MAIA'S FINGERS MOVED quickly across her keyboard. It was hard for her to see through the tears that pooled in her green eyes, but she managed for the sake of sending her message to her brother. She'd been talking with him for the last forty minutes since she had left her crew-mates, though in reality it hadn't been that much time considering the delay in which either of them received their messages. That didn't matter much to Maia, though. She was just thankful that she was speaking to him, and more than thankful that NASA made a communication exception for her and the rest of the Watney family. Mark and Maia were allowed to speak to one another longer than anyone else, and for that Maia was grateful.
A stray tear fell from Maia's eye as she continued typing the message, but she quickly wiped it away.
Mark:
You're right. I am a lying sack of shit. Knowing you're alive and healthy makes me so happy, but knowing that there's a possibility you won't even live to see me again makes me sick inside. How else did you expect me to feel because of it? I assume NASA is working hard to find some way to get supplies to you so that doesn't happen, but that doesn't take away the risk that something else could go wrong, and we can't afford for anything else to go wrong, Mark.
I just need you to come back to me, okay? That's not what I want—it's what I need. You're my older brother and my best friend, and Lord knows just how much I can't stand being without you. These past several months have been nothing but proof of it.
Write back when you can.
Maia
Maia sent the message the moment she had finished it. She fell back onto her mattress with a huff and grabbed her head with her hands. She couldn't believe how stressed she was. Over the years, Mark had managed to stress her out to what she thought was her maximum stress level, but it was only now she was realizing just how wrong she had been. The situation wasn't Mark's fault whatsoever, but Maia just found it ironic that he was, in fact, the very center of the situation itself.
Several minutes had passed, or so Maia thought. Her gaze remained on the ceiling of her room, even after a knock on her door could be heard. She just assumed it was one of her crew-mates checking in on her, so she allowed them access without much hesitation.
Johanssen and Beck walked into Maia's room. Even then, Maia's attention still remained on the ceiling, though she could see enough out of the corner of her eye to know exactly who it was stopping by to pay her a visit. It was just like old times.
"What are you two doing in here?" Maia asked the two of them, very quickly flashing her eyes over to them.
Beck pursed his lips and moved to sit by her at the head of her bed, while Johanssen sat at the foot of her bed.
"We just came to check up on you," Johanssen told her.
Maia sighed and sat up, glancing between Beck and Johanssen. "I appreciate it, but I'm fine."
"You're lying," Beck replied.
"So what if I'm a bit stressed out?" Maia retorted. "Aren't we all?"
"Yes, but you are more-so than the rest of us," Beck said.
Maia tilted her head in curiosity as she looked at him. "And why is that, exactly?"
"Maybe because you're brother is in a dire ass predicament and no one really knows what the hell is gonna happen to him," Johanssen remarked with a sigh.
Both Maia and Beck looked at Johanssen, each one of their expressions chastising.
"Beth," Beck scolded her.
Johanssen only shrugged and ran a hand through her hair. "It's true, and quite honestly, it's stressing me out, too. That's why I would love it if we could just be stressed out together. I'd rather be stressed with my best than stressed alone."
Maia couldn't help but laugh at Johanssen. "Sure was a mouthful, wasn't it?"
"I could say something very sensual about those words regarding the two of you, but I don't think I will," Johanssen muttered, taking a sip of her coffee after she did so.
"How smart of you," Beck said with a roll of his eyes. He turned to look back at Maia but could hardly even open his mouth to speak before Johanssen was back at it again.
"Have you guys even done it yet?" Johanssen questioned the two of them, nonchalantly sipping away at her coffee. Her eyes were narrowed as she looked at the couple. It was almost as if she was attempting to figure it out herself.
Maia simply shook her head at Johanssen and looked at her computer screen, just in time to receive another email from Mark.
"Are you shaking your head as if to tell me no, or are you just shaking it because you're done with me?" Johanssen inquired with a chuckle. "Because if it's the latter, that's you're answer right there."
"Shut up, Beth," Beck said, though even he wasn't able to hold in his laugh.
Maia glanced over at the two of them and smirked. "I feel as if we were in an alternate world you two would have been perfect together," she practically snorted.
A rather disgusted expression took over both Johanssen's and Beck's faces, and they glanced at each other before looking to Maia, who was very invested in her computer screen.
"What makes you say that?" Beck asked her.
Maia chuckled and continued reading over the message on the screen. "Well, you're both annoying as hell sometimes."
"I thought you loved us?" Johanssen feigned a hurt expression, which Maia only laughed at.
