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star trek xi - pavel chekov

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[Chekov was conscious well before evening, but he can't for the life of him remember anything. Why is he in a hospital bed? What happened to his hand? Why does everything hurt? More importantly, perhaps, who typed the last entry on his network device and who replied to Lucy and Delacroix this morning?

It was him, of course, but scopolamine has a way of messing with memories. Pavel remembers a random jumble of things: fighting someone in a mask, Korra, watching trees breathe in the park...

In the hope that someone can fill him in, he grabs his network device and starts an audio recording.]

If there is anyone-- [He pauses to clear his throat. He sounds like he hasn't tried talking for days, even to his own ear.] If anyone can tell me what happened this weekend... I would be most appreciative.

[Well, would you look at the time. Just a few hours until midnight.]

Поздравляю с Новым годом. I had no plans for celebrating the new year, but I doubt this would have been included in them.

[ooc: Talk about a crazy weekend. Google tells me that the Russian bit there is basically a "Happy New Year."]

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Korra!

[That was an exclamation of surprise and mild alarm with faint undertones of relief.]

Just-- [akdjflaksdf! to Li:] Li, I will talk to you soon?

Of course. [ His smile is warm, the coldness hidden deep inside. But he'd prefer to be present, in case the Mistress of Subtlety has a guilt-attack and says something she shouldn't. ] See you later.

[Geez, Chekov, that's why she knocked. She's surprised to find him talking with Li -- Hei --- let's just stick with Li. It's as though yesterday never happened. It's befuddling.]

Hey Li. [She's doing a remarkable impersonation of calm. She's not mad at Li, really; she's accepted that Li will do some drastic things to protect that stupid mask of his, and she probably would have beat the crap out of Chekov herself for drugging her if she hadn't been, you know, drugged.

This is not to say she's not mad. The entire situation was ridiculous and stupid and violent and unnecessary. But she can't say it was unexpected.]

How are you? [The question is directed at Li. Probably a stupid question -- if things weren't okay, then Chekov wouldn't be safe and mostly whole in the hospital. What she really wants to know isn't how he's doing, but how they got to this point.]

[He nods dumbly in response to Li and offers his network device to Korra instead of turning it off. So far, she has only spoken to him to acknowledge him; if she wants to talk to Li, that's all well and good. But what does it mean? Clearly something terrible happened or she would be asking him how he is, not Li.

Oh no. That cements it: she's angry with him, or disappointed (disappointed would be infinitely worse). If that's the case, then he must have actually kidnapped her for reasons that he has yet to discern, and if that's real, then the memories of Korra and the masked man must be real as well. Now if he could only remember who the man in the mask was and how Li was involved (Hey, Li--Korra just said that and it sounds like two names he knows, but Li is Li and Pavel suspects he's delirious because Li doesn't have a mask, which makes the masked man Hei?)... or, more importantly, what happened.

If he kidnapped Korra--and he must have, that's the only sensible scenario--then she's angry, and rightfully so. Chekov really wishes she would disappear for a few hours and let him think. If he thinks hard enough, everything will make sense.

After giving the device to Korra, he goes to picking absently at the cast on his hand. Maybe, if he's quiet, she'll talk to Li for a while and delay whatever is going to happen. Maybe Korra will be so mad that she'll only want to punch him. Punching things seems to make her feel better and he would much prefer being punched to being told that she won't talk to him in the future. Both of those, though, would be preferable to finding out that he actually hurt her and she'll never trust him again.

How did they get to this point?]

[ How did they get to this point? ]

[ Hei could say they were caught in a web of cause and effect. That's all life is -- even here, where the surreality quotient is sky-high. But that's a gross oversimplification. They got to this point because 'Li' was lulled in by a pair of nice, normal kids. Because he'd slacked his rhythms enough to let them close. Now one half of the pair is too steeped in his business for her own good. The other half had to be stripped of secrets with drugs and coercion -- but there's still evidence, bits and pieces, left behind. All thanks to his screw-ups. All because he was a sentimental idiot who believed his lifestyle -- who he is -- wouldn't carry through to the City. ]

[ He wishes, for a beat, that he had ME technology to safely erase Korra's and Pavel's minds, like at home. He wonders if he can arrange for a Deity trade to have their knowledge of BK201 drained away. Like that movie. Code 46. Problem solved. Ignorance is bliss. ]

[ But those are plans for a later date. For now, he meets Korra's face onscreen. His indulgent half-smile is a private one, more fitting behind-closed-doors than in a sanitized hospital-room. She's calm -- that's good. There's other things he wants to ask her. But for now he assumes 'Li's quiet stammer, ] I-I'm doing okay. But -- [ He tempers his tone; makes it co-conspiratorial, ] I think Pavel was worried about you. Something about a fight and acid trips. I'm not sure, but it's got him antsy. Maybe he needs a hug? [ Pavel's silence, that dumb nod earlier, were so very telling. Hei's focus is on scrambling any memory-pieces the younger man still recalls into complete senselessness. He needs to be distracted. To have his ideas countermined. ]

[Wait what why is he handing his network device to her? Korra wasn't trying to ignore Chekov -- she'd meant it to seem like one of those throwaway greetings. She sucks at this game.]

