Galo flew free from the Parnassus for what he hoped would be the last time.

He released the final captive Burnish from the support harness and handed her gently with a smile and a supportive arm to the waiting medical staff. Galo took a deep breath as he pulled off his jet pack. Contentment and relief momentarily held back the weariness that was pressing insistently against his back. The sun was low in the sky, but it still seeped a warm red glow through his eyelids as he closed them for a moment.

The world was safe. The Burnish were safe. Recovering. That was enough for one day. All he wanted now was to sleep. He wasn't even going to bother going back to his apartment, he'd just crash at the closer Burning Rescue station and be able to sleep-in longer without needing to commute in the morning. Probably wouldn't even make it to his bunk, was just going to crash on the couch….

Once more, his imagination took over and fixated on one thing. He had only seen hints so far, of Lio's edges becoming less rigid in quiet moments or somehow melding with his own to become immeasurably strong, but what would Lio be like now that the threats and struggles were done? This last hour, he had seemed even more exhausted than Galo felt.

Galo's heart sped up in a completely different way from battle or rescue mode as his mind painted a picture. Lio, sleepy and soft, finally able to relax. Maybe he could actually figure out why everything with Lio felt so... different from anything else. It seemed natural in this daydream to pull the slender figure down with him as he collapsed on the sofa. A precious treasure to hold while falling asleep, a welcome weight like a blanket draped on top of him. Galo opened his eyes. That exact scenario might be unlikely, but after everything that had happened, he didn't want to be apart from Lio right now. Wanted to make sure he was taken care of.

Speaking of which, where was that guy? Galo took another look around in case he had missed his arrival (unlikely), but didn't spy a pale green-blonde head anywhere. Had Lio gone back to the loading room? But, everyone else was already up here, even the last of the medical rescue teams, completing a final weary debrief before heading for a much deserved rest.

Galo pulled out his comms device. "Lio?"

No response, but Meis and Gueira looked over at Galo's query from where they had been leaning against one another, tired but listening intently to the med team leaders and Aina on the current details of the settled Burnish.

"Lio!" Galo walked back over to the edge of the giant hole he'd ascended from and peered down.

"Lio, is everything okay?"

Meis and Gueira began to move towards him and hastened their pace when a weak and breathy voice replied.

"Yeah." But nothing else.

"Lio, what's wrong?" Galo asked. He quickly slipped back into the jet pack he'd set aside as the two Mad Burnish lieutenants reached him and began making demands.

"Where did you leave him?"

"Go get the boss!"

And Galo jumped, cranking the jetpack as fast as it was supposed to go in confined spaces like this. As he approached the far end, a wave of unease filled him. He could make out that Lio was standing in the last pod they'd emptied, but instead of his usual elegant and upright posture, he was slumped over, gripping the wall.

"Lio!" He called, cranking the jets up a notch.

Lio lifted his face and a shot of real fear lanced through Galo. Lio looked so pale, and he was injured, and in pain-

Galo threw all caution to the wind as Lio let go of the wall, reached his hand out to the airborne firefighter, and dropped over the edge.

He plummeted.

And Galo's heart followed.

Instinct completely took over as Galo punched the controls into overdrive to intercept Lio's trajectory. He barely had time to pull up in the end, slamming awkwardly but not fatally into the ground. Lio's hover pack broke free and crashing off to the side. But Galo's arms were around Lio so nothing else mattered.

A Lio he almost didn't recognize.

The partner he had thought was fine just minutes before now hung limp, head falling back over Galo's supporting arm, exposing the worst bruising the firefighter had ever seen. Given his profession, that was saying something. A solid mass of black and purple stretched across half the delicate face, clearly indicating extensive fractures. The dark marks contrasted sharply with Lio's unnaturally white pallor, and continued down his neck, disappearing into the coat. Galo quickly pulled off a glove to feel for Lio's pulse at his throat. He found an unsteady one, but far more concerning was the cold temperature-a deadly temperature measured from a normal core of warmth like the neck.

