Slapping her neck Lorna looked down at the mushed bug on her hand and grimaced. She was hot, sweaty and fed up. Traipsing through a jungle wasn't her idea of a good time! Her long fringe was plastered against her forehead and she could feel her uniform sticking awkwardly to her arms, torso and legs. They'd been walking for about two hours, McCoy and herself, and she had kept herself busy by humming. A bit of Mozart, Klingon Opera and Orion Pop had saved her sanity as she slowly lead the way, closely followed by McCoy through the overgrowth. Her internal monologue narrated their journey, not as two Starfleet Doctors but as intrepid adventurers on the hunt for fortune and glory.

"Legend has it that McCoy and Heiland retrieved the sacred Sivalinga stone stolen from the village's shrine from evil forces in the nearby Pankot Palace." She whispered to herself as she continued to lead the way. "Along their epic journey they encountered many a strange place and person…" Lorna trailed off as she glanced down at her tricorder.

"Everything alright Heiland?" McCoy asked from behind, not before stifling a laugh in response to her mutterings.

"Yes, I think it's a little further this way?" McCoy came to stand by her side and look at the readouts himself, watching Lorna gesture in front of them he nodded and the pair carried on side by side. The leaf covered ground beneath them fell away and Lorna felt the air in her lungs empty as she fell. With no warning neither of them made a sound until they hit the ground, when both of them gasped loudly and groaned in pain. Turning over Lorna saw that McCoy was beside her, frowning and holding his chest.

"Doctor McCoy? Are you alright?" She asked, pulling herself to her knees and looking around at their surroundings.

"Just had the wind knocked out of me, what happened? Did we fall into a cave or something?" Lorna started to shake her head slowly.

"Not a cave Sir, I don't think so?" Looking up she took in the shape of the hole. "No… not a cave." Standing she brought her hand up to the muddy wall that encircled them. "This is man-made." She said, looking at McCoy who had gone wide-eyed.

"What? You mean we fell into a trap?" He asked as he came to touch the chiselled wall himself, Lorna nodded slowly.

"Perhaps." Lorna tried to dig her hands into the wall, to try and get a purchase so that maybe she could climb out but every time she grabbed a stone or root the soft, wet ground fell away. "They found themselves captured by the evil forces, intent on stopping them from their quest to achieve fortune and glory." Her story had just become more intriguing. "Perhaps if you give me a leg up?" She suggested, turning to McCoy.

"A what?"

"I might be able to reach the top if I sit on your shoulders?" Lorna proposed, McCoy just looked at her sceptically.

"Fine, come on then." Kneeling McCoy failed to stop from laughing as Lorna ungainly planted herself on his shoulders, the entire state of affairs feeling incredibly bizarre to them both. "Alright? I'm going to get up." As McCoy stood Lorna began to wobble and panicked, grabbing at his head and covering his eyes with her hands. "Lorna! I can't see!" He shouted out at her.

"Sorry!" Lorna shouted back, standing facing the wall Lorna tried to grab at the top of the hole but they were still at least a foot away from the opening. "Maybe if I stand on your shoulders?" She shouted down.

"Be careful!" Planting her hand on top of his head Lorna slowly pulled her right leg up until her foot was positioned on his shoulder.

"Don't move!" She barked down at him when she began to wobble.

"I'm not moving!" Using all the strength in her legs she pulled her other leg up, McCoy's hands instinctively grabbing her ankles to try and keep her steady.

"You okay?" Lorna asked.

"Yeah, you?"

"If we ever get out of this hole we could take our show on the road!" She heard McCoy chuckle.

"As what? The world's worst circus performers?" It was her turn to laugh, but as she still couldn't reach the top her smile faded quickly.

"I can't reach!" Her voice was strained as she continued to reach up over her head.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." Her arms fell dejectedly to her sides and she peered down to see McCoy looking up at her.

"What do we do now?"

"I don't know? I don't know how I get down?" Twisting her head round she began to panic.

