Rachel paced back and forth in front of the DNA scanner. It was so frustrating. It had taken literal hours for the analyzer to recognize the genetic code of Galaxy's fur, and it was taking three more hours for the scanner to pick up any similar DNA in a 5 kilometer radius. The rest of the crew had gone to sleep, but Rachel stayed awake. She just couldn't make herself fall asleep. It wouldn't work. She had been having trouble sleeping ever since they had crashed on this unfamiliar alien planet, and the stress of helping the Coissons had only added to that.

So instead, she paced.

And paced.

Rachel heard a sound behind her and whipped around, seeing Quince sit down on one of the uncomfortable-looking couches in the lab.

"Hey," he said. "Hope I didn't scare you." 

Rachel gave him a tired smile. "No, I was just startled. I thought I was the only one still awake." She went to sit down beside him.

"So, uh, have you gotten any sleep tonight?" asked Quince. Rachel shook her head.

"No," she answered. "I've been up all night stressing over the Coisson problem. What if the scanner can't find any more of them? What if Liza was right, and we can't help them, just go back to Earth and do nothing as they die off one by one?

Rachel buried her head in her hands, embarrassed that Quince was seeing her cry. But the next thing she knew, Quince was awkwardly patting her back. 

"Hey," he said softly. "It'll be okay. We'll find a way to hep them, and then we'll go back home. Who knows? Maybe we can even come back and visit one day,  play with the little fish puppies."

Rachel laughed a little at that, and threw her arm around Quince. 

"Thank you," she whispered, holding him tight. "I really needed that."

She could practically hear the smile in his words. 

"What are friends for?"