After a moment of heart-rending shock, Galo didn't waste another. His hover pack was at maximum and he held Lio's body tightly flush against his own with the hope that some transference of heat might help in the few moments it took to get back to the surface.

The glances that were cast Galo's way at the sound of his returning jet pack turned into full attention as they took in the anguish on his face and the very unconscious Lio in his arms.

As Galo landed, the whole team rushed to his location, Ignis and Remi pulling along the two senior doctors they had been saying farewell to. Galo immediately dropped to his knees, carefully cradling Lio's body and lowering it to the ground.

"I don't- I don't know what happened, he was fine, and now he's- he's so cold and-" A choking feeling cut off his words as he babbled. Nevertheless, his trained hands had instinctively moved to action; one began gently prodding along the prominent bruising covering half of Lio's face, the other moved to the jacket's zipper to create better access to the injuries that trailed below the collar.

All movement from the group ground to a halt when the coat was finally thrown open.

The entire right side of Lio's exposed torso was darkened. The rescue team knew what they were looking at, could see the telltale marks where knuckles had struck flesh hard enough to break bone.

The marks on his left side seemed even more ominous. A deep blue patch with uneven edges marred the skin close to the heart, the unnatural azure color paling and spreading out across all the skin they could see, marked with streaks of white like cracks in ice.

Ignis lowered his sunglasses, as if that would change what he was seeing.

"Yesterday's wounds…" His voice was gruff and disbelieving, repeating Lio's earlier warning about the plight of the former Burnish.

A kind of grim horror settled on the group as they realized what had happened. They had seen examples of this all day, incomplete healing, but this was worse than any so far. The senior medical staff were already moving quickly to make an initial assessment, feeling with expert hands to gauge the extent of the damage.

Gueira and Meis looked as sick as Galo felt, but there was a rage there as well.

"It was that fucking Freeze Force bastard!" Gueira roared.

Meis glowered. "Of course he singled Lio out when he took down our settlement. As soon as he'd immobilized Boss, Vulcan began beating him in front of all of us."

"That absolute filth." Aina's seething comment summed up everyone's sentiments.

"After he shot him!" Gueira continued to rage.

"Shot him?!" several voices echoed at once.

"Yeah! With some absolute zero freezing bullet thing-he gloated about it."

Heris gasped and all eyes turned to her.

"Absolute Zero was- they were developing it as fire fighting tech. A single unit could be deployed to dynamically take out the fire from a whole building. It consumed and transformed heat into ice." Her eyes traced the cracks laced across Lio's body in horror. "It was never meant to be used on humans."

Meis glared. "I'm getting really tired of hearing that kind of thing."

The chief doctor stood, tone urgent, "These have been here for hours. He needs a hospital now-" Aina, Remi and Varys set off racing for the nearest ambulance hover craft. "I'm surprised he's- no one can survive with this body temperature."

Galo sat back hard from where he had been hovering over Lio, suddenly unsteady.

"The fact that he's not shivering is not a good sign. But it's hard to know if there is internal bleeding that would worsen if we widely raise the temperature. We need a full diagnostic and med station."

Varys returned immediately with a stretcher. The large man was able to scoop up Lio's whole body with just his hands, and lift the stretcher solo. Galo bolted to his feet to follow as Varys hurried to where Aina had the hover craft booted up and Remi completed the onboard med station prep. In under a minute Lio had been loaded and secured, and no one argued when Meis, Gueira, and Galo joined the doctors in the emergency craft. With a quick comment that they'd follow, Ignis sent them off.

The only thing worse than waiting was waiting in a hospital, Galo decided. Especially when you had no idea about the fate of someone important to you.

Galo dug his hands into his hair, head lowered, one leg jiggling a mile a minute as he sat in the cursed waiting room. He didn't even bother trying to do the calm breathing exercise Varys had previously taught him to help with impulse control.

He couldn't turn off the image of Lio's graceful form violated with wounds; couldn't stop feeling the slight, cold weight he'd carried in his arms; and most of all, couldn't clear the sight of Lio's eyes, muted in suffering, asking for help, moments before he toppled to what would have been his death.

