HOSPITAL
Jim awoke to pieces of ash stuffing up his nose, clogging it up and making him snort. He blinked groggily, blue eyes roaming the road he was laying on before picking himself up to observe the area. He was in the middle of a crossroads and then two things flashed in his mind: they were still stuck in this godforsaken place, and Bones was gone. Panic flashed in his head. He approached the Vulcan next to him, giving him a light tap on his face to wake him. However, it only took a good hard whack to the face to snap him awake.
"Bones is gone!" He exclaimed the moment a small glare appeared on the First Officer's face. It melted into one of concealed worry as he sat straight, gazing around to conclude the same answer. Jim sat back on his haunches, a frown splayed across his mouth. "What the hell happened? Weren't we in the elevator in the library? How the hell did we get out here?"
"I do not know, but I believe that it was those insects that had a part to play in this," Spock answered dully, getting up from the floor to dust off his pants, then holding out his hand so that his Captain could also stand. Jim thanked him wordlessly.
"We can't afford to split up in a place like this. If something happens to him, I don't know how I'll be able to live with myself."
"Perhaps the same way you always have." The cold glare Kirk shot him made him quickly add, "But you are correct, it would be ideal to locate him before any more disastrous consequences land on us. It would be a shame if we lost the Doctor now."
"Heartwarming, Mr. Spock."
"Do you still have the map?"
"Yeah." Unsheathing it from his pocket (and thanking whatever that it wasn't taken), he opened it up at full length. To their surprise, there was a red arrow that circled a location at the bottom right. "The hospital? Do you think that someone was trying to point us to where Bones is?"
"Without anything else to assist us, it would seem to be the most logical decision." Spock stretched his neck to peer at the paper, going quiet as his brown eyes flickered between the parchment and their current surroundings until his finger found a specific point. "We are here. If we travel through the park and down this street, we shall reach the hospital in due time."
Jim nodded, folding it back and putting it into his back pocket. "Then let's get going." After running through the street and climbing the nearest fence to reach the park, they jogged the dead grass to get to their next location. Silence had been their main source of a sound, which Kirk decided it was time to break. "So," he huffed, tossing a glance at the Vulcan to see if he was listening. "What do you think happened back there, with that whole human-flesh world?"
Spock pondered for a moment before answering. "It seems to be a manifestation of sorts, but these organisms are all alive. Whatever it was, it was as real as you and I, which means that it can do as much harm if provoked. Unfortunately, I do not believe there is a way to evade such endeavors. If the world breaks again, we must be prepared to face whatever crosses our way."
"Agreed." They skidded to a stop when they heard something growl in the distance. "Did you hear that?"
"Yes." Spock rotated his head around like a beacon, his ears straining to hear what the noise was and where it came from. It sounded much closer, but it was all over the place. If they were in a cave, the growl would have bounced off the walls. "I do not know where it is coming from."
Jim narrowed his eyes, seeing a shadow in the fog that ever so slowly approached them. It was tall and narrow, with a clicking sound coming from the figure with a similar wet growl. "I think I know," he said, taking a step back when it came into view. It was horrific. With a man's body, its flesh was a sickening grey, its long sharp-edged arms tapping against the ground were a dirty pink, and its elongated jaw dragged practically on the floor, causing the spine-chilling snarls. Its beady black eyes stared at them with such precision that they only had a split second to jump out of the way before it jumped at them, swinging its knife-like arms in full force.
They crashed onto the dirt, separated as the creature flung at them again, narrowly missing Jim's spine and Spock's leg. With nothing to defend themselves with, the two could only run away, but the deformity chased them in a sprint. Jim frantically looked around, skidding to the side when the creature crashed beside him. They could lose their pursuer through the play area, but there was nothing that could be helpful without becoming trapped.
"How much further, Commander?!" Kirk shouted, his chest tightening as his lungs pushed all the oxygen out of his body.
"Turn left at the approaching alleyway, then make an abrupt right," Spock called back, seeming not as exhausted. When they got to the other fence, they both scurried to climb over, up until something sharp penetrated Jim's ankle, causing a scream to tear from his mouth. Spock snapped back, looking at the arm that cut through the man's flesh, before hopping back down to punch the abomination in the face. It squealed like a swine, snarling as the Vulcan pulled the arm out of his Captain's limb in favor of whipping around and swatting it into the creature's neck, using the force of momentum to behead it clean off its body. It dropped to the floor, black blood oozing out of the wound.
