He was surprised. He didn't really show it though as he took her arm and was leading her back to his ship.
"I'm sorry."
Even more surprising. He didn't know how to respond so he just lead her slowly in silence. The three words admittedly had tripped him up a bit. He had expected her to at least pull back again or fight back, but she had done the exact opposite. He was ready to do a number of things, even act more rough, but this he didn't expect at all.
He was still wondering why she came all the way out here... and who were 'they' that she was talking about. If 'they' knew anything about this then why did 'they' let her leave with a ship and then have Tori send him a message. It all stank like a set-up to him. A faint smell though... possibly just in his head... maybe... half the things he couldn't tell anymore.
Traveling alone had done that to him. He did had his assistant though but... wasn't the same. It just kept him from going totally insane out in space with no one to talk to but him... and they usually were either silent or yelling and shouting back at one another when being attacking and trying to evade fire. Other than that... the guy was probably at the bar right now mingling again with some chick.
And he was stuck with this one.
Why am I even helping her? What am I doing?
The thought came again and again with the silent walk. He thought with it in his head. She might sense something because his grip would subconsciously change on her arm until he would realize and relax a little.
Maybe he was being too hard on her.
Maybe it could be different this time.
Or maybe when he let his guard down again then he'd get hurt.
The silence between them seemed more powerful than the rushing activity in the hanger.
She walked with him as he led her back to his ship. The silence was deafening and she didn't know what to say. She didn't try to pull her arm away as she would have done, even when she noticed his grip had changed. She shook her head slightly in response to this. It wasn't until they were almost back at his ship before she looked at him again.
"They don't know where I am, you know... Unless you've told Tori." She looked away after she said this, assuming he wouldn't believe her anyway. While she was telling the truth, he knew how things worked back home. She knew there was nothing more she could say to convince him of this, and sensing he wasn't in the mood to 'chat' she continued to walk with him, staying quiet.
Once they reached his ship, she stopped. Unsure as to whether he would make her carry on walking or not. "You don't have to help me, I can look after myself..." she shrugged slightly. "I can just leave again, and then we can both carry on as if none of this ever happened." Failing to keep a steady voice, she hoped he wouldn't have noticed - or at least make a comment about it. "I know you don't want to see me." After this, she went silent again, still unable to shake the thought that coming here was a mistake.
"They don't know where I am, you know... Unless you've told Tori."
The transmission he had sent to her and that was picked up by Tori had his location on it... so she might or might not have known... but they definitely had the clue to find them easily. Her statement wasn't true completely ... even if she believed it to be true. He sighs but doesn't say anything back. It wasn't important to him anyway.
"You don't have to help me, I can look after myself..."
Yeah sure... you're doing a great job with that so far all covered in your own blood.
"I can just leave again, and then we can both carry on as if none of this ever happened."
I wish it was that simple...
"I know you don't want to see me."
Then why did you come try to find me and risk your life trying?
He just answered these things in his head but didn't talk back. There was no point to it. Why even bother going into discussion. What's done is done. What happened had happened between them... He had thought he had left it all behind... But it seemed like he didn't now and was having a hard time trying to let go again as it grew more and more on him.
He stops and lets her go and turns to look at her again trying to think what to say. Then he just decides to come out and say it.
"If you continue to act more stupid then it's going to get you killed. Not just hurt. Killed. I don't care if you don't care about your life or not. Just go into the ship. There are mechanics here but there is no medical outpost on this station. All medical %$#@ gets diverted to Corsair territory out here or other places. I bet you don't have anything to treat yourself with either. Do as you want but I'm heading back into my ship. I need a damn drink. If you want to leave, then that is your problem, but don't blame me for your stupidity since I'm offering my help now. Your ship is screwed up. Take it out into space and its gonna come apart in minutes too. Its literally just a coffin now with engines soon to fall off. Just...."
He sighs.
"...You're smarter than this."
He opens the door and walks in, leaving the door open wide for her but not waiting for her to walk in after him.
She hesitated, unsure as to whether to go onto his ship or just do them both a favor and leave now. This was a mistake. She should have never considered coming up here. He had made it clear he didn't want to see her, and she was beginning to come to terms with this. As he stepped onto the ship, she spoke - just loud enough for him to hear.
"I never told you I was smart."
She sighed and stepped into his ship, closing the door behind her. She began to follow him, but stopped. The pain was getting worse, but she refused to say anything, instead closing her eyes and resting her shoulder on the wall hoping this would give her some balance back. Having crossed her arms across her front again she stood for a moment before taking a deeper breath and continuing on to find where he had gone.