Galo brought his palms down over his eyes and pressed, shoulders bunched tight as he held in a scream.

Galo had rescued Lio that morning, after one of the most terrifying moments of his life. Lio should have been okay. That's what happens when you rescue someone. And yet…

Lio wasn't okay. He had been in pain for hours.

While Galo understood the logistics of what was happening, he still didn't understand what had happened. Lio had been injured for hours? And Galo hadn't even noticed? No one had? Lio must have been in agony, why would he hide it? Why hadn't Galo seen it?

Galo was so deep in the turmoil of his thoughts that he didn't even notice when the rest of BR3 arrived. He was torn from his mental spiral when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up at Ignis, whose grim expression softened when he got a look at Galo's face. Turning without letting go of the younger man's shoulder, Ignis addressed Meis and Gueira.

"Any update?"

They paused in their fury-filled pacing. Lio's two closest friends shook their heads, arms crossed and lips pressed tightly together.

Aina took a shaky breath from where she sat beside Galo. "They're trying to figure out-"

As if summoned, a doctor in a traditional white coat walked over to the anxiety-filled group.

"You're here for Lio Fotia?" She asked, clipboard in hand. At Ignis' nod she continued. "Any next of kin or power of attorney?"

Galo jumped to his feet, tears in his eyes. "What?" Did that mean-

The doctor held up a placating hand, realizing what her words might have implied.

"We've got him reasonably steady for now, but we do need to know who to talk to about his care."

"We're Boss's family." Gueira scowled.

At the doctor's skeptical look, Ignis jumped in.

"Doctor. Your patient has been living as a Burnish, ah, refugee and isn't registered in any normal way through our legal systems. However, as the leader of the city rescue team who brought him in, I take responsibility for his situation. Everyone present can hear what you disclose."

The doctor sighed. "Yes, we've had a lot of Burnish today. We're having to go beyond the book for a lot of things right now." And the look on her face told them they had a sympathetic ally.

With no further ado, she gave them the run down.

Extensive partially healed fractures to the arm, ribs, and face on the right side of his body. While there was likely internal bruising, there didn't seem to be any ongoing bleeding. They had bandaged and splinted what they could, and were trying to bring down the swelling and bruising. The rest would just take time, although faster than usual with the previous Burnish healing.

Her audience's momentary sense of relief evaporated as her brow creased and she looked at her notes again as if the information they held would change.

"Can you tell me how he sustained the wound near the heart?"

As Heris explained, the doctor's face assumed the strictly professional mask medical workers adopt to hide their shock or dismay, but her eyes snapped and she paused before speaking next.

"I guess that explains why we've never seen anything like it. We're applying heat packs to raise the temperature, but they don't seem as effective as we would expect. We just don't know enough about how the Burnish physiology may respond differently, especially as it adjusts to a new norm, and combined with the unusual nature of the source... In any case, we've managed to raise his overall temperature beyond immediate danger, and we'll need to keep a close eye on it. Hopefully it will follow the pattern of the other Burnish symptoms we've seen today and start to abate with proper care."

"Can we see him?" Galo blurted, barely containing the stress of listening to these long and not very reassuring explanations.

"We're keeping him under for now, and it's still a sensitive time." She eyed Galo's desperate expression. "We can allow for a few visitors, briefly, but first we need to make sure we understand any other potential complications."

At their puzzled looks, she continued. "From what we've seen of our Burnish patients, the… rollback with their former way of healing is sequential, yes?"

Heris' mouth made a small 'oh' as she understood. "You want to know if further injuries were sustained after these?"

"Yes. This is a delicate situation and we'd like to avoid any nasty surprises."

Everyone looked at each other, and Meis, faced already strained, paled further. "We don't know, we weren't there." It sounded like it pained him to say it.

All eyes trained on Galo who had spent the most time with the Mad Burnish leader in the past couple days.