Cool. I'll see you around later. [She says it like it's a goodbye, but it comes out more like a question. They need to talk.

She hands the device back to Chekov and reaches out to squeeze Chekov's shoulder reassuringly. She's not mad at you either, Chekov. (Mostly. She got the bulk of it out of her system when she knocked him unconscious.)]

[Chekov more-or-less tunes Li out in his continued effort to figure out what's going on. The boy has a frightening mind that processes information rapidly and generates multiple trains of thought at once, like a computer running several different programs simultaneously. This isn't usually problematic; Pavel is quite good at paying attention to what is relevant (and, frankly, most of the things going on in his mind are not). At the moment, however, his thoughts are loud and demanding and not entirely trustworthy. Everything seems important, from memories that may not be real to random names and numbers and codes (BK201--is that a star designation?) to Korra's actions. The filters that make it possible to concentrate on one thing at a time are down.

Maybe it's a residual side-effect of scopolamine. Maybe it's just Chekov trying, subconsciously, to fill in the gaps in his memory with something that makes sense. Either way, it's not terribly conducive to thinking rationally.

He's forced to pay attention to things outside of his head when Korra hands the device back and gives his shoulder a squeeze. That contact is good; that means she's not nearly as mad as she could be and none of Chekov's worst case scenarios are applicable. Relieved, he responds by pulling her into a hug.]

I'm very, very sorry for what happened. [Whatever it was.]

[Korra hugs him tightly -- not as tight as she'd like to, but she's very conscious of his injured hand, and how fragile he looks in the hospital bed.]

It wasn't your fault.

[He hesitates before asking the burning question.]

Korra? What did happen?

You really don't remember anything?

[She has no idea what to tell him. She doesn't know how to lie like Hei... she can't think of a story to tell him that won't just make the situation worse.]

I remember several things, but I can't tell which happened. ...I kidnapped you?

No.

[She's surprised at the lie, how easily it rolls off her tongue. It really wasn't Chekov who kidnapped her, though -- it was the curse that made him do it. It made him a different person.]

We were attacked by some guy in a mask. I don't know what happened after that. [Again, not really a lie. She doesn't know what happened after Li left with Chekov.

It leaves a foul taste in her mouth, but she's getting used to it. It's to protect Chekov.]

[Chekov has no reason to question Korra's honesty. He's visibly relieved even if none of this helps him make sense of what happened.]

Nothing? And you weren't injured?

[She looks fine, but...]

Do you remember anything else? Does the name "Hei" mean anything to you?

[She shakes her head; it helps hide the flash of tension in her face.]

No. I don't have any idea what it means.

[She perches on the bed next to him. She needs to change the subject, before he forces her to lie anymore.]

So when are they letting you out of here?

[That is wholly unhelpful. Before Chekov can ask anymore questions--and he has plenty--Korra changes the topic. So much for figuring out what happened with her help.]

Tomorrow, or so I hope. [He rolls his eyes.] The doctors feel a need to inspect my brain. They may make me stay longer if they find anything, but I doubt that they will.

Hey, you gotta be careful with a noggin like yours. [She gives him a light noogie.] Not many people have a brain like yours.

And for that, the universe should be grateful. [His smile turns into a look of mild concern.] There is nothing that I should know about what happened?

I wish I could tell you. [Said as though she knows nothing more. But she does really wish that she could tell him. She doesn't like lying.]

I wish you could, as well. Was something done to your memory?

I don't know.

[She squeezes his uninjured hand lightly.]

Do you need someone to pick you up tomorrow?

[Chekov doesn't understand why Korra is being so vague, but she obviously isn't going to give him any answers. Perhaps he did do something to her and she's trying not to let him know.

She's a good friend.]

No, but thank you. If Uhura doesn't insist on escorting me, I will be fine on my own.

You are not taking yourself home. [Stupid boy.] Give me a call if she doesn't show up. If you don't, I'll teach you the real meaning of pain.

You are very cruel, threatening someone who is already hospitalized.

[Guilty as charged. She smirks.]

But you'll call me, right?

I will, of course.

[solemnly] Thank you for visiting, Korra. I wanted to talk to you.

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