“Fucking hell,” her dad roared and shoved her into the pod. “I’m trying to save your life!”
“And I’m trying to save his!” She twisted around, screaming and pummeling his chest. His fist came out of nowhere and she had no time to dodge it.
Pain exploded in her head and stars cascaded across her vision as she slunk back into the tiny space. Elodie clutched her brow as blood pooled out of her nose. Her senses flooded with shock.He hit me.
“I will beat you into that pod if that’s what it takes to save your life!” His word struck and she hunched into herself, clasping her nose, unable to move as her dad entered the small space in front of her. “I’m sorry, boy.” His voice was gruff and grief-stricken.
Tears streamed from her eyes. “I’m sorry too.” Her hand inched toward her hip to grasp the pipe attached to her side.
“You’ll forgive me when—”
She slammed it into his shoulder, and he never finished the sentence. Elodie struggled around him until she was free of the tight space. She knew his shock would be as short-lived as her own.
Energy sizzled through her as she knocked him back, aiming for the shoulder she had hit with all her might. Her dad dropped, dazed, and stared wide-eyed back at her as she stepped out.
“You’ll forgive me too, Dad, but I’m not leaving him,” she whispered. The escape pod sequence clicked in the background and a countdown began.Goodbye, Dad.
“Goodbye, Elodie.” He said right before the panel door closed between them. She took another step back as the pod drifted into the wall, away from her and into the endless grey haze that filled her vision. And then, it was gone.
Elodie stood there, staring at the place where her dad had just been.
Last time it took them less than a half-hour to say goodbye. This time it took them mere seconds.
She wiped the blood from her nose and took another step back, and then another. The rest of the men had already left and there were only empty spaces where the other pods had once been.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath just as the lights went off overhead. The noises deepened as darkness cloaked her. She waited until her eyes adjusted to the subtle glow as several emergency outlets powered on.
What’ve I done?Dizziness assailed her, and a pounding, piercing headache began to form behind her eyes. Elodie unzipped her jacket and lifted it to staunch the remaining blood coming from her nose.
“Ely?” someone said from behind her.
She spun around. A shadowy figure appeared in the distance, bent out of shape and clutching the wall. Elodie lifted the pipe in front of herself defensively and took a step back.
“Elodie, it’s me.”
“Gunner?” she breathed.
The figure groaned and leaned into the wall as another tremor went through the ship. She rushed forward, then stopped. A red aura, almost too dark to notice, illuminated from his eyes. It cast his sharp features in muted shadows and gloom, but as her focus shifted and she bridged the last remaining steps between them, she noticed the flare wasn’t reflecting his mood; it was weak.
His back hit the wall with an agonizing grunt. He slid to the floor as she reached forward, dropping her weapon, and cupped his cheeks.
“Oh my god, Gunner.” Fear and worry numbed her. “Are you okay?”
Elodie didn’t wait for his answer before peeling back the remaining shreds of his clothing to check his wounds. The material was soaked with blood. She hoped that it wasn’t all his. She’d seen him in several damaged states after fighting, but never like this. It was almost as if every time he left her, he came back to her in an even worse state than before.
“I’ll be fine,” he groaned, resting his head back, and hooding his eyes.
“Y-you don’t look fine!” Elodie fought back a fresh wave of tears, dropping the wet clothes to her side. “Stay here! I’m going to go find a medical kit.” She moved to stand up, but he caught her wrist in a grip.
“Don’t bother.”
She tried pulling her arm from his hold, but he only tightened it further. “We need to get you medical treatment right now,” she argued, her nerves fraying. “The ship—”
“—is being boarded.”
That stopped her. “What are they going to do with us?”
Gunner smiled weakly. Weakly. It wasn’t a word she’d ever associate with him and it struck fear into her soul.
