The mood shifts in the mess hall the moment Nickel arrives. Word had already spread that something was wrong with Silver. Everyone had gone to their usual gathering place while waiting for news. The moment Nick gets there, everyone sits up straighter with anticipation.
He passes from table to table, whispering the news. The sim-troopers can see the change in each group he visits, first the sudden tensing of shock, followed by a drooping of shoulders. They're not sure what it means until the family's mechanic joins their table.
"Yttri," Simmons greets with oddly subdued happiness, scooting to the side so she can sit beside him. "Do you know what's going on?"
Yttrium nods, a dark expression on her face. Simmons hasn't seen her look this angry since the last time Sarge tried to give her advice.
"Well?" Grif says expectantly. "Are you going to tell us or what?"
Yttri remains silent for a while, prompting Simmons to reach out for her hand. She accepts the gesture, eventually looking up to meet his eyes. "Silver's dying," she finally whispers, voice hollow.
There's a long pause as all those around the table process her words. Tucker is the first to speak.
"What?" he asks.
"She's sick," Yttri explains. "She has been for a while. Now it's getting worse." She goes on to explain the whole issue. As the young woman speaks, the sim-troopers' faces fall, each looking depressed by the news.
"And there's nothing you can do?" Donut asks eventually. The man who would normally make it his mission to cheer up their group sounds abnormally hopeless as he voices the question.
Yttri shakes her head, glaring so intensely at the table Simmons half expects it to light on fire. He barely hesitates before wrapping an arm around her shoulder in a show of support. Grif and Tucker share a look when Yttrium immediately leans into the redhead. Sarge, meanwhile, shoots him a not-so-subtle thumbs up, though the gesture doesn't hold the same enthusiasm as if it were under different circumstances.
"Now, don't you fret about your sister one bit, little missy," Sarge says, speaking much louder than was strictly necessary. "I've spent nearly my whole life in the military, and I've seen plenty o' girls like her. Tough as nails and willing to do anything to protect her team. She'll pull through, or else I'm not the genius inventor we all know I am," he declares confidently.
A small, bitter smile forms on Yttri's lips. "For once, I hope you're right, old man."
"You really should go be with your team," Rhodi comments when he checks on Silver once again.
Wash shakes his head, wiping at eyes that are sore from lack of sleep and tears that don't seem to want to fall. "I told her I'd stay," he says, gaze still fixed on the dying girl. "I promised I'd be here when she wakes up."
"She won't," Rhodium says flatly. Wash looks up at the boy for the first time. "She won't wake up again, not anymore."
Wash shakes his head in denial. "She has to," he insists weakly.
Rhodi breaks eye contact with the agent, fixing his gaze instead on the machines he's been adjusting. "These are all that's keeping her alive at this point," he says sadly. "They can keep it up for a few more days, but…" he trails off sadly. "Really, keeping her like this is more for our benefit than hers," he says at length.
Wash rises from his chair suddenly, spinning to face away from the young doctor. "I can't," he says, sounding panicked. "I can't do this. I can't let this happen."
"Then don't," Rhodi says simply. Wash turns back to him with a questioning look. The boy looks at him impatiently. "We both know what can help her. Who can help her. I can't do anything because she's my leader. I have to follow her orders. But you…" he studies Wash closely for a moment. "She never saw you as a subordinate. She thought of you as an equal. And she never ordered you to do anything. She only requested it. So I can't go against her wishes on this, but you… You can."
Wash's eyes widen suddenly when he realizes what the boy's saying. "She doesn't want me to," he argues.
"And none of us want her to die," Rhodi says bitterly. "So how about we put it to a vote? All in favor of my big sister not dying, raise your hands." He lifts both hands above his heads dramatically. "There, we out voted her. So I guess she has to live and damn the consequences."
Wash is surprised by the outburst from the boy who, in his experience, was usually soft spoken.
Rhodi sighs, looking past the machines and down at his sister. "I've watched too many siblings die," he says seriously. He looks up at Wash. "And you've lost too many friends," he adds. "It doesn't have to happen again."
