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“Fives.”
Fives didn’t move, his attention focused entirely on the blood splattered across his armour. He could still hear his brother screaming in agony, clutching the shredded remains of his arm tightly to his chest as Fives had pulled him from the fire. In fact, he was fairly certain he would never stop hearing Echo screaming, because every time he closed his eyes, all he could see was-
“ Fives . Look at me.”
“Go away, Rex,” Fives muttered without looking up. “I’m off duty.”
“Then maybe you should change out of your armour and get something to eat, vod,” Rex said, placing a gentle hand on Fives’ shoulder. “Let the medics do their jobs.”
“I can’t,” Fives said softly, his gaze still fixed on his blood-crusted vambraces. “I can’t- what if something happens while I’m gone, what if he wakes up?” What if he doesn’t .
“Fives,” Rex said, his grip tightening on Fives’ shoulder, “You can’t do anything for Echo right now. Kix will call you if something changes, but you’ll feel a lot better in a clean set of blacks and a full stomach.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“Don’t make me order you.”
“Rex,” Fives pleaded, “ please .”
Rex let out a long sigh. “All I’m asking is you take a half hour, then you can come right back-“
“I can’t leave him,” Fives said, choking back a sob, “he doesn’t like the med bay and-“
“What else, Fives?” Rex asked, his voice gentle, “Echo is an ARC Trooper, he can handle himself in stressful situations, you know he can.”
“I…” Fives started, taking a shuddering breath, “I have to stay, in case… they try to decommission him. Because he’s not useful anymore.”
“No one is going to decomm him, Fives,” Rex said firmly. “I promise.”
“But-“
“Would you feel better if I stayed until you get back?” Rex asked.
Fives sucked in a breath, then nodded. “Okay, yeah. I can do that.”
“Good,” Rex said, patting him affectionately. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
“They’re just bringing Echo out of surgery,” Rex said, offering Fives a warm cup of tea. “He’s stable enough for a dunk in the tank, so that’s up next. Kix thinks that should mitigate most of the scarring, although he’s worried about long term damage to Echo’s lungs.”
Fives nodded, accepting the mug with shaking hands. He was utterly exhausted, but his thoughts were flying far too fast for him to even consider sleep - not while Echo’s future still hung in the balance.
“Kix said you can see him once they get him in the bacta,” Rex said quietly, “and that you’re welcome to stay over as long as you’re out of the way.”
Fives nodded again, still uncertain of what to say. Even with Rex’s promise, he couldn’t help but worry that someone was going to snatch Echo away from him, now that his brother wouldn’t be able to serve anymore. He’d heard the stories as a cadet, of soldiers euthanized so as to conserve resources, and considering the extent of Echo’s injuries…
“Fives,” Rex said, putting his hands on his hips, “Echo is going to live, okay? You saved him, and he’s doing really well.”
“I know,” Fives said, shaking his head, “but I can’t stop thinking about what’s going to happen next. He’s missing an arm and both of his legs, it’s not like he can just get up and be an ARC again, and-“
“No,” Rex admitted, “but that doesn’t mean we’re just going to abandon him, either.”
“But-“
“Fives, look at me,” Rex said, a commanding edge to his voice, “do you think Kix would have spent the entire afternoon patching him back together just to decommission him?”
“But it’s not his call!” Fives protested. “He could do everything and then someone else could-“
“Who, Fives?” Rex asked, gentle but firm. “Me? Cody? Do you really think any of us would order the death of another vod like that?”
“He has no legs!” Fives cried, ignoring the hot tea spilling over the edge of his cup. “He has no legs and no arm and he can barely breathe and-“
“And he’s a brilliant tactician with a number of incredibly useful skills,” Rex said calmly, helping Fives to the floor. “If nothing else, I could really use his help in planning our upcoming battles, once he’s feeling up to it.”
Fives took a deep breath, holding his head between his knees. “I… I’m sorry, Rex, I just. I’ve never been alone before. Even after Rishi, I still had Echo and-“
“And you still do,” Rex reminded him. “Echo is still alive, Fives. His heart still beats and his blood still flows.”
“I know, but I can’t- it doesn’t feel like I have him, not when all I can think about is him screaming in pain and passing out in my arms-“
“I know,” Rex said softly, “but you have to let it go.”
“I can’t -“
“You can,” Rex said, “and you will. I know you will.”
“ How? How can I?”
“Because Echo is going to need you when he wakes up,” Rex said simply. “He’s going to be scared and disoriented and he’s going to want his twin at his side.”
Fives swallowed, trying to get his breathing under control again. “But I can’t fix this!”
“No,” Rex said, “but you can help. If the situation was reversed, and you were the one injured, what would you want?”
“I…” Fives sucked in another breath, “I wouldn’t want him to feel this shitty, that’s for sure. Or stay up all night worrying.”
“What else?”
“I’d… I’d just want to see him,” Fives said slowly. “To know that he made it out alive.”
“That’s all you need to worry about right now,” Rex said firmly. “Let me handle the rest.”
“Okay,” Fives breathed. “Just… just be there.”
Fives wasn’t really reading his datapad, as he hadn’t really read it over the past few days he had spent in this shitty plastic chair, watching the rise and fall of his twin’s chest. He was down to just an oxygen cannula and a single IV - a far cry from all the tubes and wires he had been hooked up to when Kix had first pulled him from the bacta, but it still tugged at Fives’ heart in a way he hadn’t entirely been able to ignore.
Rex had been by a handful of times to check on him, but it hadn’t been enough to ease the loneliness that had settled into his stomach. This was the longest he had gone without hearing his brother’s voice since they’d been tubies, and it ached .
The words swam on the screen before him, and Fives sighed, rubbing at his eyes. He really needed to get through those reports - Rex had been lenient so far, but Fives knew it was only a matter of time before due became overdue - but he couldn’t make his brain work the way he wanted it to.
“Hey,” Echo whispered, his voice hoarse and scratchy. “Fives.”
Fives sat up immediately, startled by the sudden sound of his brother’s voice. “Echo?”
“Can you lend me a hand?” Echo asked, a mischievous grin on his face. “I only have the one left.”
Fives swallowed a sob, pulling Echo into a tight hug. “You’re awake. You’re finally awake.”
“You’ve overslept enough times,” Echo murmured into his shoulder, “I thought I’d do it at least once.”
“Force Almighty I’ve missed you, vod’ika,” Fives whispered. “More than anything.”
“I missed you too, Fives,” Echo replied. “Thank you for waiting.”