Suspended Imagination Chapter 2: Microscopes are Prudent
Written for this prompt at buckleup_meme
Sequel to Escaping Reality, which was the original fill.
It was deceptively easy to talk to Kirk; they thought a lot of the same things funny. That itchy place in the back of his head had started to burn and throb, but he had nothing to treat the headache but his mostly-empty travel-flask. He wondered for a moment if he could commandeer a medkit, as the throbbing became louder, out of time with his heartbeat. After a particularly violent twinge, his fingers flew to his temples, and he bit back a groan.
"You okay, Bones?" Kirk asked, and he just shook his heading, grunting as the pain increased with every word Kirk said, like gas on a fire. "Anything I can do?"
"Dammit, Jim, just shut up!" he snapped, before the throbbing became harder, like something was beating at his brain, wanting to be let out. He felt something 'give,' and suddenly he was throwing up violently. The last thing he saw was a ring on a chain hanging out from around Kirk's neck.
He woke up feeling groggy, the feeling of a broken mental block leaving him disoriented. Jim was crouched over him, blue eyes bright with concern. That face, with his returned memories, was the most beautiful sight he'd seen in years.
"Jim..." he said, wanting so badly to pull him down for a kiss.
"Oh God, Bones, are you okay?" Len sighed; obviously Jim didn't remember, had no idea.
"I'm fine, kid," he said, trying to hide the wave of grief that tried to pull him under, fighting not to succumb to it.
"That was scary." Len only then became aware of everyone else on the shuttle staring at him, laid out on the floor, the diminuitive Commander standing over them, a look of vague uncomfort on her features.
"I told you you needed a doctor," she said in a low voice, and it startled a laugh out of him.
"And I told you I am one." He sat up, ignoring the vertigo from long practice, and pulled himself back onto his seat. "I'm fine, kid. Let it go."
"You screamed, Bones." Len thought of something, and deliberately tried to get his voice to mimic itself at 18. It had worked to break his block, maybe it would do the same for Jim. Though he didn't think that Jim was suffering from a block; a serum was more likely, since Len's memory loss was at the hands of Jocelyn.
"It's happened before," he lied, glancing to judge reaction. Jim's eyebrow went up (not much, but then again Jim never had had control of his eyebrows) but nothing else happened. No grimace of pain, nothing. Len sighed and settled back into his seat, not defeated, just... deflated a little. He'd figure out what happened to Jim's memories, if it was the last thing he did.
(On to Chapter 3: Echoes)
Sequel to Escaping Reality, which was the original fill.
It was deceptively easy to talk to Kirk; they thought a lot of the same things funny. That itchy place in the back of his head had started to burn and throb, but he had nothing to treat the headache but his mostly-empty travel-flask. He wondered for a moment if he could commandeer a medkit, as the throbbing became louder, out of time with his heartbeat. After a particularly violent twinge, his fingers flew to his temples, and he bit back a groan.
"You okay, Bones?" Kirk asked, and he just shook his heading, grunting as the pain increased with every word Kirk said, like gas on a fire. "Anything I can do?"
"Dammit, Jim, just shut up!" he snapped, before the throbbing became harder, like something was beating at his brain, wanting to be let out. He felt something 'give,' and suddenly he was throwing up violently. The last thing he saw was a ring on a chain hanging out from around Kirk's neck.
He woke up feeling groggy, the feeling of a broken mental block leaving him disoriented. Jim was crouched over him, blue eyes bright with concern. That face, with his returned memories, was the most beautiful sight he'd seen in years.
"Jim..." he said, wanting so badly to pull him down for a kiss.
"Oh God, Bones, are you okay?" Len sighed; obviously Jim didn't remember, had no idea.
"I'm fine, kid," he said, trying to hide the wave of grief that tried to pull him under, fighting not to succumb to it.
"That was scary." Len only then became aware of everyone else on the shuttle staring at him, laid out on the floor, the diminuitive Commander standing over them, a look of vague uncomfort on her features.
"I told you you needed a doctor," she said in a low voice, and it startled a laugh out of him.
"And I told you I am one." He sat up, ignoring the vertigo from long practice, and pulled himself back onto his seat. "I'm fine, kid. Let it go."
"You screamed, Bones." Len thought of something, and deliberately tried to get his voice to mimic itself at 18. It had worked to break his block, maybe it would do the same for Jim. Though he didn't think that Jim was suffering from a block; a serum was more likely, since Len's memory loss was at the hands of Jocelyn.
"It's happened before," he lied, glancing to judge reaction. Jim's eyebrow went up (not much, but then again Jim never had had control of his eyebrows) but nothing else happened. No grimace of pain, nothing. Len sighed and settled back into his seat, not defeated, just... deflated a little. He'd figure out what happened to Jim's memories, if it was the last thing he did.
(On to Chapter 3: Echoes)