Back to the grind

Dropship FSS Roanoke

Towne 

Federated Suns

13 May 3077

 

                    Azalea opened her eyes slowly. She was refreshed, possibly more than she had been in years. 

                    "Rise and shine, Doc."

                    "I'm not a doctor. And how long have I been out?" She rubbed the sleep from her eyes. 

                    "Fourteen hours."

                    She sat bolt upright. "Fourteen???? Fuck!"

                    Dani smiled. "Yeah, we did that too. Relax, everything is okay, nothing is going on. You just slept like the dead, that's all."

                    "I feel.... amazing. I haven't slept that well in forever.”

            “Yeah, Solaris Spice has a long come down. Not something I’d do out in the field.”

            “You take shit when you’re in combat?”

            Dani Shrugged. “Not this kind of stuff, but stims, amphetamines and stuff, sure. Everyone needs an edge.”

            Zee found her underwear and fatigue bottoms and slipped them on. “That kind of stuff can get you canned.”

            Dani shook her head. “Not really. Most people look the other way. It’s not like most people do it. Whatever keeps you in the fight and gets you back again.”

            “I can’t imagine working on stuff like that.”

            Dani shrugged. “We do different stuff. What you do takes a lot of thinking. What I do, it’s a lot of reflexes and attention. Any edge you can get. It hasn’t hurt me so far. I’ve come back in one piece so far.”

            “Thank you for last night. It was….incredible”

            Dani smiled. “You might play Drax well, but you don’t have a poker face. Your eyes were all over me from the moment we met.”

            Zee blushed. “Sorry, I just-“

            Dani cut her off with a finger to her lips. “No explaining. We all have to live a little out here. What’s the point of all this fighting if you don’t live a little?”

            Zee shrugged. “I guess I’m wrestling with finding the point of it all. Sometimes I feel like I’m just running on autopilot.”

            “How long have you been in?”

            “Three years now. But I’ve only been a combat medic for a few months. It takes it’s toll.”

            Dani put her hand on Zee’s shoulder. “It does. I’m six years in, and I’ve seen a ton of action, but it never gets any easier. You just keep going. You know how it is.”

            Zee nodded. “Is that why you turned to that stuff?”

            Dani chuckled. “Maybe. I don’t know where I picked up the habit. But it’s been good to me, kept me coming back to fight another day.”

            Zee ran a hand through her hair. “That’s what we’re for, to keep you guys going.”

            Dani nodded. “True, but sometimes a girl just needs a little more. I don’t expect you to follow me, but I’ve got your back, and I know you’ve got mine. One of these days I might be needing your kind of services out there. I know you’ll pull through.”

            Zee’s mind went back to the poor Mechwarrior she had lost her first time in the field. She hadn’t known anything about him going in, but he had haunted her ever since. Now things were different. She was putting faces to the people that were going out there and putting their life on the line. Nothing stayed the same, it seemed.