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Hunter shifted as he woke, rolling over as he tried to figure out what woke him. A quiet cough quickly solved that mystery for him. Sighing, he pulled his bandanna up off his eyes and climbed down from his bunk.
When he shuffled into the cockpit, he saw Tech sat at the pilot’s seat tinkering with something. His face was set in concentration, and he didn’t seem to notice Hunter’s presence as he wiped at his nose with a sniffle and kept working.
Hunter knocked lightly on the doorframe. “What are you doing?”
Tech jumped at the sudden voice and gave Hunter a quick glare as he almost dropped whatever he was working on.
“I was just finishing up a prototype upgrade to the ship’s navigation system. It should allow for more exact-”
“Tech, you should be sleeping, you sound awful.” Hunter said. Tech’s voice was raspy and he kept clearing his throat as he talked. He just waved him off with a very convincing cough.
“I apologise if I woke you up, Hunter, but I’ll be fine. It is just a cold likely contracted due to our recent return to Kamino. The drastic weather and condition changes between there and our last mission must have gotten to me, that is all.”
“Kamino?” Hunter said with a frown. He moved from the doorway to stand right beside Tech, putting a hand to his forehead. “Tech, how long have you been sick? We left Kamino two days ago.”
“Two days and fourteen hours, to be more accurate.” Tech smacked Hunter’s hand away with a huff.
Hunter rolled his eyes as he pulled back. Tech felt warm, but not too bad yet. But he would get worse if he didn’t rest. He trusted Tech as their go to medical expert for his brothers, but he tended to neglect his own health for other things. That’s where Hunter’s oldest brother duties came in. Tech often got away with ignoring the two youngest’s attempts to help, but Hunter could usually wear him down. Usually.
“And I know you’ve hardly stopped to rest that whole time. Come on, that’s not going anywhere. Some sleep and fresh eyes will help.”
“Hunter, I am fine. I am almost finished here, then I will rest.”
“And how long is ‘almost’?”
Tech looked up at Hunter with an exasperated sigh. Hunter kept his gaze stern.
“Thirty-two minutes.”
They stayed in a stand off for a few seconds before Hunter relented. He shook his head and turned to return to the bunks.
“Fine, but I better hear you asleep in your bunk not a minute later. Got that, Tech? I’ll be listening. If not, I’ll drag you there myself.”
“I don’t doubt it, Hunter.”
Hunter stretched in his bunk, watching as the Marauder lights flicking on indicated the end of the night cycle, and listening to the snores of his three brothers.
He carefully climbed down to see Tech settled in the bunk below him, curled up and snoring. Hunter frowned when he noticed Tech’s face looking flush despite the blankets he had pulled tightly up to his chin. He put a hand to his forehead and felt more heat than the night before. He smoothed back his hair before he pulled away and walked into the other room to prepare some caf and breakfast. He gnawed on a ration bar as he waited for the water to boil.
Of course, Tech would get sick right before another mission and not tell anyone. He would have to wait until he woke up to see if they could still go through with the mission as planned. If they couldn’t, it would make things more difficult, but Crosshair could probably fill his role handily enough. That would leave them without a lookout, but they’ve made do without plenty of times.
He looked up when he heard shuffling and saw Wrecker rubbing his eyes as he made his way out of the bunks.
“Mornin, Sarge.” He yawned with a stretch. Hunter handed him a cup of caf and a ration bar.
“Morning, Wrecker. Ready to rock and roll?”
“We almost there?” Wrecker bit into the ration bar and put the caf beside him to cool, Hunter always made it too hot for him.
He nodded and he and Wrecker talked over the plan of attack when a series of coughs signalled Tech’s waking up. Soon enough, he meandered his way through the door and Hunter handed out another cup of caf and ration bar. He hummed as he took a sip. Now that he was up and moving, Hunter could see the slight shake to his frame and hear the slight wheeze to his breathing that always meant Tech was truly and properly sick.
“You all right there, Techy?” Wrecker asked with concern.
“I will be fine to complete the mission today, if that is what you mean. If you meant in general, well…” he coughed and shook his head, “I could use a nap.”
“You sure you’ll be up for this, Tech? Cross can always step in.”
“I’ll be fine, Hunter. I will be able to do my job, so long as you do yours and don’t spend the entire mission distracted.”
Hunter conceded and they enjoyed a quiet breakfast together until he stood.
