Terrors in Subnautica II; Humanity Reconstructed(Complete)

Part 17: The Rescue

Sam sat silently in his newly carved room, the smell of freshly shifted dirt still sitting in the air. He had heard the soldiers and other mutants working to make everyone their rooms, but had chosen to remain with Beth's body until they had to make room for the living.

The council had promised to do a mass burial for all that were lost, though he couldn't help but feel it wouldn't be enough. What solace is a mass grave to the love of a lost one's life? There is no dignity in piling the dead into the dirt, their bodies unidentifiable from any other.

He heard a light knock on his wooden door, barely making a sound sound in response. He wasn't surprised to hear someone come inside.

"I don't need your pity or guilt." He growled.

Silence.

"If you're here to tell me to live on because she'd want me to, to look to the future with hope, or that she died for a good cause don't bother. I know that. All I've heard all day is that she's in a better place and that things will be okay, that I should hold my head high and keep fighting. I'm fucking sick of it." His voice broke and trembled, but he wasn't finished.

"She was murdered for no good reason. She died needlessly right in front of me and I couldn't do anything about it. She's gone, and nothing you say is going to change that. Nothing you say is gonna make it hurt any less."

As tears pour down his face and his voice finally gives out, beginning to wonder if he was only talking to himself.

"I'm not here to tell you everything's okay. And I'm not here to try and erase what happened to her." Y/N spoke quietly.

Almost surprised, he moved to look her way but decided against it. He didn't want to see anyone right now.

"I know that I can't change what happened, and that trying to make you feel better right now is only going to make it worse. I'm not going to try and tell you not to grieve. But I am here to remind you that you're not alone. No matter how alone you feel."

His spine shivered with a cold tingle as she spoke. Her understanding took him by surprise, and yet he couldn't help but feel angry at her, which only confused him more.

"If it were possible to bring someone back after death, even if it were forbidden I'd have done it. But I have to live with the fact that I couldn't and can't do anything about this. And I know this has to be hurting you more than anyone. But if you do decide you could use some company, or someone who understands.. we're here."

The quiet tremble in her voice echoed the grief clawing at her mind. Finally he turned to face her, momentarily confused to see her placing a small tray of food down on the single stool he'd been given. She smiled sadly at him, an ocean of tears just barely held back before she turned to leave.

He didn't stop her, or ask her to stay. He simply watched her leave before forcing himself to eat what she'd brought for him. He never bonded with her the way Beth had, but in this moment he wondered if maybe he could.

                                                                                             ~~

Seán lay stiffly on the bed they'd just been given while waiting for Y/N to return. He'd spent most of the night helping set up as much as he could, before becoming too exhausted to continue. So many people lost loved ones today, it was only right he do anything he could to help.

The door squeaking open broke him free of his wondering thoughts, watching Y/N quietly enter. Unlike him, she had gotten somewhat close to Beth and was taking her death a lot harder than he was. Then again, he thought, maybe the shock of the situation was keeping his pain at bay.