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Fives and Echo.
Echo and Fives.
Despite the clones being able to tell their brothers apart, Echo and Fives were sometimes indistinguishable at a glance if they weren’t wearing their armor. Once, Fives talked Echo into swapping armor with him, and the entire 501st had proceeded to be terrified as calm, dependable Echo turned into a raving, risk-taking maniac with even “Fives” looking on with disapproval until Kix realized what they’d done.
Rex had stared at a holo that came up on his screensaver, of the Domino Squad in its entirety right after they’d been posted to Rishi. Sometimes, he wondered what it would have been like to have three, or Force willing, all five of Domino squad. They would have been unstoppable, he decided.
Or uncontrollable…
A loud crash sounded through the medbay, and Rex whirled. Coric was already moving, cursing. Rex started for the bed where Fives thrashed in panic when the medic waved him.
“Call Echo!” Coric hollered, throwing himself at the bed. His calming mutterings were lost in a keening wail as Fives twisted, no doubt throwing the stitches so carefully placed by Kix. Of course Fives woke in the few minutes Echo stepped out of the medbay. Rex was already tapping Echo’s code into his comm when the medbay doors burst open. Echo, his upper armor off, skidded to a panicked halt, flicking a glance around briefly before his attention landed on Fives and Coric.
“Fives!” he bounded across the room, and Coric backed off.
“E’o?” Fives mumbled, his wild movements already settling. Echo fit himself on the edge of the one-clone bed, one hand brushing Five’s forehead, the other settling on his shoulder.
“Shhh, Fives. I’m here. I’m here, vod .”
It’s ok, Brother. You’re safe now.
Rex watched as Fives’s panic eased, as he relaxed under his twin’s words. Echo slid a hand behind his neck, leaning down to press his forehead against Fives, still whispering softly. Fives’s eyes fluttered, then slowly closed. His breathing evened out. Echo stayed for a few more silent seconds, fitted against his brother like he belonged. Then, letting out a slow breath, he drew away. He brushed back a too-long curl from his eyes and smoothed the sheets around Fives. Rex quickly looked away as Echo’s eyes came up. He pretended to focus on his datapad as Echo’s nearly-silent footsteps approached.
“Captain,” the younger clone softly greeted.
“Echo. How can I help you?”
Echo stood motionless, long enough Rex thought maybe he wouldn’t answer. Then he shook his head, “Thank you, Captain.”
Rex paused, then understanding dawned. “Is that for what happened?” At Echo’s flit of the eyes, Rex knew he’d hit it right on. He reached out, intending to draw Echo into a hug. The ARC flinched minutely, and Rex changed to patting his shoulder instead. “I’ve told you, and I will keep telling you. Each and every one of my brothers matter. I will never let any of you go, not even trouble-makers like Fives.” His mouth turned up in a fond little grin. He wasn’t sure if he imagined, or if Echo’s shoulders eased a little in relief.
“Thank you, sir.” His eyes dropped, and he moved away, back toward Fives. Rex sighed, shoulders slumping a little. He turned, sinking down in the chair beside him. Almost as if he’d set off a medical alarm, Coric appeared in front of him. He dropped to his heels, bringing him just below Rex’s eye level.
“Captain.”
“Coric,” Rex greeted tiredly. “And how can I help you?”
“I believe Kix sent you to bed, sir.” Coric’s tone was respectful, but also warning. Kix may be the CMO, but Coric was a medic, and one of the Teth survivors. He would not back down from Rex. After a heartbeat of silence, Coric’s head tilted a little. “It was not your fault, Rex.”
Rex wilted even further, impossible though it seemed. “I sent them out there.” He muttered, eyes shifting away.
“They are ARC troopers, sir. You would be foolish to not send the Advanced Recon Commandos ahead of regular troops. You care for them all, do you not? Even the ‘regular’ troopers?”
“Of course!” Rex straightened, indigent. Coric cut him off.
“Then you made your choice. You saved their lives. Fives made his choice. He sprung the trap. Echo made his choice. He got the information to us in time for us to stop.” Coric rose, rolling his shoulders a little to ease the stiffness of being on shift for so many hours. “Fives will be fine, sir. He just needs a little time. This is not your fault.”
Rex nodded, feeling a little tension leak from him as he considered. “Thank you, Coric.” He looked up, a small smile creasing his exhausted face. “You’d make an excellent therapist.”
Coric snorted. “A medic never just attends to the body. If that was the case, everyone would have died long ago,” he said dryly.
Rex found himself chuckling a little, something he hadn’t realized was still in him after the last grueling battle. Even with Echo’s advanced warning, even with Fives springing the trap before they reached it, they had been slogging through hard fighting for far too long. Too many brothers still lay on the planet. Too many occupied beds in the medbay.
Rex shook his head, trying to escape the pensive mood. A shadow fell over him, and he glanced up. “Echo.” He was too tired to be surprised. Echo moved abruptly, nearly startling Rex until he found himself pressed into a kedalbe. For a moment, he resisted, then relaxed into Echo’s hold.
“It wasn’t your fault, ori’vod .” Echo murmured. Rex sighed, opened his mouth to say something, and shut it as Echo’s grip firmed up. He leaned into his little brother, the safety of the kedalbe washing over him. No wonder Fives always calmed down when Echo appeared. Rex knew Echo was picky about touch. Most brothers were always touching, as they passed, in the mess, everywhere. A light tap, a brief kedalbe, a rough shove, anything to afford the needed contact. Echo was more reserved. Losing his squad had burned him, and he lived as though afraid to touch and love a brother beyond Fives.
Rex knew how much this kedalbe meant. As Echo pulled back, he reached out, catching the hand sliding away. He squeezed it, hoping to convey all he meant.
It must have worked, because a soft, tired smile crossed Echo’s face before he gently tugged free and returned to Fives’s side.