They pick Bacara and the rest of the Novas up just outside the Ravuk system. There are too few of them, and the ones that remain walk through Cody’s halls like phantoms, seeking medbay or a spare bunk or a voice to tell them what to do next.
Cody brings Bacara to his quarters. Bacara is too far gone to notice. He pulls Bacara’s helmet off and receives a blank stare from a grey face.
“‘Cara,” he says. “Come on, let’s get your armor off.”
Bacara blinks at him, looking just left of his eyes and squinting. Then, “Oh. ‘Kay.”
Mechanically, he strips himself of his armor. Cody helps when his hands shake too hard to undo the smaller clasps. His blacks are crusted with long-dry sweat and torn near one ankle. Cody helps him unzip them.
“Okay, time for a sonic.” Cody herds him into the bathroom, handing him boxers and a fresh set of blacks. “Just quick, alright? Then sleep.”
Bacara nods. Cody hopes he’s awake enough to get through a shower.
He’s not, and Cody’s already standing to open the door when there’s a bang and a frustrated growl from inside. “‘Cara?”
Bacara’s gotten surprisingly far. He’s standing in the middle of the bathroom, towel around his waist and hair mussed from the sonics. The blacks are in a puddle at his feet. He’s knocked Cody’s soap bar into the sink.
Cody doesn’t speak, just gathers his blacks from the floor and hands them to him. He helps Bacara straighten them out, steadies him as he steps into the legs and zips the back up when his fucked shoulder can’t reach that far.
Bacara leans into Cody and lets himself be led, eyes half-closed, to Cody’s bunk. He’s still trembling and Cody can feel the way he favors his left side. Not just the shoulder, then.
“Rest, soldier,” Cody commands, dropping Bacara onto his bunk. “I’ll keep watch.”
Bacara looks up at him and he doesn’t need to ask, doesn’t even need to open his arms to have Cody climbing into them, pressing Bacara further back until he’s trapped between the wall and Cody. Only then does Bacara relax, huffing a sigh and draping an arm and a leg over Cody.
“I’ll keep watch,” Cody says again. “Everything’s alright now.”