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[It takes Kyna longer than she would have liked to learn plane shift, and longer still to master it to the point that no one (read: her brother) thinks she'll accident shift to some terrible hell dimension.

And she manages it, pretty perfectly, actually, although an exhausted girl with pointed ears just appearing in a military base with no warning doesn't get her the warmest welcome.]

Hey, chill, I'm just looking for Wash.

[God, all of them are in armor. It's kind of nuts.]

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[ Wash glances up to make sure the nurse is out of earshot, but lowers his voice just in case. ]

The last thing I remember I was with Carolina, this psycho locked our armor and left us for dead. Then it's just... missing.

Oh.

[Kyna's stomach drops. That isn't just a few minutes or a half hour missing—it's months. Is he getting worse? How does she even begin to explain.]

David, you... I came to get you. You were shot, and you were in a coma, and... It was bad. You don't remember?

[ What? Pale as he already is, more color drains from Wash's face as the gravity of how much time he's lost sinks in. Not just getting here, but.... a battle after the lockdown? There must have been. Kyna getting to him? And they must have traveled back here together, something he really only sees happening if he were.... broken. Out of the game.

He's quiet for a long moment, feeling like he can't quite catch his breath from the sudden terror that threatens to overwhelm him. When he speaks again his voice shakes a little. ]

No. I'm sorry. How long have I been here?

[She realizes too late that she broke that news terribly. Kyna pulls herself into Wash's lap, arms still locked securely around him.]

Um... Three months. You've been having memory issues ever since you woke up.

[ Wash's grip tightens when he hears it's been three months. Three. They must have some kind of life here that he's just completely forgotten, for reasons he doesn't understand. Sure, coma, brain damage, that's what Kyna says, and his headache would tend to agree, but for Wash there's just an empty space there. Like nothing happened at all, and he doesn't know what to do about it. Doesn't know what any of the doctors here could do, if the ones back home couldn't help. ]

Did I see Dr Grey?

Yeah.

[Kyna shifts, kissing his temple.]

A bunch of your friends locked me in a cell and treated me like I was nuts, but Dr. Grey was nice.

[She tries to say it lightly, like a little bit of humor will soften this blow.]

[ That's not great to hear either, but Kyna doesn't seem upset about it, so. ]

You would've showed up on a restricted planet out of nowhere, so... I'm not surprised, but I'm sorry. Emily's much more open minded than most people. I bet she wanted you to show her all kinds of magic.

[ But... ]

But if even she didn't have a treatment for this...

She did. Kimball got pretty annoyed with her.

[It's a little easier to make herself seem calm when she's doing it for him, she finds. She nestles closer, careful of the IV in his arm.]

They didn't have a treatment, but you guys don't have magic. We've been trying to figure something out the last couple of months.

Okay.

[ He doesn't sound like he's hopeful, but this is also a lot of bad news at once. Wash sighs, resting his chin on the top of Kyna's head and closing his eyes against the bright hospital lights. His head is still killing him. ]

Odds are they can't do anything for me here, that's all. I'll ask for something to take home for the headache but then I really want to get out of here.

[She sighs, closing her eyes for a moment and just soaking in the fact that he's safe. For a while, her mind was running through a thousand different horrible scenarios.]

Okay. You know we'll figure something out, right? We've figured out harder stuff than this.

You have.

[ Since apparently she did find a way to him, on another plane of existence entirely. He's sure he's told her plenty of times, but it probably bears repeating. ]

You're amazing, you know that? I'm sure you're right. We'll figure something out.

[ For now, though, it's just a waiting game. For when the doctor comes back, for his memory to return, for some kind of magical healer to crop up and heal him. The first happens soonest, obviously, and the doctor offers them a kind smile even though Wash is certain Kyna's not supposed to be in bed with him. Probably the guy's just relieved that someone came, someone his patient obviously knows.

He tells them the CT didn't show anything but that's not surprising -- it only shows physical trauma, not the kind of brain damage Kyna just told Wash he has, though he doesn't disclose that to the doctor. Since they can't do an MRI their options are limited, so it's actually fairly easy to convince him to discharge Wash with a referral and some painkillers. He barely lets go of Kyna through the whole process, except when he gets dressed again. ]

How far is home?

