(Untitled)

[no_nanomites]

WHO: Ana and Uhura
WHAT: Ana saving Uhura.
WHERE: The woman's inmate showers
WHEN: Backdate to Thursday (Midnight Harry Potter movies ftw!)
WARNINGS: Character death via fire. (Again.)

Comments

[lt_n_uhura]

Uhura felt awkward being in there at all. She hated these communal showers anyway and, with one of the perks of a warden being a private bathroom, it made no sense for her to go anywhere else. But she just needed a place to get away for a while. And while the bathrooms were partially filled with smoke, she liked it there more than she did anywhere else.

It was quiet. Warm. And she could hide for a while.

Leaning against a sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror, she didn't immediately notice Ana's presence, but the sound of the door actually made her look over in surprise.

"Ana. What are you doing in here?"

[no_nanomites]

Ana hadn't expected to see Uhura in here. She had expected her to be in the kitchen or in the engine room doing the sort of things that one would expect a warden of Uhura' caliber to do. Granted, she was actually glad there was someone she knew in the bathrooms rather than someone who she didn't, or even worse, someone who she hated.

"I'm going to the bathroom." The statement was said simply, and Ana didn't bother to try to keep the added 'duh' tone out of her voice. "What are you doing in here?" She countered quickly, looking around to see if anyone else was in the room.

[lt_n_uhura]

The warden shrugged a shoulder, shifting a bit in her borrowed jacket and way too short shorts. Standing up straighter, she gave Ana a wary sort of look, but answered the question anyway.

"I needed to get away for a bit. This seemed like the best place to do it." She just wanted to forget that they were going through a disaster.

"I thought you might be in the infirmary or nearby." Uhura did keep a very close eye on her inmate, of course.

[no_nanomites]

Ana nodded quickly; she understood the need to get away and try and figure things out. Granted, she never would have chosen a smoky bathroom to do it, but at least it was warm in here. Hell, it might have been warmer here than it had been in the infirmary. She was still dressed in her PJs and would probably throw them away when this was all over. After all, there was only so many things that soap could get out, and memories weren't one of them. Four days in these had been a complete and utter pain in the ass.

"I was. The bathroom was being used so I came down here." A pause, because Uhura was like her personal cricket on her shoulder and she was trying to be honest. "And the desperation there is getting contagious."

[lt_n_uhura]

"I know what you mean, Ana." She ran her fingers through her long hair, which had finally dried, and just gave her inmate a soft look. "I should probably leave then." She forced a smile and turned around, starting to head back out the door. Back towards the cold. She pulled Paddy's jacket closer to her and shoved her hands in the pockets.

She didn't notice that one of the torches was loose. Or even that something as little as her bumping into the sink would knock it over.

[no_nanomites]

Ana had half a mind to ask Uhura not to leave, simply so that she wouldn't need to be in the bathroom alone with the glowing and the smoke of the torches. It was entirely stupid, she knew but the urge was still there.

So she watched her warden start to go, and then she noticed the erratic movement of the torch. When it started to tumble, she quickly shouted. "Uhura!" There was a shove to get her warden out of the way, and she knew that she was going to be putting herself in harm's way and she braced for the weight and heat.

[lt_n_uhura]

Uhura turned at the shout and fell into a wall as Ana shoved her out of the way. She scrambled up in a flash, a little dazed but not harmed. But her inmate...no. She had to get to Ana. She wasn't going to let this happen again. She watched Ana burn once and she wasn't going to let that happen again.

And certainly not because she was trying to save her.

[no_nanomites]

The oil didn't hurt for the first nanosecond that it hit her. There was the odd sensation that she was suddenly warm for the first time in days. But warmth turned into pain and Ana screamed quickly. She could feel the fire working through her pjs, spreading into her hair. All of the nightmares of the last month were coming true, and she quickly hit the ground, trying to roll and stop the fire from spreading and seeping.

It felt like oil was everywhere and Ana was screaming without sound. Her world had become pain and she was dimly aware that the rest of the lantern was about to break further.

[lt_n_uhura]

Uhura kicked the lantern away as she approached, not even aware of her own minor injuries at the moment. She had only Ana to think about. She screamed for help, but none was coming, she knew that. It was too late and people didn't know where they were.

So she did what she could, but the stubborn fire refused to go out without a fight.

[no_nanomites]

Her mind was shutting off, the fire and the pain and the panic burning through it at an alarming rate and she had stopped screaming now. She hoped that Uhura had been alright, because if she wasn't alright then she didn't know what she'd do.

[lt_n_uhura]

Uhura stayed with her until it was over, though she didn't know what else to do. The fire had burned her hands and some of her arms, but she didn't even feel it. All she knew was that Ana was going to die...had suffered through it again...and Uhura had been unable to stop it.

Again.