idk how this one got to be so lengthy OTL I can explain though.

For a few weeks I've wanted to write a oneshot focusing on Newt (because he's a precious bby -u-). It started out fine and then… got away from me. I might write another oneshot about Newt after I get some other things out of the way, but for now, here's my very long oneshot. Takes place after the events of the movie, written from both seeing the movie and reading the novelization.

*rolls off into the sun*

Note: I do not own Pacific Rim in any way

First Days After

It was a sense of major accomplishment; that the war had ended. In a sense, quite a literal sense, Newt had helped save the world. It was his own idea to Drift with a Kaiju in the first place.

That set aside though, that night he swore he went through 5 whole cans of Red Bull, after promptly getting that cut on his head stitched up.

Newt did want to see Raleigh and Mako to congratulate them on the success of the mission, and maybe give Raleigh a proper greeting this time and express his condolences to Mako about Pentecost. However, they'd been swept away by a much larger crowd and he couldn't even get close to them. Newt just shrugged and went back to talk with Gottlieb some more, though he had mostly stuck around with his colleague back in the lab during a majority of the celebrations.

Looking back on it now, what was a mere idea that so nearly fried his brain, and then looking to everything that followed afterwards, everything had worked out in the end after all.

"Maybe I should get a tattoo of Slattern!" Newt exclaimed enthusiastically to his colleague.

"Don't you have enough of those ridiculous things inked on your body already?" Gottlieb questioned, slightly puzzled as to this.

"Hermann, please." He shot back right away. "Not only was Slattern the first Category V on record, but it was the last Kaiju."

"You really are hopeless sometimes."

"Whatever you say." Newt pondered the thought, adjusting his glasses. If he went through with that, he'd probably end up getting it tattooed on his ankle. He was running out of space from the tattoos already carved onto him. He'd have to ask Raleigh and Mako about what Slattern looked like too, since he obviously was not there to see it himself.

And he never wanted to get anywhere near a live Kaiju again, not after Otachi nearly ate him. That wouldn't stop his studies on the remaining samples he had though. Newt still thought the Kaiju were pretty cool.

"The important thing is those blasted Kaiju are finally gone."

"Yeah! We basically helped saved the world, dude!" Newt was still a bit jittery after all that had happened, so at the moment he was drinking some water to calm his nerves. He couldn't help it though, so much had happened in the past few days, and even the war had ended. "I'd thought you'd be a bit more of a celebratory mood though."

"Were you even listening to what I just said?"

"Of course I did. Just lighten up for once in your life. At least look like you're enjoying this party."

"I was never one for parties, Newton." Gottlieb said, scribbling more numbers down in a notepad he kept with him. "You, on the other hand, are clearly being hyperactive about the whole situation."

"Dude, we just saved the world. Do you know how famous we'll be? I told you I'd be a rock star!"

"Yes, yes. You said such right before you went off taking garbage and managing to scrap together a makeshift neural bridge to preform that experiment that nearly killed you."

"But it was so worth it in the end."

"Even though you almost were eaten because one was apparently looking for you?"

"Yes. Even through that."

Gottlieb set down his pencil and looked up from his notepad. "Aside from that, how are you faring?"

"Alright." The biologist answered. "Bit tired, but I'm all good. And you?"

"Perfectly fine, thank you." He replied. "I'd be more concerned about you though."

"What? I told you not to mother me like that."

"But you're the one who Drifted with a Kaiju. Twice."

Newt scoffed at that, as if it was nothing. "Chill out, Hermann. Aside from being slightly out of it due to everything that's happened, I'm fine. I think you're the one who needs to relax. All you do is staring at numbers on a chalkboard all day. And don't you start with the whole 'numbers are the handwriting of God' thing again."

"You fool." Gottlieb shot back at him before writing down more numbers again.

"Yeah, yeah." Newt looked over the tattoos on his arms, still thinking about getting Slattern inked on him in the next few days. After taking another sip of water, he glanced back at his colleague. "You, um, were right though."

The other looked up again. "Hm?"

"As much as I hate admitting it, you were right, Hermann; about the Kaiju, about the double event, about it all." He sort of scowled at saying that, because he was absolutely irritated by having to admit Gottlieb was right about anything.

"Well," The other started. "You were right as well."

Newt blinked, almost not being able to believe what he just heard.

