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

M41

[dual_worlds]

((From here.))

After entering the block, Spock did a routine sweep with his flashlight in order to make certain that he wasn't in any immediate danger. Fortunately, the area appeared clear, and he continued into the next hallway that would lead him to McCoy's quarters.

The room was toward the end of the hall, but labeled clearly as M41. Although it was customary for humans to knock, Spock had never fallen into the habit of doing so, particularly since most doors in Starfleet were automated. Instead, he straightened his posture and verbally announced his presence.

"Dr. McCoy," he said, loud enough to be heard on the other side of the door, but still quiet enough not to draw any unnecessary attention from surrounding patients. "This is Commander Spock. May I enter your quarters?"

[hes_deadjim]

The Vulcan pressed his fingers to the doctor's face before he even had time to feel even the least bit surprised. Spock was pushing into his mind, probing with little regard for memories and thoughts. The first thing McCoy was aware of was how much it hurt. His mind felt like it was on fire, excruciating pain flooding him at the intrusion. His first instinct was to fight back with everything he had

[dual_worlds]

As Spock relived McCoy's previous experiences, he could feel their CMO's anxiety and dread building up in the pit of his stomach as though it were his own. A forced mind meld was no trivial matter, and that was exactly what had happened to McCoy while he'd been fully conscious, fully exposed. Irrational as it may have been, McCoy's subconscious equation between this alternate Spock and himself felt real enough to him to become reality. His erratic behavior over the past several days began to make a degree of sense when viewed within that context

[hes_deadjim]

Spock didn't say much. He was always a man of few words if it could be helped, but his thoughts were so well well ordered and logical that there was something calming about it. Any extra words were unnecessary. The tranquility that followed wasn't all Spock's. A sense of peace settled over McCoy. He slumped. He understood too. It was going to be all right

[dual_worlds]

Spock remained sitting on his knees, his posture upright and straight as he assessed the doctor's condition. He believed his efforts to repair the damage were successful, and so he had severed the link once he'd finished. Naturally, however, he couldn't be certain of the result unless he observed McCoy's behavior afterward on a first-hand basis. At the very least, the CMO was no longer acting irrational or paranoid. Tired, and perhaps unsettled by what he'd learned during their meld, yes, but he no longer wore the wild, wide-eyed expression of a cornered animal

[hes_deadjim]

It still felt strange looking at Spock, but the residual uneasiness was fading. The other Spock had a calculated edge, a cruelty under the surface, about him that this one didn't have, and frankly, this Spock just had a virtual free pass at his brain, and could have done anything or searched for anything. As far as McCoy knew, Spock hadn't. Even after all the mouthing off too. He really called the man a half-breed, didn't he? McCoy's mouth tugged into a grimace

[dual_worlds]

As far as Spock was concerned, there wasn't any need to apologize. The Vulcan understood that he still retained his individual identity, regardless of what any counterpart of his did. Perhaps, in his own way, the bearded Spock believed his actions were the most logical. That did not, of course, mean Spock condoned what he did.

Even so, McCoy appeared to be in acceptable physical condition, despite some of his current symptoms. Under normal circumstances, such uncomfortable sensations were only momentary, but Spock did not know whether that remained the same within the institute's walls.

When McCoy requested his help, however, Spock brought himself to a stand. Unexpectedly, the sudden movement brought a wave of dizziness, and he actually wobbled as his body instinctively fought to keep balance. After a moment, his senses settled, and he reached out to grasp McCoy's arm as though it hadn't happened. In fact, he took care to angle himself in a way that the doctor could easily grasp onto Spock's own arm in turn for further

[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

[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

[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."