"Can you not climb back down?" McCoy's legs were beginning to burn.

"That's what I'm saying?! I don't know?"

"Well we can't just stay like this, try damnnit!" Lorna braced herself against the wall as she tentatively began to lower one leg but as she did McCoy took it upon himself to turn around.

"What are you doing?!" Lorna asked alarmed.

"I thought maybe I could catch you?" McCoy answered flustered, instantly questioning his own plan but it was too late and Lorna continued to lower herself. Back of knee came to rest on shoulder, then leg came to wrap around waist, during which crotch faced face, proceeded by boobs facing face. Until finally, with a thump Lorna landed on her backside on the floor whilst McCoy cleared his throat. "I guess that's one way?" He murmured as he held out his hand towards her, pulling her up they stretched out their aching muscles. Looking around they both quickly ran out of ideas until McCoy audibly groaned and pulled his tricorder from his belt.

"McCoy to Enterprise, come in." He shouted gruffly, with Lorna watching on expectantly.

Nothing.

"McCoy to Enterprise, come in damnnit."

Nothing.

"Maybe we're too far down?" Lorna mused, knowing her observation wasn't helping matters. For the next ten minutes the pair stood and pondered, there was no way out, the hole was man-made but for what reason? To catch animals? A meal? Or to catch them? They weren't aware of the inhabitants being a threat; still, it was hard not to go to worst case scenario.

"Give me your tricorder." McCoy instructed Lorna who quickly complied.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she watched him tap away on the apparatus.

"I'm setting up a beacon, somebody should pick up on it sooner rather than later." With that McCoy lobbed the thing up and over the side of the hole.

"Would you rather be a Gorn with a Human brain or a Human with a Gorn's brain?" Lorna asked after around an hour of being sat doing nothing and when the silence had become too much.

"What?" McCoy looked up at her confused.

"Would you rather…" She repeated.

"No I head you Heiland, what the hell kind of question is that?" His legs were splayed out in front of him, the same as Lorna's.

"My question." Lorna doubled down.

"Damned ridiculous question, that's what that is!" After a while McCoy looked back up at her. "Gorn with a Human brain." He answered reluctantly whilst rolling his eyes, Lorna grinned in response, happy that he was finally playing along.

"Your turn."

"My turn what?" McCoy's eyebrow was arched so severely Lorna had to bite her lip to stop from laughing.

"To ask a question."

"What's your favourite colour?" He finally asked half-heartedly.

"No, it has to be a 'would you rather' question." Lorna clarified, pulling her legs up and crossing them.

"Would you rather… Christ Heiland I have no idea!" Throwing his hands in the air McCoy re-arranged his back against the wall.

"Do you want me to ask the questions?" She had taken pity on him.

"Sure, why not." He really couldn't have cared less.

"Would you rather have fingers for toes or toes for fingers?"

"Fingers for toes." He answered straight away.

"Would you rather eat soup every day or never again?"

"Never again."

"Would you rather only be allowed to speak very loud or very quiet?"

"Very loud."

"Would you rather…"

"Lorna."

"Yes?"

"Enough."

McCoy had dozed off around a half hour ago and during that time Lorna had stood and stretched, hoping that perhaps there had been something they'd missed and a way out.

"The evil forces had trapped the two adventurers, forcing them to think on their feet, time was running out and the villagers were depending on them to return the sacred stone." A crack of thunder and lightning made Lorna's head snap up and when she felt the first droplet of rain on her cheek she swore under her breath. Feeling her resolve weaken she kicked at the wall in despair. When her foot lodged into the mix of wood, rock and roots she swore again.

"What's wrong?" Turning she saw that McCoy was awake and bringing himself to his feet.

"Nothing." Lorna turned back to her foot and began to pull frantically.

"Don't lie to me Lorna, what have you done?" Coming to stand beside her McCoy looked from her foot to her face.

"Nothing, I may have got my leg stuck?" She answered still trying to pull her leg free.