"So… So I was right all along? Even though you probably thought my idea was completely crazy?"

"Yes. Don't push it. Let's say we were both right and leave it at that."

A smile brimmed on Newt's face.

"Yes! I knew it! Told you I was right!"

Gottlieb shook his head. "You are such a child sometimes."

His smile still would not vanish, and secretly, he knew what his friend said was true. They were both right.

Around midnight, Newt returned to his room. Both he and Gottlieb had their own rooms, but ironically they were right across the hall from each other. Half the time Newt ended up falling asleep in the lab, but this time he'd be getting some proper rest. There was nothing to worry about anymore.

His mind still lingered on some remaining thoughts. He thought about the Kaiju, still amazed at everything he'd learned, everything he'd seen, about those very complex living weapons that had theorized this earth for far too long. Perhaps there was even a noble prize in his future. It was a ridiculous thought however, even though it would be nice. He thought Gottlieb was more likely to qualify for that than him.

The biologist looked over his clothes, tattered and worn, and bloodstained at the collar due to a bloody nose on one occasion. He looked terrible, and felt like it too, but just because he was tired. At the moment he preferred to get into some more comfortable clothes before settling in to sleep for hopefully a good 8-10 hours.

'Maybe I could sleep the whole day away if I'm lucky.' He thought. 'That'd be great.'

After changing into a black tank top and grey lounge pants that he usually wore for pajamas, Newt set his glasses aside on the nightstand beside his bed and lay sprawled out, looking up at the ceiling.

So much had happened, and he smiled to himself, relived that this war was finally at an end. From here on out, he did wonder what he would do. Of course he would still continue to study the remaining samples he had, and there was so much more to write about what he had experienced via his Drift experiment with a Kaiju. The many things that he had seen still swarmed in his head, but they weren't as bad as before, not like after his first Kaiju Drift and when he encountered Otachi.

He remembered them, all of those visions. To think, they were looking for him, how absurd it sounded. Technically it was true, as he figured out. At that time, he had even considered giving himself up to them. Okay, sure, that had been a pretty stupid move on his part. Maybe the connection between him and the Kaiju would fade now, especially since the nuclear blast from Gipsy Danger'snuclear core closed the Breach. He thought that if they stayed in his head they'd eventually drive him insane.

Speaking of which, not only had he Drifted with a Kaiju twice, but he had also Drifted with Gottlieb the second time around. Newt had quickly picked up on a slight connection between them, as if something had changed and they saw more eye to eye. Would that connection fade as well? Maybe not, since they were both human and both still alive.

Newt shook his head and turned his thoughts back to Kaiju. He wondered what Slattern looked like, as well as the other two that were at the Breach at the time.

'Kaiju are so cool.' He thought as sleep started to draw him in. 'And so complex as well.'

It wasn't until the next day that the full weight of it all set in.

Newt had woken up feeling a bit exhausted, perhaps from everything that had happened in the past few days. Or maybe the stress he'd put on his body from his first Drift experiment was finally catching up with him. Then again, what was worse than having your first trial run of it send you into a seizure? He still remembered the after effects from it, his left eye going bloodshot being a good example. But it had worked, which had satisfied him.

There were some thoughts still lingering in his mind though.

The Breach was sealed, yes. No more Kaiju would ever come here, yes. But something weighed down on Newt that he couldn't shake just yet.

Back in the lab, he still studied the remaining samples of Kaiju that he had. Just because the war was over didn't mean he couldn't stop his research. There were still a few things left to take care of. He loved studying the Kaiju, and basically everything about them fascinated him. That was why he had some of those Kaiju tattooed on him. It was sort of like his personal collection. That had unfortunately earned him that nickname 'Kaiju groupie' from Gottlieb, and had stuck with him the day they started working together.

However, as he would normally be brightened with a smile at doing yet another dissection on one of his samples, some random part of a Kaiju probably (he still would of liked to study the wings of Otachi if he could have. Most likely the baby Kaiju too, if he could manage to get a hold of it before anyone else took it. Stupid black market was probably all over that already). Today he just looked blankly at it as he started his work, as if he was just running on automatic like a machine.

'I wonder if I'll be needed once the rest of these samples are taken care of.' He thought. 'The Kaiju are gone- to which also disappears my chances of understanding them, aside from what I learned from the Drift- so I wouldn't necessarily be needed anymore. I'd really be nice if it was true, 'cause I don't have much to go back to.'

