❛ the ground. that's the dream. ❜
On the list 𝘓𝘺𝘳𝘢 𝘑𝘶𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘱 𝘛𝘦𝘯 𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘔𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘖𝘧 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦, getting arrested is definitely up there. But, hey! At least there's a silver lining ━━ getting shoved into a drops...
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"ANOTHER DEAD!" Drew's voice rings out amongst the coughing, coarse with illness.
At the announcement, the delinquents seem to die just a bit more. Fox lets out a whimper from where she lays on her side, blood leaking from her mouth and hot water leaking from her eyes. Her lips are chapped and bloodless. Water tin in hand, Lyra tilts Fox's chin upwards and tries to spill some into her open mouth. Gratefully Fox gulps it, only for her entire body to spasm before she's coughing it back up as she seizes. When it ceases, her body deflates and she shakes her head mutely when Lyra tries to offer her some more.
Limbs like dead weights, Lyra turns to Drew. "Who?"
"Graham," he says hoarsely. "Thalia's dead, too. Her grandma was so excited to see her again."
"OK," says Lyra in a small voice. "Their bodies can't stay in here. I guess I'll... I'll bury them."
"I'll help," rasps a dry voice, like sand on stone. Lyra turns to see Wells hobbling towards her, cloth over his mouth. She immediately goes to protest, but he interrupts. "I'm fine, Lyra. And I can't just sit here any longer, I need to do something."
"Your dad floated Thalia's parents," snaps Drew weakly. "If you think I'm just gonna — "
Blood spews from his mouth instead of words and he sinks to the ground with a sharp cry. Wells drops to his side like a stone, rubbing Drew's back in an attempt to ease the blood retching from the depths of his stomach. It takes several long moments, but then Drew is breathing air again, and Wells hands him Fox's abandoned tin of water with somber features.
"I'll make sure she rests easy."
After a beat, Drew nods.
Together, Lyra and Wells haul first Graham's body and then Thalia's body from the dropship and lay them side by side on the earth beside the spacecraft. Limp crimson hair straggles to Thalia's shoulders. Out of Graham's jacket pocket falls half of one of the wristbands ━━ he must have kept it even after they were fried in hope. Lyra refuses to let herself wonder who up there was waiting for him. Her senses are in disarray as they lay Thalia's body down gently, and she's hardly able to evade her bulging wide open eyes soaked with red.
"In peace mat you leave the shore, in love may you — " begins Wells, only a hacking cough forces him to stop. "May you — "
"In love may you find the next," finishes Lyra. "Safe passage on your travels — "
