Chapter Text
A string of sorrowful melodies reach my ears as I lay in my bed, feeling my body growing weak. “Sorry.” A cough. I can see some red splattering on the sheets after.
“Don't say sorry! Grace will be okay, statement!” I was able to filter Rocky's voice through all the fog. He tries to sound confident, though I know he's panicking.
A small smile appears on my face. It's been a few months since we reached Erid, the scientists here have been working real hard to help me. I'm grateful, always grateful.
I can tell he's worried, he can hear how fast my heart thumps in my chest. Pain still tingles all over my body. I imagine how much pain I would feel if the Eridians didn't give me their human-friendly version of painkillers. I can tell my skin has begun to break down.
Rocky is here. Still here. He's been talking to me for the past few minutes, I feel a pang of guilt. But the melodies continue to drone on, like a lullaby beckoning me to sleep.
I know he wants me to answer him. I can't bring myself to use whatever's left of my energy to answer.
He's on my bed now. His warm body is a nice contrast to the constant cold. There is a weight on my chest. Is he vibrating?
I didn't think he could fit here. The last time I thought about it his ball was too big to fit comfortably.
…Wait.
He's here?
He can't be here, my atmosphere is deadly to him.
Where's his ball?
How is he here?
Panic flows through me. “Yer ‘ere,” my voice slurs, it's a little hard to speak with a limited amount of teeth. It goes out a mere mumble, but it gets Rocky to react all the same.
I try to sit up, but the pain all throughout my body forces me back down. Oh, and Rocky's arm. He's holding me down.
His worried voice goes up an octave higher, it's all I can focus on. I need to get him back to his part of the ship. Why isn't he in his ball?
He's facing away from me, I can tell because he's leaned somewhere else. Towards someone else? He's shouting some more and the sharp tones make my ears hurt a little.
He leans back towards me and trills more soothing melodies after hearing me letting out a pained noise. My vision gets blurrier. He has to go back. He can't survive in my atmosphere. I have to save him.
I tell him to go back, or at least I think I did. My voice sounds far away from me and for a moment I thought he didn't hear me—or that I didn't say anything—if it weren't for his grip on me tightening just a tad bit.
Or maybe I imagined that too, that isn't too unusual lately.
He gets real close to my face, and a memory attacks my psyche. He built himself an exo-suit after landing on Erid. We're on Erid.
Or at least we're orbiting it. I'm orbiting it. I can see his suit now.
He was able to create a tighter suit not too dissimilar to an EVA suit with the materials provided in Erid. The Hail Mary lacked the tools he needed. same with all of the stuff he packed, surprisingly.
A faint pang of relief swells itself inside me. I got him home. My eyelids start to droop.
“Grace, sleep. I watch.” he hums sadly. His arm still pinning me down.
The moments where I'm lucid are sparse, I can't help but find it amusing that this moment is when I start being able to think again. At least a little.
I let out a small smile. I imagine seeing Stratt again. And Stratt seeing me, a coward too scared to sacrifice his own life to save the planet he was born in—but not too scared to sacrifice his life for a planet he would never be able to step foot in.
Does that revoke my ‘Coward’ title now?
I always kind of knew it would end like this. Despite all of Rocky's reassurances. I'm pretty sure they were able to make something containing the nutrients I need just recently, if my memory serves me correct.
Rocky had come to me excitedly one day, happily rambling about how they found a way to save me. I was dying in my bed then—I am dying in my bed now. I was too out of it to reach much. It's a miracle I remembered anything.
I feel terrible to kill his hope, after all he's done for me.
I don't regret anything.
I don't regret saving him. I don't regret going to Erid.
I can feel Rocky crying beside me, still. I muster up all of my energy to raise an arm to almost hug him.
I decided then, that I would do this all over again.
In a heartbeat.
Just to hear that excited thrill from Rocky as we neared his home.
Just to feel rocky beside me, to be able to hug him one last time. I vaguely register my eyes closing on their own. The pain is a dull ache in the back of my mind.
I just wished we had more time.
Sleep lulled me in, and I tightened my grip on Rocky one more time before I let it all go.
I wake up again, sitting on a chair leaning forward on what I presume is a table while using my arms as pillows.
That isn't right.
I open my eyes and blinding lights attack me as I'm forced to shut them closed again. I raise my head from the table and rub my eyelids with my palms.
“M’ry, dim th’ ights.” I mumble. There was no response, which isn't too unusual. But the missing thrill of Rocky singing him a good morning is.
“Good morning, Grace!” He thrilled as I yawn, I threw the blanket off of me.
“Mornin’...” I replied. The noises he created from all of his tinkering filled the ship, it's familiar.
There was nothing but the hum of the lab lights.
No, no, this isn't right.
I slowly open my eyes. I blink for a few seconds as I adjust. “Rock?...” I call out.
A familiar sight beholds me, one I haven't seen since I woke up in that ship more than four years ago.
It was my lab. In Stratt's Vatt.
I quickly stand up from my chair, it spins slightly. Looking around—I see nobody. I lean backwards towards the table again. I take a moment to gather my thoughts.
Alright, what do I remember?
I vividly remember dying, I was infected from some sort of eridian bacteria the scientists weren’t aware of. It was accidentally brought into my atmosphere when Rocky entered the ship at one point.
They had explained it to me in the rare good days when I asked, which led to Rocky apologizing to me profusely and me having to convince him that it wasn't his fault.
That coupled with my very open wounds… God. I run a hand down my face. Rocky really had to go through watching me die like that.
No, this can’t be a dream. Despite the sickness fogging my memories I knew it was real. The last four years were real. It had to be.
I look around once more for a calendar. Opting to boot up the laptop on my desk instead. I guess it died some time while I was asleep.
I let out a noise of surprise.
20:21
07/24/2023
Okay. We’re really doing this. Either I went completely crazy overnight—hit my head somewhere—and made up about 5 years worth of memories or I travelled back in time.
This must be a fever-induced dream from the infection. Or maybe it's my life flashing before my eyes because I'm pretty sure I died.
I sigh and close the laptop.
I look around again to search for the exit, eventually maneuvering myself from all of the equipment until I reach the door.
I pause right before I reach the door handle, a frown forming around my mouth.
If I travelled back in time, would I really have done anything differently? Probably ask for more food in The Hail Mary, I'm sure Stratt could pull some strings. What about Shapiro and Dubois?
It's about two years into the project, there's no way I can volunteer now.
…I don't know how I would feel if I let them die knowing everything that would happen.
But Rocky needs me.
Before I can close my hand around the handle, the door swings open.
“Goodness!”
I blink. It was one of the scientists. Their name had slipped my mind, I hope they don't mind.
They took a moment to regain themselves before speaking.
“Dr. Ryland Grace, I was just searching for you.”
“Yeah- uh-” I clear my throat. “What’s up?” I cringe internally, I'm not sure how professional I'm supposed to be. It's been years after all.
“We just needed you to look over some additions for a test and approve of it.” Alright sounds simple enough.
But did they really have to go to me about it?
I take the folder out of their hands and open it.
After looking over it, I hand it back. “All good!” I give them a thumbs up on instinct, they don't seem to mind.
The scientist thanks me and walks away to the corridor. I poke my head out the door to watch them go.
This is really happening.