A/N - This little story popped into my head so here it is! Basically a hurt/comfort fic with my favourite duo
The Ghost of Gabriel Lorca
Pike's head snapped to the side and he soon found himself sprawled out over the floor again. The Captain rolled out of the way just before a boot landed into his chest; glancing up in surprise at how fast his opponent was coming at him. Then again he had wanted a challenge. Pike managed to get to his feet just in time to block the next load of powerful blows which were all aimed at his chest and head. His opponent quickened her pace and soon Chris was annoyingly allowing some of the hits past his guard.
He grew wary as he saw his opponent grin before she raced towards him in a blur of motion. Pike's mind went blank and his instincts weren't enough to save him from being spun round and hauled over her shoulder. He moaned as he crashed into the ground heavily with someone sitting atop of his chest. The Captain blearily opened his eyes and stared up into the face of his sparring partner. Michael was grinning happily down at him and if Pike didn't know her better he would say she looked a little smug; perhaps he shouldn't have asked her to not hold back.
The Captain groaned when Michael shifted off him. He had to admit that what she had just done hurt like hell and was going to leave a couple of nasty bruises. It also had felt oddly familiar.
"Why do I feel like I've had that done to me before." He gripped his sore shoulder miserably.
Michael held out a hand to help him up which he took gratefully. He was even more grateful when she took hold of his shoulder and expertly massaged the strained muscles. "With who?" She asked curiously.
Pike grinned at her. "Your brother in fact. He enjoys kicking my ass too."
He had been looking for a new sparring partner ever since he had joined Discovery's crew, he was not about to let himself get out of shape and god forbid he lost a step before he and Spock sparred again. He had definitely picked the right person when he asked Michael; she was just as fast as her brother and just as skilled in Vulcan martial arts.
Michael laughed. "I didn't know you and Spock sparred Captain."
"How else will I learn to defend myself." Pike chuckled and raised a brow at his partner. "Vulcan's can fight."
Michael stopped massaging his arm and backed away into a fighting stance, Pike grinned and held his arms up ready. He warily watched his opponent for the first signs of attack. "We learned from an early age."
Pike rolled his shoulder an amused expression on his face. "I can see that."
The Captain almost missed her advance; she was bloody quick and light on her feet when she wanted to be. Michael feinted left, ducked under his block and out of nowhere popped up to his right and landed a fist squarely on his jaw drawing blood. Pike staggered backwards and saw stars, his hand coming up to his face in shock. He hadn't been hit that hard in some time and it was making his brain rattle around unpleasantly inside his skull.
Michael jumped out of the fighting stance and rushed towards him, grabbing him and stopping him from falling over completely. "I'm so sorry Captain."
Pike felt steadier after a few moments and his head stopped ringing. He waved her off and wiped away the blood from his mouth. "I told you not to hold back, you were just following orders."
Michael didn't look convinced and Pike was afraid the sight of blood had scared her off. It would be a shame if she stopped coming to these sessions, he had come to really enjoy his time with Burnham. It was a good work out and Michael was one of the only people who could really push him.
"Could you show me that again but slower?" He tried to salvage the situation.
Thankfully it worked and Michael's mood lifted a little; she nodded enthusiastically. It didn't take her long to grab his arm and start taking him through the complex moves. After he landed in a heap on the floor for the umpteenth time Michael helped him up again. "Are you sure you want to continue?" Chris saw her eyes flash with amusement.
He managed a pained smile he hurt all over but this was good for him. "Yep, I want to know a new trick or two before I spar with Spock again."
Michael looked at him and sighed, shaking her head but giving into what he wanted. Pike realised it must seem odd that he wanted his ass handed to him over and over, but this was the only way to learn. Burnham was walking him through how to defend each move again when the ship trembled violently and they both completely lost their footing. The Captain felt some kind of energy wave pass through the room which left an odd metallic taste in his mouth and a pounding in his head.
What the hell was that?
He glanced over at Burnham and was relieved to see she looked relatively unharmed, a little dazed perhaps but no visible injuries.
The Captain raced over to the communication's panel which was beeping for attention. "This is Captain Pike, can someone tell me what the hell that was?"
He waited patiently as another tremble tore through the ship. "We believe it's a spacial anomaly Sir, we're trying to identify what's causing it now."
Pike sighed, it was always something unidentified. "Go to red alert. I'm on my way."
He closed off the line and turned to Michael expecting to see her ready to leave for the bridge. He frowned as he saw she was still on the floor looking confused. "Michael are you alright?"
She stopped glancing round the room confused and latched onto his voice. She snarled at him and the anger in her face knocked him for six.
He stepped towards her cautiously. "Michael?"
