Every Little Earthquake

Earthquake by Little Boots

Since the ARES III crew had gotten back to earth they'd all stayed in Houston to support Mark of course most of them lived in Houston anyway but Vogel and his family didn't go back to Germany immediately. Many new friendships had been formed Venkat was friends with Mindy, Mindy was friends with the crew, the crew was friends with Annie and in a surprising turn of events sociable Annie Montrose was friends with the socially awkward Rich Purnell.

When Mark had jokingly brought up the fact that his house had been sold on the two months he was dead and he was kinda tired of living with his parents Mindy had eagerly supplied the fact that the apartment next door to hers had just gone on sale.

Mark hadn't offered the highest price but the land lord decided he preferred to have Astronaut hero Mark Watney in his building more than some randomer and so a month later Martinez, Beck and Vogel were moving sofas and beds into Mark's new apartment (Watney offered to help but Chris insisted he wasn't well enough)

Mindy, Beth and Melissa moved boxes so that the guys could keep their masculinity in check even though all three of them had figured out five different ways to move the furniture much more easily.
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It was 2 weeks in when the first incident occurred. A storm was raging outside sending litter flying and open doors slamming shut. Pedestrians were being knocked over and wind was bombarding buildings. Mark had tried watching TV but couldn't concentrate, every time the wind hit his window he flinched, forgetting he was safe at home and thinking he was on Mars, the HAB Canvas about to breach.

He went to the kitchen to get some water only to remind himself that he could because he wasn't on Mars anymore god damn it.

He was half buried in sand his oxygen alarm going off like crazy

He dropped the glass splattering water and glass everywhere but he wasn't seeing any of that, all he could see was the communications dish flying off and hitting him directly in the gut a blinding pain spreading from his abdomen, Beth Johansson reaching out for him, his radio cutting out. he couldn't breath.

He fell to the floor, on his butt somehow missing all the glass and curled into a ball. He had his back up against his cabinets, his head on his knees and his hands on his ears trying to block out the sound of the wind harassing the glass on his apartment. He couldn't breath. He couldn't breath. Suddenly the door bursts open and there's Mindy in her pajamas, her black cat Nico trailing behind her because he too was scared of the storm ravaging outside and decided to stick with his owner.

"Mark!?" She exclaimed worry and concern evident in her voice

"I can't breath." He wheezed out "I can't-" he tried sucking in air only to have his lungs just give up. His throat felt like it had closed up

"Oh my god!" she patted her pockets and found her inhaler, she hadn't had an attack in a year but she kept it with her just in case "I know your not asthmatic but this might help." She put it in his mouth and pressed then she looked him in the eyes "Come on Mark. You can breath, you can breath, you're on Earth where the atmosphere is 78% Nitrogen, 0.003% Carbon Dioxide and 21% Oxygen. Just breath with me Mark. In and out. In and out." He took big gulps of air on 'in' and shakily let it out on 'out' until his breathing was under control. Somehow during the whole ordeal Mindy had ended up cradling him in her arms, Nico looking on somewhat confused. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah I think so." They were silent for a second "Was that a panic attack?"

"Yeah. I mean I think so. I'm no doctor."

"Yeah." He realized they were still hugging "Thank you by the way. You know for saving me. Again."

"Anytime Mark." She repeated firmly "Seriously, anytime."

"How did you even know to come?"

"Chris called, said he tried to call you and you didn't pick up. He uuum... he said strong storms like this might be a trigger."

"I guess it is. Huh. Well it's lucky I live next to you Mindy."

The two stared at each other in the eyes. Mindy leaned closer. Mark didn't move away. She didn't even blink behind the frame of her glasses as she stared intensely.

A zap of lightning outside the window causes Nico to screech and the two humans to jump apart, scaring the moment away.

They awkwardly picked themselves off the kitchen floor. Words jumbling together as they tried to make the weirdness between them evaporate.