“Well boys, we’ll be leaving hyperspace soon, better get ready to go. Wrecker, wake up Crosshair and make sure he eats.”
Wrecker disappeared with a wicked smile and soon an unhappy yowl came from the bunks, followed by swearing and Wrecker’s loud laugh.
Hunter took off his helmet and shook out his hair as he sat heavily in a seat aboard the Marauder once more. The mission had gone off with a hitch, of course, but successfully nonetheless. He chuckled as he watched Crosshair shake his leg off with scowl, holding the wall as he stomped snow and dirt out of his armour.
“Last time you’ll see me on one of these kriffing planets.” He grumbled as he switched sides before heading into the fresher to shower and change before anyone else. He had been sent tumbling down from his perch by a small avalanche during their messy escape, leaving his armour almost as white as a shiny’s by the time he stopped. Wrecker was lucky to still be alive after he made a comment on it.
Hunter sat back and felt the Marauder rumble around him as he began removing his own armour. Soon, Tech and Wrecker would have them in hyperspace and on their way back to Kamino, or their next job, whichever wanted them first.
Hunter groaned awake to a dark bunk room once again. He rolled his tired body over as he listened for what woke him up this time. He frowned when he realised Wrecker was the one awake, Tech and Crosshair still snoring lightly in their bunks, Tech’s interspersed with quiet coughs.
Before he could wonder why Wrecker was awake, he heard a groan from the fresher. He quickly got down from his bunk and knocked on the fresher door.
“Wrecker? You okay in there?”
He heard Wrecker groan again, this one turning into a retch.
“Uh, not really, Sarge.” Wrecker sounded breathless as he spoke, “Think whatever Tech got, got me too.”
“Can I come in?”
A moment passed before the fresher door slid open and he saw Wrecker sat on the floor of the tiny fresher, crammed between the toilet and the wall, swallowing compulsively to try and keep the nausea down. He groaned as he failed and lurched forward to throw up again.
Hunter rubbed his brother’s back gently, putting his other hand to his forehead when he pulled it back up again. He sighed when it felt hot and pulled away before he ducked back over the toilet.
“That’s alright, just let it out. I’ve gotcha, big guy.”
Wrecker groaned as he finally stopped, going to rest his head on the seat. Hunter quickly put his hand out to stop him and guided him back to lean against the wall again.
“Hey, no, no. Don’t want to do that. Just lean back, that’s right. Wall’s a lot cleaner, probably.”
He flushed the toilet and filled up a cup with water from the sink. He offered it to Wrecker, crouching beside him.
“Here, rinse your mouth out. That’s it. You feel up to going back to your bunk? With you and Tech sick and Kamino still a few days away, I’ll try to see if we can find a planet to stop at. Better than being sick together on a cramped ship.”
Wrecker nodded and stood. Hunter put the cup back by the sink and helped him back to his bunk. Once he was settled, he set a bucket beside him and made sure his other two brothers were still asleep before heading to the cockpit.
Hunter may not be the best pilot. He may be the worst in the Bad Batch. But he could still navigate and set autopilot. He quickly found an inhabited planet just a few hours away, made sure it wasn’t Separatist aligned, and plotted the course. He set the autopilot and sat back, dragging his hands down his face.
He wouldn’t take them to the doctors there, they barely trusted most medics, let alone nat born strangers. They weren’t so sick that they needed doctors anyway, this would pass, they just needed time. He would have let them go to Kamino, but he would rather the Kaminoans didn’t find out about this. They were also running too low on medicine and supplies to get a ship full of sick clones back there, which they would be if they didn’t stop and rest, let himself and Crosshair get some distance while their brothers recovered before they got sick too.
He would get them to the planet, find some accommodations for them, find some medicine, and look after them himself. It was the safest option for their group. That way, there was no way for the Kaminoans to find out, no doctors could try anything with them, they wouldn’t waste a doctor’s time with things they could handle on their own, and they weren’t trying to fly the ship sick.
Before long, the ship shuddered out of hyperspace. He sat forward in the pilot’s seat, looking at the lush planet in front of him. Naboo, apparently. A Republic controlled planet with plenty of resources.
He got up and went to the bunks. Wrecker was still snoring away, his blanket thrown off. Tech was awake, recovering from a coughing fit. His blanket was half on like he couldn’t decide if he wanted it or not.