"I'll get my ship fixed up and leave, thank you for the help. I do appreciate it." She sounded distant, not like she use to. She never use to be full of doubts and second guesses. She wasn't sure if he could hear what she was saying, and to be honest, she wasn't sure why she even bothered. "I wont be here long."
He made his way through the ship. The back of the ship wasn't well taken care of. It was more of a mess and he even had some laundry put out on lines to dry over the heat of engines. He didn't expect company. He didn't care what she would think of it anyway.
The air was moist and damp from the heat of the engines. It was darker than usual too. He conserved some power as he didn't know most times how long a flight would take. He didn't mind either. It felt more comfortable for some reason to be in the dark when he was alone.
He moved through the ship to the small kitchenette and secure drawers. Opening them one by one he found what he was looking for: a bottle of vodka. He nodded to himself and opened it and took a swing of it. It burnt... a warm burn... but at least it would ease his headache for a time. He found a clean rag and took it with him as well and started back for her. He could hear her footsteps, slow as they were, but she had decided to come in.
He found her walking in the corridor with her arms crossed. It was dark but he could tell she looked pale. He had herd her muttering distantly and he had paid hardly no attention though it still had reached the back of his mind. The fact she was thanking him now was surprising as well.
When he had reached her he didn't waist any time either. He didn't really care what she would think of what he was going to do. Without warning he picked her up, arms under her legs and back, and started to carry her farther into the ship.
She paid no attention to the state his ship was in. Even if she had wanted to, she had other things on her mind. She slowed as she realized he was no longer in sight. She kept her arms crossed as she continued trying to find where he was. Just as she was about to give up, she heard him return. There was something about his footsteps... It sounded like he meant business.
He startled her as he picked her up, but unlike she had in the past, she didn't fight back - instead she just closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest, letting him carry her further into the ship. She didn't say anything but eventually her breathing settled and while she was still very awake, she looked as if she was asleep.
Jackson still couldn't believe he was carrying her. She wasn't even giving any signs of resistance back. He looked down and looked at her sleeping as he carried her. The whole thing was just confusing. Shaking his head a little he shrugged the thought off and continued down the ship.
They entered his small cabin-like room which had a small bed at the side. The whole room was a mess to begin with. A wall was littered with notes pinned on the wall that had a small desk against it. There was a mess of cloths lying around and the bed also was not even attempted to have been made. The only thing the room had better was the air quality but other than that it was illuminated with moody lighting. If she looked she would also see empty bottles littering the floor.
In this room he placed her on the bed and propped a pillow under her head. He stepped back and placed the bottle of vodka on the small desk with the rag next to it and then moved to his other drawers in the room and started to look for things, making some noise in the silence of the room. His breathing was the only other thing noticeable as well as he breathed quickly and a little heavily.
She was comfortable on the bed, more so then she had been in a long time. She didn't want to move, but eventually she did. Keeping her eyes closed she moved one hand over her left side again, leaving the other where it was. Eventually she opened her eyes and looked over to where Jackson was. "What are you looking for..."
The moody lighting was good, not too bright. She noticed the number of bottles on the floor, but didn't comment on them. It wasn't her place to tell him not to drink. She couldn't shake the thought;
It never was your place.
She watched him for a few moments more before closing her eyes again and laying still. "I am fine." was all she said, knowing all too well he would not believe her.
Even though she was trying not to, she couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking. He didn't expect her to be here, and she didn't expect to have made it alive. He was right, she shouldn't be here. She didn't belong here.
He was moving from one drawer to the next looking for the things he needed. Bandages, scissors, needle, thread... He didn't know what to expect when he would see what the injury would be. When she asked him he looked up but then sighed and didn't really answer the question. Instead he stepped to the desk and reached for the bottle again, took a sip, and then went back to looking through the drawers.
"I am fine."
He looked back again as she said that and then stopped looking for more things and walked up next to the bed.
"You're fine? Alright then... how about we just both see what's under there that is squirting out blood and then decide if you are fine or not."
There would be a reading map next to the bed that could be extended out to provide some more light if needed, but Jackson was starting to get impatient with the whole mystery about what was under her shirt.
"how about we just both see what's under there that is squirting out blood and then decide if you are fine or not."
She didn't argue at first, and moved her hand from over her side pulling her shirt part way up. She put her arms across where her shirt was pulled up to as if to say 'I'm not showing you any more'. What was visible was the bottom of a deep laceration down her left side.
She finally opened her eyes again, and looked up at him, she couldn't hide the fact that she was concerned, the look she was giving him gave it away. She knew it was bad. She still was quiet and sounded more distant then she should. "I don't know when it happened...."
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