Guarded (#2 Post-Order 66 Series)

Guarded - Part 15

Her hand was soft and warm against his chest, and he reached up to interlace his fingers with hers. Her voice was distant, but he could feel the mattress next to him sinking as her body rested next to his, his name slipping from her lips.

"Tech."

"Tech, wake up."

His eyes snapped open, taking a second to adjust to the dim lighting around him. Kestia was sitting on the edge of his bed, her hand resting against his chest.

"Hey," she said softly, and he realized he'd slipped his fingers into hers in his sleep. Releasing them quickly, he sat up in bed, suddenly feeling very bare in front of her without his shirt on.

"I'm sorry. I should have made more noise coming in, but Em tells me you've been asleep for about ten hours now, and I almost feel bad waking you." She reached down and picked his goggles up from the floor, handing them to him. He quickly slipped them over his eyes before studying her carefully.

She had clearly showered and changed, a new tunic hanging off her shoulders. She looked tired, but the color had returned to her cheeks. He suddenly remembered how her blood had coated his hands several hours earlier. "Your side. You should not be up and moving around."

Kestia waved his concerns away. "I'm fine. Em says I'm cleared to move around, but nothing too strenuous for a few more days." She reached over and gripped his hand. "I understand you were the one to remove the shrapnel from my side. I'm very grateful."

Tech hesitantly pulled his hand away, sitting up further and swinging his legs out of bed. "It was nothing." He didn't miss the hurt look on her face as he went to grab the top half of his blacks off the floor.

"Your shoulder!" He suddenly remembered the wound on his shoulder blade, one that had been hidden from Kestia until he stood up. She was immediately at his side, hands hovering over the bandage. "I'm fine," he said quietly. "Just a graze."

"Have you had Em look at it?"

"No need. It wasn't worth taking her attention from you."

He lifted his shirt to his face, sniffing it and wrinkling his nose slightly at the smell. His blacks were designed to be worn for long stretches at a time without becoming intolerable, but as he thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he'd washed them. Definitely before coming to Naboo. Kestia stifled a soft laugh. "There are other clothes down the hall if you wish to wash your uniform. Let me go grab a set." Before he could protest, she'd stepped out of the room and was gone.

Pulling the datapad from the pouch on his belt that he'd haphazardly discarded on the floor, Tech swore when he checked the chrono. Hunter and the others are going to be upset we haven't checked in yet. He hadn't meant to sleep so long, but he'd been exhausted, and without his brothers around to wake him with their racket, it was the most peaceful sleep he'd gotten in ages. Stepping into the refresher, he removed the patch on his shoulder, inspecting the blaster wound. It appeared to be healing nicely and he imagined he'd only have to apply bacta a few more times before it was good as new. Another scar to add to the collection. His skin was marked across his back with blaster wounds and lacerations from the occasional shrapnel or vibroblade. He'd been largely fortunate aside from a particularly nasty slash across his ribcage that he'd gotten early in the war. That one had even frightened Hunter, but they'd made it out of the fray. Heaving a sigh, he opened another patch to place on his shoulder before he looked up in the mirror and noticed Kestia standing behind him, watching him.

"Let me help with that," she said, taking the patch from his hands.

"I am perfectly capable-"

"I know you are. Let me help you with this. Please." He relented, gripping the edge of the sink a little tighter as he felt her step closer to him, her breath tickling his shoulder as she inspected the wound. "You're right. Not too bad," she said quietly before she placed the patch over the burned skin, carefully smoothing down the sides before stepping back. "All done."