Galo, wide-eyed, tried to remember. "He was a dragon? And then-"

"A dragon?" The doctor deadpanned.

"Yeah, like, all made of fire, he was trying to free the Burnish captives here in the city… I don't know if that kind of thing will do anything."

The doctor, slightly shocked as she recalled the dragon that had rampaged through their streets, nodded and made a note.

"And then we fought a bit to calm down." The doctor raised an eyebrow at this but remained silently writing. "And then we fought together in a giant mech, but we didn't get hurt, because, robot. And then we got really cold because the gov-because Kray had an ice machine. And then he grabbed Lio really tight, but Lio saved me anyway… then Kray took him away…"

Galo looked down, stricken by the memory. Gueira filled in the next blank.

"We were just stuck there, while that bastard tied him up with that spiky wire. He liked hurting him, liked mocking all of us, laughing as he made us watch."

If the Burnish had still had access to their fire, everyone present was pretty sure the hospital would have been a burning crater from the rage on display.

"And then we were all hurting, and it got sucked into Lio and he was burning…" Meis all but whispered, remembered pain etched into his face.

Galo opened and closed his mouth twice before any sound came out. "He didn't survive. At first. But he came back. And then we were healing everyone." Galo's face brightened, then crumpled further. "I guess it didn't completely work."

The doctor lowered her pen. In a very calm voice she said, "That is… a lot. We'll need to be very careful to monitor any repercussions. One thing we've observed is that the more extensive the damage a Burnish has recently sustained, the less prior healing has been completed. Apparently, healing is a limited and time-bound resource, even for the Burnish."

Galo knew that already. Hadn't he seen Burnish die when their wounds overwhelmed their ability to restore?

It was a morose note to end on, but the doctor finally gave them permission to see Lio. She wouldn't budge on only four visitors for the day, though, so Aina, Heris, Lucia, Remi, and Varys said they'd head out, but requested any updates. Promised to check in the next day. Aina gave Galo a tight hug before she left, and then threw her arms around both Meis and Gueira as if she couldn't help but offer comfort in response to their pain. They seemed surprised but quickly returned the embrace.

The walk through various corridors and elevators was a blur to Galo, but all his senses sharpened when they finally arrived at the patient's door.

Galo couldn't quite process what he saw when he entered the room. It was like that first time when he had seen Lio hurt-a disjointed sense of wrongness.

Because Lio was larger than life, the most intense flame. His soul had always pushed insistently against Galo's when in his presence. Lio filled every space he entered, commanding it. So Galo almost couldn't comprehend when his eyes landed on a waifish figure swallowed by the size of a hospital bed, so pale he faded into the sheets.

One arm lay stiff in a cast, leaving the other slim appendage to receive numerous needles and tubes and monitor sensors. Lio wore no hospital gown, as bandages were wrapped around his chest, soothing compresses pressed to dark bruises on one side, and a double layer of heat packs piled on the other. A lightweight, medicated plaster dominated half his face. And though unconscious, that face was still tense as he shivered almost ceaselessly.

"I shouldn't have let Vulcan go," Ignis lamented angrily as the four approached Lio's trembling form. The others silently agreed.

Meis ran his fingers lightly up the cast and pulled one of the nearby chairs closer so he could sit and talk quietly by Lio's ear. Gueira pulled a second chair up and slotted his fingers through the ones peaking out from the stiff plaster wrappings, interjecting accusatory admonishments to Meis' insistent messages of encouragement.

Galo stood blankly staring, unable to bear sitting and unwilling to move away. He barely registered Ignis' brief touch and promise to return momentarily.

Air seemed to drag itself roughly through Galo's lungs with every breath, mocking his helplessness. His eyes tore away from Lio's pathetic form and observed Meis and Gueira, who, despite looking a potent combination of anger and grief, seemed controlled. Experienced. Like they were used to this sort of thing.

Ignis returned and proved once again that he was their greatest ally. He had managed a miracle, to get permission for the three of them to stay in Lio's room until he woke up. He'd even secured cots for the exhausted trio, hadn't even questioned that they would want to hold vigil.

