It felt like a lifetime since Echo had seen a brother’s face.
His eyes slowly cracked open, his throat dry and burning, the bright white lights of the room blinding him in an instant, and he shied away from it.
He could hear muffled voices near his head, someone calling his name.
“Echo.”
There, it was clearer now. Unmistakable. His name. When was the last time someone had said his name?
“ECHO!!!”
Fives. Fives had screamed his name.
He tried to speak, tried to ask for Fives, his brother, where was his brother?
“Don’t try to talk just yet, brother.” The voice told him softly. He felt a hand against his skin, his arm. Someone was touching him. Flesh and blood, not a droid. Someone was touching him. “Kix stuck a feeding tube down your throat, he’s got to remove it before you can talk, yeah? Try to relax.”
Echo felt something being maneuvered through his gut and back up his throat. It was extremely unpleasant, and he was relieved when the end of the snakelike tube passed his lips at long last.
“That’s it.” The voice murmured. The hand had shifted to his forehead now, soft fingers brushing against the metal apparatus the droids had crammed into his skull. Please don’t touch me there. “That’s it, you’re safe now, Echo. Safe.”
His eyes finally adjusted to the brightness of the room, blurry faces beginning to take shape in front of him. There were four distinct figures standing around his bed, but the only face he could make out right away was that of a brother. He tried to speak, but again, no words would come out, his throat so dry that he could barely breathe without there being pain.
“Jesse, get him some ice chips.”
“Yes Captain.”
The hand was back on his forehead, away from the metal this time, instead ghosting across his cheek, fingers sliding up and down the skin reassuringly. He felt calmer now.
Someone pressed a cup to his lips, and he felt cool ice chips against the chapped skin. The hand was under his chin now, helping ease the ice into his mouth.
“There you are, brother.” The voice murmured, still in that soft, reassuring cadence. “Trooper, do you remember your name?”
He swallowed, letting the ice drift down his throat, the sensation absolutely heavenly.
“Echo.” he managed weakly, his voice cracking on the word. The man leaning over him looked relieved.
“That’s right, brother.” The man nodded, his hand stilling on Echo’s cheek. “Do you remember my name?”
Echo studied him for a few moments, his eyes drifting over the brother’s face, the blue armor and pauldron. Fives had a pauldron like that. Fives’s armor was blue like that.
“Captain Rex.” He whispered. Rex cracked a smile.
“Yeah. Good work.” He murmured warmly. Echo’s eyes glazed across the other three men standing around him. He recognized Kix, the medic, and Jesse – after all this time, he could never forget that tattoo – though Jesse was wearing ARC armor now. Fives was an ARC Trooper. I was an ARC trooper.
“Gen… General Skywalker.” Echo huffed, each syllable on its own breath as he greeted the last man. He smiled weakly. “What… took you… so long?”
Anakin Skywalker smiled, his arms folded across his chest. “Glad to have you back with us, Echo, but it was Rex, Jesse, and a team of elite soldiers that rescued you, not me.”
Echo turned back to Rex. “You… you came back… for me?”
“Of course, brother.” Rex whispered. “We weren’t going to let the Seps keep you any longer.”
Echo sighed, closing his eyes. “Fives.” he whispered, his voice cracking as tears threatened to spring to his eyes. “My brother… where is he?”
A harsh silence fell over the room. Even the steady beep of the heart monitors seemed to cease their whispers.
“He needs rest.” Kix spoke up suddenly. “He’s been through extreme mental and physical trauma. We can’t overwork him.”
“Where is he?” Echo repeated, panic leaking into his voice. “Where’s… my brother?”
Where is he?
“Echo…” Rex began, his voice barely above a whisper.
Don’t.
“I’m sorry, Echo. There was… an incident.”
Don’t go where I can’t follow.
“He was killed. I’m sorry.” Rex finished lamely, hanging his head, unable to bear looking at Echo.
I came all this way to find you.
“Echo, we need to know what the Separatists were using you for.” Anakin prodded lightly. “How much information were they able to get from you? This may explain why Fives was killed.”
I fought so hard to come back to you.
“I don’t… I don’t understand.” Echo gasped. “He couldn’t… he…”
Why didn’t you wait for me?!
“General, please.” Kix’s voice turned rough. “He needs his rest. If we overwork him it could put too much strain on his body and kill him.”
It’s not true!
“It’s not possible.” Echo hissed, reaching a hand up to press against the metal in his skull. “It’s not possible!”
Bring him back to me!
“Echo-!” Rex tried to grab him, hold him still.
Don’t go.
“No!” Echo screamed, pushing Rex off of him. “No, give me back my brother!”
Don’t go.
“Kix, sedate him!” General Skywalker bellowed, and Kix rushed forward with a syringe.
Don’t go.
“Please…” Echo begged, tears streaming down his face as the needle pricked his skin. “Please…”
Come back.
“It’s alright Echo.” Rex whispered, holding him as his eyes drifted closed again.
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