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[marineris]

"This is Bobbie Draper. I'll get back to you."

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[donkeyballs]

... I don't think they made it, Gunny. [ His voice was incredibly soft. Apologetic. ]

I didn't actually see 'em - I was a little distracted. You got shot an' we weren't anywhere near a medic, and we were expectin' them to send more people down to get us at any second - so I was kinda spending the whole time tryin' to keep your blood in.

[marineris]

[Of course they didn't. That's the answer she was expecting, but it doesn't make it easier to hear.]

...How bad was it?

[donkeyballs]

It was pretty bad.

[ He can't actually look at her, when he says that, because if he thinks too hard he can still feel her blood welling up under his fingers. He tries to suppress a shudder, but it shivers down his spine anyway. ]

They listened, though. The fleet. We bought enough time, everyone shut their drive cores down. The lights went out, so someone up on the bridge of the Behemoth managed to get them to do it. It wasn't really the first thing on my mind, anymore.

But it meant that we managed to get you to a med bay, before you bled out.

[marineris]

[She feels him shiver, and she reaches for his hand instinctively.]

So you saved my ass, huh?

[donkeyballs]

You saved mine first. [ He pointed out, relaxing a little as he let her take his hand, then thread their fingers together, resting them on his knee. ]

If it hadn't been you, I'd've been dead. No question. But yeah, like hell I was gonna let you die on me, Gunny, not if I had anything to say about it.

[ There was a pause, and then he figured he needed to finish the story. ]

Somethin' else happened, though.

When we all powered down.

The sphere did what it was supposed to.

It opened all of the other rings.

[marineris]

[She frowns, squeezing his hand gently.]

Other rings to where?

[donkeyballs]

[ He wet his lips, looking at her. ]

... Everywhere.

Tens of thousands of them.

And each one leadin' to a different habitable system.

[marineris]

Holy shit.

[Just the implications of that are staggering—she can barely wrap her head around them. Everyone is going to be scrambling to get through those rings and lay a claim. It's going to be a mess.]

Has the arguing started yet?

[donkeyballs]

Couldn't tell you - we were just on our way heading back to the ring, before I got here. Think we were all a bit shell shocked.

You uh - you were with us, by the way. We hadn't actually talked about whether you were stayin' or not, but. You decided to take the flight back with us.

[marineris]

[Bobbie lets out a breath, looking away.]

Yeah, well, I'm guessing Mars wouldn't want me anywhere near one of their ships after that.

[donkeyballs]

[ He watched her for a moment, his heart aching with empathy. ]

They betrayed you, Gunny. [ He said softly. ] They were gonna get everyone in the entire system killed. You've proven over and over again that you can figure out the right thing, even if it ain't what you're bein' told.

They'd be idiots, to not welcome you back, if you wanted it.

[ Not that he had any faith in Mars not being made of idiots, anymore... ]

[marineris]

[She scowls, but it's not really at him.]

Even if it was the right thing, they wouldn't welcome me back after disobeying orders and killing two of my team.

[donkeyballs]

One. [ He corrected, his voice still low. ]

... Amos got the other, before he got me.

I don't know, Gunny. Like I said, we didn't exactly get a chance to chat about it.

[marineris]

[Her voice has a fiercer edge to it when she responds this time.]

If they were trying to kill you, then it was worth it.

[Still. What the hell is she supposed to do after that?]

[donkeyballs]

They fired on us just 'cause we were tryin' to talk it out, rather than shoot each other.

[ He wonders if he should feel worse, about their deaths. But he doesn't. There were a lot of dead people who'd done everything right, for him to mourn.

Shooting Gunny was enough for him to write them off completely. ]

[marineris]

[She sighs softly.]

I'm glad you're okay.

[donkeyballs]

[ He squeezes her hand, watching her quietly, his shoulder pressed up against hers.]

I'm glad we're both okay.

You had me pretty damn scared for a little bit, there.

[marineris]

[Her lips quirk up into a humorless smile.]

I guess it takes more to kill me than a bullet.

[donkeyballs]

Yeah. And I ain't complainin' about it. [ He says it as if from very far away, leaning back against the wall and letting his eyes drift off elsewhere.

After a moment, he adds: ]

Sorry, Gunny. I know it's a hell of a lot to dump on you.

[marineris]

[Bobbie shakes her head.]

I needed to know. It might just take me a day or two to process all of it.

[donkeyballs]

Hell, it's gonna take me a longer longer than that, to process it. [ It's a weak joke. Sorry. ]

If there's anythin' else you wanna ask, I'll tell you whatever I can.

[marineris]

I'm sure it'll be a long list.

[She just doesn't have it yet.]

Does it feel like you haven't been here in six months?

[donkeyballs]

[ He hummed, lowly, as he considered the question. ]

... It's weird, because it don't totally line up, in my head? Like - I can remember what we were doing before I walked into the pod, and it don't feel like it's been six months, but then if I tried to think about what happened at home--

[ He gave a small, helpless shrug. ]

It just don't line up. Like it won't fit into proper chronological order.

[marineris]

[It doesn't make much sense, but none of this really makes any sense.]

I thought after the protomolecule, I wouldn't find anything weird anymore, but this definitely qualifies.

[donkeyballs]

Honestly, I'm sure once I have time to think about it, it's gonna creep me the hell out.

[ He paused. ]

There's one thing, though, that I keep thinkin' about.

Bobbie - what if that's how we got here?

What if there's a Ring in this system?