Gottlieb was writing more numbers down on his chalkboard yet again. From time to time he'd catch glances of the other, and he too noticed something seemed off about his colleague.

"You look less cheery than usual." He spoke up.

Newt looked up from his sample, briefly considering tossing some entrails over on his side of the lab. "Well, I'm tried, okay? I would have slept in longer if I could."

"Knowing you, yes. My work must continue onwards."

"Are you serious? All you do is work with numbers all day."

"This coming from the one who dissects things all day."

"I'm a biologist, Hermann." Newt spat. "It's part of the job. Kaiju are pretty complex, so someone's gotta search out the answers."

"Kaiju groupie." Gottlieb muttered.

The other scowled and went back to his own work. They were two different sides doing two different things all for the same goal. It was quite ironic really. Sometimes it made Newt think, and if he looked back on it, the 10 years past with working with Gottlieb, someone Newt could really think of as a friend (though he was glad they sort of were already), wasn't all that bad.

As he continued, and as the day went by, more thoughts about Kaiju filled his head, sort of like flashbacks. He merely just thought this was just part of a post-Drift hangover that still lingered. The first time it kept giving him flashes of Kaiju thoughts and visions up until when he Drifted the second time, along with Gottlieb.

One of the visions he had gotten from when he was literally face to face with Otachi still floated around in his head. The Jaegers rendered helpless in the bay. The two Jaegers that were destroyed. The EMP that nearly proved fatal to Striker Eureka. It must have been chaotic, and it was as if he could envision himself in their place. Cold water rushing in on all sides, sinking down into those dark depths and-

He shook his head, deciding to turn his attention elsewhere. He didn't want to think about what the Kaiju had shown him.

"Well, it's not like they can get rid of us so easily." Newt said, trying to distract himself. "I heard they'll still need us after all, something to do with reverse engineering so Kaiju biotech."

'Yeah, Herc said something about that, right? I'm pretty sure of it.'

He frowned when he realized Gottlieb was ignoring him, but he too had probably realized that. Newt went back to his little doddle he'd started after finishing his dissection. He was never much of an artist though, so after attempting a few sketches of Kaiju he gave up and set the notepad aside, leaning back against his chair instead.

His mind started to wander again, now aware that he really had helped the war come to a close, but there was much loss within that while he had been off on his own mission. Then when the plan to end it all had been put into place…

'Maybe if we had gotten there quick enough…'

Newt shook his head. They had gotten there in time, because those Jaegers were at the Breach and Herc was telling them to go along as planned. He knew they barely made it to warn the pilots of the two Jaegers there before the Breach. Of course that was also when a third Kaiju came through, fulfilling Gottlieb's prediction, but they had made it, and Gipsy Danger ultimately carried out the mission themselves and succeeded. Why was he thinking about that though? It was over and done with.

Maybe it was because after calming down after all that initial excitement when the war ended, he was now starting to take in all that had happened, even more so with the side effects of Drifting with a Kaiju. He looked over at Gottlieb and wondered if he thought the same too. If he was, he was doing a good job of hiding it.

'I really need to relax.' Newt thought as he considered trying to draw a Kaiju again or going to find Mako or Raleigh to ask about the appearance of Slattern. He still considered getting a tattoo of it.

A nightmare jarred Newt from his sleep. He lurched forward with a start and sharply drew in air, trying to figure out if he was really back in his room. He was, and putting a hand to his head he found a cold sweat had broken out on his face, and he felt a little sick.

"S…Stupid Kaiju Drift." The biologist muttered aloud, trying to calm his franticly beating heart and blaming his Drift experiment. He figured it'd be a side effect and his dreams would be bothered by random Kaiju visions. They did have a hive mind after all; it was going to be a while before the connection faded. He looked over at his clock on the nightstand, which said 6:03 AM, and groaned; annoyed by the fact a bad dream had woken him up. He's been starting to feel truly exhausted and wanted to sleep a little longer. The nightmare had only made things worse.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light of his room, Newt swung his legs over the side of the bed and ran his hands through his hair. He knew he was still trembling, he was dizzy, and he wouldn't be surprised if his nose was bleeding again. After his first Kaiju Drift it had happened a few more times, so that would be nothing new. Another side effect.