Hunter reached up to Crosshair’s bunk and shook him awake. The youngest Batcher grumbled as he rolled over to glare at him. He had never been a morning person.
Hunter nodded to the cockpit. “Need to get ready to land. Tech and Wrecker are both sick so we’re making a stop and giving them time to get better before we keep going.”
Crosshair huffed and climbed down from the bunk, steadying himself with one hand as he landed. Hunter followed him into the cockpit and sat in the copilot seat while Crosshair took the controls. He explained the plan as they flew. He was relieved when he agreed with it, and soon they were on the planet’s surface.
Hunter stretched his aching limbs as he stood, the pilot’s chair, while surprisingly comfortable, was not meant for the pretzel he had curled himself into for hours. He gave Crosshair a look when he steadied himself with the seat as he stood. He scowled at him.
“I’m fine.”
Hunter sighed as he followed him to the back. Crosshair insisted on being the one to find somewhere to stay and once he was dressed and ready, Hunter watched him go with concern. He was glad to stay back and look after their ailing brothers, but he worried for Crosshair. He knew he must be getting sick too, had to be, he just had to wait his brother out.
Crosshair found them a nice enough place nearby. It had two bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge room and much larger fresher than the ship. He had even gone and gotten supplies while he was out. The kitchen was stocked with all they’d need and a variety of medicines sat on the counter.
They got Tech and Wrecker settled in the large bed in the main bedroom and made sure they took some medicine before they flopped down onto the couch.
Hunter enjoyed the quiet for a while, closing his eyes and putting his head back. He might have dozed off, because when he checked the chrono again, it was time to get some food ready. He looked over at the other end of the couch and saw Crosshair snoring softly, his Firepuncher half pulled apart in his lap, the cleaning kit beside him.
Hunter huffed at his little brother, gently taking the rifle and packing away the kit, sitting them on the low table. He gently ruffled his hair then left to start cooking.
Now that they’d landed, they had the space and resources for proper food that would help their sick brothers more than just some ration bars. Crosshair had gotten plenty of lighter foods as well as ingredients for more filling soups. Hunter set a pot to boil and began cutting ingredients.
He had just brought the soup up to a simmer as it finished cooking, pleasant aromas filling the kitchen and reminding Hunter of how long it had been since he had eaten a proper meal, when he heard a thud from the lounge room followed by swearing. He quickly went to investigate and found Crosshair getting up from the floor, leveraging himself up with shaky hands on the couch and table. Hunter was quick to help him stand. As soon as he was on his feet, Crosshair pulled away with a grumble.
“I’m fine, Hunter.”
“Clearly.” He levelled a look at Crosshair, who met it with a glare. They stood there until Crosshair finally cracked.
“I just got up too quickly. Got dizzy.” He added the last part quietly. “Whatever you’re doing in there woke me up.”
“Are you feeling sick too, Cross?” Hunter resisted the urge to put his hand to Crosshair’s head like he had their brothers, knowing he would just get batted away. He had enough evidence for now, anyway. Crosshair was a heavy sleeper, always had been. The fact that the smell of food cooking in another room woke him up meant something was clearly wrong.
“I’ll get over it. Was trying to get to the other room to do just that before you came in.”
“I’ll get you when food’s ready. Make sure you have some water with you too.”
Crosshair rolled his eyes as he walked to the empty bedroom. “Yes, buir. And I’ll make sure I go to sleep early, it is a school night after all.”
Hunter huffed as he watched his brother leave the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. He waited a few more moments to make sure he didn’t fall again, then returned to the kitchen.
He wiped sweat off his brow as he filled four bowls with soup. He really should have opened a window, he always forgot how hot a real kitchen got. He picked up two, as well as some meds and water bottles, and made his way to the main bedroom. He knocked with his boot and waited when he heard the shuffling of Wrecker’s heavy footsteps getting closer. He smiled up at his brother when the door opened.
“Delivery, boys. Time to eat.”
He saw Tech sit up on the bed, squinting over as he held a hand to his head. His goggles sat on the side table beside him.
“Why’s Cross not helpin? Don’t tell me he got sick too.” Wrecker took the bottles from under Hunter’s arms and took them over to the bed, handing Tech one as he sat.
