Comlinks were inaudible from the outside and the clone's guards took full advantage of that as the mechanic fled back to her house.
"Think we should have an eye on her Sir?" Asked one.
"I don't think she will be trouble Shiny," answered his colleague. "Keep an eye on the road. Should she act up anymore we will simply knock on her door a few times at night. People here seem like one who makes much trouble."
"Yes Sir."
The old wooden door slammed shut.
The following day Fives opinion of the woman couldn't have been more different. He could hardly remember the last time someone had look at him, really at him; not just inspecting his plates, judging his performance or lately, figuring out the likelihood of his escape.
Jesse's body shook with another round of deep, barking coughs.
Fives nearly stopped again, but his brother waived for him to keep working.
Jesse's face was pale under the sunburn and the rings under his eyes gave him a ghoulish appearance. He was barely scraping at the earth. The brothers tried to pick up his slack, but the guards had already noticed.
"Hey you, tattoo-face, pick it up!" The guards snapped at them.
As Jesse forced the shovel into the hard ground with trembling hands Fives ground his teeth together he could feel his molars protest.
"Feck." The ARC swore under his breath. The chances of any of them making it were shrinking with every passing day. Food and water were scarce.
He risked a look in the sky; the sun had nearly reached its zenith. It was time for their break, or would be soon.
"Just a bit longer Jesse. It's not long now." Fives whispered to his brother, trying to convey calm and confidence, giving his brother something to rely on.
For a moment it worked, but Fives knew that he himself was nearing the end of his resources.
He could neither hide the exhaustion in his own voice.
The time dragged on, every moment was spent waiting for another shout from above, waiting for Jesse to double over again in a coughing fit that rendered him speechless, made him bow over with tears in his eys.
Finally, when Five's hands were numb from forcing the shovel into the ground their guards announced the break.
Everyone dropped the shovels and started to climb out of the ditch, eager to get out of the burning sun and into the marginally cooler shade of the alley that had been their shelter for the last days.
Fives could hardly suppress the trembling of his hands enough to pull himself up from the ditch for break.
Jesse's grip was sweaty and he trembled as Fives hauled him out of the ditch.
"Thanks Vod." Jesse rasped out as he weakly gripped Five's shoulder.
He turned and knelt on the grainy ground, pressing one palm to the dry ground and braced himself as he reached down to lend his brothers in the ditch a hand.
Most of them he had never seen before he was pushed on the transport bound for Marisa.
They were a wild mixture of companies and bonds had been slow to develop.
"Come on, you don't have time forever and I would like some lunch." One of their guards snapped, the older one Fives noted. The shiny hung back, waiting as usual.
His grip on his Deece was sloppy the ARC noted and stored the knowledge for later as he pulled Trap, an ex-heavy gunner from the ditch.
The other Clone motioned for him to go on.
"I will help the others, go. Jesse looks like he could use a hand."
"Hey!" The older guard stepped forward. "Cut that."
Fives mouth his thanks and caught up with Jesse, taking his brothers arm, leading him towards their temporary shelter.
The little alley with the greens and shrubbery was not much cooler than the street outside, but the shadow gave some relief.
Fives had half expected the water barrel; source of much needed extra liquid the last days, to be locked. He sighed in relief when he saw it to be still unlocked.
Ox had already snatched up the water can, so Fives sat down on the earth, feeling the rough stone biting through his thin, threadbare shirt. He stretched out his legs a bit.
The bushes, planted at the entrance to the alley gave further shade and seemed cooler next to them.
The guards didn't care.
Ox, not from Tango, but another brother, in an army of three million you were bound to run into a few with the same names, suppressed a whoop of joy.
"Somebody loves us brothers." He whispered.
Jesse, sitting down net to the barrel, leaning against the cool metal looked up tiredly.
"Why? Nuna broth in there instead of water?" He said.
Normally, that would have been enough to lead to a round of biting insults, nerves laid bare in the pressure they were under, but today Ox snickered, barely managing to suppress a laugh.
"Nearly Vod." He was giddy as he answered and reached into the barrel, fishing out a rather large plasec-bag.
"Might even be something in there for you." The water was forgotten for a moment as Ox knelt down next to Jesse, the other brothers crowding around them to block any sight.
Fives got up to his aching legs and elbowed his brothers to the side, wanting to get a look what was in the bag.
He grabbed the hypos and turned them, checking the labels. A weight lifted off his shoulders; he laughed and blinked, threatening to tear up.
He dropped to a knee and laying a steadying hand on his Vod's shoulder he bend forward.
"Deep breath, you will feel better in a moment."
Jesse tensed as the fever-reducers and painkillers went into his system, but after a moment he relaxed and looked at Fives.
"Thanks." He croaked.
Fives chalked it up to wishful thinking, but he could swear Jesse's eyes started to look a bit less glassy, that he was breathing easier now that he wasn't aching anymore.
Someone pressed a bar into their hands, and Fives tore into his, briefly remembering comparing them to the GAR rat-bars and found himself missing the old flavors.
He looked up, carefully chewing the bar and swallowed.
Fives leaned against the wall and looked up, searching out the bright blue sky.
"Thanks" He whispered, perhaps they would make it a bit further.
A.N.:
A huge thanks to anyone who reviewed, here a clone chapter :)
I have to admit I am a huge whump fan, so yes, there will probably be more of that in this story.
Sorry it is rather short, the next one should be a good chunk longer. I had wanted to put it in one, but writing it in one chapter really wouldn't have allowed me to keep the once a week update schedule I am planning.
So, see you next Sunday/Monday, hoe you liked this one :)