Jim strengthend the relationship his other self had with the crew, to gain their trust, respect, and loyalty. But he had to tell someone, someone he trusted, about his current predicament. It was a common occurrence to get trapped with Bones, so Jim bided his time, and waited, and waited. Until that moment happened. They were trapped by a cave in during a mission Jim never experienced before. It was new, it was a trick of fate. He had his leg trapped under a pile of rocks and a heavy boulder. They were separated from Spock. He could feel sharp pain coming from his leg. The search for James T. Kirk in the mind was uneventful.
"Bones." Jim said.
"Save your breath, kid." Bones said.
Jim smiled.
"I have something to tell you." Jim said.
Bones raised an eyebrow.
"Something I don't know about you?" Bones asked.
"Yes." Jim said.
"You like the Vulcan." Bones said.
Jim briefly closed his eyes then he reopened them.
"Yes," Jim said, taking Bones hand. "I am . . ." He considered the idea,again, it seemed mad to tell this to another person who will not believe him. "I am bisexual."
"I knew it!" Bones said.
Jim had a soft laugh and he closed his eyes. Jim cleared his mind and allowed himself to picture his mind. He stepped foot onto the dirt. He looked down to see his hands were not of a young twenty-six year old man but a sixty year old hand staring back at him. Jim faced forwards then he began on his trek to find the young man. Bones looked over to see that Jim was asleep, or, something like that. He was quiet. His eyes were closed.
Bones took out his communicator.
"Anyone out there?" Bones said. "Spock, Ensign Richard? Ensign Sarah?"
Jim found himself on a hill. A grassy hill. He could see a rocky path leading down straight to a familiar house. The home he had in Iowa, the one that had been handed down from generation to generation. The house that he and his brother lived in with their mother then Uncle Frank when she was busy traveling-wait, those memories aren't his. He and his brother went with their mother and father, partially a reason why they went to Tarsus IV. Jim walked down the path noticing the wired fences, the quiet black and white bodies of cows grazing while some were sitting down, the sound of pig stench drifted into his nose.
It is a little difficult to avoid pig stench when you live on a farm road.
Fifteen minutes later, he found himself in the backyard. The house was all the same save for the holo-photos, the old lightswitch, manual labor to clean the house, the door knob, the books, the rooms, and the front porch with a swing set on the front. The pebbled walk way leading to the stairs. The mail box situated beside the white picket fence. The pairs of windows in front of the house giving a good view of the place. Jim,now at the backyard that showed miles after miles of fields, felt dizzy. He came by a small pool of water then looked over to see that he looked like a young man again complete with the 'Kirk curl' set to the side of his widows peak. He shared a face similar to his counterpart but different.
"Spock," Jim said, rubbing the side of his head turning away. "I wish you'll believe me."
Jim closed his eyes feeling as though his memories were being replaced.
"I am Admiral James T Kirk," Jim said, lowering his hand down to his side. He had a determined expression about his face. "Must find the Kirk of this timeline."
Jim's memories were melding with the memories of Kirk.
So Jim let himself track the man, taking a shovel, following his inner radar. He found himself by a group of trees close to a shallow grave. Jim dug the shovel into the shallow grave. This is it, Jim thought. He continued this for what felt like hours. His shovel unearthed what was seemingly a dead mental barrier. Spock had once told him about there being barriers for every mind as such for McCoy's case. It made sense why everything looked as though it had been recently placed. No dust. No fog on the windows. No aged look about the house. It was his mind taking housing inside the body of his younger counterpart.
It was a field for Kirk.
A great wide field.
Jim looked up toward the sky to see the shape of the Enterprise right above.
Interesting.
Kirk's mind distanced itself from the Enterprise, almost as though he didn't belong there. It was odd that such a young man felt . . . Below? But why? Jim dumped the dirt on the grass alongside the shallow grave. Jim personal mind, although, was more of his Enterprise. The one he spent five plus years on. The original Enterprise. Though, he didn't belong there anymore. He was too old for this crap. Jim's mind had merged with the one of this Kirk. Jim dug and dug until the shovel came to a stop on what sounded like wood.
Jim smiled.
"I found you." Jim said.