But to the dream, it was still there in the back of his mind. Fading and hazy, but it was still there. It had all gone by so quickly, but just recalling it made him uneasy and made his head hurt, and yet it felt somewhat realistic.

'Destruction everywhere. I'm out of breath. There's blood. Captured. Surrender. I can feel their pain. Alone.'

"Just a dream…" He says, not bothering to contain his thoughts anymore, feeling a slight tightening in his chest. His heart still wasn't calm just yet. "Must be from the Drift. Don't think…"

He coughed and sniffled, absent-mindedly brushing his fingers under his nose. He'd done that a few times, but this time he felt something wet on his fingertips. He looked to find blood on his fingertips.

"Dammit…" Newt sighed, lowering his head.

'Probably the worst time to show up at your colleague's doorstep.' Newt thought as he knocked on the door of the room across the hall.

He didn't expect Gottlieb to show up as quickly as he did.

"Newton?" He asked.

"Um, yeah." Newt nodded slowly, managing to put a weak smile on his face. Poor man was trembling through his smile. "I didn't think you'd be up this early."

"Morning tea. Helps wake me up, and besides, it's only 6:30 in the morning. Are you alright?"

"Well, uh, not really, no."

Gottlieb looked over the other, noticing his tired expression, disheveled hair, and pale face. "You do look a bit ill, aside from disoriented."

"Yeah, point out the obvious. Listen, I had a rough night. Stupid dreams, got a lot on my mind, kinda woke up to my nose bleeding again, and I'm just not feeling all there."

"Then don't bother to come to the lab today. It's not like you had much work to accomplish anyways."

"I was just getting around to saying that, Hermann." Newt put a hand to his head, feeling dizzy. That nightmare had left him drained. "And all the stuff I do is too important research…"

The biologist swayed a bit, his vision blurring, but he managed to keep his balance. As much as he would like to resume his work, he knew it was best not to. He wasn't stupid enough to ignore that; working for hours on end and falling asleep in the lab, yes, but not when he's feeling like this.

'I feel like I'm gonna puke.' He said within his own mind.

"Newton, why don't you go back to bed before you fall over?" Gottlieb suggested. "Rest if you are feeling unwell. Maybe it has something to do with your Drifting with a Kaiju. Like I said the other day you Drifted with one twice."

"Whatever. I didn't come over here for you to mother me. I wanted to tell you I wouldn't be in today." He rubbed his eyes under his glasses, feeling like he would fall asleep where he stood. "Oh yeah. If you see Mako or Raleigh can you ask them about what Slattern looked like? Because I'm still thinking about-"

"Newton."

"Alright." He sighed in defeat. "Enjoy the silence of me not being there."

He would admit it, he felt absolutely horrible. It made him miserable to know he could not do any work today. He loved working with his samples, learning all sorts of things about the Kaiju from them. On top of it all he was also very bored, not having the energy to do everything. Newt was lying down in his bed, as he had been for most of the day, with a blanket wrapped around him, along with his bedsheets. He mostly felt dizzy and fatigued and he wanted to get up to get a drink, but it was more content to him to just lay there and try to rest. On the other hand, lying around in bed all day did give time to do lots of thinking.

Wearily, Newt stared up at the ceiling, eventually taking off his glasses. Maybe he was still being affected by the Drift and it had only hit him just now. Again, he hated to admit it, but maybe Gottlieb had been right when Newt spoke to him this morning. Certainly Drifting with a Kaiju twice would leave some sort of residual effect on him. Plus the fact that he'd been running around in the pouring rain looking for the local black market to hopefully find a Kaiju brain.

"If you wanna stop them, you have to understand them."

That had been his conviction, and his sudden inspiration that lead him to build the makeshift neural bridge. He'd gotten a bunch of junk together and transformed it into his tool to link himself to the Kaiju brain, or rather what piece he had of it in that tank.

Newt shifted in his bed as he remembered putting it all together. It had been late at night, but he didn't want to sit around any longer and wait. He was able to acquire the necessary equipment with ease and without any trouble at all. And so he went through the night, putting this and that together, connecting cables, assembling it as he saw it in his head. He'd worked all night to build that device, because come morning he had known his chance would be gone.

He remembered connecting those rods into the piece of Kaiju brain, which would then make the machine connect Newt's brain to the Kaiju's and he would Drift, and-

A knock at his door jolted Newt from his memories, and he put his glasses back on.

