Location: Rooftops of Cutlass Bass
Planet: Reach
Cyngus system
August 28th, 2552
10:50pm

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Three."

It had just been roughly half an hour since Jun's encounter with Celestina, where he attempted to say goodbye to the pain of losing her. He wanted to believe that it went well, but that was yet to be seen. "I'm fine, Six. It's been a rough few weeks. How about you?"

"I'll live."

Indeed you will. Jun did, however, spot the wistful look in her green eyes. "Like I told you in the bunker – there was nothing you could have done for Kat. You need to let it go." He said as he leaned against the solid railing.

"Hm, like you let Celestina go?" Misha retorted with a scoff. "You're the one who's clinging onto a dead Spartan."

Her last statement caused the sniper to tilt his head at her, and promptly answer with, "She's not dead."

She jerked her head back, eyebrows knotted together in confusion. "Wait, what?"

"I never said she died."

She then found it difficult to string words together, based on what her teammate was saying to her. "You said that she saved your life, but it cost her hers! She fell off the rooftops, for God's sake!"

"Which got her stuck in a coma."

"… WHAAAAAT?!" Misha squealed in horror. "Three, you misleading bastard!"

While it was amusing to see the Lone Wolf screech in bewilderment, Jun maintained his steeled expression. "I didn't mislead you, Six. I apologize if that was the impression I gave you."

"You made it sound like she died!"

"She's in a coma. Wouldn't you say that she's as good as dead?"

"She can wake up, you moron!" Misha planted her hands on her hips, completely and uttered done with the sniper.

"The doctors had a different opinion. She did fall from the rooftops, you know. Can you imagine the trauma to her head? Even if she did wake up, which the chances were really slim, who's to say she could remember her own name?"

She let go of a sigh before speaking, trying to choose her words carefully. "That bad, huh?"

His silence was all Misha need to know that it was, indeed, bad. "2 months after her fall, she still didn't wake up. Ackerson's patience was running thin. He had me go on a couple of ops for him before Holland transferred me to Noble later that year."

"And you haven't heard anything since you left?"

He gave her the hint of a smile, before turning to lean over the railing as he spoke. "Not like anyone's gonna be nice enough to tell me now, are they?"

Misha walked up to him, hand on the railing. "Look. Celestina… is a Spartan. You can't forget that. She's strong enough to survive this."

Jun exhaled, every fiber of his being telling him that he is tired of it all. "I want to believe that. I really do. But you didn't see her in that state like I did."

Location: Medical Facility, Vulture Base
Planet: Dolor
Cyngus system
February 17th, 2549
12:04am

"She's in a coma, brought on by the fall."

"So… she's okay? Just in a coma?"

"Well," The doctor swiped through his data pad like he would flip through a book. "Aside from the numerous injuries: fractured ribs, bruises to the spine, broken leg, and of course, I don't need to mention her head. But I'm expecting her to make a full recovery. As for her head…"

"Why? What's wrong with her head?" Jun questioned.

"Significant brain damage," The doctor proclaimed with a sigh, seemingly upset to deliver the news to her teammate. "Even if she does wake up - and that's a big 'if' - I'm not sure if her memory's gonna be the same. Spartan or not."

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me…" He muttered under his breath, turning to observe Celestina from the window.

"We are going to do everything we can, Spartan. But only time will tell," The doctor then told him with a little smile before walking away, "You're welcome to see her."

He felt his heart drop to his stomach when, upon walking into the private room, there laid Celestina, hooked up to numerous machines with one of them helping her to breathe. Her head was wrapped in white bandages, and that was what made him look away entirely, unable to move closer to her.

No. He couldn't not look at her. He had to face her. He had to be with her right now; she needed him.

Even though she was not exactly saying it.

Jun finally made it to the side of her bed. He took her frail hand in a gentle grasp with both hands and whispered, "It should have been me."