"I just... don't know if this is normal tiredness I can sleep off or if it's alarming and means I need to get back to Nai right this instant."

"Has the fatigue been ongoing, or did it just start? Is any sleep debt catching up to you?"

"It's been a recent development. That and an insane appetite. And, probably, yeah?"

"No coughing up of any blood, nosebleeds, shortness of breath, soreness in your muscles and bones, achey joints and the like?"

".... uh, no."

"Then I think you're fine. I looked at the specs, from what I could understand, you're basically like me but with, like. I dunno, extra plant cheatiness on top? And I think you stopped cheating and it's catching up to you."

"So... you expect this could hurt her if she spent long enough away from Nai, if she starts getting those symptoms?"

Also, to Yvette specifically: those sure were rather specific symptoms.

"Yeah. The real question is if she resets after she goes and cuddles your brother again, or if she's got a set amount of time to burn and then that's it, stuck with cuddles forever. Doctor Asshole didn't know which it'd be, for you. Either way there's no way to know without, you know. Checking."

Yes, those sure were some very specific symptoms, weren't they. ... Yvette can't help but notice that Morgan habitually wears a red scarf. She'd thought it was for dust and stuff, but...

"Discount plant hybridisation. I guess Nai did in fact not let him do better research and jumped on it but I'm still bummed."

[she'd probably not take it well if I asked her to go into cryo until we found a way to not let her die would she]

[Do we even have access to a cryo chamber??? I’d ask either way because if she dies she’s gone forever but you’re the one that’s better with people.]

“…. Kinda dickish to complain about how your girlfriend’s better version of superpowers aren't up to your standards right to me,” says Morgan, making a face. “Also, I know you two are having a psychic conversation right now, so can you knock it off and just talk to me? You’re making all kinds of faces and I can guess what it’s about.”

Okay if they're going to be having this conversation then she will be getting out of the car for it. Here she is, out of the car. Since she's out of the car she will take the opportunity to hold Zash's hand, how about. “We wanted to see if you’d be willing to go into cryo if that were… at all viable.”

"Ha! Someone hasn't been doing their reading, have they. Bad nerd, for not doing your homework. No, pretty sure trying to freeze me would just kill me, my cells aren't the ones the cryo pods are used to dealing with."

"...how. Long. Do you think you have?"

"What, in timespan? Fuck if I know. Long enough to make sure to take one other blue haired experiment of science with me, though."

"... That sounds like it's not very long, though," murmurs Yvette, softly.

"Yeah it's not, I survived as long as I did because I mostly didn't get shot. Bad for my health even if I walk away after."

Zash opens his mouth.

Then he closes his mouth.

He's learned his lesson on taking blame for other people's informed decisions. Morgan chose to do... whatever she did. To get shot, when she could instead not have gotten shot. At many times, to respect Zash's own pacifistic desires. Morgan will die earlier than she otherwise would because she was following his rules, but he knows exactly what she'll say if he tries to self-flagellate about it and she's right and so he won't bother.

Instead: "I don't want you to die. Strip everything else, I just don't want you to die."

"There're worse things than death. Did you think I killed Doctor Asshole thinking, 'Ah, yes, this'll be good for my lifespan?'"

"You... knew your time was running out and you killed the man most likely able to save you anyway. Because. You wanted to stop him from ever. Doing it to anyone else, ever again."

"Also I wanted the satisfaction of vaporizing the fucker personally! But yeah let's go with your explanation, it sounds much nicer."

"I know you're going to say no if I offer to hook you to my gate, but I want to make the offer anyway. I want you to live, living is good actually and I want you to have it and, and it feels so wasteful when it feels like we could figure it out." If she didn't fight Legato, that is. If she went back to February and they worked on figuring it out. Zash and Nai and Yvette, poring over Conrad's research.

But she's not going to agree to not fight Legato, and if she's as close to it as she's implying she is...

"That's very sweet, but you can only have one priority. What happens if we all pack up right now, head back to February, work our asses off so I can maybe live? Hm?"

"I wish you would have said something earlier, we could have..."