Michael suddenly jumped to her feet and pointed at him aggressively. "How can you be here? You're dead!"
Pike stumbled back defensively, wary of the threat and aggression his officer was displaying. Michael was rambling now and pointing at him in-between incoherent rants. Clearly whatever shockwave had hit the ship was affecting Michael badly, and he dared't approach her the way she was acting towards him so he turned to use the comms panel.
"Alright Michael, I'm going to get us some help." He reached out to the panel and depressed the button.
"This is Captain Pike, I need medical assistance at my location. Commander…" It was only Pike's honed instincts that had him ducking out of the way before a fist smashed powerfully where his head had been.
He watched in shock as the comms panel sparked and crumpled under Burnham's fist; the metal bending under the unbelievable force. He staggered back as her enraged glare landed on him and he suddenly felt very unsafe, Michael could beat him in hand to hand easily and she was clearly not in her right mind.
All of a sudden she clutched her head and wailed in pain, falling against the wall. Pike instinctively reached towards her hating to see a friend in agony. She reeled back from him, flinching from his touch and falling backwards. "Stay away from me!"
Pike was becoming seriously worried about her, Michael was flipping between emotions so quickly and clearly felt he was a threat. He backed away slowly and remained unthreatening until her breathing returned to normal; he needed medical help for her and there wasn't anyway he could use the ruined communicator in here.
The Captain tried to side step her to make it towards the door. "I'm going to get some help Michael, don't worry."
He was just about to move past her when suddenly she looked up and charged at him, Pike tried to prepare himself for the tackle but it had come too fast. He slammed back into the floor and groaned as his head collided with the ground harshly, his ribs buckling under the impact.
Pike didn't want to hurt Michael as it was clear she was not in her right mind, it soon turned out him hurting her should have been the least of his concern. The Captain scrambled out from under Michael as best he could, not fast enough to avoid numerous blows raining down on his body. He grunted as each hit found its mark and created new bruises.
Even as he was being pounded he didn't fight back which seemed to piss her off more. "Fight back you coward!" She screamed at him and tried to plant a boot in his stomach.
Pike managed to roll away just in time and breathed heavily as he took in his officer's enraged state. Michael started to suffer from another attack and clutched her head screaming, Pike wanted to comfort her but he was pretty sure he would only make it worse. The Captain scrambled to his feet and raced towards the door; he needed medical help now.
Out of know where he heard footsteps and a powerful grip yanked at his shirt, strangling him as he was pulled backwards powerfully. He yelped as his air supply was cut off and then he was sent flying through the air sailing past Michael as he went.
Somehow he managed to stay on his feet but now he had a new problem. Michael was between him and the door and she looked feral again, snarling and ready to attack. It was seriously terrifying. Seeing as retreating was no longer an option Pike thought it best to try and reach her, she obviously wasn't going to let him out of this room.
"Michael, you've been affected by something. You need to let me help you." He tried a soothing voice and held his arms out placatingly.
Michael spat at his feet which shocked him. "I will never let you hurt me again Lorca."
Lorca? Oh shit.
Pike's mind froze as he realised how bad this situation really was, Michael had been betrayed by Lorca and for some reason thought he was him. Before he could really work out how to go about making her see him, Michael's hand shot out into his chest and he lost the ability to breath.
A loud crack resonated throughout the room and he staggered to the floor, clutching his chest as he fought desperately for breath. Christ, Michael had just broken at least one of his ribs with one punch. He had never been hit so hard in his life and he had been hit by a bloody car before.
He coughed and gasped, blinking away tears as the agony radiated from his mid-section. Distantly he saw Michael stalking towards him and she looked like she was on a rampage.
On pure instinct to survive he rolled out of the way just before her boot crashed into his head, he marvelled at the mark it left on the floor and realised he may have just narrowly escaped death. Burnham wasn't messing around and all he could think about in this crazy time was that Michael had been holding back on him in their sparring sessions. She was a lot more powerful than he had ever imagined, now he was beginning to realise he might pay for that with his life.
"Michael, it's me Captain Pike." He managed to croak.
Pike somehow staggered to his feet just in time for Michael to scream at him and rage forwards like a tornado. The Captain used every skill in his arsenal just to hold Michael back, she was sending fists and legs out at every part of him and he was barely holding off half of her attacks. She lashed out at his chest, he felt further ribs buckle, his leg twisted under a harsh kick and his lungs cried out for air. Her hands got faster and his neck snapped from side to side, blood filling his mouth and his vision blurring as fists crashed into his head again and again.
Eventually, when he was barely standing upright anymore she took hold of his arm pulled him forwards and dislocated his shoulder in one brutal movement. "Arghhh!" He screamed and yelled as she kept hold of his dislocated limb and tugged it round the socket. He couldn't remember a time he had felt agony like this before.
