Kirk and Spock were already waiting in the Captain's quarters when McCoy arrived, tea and accessories on the he was carrying. Thankfully, the meal itself was limited to light conversation. It was after the table was cleared that they settled down to really talk - Jim with his coffee, Spock and McCoy with their tea.

Settling back with a soft sigh, McCoy started to talk.

"I'm warning you up front that what I remember is still pretty fragmented and it comes to me more when I'm asleep than when I'm awake."

The discomfort McCoy was feeling was obvious so neither Kirk nor Spock rushed him.

"As you know by now, you all had been gone for nine days when C'ves swapped me for Scotty. You and the rest were standing like a bunch of figures in an old wax museum. That partly creeped me out, but mostly made me mad. Then he called out like he was the lord of the manor and said I could approach him. Layali had been in charge of the away team I sent down - she was still moving and ran over as soon as she saw me. That's not a normal thing for her, so it made me madder and I asked him what the hell his problem was."

The wince wasn't as noticeable on Spock's features as it was on Kirk's, but then both men knew that McCoy had never had any problem telling someone exactly what he thought of them, regardless of rank or position. If McCoy noted their expressions, he ignored them and kept his focus mainly on the surface of his tea.

"That was when he started telling me all about his plans. This is where things start getting sketchy in my head, but basically it came down to him taking over control of the Enterprise, heading to Earth and eliminating anything that he considered to be not enlightened enough. The intention was to help our people go through several generations of social evolution overnight. I told him thanks, but no thanks. That threw him."

Spock steepled his fingers as an understanding look formed on his face and finally ventured a question after the silence had lasted a few minutes.

"May we take it that you were able to eventually convince him that such a tactic of forced compliance would not have meshed well with the Terran temperament?"

"Not without a long fight, I didn't, Spock. I don't have a sense for how long I was down there because if I said something that puzzled him, he'd freeze me for who knows how long until he was ready to talk again. At least I was eventually able to tweak his curiosity enough that he agreed to send you guys back to the ship before we talked more. Oh - and I borrowed your PADD somewhere along the line, Spock. I should have brought it with me, but I've got it in my office."

"I had wondered what had became of it. I will retrieve it from you tomorrow."

McCoy nodding, falling silent again and this time, it was Kirk that urged him on.

"So - how did you end up convincing him?"

The slight flush told the men before McCoy spoke that his temper had gotten the better of him.

"Like I said, it's kind of sketchy, but I'm pretty sure I cussed a good bit and compared him unfavorably to the Talosians and the Vians. When that didn't work, I think I flat out asked him how his people would have reacted back when they were at our stage of development if a group of high-powered assholes had come to them and forced change on them without them asking for it."

Kirk shook his head, but gave his friend a fond look. Nobody could accuse Leonard McCoy of beating around a bush when he could plow right through it. He started to ask another question, but McCoy cleared his throat.

"And - I guess I owe the whole crew an apology."

That changed Kirk's expression to a puzzled frown.

"Apology? What for?"

"The one thing I do remember C'ves saying. Right before he sent me back, he said he'd delayed our mission long enough and that he'd make amends. I'm guessing that's why we're where we are instead of where we were."

Spock picked up the teapot and refilled McCoy's cup.

"Doctor, even if you had known of the intention behind C'ves' comment, you could not have prevented his actions. I see nothing that you should feel the need to apologize for. Indeed, your actions prevented the Enterprise from being taken over by an alien with designs on invading and exerting control over your home planet."

McCoy then felt Kirk's hand squeeze his shoulder.

"Are you going to win diplomat of the year? No, but you would laugh yourself sick if someone offered you that anyway. From what I've heard from the crew, being blunt was probably the only way you were going to get your point across. You did that. Sure, we're a long way away from home, but we were sent out on a mission of discovery. We're blazing new trails - maybe not the way Starfleet originally intended, but the information will be just as valuable. You did good, Bones. By any standard that I can think of to judge you by."

The relief McCoy felt at their words was so obvious that both Captain and First Officer felt slightly guilty for not having pressed the matter sooner. The rest of the evening was spent in light talk and fellowship and, later that night, McCoy slept without a single nightmare interrupting his rest for the first time since the whole thing started.

A couple of days later at the end of his shift, Kirk headed to the CMO's office to catch McCoy. He figured that the man would still be finishing up his paperwork after the earlier accident he'd heard about in Engineering.

Heading into the office without preamble, he found it unlocked and unoccupied. Glancing around, a glint of gold caught his eye and he spotted the Command Gold shirt that he had folded and stored on top of McCoy's bookshelf. Smiling slightly, he reached up and pulled the shirt back down before heading back out to the main Sickbay area.

Nurse Layali Minyawi saw him and what he had in his hands, but didn't comment on the shirt. Instead, she addressed her CMO's whereabouts.

"Good evening, Captain. Head Nurse Chapel shooed Doctor McCoy out of here about ten minutes ago. She told him that after two surgeries in as many hours, he needed to get some rest before dealing with the paperwork."

Nodding in agreement even as he mentally winced at two of his crewmembers being hurt badly enough to require surgery, he thanked her and walked the short distance to McCoy's quarters. There wasn't an immediate response to his request to come in, so he used his override and let himself in just in time to catch McCoy exiting his shower,

"Impatient much, Jim? Or you so desperate for something to do that you're gonna make me turn in my reports tonight?"

Kirk shook his head in surrender.

"Not me. You were ordered away by Chapel and I believe I already told you that I'm trying to stay on her good side."

Slipping on a pair of pants, McCoy made his way over to what Kirk liked to call his medicine cabinet. Opening the door, the doctor pulled out a half-empty bottle.

"Care for a bit of the good stuff?"

"No need to twist my arm."

In no time, the two friends were settled and sipping. Neither of them drank much at a time anymore, only enough to speed relaxation along a little. After a few comments about how their respective days had gone, Jim pulled out the Command Gold shirt, unfolding it and holding it up as McCoy snorted at the sight of it.

"I wondered where that had got off to. Figured Christine had dumped it into the recycler."

Kirk's demeanor took a serious note and he sat back down, still holding the shirt.

"Bones, we haven't really talked about what happened. I know I made a comment about how you spoke with C'ves, but after thinking it over, I can't say I wouldn't have said the same things to him. Or worse. I know it was a nightmare scenario for you, but you stepped up, kept the crew together, rescued myself and the other officers and hell, for all I know, you even saved Earth from an invasion by C'ves and his people. I always knew you had it in you - thanks for proving me right."

Seeing McCoy was ill at ease with what he'd said, Kirk shook the shirt, shifting his voice to a teasing tone.

"Sure you don't want to keep this, Bones? You could always make a midlife career change - give up the blue for gold."

There was a pause as McCoy finished off what bourbon remained in his glass, then he firmly shook his head.

"No thanks, Jim. I'll stick with my blues. That gold? It weighs too damn much."