Jim was surprised to realize that he wanted to take Spock’s outstretched hand. So he came around the wood pile, stepped over the…creature or whatever he was lying on the ground…and placed his hand in Spock’s.

He was even more surprised when Spock drew him near and embraced him, holding him close as though he were precious to Spock.

Jim swallowed hard. “That’s not a Halloween costume that guy is wearing, is it?”

“It is not. He is a Klingon.”

Jim drew back to see Spock’s face, but he didn’t pull away entirely. “Klingon. This should all freak me out more, shouldn’t it?”

“I believe you are getting your memories back, though slowly.”

“Memories?”

Spock shook his head. “It is difficult to explain.”

“Try me.”

Spock glanced down at the Klingon. “First we need to secure him before he revives. There is yet one more like him we will need to capture before we can depart.”

Jim did move out of the embrace now. “I think I saw some rope in the barn there. Hang on.”

“Be careful, Jim. We don’t know the location of this one’s companion.”

Which of course made the butterflies in Jim’s stomach take flight, but he walked over to the door of the barn and threw it open.

“You don’t happen to have a flashlight in your arsenal, do you?” Jim asked. “It’s pretty dark in here.”

Spock put his hand on Jim’s arm. “Wait here. I’ll go in since I have a phaser.”

“What if that guy wakes up?”

“He will not. I will be out in a moment.”

Jim watched Spock go inside the barn for the rope. He turned around and crouched down by the Klingon and spotted what looked like some kind of gun.

He lifted it off the unconscious Klingon just as he heard the scuff of a footstep.  He raised the gun.

“Hey, hey, hey. I’m on your side.” McCoy had his hands up. He had obviously come outside to see what was going on. “No hypospray, I promise. Put that disruptor down before you hurt someone. Namely me.”

Jim looked at the weapon in his hand. “A disruptor, you say?”

“Yeah. A Klingon weapon.”

Jim straightened and stood but he didn’t put the disruptor down. He figured it might come in handy if the Klingon woke.

“Where’s Spock?”

“Getting some rope.” Jim eyed McCoy. ”You want to give me your story?”

“Well.” McCoy crossed his arms over his chest and tapped the fingers of his one hand on the other arm. “I was on the bridge—”

“The bridge?”

“You are the captain of a starship.”

Jim laughed. “A what?”

“It’s complicated. Anyway, there was an incident on the bridge with another crew member and when I tried to medicate him there was a scuffle and it ended up being injected into you instead. You had a very bad reaction. You transported  yourself down to this planet—”

“Earth?”

“Not really. A version of past Earth accessed through this portal called Guardian of Forever. Basically you’re on the planet with that portal.” McCoy paused. “I think. Look, I don’t know the science of it or whatever. I just know you somehow got hit on the noggin after the shot and you’ve lost your marbles.”

Jim sighed. “You’re giving me a headache, Bones.”

McCoy whooped. “You just called me Bones!”

“Huh?”

“Your nickname for me.”

Jim suddenly turned and looked toward the barn. “Spock’s been gone a long time looking for rope. I’m going in.”