[Day 9 NVC] -- [All Things Must Come to an End] -- [Spock, Bones, and Jim]

Jim's body was nearing the end of its limits. He knew Bones wasn't doing much better, despite them patching each other up. Trying to get proper food in both of them had been less than easy - no replicators in the house. Sleep kept getting interrupted, and Spock was anything but gentle each time as the bond was getting tighter and tighter.

He could feel Spock in his head all the time, now. It made him uncomfortable, twitchy, and almost nauseous. This thing he hadn't asked for, didn't want.

He sat on the edge of the bed in the second bedroom, staring at the wall. Bones was asleep behind him, a slow deep breathing, and thank fuck so was Spock. Spock had passed out beside Nyota hours and hours ago, and Jim had taken it to try and sleep beside Bones.

...Except he couldn't. Too much was going through his head, over and over on replay. His head throbbed, like a muscle that had been over-exercised. The feeling of something... that feeling of something... it was clearer, now.

He knew he had to answer it, soon. He planned to talk to Bones when he woke up. There was... a lot they needed to talk about.

[Day 6 NVC] -- [Can't Protect You When I'm Asleep] -- [Jim and Bones]

Jim well knew the difference between waking up from normal sleep and waking up from drug-induced sleep. There was a film that had to be clawed away every time he woke up from a drug-induced sleep, no matter how good it was. That was how Jim woke up, clawing fiercely to get that thick feeling away from his eyes and mouth until he woke up properly.

He stared up at the ceiling in confusion. ...He hurt less than he could remember previously, and he couldn't hear anything in the room. His limbs felt thick, numb... he tried to push himself up to his elbows.

His whole body shuddered, and he had to roll over onto his side. A groan came out of him, and he tried to focus on getting the world to balance correctly. "...'ones?" He said through the dry-thick mouth.

Then sudden reality. He had been trying to protect Bones. Trying to keep Spock away...

He forced himself up with a gasp as stiff muscles complained, and he looked around as his hand clawed at the side of his neck. The feeling of a hypo against his skin.