know exactly why.)

(James Tyberius Kirk.)

(Captain of the Enterprise.)

(Their friend.)

(Their savior.)

"Is a shame," Pavel mumbles into the mouth of his bottle (Russian vodka, for special occasions, mostly happy ones).

Sulu only nods, reaching over to take a sip from Pavel's bottle. A few moments pass, with the two of them exchanging the bottle, sipping and chugging and swigging.
"You have been quiet."

The pilot only looks over at Chekov, and they share a solemn stare.

"I know," Sulu says, "I know I am, just—" he breaks, kneading at his forehead, running a hand through his hair, he can't do this, he can't do this, he can't—

"Hikaru, Hikaru," Chekov whispers, taking the man's face in his hands, leaning forward to simply touch foreheads and give Hikaru butterfly kisses exactly how he likes them, "is not good to keep feelings in, okay?" is all Pavel can say before taking the other in his arms.

Needless to say, it is wrecking Pavel too. (Staying strong, ignoring his own advice for Sulu is all he can do to keep from breaking down.)

"James Kirk was one of my favorite people on this entire planet—in the entire universe. Brave. Courageous. Stubborn. A real son of a gun," McCoy says (more like whispers) into the microphone, hot tears behind his eyes, "He will go down in Starfleet as a legend, alongside his father."

There was not a dry eye in sight as McCoy finished his speech, and Leonard reminds himself to get a drink later.