"It's open." He said, voice tired and sore.

Newt thought it might be Gottlieb, but he was surprised to find that it was Raleigh, one half of the surviving pilots of Gipsy Danger.

"Raleigh?" He asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Hey." The pilot greeted in return, holding up one hand for a moment. "Heard you weren't well."

"Yeah." The biologist sighed and looked back up at the ceiling again, pulling his blanket close. "I've been feeling like shit ever since the sun rose." He coughed and offered up a smile to him. "By the way, congrads. You know, about the whole plan to destroy the Breach and all. That was pretty awesome."

"Thanks. I could say the same to you, that's why I dropped by here. I heard you and Gottlieb made some very important discoveries. Also, that was pretty gutsy what you did, Drifting with a Kaiju. I wouldn't have been able to do something like that. You two really saved the day there."

"It was nothing, just acting on theory and inspiration. It was really quite fascinating, because Kaijus have a hive mind and all. Besides, you and Mako are really the ones who saved the day. Not anyone in a half destroyed Jaeger would jump headlong into the Breach."

Raleigh laughed. "I guess not. We really owe it to you two, both me and Mako think that." He decided to change topic to something he had heard about Newt's misadventure in Hong Kong. "Was it true you were almost eaten by Otachi?"

Newt blinked, remembering and seeing those visions faintly once more. "Yeah… And you were right. I've come to regret my desire to see a Kaiju up close and alive."

"That probably hasn't put a halt to your research, has it?"

"Nope. Not at all! There's still so much to do! So much to write down, and-"

"Alright, I get it." Raleigh laughed. "Don't make yourself pass out now."

Newt adjusted his glasses again. "I still can't believe I was almost eaten. I wonder if they really were looking for me. Because I, you know, Drifted with a Kaiju, or at least a piece of its brain anyway."

"I wouldn't know the answer to that."

"Mmph. They're more complex than we can ever understand. A-a hive mind."

He noticed the other coughing a little and to Raleigh he looked like a wreck. His left eye had gone bloodshot too. He'd never seen Newt like this; the man had gone through so much in the past few days, or so he heard. Raleigh wouldn't be surprised if the scientist was wounded even deeper than this, than just he could see on the outside.

When he saw that Newt was coughing even more, the pilot rushed over to his bedside and helped him sit up. "You gonna be okay, Newt?"

"Yeah. I'll be fine, really, I will be." Newt said in between coughs, calming down a bit after he could finally get some air. "Thanks. I don't really think it's anything to worry about. I don't know how you guys can manage Drifts more than once."

"It's not so bad after you've Drifted a few times, but the hardest part to deal with is the silence."

"Mine was a three way Drift the second time." He cleared his throat and looked up at Raleigh. "Almost feels like a tether around my head connecting me to Hermann, like how pilots shared. You think he probably still feels that connection too?"

"I wouldn't doubt it." The pilot stepped forward to pat Newt on the shoulder, just like in the elevator when they met. "I should go, but feel better soon. It's probably just after effects from your Drift. Besides, with what you went through, you deserve a day off."

"Right, I'll see you around." Newt said quietly as Raleigh turned and walked off.

The younger Becket brother looked back and smiled a foolish grin.

After Raleigh had left, Newt went back to what he was thinking of before. Time passed as he remembered.

He had completed the device, and he had gone through with the experiment. The images flew through his mind in flashes, in pieces. He saw them there, he saw the Kaiju. And they looked back at him. Next thing he had known he was brought out of the Drift, only to see Hermann there before him and the world shaking around him, still caught in a seizure. He'd only been half aware at the time of what was going on. Visions from the Drift swarmed Newt as he was trying to explain it all to Pentecost. And it all lead to him being sent out into Hong Kong to find the black market.

But when the Kaiju came, Otachi had found him, and more visions came. They were some of the fight in the bay. Crimson Typhoon practically being decapitated. Cherno Alpha exploding under the water. The EMP that crippled Striker Eureka. Two Jaegers and their crews had been lost that night, and they would be missed terribly. The realization that had dawned upon Newt then was that the Kaiju were evolving way too fast, and everything would go downhill from there.

