The Long Silence [for losthunter]

[boldygoing]

Jim had been looking forward to getting drinks with Hunter after the end of the Nibiru mission.

Sure, it didn't exactly go according to plan, but when does it ever? And with the news of a five-year mission in the works, not yet assigned to a ship, he's pretty excited that the Enterprise might have a shot at the most prestigious and ambitious assignment Starfleet has ever offered. No crew is more prepared, he feels. And getting to explore uncharted territory every day for five years is a dream come true.

But that's before he gets called into Pike's office and busted back to fucking cadet.

Before the admiral tells him that the Enterprise is no longer Jim's.

Before Pike tracks him down in a dive bar, spiraling into the black hole of his own thoughts, consuming everything except the horrible, sinking feeling in his gut that somehow he's done everything horribly wrong, and the admiral tells him that he's not out of the running just yet.

He's not captain anymore. But Commander Kirk is the first officer of the Enterprise now, and as awful as it is that Spock has been reassigned, it's a rope thrown to a drowning man.

He's not okay. But maybe eventually he will be. And he barely has time to process any of this before the call comes in, that there's an emergency session called at Headquarters. Something like that is never, ever good news. And no matter what it's about, Jim has the distinct feeling that he's not going to be able to get around to having drinks with Hunter tonight.

He hurries to get into his gray dress uniform, and fires off a quick text message to the now-familiar number. Need raincheck. Emergency @ HQ.

Surely he'll have the time to reschedule later, once the crisis is over.

Comments

[boldygoing]

This time, at least, the answer comes with very little wait.

His condition is serious yet stable and slowly improving. I cannot discuss specifics.

Visitation by friends and family is allowed, with restrictions.

[losthunter]

Hunter frowns slightly. He wants to see Jim. But there is one problem...

I would like to schedule a visit. But I do not know where Starfleet Medical Center is located.

It is not something that had been discussed with Jim. He only has the PINpoint coordinates to the shuttle terminal in San Francisco. He can only hope that it is in the same city. Otherwise... he is not sure how to get to where Jim is.

[boldygoing]

The next message includes a set of transporter coordinates, but also attached is an old-fashioned street address of a location in lower San Francisco.

There's also a single line of text: Do not bring any recording devices.

[losthunter]

Hunter is grateful that an old-fashioned street address location was included. And is grateful that it is close to his PINpoint destination.

Understood.

He grabs a few things with him, still feeling slightly in panic mode. He makes sure that the only technology with him is the PINpoint, which he needs to get there. And then takes a deep breath, calming himself down a little more.

Then with that calmer mode, he activates the PINpoint to get to the shuttle terminal. He maintains that mode as he takes out the old-fashioned street address, and then relies on his own street smarts to get to his location. He just hopes that street layouts haven't changed too much.

[boldygoing]

The layout of the streets is much the same, but most of the businesses are quite different from the ones of the twenty-first centuries. There are very few land vehicles in use, as well, replaced by hovering cars or shuttlecraft. But there is also relatively little traffic out and about, and close to the north side of San Francisco, the reason why is clear.

There is a starship crashed in the middle of the city.

It's twice the size of the Enterprise, painted a sinister black rather than shining silver, but the style is much the same. It's a Starfleet ship, no doubt about it. A trail of destruction draws a straight line from the ship to the edge of the water, and in the path of damage is the shattered remains of Alcatraz. Flashing red and blue lights emanate from emergency vehicles flying around the wreck, rescuers hard at work clearing rubble and rescuing trapped survivors in the wake of the crashed ship.

Starfleet Medical is one of the biggest buildings in the city, far enough away from the wreck that it's untouched by the destruction. Several vehicles are parked near the entrance to the hospital building, their sides painted with what must be the names of local news networks, though the reporters themselves must remain behind a lighted barrier, like glowing police tape, restricting them from the hospital itself.

[losthunter]

"Holy fuck...." Hunter has to stop and stare when he sees the crash starship. He can tell by the amount of emergency vehicles around that this was a recent event. And he wonders if this has something to do with what had happened to Jim.

When he gets outside of Starfleet Medical and pauses again. There are so many news networks. And that lighted barrier. He wonders if he would be stopped... or even worse, prevented from entering.

Out of habit, Hunter had worn his hood up over his face when he had been out on the streets of San Francisco. But now, he pushes it out of his face. Then makes sure that his PINpoint is deactivated, just like he would for a cell phone in his own world. Then he heads towards the entrance of the hospital building.

[boldygoing]

The hospital is still very much open for business. Patients or families of patients head in through the main entrance, and the more urgent emergency cases arrive on the roof by shuttlecraft, possibly victims from the wreck that is the north side of the city. So Hunter will have little trouble entering with the other visitors, without being immediately stopped.

