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English
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Published:
2024-10-16
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2,438
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1/1
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Reg-Sitting

Summary:

Echo comes down with a high fever he can’t seem to shake – not helped by the sudden resurgence of his nightmares. He ends up finding relief from the Batcher he least expects.

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Echo woke with a start, shooting straight up in his bunk and looking around wildly.

“Echo?”

He gasped in lungfuls of air, heart hammering out of his chest.

“Echo, you are safe.  You are on the Marauder.”

He might be suffocating.  It was unbearably hot.  He desperately threw the blanket off.

“You are currently ill.  That is why your temperature is fluctuating.”

Right.  Right.  He remembered that.  He put a shaking hand to his head as he gasped.  A bug had made its way around the 99, and of course, Echo had it the worst.  Everyone else was down for maybe a day with some sniffles and needing a nap.  Echo was on day three of a fever so high he thought his brain would fry.

“Are you with me, Echo?”

Echo looked up to meet Tech’s concerned gaze.  “Y-yeah.  I’m with you.”  He ran his hand over his sweaty face.  His heart was still pounding.  “S-sorry.”

“There is no need to be sorry.  Fevers can often cause one to experience vivid dreams.”

A dream.  Yeah.  He’d had enough of those lately.  His usual nightmares had tapered off to about once a week, and he had a pretty good handle on dealing with them and not waking anyone up.  But thanks to this sickness, a dream was essentially a guarantee every time he closed his eyes.  Tech kept telling him to rest, but slim chance of that happening when it meant visions of Skako.  Or Rishi.  Or Fives…  He shivered.

“Echo?”

He started, glancing back at Tech.  “Huh?”

Tech’s brows were pinched together.  “I asked if I could scan you.  You did not seem to hear me.”

“Oh.  Yeah.  Yeah, sure.”  Echo leaned back against the pillow, still taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm down.  Tech held out the scanner, his brow furrowed once again as he read the results. 

“Your temperature has not come down.  With medication and rest, I would have expected it to drop at least marginally by now.”

Echo didn’t know how to respond to that.  He certainly would’ve liked to start feeling better by now.  With the adrenaline subsiding, his sickness symptoms were coming back full force.  The dull ache in his head, the heat creeping up his face, and the fog that seemed to cloud his brain.  Force, it seemed to take twice as long as it should to comprehend anything Tech was saying.  He shivered again, pulling the blanket over himself.

Tech continued.  “I have been administering doses of medication at the prescribed times.  With your frequent dreams interrupting your sleep cycles, I am concerned you are not getting adequate rest.”

Echo made a non-committal noise.  What was he supposed to say?  If he could sleep without a nightmare he would have done so already.

Tech considered him.  “I could administer a sedative,” Echo’s eyes widened before looking away. “But I do not believe ours are powerful enough to induce sleep without dreams, making you groggier and more fatigued upon waking from one.  Or, potentially prevent you waking from a dream, which is also not ideal.”

He paused.  Echo fiddled with the edge of his blanket, feeling uncomfortably hot again and shoving the blanket back off.  The silence stretched so long he finally glanced up again.  Tech’s scrutiny was unwavering.

“You need to sleep, Echo.  I cannot tolerate leaving your fever as high as it is with no improvement.  I know you are against visiting a med station –“

“Tech – “

“Which is why I have not suggested it.  However, if your fever persists, we may need to consider it.  For the sake of your health.”

Echo shot him a look, although there was no real heat behind it.  His head started to throb.  He sighed, rubbing at his temples with his hand.  “I get it.  Sleep.  Right.”

 

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Echo lay curled up on his bunk under two blankets – a fruitless attempt to stop shivering.  He was still too riled up to fall asleep, but for Tech he made a show of trying.

Tech sat dutifully at Echo’s bedside for hours to keep an eye on him.  After he tried to nosedive standing up the day before, Tech decided Echo did not have enough self-preservation to look after himself and insisted one of the Batch remain with him at all times.  Crosshair delightedly referred to this job as ‘reg-sitting,’ much to Echo’s distaste.

Despite his glee over the name of the task, Crosshair couldn’t have been grumpier about actually performing it.  He grumbled under his breath from the spot he now occupied next to Echo’s bunk, having relieved Tech not long ago.  He typed absently on the data pad perched in his lap.

