ѕ ᴛ ʀ ᴀ ɴ ᴅ ᴇ ᴅ ~ ᴀ ᴘ ʜ ᴇ ʟ ɪ ᴏ ɴ
[prologue – Working Rough]
He needed to accept that this would be awkward, no getting around it. Med Bay visits always were but this one...
He wasn't particular close to Phobos or Deimos. Only small size of the Kelper forced their paths to cross originally. On the Slepnir, the social stratification pulled him in a very particular direction, the undertow of the Lower Decks nigh inescapable. He still saw Deimos on occasion just via proximity to Cain but there remained a distance he couldn't bridge. As for Phobos, Helios was thankful that the Navigator had his own pursuits and preferred different prey now. (Both he and Selene sensed something strange happening in the Slepnir's shadows, but knew better than to pursue the monsters lurking therein. Between the cover-up of his sister's disappearance and Phobos' own advice regarding command and their interests, Helios found it smarter to remain a safe distance away. Better to stick to the outskirts and cautiously observe for now.)
But none of that changed the simple facts of the matter – they were his comrades-in-arms and Helios had failed them. And self-improvement couldn't be limited to just the physical. It also meant owning your mistakes and doing right by those you had wronged.
He hesitated on the edge of the door, acutely aware of the flutter in his stomach and the guilt gnawing at the back of his mind. Even if he learned to better cope with his insecurities, a few fundamental structures of his personality remained unchanged. He worried if they would even want to hear him out. Helios had heard about Cain's outburst through the churning rumor mill. If a rift now existed between Deimos and his closest companion, what chance did he really have to make amends?
Still, what could he do but try?
With a steadying breath, he stepped inside the Med Bay and easily spotted the pair in the beds nearest the door. Finding Phobos absorbed in a datapad wasn't surprising. But seeing Deimos fast asleep, appearing so small and fragile came as shock...
After a moment, Helios found his voice as he greeted tentatively, “How are the two of you holding up, Phobos?”