"How did you do that?" Without so much as a word McCoy grabbed her calf and began to pull, the rain was beating down on them both now and McCoy was losing his grip. When at one point his hands slipped off her boot and whacked her in the boobs McCoy muttered a quick apology and then stood still, revaluating their approach. "How do you do it Lorna?!" He asked exasperated.

"How do I do what?" She asked back, trying to keep her balance.

"How do get yourself into these situations?!" He spat the rain out of his mouth as he spoke and then coming to stand behind her, slowly wrapped his arms round her waist. "On the count of three." His breath against her ear made Lorna shiver, she nodded wordlessly.

"One." His grip tightened.

"Two." Lorna closed her eyes and tried to concentrate.

"Three." With a colossal tug the pair went careening back, Lorna landing on McCoy with an almighty oomph. The twosome just lay there, one on top of the other, panting and not quite believing the situation that they had found themselves in. Finally rolling over and off of McCoy Lorna sat up and ran her muddy hands through her muddy hair.

"Perhaps the hole will fill with water, and we'll be able to float our way out?" She mused as McCoy righted himself and sat beside her, mimicking her stance.

"I don't like our odds, given your track record." McCoy mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means you're bad luck!" They were both hugging their legs as they sat side by side one another, trying to keep warm.

"I'm not bad Luck! I'm just accident prone." Lorna replied eyeing him angrily.

"Oh is that what it is?! And what about the humming and talking to yourself, what's that?" His curiosity had finally got the better of him.

"An overactive imagination." She wiped the mud dripping into her eyes and pulled her legs even closer.

"You're mad as a box of frogs you know that don't you?"

"Yes." After a minute Lorna spoke up again. "Do you mind?" She wouldn't have been bothered if he was, she was just curious.

"The hell I don't, you don't know how many times your muttering and 'imagination' has kept me from going insane on that damned ship! You've brought a smile to my face more times than I can count. I owe you a thank you Lorna." Peering up she locked eyes with McCoy, his mouth all but resting against her forehead.

"We're going to get hyperthermia."

"We need to keep warm." McCoy agreed. "Here." Opening up his arm Lorna instinctively leant into him, pulling her own arm round him also.

"What are we going to do?" She finally whispered into his chest.

"I don't know?" After a while he felt her breathing even out but the last thing he wanted was for her to fall asleep and knowing she could fall asleep anywhere he knew he had a struggle on his hands. "So, tell me how the two intrepid adventurers met." He asked and Lorna couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, they met in a bar."

"Of course they did."

"He approached her, he asked 'What does it say on your bracelet?'" Lorna was doing her 1930's mid-western accent and it made McCoy chuckle. "And she said 'Just my name.' and he says, 'As for instance?' and she replies 'Lorna.'."

"He's smooth." McCoy commented.

"Very." She agreed and then continued with her story. "So, they're sat beside each other and he's bought her a drink."

"What's she drinking?" McCoy asked as he tightened his grip around Lorna.

"A Manhattan."

"Very nice."

"So he carries on and says 'Lorna, I think I Like that?' and Lorna replies, 'But you're not sure?'" McCoy cut her off by speaking himself.

"I'd have to drive it around the block a couple of times." Lorna looked at McCoy shocked when he continued the story himself, with 1930's mid-western accent and everything.

"There's a speed limit around these parts you know?" She continued the dialogue.

"What speed was I going Officer?" McCoy's lips were dangerously close to her ear and Lorna felt herself leaning in further, not simply to keep warm but to feel the ripple of his arms and chest against her.

"I'd say about ninety."

"Suppose you give me a ticket?"

"Suppose I let you off with a warning this time?" Lorna had turned her head towards him so that they were facing one another.

"Suppose it doesn't take?"

"Suppose I have to whack you over the knuckles?" They were mere millimetres apart.

"Bones! Are you down there?!" The bright light flooding the trap made them close their eyes, pull away from one another and peer up at the sky.

The End

Thank you for reading XOXO LLAP ;-)