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[winn]

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[winn]

[ there is so much of it going on. ]

I got you covered - [ he reaches for her bedside table where he left a bottle of water and a couple packs of vending machine snacks for exactly this moment. oh wait that probably means he should let go.

he pulls back a little and hands her the water and one of the snacks, and sits on her bed right in front of her.

he's just going to be casually staring at her for a while, no big deal. he's really happy right now. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she digs in. halfway through a snack bag she looks up at him staring at her ]

What? Do I have something on my face?

[winn]

Yeah, consciousness.

[ but okay he'll try not to creep. clearing his throat. ]

So, you're on empty? I guess absorption doesn't work when you're in a coma - that's, I'll remember that. [ that's worrying. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

Maybe it was just the type of coma? How long was I out, anyway?

[winn]

It's been almost three weeks.

[ softly. and they have been hard. he knows she's not going to like what he has to tell her. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

Wait, what? Come on... That's not funny.

[winn]

No, it's really not.

[ it's been a nightmare for him. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

You're serious? What's been going on? What did I miss?

[ her mood is much like a deflated balloon ]

[winn]

[ he gently places his hand on hers. ]

It's...first thing you need to know is that we're okay. The Tourist was safe, and we've made our repairs and magic is a way better healer than time. [ he doesn't want to say it, but she deserves to know. and if she doesn't hear it from him, she'll hear it from someone else. ] There's been an attack on the fleet, slavers.

[takingkarabusiness]

What? Oh my god, Winn! What about everyone else? What's happening now? Are we still under attack?

[winn]

Hey - hey. Look at me. We're fine, they're gone. I wouldn't be sitting here calmly with you if we were still under attack, would I?

[takingkarabusiness]

Well, if we were under siege you might be. I don't know!

[ ok kara breathe breathe... her face crumbles a bit and she blinks several times, looking away from Winn and finally covering her face with her hands. ]

I'm so sorry, Winn. I'm so sorry.

[winn]

Hey - [ he pulls her into a hug, his heart breaking. ] It's not your fault. The Atroma did this. And we're all okay, really. You'd have been proud of us, we cooperated with other ships, tried to cover as many of them as we could. They never set foot on this ship.

[ and as freaked out as he was, as much as he wanted her to wake up and help them, he's glad she was spared the carnage. the memory of the blood on the windrose, on kitty, still haunts him. and he got there after the cleaning bots have been at work for hours. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

I should have been here—awake—with you guys. What's even the point of doing what I can do if they're just going to knock me out whenever they want?

What about the other ships?

[winn]

I think that's why they knocked you out. They wanted to milk it.

[ and she'd end it too fast. there is so much disgust in his voice as he says it. ]

Some did better some did worse, but they're all back to working order now, and magic heals all wounds. That's basically all we've being doing since - so you missed a couple weeks of tedious repairs.

[takingkarabusiness]

[ ugh. she just leans her forehead against his shoulder ]

Here I am, being ridiculous. You actually had to live through it all and I'm making it about myself.

Anything else I missed?

[winn]

It's not ridiculous. And I'm fine.

[ he knew she'd hate it. just like he would have hated missing helping out with repairs. ]

I spacewalked? [ trying for a lighter topic. yes, he was as scared as she thinks he was. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she'll make the effort for the lighter topic, sure ]

You did? That's huge for you.

[winn]

I got proof -

[ he fishes his phone out of his pocket, and shows her the pictures - one of him holding his helmet in the traditional astronaut pose (looking paler than paper), and the rest of him outside, working on repairs or striking ridiculous poses. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

[ she pinches his cheek like a grandmother might ]

I'm so proud of you.

[winn]

[ he laughs and nudges her. ]

I've been channeling you a lot lately. [ whenever he was tempted to despair, or to lose his nerve, he just kept thinking about what he'd want to tell kara when she wakes up.

he wanted to tell her things that would make her proud, that would get her smiling. challenge completed. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

[ It's time for more-hugs-o'clock ]

I think I'm going to need something more than the vending machine snacks. But thank you for thinking ahead like that.

[winn]

[ yay hugging! ]

S'what you keep me around for. [ he smiles. ] I'll get you a tray. Any requests? Space requests - [ he knows what you're thinking there. ]

[takingkarabusiness]

Surprise me?

[winn]

You got it.

[ she gets another hug for the road. he's really missed her. it's like he finally lets go of a breath he's been holding for three weeks.

and then he gets up. ]

I'll be right back.

[ true to his word, he comes back as soon as the food's done, with a tray of the best stuff he could find and put together. ]

Room service - [ he sets the tray down in front of her. ]