"Captain!" Jim blinked groggily, groaning before shooting up, his hand going to his heavily bleeding ankle. A wave of nausea washed over him as he caught sight of his broken bone with the torn muscles. It took a moment to register the Vulcan beside him, his expression tight and his pointed eyebrows furrowed so close it almost looked like a singular brow. He looked around, outwardly huffing. At least they got over the fence. "The fence is the least of our problems, Captain."
Guess he said that aloud.
"Yes, you did."
And that. "This hurts like a bitch," Kirk hissed, flinching when the Vulcan shifted it a little to get a better look. At once, his hands retreated, a flash of alarm crossing Spock's features. "S-Sorry… Kinda slowed us down, eh?"
"That does not matter." Spock analyzed the wound for a moment before taking off his blue uniform and tearing it into pieces, using one of them to tie it over Jim's wound, earning him another biting shout. By the way his XO looked at him, he wasn't looking too hot. "That is the best I can do. The Doctor's medical expertise would come in handy at this moment. Unfortunately, he is not present."
"Yeah, well, let's change that," Jim grunted, forcing himself to stand. Spock opened his mouth to protest, but the human stopped him with a sharp look. "Look, Spock, I'm not letting you go alone. It's dangerous out here, and more so if one of us is separated from the other. The more logical solution is to take me with you to the hospital where we might find Bones and some medical supplies."
Jim internally smirked in triumph when he saw the Vulcan's eyes shift to the side in defeat. Who knew that logic would come in handy in a place like this?
"Very well," Spock sighed after a moment, assisting Jim to stand by offering his shoulders as a form of support before they began to limp toward the hospital. "But I insist that you do not take any drastic actions that will compromise the both of us."
Jim cracked a smile. "It's not like I have a choice with you dragging me around like a rag doll."
That earned him an eyebrow raise, only for it to drop when the man attempted to hide a wince. His expression went blank before he focused on their path ahead. The hospital was tall and ominous, with a grey exterior that was made up of falling bricks and winding vines. The two staggered to the front door, opening it only to find it locked.
"Now what?" Jim questioned, huffing in annoyance. Why the hell was it circled if we can't even get inside? Spock looked around, his eyes focusing on things past the fog and ash.
"I will search for something to break down the door," he said after a minute, shifting the blonde so he sat on the floor, behind a potted plant. Just as Jim began to protest, the Vulcan stepped away to further his resolve. "I will return shortly. Stay hidden and run to the best of your abilities if something makes the move to attack."
"But Spock-"
"I will return, Jim."
The Captain could only sigh in resignation as his commander walked off into the thickness of the fog, his steps going faint until they were out of sight. Jim shifted uneasily, growling a bit as his ankle was jostled, and he kept a close eye on his surroundings. It left him extremely tense. Not once had he been left alone in these streets before, and it left Jim uneasy. There was no one to talk to and nothing to protect him. He cursed in his mind for being caught vulnerable. This town was frightening, to say the least. It confused him just as much. How were they going to get out? How the hell is all of this in one room? How did he not notice that this was on the Enterprise? Did anyone realize that they've been gone for the past two days? Were they out looking for them? Were they trapped forever?
Jim perked up at the sound of glass shattering nearby. His eyes widened, looking in the direction where Spock had disappeared. There were footsteps soon after, tensing him to the bone as he pressed himself closer to the bush for protection. Whatever was coming was fast; he could hear its heavy hungry breaths, eager to tear him apart and devour him whole!
Only that's what he thought before a familiar Vulcan appeared from the fog, sprinting at full speed like a bullet and holding a fire ax in hand.
"Spock?" He straightened, wondering what caused the Vulcan to look so excited. It was until a gigantic red-skinned creature, looking similar to a dog if not for the spines that traveled down its back, came rushing in right after. "Spock!"
