|#3 of Bad Batch Cadet series|
The medical wing was dead silent.
Tech sat on the floor, having pressed himself against the wall just outside the infirmary. The Kaminoans wouldn't let him stay with Wrecker. They had made him leave despite his best efforts to stay.
Occasionally, he'd lift his glasses and wipe some tears on his sleeve. He was trying not to cry—not to look weak—but he couldn't stop. He kept replaying what had happened in his head, trying to figure out a way he could've avoided the catastrophe. Each time, he ended with the same result.
He simply wasn't fast enough.
He wasn't fast enough or smart enough. And now his brother was stuck in intensive care, fighting for his life.
The weight of the guilt was crushing him.
"Tech?"
Tech stiffened when he heard Hunter's voice. In his peripheral vision, he saw him rounding the corner. Crosshair followed behind him, his expression far from his normal scowl. He actually looked... worried.
"We thought we might find you here." Hunter said. He sat down beside Tech—along with Crosshair—and let out a sigh. "How is he?"
Tech's hot tears stung the light burns on his face. "They won't let us see him." He murmured.
"What?" Crosshair suddenly sat up, staring at Tech in disbelief. "What do you mean they won't let us see him? We're his brothers!" He angrily declared.
"I tried, but the Kaminoans pushed me out." Tech was struggling to keep it together. "It's my fault he's in there. How could I have been so stupid?"
Hunter gripped Tech's shoulder in one hand. "Tech, you and I both know it wasn't your—"
"Wrecker almost died, Hunter!" Because of me!" Tech's glasses filled with tears. He ripped them off and turned his head away. "I.. I don't make mistakes like that... What if it happens again? What if my actions actually kill one of you next time? Then what?" He curled in on himself, sobs wracking his thin frame. "If I had just tried harder... maybe... maybe none of this would've happened."
It physically pained Hunter to see his brother so distraught. In a way, he was reminded of himself. Every time he made a devastating mistake, the guilt hit him hard. Especially if the mistake affected his batchmates.
"Tech.." Hunter said, his expression softening. "If anyone's to blame, it's me. I'm the one who sent you boys in there. You can't blame yourself for something you couldn't control." He slung his arm over Tech's shoulders. "Wrecker's tough. He'll pull through, I know he will. Right now, we need to be here for him. Even if we... can't be by his bedside. This isn't your fault, okay? We're in this together."
During the talk, Crosshair had gotten up and settled on the other side of Tech. It was his way of comforting his brother since he wasn't quite sure how else to do it.
Tech sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "Okay."
The trio sat alone in the hall for hours, silently comforting one another while talking amongst themselves. Wrecker would be okay because they were there for him. And that's all that mattered.