[Need to Punch Something] -- [Kirk and Kirk]

[kirktastic]

Between finding out about Alex, finding out about Spot, and finding out that the bridge had gotten something from the planet below, Kirk was... well, frustrated wasn't quite the word. Stressed was definitely it, and there was one thing (other then alcohol, and he was refusing to go that low right now) that worked to get him ... okay TWO things including sex, but that wasn't (amazingly) on his mind either.

He wanted to punch something. Hard. Jim sounded like a good idea for a sparring partner right now.

With a fast comm to Jim, he had himself a sparring partner as he got off shift. He went back to his quarters and pulled on the same basic clothing he had worn back at the Academy when teaching classes - no formal gi, just loose shorts and a tee shirt.

He glanced around the gym, wondering if he had beat Jim there. When he didn't spot his counterpart, he found a flat, open spot and started to stretch out. Briefly, he wondered if pulling out safety equipment would be a good idea. At least the gloves. It'd keep his knuckles from ending up with bruises... and putting any on Jim.

Comments

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim shrugged easily. "I can hardly judge you," he agreed. He reached out and nudged Kirk lightly with a toe. "What's got you all tense? I mean, if it's something other than the obvious, and provided you want to talk about it."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Kirk crossed his legs, sighing out. He rubbed at a shoulder, flexing it. "...Found out my head of security did one stupid thing, might have done something criminal, and my entire medical crew ended up under review. Not bad for one shift." A sad laugh.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim's eyebrows rose. "The entire medical staff?" he queried. "That's... unusual."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"...One of the doctors gave someone sleeping aids, experimental ones, by lying and saying they were herself." His eyes closed, "She ended up in a coma... she was drinking and had some other stuff in her system..."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim sat up, his captainly instincts taking over for a moment despite the irrelevance he had to this crew. "Oh my god," he said. "Who was it? Is she all right?"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Emma McCoy... Bones' mother." His fingers tightened. "We don't know, yet."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"That fucker," he said uncharacteristically, staring down at the mat, his fist clenching. He glanced up at Kirk. "I got a message from her. She was with... the other me. Er. Kirk. You know, the other other one who's not Bill. Sounded... drunk."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Kirk's eyes went wide, "...what?" He sucked in a sharp breath with that, "...Oh fuck. You don't think he had... something to do with it?" Which was a redundant statement. He already knew Jim was thinking it. "But how?"

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim shook his head. "I don't know. I'm jumping to conclusions," he said. "Chapel keeps telling me to back off, and I know she's right. It's really not like me. But I don't trust him. And it's not like I instinctively mistrust people who look like me."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Glad for that.. "...I know what you mean, though." Kirk admitted, "First time I met him... there was just... something I didn't like." He shrugged, "Nothing I can put my finger on, though."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"I don't know where, or how, he'd have gotten a hold of the sleeping pills," he said, "or even why. I mean, I don't have any evidence to suggest he's a threat, other than... a bad feeling. And I've had enough bad experiences with doubles to know I might be projecting, for some reason." He shrugged. "Something to think about, though."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

Kirk held up his hand, "Whoa, whoa. We know how Emma got the sleeping pills. One of the doctors did lie about it and gave it to her. But... he could have forced them on her." He made a note to tell security to search Emma's quarters.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

His brow furrowed. "Why would anyone do that?" he wondered aloud. He sighed. "He might have. He'd never admit it. And hell, I have no idea why he'd want to. Sometimes I just think I'm paranoid. But--" he shuddered "--I just hope you're lucky enough to avoid some of the things that have happened to me."

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"...I know some of it." Kirk tapped his temple, "His memories will never go away." He looked down, sighing. "Being paranoid seems to be a part of our job description, Jim."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"I guess," Jim shrugged. "But it doesn't come naturally to me. Not the same as trusting your instincts, you know?" He tilted his head, regarding Kirk closely. "How's the other stuff going?"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

He knew. Kirk nodded once, "...other stuff. It's... going. Trying to figure out the best steps to take--"

He blinked and looked up, "Right. We've gotten contact from the planet below."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim blinked back. "What sort of contact?"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"If the report's right? ...Singing."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"Singing," Jim repeated. "Interesting. The contact is intentional? We're not just picking it up by accident?" Some languages sounded like singing, using musical cadence and tone as they used inflection. "What else do we know? Anything? What do we have on this planet?"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"I'm 90% sure its intentional. We've gotten signatures that indicate there's technology down there, possibly even warp-technology. Otherwise... we're almost at an unknown. No marking of this planet, not even this system. We're right on the edge of a system we do know, though. It's got dilithium, which means Starfleet's going to want at it. It's almost all water... just little bits of land."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim grinned. God, he missed his job. "So," he said. "When are you going down?"

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"Right now? ...I can't."

He gave one very pointed look at Jim.

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

"That's not my fault, Jim," he said calmly. He was pretty sure it wouldn't have stopped him.

[kirktastic.livejournal.com]

"No, it's not. The point I was trying to make is that I can't go. So... maybe another captain should go in my place. Besides, you have about a thousand times my experience doing this."

[original-fine.livejournal.com]

Jim stared at him, his expression unreadable. "Jim, I..." He paused. "Jim, I appreciate that. I do. But..." He had experience. Kirk needed it. "Are you sure?"