"And my first officer. Spock's here, too. Did I not mention that?" Jim's tone maintained that veneer of cheerfulness, and he patted Bones' shoulder comfortingly-- or in any event, as close as he ever got to comfortingly.

"And would you? Man, Bones, you're the best." Choosing to ignore McCoy's fatalistic sarcasm is often one of the highlights of his day. Jim flashed him a brilliant smile and carried on at a brisk pace, ignoring the sundry aches and pains throughout. Being tortured wasn't a walk in the park at the best of times. Jim let the silence lapse between them briefly, maneuvering himself around a spilled crate of garbage, and then he absolutely could not take it any more, he had to know.

"What's the last thing you remember about back home?"