"I can shower. I know how to bathe myself damnit, you lot just keep insisting-fine, fine, just don't make me raise my arms or anything."

Abigail pulled a face at the squinted looks from the medical team as she passed by. It wasn't just the fact she was nude save for a little biodegradable plastic surgery gown; she [I]reeked[/I]. Stank like a whipped hound after a long hunt. She was grimy, unpleasant, battered and bruised but otherwise acting normally, much to the chagrin and relief of the professionals keeping an eye on her vitals - because it also meant she wouldn't shut up, either.

"Jakunta, they're damaging my self esteem. The doctors. They're judging my nubile body with their cold, hard stares," Abigail nudged the silent figure plodding beside her. He was also wearing a plastic gown. Abigail looked at him fully. "I'm a little worried my joke didn't get past the language barrier. It happens. You've been bred for war, and skull thickness was probably an evolutionary boon to your ancestors. See, 'nubile' means-"

“You’re talking a lot.” Jakunta sighed. 

"And you're not listening," huffed Abigail.

Thankfully, Abigail had to stay quiet during the head scans. She was given an antibacterial wipe to clean her face up (which she then promptly used on her armpits and creases), plopped herself down in a machine, sat very still for a while as some flashes and whirring noises happened then got up again. Jakunta followed suit. Abigail had enough sense not to do or say anything that might interfere with the scans so she waited around as a nurse gave her a quick once-over to ensure none of the superficial injuries were hiding anything serious.

"Did they get your good side?" Abigail asked as she slid off the bench and waited for the scan results whilst Jakunta also received a quick check-up.

“There is no good side.” Jakunta snorted. “Are we done?” he asked up at one of the techs.

"Oooh. That's deep. S'got dual meanings and shit. You think the landing knocked some wrinkles into that brain?" 

"Are we done?" Jakunta asked a little louder.

"Yes sir, there don't seem to be any serious problems. Any difficulty remembering things, feeling slow or confused - report back to us as soon as possible," reassured the technician.

"See? We're indestructible. I need a shower. I want a bath." Abigail strode off confidently down the corridors, her surgery gown flapping in the breeze. 

“Mhm.” he nodded at the technician. He stood himself up and lumbered after Abigail. “Home will wait.” he remarked at her. Trailing ever so slowly behind.

There was a brief pause as Abigail processed what Jakunta said to her. "I mean, our home's here - when you really think about it. Home is not where the bath is," she turned and took a different route to the changing rooms - one that took them through lesser frequented sections of the ship rather than the main corridors that departed into most areas aboard the Roanoke. [I]«When you're in Savonia you get to sit in some cabin and whittle out a small standing army of wooden ducks. When [I]I'm[/I] in Savonia I get to go to a photoshoot while still suffering from a bout of the shits from the night before.»[/I] the transition to Savonian was seamless. In the zero gravity, Abigail twisted around to look at him as they floated along. [I]«Home can wait for as long as it needs to.»[/I]

 [I]«Maybe I’ll get to do a photoshoot one day too.»[/I] he guffawed, his harsh and ugly laughter rattling off the panelling alongside Abigail's loud cackles. The conversation didn't pick up afterwards and they floated in a comfortable silence. They made it to the changing rooms in a roundabout way and planted their feet on solid ground. Abigail was quick to turn all the showers onto the hottest setting, save a few - and stood in one of the end stalls for the longest time. Her surgery gown lay discarded in a heap on the floor and the water ran muddied by blood and sweat and vomit.

Minutes passed, one by one - then in dozens at a time. The changing rooms filled with steam.

[I]«Don’t fall asleep in there, we’re not on leave. You’re taking too long.»[/I]

[I]«We were [b]going[/b] to be on leave until Princess showed up,»[/I] Abigail pointed out ruefully. She reluctantly pried herself from the shower, sloshing her way to the lockers for a towel. [I]«Not everyone is a genetically engineered supersoldier like you. The crew's tired already. At least we're zooming our way back into UEE space.»[/I] 

[I]«It’s expected of us. We don’t get to have lives. Not until we’re too old or broken to move.»[/I]

[I]«No, not until you've stopped being [b]useful[/b]. The only geriatric out here with a gun in hand and a MAS to his name is you - because you exceed expectations.»[/I] Abigail towel dried herself. [I]«There's nothing stopping us from amicably retiring from the military except the overwhelming implication that post-military life is going to blueball us and our own fucked up addiction to killing people legally.»[/I] Abigail shot him a couple of finger guns. [I]«Oh and my contract, I got another five years on it at least.»[/I]

[I]«Is that the way you talk on camera too?»[/I] he scoffed.

