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There were many moments in Coric’s short life that left him grateful he was no longer the head medic of Torrent. Sure, it wasn’t like Umbara had been easier for him than Kix, but they got through it. Of course the only thing that really helped Coric get by was knowing Nax was at his side.
Until he wasn’t.
The firefight began out of nowhere and raged on for what felt like hours, and somewhere between the start and the finish, Coric had lost sight of Nax. Heart in his throat, Coric tears through the wounded, tending to those that needed him but never lingering, opting for another still-breathing brother to take his place as he hurries to the next, movement near frantic as he scans the dark forest for familiar armor.
Finally, he finds him.
Coric finds him hidden behind trees with darkness covering him, body motionless. For a moment, a short, breathless moment, Coric can feel his world come to a jerking halt as his worst fear as a medic begins to unravel before him. The sounds of his brothers trying to regain their bearings fall away, and all he can think of is that he is going to have to tell Kano and Boomer.
A twitch. A groan.
Coric drops to his knees beside Nax’s body a second later, his hands pulling off Nax’s helmet.
He’s alive.
“Stay awake for me, Nax.” He orders, the panic thrumming like an off-set heartbeat in his ears. The blast destroyed Nax’s lower armor, the plates deformed and digging into his legs, blood oozing out into the dark dirt beneath them. Coric can’t treat him here and Nax is in no position to keep fighting. Coric knows there is only one call he can make, and yet, ordering a medevac feels as though rows of thorns are wrapping around his heart and lungs, squeezing tighter and tighter as he watches in dread as the ship disappears into the dark skies. Coric doesn’t need to see his own legs to know he will be carrying the scars to match.
Nax was still breathing when they loaded him into the transport. The medics running the medbay high above their heads will do whatever they can to keep him alive until Coric is able to return to his side. There is nothing left for him to do.
They fight on.