Suddenly his legs were swept from under him and he was flat on his back panting hard, with every muscle and nerve burning. His face was covered in blood and his body felt broken. He knew he wouldn't be able to subdue Michael but he had never realised how brutal a fighter she could be, he looked into her eyes and shivered at the rage he saw there. He didn't even recognise her.
Pike coughed and tasted blood pushing up his throat, which was really not a good sign for his innards. "Michael… Please, it's me Chris." He gasped and coughed more blood as she knelt down onto his chest. He was powerless to stop her; his right arm completely useless and bent out of shape.
She glared down at him with malice and he knew she wasn't seeing him. "I trusted you."
Pike's heart ached as he witnessed just how badly Lorca had hurt Michael, Burnham was living something horrible and twisted and he couldn't help her.
He tried desperately to bring his friend back into the present away from whatever has gripped her mind; crack through her murderous intent. "Michael, Lorca's dead. I work with Spock, on the enterprise… Ahhh!" He couldn't help but cry out as she ground a heel into his dislocated shoulder brutally. His plan wasn't working.
Abruptly she had her hands round his neck and was screaming in his face. "You liar!" Pike kicked and thrashed as she squeezed the life out of him, he only had one good arm left to fight with but that soon changed when he tried to prise burnham's hand away. She struck out at his arm and a resounding crack echoed throughout the room.
He would have screamed if he could breathe but his throat was currently being crushed so his mind went blank from the misery. As soon as it started the pressure stopped and he gasped in huge handfuls of air. He stared up into Michael's eyes and hoped she had come to her senses. One look into the anger there told him that was far from the case.
"This is too quick for you." She snarled at him whilst he caught his breath.
Pike gazed up at his officer breathlessly, moaning as her knee pressed into his broken bones. He had not expected this to happen, how could he? Michael would blame herself for this, and he wanted more than anything to protect her, but he couldn't even breathe properly at the moment.
He tried to gasp one more time hoping for Michael's sake more than his own that she heard him. "Please Michael…"
He saw the confusion in her face and for one blissful moment thought he had broken through. Sadly after just a few seconds of recognition it glazed over and then the monster returned. In the background Pike heard a door open and several gasps and screams but that all faded when Michael started yelling at him, shouting Lorca's name.
She grabbed his shirt and hauled him up, only to slam a fist into his face. His nose crumpled under the assault, followed by his jaw and he felt numerous teeth loosen. With each blow he felt his hold on the world slip and his vision was blurred by blood. Just as soon as the brutal and vicious assault had started it stopped, the hand holding his shirt let go and his head bounced off the ground.
He blearily opened his eyes and saw Michael's shocked and guilty face one last time before he finally fell into the waiting darkness. She was her again but it was a bit too late for that.
"Don't blame yourself…" He whispered and then his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he slipped away.
Pike drifted in and out of consciousness for hours, the first time he came round he thought he was dead. He was pretty sure he should have been after all that had happened. The agony he felt quickly got rid of that idea though, death surely wouldn't hurt this much.
The first time he managed to open his eyes he panicked and heard alarms blaring around him his first thought was was that it was ships alarms, but he soon realised it was him and his racing heart. He struggled for breath until Doctor Pollard's concerned face filled his view and whispered soothing words until he was sedated and falling back under a dark veil.
He retreated into his mind but was petrified by what he found there. Everywhere he fled too Michael was there with that cold look in her eyes, of course he knew it wasn't really Michael but it still made his wounds flare and his breath catch. Every time he saw the enraged entity he panicked and fled for his life, knowing he didn't have the strength to face her a second time round. Mercifully the dark images and memories faded to be replaced by happier memories, he felt calm for the first time in days and drifted from place to place content.
The second time he came round he could actually breathe so he didn't panic and set off a million alarms. He took stock of his body and felt the residual effects of pain killers and sedatives in his system, it was making him feel groggy and sick but then again it was probably better than the alternative.
Pike was eventually aware of a hand holding his and blearily recognised Michael in a chair next to his bed, it looked like she hadn't got any proper rest in days. He went to say hello but ended up coughing. It did the trick in getting her attention though as Michael sat up sharply and helped him drink water. He could barely describe the relief on his sore and raw throat.
Eventually the hacking subsided and the Doctors had been and gone after administering more pain killers, and checking his vitals and reactions. They gave him strict instructions to get back to resting soon as his bones were still re-knitting. Pike noticed his arm was in a cast and sling; he miserably remembered the agonising moment it had been dislocated. Doctor Pollard explained that everything would heal with time but this limb would take the longest as it was a complex tear.
