They called Sick Bay just Med bay (Or Medical Bay) not sick bay. Which was strange to say for the least. The biobeds were different. So very different. There were rows of somewhat curly like bed chair beds with a blanket at the foot and a screen connected to another machine that was part of a light fixture. Jim noticed the screen divided into four sections. It reminded him strikingly of the 20th century, one that he last visited a long, long time ago. Across from Jim was a empty chair. Normally Sickbay, in his universe, was far less. . . advanced. His sickbay had two rooms; one for the head office for McCoy and the second for the unfortunate patients who landed in his care. There were other private bio rooms back on his old Enterprise.

The one he missed like an old friend.

2370, who knew his life would change?

So would Spock, Scotty, Sulu, Chekov, Uhura, and . . . McCoy.

Funny how their lives changed dramatically after the Enterprise but still kept in touch.

Before . . . Jim got stuck in the Nexus.

"So Spock changed the timeline, basically?" Jim asked.

Kirk nodded.

"About it." Kirk said.

"Did outer space affect your eyes during your birth in some ridiculous way?" Jim asked.

Kirk had a small smile shaking his hand.

"No, it didn't," Kirk said. "I was born prematurely."

If only George Kirk lived.

Kirk would have had a excellent father!

If only Nero didn't swear vengeance over Spock.

"Say it all you want," Jim said. "But I believe the stars had some hand in those bright eyes."

McCoy came back with a flash light like device that was small but portable.

"Captain, he needs a checkup." McCoy said.

Typical McCoy.

He was still Bones, and all.

"I will tell Old Spock that you are here on a convenient time," Kirk said. ". . .What should I call you?"

"Jim," Jim said. "Just Jim. I prefer being called that by my friends."

Kirk had a short nod then he left the med bay with hands to his side. He had already told Kirk and McCoy that at the time he appeared, he was going to die. A very painful death might Jim have noted if not for that random act of miracle. Spock once talked about the telepathic bond they had when Jim had been inside the body of a woman. Claiming he would know if it were Jim mostly because of their connection. They had been around each other for years so that allowed their psychic connection to develop, harden,break, develop, and harden. When Spock died, Jim felt a broken psychic connection and the emptiness of death of another person close to him. Jim hadn't expected to feel the repercussions of Spock's death. Nor had he expected to one day blurt out on a mission, "Spock, it's always been you, you know it's always been you. Say you love me too." when arguing about something Jim couldn't remember. Wait, he did remember one thing! Spock staying on a planet that featured pink-purple humanoid beings that were recently learning to control their emotions and develop their warp drive further. They reminded Jim of the adolescent version of Vulcans even though they lacked pointy ears and the discipline. How did they remind him of Vulcans? Their eyebrows. They were not related in any way to the Vulcan, just a fluke in their nature as Spock would say.

Jim remembered the reply, "Captain, it seems you have been emotionally compromised. Are you unwell?"

And his reply was, "I believe I am compromised. But Spock, you are not staying here."

McCoy flashed the light in Jim's eyes.

"Now, tell me, how is your hearing?" McCoy asked.

"Excellent." Jim said.

McCoy lowered the light.

"Really." McCoy said.

"My hearing has been not the best when it comes to evil machine war lord rambling except when it comes to a few keywords." Jim had noted.

"Such as?" McCoy asked.

"Death, slaves, lack of freedom, invalid, Enterprise, Spock, Captain Kirk," Jim said. "Doctor McCoy, Scotty . . ." The look on McCoy's face changed. "I can go on if you like."

When Spock had come back to life, Jim remembered a unusual feeling tingling through his skin. It was like someone was over his shoulder but no one was. Jim felt like he was being watched. Jim could feel that . . .In a way. . .Spock was still around. That he was back. The broken psychic connection had all but faded. It then made sense why it stopped hurting Jim when it occurred that McCoy held Spock's Katra. His soul so to speak. It had recently awaken and taken control of McCoy. Jim could feel so many questions in his mind even though he did not have them at the time. Questions that were not his. These questions were connected to one singular emotion. It was the emotion of confusion. Emotion that wasn't his. When Spock was brought back into his body the psychic connection repaired itself. McCoy was pleased to say for the least having just one soul in his earthly body.

"Don't." McCoy said.

Don't as in: don't spoil what we could come across, please.

One word and Jim got the message.

"Tell me, what is the Nexus like?" McCoy asked, curious.

"Like . . . Like a extended shore leave," Jim said. "Even though your aging is stopped. Years pass. People you knew die. You get to relieve moments in time and they are not real. None of it is . . . real." He looked down toward his sixty year old hands covered in wrinkles. He could see the veins among the wrinkles on his large hands. They were the hands of a aged, very old captain-turned-admiral. "I am surprised I haven't been aging."

The Nexus reminded Jim of the Shore Leave Planet and of the time he was rapidly aging. But he hadn't rapidly aged to a sixty year old at that rapidly aging occurring; instead his hair only became gray, wrinkles appeared on his youthful face, and his young body model hadn't changed. Rapid aging wasn't natural, period. How did it remind Jim of the time he rapidly aged? It was because of how the Nexus neglected to allow his aging. He probably would be skin and bone by now if it had allowed Jim to age.

So boy was Jim glad to age natural and see for himself how he looked at his present age when he grew older.

It made Jim appreciate the natural aging process a little bit more.

And appreciate how the Nexus left him appearing to be sixty years old!