The Storybook Dimension

Title: First Impressions
Summary: Sky isn’t too happy about the newest recruit to D-squad. A Sky/Bridge friendship fic… eventually.
Author: Seren Maris
Genre: Angst/Friendship
Rating: T

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Chapter 4

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Maybe he had judged Bridge too quickly.

No, Bridge wasn’t Dru. He wasn’t so good at fighting, or at simulations. He wasn’t even a friend. Instead, he was just a new cadet, who was bright, and enthusiastic and friendly. People liked him – ran to his defense, even.

‘I didn’t want to give him a chance because I felt he was trying to replace Dru,’ Sky reluctantly admitted. Syd was right, as usual. He owed Bridge an apology, and a second chance. ‘I don’t know why Bridge is on this team, and why Dru isn’t. Maybe I’ll never know. But Bridge deserves a chance to be accepted for who he is, not judged for who he isn’t.’

But no matter where he looked, he couldn’t find Bridge anywhere. He looked in their room, and the cafeteria. He even looked in Kat’s lab, where Bridge’s friend – Boom, wasn’t it? – gave him a suspicious look and sent him hurrying away.

Finally, his search led him to the trainee dorms. He knocked on the door. “Is Bridge here?”

The trainee shook his head. “You haven’t heard yet?” He asked, squinting at Sky’s uniform. “Isn’t he on your squad?”

“No, I haven’t heard anything. What happened? Where’s Bridge?” Sky demanded, a little annoyed at this veiled accusation of negligence.

“Cadet Carson is in the hospital. He was shot…”

—

Sky walked through the wide, sterile hallways until he found room 26. A clipboard on the wall had Bridge’s name written on it, as well as a great deal of other information which was incomprehensible to Sky.

He slowly entered the room, quietly closing the door behind him. Bridge lay on the hospital bed, unconscious. A tube ran from his mouth, connecting with a ventilator. Above the blanket, Sky could see extensive bandaging around his chest.

“What are you doing here?” A tense voice asked from the corner. Sky tore his eyes away from Bridge, and turned to face the lab technician from earlier. His first instinct was to demand the same question of Boom, but he instantly thought better of it. Of course he was here. He was Bridge’s friend.

“I came to… apologize,” Sky said, taking a seat next to the bed.

“He’s the one you should be apologizing to,” Boom said. “Do you know how he got hurt? He was trying to help someone. He didn’t know her, didn’t have any weapons or anything. But he fought to protect her, not because it was his duty, but because that’s just the kind of person Bridge is.”

“Yes,” Sky said, hanging his head in shame. “I know that now. I wasn’t fair to Bridge – I never gave him a chance. Will… will he be alright?” Sky asked uncertainly, almost feeling as if he had no right to ask the question.

“I don’t know,” Boom said. “I think we just have to wait and see. I don’t think anyone knows for sure.”

Sky nodded and sat back in his chair. He waited by Bridge’s side, watching the slow rise and fall of his chest, listening to the steady beep of the machines. ‘Please live, Bridge,’ he thought silently.

‘Don’t leave me, too.’

—

Sky woke suddenly, a little disoriented. He hadn’t meant to doze off – in fact, he hadn’t even realized that he had fallen asleep. Panicked, he looked at Bridge, and was immensely relieved that he was still present and alive.

Sky also realized that he wasn’t alone in the room – a tall form with pointed ears was standing next to Bridge’s bedside. Sky recognized him immediately and stumbled to his feet, managing a salute. “Sir!”

“At ease, cadet,” Cruger said. He gestured for Sky to be seated, but the cadet remained standing. “Have you been here all night?”

“Yes, sir.” Cruger gave him a knowing look, and Sky continued. “I… I had to stay. I was unfair to Bridge; he was on my team, and I let him down. I came to apologize, but now I might never get that chance.”

Cruger put a heavy hand on his shoulder. “We all make mistakes, Sky. The important thing is that we learn from them.”

Sky nodded and sat back down, his eyes never leaving Bridge’s face.

—

Over the following week, Bridge’s condition slowly improved. Cruger temporarily removed Sky from active duty, leaving him with a great deal of free time – every moment of which he spent by Bridge’s side.

Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was the lingering fear that Bridge would take a turn for the worse, and Sky knew he wouldn’t be able to live with himself if Bridge died alone. In this, he was powerless – there was nothing he could do but wait, and so he did.

—

Bridge did eventually wake, but not that day, or the next.

He woke slowly, bleary eyes fixing on the person next to him, someone who he thought he would never see again. “S… Sky?” Bridge’s voice was scratchy, unfamiliar even to his ears. “What are you doing here?”

Sky looked into his eyes, really looked at him for the first time since he had joined D-squad. “I… I wanted to apologize to you,” Sky began. “I said some things which I shouldn’t have. I let my feelings get in the way – I didn’t give you a fair chance. I guess what I mean to say is that I’m sorry, and I’ll try to be a better teammate from now on. Can you ever forgive me?”

Bridge studied Sky carefully, searching for any lie, any deception. He could find none – instead, he only saw genuine regret.

“It’s okay,” Bridge said. “I forgive you.” And that was that. Because that was just the kind of person Bridge was. He held out a unsteady hand, and Sky took it without hesitation, giving him a rare smile.

“Why don’t we start over? I’m Sky Tate, D-squad leader. What’s your name?”

Bridge smiled crookedly. “I’m Bridge, Bridge Carson.”

Sky gently shook his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Bridge. I’m honored to have you on my team.”

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The End

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