BETWEEN: PART 1
I usually sleep headaches off but I woke up with one that wrapped around the back of my head. Mom used to say they were stress headaches which were more potent than the headaches I typically got, the ones that throbbed over my left eyebrow. I peered at the red lettering on the digital clock beside me, 5:23, and groaned. I'd been waking up since the third hour and searching the mirror cabinet in the bathroom for Advil had proven useless. A very small part of me implored that I seek Snake Eyes's assistance but the overwhelming majority of my being argued for the warmth of my bed. Taiga was curled up against my side and he twitched every once and a while, suddenly awake one second and then promptly asleep the next. At least he wasn't losing sleep.
5: 29
I sighed and rolled back onto my side, awkwardly catching the blankets between my toes and pulling them off my body. I shivered as the comforter slipped off my bare shoulders, the fibres getting caught on the scars on my back, and awkwardly climbed out of bed, hands first and feet last. I shoved the clothes from yesterday aside and blindly crawled towards the dresser in the hopes of finding something warmer.
5:41
I found my shoes eventually, I'd somehow kicked them under the bed and after crawling all over the room, I finally remembered that. I dragged myself into the bathroom and shut the door quietly, splashing my face with cold water.
5:46
I shut the bathroom light off before opening the door and returning the pitch blackness of my room, I felt around for my keys and clearance card on top of the dresser and then headed towards my door. As I wrapped my hand around the doorknob, there was a gentle knock and opened the door to reveal Snake Eyes. Taiga immediately woke up and bounded over, bumping his head against Snake Eyes's knee.
"We found them."
5:59
We were back in the infirmary and Snake Eyes said I didn't have a lot of time. Their bodies were being sent home at 6:30, they needed to be on the plane by 6:10. Two sleek black bags lay on two separate metal tables. The search team stood in a neat line against one wall and looked away to give me some form of privacy but I sensed the urgency; they kept shifting their weight and glancing at the door. I remembered that at least one of their heads was split open and it wouldn't make sense to patch their bodies up here. I placed one hand on each bag and groaned at how stiff they were. I lifted them again and tucked my hands into the pockets of my pants, biting down on my lip and shaking my head.
"I told you so, didn't I?" My vision was blurring and I started blinking my eyes. "I told you it wasn't a good idea but you didn't listen."
"The storm lasted just that night. You could've gone the next morning but no. You had to be "the adult". Just because you were older than me you thought you knew every fucking thing ever and you didn't listen! Why did you never listen to me? I knew what I was talking about, damnit. I knew what I was talking about."
"But…I-I'm glad Deki went with you. At least he-he had your b-back. And I'm so sorry I didn't find you earlier. I'm so sorry, Logan. I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry, god, I'm sorry. I'm sorry."