Gray All Over

Chapter 1 - In The Dark Of The Night

Author's Note: This is a gift for LuminousBug on ao3. It is also for Day 7 of Clone Twin Week. :)

~ Tirana Sorki

The room is gray. It is always gray, or at least it appears that way, even if the sun is up and streaming through the barred window overhead. Tech can't see it, anyway. He's seen very little since Eriadu.

He still remembers the sharp cutting pain of the piece of debris that hit him in the face. He couldn't see anything but blood after that, and he'd lost consciousness moments later, only to wake up here on Tantiss. Where he still can't see anything. He doesn't know how bad the damage to his eyes was, but they haven't recovered. If they're going to recover. Not that it has been very long.

Once, that would not have been a problem, but here on Tantiss... Hemlock is making well certain he can't function without them.

It also makes it a lot harder to think about an escape plan when he can't see. He's so used to being able to see and remember the intricate details of everything, but now he can't anymore. He doesn't know the exact positions of the guards outside his room. He can't see for certain so he has to guess by the shadowed movements he can see or by the sounds of their footsteps. He will not let this stop him, but Tech is perfectly aware of the risks.

He hears noise a moment before the door to his room slides open. Technically, it's not only his room. He's not the only one who uses it, and he would find it more uncomfortable if he were. Tech has never had his own room, and he does not see the purpose in it. He always shared with his brothers, though this is different, because it's not one of his brothers that he's sharing with.

"Good evening," Emerie greets, standing in the doorway. "How are you feeling?"

"I am a prisoner," he points out, a swell of stinging resentment rising up as he stands, "My feelings are immaterial."

Emerie sighs. "You are no such thing," she replies, "It will take time to adjust, but you will acclimate."

Change is a normal fact of existence, but this is one change he is not going to try accepting. He will find a way back to his brothers, no matter what it takes. They are his squad. His brothers. His home. They might survive without him, but they still need him.

"Come." Emerie takes his hand, guiding him to the doorway. They have taken this walk seven times before, and Tech knows how many steps it takes to cross the room, and where the stairs are, and where to turn into the hall – it's brighter out there than in their room. He can't see. He was never permitted to see his medical report, so he doesn't know how bad the damage is, or if it is permanent, but everything is blurred substantially more than it used to be.

He has seen Emerie multiple times every day, and he still does not know what she looks like.

He aches all over. Something in his shoulder was torn in the fall, as he tried to catch himself, and weeks later, it hasn't healed. Walking is hard, mostly because he can't feel his steps anymore, either. His legs are metal now. A piece of the rail car hit him second after landing. The force was enough to crush his armor and fracture his spine. It severed both his legs entirely, or at least damaged them enough they were amputated here. He was unconscious throughout most of it.

He had to spend a brief amount of time getting used to the physical changes here on Tantiss. Emerie had been there to help him, as per her role as a medical assistant, not that he appreciated such help very much. It was only a week ago now that they took him out of the recovery area of the facility.

He can't fight like he once could, but he is still a soldier. Echo makes due with even less, and his family needs him. He will find a way out, as they always do.