Wash stares from Rhodi to Silver and back again, over and over as he thinks. "I couldn't save my team," he says slowly. "But I can save her." He turns again and walks toward the door, sparing a glance over his shoulder toward Silver. "I will save her," he says adamantly.
A few minutes later, Wash finds himself in the same hall where he'd found Silver hours before. He can't help but remember how she'd looked then, or how she'd only managed to grow paler since. He glares further down the hall, at the door he knows Dr. Han's waiting behind. Tinu's standing in front of it, arms folded and a defiant look in her eyes.
"Why are you here?" he asks the blonde.
Wash can tell from her eyes that she's been crying, though Tinu tries to hide it with an emotionless glare. "Nick's worried someone will try to seek some sort of personal revenge against our dear mother," she says angrily. Her eyes soften slightly as she continues. "Silver wouldn't want that. She wants mom to face real justice, at the hands of the only people she managed to hurt more than us. So we're giving her to the Covenant. I'm just here to make sure she survives until then."
Wash nods. It makes sense. He knows these are good people here, but even good people can slip up and become something else when they're under stress like this. Nick's right to make sure someone he trusts is keeping an eye on Dr. Han. Still, he can't let Tinu stop him from seeing her.
"I'll take over," he volunteers. "Go be with your family."
"Thanks, but Nick insisted I stay here," Tinu says dismissively.
"Please," Wash says. "I just need a few minutes with her."
"You know I can't let you," Tinu says in an apologetic tone.
"Please," he repeats. "I need to do this. For Silver."
Tinu recognizes the desperation in his voice. It's the same that she feels. "Why?" she asks. "What are you going to do to her?"
"Nothing," he says quickly. "I just want to talk to her."
Tinu studies his face for a moment. "Everything Silver's done is worthless if you kill mom," she says even as she steps aside. "Be careful."
Wash nods as he enters the room.
The woman he sees inside isn't what he'd expected. She looks too normal to be the monster he's heard so many stories about.
"And who might you be?" Dr. Han asks curiously. Despite the business like air she carries about herself, there's a clear level of exhaustion in her voice, a testament to the hours it's been since she was first brought into this room. "I know you're not one of my creations. Who have they found to help them?"
"I think you know the answer to that," Wash replies, sitting across the table from her.
"Of course, you're right. Boron told me," she says with a smile. "You know, I still remember the day Leonard chose you. I was there, you see. All of the UNSC's best and brightest young soldiers lined up and he chose you. I guess he and I were destined to bring our own destruction into our lives."
Wash glares at her. He knows this type of manipulation. She's trying to make herself seem like a part of his life in the hope it will make him feel sympathetic toward her. He isn't falling for it. Nothing could make him feel anything but hate for this woman, not after what she's done to Silver and her family.
Dr. Han's eyes narrow at the sight of his glare. "Why have you come here, David?" she asks.
"Don't call me that," he snaps without thinking. "I came here to make a deal."
"Oh?" she asks, voice pitching higher on the question. "And what kind of deal would that be, David?"
Wash grinds his teeth, forcing himself to ignore the use of his name. He knows she's just doing it to mess with him. "I want you to help Silver, he says simply.
Dr. Han's eyebrows wrinkle in false concern. "What's wrong with the poor girl?" she asks.
"Don't play games with me," Wash snaps. "You know what's wrong. You made her this way, and I know you can fix it."
Dr. Han leans toward him suddenly. "And why should I?" she asks, something close to anger touching her words. "My creations seek to destroy me, with Silver as their leader. Why would I ever help any of them?"
"I'm not stupid enough to think you care about them," Wash shoots back venomously. "Or that you secretly have some good in you and therefore want to help. I know you don't care about anyone but yourself. That's why I'm not asking for help, I'm offering a deal."
Dr. Han grows interested at that, and Wash can see a sort of desperate hunger form in her eyes. "What would I get in return?" she asks. "The people here care greatly for Silver, as I suspect you do as well. I'd want proper compensation for saving her life."
"And I know you won't accept anything less than your freedom," Wash says.
"Not quite," Dr. Han says slowly. "I want my freedom, of course. But I also want some sort of guarantee of my safety. There are many people who wish to see me dead right now, and not just in this base. I need a way to protect myself."
