Day 47: Recreational Field [Second Shift]

[vsyourface]

Scott wasn't really what one would call the sporty type, at least not currently. In the past, maybe. He could have called himself a hockey player at one point - in grade two (it totally counted). And he had been a jock in high school, hadn't he (he had at least played a lot of Track & Field for the NES, anyway)? Regardless of what his athletic

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[hes_deadjim]

Hayes might be generally pleasant, with an even temper than most people he knew but McCoy caught the trace testiness all the same. He was as human as the rest of them. He'd hit something unintentionally with his comment.

"I didn't say you thought it was worth it," he replied, an eyebrow lifted at him, consideringly. "Only that there's a very real emotional and psychological danger to being taken in by all this."

McCoy thought about leaving him be for now, but he knew that wouldn't solve it. The commander had been in a fine mood up until a few seconds ago. His presence hadn't been intrusive up until then.

It was almost easy to forget that there were (apparently) other dimensions besides that mirrored one or the one Jim and Spock came from, ones where here wasn't any Federation he knew or an Earth with a clear sky. The commander had mentioned an enslaved Earth. It was with that realization that McCoy realized he'd officially just put his foot in his mouth. He didn't know the exact specifics, and he didn't think he could understand them all either, but the commander had lived through it personally and it would definitely be a sore spot.

McCoy uncomfortably clasped his hands behind his back and looked out over the field. "I'm sorry."

[cmdr_exposition]

Obviously Hayes hadn't done as good a job keeping his annoyance to himself as he'd hoped, but the doctor was apologizing rather than getting defensive in response. Which, since he was sure he hadn't been that snappish, probably meant he'd figured out what he'd said wrong. That was a little embarrassing, actually, but nothing he couldn't deal with.

"Just don't try to lecture me on being a prisoner," he said wearily, turning his eyes back upward for what comfort he could get from it. Maybe, eventually, some overeager young spacer with a starship would turn up in it out of nowhere. It wasn't very likely, but it hadn't been very likely the first time around, either. "I've gotten very good at it."

[dual_worlds]

With each day and night that passed, Spock took whatever opportunity he could to listen to Martin Landel's announcements over the intercom. Unfortunately, most of them were rather cryptic, and provided little to no information regarding their location, or their ultimate purpose for being held captive here. The supposed system malfunctions that occurred shortly after his arrival were likely going to be the only tangible clues he'd receive from the staff for a long while.

In the meantime, it was his responsibility to get as solid of an idea of the surroundings area as possible. While their movements were restricted during the day, Spock believed it was possible to use the mundane daytime activities to his advantage in further assessing their situation. It was partly for that reason that he didn't offer any protests when the nurse suggested he join the other male patients for some recreational exercise.

As he stepped outside onto the grass, Spock took a moment to gaze out onto the field. It didn't take him long for him to locate Mr. Chekov and Dr. McCoy, although it appeared Kirk had not yet joined them. Not for the first time, Spock took a moment to briefly examine the grey garment his nurse had provided for him before escorting him outside. Like the shirt beneath it, it bore the peculiar design that appeared to be one of the institute's trademarks.

Even when he was wearing one of these "sweatshirts", however, the air was much chillier than what he was accustomed to. Still, the half Vulcan gave no outward indication of his discomfort as he approached Dr. McCoy and the man whom he recognized as Mr. Hayes, the one who had accompanied them on their rescue mission two nights ago. Instead, he gave a simple, polite nod in greeting once he'd stopped beside them.

It was possible he was interrupting something, in which case he had no issue with moving on. But the fact remained he had yet to learn more about this Hayes, nor had he gotten the chance to speak with McCoy since last night.

[hes_deadjim]

"I assure you, Mr. Hayes, it's from a completely medical standpoint," McCoy said. "But I'll keep that in mind in the future," he conceded anyway.