Of course Gipsy Danger managed to defeat Leatherback and Otachi, but then afterwards, in the ocean, in the Breach… Three Kaiju. That final fight had taken both Jaegers, and only those two pilots survived. As for Pentecost and Chuck who had been in Striker Eureka… they had been lost, and somehow it was a bit empty without them around, even though Herc had been appointed as the new Marshal. There was much loss.

Another knock at the door. This time Newt assumed it was Gottlieb and rolled over on his side.

"Go away, Hermann." He muttered. He wanted to throw his pillow at the door.

The door creaked open and an unexpected voice greeted him. "Dr. Geiszler?"

He turned back over to see the other pilot of Gipsy Danger. "Mako?"

She bowed briefly before coming over to his bed and kneeling next to him, handing over a bottle of water as he sat up a little, the pilot helping him of course. "Dr. Gottlieb informed me that you were sick, so I brought you some water."

She used the same formality with him out of respect, but he knew she was caring. "Thanks."

Mako nodded. "You're welcome. After what you have done, or at least what I've heard, you are in well need of rest. You must be exhausted."

"Yeah, I think I've got that covered." The biologist took a sip of his drink before glancing up at Mako. She wasn't there though, but as it would turn out, she returned a moment later with a damp cloth. He flinched as she dabbed his forehead with the cloth. "Um, I'm sorry, about what happened to Pentecost."

She frowned, pulling the cloth away. "I do miss him. He's still my sensei, but he'd want me to be strong, so I must move forward. He said I could always find him in the Drift. I believe that."

Newt remembered when he first met Mako; she was probably barely over the age of 13 at the time. He'd heard about when Onibaba attacked Tokyo and she was a survivor. Pentecost had saved her. Observing how she talked about him (in such few times when he had spoken with Mako), Newt could tell she probably saw Pentecost as a father figure.

"At least he listened to me that one time. Although he did send me looking for a Kaiju brain because he wanted me to Drift with it again. Not like I wouldn't have, I would have totally done it again."

"You were brave too, Dr. Geiszler." The pilot said, almost sounding reassuring.

"Heh." He chuckled nervously. "Almost died. I mean, I'm standing there face to face with a Kaiju, and I keep thinking, 'will it kill me? I don't want to die'. They came after me, because of what I did."

She stared into his eyes for a moment. "Dr. Geiszler." She began. "It is a good thing you are still here. Your research is highly valuable."

Newt looked away. "If only I had been able to tell them sooner."

Mako shook her head. "That is not your fault, and you and Dr. Gottlieb were able to warn us in time. Me and Raleigh thank you both for that. By the way, is Dr. Gottlieb alright?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Much better off than me, which is fine, I mean I don't wanna make him suffer this lingering connection ether. I mean, not to me, which is going to take a while to get used to, but to the Kaiju. But he did insist on Drifting with me the second time. Main point is though, he's fine. Probably writing down more numbers on that chalkboard."

"That's good to hear then."

She stood when he decided to look back at her. "Too much was lost, don't you think?"

"Of course, but we are still standing here today."

Newt nodded, and suddenly, before he forgot, something else came to him. "Hey, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you something."

"I think I already know." She said with a laugh. From her coat pocket, she took a folded up piece of paper and held it out to Newt. "Dr. Gottlieb was saying something about you wanting to know about Slattern, what it looked like. I took some time to draw it up for you, so I hope it is to your liking."

Silently, he took the paper from Mako and unfolded it, seeing that she had indeed drawn Slattern out for him. Newt was impressed to say the least. "Awesome…" It was nicely drawn too. Who would have known Mako had a little bit of an artist in her. "Thanks, Mako. I was actually thinking about getting a tattoo of Slattern. Not now of course, but when I feel up to it I really want to, because Slattern was the first category V Kaiju and it as the last to come through the Breach into our world."

"I see." She smiled at his rambling. "Your tattoos… interested me. They must have importance to you."

"Whoa, really? I don't mind people looking at them, it's just sometimes I get weird looks, because they're Kaiju and Hermann always calls me a 'Kaiju groupie', but I'm just so fascinated with them. It's not because I love them, which I don't, I mean Kaiju are really cool, but it's not like that. I'm a biologist, I study them. But anyways, to have you say that is really cool. That's probably the last thing I'd imagine hearing from you."

"But they are you, and that is what makes you 'Newt'. They're unique."

Newt smiled weakly and looked at the Slattern drawing. "Again, thanks."

"Mm. Rest easy, Dr. Geiszler."

