. . . Thirty-two minutes after the surgery. . .

Bones walked into the private medical room to see there being two old men, one of whom were a Vulcan. The Vulcan reminded Bones of Commander Spock, the one who had designed the Kobyashi Maru. The human man with mustache, being Scotty Prime, looked up toward Bones direction. There was a look of recognition in Scotty Prime's eyes, almost as though they had met a long time ago. The Vulcan turned toward Bones direction with a small smile.

A Vulcan.

Smiling.

"Hello, doctor McCoy." Spock Prime said.

"I am a cadet, not a doctor." Bones said.

"You have successfully succeeded in the surgery and saved the live of my friend," Spock Prime said. "Logically, this means you are up for becoming a certified doctor."

"Spock . . . you pointy hobgoblin," Bones Prime said, as his eyes slowly opened. "Did you really drag my inexperienced self out of the academy for a life saving surgery?"

"He sure did." Scotty Prime said.

"Spock? As in Commander Spock?" Bones said.

"Affirmative," Spock Prime said. "I am Spock and you are a friend of cadet James T. Kirk."

"He was kicked out of the academy." Bones said.

"That is nae right," Scotty said. "He never got kicked out the academy."

Spock Prime was frozen in his chair consuming in the information.

"Why did you ask me to be the cadet who operated on my future self instead of asking a genuine doctor?" Bones asked.

"He is your counterpart," Spock Prime replied. "And you are the only doctor I can trust to save anyone," Bones cut him off by insisting he was a cadet. "And since it is in your future to become a licensed doctor for Star Fleet, wouldn't it make sense to call you by what you are already? You have passed most of your vital classes in xenobiology."

"Funny to hear that from a Vulcan." Bones said.

"Why is it that?" Spock Prime asked.

"Because I saw you testify against James T. Kirk against his cheating on the Kobyashi Maru." Bones said.

"I was never there." Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime and Scotty Prime were both looking at Spock Prime's direction.

"Yes, you were." Bones said.

Spock Prime raised an eyebrow.

"My other self apparently has a taste for computer programming," Spock Prime said. "In a literal sense."Spock Prime lowered his gray eyebrow. He looked in the direction of Bones. "This is not right, Jame T. Kirk should be excelling in the ranks not be a cadet tossed out of the academy. He was never thrown out but he nearly did. I was serving as Captain Pike's science officer in 2258."

"Where did you come from?" Bones asked.

"We come from the future." Scotty Prime said.

". . . We?" Bones asked.

"I am you," Bones Prime said. "Admiral McCoy."

"Admiral Montgomery Scott at your service." Scotty Prime said, with a grin.

"And I am a Ambassador," Spock Prime said. "And we need to save your friend's career."

"But he has no career with the current rate he is going!" Bones said.

"You are correct," Spock Prime said. "But we can fix that issue." He looked over toward Bones Prime. "We must use Scalos."

"Spock, no, we shouldn't," Bones Prime said. "Scalos must be discovered the natural way."

"If we do nae act now, then some other captain will be taken and so will her crew," Scotty Prime said. "And those engines will be impaired more severely. They might be aware of how tae mess up the life support systems this time around tae keep everyone frozen."

"We faired well without Scalos." Bones Prime said.

"That planet, need I remind you, is very dangerous." Spock Prime said.

"What is Scalos?" Bones asked.

The three men look toward Bones.

"We should tell the lad." Scotty Prime said.

"I am unsure about that." Bones Prime said.

"We lost one ensign, Leonard," Spock Prime said. "They could take thirty people down this time, and so many people will be drawn there that . . . it will be too late to quarantine the planet. Besides, we have to test what my other self would do seeing someone who he just aided in the ending of their career vanishing into thin air. Would he do the same as we did?"

Bones Prime raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think you would care." Bones Prime said.

"I would want answers." Spock Prime said.

Bones Prime lowered his eyebrow.

"Fine, then we tell him." Bones Prime said.

"What is Scalos?" Bones asked.

"Lad, it is a planet that is accelerated in time," Scotty Prime said. "We could have lost the captain forever if it was nae for Bones and Mr Spock."

"And if you want to be a part of this rescue mission," Spock Prime said. "Then you must swear not to tell anyone about it, not even myself. We will all have our own parts in this . . . Cadet McCoy, would you be willing to help your friend clean his act up?"

Their attention were all on Bones.

"Yes." Bones said.

Old friends working together to save the career of one of their own in the past.

Isn't that fascinating?