Ohalis and Kirk left the two men. Spock and McCoy went in the direction that the diplomatic figure had pointed them toward. The two men stopped in their tracks seeing the elevator entrance was shaped rounded like and rather large enough to contain a large crowd than what usual elevators on Earth could carry. McCoy pressed a button on the side of the machine with a single hard, long jab. He looked over to see that Spock had taken a smaller variation of a phaser left in his sheath. It was more of a small handgun than anything. He had a legal phaser permit for use on off duty. Spock normally did not take with him off duty. The doors opened before them. Then they walked in side by side. Spock put in the number for the floor. The doors closed before them. There was long silence between the two men as though they didn't know what to say to each other. Had absolutely nothing to talk about for that matter in the beginning of the ride.

"Is there history between you and Ohalis that you have refused to talk about?" Spock finally spoke.

"No, yes," McCoy said. "it isn't what ya thinkin'."

Spock raised his eyebrow back at the doctor, intrigued.

"Then what was it?" Spock asked.

"He was a patient," McCoy said. "while waitin' for my patient. It's funny how they blocked communicator trackin's back then. . ." the doctor sighed. "he was a general back then. While waitin' for y'all, we may have, struck a friendship. . . " McCoy regretted what would come next. "briefly."

"When Jim destroyed their machine your friendship broke off," Spock said.

"Yes," McCoy said. "I really didn't want to hurt him. And he blames me for everythin' that's happened. We could have been lon' time friends. . ." McCoy briefly closed his eyes then shook his head. "I am angry because he puts all the blame on me," he looked over toward the Vulcan. "all the blame goes to his own civilization bein' so well adjusted to a militarized dictator ship."

Spock paused, contemplating what that meant, and how to respond to something like that.

"What else happened that you don't talk about?" Spock asked turning his head away from the window. "Did you perform surgeries?"

"I rather not talk about it," McCoy said. Images flashed before his eyes. Disturbing. The things that they made him do in the exchange that they didn't kill him or the native they had come across asking for their help.

Spock placed a hand on the human's shoulder.

"I am always here for you," Spock said. "Hinek."

"Thank ya," McCoy said, in a low voice. Spock stepped forward.

"May I. . ." Spock said, offering a hand. "I can soften the memories of your time here if your memory has not faded regarding it."

"I appreciate ya offer, sweetie," McCoy said.

The doctor returned a smile as the elevator slowly went up. Spock placed a hand on the side of the doctors face, mentally chanting, "my mind to your mind, my thoughts to your thoughts. . ." and their foreheads touched. McCoy's right hand clenched Vulcan's left shoulder while his other hand was on the Vulcan's forearm. Spock softly muttered, "forget" as he focused on the memories set on Fa-tuk where he was forced to perform surgery for them. A few memories pained McCoy. Spock did not harm the interaction with other people. Disturbing events left scars behind in the dream like process. Nor longer were they able to be visualized as something that happened. No longer able to be recalled. Can't terrorize the human much longer. Spock was sure, that as a skilled mind melder, this is what the doctor would experience. Felt like it never happened. Spock's version of 'softening' was erasing the memories all together. The doctor would know that he performed the surgery, but not the inside details of it. Other Vulcans viewed 'softening ones memories' was making the memories dream like. Spock had done this with the doctor's permission.

Whatever else the doctor had seen, Spock could not pry around the human's mind without his explicit permission.

Not unless he had to be sure the human was alive.

Warmth spread through their jointly shared link.

McCoy felt safe and comfortable in the Vulcan's presence.

McCoy's grip slackened on the Vulcan as he placed a light kiss on the Vulcan's lips. The Vulcan obliged returning the kiss breaking the mind meld letting his hand slide down to the man's waist. They were like that, standing there, in the wide elevator. It was a quiet, calm room. The doors chimed once the elevator came to a stop. Spock stepped back as the doctor's hands let go of the Vulcan. Almost as though he was inaccessible to him. The walls were painted a shade of peach. There were glass like fixtures built in showing rounded circles that were small yet big enough as their thumb.