Cassian wakes up with an ache in every inch of his body, a chill working its way into his bones, and a profound feeling that something important is missing. He thinks for a moment that he must have fallen from a tauntaun and stretches his memory. The last thing he remembers is—
He sits upright abruptly. Or at least, he tries to.
Pain stabs his body at the first movement and he slumps backward, tears in his eyes and fire in his veins. Even through the agony, his mind reels.
The last thing he remembers is the boom of Imperial ordinance striking the base and the thunder of ice and snow collapsing on his head.
He tries again to push himself upright. If the Imperials are attacking, he has to get up. (Jyn and Bodhi, where are Jyn and Bodhi?) Agony flares along his ribs (broken, he thinks) and his left wrist collapses under him. He thumps backwards again and tries to curl instinctively to his side against the pain in his torso.
Through the haze of pain, he thinks he hears footsteps. Then there are hands on his body, forcing him to uncurl, guiding him gently upright to lean against something soft and small. His breathing comes easier and as the pain begins to clear, he can hear a voice murmuring in his ear.
He knows that voice.
He pushes the pain aside and concentrates. The murmur becomes words and Cassian feels something inside him unclench with relief.
"—me. Cassian, it's me. You're okay. I've got you. I'm here."
"Jyn," he whispers, pushing the words out through a dry throat.
The litany stops.
"Cassian?" she says.
He tips his head back and blinks to clear his vision. Her face swims into view, pale skin glowing from under a halo of fur lining. He's propped up against her legs, head in her lap and pillowed against the bulky fabric covering her stomach. Behind her head, light filters through the burnt orange synth-fabric of an emergency shelter.
"What happened?" he asks.
They're probably not on base, not if they're ensconced in an emergency shelter. The Imperial invasion is a worry gnawing at the back of his mind, but he finds that with Jyn here that worry isn't as pronounced.
"What do you remember?" she asks.
"An attack," he says. "The Imperials. The ceiling collapsed and then… nothing."
Jyn nods and some of the tension slides out of her face.
"Good," she says.
At Cassian's raised eyebrow, she continues. "You've been unconscious for days. I was worried there would be memory loss."
"Days…" Cassian murmurs, feeling a clench of worry in his stomach. If the Imperial attack was days ago and he and Jyn are outside in an emergency shelter, what does that mean for the rest of the Rebel Alliance?
"Jyn, the attack. What happened?" He tries to sit up again but her firm hand on his shoulder keeps him from moving.
"Stay down," she says. "You broke or fractured half your ribs and you'll only hurt yourself more if you try to get up."
Cassian settles back and waits.
"The base is gone," she says finally. "Most everyone got away though."
Most everyone, he thinks, stomach turning over.
"Bodhi?" he asks, almost not wanting to know the answer.
"Got away," she says. "He was on the last transport out, but Imperial comm chatter says it cleared the blockade."
Cassian breathes a sigh of relief.
"And us?" he asks.
"You got buried in a cave-in. I got you out, but we couldn't make a transport. So we're hiding in Skywalker's cave system until the Imperials leave."
Cassian thinks about that, about how much was implied in that little statement. A base full of Imperial soldiers, an injured man, and no help? That they're alive and not in Imperial hands is a testament to her skill and her stubbornness, he thinks. Again.
"You're making a habit of getting me out of impossible situations," he says.
From the way her mouth tightens and her eyes darken, he knows she's thinking the same thing as him — those desperate final moments on Scarif when he'd been worse than useless and a barely conscious burden. It had been Jyn who'd managed to re-establish contact with Bodhi and Jyn who got them to them back to the damaged shuttle.
Seeing the painful memory in her eyes, Cassian reaches out and squeezes her hand. It's awkward with their heavy mittens on, but it's a comfort all the same.
"Thank you," he says.
She smiles at him.
"You can thank me by not doing this again," she says and he smiles.
"I'll try."
They sit together in silent comfort for a long moment before Cassian broaches the other question on his mind.
"Do we have a way off this planet?"
Jyn sighs and shifts restlessly under him.
"There might be a ship left on base," she says, "but I haven't gotten close enough to see. There's still Imperials in the area."
"I doubt they'll leave anything behind that we can use," Cassian says. "Assuming there are any ships left at all."
Jyn nods.
"I figure the same," she says, "But Bodhi knows we're here. He said he'll come back for us."
Cassian feels a tiny knot of worry release from around his heart. Bodhi Rook is as much a part of his new little family as Jyn.
(There's maybe something there that's more than family. They've never talked about it.)
"If he says he'll be back, then he will," Cassian says.
Jyn nods. There is no uncertainty in her expression.
"I know," she says. "We just have to survive until he gets here."