Red Horizon (The Martian Fanfiction)

Chapter 31

Mark entered the Rover, the soft hiss of the door sliding open making Olivia stir from her fevered sleep. She shifted slightly under the thin layer of blankets, her movements sluggish and weak. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, blinking as she tried to focus on him through the haze of exhaustion and pain. Her face, still pale and drawn, was barely visible behind the thin visor of her flight suit's helmet, which had been pushed up during her restless sleep.

Her lips, cracked and dry from the fever, parted as she spoke, her voice barely above a whisper, muffled by the glass of her helmet.

"How's... the Hab?" she asked, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

Mark knelt beside her, his eyes scanning her face behind the visor. She looked terrible—worse than the day before. Her skin had taken on a sickly sheen, and the fever burning through her was clearly getting worse. He could see the pain etched into the lines around her eyes, the way her body trembled ever so slightly.

"It's ready," he said softly, reaching out to gently brush a damp strand of hair away from her face. His gloved hand made contact with the visor of her helmet instead, and he hesitated for a moment, staring at the barrier between them. Her skin glistened beneath it, flushed from the fever, and he wished he could do more than just watch her suffer. "All patched up. It's not the Ritz, but it'll do."

Olivia let out a weak, hoarse laugh, the sound barely audible inside her suit. The movement caused her to wince, her body tensing as another wave of pain shot through her leg. Even with the flight suit's compression, she could feel every pulse of agony beneath the fabric.

"Good... I'm ready to get out of here," she murmured, her voice faint.

Mark's heart clenched at her words. He could hear how tired she was, how much it took for her just to stay conscious. The Rover was too small, too confining for her to be stuck in any longer. He needed to get her into the Hab—where it was warm, where she could lie down properly and hopefully start recovering.

But they weren't there yet.

Mark forced a small grin, trying to mask the knot of worry twisting in his gut. "Let's get you someplace more comfortable," he said softly, as he reached for her helmet, adjusting the visor back into place.

As much as he hated it, she needed her helmet secured before they could exit the Rover. Mars was still Mars—an unforgiving, hostile environment, and even a few seconds of exposure could be deadly. Her breathing was labored, each exhale fogging the inside of her helmet's visor, but there was no other way.

"Hold on a sec," he said, gently lifting her head and fastening her helmet with a click. The suit automatically sealed itself, the faint whirring of air regulators kicking in as the system adjusted to her breathing. The visor cleared, allowing him to see her face more clearly now, even through the slight tint of the helmet.

Olivia's eyes flickered open again as he secured the helmet in place, her gaze foggy but steady. She didn't say anything—she didn't need to. She just gave him a small, tired nod, her way of saying she trusted him, that she knew he'd get her through this.

With her helmet secure, Mark moved quickly to his own. He secured the seals on his flight suit, checked his helmet's systems, and double-checked that Olivia's suit was functioning properly. Everything seemed fine—for now. But they had to move.

"Alright, you ready?" he asked, his voice slightly muffled through his own helmet.

Olivia gave another small nod, too weak to respond verbally, but he could see the determination in her eyes, even if it was dulled by the fever. She was still fighting. That was all that mattered.