"What are you saying?" Wash asks in annoyance, waiting for the sociopathic scientist to cut to the chase.
"I want Gold," she answers. "He is my best soldier and for the past year has served as my personal bodyguard. He's the only reason I'm still alive. If you release us both and give me back my ship, I will cure Silver."
Wash's glare deepens. "I'll let you go, and give you your ship, but Gold stays here. Yttri's already working on removing his chip. You won't be able to control him anymore."
"What's to stop you from destroying me the moment I leave, then?" she demands.
"Silver," Wash answers. "She believes their chances are better if you're alive. She's specifically ordered for no one to kill you. She won't let anyone shot you when you're leaving. It would ruin our chances of catching you again."
"So you do intend to find me again," Dr. Han says, confirming her unspoken suspicion.
"Of course," Wash says. "You still need to pay for your crimes."
"Do you truly believe it's a crime, what I did?" she whispered with venom. "Is it a crime that I remember everything the Covenant did during the war, and that I am unwilling to let them get away with it?"
"It's a crime that you attacked civilians," Wash hissed. "And that you betrayed our peace treaty with the Covenant. But more than that, it's a crime what you've done to these people here."
Dr. Han shakes her head in amusement. "They aren't people, they're property," she corrects. "Made by my hands to work for the UNSC. I have done nothing wrong by them."
"You're sick," Wash says, disgusted by the way she seems to truly believe what she says.
"And yet, you still need me," Dr. Han says. "I accept your deal, on one condition," she offers.
"And what's that?"
"Do not deactivate Gold's chip until I am gone," she instructs. "I believe he will have… more trouble than most following Silver's edict to let me live."
"I can't imagine why," Wash says sarcastically. Of course, of all the people in this base that Dr. Han has wronged, she's probably done the worst to Gold. He eventually nods agreement. "I'll tell Yttri to delay the procedure. Now come on." He stands and grabs her arm roughly, pulling her toward the door. Dr. Han stumbles after him as gracefully as she can manage.
Tinu looks at them questioningly when the door opens. "What are you doing?" she asks, blocking Wash and Dr. Han from leaving.
"Saving Silver," he answers. "Let us through."
"Wash, you know I can't let you do that," Tinu says. "Silver ordered-"
"I don't care what Silver ordered," Wash snaps. "She doesn't just get to decide that we'd be better off without her."
"But-" Tinu starts, only to be interrupted by her partner.
"Let them go," Nick says, approaching from down the hall. His eyes are red and the tear tracks down his cheeks catch reflect the fluorescent lighting when he moves. "Let them go, Tinu."
"Silver said not to," Tinu says miserably. "I want her to get better too, you know I do, but is it really right to go against her wishes on this? I mean, it's her dying wish."
"It won't be her dying wish if she lives," Wash points out. "We can't just let her die."
"But-"
"Tinu," Nick says. "Just let him. If you were to ask anyone in our family, they'd choose the same, so just let him."
"What about her?" Tinu asks, pointing at Dr. Han. To her credit, the geneticist seems to recognize that remaining quiet is in her best interest now.
"We honor whatever deal Wash has made, then continue hunting her just like before once she's gone," Nick answers. Tinu still looks uncomfortable with the situation but she accepts her partner's decision.
Wash nods once he's sure they won't give him trouble. "Tinu, would you mind taking her to the infirmary?" he asks, releasing Dr. Han's arm that he was still holding so Tinu can grab her. The blonde refuses to answer, her silence the only form of protest she's willing to give as she leads her creator down the hall.
"This had better work," Nick says warningly as he looks at Wash.
"I know it's a risk," the former Freelancer says. "But we have to try." Nick just shrugs, feeling like he's somehow betrayed his sister.
"Where's Yttrium?" Washington asks suddenly.
"I think she's in her lab, putting together some equipment for Gold's procedure."
"Get her and Simmons and tell them to meet me outside the infirmary," he says before following Tinu down the hall. He isn't sure if Silver will approve of his next plan. He knows she'll be mad about him letting Dr. Han go, but maybe he can make it up to her. With Yttri's help, he thinks he just might be able to fix everything again.