captivity

[full_of_wrath]

Kirk gets called in. Mostly because Khan has made two duty officers guarding his cell ask to be relieved, one of them in tears.

He creates a lot of wear and tear, in general.

Comments

[kobayashiwhatnow]

Kirk does the instinctive but foolish thing and rushes over to check on him. He doesn't bother calling for a doctor; the empaths will already know.

[full_of_wrath]

He growls at him, and starts dragging himself back towards the bed, while people come running.

A few orderlies come in, helping him under the blankets while he works on breathing deeply. One tries to take Kirk out by the elbow, since that's really enough of that.

[kobayashiwhatnow]

"What's wrong with him?"

Kirk demands, allowing himself to be grudgingly escorted.

[full_of_wrath]

"We're working on his aggression response. He leaps straight for anger, and when he does, people get killed."

The young woman explains, helpfully.

"It's the modification component of his treatment, which I understand you want to cut short?"

[kobayashiwhatnow]

"I want to redirect it."

Kirk corrects, but with no small measure of doubt now. Maybe it would be safer to take a few telepaths along.

But then how would Khan learn to control it on his own? He had controlled it the whole time Kirk had him on board, the whole time they'd gone to find Marcus--even right there on the bridge, he hadn't attacked anyone.

But then, Kirk had had plenty of leverage, and Khan hadn't known he wouldn't use it.

"Dammit. Look, can you send me records of his progress here?"

[full_of_wrath]

"Of course, Captain. But might I make a suggestion? As someone who knows him."

She knows Kirk too, which is why she waits for his permission rather than pushing.

[kobayashiwhatnow]

He'd been looking back at Khan's door, but his attention pulls back to her.

"I have a feeling I'll need all the suggestions I can get."

Which is a 'go ahead'.

[full_of_wrath]

"You think, and he does too, that we're forcing him to grieve all over again. This couldn't be further from the truth."

She says, earnestly, eyes bright and wide.

"The truth is, he has never mourned the loss of his people. Now, he has lost every one of them. It was going to be like this, with or without our help. Let us take him through the anger, safely. You fear we will hold him to a standard he cannot attain- that is not the case. We want only for him to survive with his soul intact."

[kobayashiwhatnow]

"I want to maintain contact with his ship. He's the only one they'll answer to, and they'll be out of range in a month."

Kirk takes her by the arm and gently pulls her aside, voice low.

"I want him to go back to his people if he can--complete some form of therapy. I've worked next to him, I think he'll do best if he has somewhere to direct the grief, while he has you walking him through it."

[full_of_wrath]

"After the year he has had, he will work best if he is given choices."

She tells him, just as sincerely.

"He longs, very badly, for his story to be heard. For someone in that uniform to say, and to mean, 'what was done to you was wrong.' In light of his crimes that may never happen, but I fear what happens if the Admiral's sentence comes down light."

[kobayashiwhatnow]

"It won't."

It can't. Kirk is aware belatedly that the counselor probably feels the desperation and rage he's feeling, and he licks his lips and looks down to try to rein it in.

"I can give him choices. Just tell me how likely it is he'll ever be rehabilitated."

[full_of_wrath]

"How would you describe success, in this case, Captain Kirk?"

She wants to hear.

"What would be rehabilitation, for Khan Noonien Singh? His full name."

[kobayashiwhatnow]

"I don't know."

He says it with a lost, humorless chuckle.

"I'd count it a success if he realized why he can't run around killing innocent people to get at who he wants."

But that's complicated, for reasons Khan has pointed out: Kirk would kill to save his crew. He has before.

"If he's going to be awake in this century I want him to know how to live in it."

[full_of_wrath]

"He is, perversely, safer if you keep him from his family. We will never succeed in teaching him not to kill in their service."

She says, head inclining.

"My fear is that all the same, he will simply begin to kill in yours."

[kobayashiwhatnow]

"What-- mine? My crew hates him."

Not as deeply as Kirk has reason to, but many of them served Pike once.

"And look, I can't go in there and tell him it's always wrong to kill. It's always unfortunate to kill, but I've taken lives for my crew and I'll do it again. He knows that, he's seen me do it."

[full_of_wrath]

"You haven't noticed his compass point swing into your pull? His memories are of charging an irradiated room to save you, giving his blood and body to strengthen you. Other things besides that the men and women here struggled, at first, to understand."

Reminding him of their first few encounters in the cell.

[kobayashiwhatnow]

His jaw clenches tight, not out of anger but out of some rather deeply conflicting feelings.

"I think I can help him, counselor. And if I can, don't I have a responsibility to try? As Pike's friend? As someone Khan hurt?"

[full_of_wrath]

"No, Captain. You have no responsibilities, here. You have done everything that could be asked of you."

She absolves him, very quietly.

"All you need now do is decide what would be right."

[kobayashiwhatnow]

It doesn't take a lot of consideration. Kirk usually does pick a course of action and stick with it.

"I still want to teach him how to live in our time."

[full_of_wrath]

"Then I would suggest leaving him here a month more. That will enable us to give him the tools he needs to travel with you safely, and the trust he needs to come to us if he must."

She proposes, quietly.

"I would also suggest you ask him if he wants to go with you, and honour his answer."

[kobayashiwhatnow]

"Okay."

A deep breath, and then a nod. He can do that.

"Thanks. You're not bad at this."

[full_of_wrath]

"It gives you the time you need to brace your crew. Play with him, and you'll lose him."

She warns him, as well.

[kobayashiwhatnow]

"I mean what I'm trying to do."

And he knows his crew trusts him enough to go along with it, but yes, he should let them in on it now.

"I'll check in tomorrow and see what he says."

[full_of_wrath]

"The day after would be better. He needs to rest, and by then, you will have answers concerning Marcus."

Reminding him, quietly.

[kobayashiwhatnow]

He looks again at Khan's door, and then nods.

"But I want updates."

Khan had looked...awful.