Maybe he should have left the commander to it. The conversation had gone from neutral, polite to awkward in a matter of moments. McCoy supposed he only had himself to blame for it. Even if he couldn't quite wrap his head around just the thought of an enslaved Earth, Hayes had lived it. Just because he didn't fully understand it, didn't mean he could just go mouthing off in front of him.

Luckily they had an interruption, because McCoy could feel it getting more uncomfortable with each passing second. Spock seemed to show up out of nowhere (the man could be far quieter than a human when he felt like it), and drew up to them. McCoy started in surprise.

For an instant, McCoy tensed as Spock settled right next to him. Seeing him so soon brought back memories of last night. Even though that mind meld business was over and done with, McCoy could feel his stomach turn over. Spock was standing too close. All he had to do was reach over--

McCoy mentally gave himself a shake. He was being ridiculous. It was just nerves; nerves brought on by what their captors had done to them, to Jim, and what they could still do. The possibilities were endless. The harsh facts of their situation weren't lost on him. He didn't even know if he was in the same galaxy as his Enterprise was. He was right in the middle of a hospital that saw fit to abuse its patients in the worst way possible. They'd drilled a hole in a patient's head, for God's sake.

Better to focus on what was going on here and now. He had to admit, a part of him was curious to see how far Mr. Hayes patience went with Spock. Had they even been formally introduced? A meeting with Jim bleeding all over him in the middle of the night could hardly be called favorable circumstances.

That settled it. A formal introduction seemed in order. It was safe enough.

The doctor's fingers, clasped together behind his back, tightened all the same.

"Nice of you to join the living, Mr. Spock," he said pointedly. It wasn't entirely true: While he'd been trying to keep an eye out for the crew and their eating habits, Spock had shown up at breakfast. He just, in McCoy's professional opinion, didn't eat enough. Bad enough Jim was doing it, but Spock, with all that superior Vulcan logic, should know better.

McCoy turned to Hayes. "Mr. Hayes, this is Commander Spock, First Officer to the Enterprise.Spock, this is Commander Hayes."

[cmdr_exposition]

Hayes resisted the impulse to say something sarcastic; after all, the last thing anyone needed in dangerous circumstances was for him to go picking a fight with someone friendly over a minor failure of tact. The VUX had been conquered that way, come to think of it, and he had no desire to follow that example.

He probably shouldn't mention that train of thought to the Admiral later. Speaking of failures of tact!

Since he wasn't going to keep arguing, Hayes cast about in his mind for something inoffensive to say. The most obvious ones seemed a little inane to him, but fortunately he was saved from having to use one by the new arrival. The one who'd seemed in charge of that rescue party he'd been caught up in the other night, if he remembered correctly. Maybe if they started a new conversation they could pretend the last five minutes hadn't happened.

The doctor seemed to be having the same thought, and made to introduce them, so Hayes got to his feet to offer the commander his hand. "It's good to meet you when no one's fleeing for their lives, Mr. Spock," he said, his neutral demeanor now settling back into place.

[dual_worlds]

Though the manner in which his body had suddenly stiffened was not entirely lost on Spock, the first officer decided it could have been the result of several factors otherwise unknown to him. Ultimately, it was McCoy's remark that was met with a brief raise of Spock's eyebrow. It would have made more sense if he had said that to him after his unfortunate incident in the hallway during his second night in Landel's, even if it wouldn't have been terribly appropriate. As it was, he chose not to give those words an outright response, and so he was satisfied to leave it at that, particularly once the doctor formally introduced him to Commander Hayes.

Initially, Spock wondered if he was from Starfleet. Once he saw Mr. Hayes get up and extend his hand out to him in a customary Human handshake, however, he realized that likely wasn't the case. After all, most Starfleet personnel were well aware of the proper way to greet Vulcans, as well as the fact that they generally had something of an aversion to unnecessary physical contact. For a brief moment, Spock coolly looked at the man's hand before giving another nod of acknowledgment.