He cleared his throat and crossed his arms, stance as immovable as when he faced down Vulcan.

"He'll need you here when he wakes up. He's clearly not making the best of decisions right now-" Meis snorted. "So don't let him do anything stupider before tomorrow, if you can manage that. And get some sleep or you'll be the next ones hooked up to IVs and monitors. Set a better example. Who knows, it might help."

At their nods and expressions of thanks, but no movement, the captain continued in his sternest tone.

"You two," he pointed at Meis and Gueira, who had an unhealthy pallor of their own, "In the cots. You're closest to needing medical intervention. Don't make yourselves hypocrites when you lecture your boss about appropriate self care. We'll let you know if anything changes with the Burnish situation. Galo, you can take first watch, but try to calm down enough to get some sleep, too."

"You do look awful," Meis quirked his one visible brow at Gueira.

"Funny, you look fine," Gueira riposted, "Except where you clearly walked into a door with your face." He pressed a finger at the dark circle under Meis' eye.

Shoving each other out of their chairs, they gave Lio's bandaged shoulder one final tender touch and continued to banter their way to where the cots had been set up towards the end of the room. It was a testament to their exhaustion that despite the stress of the last couple hours, they passed out as soon as they hit the sheets.

Ignis sighed. Galo looked at him, still feeling scared and lost. Ignis opened his arms, and that was all the prompting Galo needed. He threw his arms around his captain and held on. Ignis didn't say anything, just offered shelter.

When Galo finally pulled away, looking a bit calmer, Ignis simply said, "We'll get through this. Get some rest." With a final squeeze of the shoulder, he left.

Galo collapsed into one of the recently vacated bedside chairs. His eyes ran over the marred profile in front of him, tracing the soft contours until they disappeared under bandages, left to his bewildered thoughts.

It was impossible to ignore how strongly he felt about Lio, when seeing him hurt felt this terrible. A particularly violent shiver made Lio clench his jaw, body tensing and shoulders lifting slightly from the pillow. The unconscious face settled into a grimace of pain at the movement.

"Hey, hey…" Galo quietly murmured, and he needed to touch, to comfort, but there was so little of Lio currently available that could receive such gestures. He placed one palm against Lio's uninjured cheek, and brushed his bangs back with the other hand, marveling once more at how very soft the pale hair was as he let the strands fall forward. He buried his fingers along the scalp, massaging. Whether in response to Galo's minor ministrations or just because the fit had run its course, Lio settled back and some of the tightness left his face.

Stay with me. So many things can still take you away. Even things that are already over.

This is what shocked Galo the most. His rescue hadn't really worked. And he hadn't even noticed. Lio had gone so far as to hide it from him, despite everything they'd gone through together. His trust only went so far. Save the world: yes. Save himself… He didn't want Galo's help.

Galo withdrew his hands as a deep sadness overcame him. This realization cast a different tint on everything they had been through.

He crossed his arms on the edge of the hospital bed and rested his chin on them wearily, eyes never leaving Lio's countenance.

When Galo really thought about it, Lio's reluctance shouldn't have surprised him. Lio had had to actually die before he directly accepted Galo's help for himself, although he was always ready to offer his own. And was "accepted" even the right word for that?

He and Lio had synced so perfectly when fighting for their common goal, but in that case, Lio was the one helping Galo every step of the way. Before that…

From their first real conversation, back in the cave, he had felt surprised by the level of trust Lio had shown him. The Mad Burnish leader had actually taken the time to explain the situation. Thinking about it now… Lio had been open about the truth of Burnish circumstances, but he had firmly stated that Galo's help was not needed. Lio had been blunt that he thought Galo naïve and incapable of aiding them, and he was right. Galo had gone straight to Kray, exposed Lio's escape to him, and gotten himself locked up so he wasn't even available to help.

