Who: Leonard McCoy & Clara Oswald What: First offline meeting, complete with a TARDIS cooked breakfast When: 7/25/20, in the morning Where: Clara's TARDIS Warnings: None Status: Complete
It had been a long week. The bright spot had been going to Hollywood and walking on the Walk of Fame with his daughter, but work was frustrating and he needed a break. And by break, it wasn’t that he didn’t want to see his daughter, but he wanted a day to himself. Maybe catch a movie, maybe get food he didn’t have to cook and a good beer...maybe not by himself, but he’d see if Kirk was available.
It was strange to know that where they were from they knew each other, and frustrating that he hadn’t had a Dream since the one where he got his fishing rod. He wanted to know how they knew each other, what they went through together, whether they were just acquaintances or what in that world. Or that reality. Whatever the hell it was that the Dreams meant.
But first, before anything else? Coffee. He locked up his apartment and headed to the nearest coffee shop that wasn’t Starbucks. It was lucky for him there was one a few blocks away, well within walking distance, that served a bold coffee as its default. Black with some cream and he’d be able to get through the day.
--
History Youtube channels were amazing. And also a massive time suck. Good thing Clara didn’t need to sleep. Even so, she should probably take a break, what with the last video she’d been watching had been about Nazinsky, or Stalin’s Cannibal Island. Cheerful stuff, really. No matter, there was a diner to run since she felt like being social.
With a location chosen, the TARDIS materialized while no one was around and the brunette headed out to the counter. It was always amusing being a British woman running a very Americana type diner, but the TARDIS had a broken chameleon circuit which meant that would always be its disguise. Even so, it worked for her.
And not even in place for a half hour, and she heard the door open. Looking up from the book she’d been reading (apparently she was on a Soviet kick), the brunette grinned.
“Morning. What can I do you for?”
--
This was...new. He didn’t remember a diner there before, but he could smell coffee that was the most delicious smelling coffee he’d ever sniffed. And the food smelled good too. He figured why the hell not, and so he opened the door.
It was a very 1950s, Americana-type diner, and he just imagined it was the kind of place Kirk would have loved. Joanna too, actually, and he felt a tinge of regret for playing hooky from his weekend visit this morning. But it looked nice and if he liked the food and coffee, he might come back.
“Coffee, please. Black with a little cream?”
--
Oh Jim definitely loved the diner and now that Clara had an idea on just who was in her diner? Well, she would definitely have to let Jim know she had met the other best friend. Dream best friend? She wasn’t really sure. She apparently filled the role of numerous people in his Dreams depending on the situation.
Plus, new people to interact with.
“Coming right up. Just the coffee? Or anything else?” Great thing about psychic paper menus and a TARDIS? Well, it could be whatever but she did hope that he actually chose something and it was relatively normal. The lobster situation had been...interesting. Though so long as the TARDIS was behaving she hopefully wouldn’t have any similar issues.
--
“The corned beef hash smells good,” Bones said. “But could I look at a menu?”
He sat down on one of the stools at the counter. The waitress was pretty, in a cute and way too young for him way, but she reminded him of someone. He couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Maybe he’d run into her at the ER, or she was on the boards. But his mind was foggy from lack of sleep and caffeine, and he couldn’t quite figure it out.
Once he was handed a menu, he looked at it. Everything looked amazing, to be honest, and if he had three stomachs he’d probably eat a little of everything. Finally he looked up. “Okay. Corned beef hash, fried eggs, and a hamsteak, with a side of the fruit and an orange juice. Probably going to shoot my cholesterol through the roof, but we’re all allowed a cheat day.”
--
“Sure.” Handing over a menu, Clara got to work on the coffee. That at least was a staple in diners and she didn’t have to worry too much about if it would suddenly seem weird or the like. So instead she just placed it in front of him before leaning back against the wall while she waited.
Oh the Network. A place of oddness and connections being made.
“That’s the spirit.” Taking the menu with a wink, Clara headed to the ‘kitchen’ in order to put the order in, before coming back out. The TARDIS seemed to enjoy the ruse just as much as she did, so she’d get a ‘ding’ when the appropriate amount of time had passed.
--
He clasped his hands on the counter and looked around. He was the only one here, but it was still a cozy feeling here, as though...well, as though he was supposed to have come in. It wasn’t like his waitress was rolling her eyes and pissed she couldn’t finish her book. That was a nice change from some other diners he’d been in in the past.
Speaking of books, he looked over at hers. “Interested in other countries?” he asked. He didn’t have much interest in Russia, though he’d been fascinated by the various African and Middle Eastern cultures he’d been exposed to when he was in Doctors Without Borders. It had been a culture shock, definitely, but he felt he’d grown more and was a better person because of the experience.
