State of Grace || The Mandalorian

5 • Sarcasm Intended

"Do you have to do it that way?"

You give Mando an amused side-glance as you fill the syringe with pain medication. He didn't strike you as the type to be afraid of needles, but that kind of fear wasn't uncommon. Some people were just better at hiding it than others.

"Injecting the medication directly into your bloodstream allows it to start working quickly." You explain. "The pill can take up to thirty minutes to take effect. I can only get the hard stuff out here. No pills."

He sighs heavily, watching you carry a tray over to his bedside and place it on the nightstand. Sitting on it was the syringe, a cloth, a bottle of antiseptic, and a few wads of gauze.

"Try to relax. It'll be quick." You reassure him as you pull up a stool to sit on.

After he removes his glove, you roll his sleeve above his elbow so that you can find a good spot to inject the medicine. His arm is covered in little nicks and scars, which you assume are from knives. You easily find a vein and reach over for the cloth, then gently clean the injection site. Once you finish, you get the syringe.

Mando suddenly grabs your wrist as you're about to inject the medication, which catches you off guard. You don't struggle to free yourself. Instead, you attempt to meet his hidden gaze.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you." You realize you sound like you're talking to a child and sigh. He might not like that. "There's nothing in here but pain meds. You watched me draw it up. All I'm asking you to do is trust me, Mando. Can you do that?"

He only stares back, silent and stoic as ever. His grip is strong on your wrist.

You sigh softly and lay your free hand on his arm without even thinking about it. His skin is soft and warm to the touch, starkly different than the rough texture of his flight suit.

"Please." The word comes out no higher than a murmur and you squeeze his arm.

For a moment, you thought you heard his breath hitch in his throat. Your heart begins to pound. Why wasn't he saying anything?

He finally releases your wrist after a few seconds, but doesn't push your hand away. He lingers there, as if he's savoring the skin-on-skin contact. You lose your nerve and pull your hand back, heat instantly rising to your cheeks.

"I can." He says to you, his gaze never leaving yours. Then, he turns his arm over and looks away like an embarrassed child who's just been caught staring at something they shouldn't be.

You breathe deeply in an attempt to calm yourself and focus on steadying your hand. Once the needle is lined up, you inject the medication into his vein and pull it back out in a matter of seconds. You discard the needle, then quickly swipe a bit of gauze soaked with antiseptic over the site before pressing a dry piece down.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Your voice won't stop shaking, so you clear your throat and try to play it off as you put everything back on the tray.

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That evening, you decide to do a few things around the house before dinner. It's been a while since you last dusted and Banx's fur is absolutely everywhere, especially on the furniture. Plus, you've been meaning to clean your kitchen for several days now.

Your daily routine hadn't changed much since Mando's arrival. You were used to taking care of patients while also making time for yourself and your farm. He was one of your more interesting patients, though, and not just because of his lifestyle. You should be treating him like any other patient, but you couldn't. Something about him just made him impossible to ignore. He was irresistible despite being a bit standoffish.