"Hold on there, Dave!" Holly's voice rang out in concern, trying to rein in the holographic simulation of the late Dave Lister. "You can't go messing with Arnold's head like that!"

Lister, ever the prankster even in holographic form after three million years of non-existence, seemed taken aback. "Oh, come on, Holly! I was just having a bit of fun! Lighten up!"

Despite Lister's nonchalant demeanor, Holly knew the delicate state of Rimmer's mind. The last thing they needed was any further confusion or distress for the already struggling technician. "He's delirious from fever, and all the stress you're giving him could impede his recovery," Holly interjected gently but firmly, his holographic form flickering with frustration. "He's in no condition to differentiate fiction from reality."

Lister's smirk faltered slightly, sensing the gravity of the situation but still not fully grasping the extent of Rimmer's vulnerability. "Come on, it's just a bit of harmless fun to pass the time," he protested. "Rimmer's always been uptight. He needs to loosen up a bit."

Holly's projection glowed with exasperation. "This is far from harmless," he countered, emphasizing his point. "In his current state, he may see you as some sort of hallucination or dream. It could distress him further."

"A hallucination?" Lister said, with a humorless chuckle. A tense silence rolled by for a few seconds before it was broken by his voice, now edging near the hysterical. "You mean he's not just playing along? He actually thinks…"

Holly's projection glowed with a flickering light, signaling his serious demeanor. "Alright, picture Arnold's mind as a big jigsaw puzzle," he began, trying to put it in terms Lister could grasp easily. "Every piece represents a memory or an experience, fitting together to form a complete picture of who he is."

Lister nodded, trying to follow along with the analogy.

"Now, when someone suffers from a delusion, it's like someone sneaking in and adding extra puzzle pieces that don't belong," Holly continued. "Those false memories don't fit the picture, but they're mixed in with the real ones, making it all jumbled up."

Lister furrowed his brow, trying to understand. "So, it messes up his mind?"

"Exactly!" Holly affirmed. "It confuses him, making it hard for him to distinguish what's real and what's not. It's like trying to solve a puzzle with pieces from different sets – you just can't make sense of it."

Lister's expression softened as he began to grasp the seriousness of the situation. "So, that's why I shouldn't mess with his head. It's like messing up the puzzle and making it impossible for him to put himself back together?"

"Exactly!" Holly reiterated. "When Rimmer's already fighting an infection and struggling to recover, adding false memories can make his mind even more disoriented. He needs clarity and stability right now, not more confusion."

Rimmer's eyes, filled with a mix of despair and frustration, darted from Lister and then back to Holly. The weight of his confusion pressed down on him, threatening to engulf him completely. He tried to speak, his voice barely a whisper as he struggled to articulate his thoughts. As he lay in the hospital bed, his thoughts were muddled, as if his head was filled with cotton instead of clear thinking. The world around him seemed distant and surreal, making it difficult for him to make sense of his surroundings.

"Li-Lister I thought you died. You can't really be alive can you? Huh-Holly said so." memories of the radiation leak resurfaced in his mind.

Lister felt a pang of guilt wash over him. He had always known him as a neurotic scum-sucking smegeck, but witnessing Rimmer's struggle stirred something deeper within him. He couldn't ignore the impact his actions had on his well-being. He would briefly make eye contact with Holly who gave him a stern glare before he returned his attention back towards Rimmer.

After the med-bot skillfully stitched him back up, Rimmer's arms and hands were carefully wrapped in thick bandages to aid in his healing. His face bore the evidence of the impact, displaying multiple bruises as if he had gone toe-to-toe with Mike Tyson himself. The ordeal had left him battered and in need of rest to recover from the physical toll his injuries had taken.

"It was just a stupid joke," Lister says, his voice sounding both hesitant and worried. Rimmer can hear it, the tremor of Dave's voice as he spoke up again knowing this delirium posed an unexpected challenge. "a joke I pushed too far."

Rimmer listened to Lister's words, sensing the hesitation and concern in his voice. Despite his delirium, he could tell that Lister felt regret for his actions. The joke had gone too far, and Rimmer could feel the impact of Lister's teasing pushing against the walls of his already fragile reality. He struggled to process the mix of false memories and genuine experiences, feeling the weight of confusion and frustration settling in.

As Rimmer's fever raged on, his body weakened, and a cloud of delirium enveloped his thoughts. He found himself caught in a cycle of intense heat and shivers, his skin flushed with a feverish glow. "I juh-I just can't take this anymore," he says, his voice bordering anger. "not again."

"What's he going on about?" Lister asks, his voice carries a note of desperation deferring his question to Holly. "Holly what's he going on about this time?"

"You better think twice Arnold's about ready to rip out the IV." Holly answered back.

Rimmer's body writhed in discomfort, his feverish mind wrestling with a storm of emotions. "I juh-I just can't take this anymore," he muttered, his words laced with frustration. "Not again."

Lister's concern grew, sensing the intensity of Rimmer's distress. "What's he on about now?" he asked, turning to Holly for answers. "What's going through his head?"

Holly's projection flickered with a hint of worry. "He's at his breaking point," he replied solemnly. "Arnold's on the edge, and he's ready to tear out that IV. The fever's got him on the ropes, and he's fighting an internal battle."

Lister's eyes widened with realization, understanding the gravity of the situation. "We need to help him," he said, his voice urgent. "How do we calm him down?"

Holly nodded in agreement. "We need to keep him grounded," he said. "Remind him of what's real and what's not. Delusions can be overwhelming, but we'll guide him through it. It won't be easy, but we'll get him through this feverish storm."