Michael had stayed silent through the prognosis guilt etched across her face. The Captain felt sore and stiff all over but the point was that he wasn't dead and everything would heal in time; even his arm which felt oddly detached from his body right now. He watched Michael shift her gaze between his various bandages sadly; Pike sighed wearily she clearly hadn't listened to him.
"I thought I told you not to blame yourself." He managed to croak and half-smiled.
Michael looked at him with dismay. "How can't I?" She gestured to him and he saw she was close to tears. "After what I did."
Pike took her hand in his and forced her to look at him. "You weren't yourself Michael, this isn't your fault."
Michael sniffed miserably. "I was capable of that though."
The Captain smiled sadly. "I think everyone's capable of that deep down, maybe not as effectively though…" His attempt to make light of the situation fell flat on it's face.
"I almost killed you." Her voice cracked. "How can you even touch me after that."
Michael tried to pull her hand away from his grip, Pike didn't let her. "Hey." He snapped to get her attention; this was important. "I don't blame you, you've got to understand that. I trust you with my life Michael and nothing's going to change that."
She eventually met his gaze with tears in her eyes. The Captain wasn't sure if she was going to laugh or cry; he could understand the guilt she was feeling but they had to move past this if they had any chance of working together normally again. Trust was paramount in their lives.
"When we sparred, you were holding back on me even though I distinctly remember ordering you not to." He teased lightly hoping to lighten the dark and somber mood.
She shook her head and thankfully a smile was threatening to spill over her face. "Can you blame me? I didn't want to break my Captain."
In fairness now Pike had seen first hand what Michael could he was glad she had held back, she could seriously hurt someone and whilst the techniques were useful the power behind them would just make the inevitable bruises bigger and more painful.
A sudden thought struck him. "Does this mean Spock had been holding out on me too?"
Michael smiled slyly. "Sir, Spock is stronger and faster than me. I'm guessing he has been yes."
Pike balked at the comment. He didn't think it possible for anyone to be better than Michael after he had just had his ass handed to him. He honestly didn't think his ageing body could handle that kind of beating again, he was sure Doctor Pollard would be lecturing him later about sparring.
"You're going to have to teach me how to defend against some of those fancy new moves." He eventually managed, if anything had come from this experience he realised he wasn't as fit or skilled as he would like to be.
Michael looked surprised. "You would spar with me again?"
Pike blinked bewildered. "Of course I would, I told you Michael I trust you."
Michael glanced round sick-bay conspiringly. "Don't let Doctor Pollard hear you talking about sparring, she'll sedate you in no time."
Pike chuckled darkly but took the threat seriously all the same, Michael was not wrong about Doctor Pollard. He watched her loosen up a bit and was glad she was beginning to act more like herself around him. "How's the ship?"
"Fine, out of danger."
"Any other … incidents?" He didn't really know what else to call what Michael had experienced.
Michael's cheeks blushed red. "32 others, but nothing quite as violent as ours."
"Hmm." Pike hummed and glanced round the medical bay; the news certainly explained the numerous bodies on beds. It sounded like things had gotten violent all around the ship, he would have to look into some R and R to help the crew recover from this latest turn of events. It was strange to him that the energy wave affected some people and not others.
"Do we know what that was and why it affected some of the crew but not others?" He wasn't sure if all the incidents were like Michael's, but when she was in that state it was like she wasn't there anymore.
Michael walked Pike through everything they had found out about the anomaly and the subsequent energy wave. Everyone that had been negatively affected by the incident had been tested throughly, and put through observation until they were sure the danger had passed.
The Captain listened to his officer dutifully but sadly started to feel his eyelids droop. All of a sudden he felt completely exhausted and his limbs all felt incredibly heavy. "What's happening with…" He was beginning to slur his words so Michael stopped him.
"Everything's under control Captain, just rest." She frowned as he was reluctant to fall back under. He was still gripping on to her hand tightly.
"I'll be here when you wake up with an update on everything." She added which seemed to do it.
When he heard the words it was like a safety blanket had been draped over him. Chris let his tensed muscles relax and leaned back into the bed, distantly aware of further drugs aiding him on his journey back to sleep. Doctor Pollard clearly hadn't trusted him to rest on his own so was administering a sedative, she was a crafty one and he admired the cunning move.
Captain Pike slept soundly knowing the ship was in safe hands, the crew were safe and most importantly Michael was going to be okay. He fell back into blissful sleep; all the while fighting off and eradicating painful memories of the past. He never wanted to see that murderous look on Michael's face again, it really didn't suit her.
A/N - Oops that was a little darker than I imagined, the next idea should be a little more fun but still full of drama