[It makes him laugh to have her add to it, but also makes a few of the tears fall when he doesn't want them to. He presses the heel of his palm to his eyes, trying to keep them in, the same way she had earlier.]

[He seems to be dealing with the "it's either laugh or cry" of it all by getting stuck somewhere in the middle because the laughs are caught somewhere between being laughs and sobs. He's afraid, hence tears. But it's also the kind of laughter that makes you cry from mirth because why not? Why not laugh out a few tears while he still can? At the sheer absurdity of it all?]

[But then the time for laughter is over because even if this is a process he can survive, it's still going to be an unpleasant one.]

[He winces and lets out an "Aaah!" bowing over slightly and reaching a hand for his lower back.]

Spinal clamps! I think the spinal clamps are clamping! Ow. Ow ow ow.

[It does not feel good to be sitting down right now the same way sitting is terrible for any back problems.]

[Still cringing, he scoots a little in the grass of the playground and awkwardly lays down flat next to her. It does hurt less for the nanites to be screwing with his spine when its not as bent.]

[He's still wincing, though. Even when it doesn't hurt - and it does hurt off and on, he keeps getting it in waves - it feels jangly and uncomfortable.]

If I have to deal with Borg implants, they better make me smarter. And stronger.

[A pause.]

Taller. Taller would be nice. I know I'm not that short but it just feels like when I'm around someone like Shaxs that I should be asking for a booster seat when I'm manning the Conn.

[So weird. Feeling tall and short at the same time. He'd weirdly felt a lot taller when visiting Pike's crew for some reason.]