“Seems like it. It’s just catching up to him now, so expect another roommate later. You doing alright there, Tech?” He handed both of them their soup, lingering on Tech who hadn’t made a move to speak yet. Tech cleared his throat, but Hunter winced at how raspy his voice came out anyway.
“A headache has made its way onto my list of symptoms. Incredibly unpleasant in combination with the coughing.” As if to prove the point, Tech winced as a coughing fit started up. Hunter put a hand out to steady the bowl in his lap until the fit passed. Tech blinked as the fit ended with a dry heave, and took a steadying breath.
“Yeah, I bet. Well, once you eat something you can take some meds and get some more sleep. You’ll be better in no time.”
Tech frowned as he ate some soup.
“Don’t we have to get back to Kamino? We can’t stay here too long.”
“We’re in Republic controlled space between jobs. We don’t technically have to go back to Kamino after every mission, it’s not like we report to anyone. We can take some time here and if they ask, we’ll just say that the Marauder was having issues and we had to land for a few days to fix her up.”
Tech nodded as he considered that.
“Very well, that all seems sound. Thank you for the soup, Hunter.” Hunter smiled as his little brother said the last part into the soup, looking down awkwardly.
He busied himself with organising meds for them as they ate, handing Tech his when he offered Hunter his empty bowl. He moved over to check in on Wrecker and give him his meds only to see that his bowl was still mostly full, and Wrecker was looking green as he stared down at it.
“You doing alright there, Wrecker?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s not that I don’t appreciate this, Sarge, it’s just…” Wrecker swallowed thickly and shoved the bowl towards Hunter, looking away from it. Hunter sighed and took it.
“You need to eat something.”
“I know! My gut, not so much.” Wrecker groaned and curled in on himself a little more.
Hunter sighed, “Alright, Cross got some crackers as well that you can try. Just get a couple of those down and you can have your meds and go to sleep.”
He gathered the scattered boxes and stacked the bowls, leaving Wrecker’s doses on his side table, and left for the kitchen. He heard muffled groaning from Crosshair’s room as he passed.
He soon returned with crackers and coaxed Wrecker to eat a few before letting him take his meds and leaving him and Tech alone.
He kept the crackers as he gathered meds, including a hypo, water and a bucket and headed into Crosshair’s room. He found him curled up in the dark, groaning into the pillow as he wrapped his arms around his stomach.
Crosshair’s eyes cracked open when he felt the mattress dip. Hunter saw the flush now clear on his face and reached a hand down to feel his forehead. He was met with grumbles and pulled his hand back as soon as he confirmed what he already knew. All three vod’ika were sick.
He nudged Crosshair, who had squeezed his eyes shut again.
“Come on, Cross, gotta sit up. Got some crackers and water here, then you can have some meds and I’ll leave you alone.”
Crosshair groaned, but complied slowly. Hunter had to catch him when he began to list to the side. Being sick always messed with Crosshair’s balance. He pushed him off and held out a hand. Hunter gave him a few crackers and rested a water bottle next to him, the bucket on the floor by the head of the bed. Crosshair nibbled slowly, having to pause occasionally to let his body settle. Eventually, all the crackers were gone.
Hunter gave him a small smile, just getting a scowl in response. When he handed Crosshair the meds, he gave him a look.
“I know, you probably won’t keep them down, but I want you to try. We have hypos for later if you need them, and some of these are meant to help the nausea. I gave Wrecker the same thing.”
Crosshair’s look stayed on Hunter for a moment longer before he took the pills in one go, washing them down with water. He grimaced as they settled in his stomach, then shuffled to lay back down. Hunter got up and let him move, waiting until he was settled before leaving the room.
He wandered back to the kitchen, pausing to listen for any change in his brothers on the way. He began washing up, cleaning dishes, wiping the benches, putting the leftover soup in the fridge, and checking medicine packages to make sure he knew what to give his brothers next and when to give it.
When he finished, he remembered Crosshair’s Firepuncher still sat in the lounge room. He quickly put it back together and packed it away, making sure every part of the rifle and kit were where they belonged. He put them with the rest of their gear.
Finally, he went to the long cold bowl of soup still on the kitchen bench. He warmed it up and sat at the table to eat. He ate slowly, keeping one ear out for anything. He was barely halfway through it when he heard Wrecker call out. He shot to his feet and burst into the main bedroom.