She bowed once more before leaving, making sure to leave behind the cloth in the sink of adjoined bathroom.

With the gift from Mako placed aside on the nightstand, along with his glasses, Newt had dozed off, blanket and bedsheets wrapped around him tightly. He'd been asleep for nearly an hour, occasionally shivering and unconsciously readjusting his sleeping position.

He was currently curled up on his side when a faint knocking at the door reached his sleepy mind.

"Mmph. Wha…" Newt snuggled his head into the pillow and pulled the blanket closer to him. He didn't care who it was that was here now.

It just happened to be Gottlieb who opened the door though.

"Newton, you look like a human cocoon." He said plainly upon seeing the other.

Sleep interrupted, Newt raised his head slightly to look at his colleague. "Gee, thanks."

He observed the other, noting that he didn't look much better than when he saw him in the morning. From how Newt appeared, he was probably suffering from a fever and fatigue. "You look absolutely miserable underneath those coverings. Are you feeling any better?"

"Not really. Much of the same. I feel sick, exhausted." Newt reached over for his glasses off the nightstand. "Hey, here's a question. How come I'm the one cooped up in bed feeling like crap?"

"Probably because you're the one who Drifted with a Kaiju twice, went into convulsions the first time you even tried out your little experiment, and ran around through the streets of Hong Kong in the pouring rain. I merely Drifted once, and it was with you."

"And a Kaiju brain." The biologist added, his words sleepy and slightly slurred.

"Yes, that too. I cannot deny the mental connection that has formed between us as a result of our Drift. I'm fine, so don't worry about me. You clearly aren't."

"Wow, way to sum it up nicely, Hermann." Newt said sarcastically before coughing a few times, peering at Gottlieb from under his blanket.

The other scientist glanced over at the nightstand and saw Mako's drawing and a bottle of water. "I see Miss Mori stopped by." He then went over to the nightstand and took the bottle of water, passing it to Newt. "Drink this. You need to stay hydrated."

"I know, and I have been."

Gottlieb frowned before placing a hand to Newt's forehead. He just glared in response, not flinching or shooting back some remark. "You still should." He said before removing his hand from his colleague. "You're practically burning up, and you shouldn't sleep with your glasses on."

"I feel worse than I look." The biologist coughed for good measure before rolling over on his side, away from Gottlieb.

"Will you at least eat something then?"

" 'm not hungry."

"For God's sake, you have to eat something to keep your energy up."

"Dude, I literally don't have any energy, and I already said I'm not hungry."

'Sometimes you are such a stubborn fool, Newton.' He thought silently. He recalled a few days of some time ago when Newt was sick. Even back then he'd acted just like this, aside from the occasional rambling. Even in the middle of a war, he still had managed to go on with talking about his work, Kaiju and all. With what had happened, the things they had seen in the Drift, they could understand each other a bit more. It didn't take very long to understand the other was unwell. He'd actually had a slight suspicion of it the day before. Again, the Drift would be a cause for that.

Newt sniffled before withdrawing further into the sheets and pillows around him. "Just let me sleep, man."

Next thing he knew, a bag of chips was tossed at his head. He turned back around to see them lying by his head. He took one look at the chips before glancing up at Gottlieb.

"I picked these up on the way here, knowing how much you like these things. You and your junk food, I swear."

"Oh. Thanks." Newt poked at the bag of chips before hesitantly taking them and opening them. "Hey, What if I'm turning into a Kaiju?"

"I highly doubt that." He sat down on the bed, near Newt's feet, and glanced over at his friend. "This morning, before you showed up, I could tell something was off about you."

"Really?" Newt said softly, slipping a chip into his mouth.

"Yes. It does make sense that I would notice, knowing that there is obviously some sort of link to each other now. You can feel it too, yes?"

"Despite how I'm feeling, I guess so. I told Raleigh about it, but he wasn't really surprised. I'm not surprised ether, but I guess I can feel that link. It's so weird. But what about you? Are you feeling alright? Nothing like what I've got?"

He nodded "Yes, I am fine. And if you were going to ask, all I see is merely fragments of memories; mine, yours, the Kaiju. They have not seemed to bother me much. No doubt for you there was damage from the first time you Drifted. We must get used to it the mental link. None the less, I cannot ignore my colleague when there is clearly something wrong, more so when one can sense it."