--
Oh the main reason Clara ran the diner was because she enjoyed seeing who would come in and striking up conversation with people. It also served as an excellent base of operations if people had peculiar things that needed to be investigated. But no, if she wasn’t feeling up to dealing with people, well, the doors would remain closed even if the TARDIS were parked somewhere and visible.
“I am. Was a literature teacher for a bit and always enjoyed reading the history of the time and place for context. Now I just tend to wander bookstores and get lost in the history section now and again.”
Which meant she never knew just what she would end up picking up to read. So a three volume set of books on the gulag system by someone who had been through it? Sure. Why not.
--
“Now, how does one go from being a literature teacher to...waitress? Diner owner?” Bones tilted his head to look at her. He was still feeling there was something familiar about her, though as he sipped his coffee he couldn’t figure out for the hell of him where he knew her from.
But he got her about the books. He didn’t read often, but what he did tend to read, if it wasn’t medical in nature, was nonfiction and history books. He wouldn’t say he was a history buff, per se, but it was something that interested him sometimes.
--
It was definitely an odd jump and Clara knew it. So she just shrugged.
“Well, Sort of felt like I was stalling out on the teacher thing, some issues with the district on curriculum, ended up with a diner and figured why not give it a shot. I still get former students coming in now and again to catch up or for help when it comes to their college work. So it’s not like I left teaching entirely behind.”
For Clara, reading was reading. It could be history, nonfiction, literature (obviously) or anything that struck her fancy. It really was a roll of the dice on that one.
--
Bones nodded. That actually made a fair amount of sense. “Sounds kind of like my life. Had a practice in Georgia, went through a horrible divorce, got chased out of the United States by my ex, did Doctors Without Borders for a while, and now I work at an emergency room here to be closer to my daughter in boarding school.” He had some of the coffee. “Kind of funny, the way life twists and turns.”
He tilted his head. “You know, I swear I’ve seen you before somewhere. You just seem really familiar for some reason. Have you been to the ER lately?”
--
“Well that sounds a bit dramatic but yes, life does have a lot of twists and turns.” Wasn’t that how she had ended up in Orange County in the first place? A random job offer and running away from the pain of losing Samuel?
And then the question.
“No, not recently. You probably recognize me from Valarnet.”
--
Once she answered then it hit him. She’d been on Jim’s posts. “You’re a friend of JIm’s, right?” he asked, shaking his head. “I have to say, I can see the appeal. You seem like an interesting person.”
He had some more of his coffee and relaxed even more. If she was a friend of JIm’s, he was in good hands. He didn’t know much about their shared past, but he trusted JIm’s judgement, if nothing else. Any friend of his would be a good person, if nothing else.
--
Clara nodded as the pieces were put together, “That I am. Clara Oswald.”
Proper to give a name after all. Especially after a connection was made. But then the TARDIS went ‘ding’ and she excused herself to head to the ‘kitchen’ in order to get Bones his breakfast. Plate in hand, the brunette returned to the front part of the TARDIS and placed it in front of him.
“Here you go.”
--
“Leonard McCoy,” he said with a grin. “Pleasure to meet you.”
When she excused herself to get his meal, he glanced at his phone, wondering if he should message Jim on the boards about this. But he figured he’d at least wait until he was done with his breakfast first, especially when he saw it in front of him. It looked damn near perfect.
“Thanks.”
--
“Likewise.”
As she returned and placed the food in front of him, Clara nodded at the word of thanks.
“Of course.”
Smiling some, she opened up the book she had on hand, given she doubted he’d be in much of a talking mood since he was having breakfast. Which meant? Time to get some reading in.
--
He dug into the food and it did indeed taste as good as it smelled. Just like his mama had made, he realized. It had been a long time since he’d had something that tasted this much like his childhood meals. He’d definitely have to come visit Clara more often, he decided.
When he was done he finished off his coffee and then reached for his wallet. “How much?” he asked, figuring if nothing else it would be worth every cent, even with a generous tip.
--
The TARDIS was like that. If it liked you, the food would apparently be something reminiscent of childhood or just something you liked in general depending on what you saw on the menu. When it didn’t like you (and you were told to surprise the person), it would be something you didn’t like. Fickle thing.
As he asked the price, she gave one that she had seen similar for such meals at other diners. It wasn’t that she technically needed the money. She didn’t need to eat, and she had the wardrobe room. But there were things that required it still and what she didn’t need always ended up being donated to charity.
--
He paid the amount and then left a $10 tip. For food and company that good, Clara deserved it. “Since you’re on the boards, I guess I’ll see you there later. But I’d like to come back and try some more of the food. The menu looked great.”
He stood up and then grinned at her. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Clara.” After she replied, he left, a spring in his step he hadn’t realized he’d have. All in all, this was an excellent start to his day.