Specialist Rose

41) Regroup

The airship was deathly silent for the whole ride. Nobody could think of anything to say, instead stray silent tears and more silence. Ciel and Reese who had both lost their partners took comfort just leaning against each other and Neon mirrored them leaning into Flynt. Though none of them knew Pyrrha very well and she was more Ruby's friend than theirs she still welcomed them and didn't act like she was above them so everyone was understandably upset about her death. But everyone was absolutely distraught about Penny and Arslan's death. They were one of them- though Atlas didn't have teams if it did they would all be one big team and losing 2 of their people was earth shattering. It wasn't even like their team leader Ruby was there to piece them all back together as she was falling apart overseas trapped in her old household and also having to grieve the loss of her first child and 3 friends without her other friends and fiancée or anyone there for her really. The silence was broken by the radio beeping into life and Colbolt answered it,

"Pilot Colbolt speaking do you copy?"
"Colbolt? It's the General. Myself, Winter and the Ace-ops are waiting for you in hanger 3 and will see you shortly, over." Ironwood seemed to laugh lightly at someone before getting back on the radio and saying,
"And Marrow and Winter would like you to hurry up as they are both impatient to see Ruby." Colbolt turned around to look at his friends as they all looked to each other and wondered what to say,
"Can they hear us now General?"
"No, but I can put them on if you like?"
"No, no don't put them on. General, Ruby isn't on the ship.
"What? What do you mean? Where is my protégé?"
"We are just about to touch down General, we'll explain in person. Over and out."

The tension in the airship heighted and everyone was somehow strung even tighter after that exchange. Flynt took one of the ultrasound pictures out of his jacket and everyone sighed sorrowfully. Violet spoke up first,
"So, what do we tell them?" Reese in her grieving anger offered up some unhelpful suggestions with colourful words until Neon followed the example of her best friend and took charge just as Ruby would have done.
"Guys, we aren't going to draw this out on a torture rack okay? No dancing around the issue or anything of the sort. Flynt and I will take Marrow aside and tell him what happened whilst you lot explain it to the others. Violet take one of the pictures to show them and Flynt and I will give one to Marrow. Kapiche?"
Everyone nodded to Neon assumed they were fine with the plan and sat back down. All to soon Colbolt was pulling into hanger 3 and everyone held their breath for the doors to open.

Everyone limped or trudged out of the ship and a warm welcome was waiting for them. The ace-ops hugged them all naturally slipping back into their big sibling roles. Asides from Marrow and Winter who looked around for a tri-haired girl and their faces fell when she was nowhere to be found.
"Where is Gem?"
The others looked around at each other and steeled themselves for breaking his heart. They all nodded to each other and took up their respective roles. Violet, Bolin and Ciel rounded up everyone whilst Neon and Flynt took a confused Marrow off to the side.

"Hey Marrow, so how are you hanging?"
"Let's maybe cut the small talk and tell me where Ruby is? That'd be nice."
"Ruby was in too bad a condition to travel anywhere so she is back on Patch with her uncle, dad and sister."
"What? You left her with those people? Are you insane!"
"No we aren't insane Marrow. It was the most viable option we had- granted that doesn't make it a good option but it was the best we had at the time."
"Very well, but what actually happened to her?"
"Take a seat Marrow." the 3 of them sat down on a nearby bench and by this time Marrow was really wound up,
"Guys you are going to have to tell me what's happening or do I need to ask Ciel?"
"No, no don't worry you don't need to ask Ciel. We'll tell you. Flynt do you want to start?"
"Sure, well actually we aren't really sure what happened to kick this off. There was a bright light from the top of the CCT tower where Ruby was, qrow was already there so we got everyone on the last eva ship and went to go pick them up. But when we got there something was definetly wrong with Ruby. Even unconscious she seemed to be in a lot of pain so we went down into the medical sector of the safezone. I wasn't there for the next part so Neon will explain."
"Qrow and myself took Ruby into the emergency tent and the nurse took a sonogram to see if there was any free fluid or internal bleeding. And there was an abnormality of sorts, just see for yourself." They both held their breath as Flynt handed Marrow the small picture. The silence was deafening as the pair waited for Marrow to react or at least breathe. But he never did. He was a still as Ruby was when they left Vale and he said nothing. Despite not really knowing if he could hear them or not Neon spoke,
"We'll just leave you be for a bit and check on the others but after that maybe we'll take you back to your room ok?" Marrow made no move to acknowledge her. So the pair vacated their seats beside him to go check in on the others. Winter was lightly crying and everyone else looked distraught.
"How's Marrow? Have you told him?"
"Well we told him and I don't really know what happened. Like, he just sat there. He still is sat there not moving we had to check if he was breathing. I think we should just take him back to his room and let him have some time to himself."
"That does seem efficient. I think we could all use some time for ourselves after that mess."

With that Ciel walked off with Reese and the other students also went their separate ways to crawl back to their beds and lick their wounds leaving the ace ops, winter, Ironwood and neon and flynt to gently guide Marrow back to his room. Mainly it was just moving him left or right slightly as he shuffled in a trance like state through the halls. At some point a few silent tears fell but he was still completely silent. They made it back to his room and Marrow shuffled inside and sat on the bed forgetting to shut the door behind him. So Clover quietly closed the door leaving Marrow with only the soft glow of the shattered moon. That night nobody slept. Marrow in the emotional turmoil of Ruby not coming home and the loss of his first child had turned to the nearest bar, Ciel and Reese climbed into bed together whilst everyone else cried in thier own beds morning the loss of their teammates and the undeniable trauma that had yet to be processed. 

It's stupid late and I'm so tired but the next chapter is up right now and I've got a surprise there!
See you later, love Lizzi