The Vulcan skidded next to him before he began whacking at the door that rattled under the intense beating until it burst through the glass like a bomb. Spock manhandled Jim, grabbing him and throwing him inside before following in, taking the man once again and quickly leading him out of the main room to the reception area, where they ducked behind the front desk, waiting with erratic breaths as the huge dog lunged at the doors, clawing away and barking before eventually giving up and disappearing. Jim draped himself across the desk, huffing tiredly.
"What the hell did you do?" He exasperated, looking over at the rather out-of-breath Vulcan.
"I found the ax through the handles of a semi-large vehicle," Spock mentioned with a small huff. "I was unaware that its purpose was to keep something inside before the creature burst out and lunged at me."
"Shit, are you okay? You didn't get hurt, did you?" Jim asked in alarm. Spock vaguely pointed to his arm, which had a mediocre slice running down his bicep and soaked the sleeve with blood. While Jim wasn't as clever with medicine and wounds, his friend didn't seem too worried about it. But he won't be okay knowing that Spock needed gauze and antibiotics. "Guess we really need those supplies now."
"Do not worry about me; this wound is not dangerous. I will last," Spock said, beginning to stand from his crouched position and walk over to the directory of the building. "There are three floors, with sixteen rooms on each. The first and second are connected by a medical auditorium."
"Wait, hold up." Jim searched the desk, grabbing a piece of paper and a pen before he scribbled down a crude replica of the layout. He grinned when he was done, limping over to show his friend his art proudly. "It might not be pretty, but it'll help us mark down the rooms we went through and keep our shit organized."
Spock raised his eyebrows. "I am impressed, Captain. Even though I had not thought of that idea, I have had trouble capturing my thoughts for a while now."
Jim rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."
"You are welcome, Captain."
"Guys!" The two looked up, their eyes widening at the sight of McCoy at the end of the corridor. "Quick, help me-" Something with large arms then grabbed hold of the man, wrapping his legs and mouth before pulling him into the darkness with a spine-chilling scream.
"Bones!" Jim reached out, but it was pointless. He was already gone. At least we know he's here, he attempted to look on the bright side. Jim began to quickly stagger ahead, determined to get his best friend back. "Come on, Spock, we have to move before it's too late!"
Spock said nothing, probably because he knew that whatever he did say would fall deaf in the Captain's ears. When his family was threatened, there was no stopping the man from bloodshed. So they walked in the darkness, their eyes peeled for anything that might help them. They went through each room, marking off the said areas on the sheet Jim drew or crossing out pathways that were either blocked by stacks of medical gurneys or rubble. They couldn't go to the auditorium from the first floor as it had been blocked, so they quickly made their way to the second floor.
That's when things got difficult.
The entire hallway of floor two was filled with dangling corpses, all burnt beyond recognition. They hovered in the air on thin ropes, all frozen while they had bags over their heads. Jim looked at the Vulcan, who shared a similar stare. They had to go under them if they wanted to pass. Perhaps it was easier said than done. As Jim was lowered to the ground, he began his military crawl under the exposed feet, holding his breath as the smell of rotting flesh penetrated his nostrils. He paused at the entrance of a room, glancing at the Commander before heading inside. There was no one in there, so they got back down and went to the next. This process was repeated for the next ten rooms until Jim bumped into one of the bodies. His breath caught in his throat as he froze, waiting for the corpse to come alive and slash his throat open. However, it took longer than expected. Annoyed, Jim hesitantly looked up at the dangling body, only to sigh in relief when it didn't react.
They reached the end of the bodies, finding the entrance to the auditorium with ease. When they pulled open the double doors, they immediately noticed a light shining directly onto a table in the center of the arena. There was a body on said table, covered by a tarp.
McCoy was lying on it unmoving.
"Bones!" They rushed to his side, frowning worriedly at his stillness. Kirk approached him cautiously, tapping his shoulder slightly to wake him. "Bones, Bones. Wake up."
"Jim." Spock's tone of voice brought the man to turn to him, only for him to deepen his look when he watched the Vulcan peel back the tarp and reveal McCoy's bare torso. A gasp struck him as he gazed at the body, feeling tremors of fear and horror shake him to the very core. Lines of red littered the man's limbs and stomach, each held together by pieces of black string and flesh. It hit Jim like a train when he realized that whoever took Bones had cut him into pieces before resembling him.
