Thorne X Palmer: Fighting Pains

Loss

"I know what happened is hard to comprehend, Gabe. But we still miss ya bud, see you soon."
Thorne put the letter down and rubbed his eyes. It was the 17th one today. He sat at his new desk, in his now single roomed quarters. All of Fireteam Majestic was killed in a raid by a new form of a literal Forerunner "Soldier". When the UNSC finally found Thorne, huddled in his friend's arms, sobbing, they knew he was broken.

3 days prior...

Palmer jumped out of the Pelican, but she already knew they were way too late. The distress signal reached Infinity around two hours prior, and the eggheads knew a few members of Majestic had perished already. Roland tasked Palmer and Davis personally to get the large fireteam back to Infinity, sending them as soon as the call was received. Palmer clutched her duel M6H Magnum Pistols in each hand and advanced onto the objective, Davis followed.

"How many do you think made it?" The yellow and red Spartan IV asked.

"All of them, I hope." The female Commander replied. The two came to a hill with an opening, which exposed remains of at least a hundred fallen Forerunner enemies. Palmer's stomach churned as she spied three members of Fireteam Majestic dead in the dirt, they were Spartan DeMarco, the team's leader, Spartan Grant, and Spartan Madsen. Palmer and Davis knew their fate, but they jumped down anyway to get them back to Infinity.

"Infinity, this is Commander Sarah Palmer, I have news of Fireteam Majestic's fate." She signaled into her helmet radio.

"This is Roland, go ahead Commander, you're on a secure channel." The ship's AI signaled back.

"Davis and I have recovered three dead Spartans, the other two are still MIA." She said, though slower, as she knew the fight was fierce.

"That's a shame, we're sending a medical team now, Infinity out." Roland replied. Palmer looked to Davis, who already had his helmet removed and hand on heart. Sarah did the same, putting her pistols away as well.

"Poor guys, didn't see it coming." He muttered, sitting on a nearby rock. He was going to continue, but stared at a blood trail leading into a cave. Palmer saw it around the same time. The two raced into the cave, helmets equiped once again and lights on.

"Hello?!" Palmer called out, still following the trail. The cave was deep, and Palmer even wondered how in God's name had an injured Spartan made it into there? She dismissed the thought, returning to reality. The two entered an opening, only to see the remaining two spartans. Seeing the obvious chest movement, and also the sound of a grown man sobbing, Palmer bolted to their side, or his side to be more accurate. Palmer clutched Thorne's arms and pulled him away from a battered and recently deceased Spartan Hoya, his bunkmate. Thorne let out a cry, reaching for his friend, but failing. Palmer aided him out of the darkness, and he saw the rest of his squad. He stopped and collapsed, removing his helmet and punching the ground.

"I COULD HAVE SAVED THEM!!" He shouted at the sky, but stopped when he felt his wound throbbing again, then passed out from blood loss.
Palmer lifted him up and aided him once more, this time to the Pelican Davis and herself had taken to the site. She lowered the bar onto his lap and ran to the pilot seat.

"Davis, wait for the medical team, Thorne won't make it if we wait."

5 hours of surgery and plenty of medicine later...

Thorne opened his eyes slowly, only to see the planet that had taken his friend's lives. He closed his eyes, trying to drift off.

"Don't leave me yet, Spartan." Palmer announced from the foot of his bed. Thorne tried to stand up and salute her, but Palmer stood and held him down.

"Nonono, not yet. You took a beating down there," she said, gesturing out the window with her head, "you didn't go down."

"I couldn't save my team, Commander, I failed as a Spartan." Thorne rebuttled, blinking his fatigue away.

"Don't think that way, your helmet cam showed that you all fought with a burning passion." Palmer said. Thorne didn't reply. He still hasn't forgot Hoya's last words to him...

"Tell grandma... I said I love her, and that I love all of my family."
Those words burned into his head, and only a few seconds later, Palmer and Davis ran in.

"Okay Thorne, I'll leave you, but you're off active duty for a month. We'll figure something out." She said, running her hand down his bed and walking out the door. She was gone, and Thorne was alone with his thoughts. He remembered everything, then tried to forget... wait... was Palmer not wearing her armor? He hadn't seen that since they all were assigned to Infinity! He thought for a few more moments, then shut his eyes to drift into sleep.