Chapter 20

Sorry for the delay with this one, hopefully i'll have the next one done and posted very soon, in the meantime, thanks for reading xx

Several hours later and Adam found himself heading back down to the medical bay. Although this time as well as going to check up on his friend, he was also going there on doctor's orders. Doctor Gold had told Captain Blue to call in so he could check his dressings and see how he was doing.

"Hopefully you will be able to return to light duties in a few days," Gold informed him. Blue was sitting on a bed after the doctor has finished checking his injuries as well as giving the blonde captain fresh bandages. He was trying to put his shirt back on, but was finding the action more difficult than usual due to his shoulder injury. Reluctantly he accepted the help of one of Gold's assistants, before Gold himself helped him with his sling.

"This should only be for a few days too," Gold told him, as he adjusted the sling's strap.

"Thanks Doc," Blue said, his voice sounding tired.

"Have you managed to get any sleep Captain?"

"Not really Doc," he shrugged in reply then instantly regretted it. "I tried but I can't seem to switch off."

"I could give you something to help with that."

Blue thought about it for a moment, "Thanks Doc, but I think I'll pass for now, I want to be able to be here in case Paul needs me." Carefully he got to his feet, "actually I think I'll go check on him while I'm here if that's okay?"

"Sure. Destiny's still with him at the moment," Gold replied while he set about clearing away his equipment and the soiled bandages that were on the table next to the bed that Blue had just vacated. "Just don't let him over do it okay. Same goes for you too."

"No worries, thanks again Doc." Blue headed out towards the room where his friend was. He had noticed that he wasn't the only one who looked tired. Blue wasn't a gambling man, but he would have bet his life savings that Gold hadn't left the medical bay since they had all returned from the lab a couple of days ago. He made a mental note to say something to the colonel, the last thing that anyone needed was for Skybase's doctor to collapse from exhaustion.

As he approached the door to Scarlet's room, he saw that Destiny was sat in a chair to the right of his bed, gently holding his hand in both of hers. Scarlet's eyes were closed, but Blue could see the pain still etched on his friends features.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked quietly.

"Of course," Destiny replied with a small smile. She too looked like she hadn't had any sleep. "I'm due back on duty in a few hours, I just wanted to look in on him before I headed back to my room," she said in way of explanation as she rose to her feet. She gently stroked Scarlet across the forehead followed by a gently placed kiss; before she made her way out of the room. On her way out of the door she paused by Blue and looked at him. It looked to him like she was about to say something, but instead she just stood there looking at him. Blue placed a comforting had on her shoulder, letting her know that he knew what she was thinking because he was thinking the same thing. He could see the fear that was in her eyes and he knew it was the same fear he had felt ever since he first found out the truth about Scarlet's condition; it was the fear of losing the man he considered to be his best friend. Then without either of them saying a word, Destiny gave him a small nod and exited the room.

Blue made his way over to his friend's bedside and went to sit down in the chair that Destiny had just vacated. The room was silent apart from the sound of Scarlet's heart monitor beeping steadily. Due to his injuries, Blue had been finding simple tasks such as sitting and standing a little more difficult than usual and as he lowered himself into the chair, he wasn't as quiet as he had intended to be. The effort he had to make to get himself into a position to get comfortable causing enough of a commotion that Scarlet's eyes flickered open. Blue inwardly cursed for disturbing his friend.

"I see you're not doing as you're told…as usual," Scarlet croaked as he briefly glanced over at him. Blue looked over at his friend, and for the first time he found himself really looking at the injuries that his friend had sustained. He noticed how pale Scarlet's features were, and how heavy and bloodshot his blue eyes were; he also saw the pain in them too. But that wasn't what was really bothering Blue. The part that was difficult for him to handle was how the injuries that he had sustained in the explosion still didn't appear to be healing.

"The doctor's think that my retrometabolisation is too busy trying to deal with the nanotech that is in my system that it has given up on healing the rest of me," Scarlet said as if he could read his friends thoughts. Blue's face flushed slightly when he realised that Scarlet had caught him staring at the injuries to his back. "Not a pretty sight is it," he added trying to add some humour to his tone as he spoke this time.

"Sorry Paul," he murmured, embarrassed that he had been caught looking.

"It's okay Adam, I get it…"

"No Paul, it's not okay, this is all my fault," he confessed, feeling himself and his voice breaking as the words left him, "If you hadn't protected me from that explosion like you did, you wouldn't be in this mess – I'm so sorry." Before he could stop them, Blue felt tears spilling down his cheeks. Ashamed he covered his face with is free hand, unable to face is friend while he was in this state.

"Adam, listen to me," Scarlet said, trying not to break down himself as he spoke, "This isn't your fault okay…Adam look at me." Blue slowly moved his hand away from his face, wiping the tears away as best he could as he did so; then looked over at his friend.

"If I hadn't reacted the way I did, that explosion would have killed you," he paused and took in a shaky breath, "Neither of us knew what was going on in that lab, and even if we did, I wouldn't have done anything differently." Blue looked over, surprised by Scarlet's confession, but found that he couldn't find the words to respond.

"After what happened with you at Ragnarok I…"

"Paul, you don't have to…"

"I was so scared. I really thought I was going to lose you back there Adam. I know you have seen me die so many times but you always knew that it wasn't going to be permanent, that I'd recover. But you…if you die that's it…I just knew I couldn't go through that again," Scarlet coughed, his face distorting in pain.

"Paul?"

Suddenly the heart monitor began beeping faster and faster until it changed to a high pitched alarm sound. Scarlet's body tensed and he let out a guttural groan as the pain he was feeling swept through him, causing his body to convulse.

"Paul?" Blue said again, his voice more panicked this time.

"Adam…" Scarlet whispered, the fear he was feeling obvious and for the first time Blue hated the sound of his own name, not when it was spoken in the desperate way his friend had just said it. Scarlet reached out his hand and Blue grasped it in his, hoping that the contact was giving his friend some comfort.

"I'm right here Paul," he whispered as he felt his voice break as tears threatened to fall, "I'm here."

Suddenly the door to the room swung open and Doctor Gold rushed in, followed by one of his techs and the Bishops. They hurried over to his Scarlet's bedside where Gold carefully pushed Blue out of the way.

"Doc..!" Blue asked his features drawn and pale from the shock of seeing his friend like that.

"I need you to wait outside Adam," Gold told him, although his full attention was aimed at the man in the bed. Dazed, Blue wandered out of the room and made his way into Doctor Gold's office, collapsing into the chair which had been hastily pushed away from the desk. Blue felt the tears burning his eyes, but this time he didn't fight them; as he pressed the com button on the console in front of him and waited for the call to connect.