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"Where's your hobgoblin?" Dr. McCoy greeted Kirk as he plonked down in the seat next to him. The doctor surveyed his friend's cafeteria tray, consisting of a cherry tomato, olive and lettuce salad and nodded approvingly.
"I dunno," Kirk shrugged, "He was taking a class...maybe he got delayed in the Q&A."
"Hmph," McCoy replied, pushing his food on his plate.
"What's wrong, Bones?" Kirk said affably. His friend appeared grumpier than usual.
"Nothing." McCoy said gruffly, "Haven't heard from Jo in a week, but you know, kids these days…"
"Oh, yes! How is Joanna? How is she liking it aboard the Armstrong?" said Kirk, enthusiastically stabbing his lettuce with a plastic fork.
"Well she's excited to be CMO. You know the last thing she said to me before she was commissioned? 'Wish me luck, Papa. I'm sure there's a cure for the common cold out there in space, and I intend to find it'!" said McCoy, shaking his head.
Kirk grinned, "Speaking of kids," he said, nodding his head in the other direction.
Lieutenant Saavik and Dr. Marcus had just traipsed into the cafeteria, a comfortable six-inch gap between their shoulders. Saavik caught Admiral Kirk's eye and waved. David nodded in his father's direction, before his eyes scanned and found the table he was looking for.
"Awh, so precious," Peter smiled lazily, pushing his tray to one side to make place for the newcomers, "My best friend and my cousin."
"Shut up, Kirk," David said, a smile and a flush simultaneously creeping up on his dimpled cheeks.
"You first, Marcus," Peter counteracted.
"You boys are so adorable," Saavik said in a droll voice. "What's for lunch?"
"Greetings, Doctor, Admiral," said a deep, rich voice.
"Spock!" Kirk said, looking up. Spock was hovering over his shoulder, two fingers on one hand extended towards him in his customary fashion. Kirk returned the gesture and Spock settled down gracefully in the seat next to him.
"I apologise for the delay, Jim. The cadets in my Ethics and Social Responsibility class proved to be a rather overenthusiastic bunch," Spock said, offering an explanation.
Kirk waved his fork at him, "No big deal. Do you have another class after lunch?"
Spock nodded, "I'm taking Professor Xeria's Coding for Genetic Engineering class. It's a mandatory software instruction for all Starfleet students taking Xenobotany and Xenozoology."
"Sounds good. I'm still stuck in training cycles with the fourth year cadets," Kirk sighed, "Bones, you gonna eat that or…"
A few tables away, David turned to pick out one of the fries from Saavik's plate. She promptly smacked his arm away and offered him one perched on a fork.
"But, but, they're fries," David protested.
"If you wish to eat with a Vulcan, you have to learn to eat like one." Saavik admonished, her lips turning upward in a soft smile.
"Are we still on for drinks tonight?" Peter piped up. He was done with lunch and was rolling his eyes at the other two, as they ate fries with forks.
David nodded, "As soon as I'm done with the Genetics Coding class this afternoon. Man, I didn't know Starfleet was so particular about software and shit. I'm used to using Powerhouse but it turns out they use Seru 4," he grumbled.
"Xeria takes Coding for Genetics, right?" Peter asked, playing with a couple of plastic straws.
"Yeah, but Spock's filling in for him today. What about you?" said David.
Peter groaned, "I really need to get my shit together if I want to pull a McCoy and be CMO of my own starship one day."
Saavik nodded approvingly, "It would be advantageous, Peter, to pursue a dual degree in Xenobiology. It is rare to find an all-human crew on a starship these days."
"Yeah," said Peter, running a hand through his red hair, "That's doable. I could attend summer school, log in some extra lab hours, maybe even pick up some extra shifts at the hospital under Uncle Bones…"
"If I complete training this semester with the Admiral, I can sit for the Command finals at the end of the term," said Saavik happily. "Imagine, though, the three of us assigned to the same starship..."
"All I'm saying is, one video comm wouldn't hurt," McCoy persisted.
"Let it go, Bones. She's busy that's all. Kids these days have so much to do. I mean, Joanna's so young! And she's CMO! And before you know it, those three'll be commissioned too," said Kirk, pointing across the hall.
"I know, I know. It's an end of an era. The young 'uns move on and leave us behind and all that. Hmph, there was a time when it was impossible to sit down and enjoy a quiet meal in the cafeteria. Always inundated by a gaggle of students. The 'Space Triumvirate' they'd call us…" McCoy ruminated.
"Oh come now, Bones, it's not that bad," said Kirk, patting the doctor on his arm. The cafeteria doors swished open and a troop of first year cadets filed in, fresh out of class. "See, you might still be in demand."
"Look, it's Kirk!"
"Ah! Lieutenant Saavik, just the person I was looking for."
"Dr. Marcus, are you by any chance looking for an intern over the summer?"
Spock observed the crowd around the other table, with a comical lift of his eyebrow. "I believe, Doctor, that the Starfleet cadets have found a new, what is it that you mentioned...ah, 'Space Triumvirate'."
McCoy, chewed on his cheek muscle.
Kirk grinned, "Come on, gentlemen. We have classes to mind. We'll reconvene for dinner at eight."