losthunter | The Stories We Keep Secret

"Yes. Her home dimension has many different types of magic in it..."

"I've got her number." Jim ignores the look that McCoy gives him, like the doctor thinks he was flirting with yet another person. He's just glad that he can avoid possibly having to go through a middle man, as it were. "I'll give her a call."

He's never called her before, so he certainly hopes that she picks up.

It is a good thing that Hunter is too out of it to even see the look that McCoy gives Jim. He is too busy trying to stay focused as it is.

April's phone is picked up quickly. "April Kent here."

"Mrs. Kent, it's Jim Kirk. We met in the Nexus a few weeks ago," he adds, in case she's forgotten him. "I have a friend who's in trouble... it might be some kind of curse. He recommended I call you in on it."

"A curse." She repeats. "And a friend in trouble, who recommended me."

Something tells her that this is important. "Give me your PINpoint location. I will come over."

"Yeah, his name's Hunter. He's a friend of Wil's." Jim hopes that's one of the kids she currently has, since she told him her family's timeline tends to do whatever the hell it wants in the Nexus.

"Sending coordinates now."

This is definitely one of these cases of older versions of her children visiting the Nexus, since currently her Will is just old enough for playschool. April keeps that in mind, as she steps through the PINpoint.

It is a strange sight awaiting her. The man on the couch is surrounded by a dark aura. She assumes the man in the white coat is a doctor of some type. And there is an unique creature sitting by Jim.

April herself is dressed in a light sundress. Her blonde hair is loose right now. And she didn't bring any supplies with her.

"What happened?"

Faris is the one who answers, since he was there. "Hunter and I were visiting other humans who had been blessed by an oracle on his home Earth. The last human was hostile in his demeanor towards Hunter and nearly provoked violence. Once we had left, Hunter became extremely exhausted with no apparent cause. We nearly did not return to his home in time."

"An oracle..." April frowns. She takes a seat near the man on the couch.

She gently touches Hunter's face, it is a little warm right now, but she is not bothered by it.

"You said there were others blessed by an oracle. Is this man one who was blessed?"

McCoy is monitoring the patient, so he doesn't move away, but he does shift a little so he can be out of her way and still be able to scan Hunter with his tricorder.

"He is," Faris answers. "Quite some time ago."

"That explains the strong magical energy I see around him..." April closes her eyes for a second. She tilts her head slightly. "But there is another magical energy. Twisted inside. Draining his energy."

"I can see his symptoms but not the cause," McCoy says. "It's like a parasite of some kind."

"It is exactly like a parasite. And it will tear him apart slowly from the inside, unless it is removed."

She opens her eyes. "I don't know him well enough to distinguish apart from his magical energy from the parasite."

"But I could open a mental dreamscape, to allow others to take a closer look."

Jim frowns a little. "Is that like a mind meld?"

"Depends on your definition..." April explains.

She looks at Hunter in concern, as the young man attempts once again to close his eyes and rest. And is unable to fall into a proper sleep.

"A mental dreamscape would connect your mind with his. And you would be able to 'visit' his mind. The imaginary would be very real. But everything would be a representation of what is going on in his head."

"So this would help us get the curse out? I'm in." Jim does not even hesitate.

"Good. I need you to relax and just let me into your mind, to make the connection. I am going to have to assume I have his permission..." She nods to Hunter. "Anyone else?"

"Not me," McCoy says. He has a patient to care for, and he can't do that inside Hunter's head.

"I shall participate also," Faris volunteers.

Jim's not used to telepathic contact that doesn't require her to touch them, so it's a bit weird to try to think of letting her in. But he gives it a shot.

April does take Hunter's hand in her own. Then she projects her mind to both Faris and Jim. They will feel her mental connection caressing at their minds. And once they open up to the experience, they will feel a sensation of being pulled into Hunter's mindscape.

Which right now, is a twisted maze of rose thorns.

Jim is... not terribly surprised to find rose imagery in Hunter's mind. But this is nothing like the lovingly tended, pruned garden out back. It's wild and overgrown, with sharp edges at every turn.

Faris is fascinated by the experience, though of course it's tempered by the task at hand. "We must tread with caution."

There is a slight path that they will be able to follow. As they start to follow the path, there is a single red rose blooming from the thorns. The rose opens, and there is a wisp of light that emerges. It soon takes shape.

Forming into a slightly familiar face. Kendra. It should make sense to both Jim and Faris that she is still in Hunter's mind.

"Caution is wise." She speaks softly.

In the real world, Hunter thrashes slightly, as he struggles to make sense of what is going on in his head. April places a steady, but firm hand on his chest, keeping him in place on the couch so that his thrashing doesn't interfere with the need for the constant medical care from McCoy.

Faris bows his head slightly in greeting. Jim doesn't, trying to figure out what's the best move here. "Kendra," he greets her, like he would greet a visiting ambassador. Mind melds aren't like this; there's some element of a constructed, shared setting out of memory, but it's more about active thoughts and old memories than something that will actually interact with you.

Kendra nods slightly to both of them. She is here as their guide, only to act in their best interests to navigate the twisted paths of the mind.

"You are here to find the poison..."

"I am here to lead you."

Jim's used to being the leader, not to being led. But he's also had a harsh reminder recently about the need to listen to others and follow their guidance, especially when he's out of his depth. This certainly qualifies. So he doesn't object, just nods slightly. "All right. Which way from here?"

Faris has no hangups about the need to follow. As a symbiont, cooperation with others is in his nature. So he simply waits patiently for her wisdom.

"We follow the maze to the heart..." Kendra starts walking, making her way through the maze as if she is very confident in knowing the way.

"The poison has not reached the heart yet. We are fortunate."

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