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“Take me instead.” Seven pleaded.
Moving forward, she offered herself in Raffi’s place. To her dismay, Raffi gave a shake of her head and continued to comply with their captors.
They’d already been roughhoused by both guards on their capture. Seven had been lifted like a small rag doll and watched Raffi being dragged after her.
“Raffi”, Seven protested. “I will heal faster - my Nanoprobes…”
“It's my job to protect the captain” Raffi cut her off
Then, giving a conspiratorial wink to Seven. “And I’m the one who will enjoy this more”
Seven’s arms were cuffed behind her back. The barrel of a weapon - she had no way of knowing if it was set to stun or kill- pressed to the small of her back prevented her from trying anything heroic.
Seven turned her head away and squeezed her eyes shut. Wishing she could do the same with her other senses as she heard the crack of the first blow hit Raffi.
Raffi reeled as a fist smashed across the side of her head. She was bound and restrained, with no chance of retreat or recoil. Had she not been held up by her bindings, she would have fallen to the ground.
“You can watch.” the pig-faced guard snarled. One of his yellowing tusks pressed close to Seven’s ear.
He picked her once again, and almost threw her closer to Raffi. When Seven turned to look away, he placed a hand on her head and firmly turned it back - forcing her to look. He pressed the gun barrel harder into her in a silent threat.
Seven didn’t want to bear witness.
Raffi was in the position because of her - or for her. Seven wasn’t sure which was worse. Either way, she blamed herself.
Raffi straightened. Spitting blood from her mouth and smiled.
“Harder Daddy”
Raffi’s assailant paused. Shifted his gaze to his compatriot, unsure
Seven considered, that perhaps her ears were no longer working correctly.
The two guards exchanged looks in a silent exchange. Seven felt her guards' grip on her loosen.
Raffi’s guard wound up again. The second blow came harder.
Raffi was prepared this time and reacted sooner.
Seven, eyes still trained on Raffi as instructed, saw the impact and tried not to retch at the sickening crunch.
Raffi let out a moan.
But she didn’t sound in pain. It was a moan of pleasure. It was long and loud, her mouth open and head thrown back.
Seven was thrown by the unexpected, but not entirely unfamiliar sound.
But not as much as both of the guards.
Recovering from her own shock quickly, Seven used the opportunity to spring on her captor. At the earliest sign of his distraction, she deployed the tubules from her left hand and used them to deftly pick the lock. She let the cuffs drop to the floor and sprang into action.
She turned and using her augmented left arm, and all the strength it contained, delivered an uppercut to the guard. He was stunned both by the blow and the turn of events. Seven disarmed him and then turned the disruptor on him.
Raffi’s attacker had taken a disgusted step back from her, giving plenty of clearance for Seven to risk firing the weapon in his direction. Seven hadn’t bothered to check the weapons settings - but she didn’t care as both guards vaporised to dust before them.
“You’re ok” Seven slipped the safety onto the weapon and holstered it. She quickly stepped forward to catch Raffi before she fell. Adrenaline was wearing off, leaving pain in its place.
“I've got you” Seven promised, as she carried her safely back to their ship.
******
“You’re here?” Seven exclaimed. Coming to an abrupt halt, just inside the threshold of Raffi's quarters. The doors hissed and slid shut behind her.
Raffi was lying on top of her bed, propped up on pillows with a blanket draped half over her lap. She had an open book in one hand, a mug of tea in the other.
“Well, this is my room” Raffi deadpanned at Seven’s shocked expression.
“I meant - You are out of the infirmary”
“I am,” Raffi nodded a little too enthusiastically. Then winced as a pang of pain hit.
Seven rushed over to her side, removing the hot tea from her grip before it could further add to Raffi's damage.
“Should you be out of the infirmary?” Seven questioned, concern etched over her brow.
“They had no reason to keep me in, I just need rest”
“And that’s what you’re doing, right?” Asked Seven.
“Right” Confirmed Raffi, gesturing to her surroundings.
“I know what you are like” Seven counted.
Raffi shrugged, dismissing Seven’s aspersions.
“Why did you come here - if you weren’t looking for me” Said Raffi. Her curiosity about Seven’s presence had been niggling at the back of her mind since her surprise entrance.
Seven shifted her weight from foot to foot.
Raffi waited patiently for a response - she had nowhere else to be.
“I was worried,” Seven admitted. “I couldn't do anything to help your condition. But I couldn't do nothing”
“Okay…” Raffi prompted and waited as patiently as she was capable for Seven to continue.
“I just wanted to make sure everything was nice for you - when you did get out. ”
“…awww…”
“... you know how you can be.”
“ Hey!” Raffi objected, laughing, and lobbed one of her mountain of pillows at Seven.
Seven caught it with ease and smiled at Raffi.
“Don’t go further injuring yourself” Seven chided.
“Don’t give me cause to” Raffi countered.
Seven walked over to Raffi, plumping the discarded pillow and carefully placing it back into position.
