Wash sighed and scrubbed his hands down his face. "Caboose-."

Caboose shook his head. "I am not sleepy."

"Oh, come on, Wash," Tucker said. "He's a grown ass man, he can take care of himself."

Wash raised an eyebrow.

Tucker threw his hands up in the air and walked away. "Whatever."

Wash sighed and settled on the bed next to Caboose. "I know you're not feeling tired, but we have this opportunity and we need to be ready for anything."

Caboose crossed his arms and pouted. "Church never made me go to bed."

Wash flinched. "I know. I'm not him. But when he was here, you were locked in a permanent stalemate with people who are now your friends. The place we're in now, we have enemies."

Caboose just shook his head.

Wash bit his lip to keep from groaning and thrashing around in frustration. "Caboose…."

"When I sleep bad things happen."

Wash froze at that. "Bad things like what? Nightmares?"

Caboose drew his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around himself. "That too. And Church left."

Wash nodded and leaned back, propping his arm on his knee. "When I was on the Mother of Invention – with Project Freelancer – they tried to put Epsilon in my head."

Caboose listed sideways, leaning his head against Wash's shoulder.

"I remember being awake for the surgery and then Epsilon in my head and he was…. They'd told him I was dead, but I wasn't, and he realized what they were doing to the Alpha. It was too much for him. He tried to kill himself while he was still in my head. It hurt. I was unconscious in the hospital for months and when I woke up…." Wash took a deep breath. "When I woke up all my friends were dead or gone. Carolina, Maine, Tex, York, North, South, Wyoming, Florida…. They just – They had good reasons, but they still left me. So I understand. I get it."

Caboose was silent for a moment. "If I go to sleep, will you stay with me?"

Wash perched his chin in his hands, thinking. "Yes," he finally said.

Caboose moved to lay down on his side and pulled Wash behind him, entwining their fingers.

Wash sighed and tugged Caboose closer, resting his nose in the crook of his neck. "I'll be here when you wake up."

Caboose closed his eyes and in a few moments, his breathing evened out and deepened with sleep.

Wash found himself following not much later.