Echo groaned and rolled over.  Every muscle in his body was aching, making it impossible to get comfortable.  The heat in his head was starting to make his thoughts fuzzy.  He desperately wanted to sleep, but fear jolted him awake every time he got close.  The thought of another nightmare was somehow worse than his exhaustion.  He rolled over again, trying to find a fresh spot on the pillow to cool his face.

Echo thought back to nightmares of Rishi.  Of how he would crawl into Fives’s bunk, how just the presence of a brother nearby brought on peaceful sleep.  The security, the warmth, the sound of their breathing…his heart clenched.

It wasn’t like he hadn’t felt the comfort of a brother since joining the Batch; Hunter had sat with him after a few particularly intense nightmares.  Placed an arm around him, muttered soft words of comfort while he calmed down.  That wasn’t quite the same as sleeping next to him, but if Hunter was here he thought he might be desperate enough to ask.  Crosshair, however…

He studied the sniper’s face.  He had seen Crosshair be protective, almost kind, to the other Batchers on occasion.  Wrecker’s concussion on Onderon came to mind, but he had never seen that behavior directed towards himself; hell, maybe Crosshair outright detested him for all he knew.

Crosshair’s gaze met his.  His eyes narrowed.  “Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” he growled.

Echo glared back.  He shifted to stare at the bunk above instead, before snapping his eyes shut.  Definitely not desperate enough.

His headache started to pound behind his eyes, throbbing along with his pulse.  He exhaled slowly to distract himself from the pain, acutely aware of how tight and sore the rest of his body was. The fog in his head was making it difficult to make sense of anything except how drained he felt.  His headache spiked and he let out a low, pitiful sound.  He rolled over yet again, eyes falling on Crosshair.  Maybe he was desperate enough.

“Cross?”  Echo rasped in a small voice.  “Would – would you…”  He swallowed.  Fuck embarrassment.  He was so kriffing tired.  “Will you sit with me?”

Crosshair stared at him, expression unreadable.  After several long moments, he got up, pulled the blankets aside, and climbed under the covers.  Echo scooched towards the wall to give him room. 

Once settled, Crosshair extended his arm out, inviting him to come closer. Hesitating only a moment, Echo shifted, pressing himself against the lanky man’s side and resting his head on his shoulder.  Crosshair’s arm wrapped around him.  He casually picked up the data pad with his other hand, as though this was a typical afternoon activity for him.

Echo let out a heavy sigh as a feeling of comfort and safety overtook him.  His whole body started to relax and unwind.  He shut his eyes, feeling the rise and fall of Crosshair’s chest and hearing the steady drum of his heartbeat.  He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done this.  Well, maybe he could…with Fives.

A wave of sadness washed over him.  His eyes burned and a tear rolled down his cheek landing on Crosshair’s shirt.  Kriff.  He clenched his eyes shut.  Not here, not now.  Pull yourself together. He tried to take a steadying breath, but it came in more like a stutter.  The arm around him tightened minutely.  He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t wrangle the emotions back in.  He’d missed the comforting arms of a brother…of his brother.  He missed Fives.  Fives was always around when he wasn’t feeling well, had a way of making everything better without even trying.  He felt like shit and he couldn’t sleep and…and more than ever he just wanted his brother back.

Tears fell freely now.  His breath came in short gasps.  He felt Crosshair shift, and then another arm wrapped around him, hugging him close.  Crosshair’s chin rested on top of his head.  Echo wanted to apologize, insist he wasn’t a sniffling cadet, but he couldn’t make the words come.  He just cried, his heart breaking for the loss of his brother all over again, for how miserable and pathetic he felt, for how exhausted he was, until his energy was spent and he couldn’t think anymore.

 

---------------------------------------

 

The sound of boots on durasteel pulled Echo from sleep.  He vaguely noticed there was no nightmare.  Crosshair’s arms were still around him, warm and comfortable.  He intended to drift off again but Hunter’s voice held his focus.

“Everything all right?”

Crosshair hummed in assent.  Echo felt the slight vibration where his cheek lay on his chest.  “The fever made him a bit emotional.”

The mattress dipped as Hunter sat down.  “Still high?”

Crosshair hummed again.

Hunter sighed.  “Tech will want to check him.”

Crosshair seemed to consider.  “Let him sleep.  Tech keeps saying how much he needs it.  For once I don’t think he’s dreaming.”

Echo imagined Hunter nodding in agreement.  “You need anything?”

“I’m fine here, as reg-sitter.  Maybe I’ll catch up on some sleep too while I’m stuck here,” he scoffed.

