Kirk awoke in a lone room on top of a bed, he knew he was somewhere in sickbay but he was too drowsy to care where.
"Spock, how many hours has it been?" Kirk approached a mirror on one of the walls in the room, he tilted his head to either side to get a good look at his new Vulcan-like ears.
"There are no clocks or any indication of time anywhere in this room. I assume it is because the sound of the clock ticking might be too much for our minds to bear... That would also be the explanation as to why the heart monitor and other such medical devices have been removed from this area." He heard the Vulcans voice in his head.
"So... You have no idea." Kirk sighed.
"None, I'm afraid... I regained consciousness a few moments before yourself, the only way to know how many hours are left is to wait for one of the crew to update us on the situation of the machine." Spock replied.
"Right. Bones is going to give us the first update. I remember I ordered him to help Scotty before we fell asleep..." Kirk explained.
"I recall that conversation. I also recall Doctor McCoy listing the side-effects and reactions to the machine." Kirk heard.
"Right, right. The first signs that we'd... Are you beginning to feel any side-effects?" Kirk asked, walking to the bed.
"I can no longer take control at will. I've been attempting to control the body we now share. Doctor McCoy said Timon experienced random changes. One mind controlling the body at a time, but no choice as to which mind is the controller." Spock told the captain, "I believe this is the first side-effect."
"Yeah well, be happy about that, Spock. There's a reason I don't have black hair..." Kirk smirked. "Timon and Kal said they went insane... So, why do they seem...Semi-normal?"
"Perhaps their species experiences insanity in a different manner than humans or Vulcans do. Their definition of insanity differs from ours." He said in his usual monotonous voice.
"So, they're species processes going insane differently than us... I'd like to end up in a spaceship than in a looney bin any day, wouldn't you?" Kirk smiled.
"I believe the correct term is-" Kirk heard, but another sound overshadowed his thoughts.
The sound of the sickbay door opening. McCoy entered the room, grasping a book, but this particular book did not originate from Earth.
"Medical institution." The Doctor heard Spock/Kirk say.
"What about medical institutions?" McCoy raised a brow.
"Oh nothing, Doctor. I was merely informing the Captain on the correct name for a 'looney bin" Spock told him.
"Spock, of course, how's Jim?" McCoy asked the Vulcan.
"Not well I'm afraid. It seems the two of us lost the ability to control our form at will. The change from consciousness is random." Spock informed.
McCoy shook his head. "The first stage... That's what Timon said would happen. When you fell asleep, did you two experience a single dream, or separate dreams?"
Spock sat down on the bed, "I don't seem to recall any sort of dream, Doctor. If I did have a dream, I doubt it would have been entertaining for the Captain, seeing how our interests differ."
"What about Jim? Does he remember a dream? Any dream?" McCoy asked.
"Wait a brief moment." Spock said. He stared at a wall, a blank expression painted on his face. "No, Captain Kirk does not recall any dreams either."
McCoy began pacing in the room, "Okay... Timon said the second stage is thought sharing... Basically, you won't be able to tell which thoughts are whose... Having the same dream while asleep could be the first indication of the second stage."
Spock/Kirk stood up from the bed and placed a hand on McCoys shoulder. "Hopefully, we won't make it to stage 2. You'll fix the machine before then. I have faith in my crew, Bones."
McCoy looked at the fusion, he sighed "Jim... We're trying. You were asleep for 5 hours, we only have 19 hours left and we're nowhere near figuring out a reversal mechanism."
"Oh." Kirk sat down on the bed in exhaustion, "is that the entire update?"
"Actually, the girl, Elena Lee... She's smart, Jim. She's helping Scotty and her father with the machine, I'm sure they'll get it done in time... Hang in there." McCoy assured the Captain.
Kirk/Spocks head jerked toward Bones, "Doctor, what is that object in your hand?"
"This is a book, appearently. Elena Lee has a library on their ship and she spends her time reading... Spock, that is you, right?" McCoy asked.
The man nodded.
"Never thought I'd say this, but I'm glad it's you this time. Elena is the one who fused you two, but now she's helping to fix it... Turns out Timon and Kal fused because Kal came down with a disease from their planet." McCoy told him.
Spock raised an eyebrow "I do not see how that concerns me."
"The cure for the disease is Vulcan and human blood... Seeing as you're half both, they'd just need a vile of your blood... Elena thought-" McCoy was cut off.
"She thought fusing me and the Captain would give her the half-Vulcan, half-human blood she needed, unknowing that I possess both. I understand." He nodded.
"So, there's your update, Spork." McCoy stood and headed to the door.
"Bones..." McCoy heard.
He turned around and faced the man. "Yes, Jim?"
"Promise... Spock and I won't end up in a mental institution... I'd rather die." Kirk told the doctor.
"Sharing a head with Spock, I don't blame you." The Doctor walked toward Kirk. "The only thing I can do is administer sleeping drugs to help calm you down. I'm a doctor, not an engineer. I don't think I would be much help to Scott or anyone on that ship."
"No, you're right. You're not an engineer. You're a doctor..." Kirk rolled up one of his arm sleeves and placed a hand on the book. "So be a doctor."
"You want me to try and make the cure for Kals disease?" McCoy asked, confused.
"It's the morally right thing to do, Doctor." The fusion told him.
McCoy took a step back, "Which one of you said that?"
"Both of us..." Spock/Kirk sighed, then collapsed on the couch. After seeing Bones not move a muscle, they turned their head. "That was an order, Bones."
McCoy nodded and proceeded out of sickbay.
"Stage two Captain?" Spocks voice rang inside of their head. Kirk looked up at his forehead, as if indicating he was talking to his head.
"Stage two Spock..."