[Kyna certainly doesn't mind the fact that Wash is feeling a little clingy, and she's absolutely unashamed about anyone else seeing it. The second he's dressed she presses herself to his side again, arms around him.]

Not far. I can just teleport us back.

[She kisses his shoulder, mostly because it's the closest part of him she can reach.]

You know you're amazing too, right?

Do it.

[ He might feel sick on the other side, but it's worth it. Wash wraps his arms back around her, huffing softly. ]

...I don't feel so amazing right now. And this can't be easy for you.

[She tightens her grip to steady him, giving him a second to prepare himself.]

We're together. That's all I need.

[ That gets Wash to smile, albeit sadly, and even though Kyna can't see. He doesn't know how they'll ever work if he keeps forgetting things... what if he forgets her completely? He feels broken, angry but pushes that down deep, not even knowing who to be mad at. One thing at a time. ]

How'd I get so lucky, huh? Go on, show me home.

[She smiles a little.]

'Cause you're cute. Don't puke on me, okay?

[And then she casts the spell. It's the same as always—that little jerking feeling—and then they're in her living room. Which, she realizes, he might not recognize. Provolone is so used to people teleporting in and out that he barely twitches over on the couch.]

Uh, home sweet home.

[ Wash still remembers what teleport feels like, and braces himself for it. He doesn't get sick, but there's also no recognition in his eyes when he opens them and glances around the apartment. Their apartment. It's disappointing -- not the place, the fact that seeing it doesn't trigger anything. His shoulders droop a little and he lets his arms fall from around Kyna so he can step back and explore a little.

It feels lived in, but he doesn't see much of himself around. Not that he really lives like that anymore. Decorating, collections, nicknacks, posters on the wall, nothing like that since Freelancer, really. Maybe it'd be nice to start again. And when he gets to the bedroom it seems like he did... there are pictures from home on one of the nightstands.

He sits down on the bed heavily, and can feel Kyna's presence in the doorway without turning back. Instead he's looking at a photo of him and Carolina somewhere he doesn't recognize. ]

...I don't remember taking this. Was it before I left with you?

[Kyna joins him, settling against him again.]

Yeah. We can go back and visit them whenever you want, you know.

Really? Just like that?

[ Having no memory of the explanation of how Kyna got to him, or the sigils she set up to travel back and forth, Wash looks and sounds surprised by that. Hearing that it wouldn't be a huge ordeal for her. He blinks, then tears his eyes away from the photo. ]

I don't want them to see me like this.

Why? You know they care about you no matter what, right?

Yeah, I know. It's just...

[ He doesn't know if he could explain it, but the problem's not his friends, it's him. He's the broken one, he doesn't want to hurt or frighten or be a burden on them. Wash shrugs awkwardly, admitting something else. ]

Honestly, I'm not happy about you seeing me like this either.

[Kyna frowns, reaching for his hand and lacing their fingers together.]

Do you think I'm judging you or something?

No.

[ Wash's response is almost instant, and very sure sounding. He squeezes Kyna's hand tight, his other hand coming up to turn her face towards him by her chin and stroking his thumb over that frown. Stop that. ]

I know you wouldn't. But it's got to be... difficult. I don't want you hurting, that's all.

Oh. That's not...

[She hesitates, leaning into his touch instinctively, not sure how to respond. Of course it's going to hurt. Of course it's going to be scary, and she doesn't want to lie to him, but she doesn't want to make him feel worse, either.]

We'll figure it out together. And you're worth it, even if it might get hard sometimes.

[ Warmth spreads through Wash's chest -- of course Kyna wasn't going to bail, it's not her, but part of him still fears it. Being too much work, too difficult to handle. It'd be on him if that's how things went, but the larger part of him is certain Kyna will stick it out and find a way to help him. He leans in and kisses her forehead, breathes in the scent of her hair. ]

I love you more than anything, you know that, right? I don't think I've forgotten anything from before, but I'll never forget that.

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