The sergeant chuckled softly.  “I’ll let Tech know.  Thanks, Cross.”  The bunk creaked as he stood, footsteps receding.  Crosshair relaxed back into the pillow, letting out a tired breath.

Echo shivered.  Immediately the arms around him loosened.  He felt a pang of disappointment at the loss of contact, but then the blanket was pulled up and tucked securely around his shoulders.  A hand rested briefly on his forehead before the arms returned, holding him more tightly than before.

As strange as it was to be cuddled up next to Crosshair of all people, Echo leaned into the fact that he was more at ease than he’d felt in days and allowed sleep to take him.

 

---------------------------------------

 

Reg.

Reg, wake up.

Echo.

Echo slowly opened his eyes, taking far too long to remember where he was, when his gaze fell on the sharp features of a grouchy sniper.  He looked up questioningly at Crosshair.

“Tech wants to scan you and give you another round of medicine.”  He blinked and nodded slowly into Crosshair’s chest.  The man let out a huff of irritation.  “You’ll need to sit up to do that.”

Laboriously, Echo heaved himself upright, still trying to get his bearings.  Crosshair shook out his arm and rolled his shoulder behind him.  “Finally,” he hissed.  “Haven’t felt my arm in hours.  Hope your nap was worth it, Reg.”

“It appears to have been,” Tech read the med scanner with a pleased expression.  “Your temperature has finally started to decrease, and that was without your last dose of medication.”

“Without…?”  Echo frowned.  “Wait, how long was I asleep?”

“Approximately fifteen hours.”

His brain seemed to short circuit.  “F-fifteen hours?”  He didn’t think he’d ever slept that long in a single stretch.  He turned to Crosshair.  “You let me sleep on you for fifteen hours?”

“Well what was I supposed to do?  Shove your sick, pathetic ass off of me?” he scowled, but there was no real malice in his voice.  He pushed Tech aside so he could swing his legs off the bunk and headed towards the cockpit.

Tech rolled his eyes as the sniper stalked away.  “He refused to move, actually.” Tech lowered his voice as he measured out medicine for Echo.  “I wished to check your vitals several hours ago and he would not allow me wake you.”  He offered the dose and Echo swallowed it.  “How are you feeling?”

Echo considered.  The pounding behind his eyes had reverted back to a dull ache, and the fogginess in his head had eased significantly.  His muscles still ached, but less so than before.  “Definitely better.”

“I am glad to hear it.”  Tech packed up the medkit.  “It would be best to get something in your stomach, if you believe you can tolerate it?”

Echo grinned sheepishly.  “I could eat.”

“Excellent.  I will return momentarily.”

 

---------------------------------------

 

Later that afternoon, Echo was allowed to venture to the fresher by himself and clean up a bit.  Tech had finally decided he was no longer at risk for collapsing if left to stand on his own.  Still, being on his feet for even a short time had exhausted him.  His muscles felt like jelly and his head throbbed again.  He was looking forward to curling up on his bunk, but the thought of falling asleep sent a stab of worry through his chest.

He really didn’t want the nightmares to come back.  Would he be all right sleeping alone?  Maybe last night was a fluke.  Sure, his fever was lower, but –

Echo was pulled from his spiraling thoughts when he saw Crosshair in his bunk.  He stopped short.

Crosshair saw him standing frozen and rolled his eyes.  “I figured you were bound to ask again.  Thought I’d beat you to the punch.”

Stunned, Echo opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. 

Crosshair gave him a hard look.  “I can leave if you don’t want – “

“No. No, I just,” Echo sat down on the edge of the bunk.  “I just thought…”  His eyes lingered over Crosshair, ready and willing to lie in a bunk with him for hours again just so he could sleep peacefully.  Maybe the sniper didn’t despise him.  The thought brought a warmth to his chest unrelated to the fever.  “What about your arm?”  It was the only thing he could think to ask.

Crosshair rolled his eyes again in an exasperated way.  “Well tonight you can crush the other one so at least they’ll be even.”  He pulled the blanket back and gave Echo an expectant look.

Grinning despite himself, Echo crawled into the bunk and wriggled to press himself against the sniper.  Crosshair’s arm fell across him and once again the feeling of safety and comfort was overwhelming.  He sighed contentedly, already feeling himself being lulled into sleep.

“Thank you, Crosshair,” he managed to mumble.

“Shut up and go to sleep, Echo.”

Notes:

This is my first fic I am sharing with the world – and actually my first time sharing my writing at all, so a few nerves posting!

Hope you enjoyed! :)