Newt glanced up at Gottlieb before retreating further into the blanket with his snack, leaving only his eyes to show through glasses. At the very least, he hadn't expected anyone to show up here, much less helping him out when he was like this. Even Gottlieb was gennuinely concerned for him.

"Yeah. I can get used to it. Pilots are used to it all the time, aren't they? I mean, we're scientists, but that still doesn't mean we can't adjust like they can. Did you really come here to help me, because you knew?"

There was silence, until he felt the cane Gottlieb used hit him lightly on the head, only to have it aggravate his headache even more.

He yelped and rubbed his head, glaring at the other scientist. "What the hell, Hermann! That hurt!"

"Even back when you so recklessly attempted to Drift with a Kaiju, I had a suspicion that you would try something stupid." He said sternly to Newt. "I found you then and I was concerned that you had managed to kill yourself. Just like then, I am concerned for you now. That is why I came, like Raleigh and Mako did."

"Ah…"

Right then and there, it dawned on Newt. Even though his body was exhausted, he felt like his head was so much clearer.

'I know that's true. I'm lucky…. To be able to think of them… as friends.'

The biologist came out from under the covers, placing the bag of chips over on the night stand. Rolling over onto his back, he closed his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Thanks…"

"Hm? Come to your senses now?"

"I really mean it. Thanks." He shivered once and tried pulling the blanket closer to himself. "Um, I'll try to sleep now."

"Why don't you drink some water first?" Gottlieb asked, watching Newt.

"Yeah, sure. That's fine."

Gottlieb would help his colleague if he needed to, but it seemed Newt was able to sit up alright, shakily taking the water bottle and drinking from it. He put it back on the nightstand when he was done and lay down again.

"Head hurts…" Newt muttered.

"You'll be fine, Newton." Gottlieb reassured him. "You've been through much worse than this."

"So true."

"Shall I leave now so you can rest properly?"

"Yeah, it's fine." He shifted his position in bed and let one side of his head rest against the pillows. He could sense that Gottlieb had gotten up from the bed, and he could hear the clicking of the cane going towards the door. "Um, Hermann?"

The other scientist stopped and looked back at his bedridden friend. "Yes?"

"Thanks. For, you know, keeping me company. Raleigh and Mako too."

"I'll be sure to inform them tomorrow." He said back. "Now sleep already, you need it. You won't get better if you keep blabbering on like that. And also, please do keep your yelling down to a minimum," He tapped his head to get the point across. "I can tell when you're awake and restless."

Newt just looked at him, but then laughed, cocooning himself in the sheets once more.

'Thanks, all of you. I… I think I might feel a bit better now.'

Gottlieb wasn't surprised to not find Newt in the lab the next morning. With how he had observed the other scientist yesterday, it would seem to reason he would take another day off to rest. He'd probably try and sleep the day away again, but hopefully he was feeling better. Gottlieb had decided not to linger on the connection between them, knowing Newt would be fine.

However, he was surprised to find a note on his desk, written obviously in Newt's handwriting.

"What's this now?" He pondered. Gottlieb picked up the note and read it silently to himself.

To Hermann, Raleigh, and Mako

Don't worry, I'm feeling better. But to all three of you, thanks for taking care of me yesterday. I was really out of it, wasn't I? You know, I seriously consider all three of you to be my friends. Yes, Hermann, this includes you. Just thanks.

I'm gonna take care of something in case I just crash like that again. I might be around later today. Depends on how I feel.

Really though, thanks for taking care of me. You all are the best friends I could have asked for. I mean it, and I'm very grateful.

-Newt

Gottlieb read the letter again and chuckled, setting it aside. At least Newt was better, enough to sneak in here in before him and leave this letter. To what he possibly could be doing right now- Well, Newt was Newt, so hopefully whatever it was he was doing, he wouldn't get himself in trouble.

He looked at his chalkboard before smiling to himself.

"Glad I could be of assistance, Newton."

Later that day, Newt did show up, ironically around the same time Raleigh and Mako had come into the lab to ask about him. He did look better, enough to be able to move around, apparently.

And the first thing he said to them-

"Hey guys! You're gonna love this!" He was as energetic as ever, and he pulled up his pant leg to reveal a bandage around his left ankle.

Mako's rendition of Slattern was tattooed there, hidden by the bandage, as Newt would soon tell.

Looks like he had gotten it after all.