Technical Error

Chapter Twelve

Part One
Workplace Accidents: They Happen to Anyone

You stared at the steady drip of the IV that was administering the pain medication to you. All the while, you were chewing on your bottom lip and listening to Tom hum. The man was seated in a chair beside your bed in medbay. He was sporting a broken hand, the wrist on his other arm sprained. If it weren't for him, the injury to you would have been worse. Far worse. In fact, you may have been cut clean in half by the chain he had caught before shoving you away. That chain had been between your legs, had jerked upwards when the transport shuttle you were supposed to be training with started to liftoff. Unlucky for you, you had just been starting to step over the chain that had it tied down.

Massive bruising and a few minor lacerations—to your lady parts. And how did they try to console you? By telling you it was lucky you were female, otherwise you would have likely been castrated.

Not making me feel any better, you thought glumly with a scowl. You clutched the blankets of the bed, bunching up your hands into fists and wincing as a fresh wave of pain traveled through you. Whenever you moved the slightest bit, your injuries screamed in pain. Tom stopped his humming and leaned forward. Your eyes darted to the other technician and, what seemed like the umpteenth time, you thanked him. How much worse your injuries could have been. He had been walking by, and he had been the only one to react.

"It's really not how I wanted to start off," you said, your gaze returning to the IV drip. You wanted more of the pain medicine. Just pump me full of it, damn it! The physicians wanted to limit the amount you took, however, aware that you would be on pain medication for quite some time. "Do you think I won't be allowed to be a tech on the ship?"

"Kriff, Tatey," Tom said with a chuckle, "your priorities are skewed."

"You don't understand," you groaned out, wrinkling your nose and holding in a sob. "I finally was able to... It's taken so long, and...first day... First damn day, Tom!" You looked at his injuries. "I feel bad."

"Don't. I would have... A broken hand isn't anything compared to being sliced in half, you know," he said, completely serious. This was what he had been telling you for the better part of an hour—or maybe even longer, given that earlier you had been on a higher dose of medication. You had been beyond loopy. Who knew what you had said?

As if on cue, General Hux strode into the room. Room: that was correct; you had been given a private room, and Tom had been granted access given the circumstances. Injuries to the crotch, it seemed, were not as common as others. You ducked your head, mouthing an apology when the redhead dismissed the other technician. You were only thankful that he was both polite and professional when he did so, ensuring that Tom was aware he would be granted leave while he healed and was also permitted to visit you when the physicians deemed it appropriate. Your superior waited until the door to the room closed before allowing his shoulders to relax.

He fell out of the ever-professional stance he held in most circumstances; his face gave way to what you identified as a mixture of curiosity and sympathy. While the man was merciless, that did not mean he was entirely un-empathetic. Nor was he unsympathetic, at least for those he was on good terms with—or perhaps you were one of his rare exceptions.

"Apparently you have been flirting with a number of your doctors," he said, an amused smirk forming with his lips. You groaned, closing your eyes and screwing up your face. "Nothing noteworthy. It was all typical of what they have seen in others who have been injured."

"I... I didn't say any—"

"You said nothing in regards to our interactions, nor did you mention anything regarding Ren. As for your staying with the transport shuttle... You will be given ample time to heal, and we will move from there. The accident was in no way your fault. I reviewed the tapes, and you were following all proper protocols. The only reason the ship was powered on was for you to become familiar with it. There was a mix-up between the pilot and the tower. The wrong ship was given clearance to take flight. Given that he had been aware you were being trained... It is under investigation, the reason behind him failing to question the order."