Jim put the shovel on the grass then he pried open the wooden planks one by one using his bare hands. He tossed the planks over to the side until he came to a face he had been seeing in the mirror for the past few weeks. Jim could see the Kirk chin, nose,and those eyebrows on the young boy. Jim picked up the young man into his arms then he got out of the hole. He headed back to the house. He wasn't weirded out by the fact he is holding himself in his arms. He carefully opened the door to the house.
Jim went up the stairs inside the house then he opened the door with his free hand.
Jim placed Kirk onto the bed.
Kirk was in a white T-Shirt and blue jeans, sneakers that hadn't been tied, and he had the appearance of a teenager.
Jim sat down into a rocking chair beside the bed, and there he waited for the man to wake up.
Jim's eyes opened to see a dark scenery around him.
"Bones." Jim said.
Jim heaved himself halfway up to feel numbness in his legs. He pulled up his pant leg to see there not being a wound. But he had clearly been the victim of some rockfall. This was confusing. He saw the shapes of rocks all around him faintly int he darkness that started to glow a light orange around the center being a gentle yellow. It was almost like there was flames inside the rocks. He pulled down his pant leg then felt a tear in the fabric over his knee. So it had happened; the rocks falling, becoming unconscious, finding Kirk, and then this.
"Bones!" Jim called.
Jim looked around to notice he was laid against the wall.
He heard voices.
One of which he recognize but it sounded panicked, afraid, and startled. Right, this was the cave of the healing. It is capable of healing the wounds on the outside but not those on the inside. His legs were probably numb, recovering from the sudden healing. Jim dragged himself down the hall following the source of the voices. He felt along for his phaser. The light in the rocks had started to fade. Of all the things he had found himself in; in the original timeline he had never come across this cave. This civilization hadn't developed warp-drive the first time around. Now? It seemed like they had gotten warp-drive faster than they should have gotten it. Where was Spock? Why couldn't they just beam Jim and Bones out? Right, beaming might be different in this universe. There was this one time he had Scotty beam the leader of a civilization in the sky to the ground to breath in chemicals that made his brain be different that affected the natives below to get the masks for the dwellers below. A promise was a promise.
"I can just kill the human and end my mayhem here." It was a high pitched male voice.
Tar'Hes, the former head healer, threatening.
"Listen, that is not going to help you." Bones said.
"SHUT UP. Our medicine was good until you came along." Tar'Hes said.
"It was improper and very unsanitary, thanks to me, your wife is going to deliver a healthy baby in a week." Bones said.
"We don't need your help!" Tar'Hes raised his voice.
Jim saw the pistol be raised.
"Press the trigger and see where that gets you." Jim said.
The frog like man looked over toward Jim.
"Shouldn't you be dead?" Tar'Hes said.
Jim stared at the man in intent.
"I get that a lot." Jim said.
Bones appeared to be stunned.
"Jim, you lost consciousness three hours ago." Bones said, in shock.
Jim glared at Tar'Hes.
"Lower your weapon, Tar'Hes," Jim said. "No reason to kill a man for doing this job."
"You lower yours." Tar'Hes said.
"Not a chance as you will, logically, attempt to kill me," Jim said. "Do not make me vaporize your hands off."
Tar'Hes turned the pistol in the direction of Jim, then McCoy lunged in the direction of Tar'Hes knocking the pistol out of his hands. Jim sighed in relief. Tar'Hers was delivered a punch to the face then he went into unconsciousness. Jim lowered the phaser to the ground relieved. He looked over toward Bones. The first thing Jim noticed about Bones is that he had a bruise on the side of his face and a few scratches that needed to be treated.
"Bones," Jim said. "Is there an exit where he comes from?"
"He was stuck here as we were," Bones said. "He intended to kill us all off!" He looked over toward Jim. "I don't know about you, but you seem to be lucky with surviving."
Jim had a short laugh, propping himself up against the wall.
"Spock will find us," Jim said. "That's what I cling to. Hope."
"And hope keeps you from dying?" Bones said.
"No, it was the rocks," Jim said, holding out a rock. "The healing rocks." He dropped it to the ground. "We are in that section of the cave."