Bounty hunting is a complicated profession

Looked after

Mando turned to unbuckle you the moment the ship entered hyperspace.

"Let me see that" he said with a low, calm voice. Then, he got closer to you and took a look at the cut on the side of your head.

Even though you could tell he was upset and quite distressed, he proceeded slowly and trying not to hurt you. He cleaned the wound and covered it with a small bandage, then he gently wiped the blood from your face with a wet cloth. When he was finished, he took the ointment you still had on your hand and put it away. Carefully, he then took both your hands in his and started examining them, making you flinch in pain at his touch.

He was sullen, acting silent and methodically through all of it, so you were glad when he finally talked.

"They don't look broken, this one's just bruised" he said, letting go of your left hand and focusing on the right "but this one's worse and it'll probably swell."

He grabbed the can back and, without taking off his gloves — which were already stained with your blood — he dipped his fingertips in the ointment and carefully applied it on your hands before bandaging the most damaged one.

Part of you wished he had taken off his gloves. You told yourself it was only out of curiosity, to finally be able to see a part of his body and confirm that he was, in fact, human. Although you couldn't help imagining the touch of his hands and the feeling of his warm skin against yours. You quickly pushed that thought to the back of your mind.

"Let me check your ribs." He said, drawing your attention back to the present.

"I'm ok" you managed to sign with the uninjured hand.

"No, you're not!" He replied bitterly, finally letting out in his voice some of the anger you knew he was feeling.

"You angry" you signed clumsily, emphasising it with facial expressions.

He took a breath and then let it out in a long sigh, as if he was trying to calm himself down.

"Yes, I am." He finally admitted "But not at you, at myself."

You tilted your head — like he usually did to you — and waited for him to go on.

"I shouldn't have left. Not the way I did, not while you were injured. It's my fault in the first place that you got hurt." You shook your head but he went on. "Yes, it is. I got angry and lost perspective. Didn't even give you time to brace yourself before manoeuvring and you got hurt."

Although you wanted to say something to make him feel better, he seemed to need to get this off his chest, so you let him go on.

"I'm… not used to taking others into account. To consider how my actions may affect them or how theirs— yours affect me."

He paused for a long moment while he played absentmindedly with the bandages in his hands.

"I've made many mistakes these past few days. I want to atone and I hope you can forgive me." He finished.

There was nothing you could say — not only because you physically couldn't — that would make him feel better. You didn't blame him at all for what had happened but if you told him, he wouldn't believe you. In fact, there was only one thing that had bothered you in the past few days and that you felt you had to say to him, even if it was in a clumsy way.

"Don't look away when I sign again" you said half-signing, half-gesturing. He stayed silent for a moment, as if trying to decipher what you had just said.

"You're right, that was wrong. I… I will never do that again."

You nodded and then gave him a gentle smile. He looked less agitated, although it still seemed to be a long way to go before you could say he was completely fine.