Inside, the hospital is shining and clean, almost painfully white, and there is a desk not far from the main entrance, staffed by several personnel in futuristic white uniforms, their Starfleet chest insignia altered slightly to prominently display the familiar sign of a red cross. A few visitors approach the desk, asking about the locations of loved ones, even their hushed voices somewhat loud in this quieter segment of the hospital, far away from the ER. There's no immediate indication of where to find Jim's room on his own.

[losthunter]

Hunter has never liked hospitals. His father had dragged him to specialist after specialist to find someone who could change his appearance back to what it had been. And being here, in the painfully white hospital, it was very nerve-wracking.

Hunter heads up to the desk, waiting for one of the personnel in those white uniforms to give him attention. "I am looking for the hospital room of Captain James Kirk. Please."

[boldygoing]

The nurse gives him a wary look for a moment before her expression clears slightly. "You must be Hunter. Commander Spock told us you'd be coming. One moment please." She leans over and touches some kind of control on the desk, which emits an audible chime. "Due to the heightened security, no visitors are being allowed into the CCU unaccompanied. The commander will be here shortly to escort you."

Hunter will not have to wait long. Spock appears from the depths of the hospital corridors, hands clasped behind his back to hide how they still tremble. Unlike last time they met, his Vulcan calm has cracked, and though his face is still nowhere near as nakedly expressive as a human's would be, he's visibly rattled.

[losthunter]

Hunter feels that chill in the back of his spine when she mentions that he would have to be escorted to CCU. That Jim is in a bad enough state that his room would be located there.

And it especially unnerving to see how rattled Spock is. Hunter feels his own emotions aching to be expressed. His eyes are wet. His voice cracks a little, when he speaks. "What should I be prepared to see?"

[boldygoing]

Spock waits to answer until they are further down the corridor, out of earshot of the other visitors waiting in the lobby. "The captain is currently comatose and his respiration is being supplemented by an oxygen field. There is also a stabilization field protecting minor fractures to the T12 and L1 vertebrae until he has recovered sufficiently to allow surgical repair."

The Vulcan hesitates, clearly struggling with his own emotions, while also realizing that he must take Hunter's into account. "Are you familiar with CCU visitor protocol?" he asks. While he doesn't know that Hunter is not from the twenty-third century, it's logical that many citizens would not have had the need for this knowledge before.

[losthunter]

"A coma?" His voice cracks again. He is not sure what an oxygen field is, but assumes that it means something similar to an oxygen tank. And he is also unsure what a stabilization field is either. His confusion is a little evident.

"No. I am not." Hunter admits. "What am I allowed to do? And not do?"

[boldygoing]

"As stated before, recording devices are not allowed within the Critical Care Unit, as the less scrupulous members of the media may seek out invasive images or soundbytes to accompany their reports," Spock says, finding some solace in the recitation of familiar rules and guidelines. It's only a small comfort, but it's something. "The captain's immune system is compromised from radiation exposure, so you must undergo decontamination every time you enter his assigned room. The procedure is swift and is not uncomfortable."

Spock pauses for a moment. "I have... been informed by Doctor McCoy that comatose humans are thought to heal better with tactile contact, or by hearing familiar voices. You need only refrain from any physical behavior that may interfere with medical apparatus or cause further injury."

[losthunter]

Hunter is very familiar with less scrupulous media people. His father was one of those people. And he nods in understanding.

He can also see that Spock is relaxed a little, reciting the rules and regulations.

"Radiation exposure?" He repeats, feeling even more concerned. "What kind of effects would decontamination have on someone who is scarred? And pierced?"

He has to raise an eyebrow at Spock's comment about refraining from any physical behaviour that might interfere with Jim's medical care. "Dude..." He shakes his head. He would not do anything to endanger Jim's life in any way. And besides, there is nothing sexy about a hospital.

"Has he responded to anyone yet?"

[boldygoing]

"It is not an important factor," Spock assures Hunter. "The sterilization process targets surface contaminants only."

Spock, being Spock, wasn't thinking about sexual contact in any way whatsoever, so Hunter's offended reaction puzzles him slightly. If anything, he might expect perhaps an attempted hug, which is ill-advised to say the least, or a kiss a la Sleeping Beauty. But he says nothing, unable to tell what Hunter is thinking about that particular restriction.

He stops outside a closed door, turning to face Hunter as he contemplates his answer. "Not in any meaningful way," he says at last. "His electrophysiological scans show mild stimulation in brain activity, but there is no external equivalent as of yet."

[losthunter]

"Surface contaminants." Hunter repeats. It doesn't sound like their version of decontamination would be as complex as something a hospital in his timeline would have to complete.

He feels like he is repeating a lot of what Spock is saying. It is a lot for him to take in... plus, he is trying hard to fit in, even though he doesn't understand any of their technology.

"You haven't tried a Mind Meld?" Hunter asks softly, before the door is opened, and they might not be alone anymore.