"I do, but that doesn't change anything." Maia removed her hair from her face and began typing away on her laptop. "Now hold on while I send this message."
"Is it to Mark?" Beck asked her.
Maia only nodded and continued the task at hand.
Mark:
You are literally too jovial for my liking. It's beautiful and disgusting at the same time. I know the two of us share a similar personality with one another to some extent, and that's more or less your fault for corrupting me over the years, but the aspect of your personality that I don't seem to share is the aspect that allows me to make the best out of a very life-threatening situation. If I did, these past few months would have been absolutely remarkable.
I really wish I could look at things they way you did, maybe then I wouldn't get so upset over everything all the time. Be thankful, though, that I have Beck and Johanssen here with me to help cheer me up. I have no doubt that Commander Lewis sent them after our conversation earlier, but their company is still nice, nonetheless. It always is.
Maia
Maia sent the message and pushed her computer away from her. She turned to look at her friends, both of whom were watching her rather intently.
"Can I help you two with something?"
"We saw our names," Beck said.
Maia grinned and grabbed his hand. "Yes, you did."
"What'd you say to him?" Johanssen asked her.
"All I said was how horribly coffee makes your breath stink and how much fun Beck and I had in his room last night," Maia snickered.
Johanssen's eyes widened slightly and she hopped up in her seat. "So you two did do it?"
"Your breath really does stink, Beth," Beck spoke calmly, disregarding her words.
The petite brunette stopped in her tracks and grabbed her thermos. She swallowed a mouthful of coffee before leaning forward and breathing in both of their faces, leaving both of their expressions to contort to that of disgust.
"I hope you enjoyed that," Johanssen remarked. "And I hoped you enjoyed your time together last night."
Maia rolled her eyes and looked back to her computer. "Nothing happened between us last night, Beth."
She narrowed her eyes in curiosity. "But it did happen, though, right?"
"Why are you so worried about it?" Beck groaned.
"Because you two are my best friends and I'm concerned about your lives the way a best friend should be," Johanssen said matter-of-factually.
Maia couldn't help but laugh. "If that's the case, then yeah—it did happen. Just don't say anything, okay?"
"My lips are sealed," Johanssen smirked.
"Keep them that way, because I can't stand the smell that comes through them," Beck teased her.
Johanssen glared at him and once again leaned forward, though she wasn't given the opportunity to open her mouth before Beck placed the palm of his hand over it. He gave her a warning look, something of which she just laughed at. Beck grinned at her and turned to Maia, who was watching the two of them with an amused look on her face. It was rare that the two ever got along with each other, but she welcomed the sight that they actually were.
"Good to see you two getting along for once," Maia chuckled.
"We're only doing it for you," Johanssen said.
"She's right," Beck added.
Maia shot them both a look and looked back at her computer, where she was receiving her final email from Mark. She laughed as she looked over the words her older brother had typed.
Maia:
I'm better than you, and that's really all there is to it. Suck it up and be a Watney for once. Don't bring the family name to shame like this, kid.
Also, tell those fuckers I said hey, especially my littlest one. And tell Beck to always wear protection, y'know, since you two are a thing now. Just don't let Commander Lewis find the wrappers, or you won't be the only one getting hit that night. Wait until after I get back on Earth to have babies, okay? It'll be hard to be a decent uncle when I'm 54 fucking million kilometers away on Mars.
Anyway, I hope to see you soon. I'll talk to you as soon as I can. I love you.
Mark
"What's so funny?" Johanssen asked as she tried to catch a glimpse of the screen.
Maia held the screen out towards Johanssen and Beck, and the two of them read over the words. By the time they had finished, they were smiling, and Johanssen looked close to tears. It wasn't something she could particularly help, though.
"I miss him," Johanssen spoke, wiping away a tear that had fallen.
Maia smiled softly and closed her laptop before grabbing Johanssen's hand. "We all do, but at least we have each other to turn to until we get him back."
"Mark would absolutely love the sight of this," Beck said with a laugh.
"Oh, I'm sure he would," Maia scoffed. "He'd just like knowing it was because of him."
"I'm glad it is, though," Johanssen smiled. "We're all closer than ever, and it's all because of Twatney."
Maia snickered and laid back down on her mattress. Johanssen's words were true, though, and that was something Maia wouldn't ignore. It was because of Mark that the bonds she had with those around her were now stronger, and she hoped that as the time passed they would only continue to grow stronger. She wouldn't know what to do with herself if that wasn't the case, and she hoped she wouldn't have to find out.