[I]«No, which is pre-[b]cisely[/b] why I get to do it here.»[/I] Her smile turned into a frown for a moment. [I]«You know what having the Princess on board - having rescued her ourselves - means for me, right?»[/I]

[I]«You won’t have to jerk off anymore?»[/I]

And just like that - the frown was gone, a sputtering cackle skirting across the hiss of the showers on the tiles. [I]«What a speedy way to end up court-martialled but by the gods - a legacy to be proud of.»[/I] She wiped a single invisible tear from her eye. [I]«No, no. You know what? I'm overreacting. I need to get into the Zalavi headspace.»[/I]

[I]«That won’t be hard. Not many went to school.»[/I]

[I]«Yeah. Just gotta…»[/I] Abigail slouched down on one of the benches beside Jakunta, tilting her head back. [I]«Theeere we go. Head empty. I don't have the hairiness to match but it's all about being immersed in the role.»[/I] She lazily scratched her nonexistent chest hair. She rolled her neck just enough to tilt her face at him. [I]«I know we're not on leave but can we just chill here for a bit?»[/I]

[I]«I’d rather get to whatever comes next. But sure, for a little.»[/I]

"Oh thank everything that's holy on this ship you two were here already. The showers aren't cold, you guys aren't hurt, and I can ask you guys the burning questions I've been dying to know about our Sunray!" 

Abigail and Jakunta made the exact same disparaging look at the exact same time, but Abi couldn't stay mad at Gansu forever. As the pilot stripped she gestured at the showers lazily. "I've turned most of them on full blast. It's no Sauna - but it's getting there."

 "Also, Griz! Great job with the laser cannon! Excellent level of destruction and you hit the Coalies too! Nice work!" He walked by, stark naked, offering a hand up for a high five. Jakunta didn't leave him hanging.

Gansu continued into the showers, yelling as he turned on the water and steam. "So! Pips! Tell me how our Royal is! Did we get the one who actually knows what they're doing? The really idealistic one who just wants 'peace' with the coalies? The one who the troops actually like? The one the troops hate, but thinks he knows everything there is to know everything? I overheard Sunnie's attempt at giving orders, and I can only imagine how Boss and D-eye are going to react to that! Do you think we're going to get our leave after we get Sunnie outta our hair or are we stuck on guard duty? I noticed there weren't any ISS dogs running around going 'OH, LOOK AT ME, I'M A SECRET COP WHOSE AFRAID OF REAL COMBAT SO I GO AROUND BULLYING PEOPLE AND GETTING ALL THE BEST MAS UNNECESSARILY'. You'd think we'd get like fifty of them yelling on our comms about how they're about to come here and take control of the situation by now!"

"Inside voices Gansu, this is a place of serenity," Abigail shut her eyes as she processed the torrent of questions and picked them apart piece by piece. "You can't just compartmentalise people - not even princesses. And it's unwise to make assumptions based on a brief and [I]very[/I] out-of-the-ordinary initial visit. I know of her, what she thinks, how she likes to be treated... but I wouldn't comment on it just yet," she warned him. "People change in emergencies. You know that." 

"I think the brass would be very ballsy indeed to thrust their finest pilots into a rescue mission by accident, watch them flawlessly bring back a royal, then continue to deny them leave when they were meant to be off duty the day it all started. And the reason the ISS haven't shown up yet is because they're all dead. Ferryman's a smear in the cosmos. Sunny's not going to like that, so try not to mention it all that much until she's had time to wrap her head around it." Abigail continued to slouch into the bench, practically melting into it until she was lying down next to Jakunta.

"No napping," he reminded her.

"I know," she sighed.