I drop all the things around me in frustration and clasp my hands together "Astra, I swear if you flinch again, this splints going straight into your stomach," I told her honestly before picking up the piece of wood that I had cushioned a bit with cotton and tape.

I was a sorry excuse for medical treatment, but we couldn't exactly afford to be picky.

"If I wasn't so high right now, I'd cuss you out, but I am so just pretend I said something incredibly clever back."

I shook my head in amusement at her muffled, slightly dazed voice through the pillow I had squished her into to prevent her looking at her wound and tapped the play button on the video I was following again.

The person in it was human, that was pretty much clear, but they had an accent different to the ones I'd heard so far. They were deep in a forest, that I assumed was back on earth and had kindly made a step-by-step video on how to treat the exact situation we were in.

We had to steal a few medical supplies from the infirmary which seemed to make it better as I'd injected Astra with what I thought was a sedative but considering she was still wide awake I'd probably something completely different.

She was calmer than usual, less erratic and spoke a lot slower. Her speech was a bit slurred, and she'd often start talking out of nowhere and would continue regardless of me replying or not.

I wouldn't say she was easier to deal with but having her confused whilst I disinfected the wound certainly was a big help.

Unfortunately for me she was now in a twitching mood "Distract me Sol, c'mon tell me something fun."

I put the gauze between my teeth, chuckling to myself before tearing it "Sorry Astra, I have nothing fun to say," I gathered up the dirty cotton balls and put the cap on the rubbing alcohol.

"You'd think someone whose been to jail would be a lot more interesting."

I tossed the cotton balls in the bin, following it by ripping off the gloves I'd put on too "Don't tell me I bore you now," I joked, turning her over so she could now face me. I thought her first interest would be in her badly wrapped hand, but her eyes immediately fell on mine.

"No, you're not boring," She yawned, "I think you just don't trust me."

"I don't know you Astra," I pointed out.

"You know everything there is to know about me," She argued, "Haven't exactly had a life you know? I've been in the sky." She pointed at the ceiling like the stars were inside the room. "Trapped there."

"I know of worse prisons," I promised her.

"Says the girl desperate to go back to hers," Her eyes searched my face, "At least I'm fighting for my freedom."

"Can't exactly fight a punishment I deserve," I pointed out.

"Yeah," Another dazed smile cracked her lips, exposing the aligned white teeth and the gap that separated the two front ones, "Maybe the universe is safer with you locked up."

Her left hand flew to my hair and she back running her fingertips through my scalp, "Yeah it is."

Another emotion filled her eyes, "When this is all over, I-I want you to come with me," Her tongue peeked out to wet her plush lips, "I'll protect them from you."

"You shouldn't have to live your life on the run, Astra," I tried to focus on her wound and not her hands and star filled eyes, "You don't know how long it'll be till you're caught, you have so much life to live."

"You can live it with me," She was now almost whining, "We can live it together. You've missed out on a lot of yours too."

"Astra-

"Come with me."

She was drunk, I reminded myself, I could just tell her what she wanted to hear so she could drop it, "I'll go with you."

The smile on her face brightened "I love the way you say my name," She ran her hand down to rub my face and I let her, amused at the red ring that was around her ocean eyes. She put my lips between her fingers and moved them up and down playfully "You say everything weirdly."

"Do I?" I hummed, feeling exhaustion settle on my face.

"Yup," She said, popping the p at the end.

"How do I say things?"

"Your voice is all smooth and slow," She slowed down her speech significantly and then started to slightly whisper in a gravely voice "So you end up talking like this, and then you roll your R's a lot, so you don't end up calling me Astra you say," She scrunched her eyebrows together in concentration "Ah-st-rah."

I burst out laughing in her face and she started laughing with me, I slapped my hands on my knees before getting up "Yeah I think it's time for bed now," I gave her a had to get up before gesturing to her to turn around "Let me help you out of that."

She twirled around, giggling when my fingers met her spine "And you say I'm always trying to get in your pants."

I ignored her, leading her to the bed before tucking her in. I moved to enter my side when I noticed something in the jutting out of the pocket of her suit that was now a pile of material on the floor. She let out a whine when I leaned over to grab it, taking both of us with me due to our joined hands.

"What is that?" She muttered to me sleepily.

I ran my finger along the dark blue leather cover "I don't know, it was in your pocket."

My hands moved to open the book, taking in the familiar writing buy my attention was drawn more towards the drawings and diagrams scribbled on the first few pages. They were jagged and clearly rushed but it was clear as day what they were supposed to be.

Martians.

I recognized them now and now understood why I struggled to identify Tempest, she was missing the key detail all her kind shared. The gigantic wings on her back.

Here they were drawn, male and female, child and adult. Their wings nearly triple their size and all shades of browns and nudes. Their feathers were long and they had big horns at the end of each wing that curled towards them.

Sketches filled the first few pages of the book and the rest was words, recounts, dates and scientific data. An 'all you need to know' about the people of Mars from what they look like to the x-rays of their bones.

I flicked through mindlessly, not particularly seeing anything interesting until I stopped at a page that made my blood freeze.

'March 24, 2059

We're down to the last one of them, we've been careless with their lives. As I knew we'd be.'

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