When the Cavalry Comes.

XIX

Cavalry yelped as she was dropped haphazardly on the bunk as the gravity was kicked back on.

"Owwww." She half whined, rubbing her head.

"Speak for yourself. At least you landed on a bed." Neon's sleep riddled voice gritted out from below her.

"What time's it?" She whispered, tugging blankets back around her and shivering. She was awake now, no use going back to bed.

"'Bout half way through our sleep cycle. Want to go find ways we could help?" Neon asked. Cav grunted in response, sliding down her ladder. Her vision spun and sparked when her feet hit the floor. She gave a yelp of alarm as her knees buckled, smacking her face on the ladder as she crumpled.

As she came too, limbs buzzing and mouth numb, Neon was standing over her, shaking her furiously.

"Oh kriff you woke up." He sighed in relief. "I saw you fall and you weren't breathing and your pulse was really fast." He said in a rush.

"Whaa?" She managed intelligently, fumbling a little to sit up but nothing was moving like it was supposed to. Neon's familiar strong arm slid beneath her and helped her sit up.

"You fainted." He supplied helpfully. She swallowed thickly, sensation returning.

"I didn't faint. Fainting is for old people and damsels in distress. I passed out." She grumbled, shivering. Neon chuckled, helping her to her feet.

"Whatever you say." They pried open the doors and almost ran straight into Kix.

"Oh good. You two are up. Help me wake up the others." He ordered, brushing past them.

"What? Why?" Neon asked, frowning. Kix sighed, leaning heavily on the doorframe and running a shaky hand through his hair.

"Oxygen levels are at sixty percent and dropping. If the troopers in there stay asleep they might never wake up." Kix turned to cough hoarsely into his elbow.

They set to work waking the rest of the barracks. Cav shook White, who was on her bunk. They had gotten flipped around when the gravity was off. Whiteout remained motionless on the bed. She shook him harder, still nothing. By now she was beginning to worry. She braced her feet at the edge of the bed and pulled as hard as she could, eventually managing to get the leverage to drag him onto the ground where he fell into a very grumpy, very awake heap of annoyance.

"I thought we were past hating each other. What the kriff, Cav?" He rasped through sleep hoarse voice. Or maybe it was the lack of oxygen. Who knows.

"We are. And because I don't hate you, I'm waking you up before your nap becomes an eternal sleep." She rolled her eyes, chucking a blanket at him.

"Awwe. You do care." He teased. Cav curled her lips and stepped into his so they were only a couple inches apart.

"Just because I don't hate you doesn't mean I like you. Just because you finally learned not to mess with me doesn't mean you're not a jerk." She growled, anger flaring up unreasonably high. Whiteout's blue eyes flashed dangerously.

"Careful, bearcat. Somebody might think that my efforts of playing nice meant nothing." He retorted, shoving her back. She tripped and struggled to regain her balance, ultimately failing as she fell back and smacked her head on the duracrete floor. A sharp sound bounced around her skull as well as a piercing pain that shot through her skull. Her braid wound haphazardly around her head did nothing to soften the blow.

Her ears rang as she sat up, black spots twirling through her vision. Whiteout appeared slightly guilty. Neon, ever the watchful older brother, appeared at her side as she struggled to regain her footing. He glared darkly at Whiteout.