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

[dual_worlds]

Although Spock would have preferred to keep the door shut for privacy reasons, he caught the grateful expression on McCoy's face. So far he was making every effort to proceed as delicately as possible, and it appeared he had yet to outright provoke the doctor. That did not mean he could let his guard down, however. During the course of the meld, they would both be in a vulnerable position

[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."