Seven straightened up and stepped back, but not before straightening up the contents of the bedside table. She placed the glass of water atop instead of beside the coaster, and lined up Raffi’s glasses so they were perfectly adjacent.
“Do you do that a lot?” Raffi asked
She recalled how sometimes, things seemed straighter, and more organised when she returned from a long or particularly difficult mission, or when she’d had the odd (but far from unheard of) mandated stay in the infirmary.
Raffi took Seven’s lack of refute as confirmation.
They had an open-door policy with each other, Raffi was only surprised she hadn’t realised Seven was using it in such a manner earlier.
“That's quite sweet” Said Raffi, and watched as Seven's shoulders relaxed
“How are you?” Seven asked, redirecting the subject of conversation back onto Raffi.
“I’m fine” Raffi responded.
“How are you really” Seven asked again more insistently. Her eyes were trained on Raffi’s split lip, and the purple bruising around her temple.
Raffi sighed.
“I’m a little banged up, but nothing that won’t be completely healed in a few days. But I’m mad as fuck that those guys got the drop on us”
Seven continued to wring her hands, but nodded - accepting Raffi’s answer.
“How are you?” Raffi asked, eyes evaluating Seven as she stood before her.
“I was not injured”
Raffi gave a sharp huff at Seven’s evasion.
“Come here” Raffi said, with a slight upward tilt of her chin to beckon Seven closer.
Seven slowly inched forward
“Sit down” Raffi patted the bed beside her patiently.
Seven gingerly sat on the edge of the bed.
“Closer” Raffi coaxed.
“Don’t make me move towards you” she added when Seven didn’t immediately concede to move.
That threat worked, and Seven complied without further prompting. She slipped off her boots, shifted carefully closer to Raffi, and then swivelled to sit alongside her.
“Much better” Raffi sighed and shifted to rest her head against Seven’s shoulder.
Seven only hesitated a moment, before resting her head atop Raffi’s.
“Thank you for trusting me,” said Raffi.
“I had a crazy plan for a distraction. And I thought, given the opportunity, you would have the best chance of overpowering those guys and getting us both safely out of there.”
“It worked.” Said Seven, impressed by Raffi’s quick thinking.
Her XO could always think three steps ahead in any situation. Seven had rarely meant a situation she could not - or would not attempt - to brute force her way through. Raffi would creatively think around a situation, when and where the direct route was not always best. It was one of many things that made them a great partnership.
“Perhaps it was even genius” Added Seven.
“I’m sure one day you’re going to be retelling as a funny tale of survival ”
She felt Raffi grow with the compliment beside her.
As she blinked, in the darkness of her mind she could see Raffi being led away. Even as she opened her eyes the image persisted.
In an instant she was back there. Powerless.
She curled her hand into a fist and squeezed tight.
“I just don't like seeing you hurt.”
The words stuck in Seven’s throat. Tears prickled at her eyes, appearing at haste. Her cheeks blazed - embarrassed by her reaction.
“I just had to take a few hits, you had to watch.” Said Raffi. “I know what I’d prefer”
“I could smell your blood before I could see…I thought I was going to be made to stand there and watch as… as you”
“Hey”, Raffi reached for Seven's hand near hers on the bed and squeezed it hard.
“I’m here. You’re here. And I’m ok. And we are both going to be ok….okay?”
Seven’s ears were ringing with that sickening crack.
The taste of the air, thick with damp and iron.
The feeling of the gun pressed against her.
She should have moved sooner. Her own safety be damned - she didn't care about being shot.
But what then?
What if they’d turned the weapon on Raffi?
She remembered the smell of burned flesh as the guards had been vaporised to dust.
They never should have been in that situation.
She needed to be better, to be faster.
“Seven” Raffi called her name
Raffi’s voice cut through the cacophony emanating from inside of Seven.
“Seven” Raffi's voice came firmer this time. Firm but kind.
“Open your eyes. Tell me five things you can see in this room right now.”
“Seven blinked trying to focus her eyes.”
“Door, replicator, bed, chair, desk” Seven listed off the furnishings flatly.
“Name one thing you can smell.”
“You…” Seven inhaled deeply.
“Good” Encouraged Raffi. Her thumb stroked over the back of Seven’s hand.
“Your shampoo, the notes of coconut and moon-flowers.” Seven continued. Her voice steadier.
“Now, two things you can feel.” Said Raffi. She could feel the shift in Seven as she started to come back to her.
“You're doing this out of order,” said Seven.
“I’m afraid, I am not taking any feedback -constructive or otherwise at this time” Raffi replied
Seven found herself giving a small laugh, despite herself
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Raffi continues with the slightest of shrugs. “It’s working, isn’t it?”
“This uniform. The bed sheet, is cotton, it's soft, and cool. Your hair - tickling against my cheek.” Seven paused to squeeze Raffi’s ever-present hand back.
“Your hand against mine”
“I’ve got you” Raffi promised, squeezing Seven’s hand back.
“We’ve got each other” Seven committed.