Alternate Start (ARCHIVE)

Chapter Thirty One: Rest

Kaar sat quietly next to Droidbait, filling out flimsiwork on his datapad. His gaze drifted to Droidbait, who's head was bandaged as well as his ribs. His chest slowly, deeply, rose and fell. He'd been out cold for two days since Umbara, and Satahl hadn't been shy about recommending Tup and Dogma for ARC training.

He'd long considered them. Kaar had been watching them come into their own, and now it seemed they were ready. He signed the flimsiwork. He had talked to them, knowing that he would be sending them into the gundark's den for this, and both Dogma and Tup had said they could handle it.

He'd sent Hardcase's recommendation from Satahl to Anakin yesterday, while he was helping her meditate through the pain of the blaster bolt wound in her side. Kaar was just glad Umbara was over, and that Hardcase didn't have to die.

That he had been able to give back to his Master for once, even if she wasn't here yet.

Kaar brushed a short ringlet of hair out of Droidbait's face without thinking. He felt so relieved that Droidbait was alive, with a deep scar to show that he's one tenacious bastard. Kaar had legitimately cried in relief when the medics got Droidbait stable. And that told him all he needed to know.

It was true, he thought while signing requisitions.

I think I love him.

He smiled a little, squeezing Droidbait's hand as tears started to well in his eyes.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant. I should have warned you better."

—
-Three Days Later-
—

Droidbait blinked away his blurry vision, head pounding. He sat up a little, groaning slightly as he mumbled, "C'mander...?"

The voices around him sounded distant and fuzzy, and he couldn't see out of his right eye.  Panic started to set in as he realized that, but it lessened as he realized that if he were dead then he wouldn't smell a medical bay. Probably.

Did the Manda have medical bays?

"'Bait what the hell are you on about?"

"Cutup he's gonna be a little spaced out from the pain killers."

He groaned again as a light was shined in his eye.

"Okay that one works."

"Guilttrip wha's goin' on?"

"I'm checking your vision now that you're awake." The medic said calmly, pulling away the bandages and wincing. "Kriff..." he muttered.

"What do you mea— ew ew ew what the hell's wrong with his eye."

"What—"

"Ne'johaa Fives! You're freaking him out!" Guilttrip snapped, turning back towards Droidbait. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. Your eye just took a lot of damage. The wound is very deep, but it managed to miss anything important."

"Except my eye..." Droidbait mumbled.

Guilttrip sighs, "Except your eye." He agreed. "But, you do have options for after Bones removes what's left of it. You won't be helpless DB."