There were no chairs near the bacta tanks, and generally people were encouraged not to stay there too long because they were taking up space that the medical personnel could be using when performing tests on anyone in the tanks. Wes had always ignored those subtle hints, however, and moved a chair across the room, or from a nearby room if necessary, and stayed until he was kicked out by someone with enough authority.

He knew that Wedge was angry, but it was nothing in comparison to his anger at himself. Wes had done a lot of stupid things in his life, and enjoyed a great number of them, but this time his actions could be ranked as the very stupidest thing he ever did, and he might not be able to forgive himself for the outcome. Hobbie had almost died, it was Wes's fault, and he knew that. He sat in front of the tank where Hobbie was currently submersed, scared to leave in case something changed for the worse.

Staring into the bacta, he imagined that he could see the spattering of wounds closing. Hobbie had gone EV during the battle, and shrapnel had gone through his suit before the mag-con field had activated while he was still inside the x-wing, and hadn't been noticed until he was waiting for pick-up. His damaged x-wing had been clipped by someone before he had gotten far enough away, and that had caused problems too. When the shuttle had gotten to him the internal bleeding had already begun to get critical. It had been very close, and it was because Wes had not been paying attention to his wing-mate during the battle.

They hadn't really been speaking to each other much since he had walked out of their quarters. When the mission came up nothing changed, until they were out in the midst of uglies flown by pirates. Hobbie had tried to follow his lead, but was separated from him when Wes ignored the pair that had focused on Hobbie, in favor of another a little further away. Nothing is static in the middle of a battle, by the time Hobbie tried to get his attention over the com, asking for assistance, Wes had been too far away to get there in time.

Wedge arrived in the evening and moved a chair to sit next to Wes. He was silent for a long time, just staring into the bacta tank. "I'm making some changes to the wing-pairings. The briefing tomorrow will cover it, but I wanted to talk to you before I made the announcement. Tycho will be Hobbie's wing-mate, he volunteered and I think it is a good idea. I was thinking about having you as my wing-mate. Like old times, perhaps." He shrugged, glancing at Wes briefly, "Wing-pairings are not all as permanent as Horn and Qyrrg's, you know that, but I can't have what happened today happen again."

"I know." Wes took a deep breath, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. "This is all just- I don't know how it all got so kriffed up. I don't know what to do anymore." He stood suddenly, moving to stand next to the tank that held Hobbie. "I didn't mean for this to happen." He laid a hand against the tank, "He told me he was in love with me, and I walked out. I just couldn't. . . I thought that we had broken up, he ignored me for weeks and then all he can say is that he loves me and I deserve better."

Wes glanced over his shoulder, to Wedge, "No one has to tell me how stupid I am, I do that enough on my own. I should never have left that night; I should have told him that I loved him too." He went back to his chair and sat down heavily. "I don't know what to do anymore."

Wedge took a deep breath, weighing what he wanted to say with what he knew he should say, "Wes, go get some sleep. That is what you should do, we've got briefings and sims tomorrow and I'm not going to be easy on you if you are tired. I'll stay here with Hobbie for a while." He glanced between the man at his side and the one in the tank, "I know you've probably been here since they got him in the tank. Get some rest and you can sit with him tomorrow afternoon when we finish the sims."

Wes continued to haunt the medbay, and the rest of the Rogues seemed to forgive his mistakes and not think too much on the change in wing-pairings as it didn't affect most of them. Tycho and Wedge were a little more reserved around him, but he figured that when Hobbie was out of bacta and back to duty things might return to normal again. It didn't take many days for the med droids to declare that the bacta treatments were finished and then Wes was trying to visit Hobbie again, only to talk instead of watch. It would have been nice if Hobbie was inclined to listen or respond, but Wes knew that he had to be forgiven first. At least he wasn't kicked out of the room, and he suspected that his friend was listening more than he gave indication of when he would shake his head and give that slight smile every so often.

It wasn't until Hobbie had been released from the medbay that he was willing to talk to Wes though, and that was only because they were still sharing quarters. "Stop hovering." Hobbie was about to go crazy, or at least that was his theory. He had been inactive for too long, with Wes hovering nearby at all hours of the day and night, and all he really wanted was to get back into his x-wing. The possibility to shoot something would be very helpful for his mental state too. And if Wes didn't leave him alone soon it might be his former wing-mate. "I know you didn't mean for this to happen and that you are sorry, and worried about me, but I am fine now. Go away."

Wes frowned and sat on the edge of his bunk, staring at Hobbie, as though willing him to change his mind. He sighed deeply and continued staring until Hobbie rolled over onto his other side, facing the wall. "I think we need to talk."

"I think you need to go away." Hobbie's voice was muffled. He didn't want to sleep again after being in the med bay and forced to rest for days, but Wes was bound to follow him anywhere he went on base. He didn't really want to have any conversation yet, but if it was inevitable he didn't want to have it in public at the very least.

"Please, Hobbie, just talk to me." He sounded pathetic, but he was getting desperate to have them back to some semblance of normal.

