Chapter Text
Sinestro had just left and had taken what was left of Neuroxis with him, but that wasn’t the end of problems for the Interceptor and its crew. Shortly after, the ship had experienced a meteor shower while the crew was distracted with the damage Neuroxis had caused. Hal Jordan and Kilowog had taken to repressurizing the ship, leaving Aya and Razer to deal with the damage on the ship’s exterior.
After a thorough analysis, Aya could say that there was only minor damage to the ship’s left engine. She and Razer worked in silence, cleaning out smashed bits of meteor and welding shredded metal back together. Razer usually liked silence. It gave him time to think, but today that thinking was distracting him. His mind kept replaying his interaction with Aya in the infirmary over and over.
“I should have known you were not yourself.”
“Why?”
“You… expressed interest in spending time with me.”
He and Aya had been through a lot. Does she still see me as cold and insensitive? It didn’t make sense to him. Perhaps… I should spend more time with her. This thought rang clear in his mind as he watched her clear the last of the meteor debris away and finish their work. She would probably appreciate that, he thought. She does so much for all of us.
“Aya?”
She looked over the engine and made eye contact with him. Her eyes seemed to soften and shine brighter in the void of space.
“About what you said in the infirmary earlier… I-”
The words died in his throat as he noticed one last meteor, the size of Kilowog, zooming towards them at top speed.
“Look out!”
Aya turned, then felt Razer grab her shoulders and pivot, throwing her out of the way. She saw him breathe a sigh of relief, only for the meteor to collide with the back of his head. How could he have forgotten?! It did not matter. The impact had immediately rendered him unconscious. Worse, she noticed his ring’s life support system flicker. That could only mean it was running out of energy. She was glad she could focus on him now that the engine was back to optimal performance.
Aya quickly grabbed him under the shoulders and flew both of them back into the Interceptor, immediately into the infirmary and onto a cot. She looked at the screen beside Razer, detecting a moderate concussion and bruising along his upper back and shoulder blades. He didn’t appear to have sustained a spinal injury and could survive some brain damage and bruising. I believe this feeling is… relief, she thought to herself. It looked as if his ring had protected his body from the worst of the damage. For now, however, his ring could not assist in his recovery. The red light flickered one more time and disappeared along with Razer’s red armor. She found this to be opportune, as she could better treat him in his civilian clothes.
Aya took great care in pulling back the part covering his head, revealing wavy white hair. Interesting. She realized that she never noticed this while she worked, bandaging his head and applying ice packs. Perhaps he would need pain medication later, and she would definitely have to keep track of his cognitive functions. She stopped to look over her work. Razer looked so relaxed, even with his injuries. He would be fine, but for now she would alert Green Lanterns Hal Jordan and Kilowog of his physical state.
Razer began to stir several hours later. Aya was of course the first to notice, and alerted Hal and Kilowog. The three of them stood at his side as he opened his eyes. Hal spoke first.
“Razer? Are you alright?”
Razer looked around blankly, seemingly confused. Aya looked at the screen beside him.
“His cognitive systems are not entirely functional. The symptoms of a concussion include fatigue, trouble focusing, and memory problems. My research indicates that the best course of action would be to allow him time to rest.”
Kilowog chuckled, shook his head, and put a heavy hand on Hal’s shoulder.
“You two are worrying too much. This is Razer we’re talking about! The kid’s got just as much willpower as us, of course he’s alright!”
Razer blinked, taking in his stark white surroundings.
“Who is Razer?”