Wrecker was helping Tech sit up as coughs wracked his body. He saw Wrecker struggling as the coughing caused Tech to gag and dry retch occasionally, Wrecker turning his head away whenever he did so. His eyes shot to Hunter when he came in.
“He can’t stop! Said something felt wrong.”
Something certainly sounded wrong. Tech’s chest rattled with every phlegmy cough, his breaths wheezing as he tried to draw in breaths only for them to be cut off.
Hunter rushed to Tech’s other side, holding him steady and thumping his back, trying to dislodge whatever was caught in his airway. Eventually a large glob of phlegm flew out onto the blanket, and the coughs got less severe before stopping altogether. Tech heaved for breath and leaned heavily into Hunter, who held him for a moment before passing him to Wrecker, who readily took him into his arms.
He took the blanket and replaced it with a clean one, settling it over their legs. Tech’s breathing had slowed by then and he just leaned tiredly into Wrecker.
“You okay there, vod’ika?” Hunter brushed back Tech’s hair and rubbed his shoulder. Tech nodded, eyes slipping closed again. Hunter smiled grimly and thanked Wrecker before he left again. He returned with some cold packs. Wrecker and Tech both felt too warm, especially if they were going to be cuddling together. He laid them around them, earning a sigh of relief from Wrecker.
As soon as he left the room, he sighed and ran a tired hand down his face, leaning heavily against the door. He took a few moments before pushing himself up again. He paused when he saw the abandoned soup on the table, grimacing at the idea of finishing it, instead cleaning it up. Then he flopped onto the couch and let his tired eyes slip shut.
Hunter’s eyes shot open what felt like mere minutes later. He took a moment to orient himself, then heard commotion from Crosshair’s room.
When he rushed inside his stomach flipped at the smell of vomit. He took a second to let it settle and took in the state of his brother. Crosshair was half hanging off the bed, groaning as he held himself with shaking arms. Vomit covered the side of the bed and the floor, only a little making it into the bucket there.
Hunter hurried to his side as he saw Crosshair’s shoulders tense for round two. He quickly sat him up and shoved the bucket under his face, rubbing his back as he threw up into it. He saw his brother wince as he gagged, a headache clearly having started. He offered quiet reassurances and a steady presence as Crosshair gagged and retched until his body finally settled.
Hunter took the bucket and set it aside to be cleaned later as Crosshair leaned heavily into him, swallowing thickly. His brother’s arms found their way around his own, holding it in a shaky grip. He stroked his forehead and leaned back into him as he let him settle, eyes slipping closed. After a few moments, Crosshair groaned as Hunter nudged him.
“Come on, Cross’ika, you can’t stay here. Let’s get you changed and settled with the others, yeah?” Crosshair only groaned in response, tightening his hold, his eyes squeezed shut.
He carefully wrapped his arms around his youngest brother and lifted him from the bed and slinging an arm over his shoulders. Crosshair groaned at the movement, swallowing and shoving his face into Hunter’s shoulder as they walked. He carefully got him into the fresher and sat him on the toilet. He got him out of his blacks and into fresh ones, leaving the soiled clothes in a pile on the floor.
When he was done, he left briefly, quickly returning with a hypo, Crosshair barely flinching when he injected it into his neck. Then he lifted him to his feet again and carried him to the main bedroom. He managed to open the door on his own, hearing his brothers snoring inside.
Wrecker shifted as Hunter gently set Crosshair beside him. He turned over when he heard Crosshair moan as Hunter tried to pull away. Hunter smiled softly as the youngest settled once large arms encompassed him, holding him close. He watched his youngest brothers for a moment, both of them soon snoring again, then checked on Tech.
Tech’s breathing still wheezed slightly and he occasionally coughed in his sleep, but he remained undisturbed.
Hunter let himself enjoy the peace of three sleeping brothers before he quietly left the room and carefully shut the door.
He put himself to work stripping the bed in the second bedroom, throwing those sheets and Crosshair’s blacks into a machine to be washed. He then cleaned out the bucket in the fresher and got to scrubbing the floor. When he was done, he could still smell sick in the room but wasn’t sure if it was just his senses so he left it for now.
He yawned as he dragged his aching body to the couch once more. He flopped down, one hand dangling to the floor, legs sticking up over the arm, and slept.
