[voice; open]

[doctornota]

This is Lieutenant Commander Dr. Leonard McCoy of the starship Enterprise, and I would like to know who is responsible for putting me in what appears to be a morgue.

[It's definitely McCoy's voice, but the accent is ever-so-slightly more prominent, and the tone is overall cooler. There seems to be a slight simmering edge of anger, but

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[voice]

[rightawaydoctor]

Leonard! You're back! I knew you'd come back!

[Her voice sounds ecstatic, and she takes a quick breath to calm down.]

You're back in Bete Noire. Do you remember it at all?

[voice]

[doctornota]

[He tenses up. That's Nurse Chapel's voice - but she doesn't sound at all like the Chapel he knows, and she's calling him Leonard, like they have any sort of relationship beyond the professional. He fights down the revulsion, and speaks evenly. Best to be careful. This might be a trick.]

I'm afraid not, Nurse Chapel. What happened?

[voice]

[rightawaydoctor]

[The formality throws her for a second, but then she brushes it off. He probably thinks he's still on an away mission or something.]

You've been to this place before. It's a large city set within its own little universe and we can't escape from it. Some powerful force brings us in and sends us back home again on a whim.

[She takes a deep breath. Here comes the hard part.]

About a month ago, you disappeared. We all figured you went home. Then two days ago, you turned up again, contacting us the way you're doing now, when you were attacked and killed. The thing about this city is, if it brings you in, it has a purpose for you, so people who are killed don't stay dead. That's why you awakened in the morgue.

[voice]

[doctornota]

People don't stay dead here.

[There's a hint of interest in his voice.]

Who brought me here? And who killed me?

[voice]

[rightawaydoctor]

The city's favorites don't stay dead. Some people do though.

[There's a brief pause. She's still just so giddy that he's back, but his behavior is striking her as odd. Was he taken from an earlier point in his time line? Well, it couldn't be that much earlier. He recognized her by voice and called her Nurse, not Cadet. Again she brushes off the concern.]

I don't know. The city has strange power. You might say the city itself brought you. As for the second, I think it was just someone who wanted to mug you.

[voice]

[doctornota]

[...now that's interesting to note.]

So it's like Lieutenant Commander Scott said. It brings people in and doesn't let them out until it wants to. Is that about the size of it?

[voice]

[rightawaydoctor]

That's it all right.

So you've talked to Scott already? I'm surprised he was feeling talkative.

[But she decides to move on.]

Is anyone coming to get you?

[voice]

[doctornota]

Lieutenant Uhura told me to 'get in a cab and come home,' but she didn't offer to get me, no.

[voice]

[rightawaydoctor]

Oh, well obviously she doesn't know you didn't come back with your memories. I'll come get you.

[There's the sound of her moving around, putting on her shoes.]

We all live together in a pretty nice mansion. You, me, Jim, the other Jim, Uhura, and Gaila.

[voice]

[doctornota]

The other ... Jim? Another captain?

[voice]

[rightawaydoctor]

Yeah, it sounds weird, but he's from a different universe and a later date than we are. And actually? He's an Admiral.

[voice]

[doctornota]

A different universe, really?

I'm amazed he survived long enough to become an admiral.

[voice]

[rightawaydoctor]

[She laughs and there's the sound of her keys jingling as she gets ready to meet him.]

I know! This one definitely looks before he leaps, unlike ours.

[voice]

[doctornota]

Oh? What else does he do?

[voice]

[rightawaydoctor]

Well he's mainly raising a baby right now, and doing a fine job of it.

[She contemplates telling him that the baby's name is Horatio, but decides to hold off and let Jim tell him.]

I'm on my way. Should be there in about twenty minutes. Five, if I catch a cab along the way.

[voice]

[doctornota]

Raising a baby - ?

I'll see you soon.