"Indeed, Mr. Hayes," he evenly replied. "Such circumstances are hardly conducive for introductions."

[hes_deadjim]

Well wasn't that even more awkward. Maybe it was too much to expect Spock to know a little something about social grace when it came to associating with non-Vulcans. McCoy watched Spock just study that extended hand for a moment as if it was a briefly fascinating equation. He didn't take it, of course. The doctor knew full well why he didn't. He still could have handled it better, such as saying something. McCoy frowned at him.

When the explanation wasn't forthcoming, he sighed.

"Spock's a touch telepath," McCoy said as way of explanation, seeing as how the Vulcan wasn't going to even bother trying to excuse himself. Hayes didn't have that much (or any) experience with Vulcans. He didn't know why Spock thought it fair to expect him to make the adjustments that the crew of the Enterprise had made by now. At least give the man warning.

"Vulcans don't indulge in too much physical contact. Or manners."

[cmdr_exposition]

It hadn't actually occurred to Hayes that the man was anything but human. He supposed he should have been more open to the possibility, since he already knew two bodyswitched aliens, but even now that he was looking he couldn't see any of that uncomfortable awkwardness in Spock.

Not that it mattered, really. The point was that this was just a cultural issue, and even if it had been a while since Hayes had really dealt closely with aliens, he wasn't going to be thrown by something as simple as not liking to touch.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said instead, dropping his hand again. "It's hard to tell who's not human around here."

[dual_worlds]

Spock didn't believe he'd ever been mistaken for a full-blooded Human before, particularly since it was no secret that his physiology favored his father's side. In fact, if he had known he was going to be stranded in a version of 21st century Earth beforehand, he would have taken greater measures to secure himself some sort of hat to at least make his pointed ears less apparent. Judging by Hayes' reaction, however, perhaps his appearance was not as off-putting as he would have anticipated. Or perhaps he was merely being polite. Spock couldn't discount that possibility, either.

He glanced toward McCoy during his subjective explanation. "What constitutes as manners, Doctor," he spoke, "often varies greatly from culture to culture." Although he had not accepted the handshake with his own hands, Spock did not believe he had done anything wrong, particularly since Hayes didn't appear offended.

"There is no reason for you to apologize, Mr. Hayes," he told him once he focused his attention back on the other man. "It is simply one of the many differences between Humans and Vulcans."

[hes_deadjim]

McCoy met Spock's glance and shrugged. It seemed awfully strange that Hayes didn't notice he wasn't fully human. It wasn't like a Capellan or Argelian, where you'd only be able to tell that they were alien from an internal scan. Those Vulcan ears and sharp eyebrows stuck out like a beacon. Maybe it was Hayes trying to be polite, trying to avoid bringing attention to the issue. McCoy had no problem staring at Spock's ears himself, but it figured someone meeting him for the first time would err on the side of manners.

Spock was right, of course. Despite all their arguments, there were some things the doctor tried to take note of and be respectful towards. He couldn't fully understand what it meant to be a touch telepath but he could begin to guess. Maybe the doctor liked pushing the Vulcan's buttons, but there were some things you just had to respect. This was one of them: McCoy had silently honored Spock's wish to keep physical contact to a minimum.

"Well, considering you're stuck with a shipful of us humans, I'd say majority rules," McCoy said contrarily anyway. He could feel himself relaxing, just a little. Bickering with Spock was safe ground. The discomfort at being so near Spock started to subside, but didn't completely vanish.

The doctor looked to Hayes. He went on. "There's no need to be coy, commander. Those ears stick out as badly as a pair of iron spikes in a wood picket fence," A smile tugged at his lips. "You could even say they give Mr. Spock a certain devilish charm."

[cmdr_exposition]

It was obvious the two had served together for a long time, but amusing and familiar as Hayes might otherwise have found their banter to be, a bigger surprise had occupied his attention and his surprise was evident. This was how he looked as a Vulcan? He looked even more human than a Syreen!

