"...friends...crash...dead...worried..."
Felix heard a familiar voice talking, their voice fading in and out as he gradually regained consciousness, although he wasn't sure if they were close or not since it sounded like they were shouting down a long hallway.
"Good, you're awake."
Felix's eyes snapped open in alarm to find a friend he hadn't seen in a long time standing over him with a wide smile.
"PJ? How the hell did you get here?!" Felix questioned in shock, wondering if he was dreaming.
"It's a long story, one that I will explain once everyone else is up." PJ promised him.
He was dressed in an odd looking blue cloak with silver hemming and black pants with black shoes, a white button up shirt underneath with a pin that looked like a hand making a peace sign attached to it.
Felix looked down to see that he was in a crisp white hospital gown that felt surprisingly comfortable compared to the ones on Earth.
"Where am I?" Felix asked as he looked around at his new surroundings, the floor made of white tile and the walls transparent so he could see outside .
White beds filled with his friends clad in white hospital gowns like his were lined up next to him, still unconscious much to Felix's dismay and concern.
"Welcome to the planet Bob." PJ announced with a grin.
"Is that what it's really called?" Felix asked with a smirk, a part of him wishing that it was.
"Obviously not Felix you idiot." PJ snickered teasingly.
"This planet is actually called Nibiri. Normally we're at peace, but..." PJ trailed off with a long sigh that made him sound older than he looked.
"Are my friends okay?" Felix asked hopefully as he managed to sit up.
His head still throbbed in a dull constant pain, but otherwise felt alright to his relief.
PJ took a deep breath as he bowed his head before looking back up at Felix with remorse shining in his crystal blue eyes.
"Phil's dead."
"What?! No no no no no, there's no way in hell that he died! We-we recused him!" Felix protested fiercely with a tinge of desperation.
"We got to him too late, being in space with no helmet and so many tiny particles floating around...we couldn't fix the fatal damage done to his lungs." PJ explained grimly as he sat down on the end of Felix's bed and ran a hand though his curly dark brown hair wearily.
"HE'S NOT DEAD!" Felix screamed back, refusing to believe that he had lost the kindest person in the world to a fate he didn't deserve.
The two fell silent as tears streamed down the Swede's face, both men emotionally and physically exhausted.
"I know it hurts, I've grieved too, but you're not the only one distressed. Your crew is going to look to you for guidance since you're their captain, you have to be there for them." PJ interjected gingerly.
"Even though I'm not a good captain?" Felix retorted sourly.
"Even though you're trying to be the best captain you can." PJ corrected him with a light smile.
This is all my fault, Felix thought darkly as PJ walked off to check on the others.
No...
It was Mark's fault.
He let the ship get hit.
He let the rocket crash.
Felix was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw his remaining friends stir and finally wake up, all awed by the hospital like room like he was earlier.
He watched PJ quietly tell them about Phil, and felt his heart break when they all broke down crying like he had.
Eventually Felix reluctantly crawled out of bed to talk to the remainder of his crew, each step filled with dread as he drew closer.
He knew he had to stay strong for his friends and be there for them, yet he had no idea how he could when his own grief was eating away at him.
He decided to see Dan first since he was the closest to Phil, knowing that he'd be the most upset.
Dan sat in bed with his head in between his knees that were curled up close to his chest, his arms wrapped around them as his body shook with quiet sobs.
"H-hey Dan." Felix stammered, unsure of what else to say.
The Brit looked up at Felix with tears glittering in his red rimmed dark brown eyes, the tear tracks stained on his cheeks glowing in the bright lights.
"Look, um..." Felix trailed off, knowing that nothing he could say could make the pain hurt less.
Instead, he opened his arms to Dan and let him sob into his arms, his cold tears soaking into Felix's white hospital gown and chilling his chest.
"I-it's a-all my f-fault!" Dan hiccuped sorrowfully through his tears.
"Shh, it's not your fault." Felix promised him, the rage he had felt earlier fizzled out and replaced with an emptiness that made him long for home more than ever.
Felix visited Ethan, Robin, Sean, and Mark individually as well, Mark seeming more furious at himself than anything else.
Felix noticed something was off with Mark before the crash, but he still couldn't figure out what it was as he examined the engineer when he wasn't looking.
He looked the same as always, but the way he acted was slightly off, and Felix was the only one to notice it to his surprise.
"Hello my favorite planet explorers." PJ greeted the group after giving them their time alone, standing in front of the remaining six.
"So, I know I have a lot of explaining to do." PJ began.
YOU ARE READING
Places Among The Stars
Fanfiction"Everyone ready?" Felix shouted to the others strapped into their seats behind him. "Ready as I'll ever be." Dan muttered nervously, constantly wringing his hands as his leg bounced up and down. Phil took his hand and held it tight to help comfort...
