When the Cavalry Comes.

XX

"I'm not leaving her." Fives's voice was hoarse from carbon poisoning. "That's the last thing she needs is for me to not be here when she wakes up." He growled at Kix, who was leaning against an IV poll with a small oxygen tube looped around his face. Kix had nearly died in the accident, refusing to take any oxygen for himself as the others had died around him despite his best efforts. It was a reminder of how strong the medic was.

"Fives, it's been two days since we've been rescued. I don't think she's going to wake up." Kix said quietly, looking at the small body on the bed. Cavalry's face was partially obscured by the oxygen mask over it, her face a grayish cast. With her already desaturated hair, it made her look faded and fragile.

"I'm not leaving her. I left my first Vod'ika to die. I'm not leaving another." He growled. Kix's face softened

"There's nothing you can do to help, just like there's nothing you could have done to help Echo." He said, leaving the room. Fives slid his chair over to sit by Cavalry's head, gently brushing a hand over the elaborate braid in her hair. He didn't dare undo it.

"C'mon, Cav'ika. I'm not giving up hope." He whispered. Fives unexpectedly found his eyes tearing up. "Please wake up. I know I haven't really played the roll of ori'vod with you to the point I should have. I know how strong you are, little'un. I know you assume I think of you as little more than a child, but that's not true. Please wake up.

Nothing. Just the same labored breathing. Not even a flicker of movement from under still eyelids.

"I'll never give up." He whispered. "Never again." Fives glanced at the kit that sat cleaned and polished on the footlocker. He picked up a nearby rag and began to clean them again.

~

"No. Absolutely not." Kix growled.

"But sir, she's little more than a drain on resources. She-"

"She's one of us. And even if she wasn't, one of our own gave his life and more to make sure she survived. As head medic my word is final pertaining to her. Life support stays on." Kix boarder line yelled at the shiny under him.

He glanced over at the bedside Fives was sleeping next to on a cot. Cavalry had been comatose for nearly a week now. The jedi were off on some mission to Krios and everyone else was at least cleared for duty.

He gave her another oxygen supplement in her drip, checking the mask over her nose and mouth.

"Neon gave everything for you." Kix told her softly, even though she probably couldn't here him. "And I swear by our vode's blood his sacrifice won't be in vain."

~

Everything hurt. Her chest especially, but everything ached. She coughed weakly, allowing herself a soft cry as she wheezed. A brother's hands moved over her face. A tube was wrenched from her throat and she coughed harder before beginning to cry. She coughed and wheezed through great hiccuping sobs because everything hurt and something was desperately wrong but she didn't know what.

"Neon." She gasped, "Neon, vaii cuyir gar?" A callused hand wiped the tears from her face.

"He's not here, Cav." A voice murmured. She forced heavy eyelids open to look at the blurry face of the speaker. A cold feeling rushed through her veins and she passed out.

When she came too again the pain was much less, even though everything still hurt. She opened her eyes to see Fives sitting next to her.

"Fi-ves." She croaked, getting his attention. Fives snapped over to crush her in a bone jarring hug.

"You're gonna be ok, Vod'ika. Everything's ok." He said shakily, pulling back to look at her.

"Wh-e-re Ne-yawn." She rasped, slurring and struggling with her hoarse throat. Fives face got sad.

"He saved you." He said quietly. Cav tossed her head back and forth, the tears returning as she sniffed. Something wasn't right.

"Wh-ere?!" She demanded as loud as she could, still just above a whisper. Fives took her face in his hands like he might a small child's, wiping away tears as they spilled over.

"He's dead, Cav. Marching on. He gave his oxygen to you." Fives murmured. Cav crumbled into him. Her brother was gone, her big brother. She fell against somebody who was completely identical to him with the exception of a small tattoo. For a second it was Neon she was hugging but it was also too wrong to he him.

Fives ran a hand gently up and down her spine. She was weaker than a newborn tooka and clearly traumatized from her brush with death. Her voice sounded so damaged Fives doubted it would ever be the same.

"You're ok, Cav. It's going to be alright."

"Want N... N..." she cried, trailing off and coughing wetly. The coughing fit went on several seconds and ended with blood on her lips.

"You'll be ok. Here. Put on the mask now." He helped her slide the rubber mask over her nose and mouth. She was emotionally and physically exhausted from the effort of just being awake at the moment. She leaned against Fives as he paged Kix.

As Kix examined her she drifted back off to sleep. Fives moved to lay her back down but she clung like a panicking koala.

"A slight amount of atrophy and a tiny burst blood vessel in her throat from coughing. I'll give her what we have and hope it's enough. We're not out of the woods yet, she still needs a lot of attention and maybe even surgery before she'll even be close to what she was, but..." Kix trailed off. "It looks like you get a second chance with your Vod'ika. Our vod'ika." He said quietly.

Fives nodded. "I told you I wouldn't give up." He said. "And now we have our sister back."

Kix nodded and sat in the chair where Fives had been earlier. "I'm going to take a small nap. Wake me up if somebody dies. Wake her up and that somebody will be you."

Fives nodded. "Yes Kix."