First let me start off by saying I like this. I am torn about how I feel about Abrams Star Trek, but McCoy is one of my favorite characters in either iteration. I also feel like he's probably the one who came the closest to being true to the character Star Trek fans already knew, while finding his own distinct personality nuances in the character.

I like how you give Pike two distinct postings--recruiting officer while the Enterprise is being built, and then Captain of the Enterprise later, but you make it clear he still holds the rank of Captain. That's a unique perspective, and one I hadn't considered; in my mind, he was simply a Captain who was between ships, working at the Academy or at Starfleet HQ while waiting for his orders to come down.

Another part of this which I found interesting was his reaction when Pike asked him about his daughter. She's the light of his life, and yet, he's leaving, which indicates a pretty bad divorce. The bitterness in his voice when he talks about the divorce is pretty true to life and to McCoy's character. I could picture the look that made Pike almost flinch.

I love that McCoy's record is solid, and Pike can tell that he is a good recruit, even though he's likely hung over and gets the shakes from thinking about flying or transporting. Obviously, he saw something in McCoy that told him to ignore all of that and sign him on anyway.

Overall, this is a delightful read, which reads almost like a scene from the movie, and the characters are very well written. Thank you.