Jim spun around and promptly vomited to the side. Spock could not look at the both of them, simply stepping back and lowering his head down, hands clenched at his sides. McCoy was like an older brother and a father to them, taking care of their wounds and problems with careful knowledge and experienced kindness. Now, he was dead – set up on this table to be found, set up because anyone here had no idea how much McCoy mattered, set up so that he and the Captain could drive themselves insane with the loss of their friend. But, whoever or whatever did this was wrong. They did not lose their minds.
It just makes them murderous.
But Spock was not going down without a fight. Spinning back around, he approached the breathless man and set up both his hands on either side of his face. Jim noticed his moves and was instantly by his side.
"What are you doing?" He demanded pathetically, wiping away tears that grazed his cheeks.
"I am attempting to locate his katra before it disappears and return it to his body," Spock answered hurriedly, closing his eyes for total concentration. "You need to give me time. As you say, this will be considered a 'long shot', one that cannot afford mistakes."
"Alright, just... do what you have to."
"Oooh, well, what do we have here?" Jim widened his eyes, whipping his head to the rafters above, spotting a rather pale figure leisurely walking along the catwalks. Kirk furrowed his eyebrows, watching with a steady eye as the humanoid approached steadily closer. Instead of fear, fury flashed through the man as his hands balled beside him.
"You did this to him, didn't you?!" He roared, his voice bouncing off the walls. It didn't seem to stop as he continued. "I know you did! I swear, I will end you the moment you get down here!"
Suddenly, the figure jumped off, landing directly in front of him, causing Kirk to stumble back in a stutter. The humanoid was long and porcelain, built with a nurse's body, and dressed as one too (from the early 20th century, he offhandedly noted). The one thing that perturbed him was its face, crafted and painted like that of a clay doll. While he tensely stared at it, the creature bent down to stare at him, tilting its head in curiosity.
"You look very healthy, Mister. But, even the healthiest hide away the deadliest diseases within their bodies," said the creature, lips never moving from its permanent puckered smile. Kirk took a step back, glaring.
"I wasn't looking for an evaluation. I want you to fix my friend!"
"Oh, I can't do that." It leaned back before walking past him to approach the bed, much to his panic. He was there faster, standing by in case it tried to make a threatening move. "Your friend was very unhealthy, but I didn't know what to do. So, I took him apart and inspected each one myself. I put him back after I fixed him, but he didn't seem to wake up. A pity-"
"He won't wake up because you KILLED him!" Kirk growled, only to flinch when it laughed hauntingly.
"I'm a nurse, hon. I didn't kill him, it's not what I do. He isn't dead." Jim blinked in shock, looking down at Bones, who continued to lie as still as a stone. "He just doesn't want to wake up. I have no power over that."
"So you're saying he's... he's in a coma?" He placed his hand on the man's wrist, feeling a very faint pulse. At least it wasn't a lie. "Then wake him up! I know you can. You're not human, so there has to be something to do. If you can chop him up and still keep him alive, then bring him back."
The doll-like 'nurse' stared at him for a long minute, its painted eyes doing nothing but looking into his soul. Finally, it said in the same cheery tone, "I can do it for a price-"
"Anything," Jim blurted out, biting his lip afterward. Even without having the ability to express themselves, the doll seemed surprised. "I'll do anything just… just bring him back."
The doll paused before shuffling forward. Jim hesitantly stepped aside and watched as it held one of its hands over the comatose man, fingers cracking before shattering to reveal a slithering black substance that shot up the man's nose. Jim cringed in disgust but watched anyway. It took several heart-stopping minutes before the 'nurse' pulled its hand away and walked off. The Captain was by the bed in a second, though he saw nothing changed.
"Nothing happened!" He yelled, glancing back at the figure who was back on the catwalks.
"It will," it responded in return.
Kirk glanced at McCoy before the doll. "... You said you fixed him. What did you mean?"
"He had a speaking problem. A simple solution, really… I'll see to it that your end of the bargain comes."