Some crack inside of Galo was being pulled excruciatingly wider at the thought of Kray. Instinctively, he reach out his fingers and laid them on top of the cold, slight digits emerging from the bindings of Lio's broken arm. Even this minimal touch brought a moment of reassurance. It vanished as Galo recalled the level of absolute loathing Kray had leveled at him. Galo wasn't smart or savvy like his mentor, but he had thought he was doing what he could to support the gov. To reciprocate. In his relentless pursuit to become the best firefighter he could be, he had thought he was helping the person he most looked up to. Had tried to be worthy of the support he received.

But just like Lio, Kray had actually found Galo's efforts problematic. In the way. So much so that he had come to hate the person he had originally taken under his wing.

Galo curled his fingers around Lio's, holding on, terrified. His eyes zeroed in once more on that pain-filled face. He didn't think he could bear it if things turned out the same way with Lio.

To be hated, held distant from something as breathtaking as this soul, the way it joined his and filled in the fractures. To be unable to protect this flame. Doomed to watch it flicker out. Ice gripped his heart once more at the vivid recollection of Lio's lifeless body, drifting to ash, grey without his spark…

No!

His heart thundered. He had to do better. Had to figure out what help Lio actually needed, the way Lio had for him.

Because... Because Lio did need help, and Galo didn't want him to have to hide it or go it alone. He had to figure out how he could really be there for him this time.

Galo turned his head so it lay on his arm and stared at where his fingers and Lio's were now intertwined. Cold, trembling fingertips against his larger warm ones. He began softly trying to rub some heat into the fingers he held, his eyes drifting closed…

Something tugged him briefly from the depths, a faint sense of movement. Then a light touch trailed from his temple down his cheek, and he sank once more.

The next thing he knew, he was fully jerked awake at a shrill cry of, "What are you doing?!"

Blinking rapidly in the morning light shifting through the windows, Galo's eyes landed on the source of the voice, a nurse in a hospital uniform. But she wasn't looking at him.

Lightening flashed through Galo and he bolted up at the sight of Lio, who had scooted himself to the edge of the bed and was pulling the last tubes from his arm, breath coming in panicked gasps. He had already ripped the plaster from his face and shed the med packs and heat packs. The cast and mangled bandages around his arm and torso and a pair of hospital slacks were the only things still on his body. His eyes were wide and dilated, but he wasn't making eye contact as he struggled with the medical attachments.

"Boss!" Gueira and Meis were both stumbling over from their cots. Meis grabbed Lio's hand and Gueira his shoulders. He slowed his frantic movements until the nurse grabbed his other hand, which still held the catheter he'd just removed. Lio jerked back at the unfamiliar touch, face scowling until it flinched momentarily from the responding pain in his still healing jaw.

Galo instinctively rested a gentle hand on Lio's head. "We're here to help."

Lio looked into his eyes and finally stilled, chest straining with puffs of breath, but eyes beginning to register the people surrounding him.

He looked confused for a minute, scanning the room, then addressed Meis and Gueira in an uncertain tone.

"Is everyone okay?"

Sorrow and affection squeezed Galo's heart because that was so Lio. Meis released a humorless chuckle as he relaxed, and Guiera shook his head as he replied.

"Yeah, Boss, everyone except you."

Lio scanned their concerned faces, then seemed to take stock of his physical condition as he tried to piece the situation together. The nurse took the needle from his hand and skirted the group to get the IV and various monitors set back up on the side.

"You scared the hell out of us again," Meis frowned.

"I'm… fine…" Lio began, making an effort to sit up straighter, ease the pain lines from his face and clench down on his shivering.

The doctor from the day before entered the room with Ignis just in time to hear Lio's words.

"No, you're not," she said in a clipped tone. "And from what your friends tell me, you likely have a fair bit more to weather through."

Lio's body seemed to be rebelling against his own statement, too, as they could see the adrenalin wear off and he started to list backwards. A queasy look took over his face as they helped him lay back.

The doctor sighed as she stepped over and gently examined his right side. Lio watched, wary and tense, but allowed the doctor to examine and the nurse to finish setting him back up on the monitors before she left.

