Chapter 16

After Destiny had left, Blue placed a chair next to Scarlet's bed and slowly sank into it, letting out a slight hiss as he did so. He was still aching after the explosion and his left shoulder and arm were throbbing relentlessly.

"You should be resting" Scarlet said, his voice barely more than a whisper, his eyes still closed

"Paul I'm fine. Really...just a little stiff that's all"

"I know you remember Adam, you're too stubborn for your own good; you know that"

"I'm stubborn" Blue shot back "What about you?"

"What about me? Scarlet replied letting out a shaky breath

"Come on Paul it's me you're talking to now, so be honest with me here"

Slowly, Scarlet opened his eyes and looked over at his friend "About what?

"About how you're really feeling" The look Blue gave him made Scarlet realise that it didn't matter what he said because his friend already knew the truth.

"I don't want Destiny to worry okay. I just want to protect her for as long as I can" he decided to say instead

"Protect her from what?" Blue asked surprised by his friends answer. He expected Scarlet to say he was fine and not to worry.

"From this" as Scarlet answered, his body clearly tensed as a wave of pain washed over him. His eyes scrunched up and he gritted his teeth until the sensation had passed.

"You don't need to lie to me about being in pain Paul...or about being scared" Blue said quietly as he leaned in closer to his friend "It's normal to feel that way under the circumstances" he added, knowing well enough from personal experience.

"I can handle this. Okay Adam" Scarlet managed, his voice strained. Yet the intensity that Blue saw in his friends eyes told him that he was telling him the truth; but the fear and pain that his friend was feeling was clearly visible too.

"Okay, but you promise you'll tell me if that changes, right?"

"I promise. Now go and get some rest Adam, you look like hell"

Blue left the medical bay, yet instead of heading to his own quarters, he decided to head for the officers mess instead. Walking in, he found the room surprisingly empty. Slowly he made his way towards the window and took a seat on the nearest sofa and stared out at the clouds.

He understood Scarlet's reason for being so stubborn; he knew he was the same way. Hell he'd acted the same after he was injured during one of their mission's months earlier. What should have been a simple enough mission to retrieve a stolen Druzniuk had resulted in Blue taking a gunshot to the stomach; and like Scarlet was doing now, he had acted like his injury wasn't that bad even though at the time he knew he was dying.

"Hey Adam, I wasn't expecting to see you in here" Captain Ochre called out as she entered the room.

"What?" Blue's attention broke from his thoughts as he looked up at Ochre "Oh hey Elaine, sorry I was miles away"

"I could tell" she told him, her voice light "Are you okay?"

Blue just nodded

"I thought you'd be resting up in your quarters, not sitting in here" she commented as she walked towards him and taking a seat in the chair opposite him

"I know I just couldn't face being alone right now" Blue admitted

"And yet here you were sitting alone" she teased slightly

"Yeah, well I thought that there'd be someone else in here when I arrived" he said, his tone a little sullen

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked again, her concern making her Irish accent sound even stronger

"I'm fine, really..." he replied but didn't finish

"You're worried about Paul, aren't you?"

He nodded in reply

"He'll pull through...he usually does" she told him reassuringly. Ochre thought that she was saying the right thing, but judging by how Blue's body tensed at her words she realised that something wasn't right "He will, won't he Adam?"

"Things are little more complicated than just his injuries from the explosion...he's...he's" when he looked up to look at her, Ochre could see the tears that were welling up in the blonde Captain's eyes; threatening to fall

"Oh Adam" she gasped as she moved over to sit by his right side, her hand resting on his forearm in a comforting gesture

"I'm okay" he told her as he moved his arm away from her grasp so that he could wipe his face

"Clearly you're not..." she began, but the look he gave made her stop midsentence "I'm here if you want to talk" she said instead

Blue got to his feet and walked over to the window so his back was to where Ochre was still sitting

"I just don't know what I'd do if anything happened to him" he admitted after a few minutes. "I mean, he's my best friend...my brother...facing the situations we do knowing that nothing can...I mean it helps, you know, knowing that he'll always come back..." he sniffed and once again wiped his hand over his face

"I know"

"...and now, he's in the medical bay and nothing is helping him to heal...he's lying there in pain and I can't do anything...I hate feeling so helpless" he finished and took in a deep, shuddering breath. What was happening to Scarlet was clearly having an effect on Blue too. Slowly Ochre got up from her seat and made her way over to where Blue was standing. He noticed the movement of her approach out of the corner of his eye and he turned to look at her; and that was when she saw it. He was feeling guilty

"I'm sure it helps that you're there for him" she said trying her best to comfort him

"He wouldn't even be in this mess if he hadn't been trying to protect me..."

"Adam, this isn't your fault. Do you hear me?" she insisted "you can't blame yourself...and I know that Paul wouldn't want you to either"

At that moment as Blue was about to respond, Colonel White's voice came over the comm. Dr Bishop had arrived on Skybase.

Maybe now they would get some real answers