Chapter Text
White.
That was all she saw at first—the sterile glow of hospital lights bleeding into her eyes.
A distant hum of machines, a faint antiseptic smell clinging to the air.
“Colet, stay with us.”
Voices swam around her like muffled currents.
She blinked, trying to focus on the two women in front of her—Dr. Gwen, her psychologist, and Dr. Mikha, her neurologist.
Their lips moved, calm and practiced, but the words blurred together.
“…hypoxia… prolonged oxygen deprivation… memory impairment…”
Colet nodded—or thought she did—but her mind wasn’t here. It was somewhere else.
A flicker.
An explosion—deafening.
The crack of gunfire tearing through red skies.
Smoke curling like ghosts.
And then—
A shadow moving toward her.
Someone kneeling.
Arms wrapping around her in the chaos.
A kiss...
A voice,
Sweet voice, soft as breath, breaking through the noise:
“Colet.”
Her chest tightened. She closed her eyes, chasing that sound.
“Colet.”
A whisper in the dark.
“Colet.”
Again. Echoing through the hollow spaces of her mind.
“Colet?”
The voice snapped sharp now. Real.
Pulling her back.
Her eyes fluttered open. Dr. Mikha was staring at her, brows knitted in concern. “You drifted off again,” she said gently.
Colet forced a weak smile. “Sorry… what was that?”
“I said your scans still show irregularities,” Mikha replied, tapping her tablet. “You need consistent therapy. It’s been a year, and your memory still hasn’t fully returned. Are you taking the medication?”
“Of course” Colet said quietly.
“I am. I’ve just… been dreaming more lately.”
“That’s good,” Mikha said. “Dreams mean activity. Please, let us help you piece this back together."
Before Colet could answer, a soft knock interrupted. The door creaked open.
“Hey, babe.”
Jhoanna stepped in, her smile warm, familiar.
She leaned down and pressed a kiss to Colet’s cheek—gentle, practiced.
“Hi, Doc Mikha. Doc Gwen.”
"Lt. Robles" Gwen and Mikha nodding back with a smile.
“We just finished,” Gwen said to follow up.
“New scans look better. She just needs to show up more for therapy.”
“That’s on me,” Jhoanna said with a light laugh, brushing a strand of Colet’s hair back. “I give up too easily when she looks at me with those puppy eyes.”
“Aww,” Mikha teased. “Look at you two. This is good for you, Colet. Stability helps recovery.”
“So,” Gwen chimed in, eyes glinting. “When’s the wedding? And let me see that ring!”
They laughed. Jhoanna blushed, holding up her hand. The room filled with easy chatter—warm, comfortable.
Colet tried to smile. Really tried.
But her chest felt hollow.
Because even as Jhoanna’s hand squeezed hers, even as the doctors spoke about progress and a future she couldn’t quite see… the echoes returned. The sweet voice in her dream.
Colet.
Soft. Lingering. Like a promise whispered across galaxies.
She gripped the armrest, forcing her breathing steady.
She didn’t know why that voice felt like home.
Didn’t know why every time she closed her eyes, the sky in her dreams burned red.
Little did Colet know, somewhere, far beyond Martian horizon, someone was whispering her name too.