Backwash [Omori/Mouthwashing]

99.9%

6 hours until Judgement.

You lock the door to the cockpit.

"Basil! Get the fuck out here!" Aubrey shouted through the door, pounding on it relentlessly.

You grabbed a busted iron rod beside the door and lodged it between the lock and the doorframe.

"You can't hide!" Aubrey yelled, the pounding started sounding even louder.

Searching the room, you recalled the emergency rope in the utility closet. You tied the rope around the lock to keep it in place

Aubrey continued her vocalizations. "I'm gonna chop you into twenty fucking pieces!"

"Stay away! Get away from me!" You shouted back. Suddenly, an axe swung through the door's opaque window, and Aubrey reached inside to grab the door's lock.

2 days before the crash.

"Hero. Didn't expect to see you out here," you say with a sigh, "Especially not this late."

"Yeah, couldn't sleep, and the showers don't turn on until 'morning' time. So I'm just out here. Waiting," Hero said with a quiet sigh.

You nodded understandingly, "I hear that. The captain's quarters aren't really that comfortable, either."

After a few moments, Hero sighed, "I can't keep this secret. It's too much effort. Sunny, you know Basil, yeah?"

It was a stupid question, obviously, but you answered anyway. "Yeah. Why?"

"He's got a thing for you, man. He told me the other day. He said he wanted to confess to you soon. So uh, act shocked for my sake, would ya?" Hero joked. You didn't find it so funny, but you didn't really have the liberty to say anything about what a breach of trust it was. No point in making the rest of their final ride awkward.

"Hm. I'm not really up for romance when I don't have any job security. Guess he thinks he has a chance since Feline Express is giving us the boot. Y'know, the whole 'No dating coworkers' policy won't be in effect anymore," you say with a sigh. It's not that Basil wasn't cute or anything. It's just that you wouldn't be able to give him the attention he deserves at a time like this. It'd be wrong.

Hero nodded, "I getcha. He's not a bad guy, after all. Let him down easy, right?"

"Right," you say with a nod. "Really easy. I still like the guy, after all," you stifle a laugh.

"Yep, yep, I get what you're implying. Lead him on a little while. Keep him waiting for you when you're ready. Same way that I'll get to date your sister when we're home," Hero snickered to himself.

"I'm not like you, you dick," you tease Hero, "I'm just saying I wanna stay friends."

"All men are the same, Sunny, all men are the same. Mom told me that one," Hero joked back. You both laughed for a while, joking together afterwards and talking about how life would be when you get back home. It was nice.

4 months after the crash.

"Basil, help!" Kel's voice stirred you from your spacy daze. You turned to face the man dashing over to you, "It's a total emergency, dude!"

"Calm down. What's going on?" You ask the panicking Kel.

Kel put his hands in his hair, grabbing at his head. "Hero is stuck in medical! The door won't open! What if he runs out of... something!?"

"Alright, let's calm down, Kel, we'll have a look." The two of you proceed down the hallway to the medbay, and you knock on the door. "Hey, heard the lock's broken."

There was no response. You knocked again, a little louder, "Hey, Hero, can you hear me!?"

"Yeah, I can hear you, Basil," you get as a weak response. You raise an eyebrow, but continue.

"How long have you tried pulling? And how long have you been stuck in there?" You ask urgently, "Maybe we could pull on our side at the same time, and–"

"The door isn't stuck, Basil. I locked it," Hero admitted, interrupting your thoughts.

Kel was taken aback. "Huh? What do you mean? Bro, why did you lock yourself in there..?"

"Hero, we're all stressed, I get it, but you can't go breaking down every time something bad happens. Open the door," you command. You were getting frustrated with Hero's repeated refusals to do anything useful.

Hero seems to ignore you. "You were right, Basil. I don't do anything to help. I'm nothing but a burden."

"Hero? Dude, please just open the door. We need you!" Kel begged.

Now somewhat muffled, Hero seemed to be talking to Sunny. "I'm sorry I didn't do this earlier. It was my mistake letting this go on as long as it has. I won't bring us down any longer."

Kel banged on the door, "What does that mean!? Hero, come back!"

"Sunny's still in there with him, right?" You ask, feeling a lump in your throat.

Kel turned back to you, "Yeah... you don't think he'd..." Kel asked with a look of horror slowly overtaking him.

You tried to swallow down the painful feeling, but it didn't go away. "Is there any other way into medical?"

"I mean, that busted vent I tried to fix way back... that goes to medical. Technically, a person could fit through it, but... Aubrey said–" Kel was cut off promptly.

"Who cares what Aubrey said. We need to save Sunny," you said with conviction. "Let's hope Aubrey's work on the emergency foam has been going well."

The two headed downstairs, Kel yelling over his shoulder on the way down, "Hang in there, Hero!"

The two went up to the utility door, Aubrey drunkenly sitting next to it. "Aubrey! I know you said utility is dangerous right now, but–"

"You know I'm not letting you in there, fellas. Tooooo dangerous. Offff-limits," Aubrey said promptly, tripping over her words the entire walkthrough of her sentence.

After hiccoughing once, you started to argue your case. "Look, if there's even a slight chance to save Sunny, then–"

She interrupted again. "Didn't you hear me, Basil? Offffff.... lime– limitsssssssuhhhhhhhhh. You smacking at that foam wall would just make this ship collapse in on itself after you open a hole into the vastness of the you-knee-verse."

"But, Aubrey, this could be really bad, just hear us out!" Kel implored. You were starting to get really annoyed at Aubrey.

Aubrey sipped from her bottle of mouthwash that she had on the ground next to her. You hadn't noticed it prior. "Look, guys, I say, we name this space rock we crashed into... I sayyyy... Mmmmm... let's call it Sunny Rock. In honour of our great captain's impromptu discovery of this hunk of granite. Whaddya say?"

You finally had enough. "Let's just go, Kel. I've had enough of her." The two of you headed back towards the medbay, trying to think of a new plan.