"They're actually not that unusual," Hayes pointed out. "For a while there was even a fashion for having that done with cosmetic surgery- supposedly it improved their hearing, personally I suspect they just thought it looked cool." He paused for a moment to consider how to put the next part. "I've just never heard of any species this similar before. Was some kind of exogenesis involved...?"

[dual_worlds]

"Technically, we do not serve on board the same vessel," Spock remarked, pale hands clasping neatly behind his back. "Even if that were the case, however, you should know a starship does not properly operate under a majority rule." Democracy had very little to do with the military hierarchy found on board a Federation vessel. It was the captain's authority that ultimately prevailed, as it should.

When McCoy made that particular comment, Spock briefly glanced toward the sky in what could have possibly been construed as a tiny eye roll if someone was looking close enough. As it was, he was mostly considering the doctor's words for a brief moment. During his childhood on Vulcan, his peers did not hesitate to call attention to the eyes he'd inherited from his mother. Naturally, in a social environment among Humans, his Vulcan ears would become the object of scrutiny. It was not a situation Spock was not already used to, although he did not sense any malicious intent behind McCoy's words. Still, that did not stop him from giving his own rebuttal.

"If you are insinuating my ears are an eyesore, I assure you the current view is not particularly pleasing from my perspective, either."

It was rather strange to think that Hayes originally assumed his ears were the product of vanity, though Spock did not find some of the outward similarities of Vulcans and Humans to be particularly remarkable. "In my experience, Mr. Hayes," he spoke, "there is a wide variety of sentient lifeforms in the universe, both humanoid and non-humanoid."

He was about to add more, but did not find the opportunity. Instead, his gaze was drawn to where he'd located Chekov earlier, who seemed to be engaged in an unwanted encounter with a larger, older-looking patient. Spock's eyes faintly narrowed as he assessed the situation -- they were both on the ground, and it appeared Chekov was attempting to flee. A quick glance around the field told him Captain Kirk was nowhere to be found, which left him the responsibility of seeing to Chekov.

"Stay here," he suddenly instructed McCoy. "If your assistance is required, I shall call for you."

And with that he promptly began making his way over to the navigator.

((To here.))

[hes_deadjim]

That smarted. McCoy bristled. He didn't know what things were like on Spock's side of the parallel dimensions, but it did feel like this Vulcan either had more patience than his or was entirely unsure how to deal with McCoy arguing with him at every turn. Clearly his counterpart in their universe wasn't doing it nearly enough. It looked like Spock was a fast learner all the same. McCoy felt like he'd just been slapped.

His mouth opened to deliver his own retort when Spock seemed to look away right in the middle of it. The doctor followed his gaze.

Chekov was in the middle of scrambling up off the ground with a man nearby who looked both large and none too friendly. Picking a fight with a prisoner? The Chekov he knew might be a little hot-headed at times, but he also knew (mostly) when to keep his head down. This Chekov had seemed the same, or so he thought. He wouldn't just pick a fight out of the blue.

Yet in some strange corner of McCoy's mind, it didn't sound nearly that irregular at all.

Spock was already issuing orders. His head snapped back to look at the Vulcan. "Wait, Spock-" What if the ensign needed medical attention?

It was too late. The Vulcan was already off, long limbs carrying him towards whatever Mr. Chekov had managed to land himself into it. McCoy restrained himself and remained where he was.

An order was an order. He didn't like it, and he didn't have to, but he had to follow it. He chewed the inside of his cheek then, still keeping an eye on what was going on across the field, glanced back at Hayes.

"I can't say anyone would want to look like a Vulcan, Mr. Hayes, but there's plenty of humanoids and non-humanoids where we come from," the Horta came to mind, a life form so utterly different from what they'd encountered that he'd had to see it to believe it. Hayes was essentially asking how the creation of the cosmos came about. "You're asking the ultimate question and I don't have the answer to it. I'm just a simple doctor."