Awareness returned with a sharp pain in her side, and the coppery taste of blood in her mouth. Aubrey opened groggy eyes to see Benji hovering anxiously over her. Pushing herself up on one elbow with a groan she spit the blood that had pooled in her mouth out onto the floor. The impact had caused her to bite her tongue. Looking over Aubrey saw Sophia hovering over Chloe's unmoving form and Aubrey's eyes widened in alarm.
"Chloe!" The blonde Captain struggled to sit up. Benji stopped her.
"Bree, she's okay." He turned to look while holding a steadying hand on Aubrey's shoulder. "She just got the wind knocked out of her."
Aubrey stood up slowly, gripping her side and realizing she was bleeding slightly from a wound on her hip. Sophia helped Chloe sit up who groaned still trying to catch her breath, "You're heavier than you look Posen." The sincere look in Chloe's blue eyes underscored the humor and she nodded her thanks.
The blonde met her gaze before rolling her eyes good naturedly, "Whatever, Beale you're still slow."
Stacie pushed forward towards Aubrey with the gurney in tow. Aubrey saw an unreadable look in the tall brunette's eyes but was prevented from asking any questions by Lily's shout from the end of the hallway. The uncharacteristic behavior from the slim woman startled them all into gathering themselves. Stacie called back smiling, "Whoa, Ghost no need to shout! We're coming."
Chloe squeezed Aubrey's forearm when she passed and muttered under her breath "That girl sure does like her explosives."
Aubrey grimaced and replied, "Remind me to thank her for saving our asses, right after I am done yelling at her for almost blowing us up."
The team made it back to the waiting Badger without further incident. Aubrey was still unable to raise Tom's team on the radio. Jackal was standing in the doorway leading to the Badger's cockpit.
"Aubrey, I'll keep trying to raise them. Bumper's team reported that they are returning with the civilians." Jackal disappeared back into the cockpit.
Aubrey continued to pace, holding a hand against the wound in her side.
Sophia and Jesse had slid down into the jump seats in relief. Jesse passed out almost immediately. Chloe knelt next to Beca, working on strapping the slight woman into one of the pull out bunks. Benji worked next to her helping secure Luke. Stacie was watching Aubrey pace from across the hold.
As soon as Chloe placed one of the straps across Beca, the slim woman started struggling. Panicked dark blue eyes opened and blinked rapidly in the glare of the overhead lights.
"Noooo, please." Her voice was weak and she attempted to push Chloe away. The redhead felt her heart skip at the sound of fear in Beca's voice.
Chloe kept her voice low and soothing, "Beca, it's me, Chloe." The redhead continued to murmur reassuringly, "You're safe Beca. You're safe." The older woman stroked her fingers along Beca's bruised jawline. Beca jerked her head away at the touch.
"No…not…real…"Beca's struggles were slowing as the darkness threatened to drag her back under.
"Becs, I swear it's me. You. Are. Safe." Emphasizing the last three words, Chloe brushed Beca's matted hair back from her forehead.
Suddenly Aubrey was hovering over both of them. "Mitchell, stop struggling and listen to Chloe."
Aubrey's firm tone seemed to snap Beca out of whatever nightmare she was in. Chloe indignantly pushed the blonde away with an incredulous, "Bree!" but turned when she heard Beca snort.
"Always knew I'd end up in Hell." Was all the battered woman managed before slipping back into unconsciousness. Aubrey wasn't sure whether to be flattered that her tactic worked or insulted at Beca's comment so instead she settled for arching an imperious eyebrow at Chloe.
Suddenly Stacie was at her side, "Right Posen, stop scaring the patient. How about sitting down before you fall down." The tall, dark haired woman steered Aubrey by her shoulders to a jump seat. Watching as Aubrey tried to hide a grimace at the pain flaring through her side. Stacie knelt in front of the blonde and started probing the injured area with Aubrey weakly trying to bat her hands away.
"Stacie, I'm fine." She huffed. Stacie arched an eyebrow before pulling on something embedded in the wound, causing Aubrey to hiss in pain.
It was Stacie's turn to arch an eyebrow, "You were saying?" Aubrey's hand had landed on Stacie's shoulder and she swallowed against the sudden dryness in her throat and pressure in her center as the blonde's thoughts were taken back to the last time Stacie was kneeling before her. Stacie seemed to read Aubrey's thoughts and smiled knowingly up at her.
"Easy tiger." Stacie whispered so that only Aubrey could hear. "I'm just trying to help."
Jessica's voice over the internal speakers broke Aubrey out of her fog.
"Hey guys, Recon 2 is on their way back. They have wounded and are requesting assistance."
Aubrey moved to stand but Stacie held her in place with her hands on Aubrey's thighs earning an outraged glare from the blonde.
"Captain," Aubrey's eyebrows rose in surprise at the formal address from the brunette. "You and Rider are injured, Wizard and I can take this." Benji looked up and grabbed his gun from the rack already sliding his helmet back on. Aubrey moved to protest glancing at Chloe who was slowly getting to her feet, pain evident in every stiff movement.
The blonde shook off her lethargy and Stacie's hold, grunting as she tried to stand again, only to fall back into her seat as the dizziness from the pain and blood loss washed over her. Aubrey fought to hold onto her wits as blackness tinged the edges of her vision. She vaguely heard Stacie arguing with Chloe but it seemed like she was listening from under water. Fighting back against the darkness Aubrey pushed a hand into her wound using the pain to center herself.
Stacie was buckling on her helmet while staring angrily at Chloe, frustration evident in every movement. Chloe stepped in front of Aubrey and bent down, cupping a hand behind the blonde Captain's neck and forcing their eyes to meet.
"Bree, I'll go and take Jackal too."
The two Captain's held each other's gazes - an unspoken conversation happening between crystal blue and bright green eyes. Finally, Aubrey looked away nodding slightly and swallowed back her protest.
Chloe straightened and pushed past Stacie, "Not another word Angel."
With a last glance at Aubrey who was already losing the battle with consciousness the team dropped back down into the alien base.
After the team left, Aubrey drifted in and out of a hazy awareness. She was brought back to the present when someone fell heavily into the jumpseat next to her. Groggily she saw the members of Tom's team filing in, carrying the wounded deeper into the transport hold. They looked like they had been through Hell. The coppery scent of blood and the moans of the injured filled the hold, setting her teeth on edge. Her eyes searched frantically for her team breath catching in worry and aggravating her wound.
"We're fine." The exhausted voice of Chloe reached through her panic. The blonde turned slightly seeing the redhead with her eyes closed and head thrown back against the seat in exhaustion. Aubrey sighed in relief and mimicked the redheads pose, finally succumbing to her own exhaustion.