"I guess that tracks. If they went back the second they left, there wouldn't be time in the past for things to change. I guess. This isn't exactly my area of expertise. I try to avoid messing with things like time. Nothing good comes of it." The other Spock wasn't terrible, aside from being Spock, but the other people who'd come through had been pretty awful.

Shit. Oh shit. McCoy hadn't meant to depress the kid! He got up and moved over, sitting next to Peter, and slid an arm around his shoulders, "Hey, hey I'm sorry. I'm sorry Peter. I didn't mean to bring up a sad memory. I'm sure you'd be great at his company. I bet his wife hires you the second you apply!" There was respect there, a lot of it, and enough grief to tell him there wasn't a fight separating them but death. The way he talked sounded too permanent for anything else.

"I'm sorry . . ."