[No, no no. No not again. Not more people. Not more losses. Too many people, too many lost faces. It can't happen again, he can't let it happen again.]
[He tears off his helmet, letting it fall to the ground without thinking. She's cold -- it's easy to tell even through armor and metal. She's cold and she's not breathing, but she's alive. For now. She won't be if something isn't done. There should be safety measures in place, there should be oxygen bags or pumps or something else. But there isn't.]
[Someone else might know what to do better than he could. Everything he's ever tried to live up to would be better, here. Their hands more sure, more steady. But they're not here.]
[He is.]
[He's tilting her head back, vague memories of drills and practices back on earth in his mind. One hand to close her nose off, the other to brace them both.]
[It's not the same as walking in on her swimming, or getting tongue tied in her presence. If he doesn't do something, there's going to be one more face, one more name on a list of people he couldn't save. So this time, there's no hesitation when he seals his mouth to hers.]
[She's so cold.]
[Count, breathe. Try to remember where to press her ribs to stir her heart to life. Repeat. And again until his face is slick and sweaty, until his own breath is gasped out and his human arm is shaking.]
no subject
[He tears off his helmet, letting it fall to the ground without thinking. She's cold -- it's easy to tell even through armor and metal. She's cold and she's not breathing, but she's alive. For now. She won't be if something isn't done. There should be safety measures in place, there should be oxygen bags or pumps or something else. But there isn't.]
[Someone else might know what to do better than he could. Everything he's ever tried to live up to would be better, here. Their hands more sure, more steady. But they're not here.]
[He is.]
[He's tilting her head back, vague memories of drills and practices back on earth in his mind. One hand to close her nose off, the other to brace them both.]
[It's not the same as walking in on her swimming, or getting tongue tied in her presence. If he doesn't do something, there's going to be one more face, one more name on a list of people he couldn't save. So this time, there's no hesitation when he seals his mouth to hers.]
[She's so cold.]
[Count, breathe. Try to remember where to press her ribs to stir her heart to life. Repeat. And again until his face is slick and sweaty, until his own breath is gasped out and his human arm is shaking.]
[Don't stop.]
[Don't lose anyone else.]
[Please...]