trans_9 | There's got to be a morning after [VERY OPEN]

It took a few moments for any thoughts to register for Steve when he opened his eyes. He recognized the inside of a quarantine bubble, that was for sure, but it took him longer to recognize the medical equipment hooked up to him, an IV in his arm and bandages wrapped around his bare shoulder and in a few other spots.

It didn't take long to recognize the feeling of having been run over by a truck, either. Every bone in his body ached, and even the slightest movement made him want to groan. It felt like he'd been asleep for a month-- a dreamless sleep, preceded by blurry, disconnected memories of what felt like a dream.

Memories of something he desperately, desperately hoped was just a dream. He had a sinking feeling it wasn't and part of him knew it to be the truth. But desperately hoping was the only way he could keep himself from screaming, which would hurt, so he'd keep on with that desperate hope anyway.

Steve lay awake and stared at the ceiling. Maybe if he stayed quiet they'd think he was still asleep, and he could put the truth and all the fear and sorrow that came with it off a while longer.

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"If you don't rely on other people, you don't get hurt when they stab you in the back," Steve pointed out, leaning back and staring up at the ceiling.

Of course, that wasn't expressly true. Even he had a few people he trusted. But they had all proven themselves to him, this time more than any other time. As far as the rest of the jerks on this ship were concerned, Steve figured they'd just as soon betray their fellow crewmate if it meant getting what they wanted. That was a lesson he'd learned first hand before.

"Anyway. This all was none of anybody's business, but now the cat's out of the bag and I'm gonna have the whole damn ship trying to pry into my life. Excuse me if I'm a little touchy about it."

"And you can still get stabbed by the person who is out to get whatever he wants," Katara said. "If there are people on this ship like that we have to find a way to got that around. I think we have enough people to beat any chaotic thing on the ship, but it won't happen if we don't bother to get to know each other."

She held up her hand. "Hey, you're not going to get an argument about it from me about that. To be honest, as long as you're okay and nobody is dead, I'm totally fine with you having your secrets. I just want make sure you're healed."

"I'm fine," Steve insisted, a little bit shortly.

Then he paused. And sighed.

"Thank you," he said again. "But I'm not really hurt. Just. The aftereffects of having every bone in my body change shape twice."

She stared at him a moment. It suddenly occurred to her that maybe what Steve was doing was suffering just a little so that the people he hurt he might feel a little less badly about. In any case, she could see he wouldn't budge here.

"If you're sure, fine," she said shaking her head. "Seriously, boys can be SO stubborn."

She stopped though, and smiled. "Anyway, good luck with you and Miku. I have a feeling she won't leave you by yourself long."

There he was turning red again. "H-hey, come on. Mind your own business," he muttered, though it was in more of a whine than the usual snappy tone he'd taken with Katara before.

She gave him smile and set off to find someone else in need of help. Truthfully, she thought Steve was brave to keep doing what he had to.

And he was lucky: he had someone that would care for him. That, she knew, would be enough when the time came.

There's got to be a morning after [VERY OPEN]

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