All Jim wanted to do was go home, get undressed, and soak in a tub full of bubbles for hours. Maybe days. He was beat. Exhausted beyond imagining. How he was still walking, Jim didn’t know.
When he reached his building he stopped at the door and looked up. Half the time the lifts didn’t work and he had to take the stairs. He might just cry if that was the case today.
Jim pushed open the doors and stepped inside the dark, shadowy lobby area. He eyed the lift with a baleful eye, noting the sign that declared “Out of Order”.
Dejected no doubt unreasonably, Jim turned toward the stairwell. The door handle was covered in someone’s slobber or something. With a grimace, he wiped his hands on his pants and went up the first flight.
It became a near thing that he just gave up and sat down on the landing when he’d reached the third floor. But he trudged up to the fourth floor, holding onto the railing, breathing heavily.
At the fifth, he opened the door onto the corridor and walked down toward the opposite end of the hall to Number 512.
He waved his hand vaguely across the door and it clicked open, allowing him entry. He made it just the few feet to the sofa and sank down gratefully. He closed his eyes.
“Jim!”
His eyes flew open and he jumped. “What?”
Spock stood there staring down at him. He wore a long white robe that honestly resembled one of Jim’s own terry cloth bathrobes.
“When did you get home?”
“Just a moment ago.”
“You are wheezing.”
His lungs, damaged from one too many radiating missions, had decided he had asthma some months back. “Stairs.”
“You should have contacted me.”
Jim smiled slightly. “To do what? Climb on your back piggyback style while you race up the stairs?”
Spock sniffed. “Where is your inhaler?”
“Forgot it.”
Spock walked away. Jim watched him bemusedly. He returned a moment later holding out Jim’s inhaler.
“We need to move.”
“Again?”
‘Well.” He sucked in some air. “The lift never works.”
“It is close to headquarters and allows you to walk.”
He sucked in more air and then set it on the cushion next to him. “At least let’s think about it. God, I’m exhausted. I have to get up and start a bath.”
“Already started.”
Jim smiled. “Yeah?”
Spock nodded. “I have also poured you a glass of whiskey and have your favorite meat casserole in the oven.”
“Now if I can just move.”
Spock reached down and hauled him to his feet. But it was gently. Jim leaned against him anyway. Spock’s arms came around him.
“I believe it is time to talk to them about decreasing your hours, adun.”
“Hmm. Maybe.” He sighed. “Ugh. I’m so tired. Carry me.”
Suddenly everything shifted and he was uplifted into Spock’s arms.
“Spock! I was kidding!”
Spock carried him into the bathroom and started lowering him into the tub filled with hot sudsy water. In a manly scent, of course.
Jim laughed. “Spock! I was kidding. Put me down. I’m still wearing my clothes!”
I don’t have any AOS OMS pictures so use your imagination. You got this because I’m just not at all prepared to post the last part of Revealing. So sorry the time got away from me.