Hobbie rolled over so he could look at Wes again. "I know, and I understand, but I really don't feel up to this right now. I don't even know what I want to say yet. Just give me some space, and I won't have to request that we get separate quarters."

Wes paled slightly, "You'd do that?"

Hobbie sighed, "If that is what it takes to get some peace? Yes. I know that you want everything to go back to how it was a few months ago, but I'm not sure if we can, and until we figure that out maybe we should be separated. This could be really awkward for a while, and we just have to live with that and not pretend that it will all go away just because we want it to be like that." He took a deep breath, still sore despite the bacta and medical rest, "I love you, I really do, but I wish you'd let me be alone for a while."

There were several seconds of silence, before Wes stood, "Alright. I'll stay away for a few hours, but I am not sleeping in the lounge tonight, so I will be back later."

Wes had left their room quietly, not sure of where he would go and feeling lost. This had started with him feeling as though he had been abandoned, but now everyone seemed to think that everything was his fault. He knew that he had been in the wrong for some of it, but he still felt as though he had been abandoned first. Maybe it would be better that they separate. He was tempted to go to Wedge and request that immediately, but he didn't have the energy to deal with the fallout.

So he made his way to one of the smaller lounges and sat by himself, confused and hurt and wishing that Hobbie would just talk to him so they could get all of this out into the open finally. It just kept building without release and he worried that something else would happen to ruin everything all over again. He fell asleep at some point, waking when his shoulder was nudged, and found himself with a sore neck and a worried Tycho sitting on the other side of the couch.

"Skipping meals today?" Tycho was turned slightly, to face him, and though he didn't really show what he was feeling, there was a tightness around his eyes. "Hobbie was worried when you weren't in the mess for dinner."

Wes sat up a little more and looked around the lounge, but didn't see anything with the time listed. "I didn't realize it was that late. I must have been more tired than I thought." He held back, not sure of what to say. He had counted Tycho as a friend for years, but they were never as close as he had been with Hobbie or Wedge, and they didn't spend a lot of time alone together. When everyone had thought that Hobbie was breaking up with him Tycho had seemed more concerned about Hobbie's feeling as well, which made Wes wonder if he would have been considered a friend by the Alderaanian. It wasn't a question he liked having to consider.

Tycho seemed to sense that he was feeling awkward though, and he backed off a little, watching to see what Wes was going to do next.

"Was there something else?" He wasn't hungry, and he didn't feel like going back to his room yet, but he didn't know what else to do. Sitting here with Tycho just made him feel like he was a bug being watched by a curious child.

Tycho hesitated slightly, "I feel like we should talk, but I'm really not sure what to say. When did this get difficult?"

"Maybe when Hobbie and I started becoming a couple?" Wes shrugged, "I can't believe how many conversations I've had about heavy emotional stuff lately. It's like a holo-drama in the squadron and I'm really starting to hate this weird sense that I'm supposed to share my innermost feelings with everyone. No offense, Tycho, but we've never been really close and I've always known that you thought more of Hobbie as a friend than me, so I'm not sure why you want to get into this now."

"Is that what you think? Are we not friends?" Tycho frowned, looking thoughtful.

"I don't know. I guess I've thought of you as a friend for a long time, but even when everyone thought that Hobbie was leaving me for Inyri you seemed to be on his side. Maybe Hobbie and I should stay apart; I don't want whatever is happening with our relationship screw up the dynamics between everyone in the squadron."

"Is that what Hobbie wants as well?" Tycho sounded as though he were trying to be neutral, but it wasn't working very well.

"Hobbie suggested that we move to separate quarters." Wes took a deep breath, feeling as though he were about to jump off a precipice. "You know what, I find it very interesting that everyone seems to understand why Hobbie doesn't want to forgive me, but they all seem to think that when he hurt me I should have forgiven him immediately. I'm glad that he has such good friends, but I think I'm finding out that the people I thought were my friends are not so supportive. I don't want people to take sides, but I'm getting sick of everyone treating me as though all of this has been my fault alone."

Tycho nodded, "It isn't fair, and in part it probably has to do with him being injured. We got a little more over-protective than we normally would because of everything else that was going on between the two of you. And I really don't want to make you feel like I'm on his side, or that I'm against you. I thought I was staying out of it more than I was, so I'll have to do better. But, Wes, shutting yourself away from everyone and avoiding us at meals and in your free time isn't going to help." He laid a hand on Wes's shoulder, "I want us to be friends, if not still then again. I don't like that things have gotten so quiet between us, and I do know that we've never been demonstrative in the way that you and Wedge have been, but that doesn't mean that I haven't seen you as being one of my closest friends."

Wes sighed, it was nice to hear that from Tycho but he wasn't sure what he was supposed to say in response. Tycho took his hand back though and seemed to understand the reluctance to delve further into the issue.

"You should go talk to Hobbie, maybe get something from the mess first though so you have at least one meal today." Tycho stood, glancing toward the doorway. "I think some of the others were going to be in the main pilot lounge later if you feel like being social. Maybe I'll see you there?"

Wes nodded, "Maybe. Thanks, Tycho, for – you know. I should see Hobbie."