for the character asks!! echo + amnesia? 👀
...bro.... immediately... immediately I had the angstiest idea and I need to take a breath bc OOOOOOOF
I think there will be a very brief period in both my 'Echo is Dead' fic (coming this fall) and my 'Fives Lives' fic (coming.... some time in 2027 oops lol where he will at least not immediately remember the people he loves because trauma ya know? so, not fully amnesia, but he does have little lapses in memory so it's worth a mention!
Amnesia (set in S3 of tbb)
When Rex heard the news that Echo had been injured on the last mission for the network, and that they brought him in unconscious he wasn't exactly sure what to expect. The only thing that kept his head on straight was that Cody had been with him and had, of course, gotten him out of there otherwise unscathed. Cody, who was sitting vigil by Echo's bedside when Rex got there. No sooner did Cody look up to say something stupid like 'I'm sorry' did Echo let out a noise, making both of them snap their heads towards him.
Rex snagged a seat on the opposite side of the cot, leaning forward. He gripped Echo's hand, warming the skin between his palms so something was familiar as he woke. Echo didn't like the med equipment at the best of times. Theirs was more rudimentary than he was used to, even after his time with the 99s.
Echo groaned, head lolling. He blinked then squeezed his eyes shut. Slowly, he fought against the no doubt raging headache to open his eyes. They fell on Rex's face first.
"Rex?" Echo sounded confused, head tilting and eyes squinted. Without meaning to Rex let out a sigh of relief. He shared a look with Cody who seemed similarly placated.
"I'm here," Rex said, squeezing Echo's hand more firmly. It drew his eyes downward, brow furrowing as he looked at it, then his own chest, eyes widening. They seemed to bounce between the ports on his chest, the blanket covering his lap, and Rex's face.
"What happened?" Echo asked, voice trembling. It was then that Rex felt Cody's concern waft towards them, watching as he leaned up to try and assuage whatever fear was bounding around the man's chest cavity.
"You were injured. Hit your head pretty bad, but we got you out of there. That's what matters now." Cody gave him a strong smile and Echo looked at him, though his eyes didn't uncloud the way they should have. Concern drifted between them and Rex squeezed his hand harder.
"That doesn't... I was just on the ship. Didn't we just get to-" He trailed off, eyes still searching Cody's face for an answer that the commander couldn't give, not when he didn't even know the question. Cody reached out to press his palm to the side of Echo's face and Rex felt a pang of guilt as Echo leaned his cheek into the warmth, seeking out the comfort they were giving. Something was wrong but he couldn't tell what was going on.
Without moving from the contact Echo looked over at Rex now, an agony resting there that he hadn't seen in so long. Something he hadn't seen since-
"The Citadel. I remember getting to the prison but nothing after. Why does everything hurt so bad? What-" Echo broke off again, this time to let his eyes travel past Rex's face and towards where his lap was covered by the blanket. His breath picked up and a sinking feeling bottomed out in Rex's gut. Echo's body shook, almost convulsed. The bed was creaking with the force of it.
"That mission was years ago, Echo," Rex tried to make his voice sound soothing but Echo's demeanor was really freaking him out. Even worse, it was scaring Cody, who couldn't take his eyes off of Echo's face.
"I don't remember," Echo gasped, his chest rising and falling rapidly, confused and watery eyes bolting between them. His body jolted and then his breaths turned into something like a raspy whine that sounded like he couldn't catch his breath. "What happened to me? Where's Fives?"