"The bruising looks better, that's a good sign for the pace of healing," the doctor said with satisfaction. And they could see that she was right, black having transitioned to a rainbow of colors and the swelling reduced enough that Lio's face actually looked familiar again.

If the mark from the ice bullet was improving, however, it was hard to tell. Lio looked down at the unfamiliar sight and grimaced, putting his hand over the center of the mark.

"Is it still cold?" The doctor questioned. Lio shifted his eyes to her and kept a cautious poker face while he gave a slight nod.

"What is happening with the Burnish?" He demanded, looking between those present.

The doctor blinked and began in a tone of disbelief, "I hardly think this is the time-"

But Ignis cut her off. "They're doing as well as can be expected. Most have physically recovered with a good night's sleep, only a few dozen are still hospitalized. The city has approved an emergency two-week support plan, so all Burnish will be provided for until the interim leadership is able to meet and discuss a more formalized approach. I've advised that you will be an essential party to that discussion."

Lio's face had eased into relief and then a kind of uncertain vulnerability as Ignis explained what had been done on his behalf. He was thoughtfully silent for a moment. Ignis asked the doctor for a few minutes of privacy, which she granted under mild protest.

"Thank you for arranging all that." Lio finally murmured.

Galo stared at Ignis. How had he done that? Known what Lio needed?

"I'll first inspect the security measures in place, those tend to be underestimated by officials," Lio continued, already trying to sit up again, "And talk with as many Burnish as possible today so we can gauge-"

Lio was cut off by Meis' thunderous face suddenly in his own. Gueira slung a forearm in front of his shoulders and pushed them gently but relentless back down to the pillow.

"I. Am. Fine." Lio grit out with a glare, as if saying it would make it true.

"You will be if you take care of yourself now." Meis shot back.

"Either that, or we'll take care of you." Gueira got a scary grin, cracking his knuckles.

"There's two of us."

"And you're small."

"And we're smart."

"You're idiots." Lio cut in.

"Well, you seem to like those." Meis stated with a wicked smile, flicking his eyes blatantly to Galo and back, as if he wanted to see Lio's reaction, confirm a suspicion.

Meis was rewarded with the return of some color to Lio's cheeks as he looked outraged. Then he adopted a smile twice as wicked as Meis'.

"You want to do it all, then? You're going to regret this. We have twenty thousand people who are suspicious of authority, and more incoming, in a city suspicious of them and overextended with other problems." Then Lio launched into a long list of things that needed doing by his newly appointed proxies.

His revenge was hampered by the looks of satisfaction that passed between the two lieutenants and the way they took over with self-assignments.

"Security review." Gueira ticked off a finger.

"Make sure the accommodations are adequate." Meis chimed in.

"Get a read on the vibe within the community."

"Identify the ones struggling the most."

"Take time to reassure the children."

"We should check-in with the global network." Meis addressed Gueira who nodded.

"And see what Burnish are incoming."

"We'll need to meet this city's government bosses."

"Ugh."

Lio had fallen silent, an abashed half smile on his face as his top leaders turned back to him.

"We got this. Not much different from setting up a settlement." Gueira grinned with confidence.

"We've followed you long enough to know how this goes. It's not our first rodeo." Meis reminded him.

"Just a little easier this time since we aren't at odds with the local suits and uniforms."

"You can trust us, you know."

"Of course I know." Lio said.

The two folded their arms, their eyes pointedly scanning his mottled body. Lio looked away with an acknowledging frown and moved to cross his arms, but the cast and wires made it impossible. The initial flailing and resulting pout made Galo bite his lip as his heart squeezed. Moments where Lio was not so smooth were pretty adorable, he concluded.

Lio sighed. "I'm trusting you with the most important thing," he clarified. Galo didn't know why that statement made him feel all mixed up inside.

Gueira and Meis also looked unsettled.

"We can take turns, take shifts." Gueira stated.

"You shouldn't be alone if- when other stuff happens." Meis gestured with a grimace to Lio's body.

Ignis, listening attentively up to this point, cut in.