He watched as it disappeared into the darkness, leaving him conflicted as to whether it was a good or bad thing. He was brought back into reality as a harsh gasp ripped out of Bones' body. The man was now wide awake, shaking more than a leaf, and his eyes were frantically looking around the room. So scared. So paranoid. A shot of guilt stabbed Jim's heart, but he simply smiled, reaching to grab his friend's shoulder and squeezing it reassuringly.
"Hey, hey. You're okay, Bones. You're safe," he muttered softly, smiling even wider when the man made eye contact with him and settled a little. "Yeah, that's right."
"Captain." Jim glanced up at Spock, who looked a few shades paler and seemed rather unnerved. "Captain, I did not wake him," he whispered shakily. "I felt something dark in his mind… something that was able to bring Leonard back, and I couldn't stop it."
"Don't worry about that, Mr. Spock," he flashed him a smile, which only made the Vulcan frown. "We've got Bones back. That's what matters. Ain't that right, dude?"
McCoy grumbled softly and with difficulty. Jim froze for a moment, seeing his friend open his mouth in an attempt to speak and giving him just enough space to see that there was nothing to assist in words. There was no tongue to convey language.
"It's okay… s'kay," Jim gave another smile, shakier than the last. The fight for tears was a great one, one that he didn't dare to lose. Not yet. "I know you need rest, but we need you to get out of here, find somewhere to-"
The sounds of cockroaches and other creatures were heard up above them.
"Shit. Now, we need to get moving. Help me put on his clothes." There was no movement. He glared at the Vulcan with a flare of anger. "Dammit Spock, help me!"
Bones gasped softly in reaction as Spock quickly moved to the man's side, hauling him so he sat upright and pulled over the black shirt while Jim did the pants. Once McCoy was fully clothed, Jim helped him stand, only to jump when the Doctor cried in protest, pointing frantically at the dark blue-red fabric wrapped around Jim's ankle, then panicking more when he spotted Spock's slashed arm. With a gurgle that sounded much like a growl, Bones glared at them both. Somehow, it amused Jim, despite the circumstances.
"Had a little mishap," the Captain shrugged slightly. "No need to worry."
McCoy grumbled before being led the way toward the entrance on unsteady feet. Jim kept his eyes on him, studying his friend with concerned eyes and highly aware of being stared down by logical ones to his right. When they made it to the center hallway, Jim noticed something different.
"Weren't these bodies hung?" Indeed they were, but now the corpses all stood tall, watching their very presence. With the click of a button, the light brightened the room, only for the bodies to start sporadically walking in their direction. Their eyes widened before turning to Spock, who needed no further reminder and switched the flashlight (that he found) off. Again, the bodies froze, now in different positions.
"Okay…" Jim slowly began, testing if they would react to sound. They did not. "Guess we'll have to do this without light. I'll take Bones-"
"Perhaps it will be best if I handled the Doctor," Spock interrupted tersely, making the other shoot him an equally unsure glance. "You are still injured."
McCoy suddenly hissed, pushing them both to show that he could do fine on his own. With a wild wave of his arms, the southerner cried softly in exasperation, shooting them both irritated glances.
"Are you sure you can go alone?" Jim frowned. McCoy nodded quickly. The Captain sighed. "Alright. Come in after me, alright? Spock, take a different path."
"Sir," the Vulcan said as he stood by the nearest gap to the right, waiting for further instructions. Jim, followed by McCoy, took the left side. At least the soft glow from the fire pits from below offered some kind of light to see where they were going. They all took a simultaneous step forward, their breaths shallow as they squeezed between each gap. Every so often, Jim looked back to his follower, who seemed to do an acceptable job at keeping steady despite having all his limbs resembled.
"You're pulling off the look, you know," Jim murmured, noticing how the Doctor gazed at his fleshy wrists with an obvious grimace. Bones blinked, looking up at him. "The whole Frankenstein style. Looks cool."
Bones snorted, rolling his eyes as if to say, Shut up, Jim.
"You'll be okay." He looked back in front of him, shifting to the right and bending back slightly in the awkward position the corpse put him in. "We all will be."
McCoy grunted softly, skeptically. How in the hell is that gonna happen? Have ya seen me? I look like Swiss cheese! He imagined him saying.
"You have to have hope, Bones."
