It's unforgivable the way that Wash hasn't gotten used to Maine being gone. It had been a long time in the nuthouse, a lot of things had changed in his absence, and intellectually he knows that his partner is gone, no more Maine to watch his back, anything on his motion tracker should be considered a threat. Even fellow Freelancers.

But he sleeps through Maine's entrance, sleeps through the vague familiar scent of his armor, sleeps through the cat quiet footfalls, the sound of someone breathing so close to him.

Once upon a time, he had trusted his partner to stand watch while he slept better than he could trust his own AI to do the same. Once upon a time Maine had known the nightmares that Epsilon unwittingly put him through when he did sleep, and stood both their watches just so Wash could get a little more rest.

So maybe that's why he doesn't jerk awake, when the little noises finally start to register, when his eyes crack and he sees the EVA helmet. His expression is still sleep blurred, and that helmet is familiar (safe), and he starts to apologize for sleeping through his watch, Isaac--

The gun registers. His throat closes, his pupils dilate, and cold washes through him like a bucket of icewater. He holds himself utterly still.

"--Meta."

It's not a question.