When the Cavalry Comes.

XXI

Fives showed Cavalry another arc sign. She repeated it back a couple times, smiling when she got it right. Speaking more than a few hoarse words at a time weren't really an option at the moment, although she was expecting to make a full recovery.

"Good." Fives praised her. Technically he wasn't supposed to be teaching her these, but it was better than her permanently damaging her voice by speaking for long periods of time. He had no doubt she would make ARC eventually, so it was really a bonus.

She made a growly sound in the back of her throat, turning away to cough into her elbow. Black and pink stains covered her oversized civie shirt she had stollen from one of their brothers. There had been concerns about her coughing up black stuff at first, but scans had showed it was just residual carbon and dried blood making it's way out of her airway.

"Ow." She rasped. "Hurts."

"You're not supposed to be talking." Fives scolded her gently, passing her a cup of hot water Kix had left. Caf wasn't a good idea, and there was no tea on board, so hot water it was. Cav glared at him and made the field sign for 'mute comms.' As the took a couple swallows with a pained grimace.

"Did you just tell me to shut up?" He asked incredulously.

"Yes." She said, a little less raspy after the hit water. "Yes I did." She took a couple more swallows.

"You little mynock." He accused. She just flashed him a small grin. A rare smile since Neon's death. Her hair was a rat's nest of the once beautiful braid, but she refused to take it out more than just enough to rewind it tight around her head, although it never stayed up.

She made another sign, this one much more crude and with a furrowed brow.

"Honored?" Fives asked, confused. She shook her head. "Oh! Proudly?" A signed 'yes' as she started coughing again.

"Here." He said once the coughing fit had passed. He made a sign carefully and deliberately. "Proudly. Or proud. Either."

She nodded and repeated the sign clumsily. Fives took her hand and showed her how to make the sign properly. She did it again on her own, much more neatly.

"Good." He signed something to her. She frowned as she interpreted the signs. 'I am proud of you.'

She gave him a look that took on a watery glaze. She made a wonky 'yes?' Fives nodded.

"Yes really. You've done so well so far." She sniffed and turned to cough again. Fives moved from his chair to sit next to her, patting her back gently as she hacked and wheezed.

She gave a small sniff and let herself lean against him when the fit passed. Fives smiled faintly.

"Are you tired?" He asked. She waited for a long moment before making a couple signs.

'No. Miss soldier.' She signed. 'Miss move.'

"Yeah, I miss him to. And medwards do suck after a while." Fives smiled at her. "Tell you what. You choke down those meds Kix gave you and we'll sneak you out of here to the mess." She glared at him hard.

'Rough'

"You mean rude?" A nod. "Like this."

'Rude.'

"You want out or not?"

'Still rude.' She fished around with the tray next to her bed, pulling stoppers out of the tops and downing a dose of each with a grimace, gagging at the unpleasant taste.

"Good girl. C'mon. Let's go to the mess and grab lunch." He offered her his hand. Cav staggered and wobbled but kept up with Fives with a little help.

The mess was deserted aside from an overworked major doing paperwork in the corner. Fives and Cav each grabbed a bowl of wet ration gunk. Cav swallowed around a spoonful, her sore throat protesting the mash.

"Is it too much for you?" Fives asked.

'No. All clear.'

"You sure?"

'Yes.'

Fives didn't press as she swallowed more ration. She leaned on one wrist, stirring her food with a spoon. Whiteout entered the cafeteria, a datapad in hand. He delivered it to Fives without so much as a glance in her direction. The two struck up a conversation that she stayed out of.

She let her eyelids slide closed, becoming painfully aware of how tired she actually was. A hand touched her shoulder and she flinched, snapping awake. It was just Fives, White nowhere to be found.

"Naptime?" He asked quietly. She shook her head stubbornly, fighting heavy eyes. Fives gently lifted her from the bench. She huffed grumpily at being carried like a child back to the medbay.

Fives put her on the bed, setting up an oxygen mask.

'Rude' She signed as he held it out to her.

"You'll sleep with it on if you want to get better." She took it from him and glared.

'Rude.'

"I know it's not comfortable." He consoled. "But it's necessary for a fast recovery."

'Fair enough.' She settled down. Fives hesitated, then pulled the blankets up higher.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"No." She croaked. "Call."

"Ok. I'll be here when you need me." He left the ward and turned out the primary lights.

Cavalry sleep uneasily, waking up in a cold sweat several times. She dreamt about being a cadet in a sleeping tube again, but she couldn't get out. The tube weighed on her chest and she couldn't breath and it was so dark.

Then she slipped into blackness. Neon's pale and waxy face as he floated in space somewhere with the other casualties of the cruiser accident.

Neon had always wanted to die on a lush green planet, like Felucia. He had always wanted to see Felucia. He deserved more than a void as his grave.

She wiped away tears and debated calling Fives, before deciding against it. He was probably sleeping. Waking him would be mean.

So she remained quiet and still, crying softly as visions of Neon flashed through her mind. Graduation, completing the citadel final exam, prank night with his smudged warpaint that gave him the most ridiculous green raccoon eyes. His pale face on umbara as he and Fives took turns helping her through long marches. His even paler face as they sat in the dark, him braiding her hair one last time as he gave his emergency oxygen to her.

Cav cried herself into a black uneasy sleep.