Inevitable {Tech}

Chapter Twenty: Not The Same Anymore

"Cassiopeia!" Tech hastily punched the ship into hyperdrive and dropped to her side. He slid behind her and propped up her back, allowing her to relax into him as she held Omega close to her chest. He examined her wounds and was careful not to press into her left shoulder, which was exposed and raw.

"Cass, what were you thinking?" Echo abruptly stood from his seat and hovered closer to her.

"I-I was just-" she mumbled between anxiety-induced breathes.

"Give her a second, guys," Wrecker protested.

"You could have gotten killed!" Hunter scolded. "Tech told you to stay on the ship-"

"I told her to start the engines," Tech corrected firmly. "In no way did I order her to remain on the ship."

"Well maybe you should have," Echo sneered. "She was in no condition to run out there-"

"But she did, and she's alive," Tech rebuked, his grip on Cass subtly increased. "Isn't that all that matters?" Tech continuously tapped gently against her arm in a rhythmic heartbeat pattern, soothing her as if she had her ear to his chest.

Echo and Hunter quieted for a moment, while Wrecker and Omega watched with wide eyes. Cass' head lulled forward as she took in their words in disarray. She slumped in his arms as she awaited their next round of reprimands.

"She saved me, Hunter," Omega breathed and pleaded with her eyes. She lifted herself gently from Cass' hold and stood firmly in front of the long-haired clone. "She did what any one of you would have done, don't get mad at her for it."

The two brothers exchanged glances and hung their heads. They peered back to Cass who didn't bother to look up at them. She no longer was trembling, but rather seemed blank and numb. Her breathing slowed—which eased all of them slightly—but they could tell she was deeply deliberating the things they yelled.

Echo and Hunter instantly felt apologetic upon looking her over a second time. Omega was absolutely right in the fact that any of her brothers would have ran after her—and who were they to reproach her for doing the same?

Echo moved closer to Cass and bent down on one knee. She knew he was there, but couldn't bring herself to look at him. He was grumpy and crude and had yelled plenty of times, but never had he raised his voice at her like that. It was brief, but it was enough to overwhelm her.

"Cass?" he whispered gently and tried to meet her eyes. He reached out to place a hand on her leg, but she retracted and pulled her knees to her chest. "Cass look-"

"I wanna go to my room please," she mumbled over her shoulder to Tech.

Echo's face dropped along with his hand, and he leaned away incredulously.

Tech nodded and cradled Cass by her waist. He helped her to her feet and placed a hand on the small of her back. Without another word, she cautiously reached down and sorted through the medpac, then trudged into her room.

She rested herself on the cool floor and leaned against her bunk. She laid a pair tweezers and a towel in front of her, then stared at them both vacantly.

She thought long and hard about her actions. She replayed everything in her head a thousand times, though most of it was a blur when she tried to recollect.

She brushed past Hunter's words, for he was the leader and it was obvious that he would denounce her for doing what he thought he should've done. It was almost as if he was yelling at her but scolding himself for not being the one to rush out to Omega.

But Echo.

Maker, she loved that man to death. But she had yet to figure out why he would castigate her so.