Night 58: M41-M50 Hallway

[corvus_veritas]

[M41]

For the first time that Byrne could remember in the four or five days he'd been here, the night began without any sort of dramatic fanfare. No mysterious intercom broadcast, no creepy static, no doctors coming in to drag him away again, no nothing. Just the usual unlocking of the doors and silence.

The staff were trying to find new ways to

Comments

[hes_deadjim]

McCoy might be a lot of things right now, but he wasn't blind. He caught the wobble, the lightheaded sensation Spock must have just experienced. And Spock was the hardest out of the entire crew, and if he wasn't, he was the most stubborn when it came to acting like nothing got to him. If it was enough to slip out past his control, or take him by surprise, it was bad news.

He got to his feet, and quickly found his bearings just in case Spock had another wave of weakness. His legs felt stronger, or maybe it was his balance and coordination that had been out the window before. McCoy made sure he was ready to walk, holding onto Spock's arm whenever it felt shaky. He guided them to one of the beds, bracing himself to support Spock if the tables turned.

McCoy sat down the moment he could, hoping Spock would get the hint and sit down too. The doctor held his head for a moment. Universe's worst hangover was right, but unlike the migraines before, it wasn't growing in strength. He could feel it slowly, slowly tapering off. After a moment, McCoy looked up at Spock, studying his face, his eyes. What had the man done to himself in order help?

"Are you okay?" McCoy tentatively asked.

[dual_worlds]

Fortunately, their efforts to support one another as they moved proved adequate, and they reached a sturdy place to sit without any further incident. His body felt heavy as he sank onto the place beside McCoy, though the only outward indication he gave was a brief close of his eyes.

The question was not unexpected. Although Spock generally did not wish for others to concern themselves about his health, he took that as another sign that McCoy had returned to his senses after all. Provided their captors did not tamper with their efforts, Spock saw no reason that he wouldn't be fully recovered by tomorrow. With that finished, they could focus on making contact with Jim and Nyota.

"Yes, I am," he quietly answered. His voice didn't come out as strong as he would have preferred, and for a moment spots swam before his eyes. Signs of fatigue and overexertion, no doubt. Simple rest would likely set those right, which meant there was little reason to focus on that now. "My stamina is admittedly not what it was before our capture, but there is no cause for alarm, Doctor."

[hes_deadjim]

Spock actually sat down next to him. That was either a good sign he'd come to his senses about acting like he wasn't having a problem or a bad sign, that he really was that badly off. It was something the other Spock would never have done. A sign of weakness in their universe. McCoy thought it was common sense. When Spock closed his eyes as if marshaling himself against the dizziness, McCoy's concern rose.

"Are you just sayin' that to get out of a physical?" McCoy asked. He was only half joking. Spock had overexerted himself, possible more than was safe for a human if it got to him on this level, to help him. It was his fault Spock was like this. If Spock became seriously ill because of him, or worse, maybe he should have left McCoy to it. He couldn't ask anyone to hurt or kill themselves through work for him.

[dual_worlds]

"I am saying that because it is the truth," Spock answered as easily as completing a simple mathematical equation. "Since I first awoke here, my strength has been reduced to a third of what it once was. It is only logical that I would experience some degree of fatigue after guiding us through a mind meld of that intensity."

True, he hadn't suffered any ill effects after his meld with Jim. However, the captain had been in a stable frame of mind, and Spock hadn't had to correct any damage, either.

"I do not expect it to continue beyond tonight," Spock added. With his balance stabilized, the Vulcan was able to fully straighten his posture now. "Given your apparent recovery, the benefits clearly outweigh any temporary discomfort."