Title: A Tale of Some Debate (#24, The Drabble Bin)
Author: klmeri
Fandom: Star Trek AOS
Characters: Kirk, Spock, McCoy
Summary: A version of friendship as one who would know recalls it.
Previous Drabbles: The Old Four | Those Neighborhood Hoodlums | Trapped | A Cage of His Own | Of Perky Starfleet Bottoms | An Hour Past | War of the Bots | The Best Substitute | Surprise Meeting | Little Help | Dreaming | The Tower | Brother | It’s Complicated | With Close Friends | Not As It Seems | Vulcans Can Be Grumpy Too | Upsetting the CMO | A Romantic Venture | When Your Blues Have a Gold | Show Me the Money (or Not) | Feed the Flame | Shift Change

“Once upon a time, there was a prince of Vulcan named S’chn T’gai Spock. Most folks called him Mr. Spock because his full name was absolutely unpronounceable, and very few had the privilege of dropping the honorifics to simply call him Spock. Yet there was one man—a Terran doctor—who refused to call Spock anything but insults. Naturally Spock did not like this and felt greatly offended. He was unaware that this special, Southern, ornery doctor saved his insults for only the most worthy. You see, the doctor had a fondness for arguments and fussing. Spock, of course, had a fondness for being right. And so the doctor knew Spock would make a choice companion for his favorite pastime, and persisted in insulting the Vulcan to instigate a great fight.

But Spock was far too Vulcan (mostly) and could not understand what the doctor actually wanted from him—until one day another special Terran came along.

This Terran was a great handsome and witty captain by the name of Jim. Jim was already one of the doctor’s closest companions, for Jim was the worthiest person to come along in a very long time and the doctor insulted Jim with such vigor and creativeness that they instantly became best friends. In fact Jim was so likeable that Spock immediately became his friend too (ahem, caveat to that, after a public confrontation, a crazy battle with a nasty villain, and one minor tiff involving choking which most people barely remember). But the point is, their friendship happened fast, by all accounts.

So. Jim was not just good-looking and well-liked, he was exceptionally wise. He recognized the problem between Spock and Bo—ahem, the doctor—right away. And being friends with the doctor and Spock separately, it made Jim sad that his friends were struggling to like each other. Jim knew he had to help in any way he could. So he came up with an ingenious plan! First, he engineered a scenario in which Spock and Bones had to—”

“Jim, my god, there you are!”

The great Captain Jim himself grows momentarily still. Then, not looking around for the source of his name, he clears his throat, leans toward his rapt audience and promises rashly, “To be continued!”

In the next instant, the man leaps from his seat at the cafeteria table and hurries away.

“Damn it,” comes a loud snarl, followed by the appearance of the person who had interrupted the tale. The scowling man gives the beguiled audience a brief but terrifying stare before he skirts the table to pursue the storyteller.

“I think that’s the Jim and the Vulcan’s doctor,” an ensign murmurs to the young woman at his elbow.

“Then that would be Mr. Spock,” she says, pointing to a dark-haired Vulcan, hands folded at his back, calmly and gracefully crossing the mess hall.

Mr. Spock stops at the end of their table, his gaze taking in each person there. Uncertain of what this firm stare means (as the doctor’s had simply made the recipients afraid to speak), the group decides collectively to greet the Vulcan with a chorus of attentive, ableit nervous hello‘s.

Mr. Spock inclines his head ever-so-slightly, then. “Your mid-day meals appear properly consumed. You may proceed to the next session,” he states.

A young man raises his hand. “Is Captain Kirk coming back?”

“The Captain is likely to be occupied for the remainder of today. I will, however, let him know of your inquiry.”

Another fresh-faced officer mutters, “Then who will finish the story?”

The Vulcan commander doesn’t appear to have heard that remark, for he merely turns and continues on his way, following in the wake of the doctor and the captain.

“Guess we should go or we’ll be late,” someone says.

Reluctantly, the group gets up from the table, gathering trays and beverages. As they pinpoint the nearest recycler and head that way, quite the sea of vibrant colors in their newly pressed uniforms, one of them can be heard remarking, “Coolest orientation ever!”

-Fini

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• Beyond the Call of Duty (#27, The Drabble Bin) – from September 24, 2020
• Have You Heard…? (#26, The Drabble Bin) – from September 20, 2019
• Who Wants to be a Doctor? (#25, The Drabble Bin) – from May 13, 2019