Hunter woke slowly this time, squinting his eyes at the bright room. He groaned as he sat up, aching joints seeming insistent on protesting every move he made. He sat for a few seconds, trying to clear his head when he heard it, his brothers were awake. He groaned when he checked the chrono and realised he should have been up and getting food ready for them an hour ago.
He dragged himself into the kitchen and heated up some leftover soup, prepared meds, and made sure to bring crackers and water bottles.
He opened the door to see Tech had been wedged between Wrecker and Crosshair, Crosshair grumbling something as he curled into Tech’s side. The blankets had been kicked to the bottom of the bed, yet they all shivered as they lay there with flushed skin.
Wrecker groaned when he smelled the soup being brought in and gagged, the sound setting off Crosshair who Tech quickly aimed away from him. Luckily, nothing came up from either of them.
Tech thanked Hunter as he took his soup and water. His voice was still raspy, but his breathing was sounding better than the night before. He began eating as Hunter coaxed Crosshair to sit up and eat, getting him to nibble on some crackers and even try a little soup before he gave him his meds and moved over to Wrecker.
Wrecker protested when Hunter dared bring even the crackers near his face, but eventually relented and nibbled on some, taking small sips of water too. Hunter was just about to give him his meds when he suddenly leapt off the bed and bolted from the room. He heard the fresher door, quickly followed by Wrecker throwing up. Crosshair groaned at the sound, pulling a pillow over his head and curling onto his side.
Hunter made sure Tech took his meds then followed Wrecker. He was breathing heavily as he leant against the toilet.
“Sorry, Sarge,” he gasped. “Don’t think I can do it.”
“That’s alright, vod’ika. How about we try a hypo instead. It’ll at least help with the nausea.” Hunter rubbed Wrecker’s back and smiled grimly when he nodded before his body tensed and he heaved again.
Hunter stayed there with Wrecker until this round was over, flushing the toilet and offering Wrecker some water to rinse out his mouth and wipe his face. He left and quickly returned with a hypo that he administered to Wrecker’s neck before helping him back to bed.
Once he was settled, he ducked away once more to get new cooling pads and placing them around his brothers. He took away the dishes and left them to rest.
Hunter put himself to work cleaning up and took stock of the situation. They would likely be stuck on Naboo for at least two more days until his brothers recovered enough to leave. By then, they should have another mission lined up. He sighed heavily when he realised they hadn’t checked over their gear properly since the last one, Crosshair being the only one well enough to start while Hunter was distracted with the others.
He looked through the gear they had brought with them, mostly his own and Crosshair’s, and began cleaning their armour. The mission hadn’t been too bad, but he still checked it all over for damage, especially Crosshair’s after the tumble he took down the hill. He buffed out a few scrapes, but it seemed otherwise alright.
He was reluctant to leave his brothers alone to head to the ship to check on the gear there, that would just have to wait. Instead, he set about preparing the next meal for his brothers.
He held onto the back of the couch when set stood, head spinning. He stood still and blinked away the dizziness and spots. It had only just passed when he heard Tech call out. He steadied himself before going to check on his brother.
Tech was sitting up between the two sleeping forms of the youngest Batchers. He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by a small coughing fit. When it passed, he took a breath and tried again.
“Could you get me my datapad? It should still be on the ship on my bunk.”
Hunter shook his head, “Tech, I don’t think I should leave you guys alone.” Tech levelled a look at him.
“Hunter, we may be sick, but we are perfectly capable of looking after ourselves for ten minutes while you go to the Marauder.”
Hunter sighed. He understood that, now that he was getting better, Tech was getting bored of lying in bed all day. His sleeping brothers were no help at distracting him either as they got over their own sicknesses, and Hunter was busy looking after them.
“Do you need anything else? New cold packs? Water?”
“Some water and cold packs would be good.”
Hunter nodded, “I’ll be right back. Comm me if you need anything.”
Tech nodded back with a small cough, and Hunter headed off to the Marauder.
Despite considering leaving for it earlier, now that he was walking, Hunter wanted nothing more than to just turn around and collapse back onto that couch. It wasn’t even that comfortable of a couch, it was just the spot he had claimed when the other beds were taken. He could take the spare room now that it was empty and cleaned, but he could still smell the sick in there and it made him queasy just to think about.
Eventually, his feet dragged him to the Marauder and up its steps. He quickly found the datapad buried in Tech’s bunk, tucking it under his arm as he checked the ship over quickly. Everything seemed in order, so he took a breath and made the slow trek back.