"You two are uniquely needed in the field, sounds like. Galo can stay."

"Captain!" Galo exclaimed, relieved.

Meis and Gueira tilted their heads at Galo, considering.

Lio broke the speculative silence with a slight eye roll. "Yes, you two idiots go take care of our people. This idiot can stay with me."

Lio's surprising lack of resistance to the idea settled it. They could all see that the patient was growing weary again as he sank deeper into his pillow, arms settling at his sides.

"Keep me updated," Lio issued a final command.

Meis pointed at Galo. "And you keep us updated." Neatly circumventing Lio.

"You get better, Boss." Gueira insisted.

"We do still need you." Meis added.

They both ruffled his hair before he could react and then stepped away.

The two Burnish each slung an arm around Galo as they walked towards the doorway, giving him tips on watching over the boss that mostly amounted to "he won't ask for things, so you have to be pushy." Galo promised them hourly updates, which earned him an approving slap on the back from Gueira.

"If anything seems off, talk to us. Mess this up and die." Meis deadpanned.

Over their chattering and threats, Galo heard Lio ask Ignis with touching sincerity to watch over his two fellow leaders. Ignis nodded and promised he had it covered.

Ignis gave Galo a final nod as he approached them in the doorway and escorted Meis and Gueira out, promising them a stop at the station so they could freshen up.

Galo tilted his head as he watched them walk down the hall. Observing them help Lio had been informative, but it also brought up a new question. Lio might not want Galo's assistance, for good reason, but why hadn't he told the two people closest to him, either?

When he turned back, Galo found Lio watching him, a small, affectionate smile on his face.

"You're thinking pretty hard over there. I'm afraid to ask."

Galo marched directly over to him, sat in a chair and stared for a beat. At Lio's raised eyebrow, he asked, "Why didn't you tell them you were hurt?"

As Lio's face carefully blanked, Galo continued, "I mean, I understand why not me, but you guys are really close and they want to help you. Why did you hide all this?" he gestured to Lio's battered body.

"We had more important things to worry about. Besides, it wouldn't have mattered," Lio explained in a reasonable tone.

"Wouldn't have mattered?!" Galo exclaimed, face twisted in incredulity.

Lio continued, clearly thinking he was stating the obvious. "I couldn't leave them when they needed me. So seeing what was happening would only have made them feel worse. It's not like anyone could do anything about it, anyway."

Galo buried his face in his hands, barely able to contain himself. He wanted to yell "you're dumber than me!" but could sense that would be counterproductive.

Up to this point, Galo had interacted with Lio based on pure instinct, and it had worked. Partially. That wasn't good enough here, he had to take it to the next level and earn this trust somehow. Understand things better so he could actually help Lio, in whatever way he really needed. Galo's confidence wavered a bit when he thought about figuring it out, but returned in full force with the simple thought that this was for Lio, and he'd do whatever it took to be there for him. And hopefully do well enough that he didn't earn hatred like Kray's in return.

Galo dropped his hands and saw Lio giving his reaction a doubtful look. He was also clearly fighting off sleep.

Galo felt his insides turn to mush at the groggy blinking of those alluringly faceted eyes combatting the fierce resolve to stay awake. To talk to him. He smiled softly and once more reached out, placed his fingers on top of Lio's partially exposed ones.

"It does matter." Was all he said, momentarily resigned to leave it at that.

Lio's face relaxed fully and he turned his hand over so the insides of his fingers brushed against Galo's. Wrapped around them for a moment. Then, as if he realized what he was doing, he withdrew his hand. Resolutely closed his eyes. Despite continued small shivers, he drifted off almost immediately.

After calling for the doctor and helping get Lio set up with fresh heat packs, Galo sat across both seats, knees drawn up, to wait. Looking at Lio resting, he decided this waiting wasn't the bad kind. He pulled out his phone, snapped a quick picture of Lio-stared at it feeling all wobbly inside-and put it in a message to Meis, Gueira, and the members of his Burning Rescue unit with the text, "Sleeping beautifully" and hit send.