They made it through the hallways and the rest of the hospital with no other trouble. When they reached the front doors, however, the group was confused to find a metal gate with an intricate design rather than the glass panels from earlier. Spock moved forward, caressing the idents with his fingers. He moved a certain piece, a latch that poked out, to the left, which moved one of the pillars down from above the gates, a metal ball moving into the new gap before hitting the next pillar.
"A fascinating puzzle," the Vulcan mentioned.
"Think you can solve it?" Jim asked.
"Certainly. Give me seven minutes-" The moment his fingers switched another piece, a different mechanism pulled, dropping a section of the floor and opening the firey pit right near a startled Doctor. "... Make that twelve minutes."
"I'm speaking for both of us when I say 'watch it, you pointy-eared goblin'!"
Bones whined.
"Ah, make that hobgoblin. Sorry." Spock raised an eyebrow as he worked with the mechanism. Jim gazed at his surroundings uneasily. "Alright, just… be careful, guys. We wouldn't want a first-class ticket to the underworld."
Another stick moved along with a piston, allowing the ball to roll. Bones cried again, pointing frantically to the top of the door. The group turned, watching with heightened breaths at the counting number from 4:54. Apparently, whatever switch Spock pulled before activated a timer. The Vulcan rolled his shoulders, working with a lot more caution this time. The puzzle worked in two parts: the first section was to decipher one hieroglyphic number, then move a wooden peg in an ever-shifting slot, where it reached the top. It was his job to arrange these to make three slot numbers. Using the ancient base chart that ranged around 10, the probability of a correct word was out of 200 attempts. With the time presented, it was nearly impossible to accomplish.
3:29
No matter, he had to get moving. Floors dropped like flies, making the other two frantically hop around in a craze to keep up with the Vulcan. Until there was only a minute and six spaces left, Jim had enough.
"Spock!"
Five spaces.
"Spock!"
Four.
"COMMANDER, STOP! That is a direct order!"
The Vulcan was still in place, his shaky hand hovering above the last number in the slot. Spock turned to face him, eyes wide and eyebrows tightened together. Jim and McCoy were separated on different sides of the room, clearly more panicked than he was. The Vulcan tightly gulped, glancing back at the jigsaw.
"That is enough. You're done, Mr. Spock," Jim breathed, taking a look at the clock. It was thirty seconds until they were dead. When he looked back at the Vulcan, his eyes grew twice their size when the peg was finally put into its final motion. "NO!"
A piston moved, but no floors dropped. The gate opened, enveloping the world into a fleshy alternative of the town, signaled by the burst of static coming from one of their final functioning communicators. In any of their minds, it isn't much preferable. The ground had been restored by then, as tested by a relieved McCoy, but Jim and Spock continued to stand there. The air seemed to spell out what they thought. The Vulcan disobeyed a direct order.
Spock disobeyed.
"Why didn't you listen?" Kirk demanded angrily.
Spock looked back at him, his gaze slicing through him. "I did what I had to. Right, Captain?"
Jim clamped his mouth shut. Eventually, he shook his head, brushing past the man to join Bones outside. He gazed around before pulling out the map and the pen. With a rough grip, he crossed out the hospital.
"Alright," he said. "We're here and the town hall is… all the way over there. Now, if we take this street and then this alleyway, we can reach it. We'll take a break in this store here, to gather any supplies if there are any, and rest up because I'm tired as fuck. Anything I'm missing, Bones?"
The man hummed before shaking his head.
"Good." He began to limp forward, putting the map back into his pocket. It wasn't far until he was grabbed back. He looked at his friend curiously. "What is it?"
In response, Bones tossed his head toward the Vulcan, who lingered by the entrance, looking off to the right. Still irked by the earlier incident, Jim huffed.
"What is it, Spock?"
The Vulcan turned to him for a moment before approaching, the axe he held (and one that Jim completely forgot) clinking slightly on the ground. "Nothing, Captain."
"Right. Just hurry up. We have to get moving before the next thing comes and gets us." As Jim went ahead, McCoy tossed one last look at the Vulcan before following. Spock did the same at the end of the road, spotting a small figure in the distance, then began to walk with the others.
TBC…