When he re-entered the room, Crosshair was awake and talking with Tech while Wrecker snored beside them. They all seemed a little flushed still, but getting better. Tech gave Hunter a nod as he accepted his datapad, and Hunter replaced the cooling pads and gave them fresh water bottles. He noticed Crosshair watching him as he moved about the room, but ignored it when it didn’t come with a comment.
Just before he left, Crosshair spoke up.
“Can you get me my Firepuncher? I need to finish cleaning it.”
Huter nodded and returned with the rifle and kit a moment later. Crosshair studied how it had been put back closely before nodding a thanks to his brother and getting to work.
Hunter sighed and leaned against the back of the couch as he finally relaxed. Without thinking about it, he slowly migrated around it and settled back down, his aching body thanking him as he slept again.
He woke a few hours later and dragged himself into the kitchen to start cooking. He heard muffled talking in the main bedroom, but didn’t try to listen in. As long as his brothers were fine, he was happy. Soon, he was handing out new bowls and distributing meds. He ignored the looks all three of them were giving him. He nodded and gave some sort of reassurance to Wrecker when he asked if he was okay. Of course he was. Whatever he said seemed to work well enough because Wrecker let it go.
Once all his brothers had eaten and taken their meds, he made sure they were all comfortable before shuffling off. He collapsed once more onto the couch, leaving the dishes for tomorrow.
He woke to the sunlight with a groan. His body felt heavy as he lay there for a minute before pushing himself up. His vision blurred and the world tilted as he stood, swaying. When the wave passed, he shuffled into the kitchen.
He must have turned too quickly or something because suddenly, the world spun and tilted again, and his body felt weightless before it all went black.
He woke to darkness. He heard muffled shuffling and voices, as if they were a hundred klicks away. He shivered against the cold hard surface he lay on, groaning as it made is aching body hurt.
“Hunter?” The voice sounded far away but also right there.
He coughed as something caught in his throat and he felt himself get lifted into sitting up, a hand thumping his back as voices soothed him. Soon, whatever it was came free and the coughing fit died down. He felt something pinch his neck and a cool hand touch his forehead. He leaned into it as he suddenly realised how warm he felt. He groaned in protest when it moved away.
The voices continued to echo around him, and suddenly he felt weightless again. His body flew up into the sky until he came to rest against something warm. He pressed into it as his head spun.
Soon, he was placed onto something soft, his aching body crying out in relief. He felt something cool placed on his chest and behind his neck. Then he felt the surface he was on dip as warm bodies pressed themselves against him. A hand found his hair and stroked it gently while murmuring voices continued around him.
He sighed as he allowed himself to sink into the darkness.
Hunter groaned as be blinked awake. He felt too warm and too cold. He also felt bodies pressed against him on all sides. His head spun as he moved it to look around. He saw Tech on his left, goggles off and curled into his side. Hunter felt relief wash over him when he heard that his breathing sounded almost normal now.
He felt a rumbling snore shake his body and realised he was lying on Wrecker’s chest, who was leaned back into a mountain of pillows, snoring. He was held in place by his large arms holding him close.
He looked to the right and saw Crosshair curled up on Wrecker’s other side. He had his arms wrapped around Hunter’s arm, hugging it against himself.
His movement must have woken Tech, because he met his open eyes when he turned back to him. His brow was furrowed in concern and frustration.
“Why did you not tell us you were sick too, Hunter?”
He cleared his throat before he answered, voice raspy as Tech’s was. “I didn’t even realise, and you guys needed me.”
“We were fine Hunter. I was getting better and could have stepped in to help while you rested. That way we wouldn’t have had to find you passed out in the kitchen, di’kut.”
That made Hunter pause. Tech must have been really worried if he swore. He must have scared them all, especially if he was the centre of the vod pile. He let out a tired sigh.
“I know, I’m sorry, Tech’ika. I can’t promise not to do it again, but I’ll try to do better.”
“I’d hope so. Would hate to see you taken out by a common cold instead of a noble sacrifice to save everyone else.”
“I prefer to see it as going down in a blaze of glory.” Hunter chuckled, coughing a little at the end. He saw Tech’s small smile.
“Yes, well, let’s get some rest and workshop it later.”
They settled back down and Hunter let himself slip back to sleep surrounded by his vode.