[boldygoing]

There's a device over the top of the door, a long gray box that lights up with a bright green light, the moment Spock touches a control next to the door. The beam sweeps over Spock and Hunter, causing only a slight, momentary prickling sensation like a static charge, but without the risk of shocking anything on contact.

Spock gives Hunter a slightly surprised look, raising an eyebrow. "I am not a trained healer," he admits. "I have been able to verify his presence, but nothing more." Still, he sounds a little relieved that Jim is still in there somewhere.

[losthunter]

"That is something good to hear." Hunter is assuming that the surprised look was caused by him voicing something personal that Jim had told him.

He enters the room, preparing himself mentally for seeing Jim.

[boldygoing]

The room is almost as painfully white as the rest of the hospital, though one wall is actually a large window, looking out over the city - the undamaged part of it, thankfully. Another wall is taken up with a blue and white holodisplay, which gives a constant stream of vital signs, tracking far more than just pulse and blood pressure.

There's only one bed in the room.

Jim almost looks like he's just sleeping. His eyes are closed, his face slack in unconsciousness, his breathing slow and steady. But there's a faint white glow in the space around his head, coming from a small flat machine that sits along the edge of the pillow. Two silver devices sit on either side of his torso, projecting a yellow field that seems to focus on his back. And apparently even in the twenty-third century, IV lines are still the way to go, as one hand is hooked up to clear plastic tubing, slowly dripping medication of some kind into his system.

All things considered, he doesn't actually look that bad. There's no blood, no scars, though he does have some odd mottled bruising that looks like it's trying to fade to green.

Spock stands back, allowing Hunter to take it all in at his own pace, respectful of the human's emotions.

[losthunter]

Hunter doesn't even know how to approach the bed for a moment. He is glad that Spock told him about the oxygen field, he assumes that must be white glow around Jim's head. And the yellow field must be the stabilization field. And while the IV lines are a familiar sight... they are not a pleasant sight.

Finally moving forward, Hunter reaches out gently, to trace his fingers over the top of Jim's hand.

And while they have not known each other long, it still hurts all the same to see someone he cares about in such a state. And to feel helpless.

"Hey handsome." His voice cracks a little again, as he speaks to the sleeping figure.

[boldygoing]

Jim, of course, doesn't move or reply. But he feels warm - perhaps a degree or two too warm - under Hunter's touch, and the rhythmic thrum of his heartbeat through the bed's sensors doesn't falter, steady and regular.

Spock would consider offering him the chance to be alone, but as Hunter is still something of an unknown to him, he's reluctant to do so. And besides... he isn't the biggest fan of walking off and leaving Jim behind, either. It's illogical, but his own responses these last few days have had little to do with logic.

[losthunter]

Hunter continues his gentle touch on Jim's hand, even with the slight warmth of Jim's body. He kneels down beside the bed, sliding his arm up a little further up Jim's, very aware not to disturb any IV lines.

"I was able to complete a little more of my clay model of your ship."

He realizes that it is quite possible that the Enterprise is damaged too. Just like the other ship that he crashed.

He turns his head to Spock. "You must have been there with him. And I know you can't tell me anything. But I'm sorry, for whatever you had to experience."

[boldygoing]

"As am I." Spock found the entire experience deeply disturbing from beginning to end, and it is not yet over. He stands there, hands still clasped behind his back, assured at least that Jim is doing better.

He can't tell Hunter how bad it really was. The captain's death is highly classified, as is the medical miracle that Doctor McCoy was forced to perform to bring him back. He must continue to use the cover story that has been established, both to protect the doctor from the fallout of literally raising a man from the dead, and to protect the captain from those who might seek to experiment on him further.

Fortunately, the cover story is still truth, just lacking important details. "He put his own life at risk to save the ship and the crew," Spock says quietly. "He conducted himself with honor and selflessness."

[losthunter]

"That sounds like him." Hunter runs his fingers up Jim's arm. It is hard, seeing him in such a fragile sight. Being so afraid to touch anything else but that arm, because he doesn't want to interfere with the oxygen or stabilization fields.

He knows that visiting hours are likely limited, but really is not wanting to leave Jim's side right now. He is going to find a way to make this work, so he can continue to visit Jim as much as possible.

"You are such a good captain." He whispers up to Jim.

[boldygoing]

There's a faint hum from the door as someone activates the decontamination beam, and another man steps into the room. He's wearing the same type of white uniform as the rest of the staff, but his dark hair is rumpled like he hasn't slept in days, scruffy stubble on his chin. He falters momentarily when he sees Hunter, a stranger he doesn't recognize, and draws in a breath to demand who the hell he is before he sees Spock, who is clearly allowing this unknown person to access the captain.

Most of the fight goes out of him, assured that if Hunter was any danger to their injured commanding officer, Spock would absolutely not just be standing there. But he's also under a great deal of stress, and his tone is perhaps a little brusque when he asks, "Who are you?"