The Bad Batch Short Stories

3. Lenny Protocol

Emelia Kluntal is the new medic for the Bad Batch. Before the war ended, she was gifted with an LEP droid whom she named Lenny. After six months with the Bad Batch, many bandages, bacta, and scoldings, she programmed Lenny to better interact with the clones.

"Hunter is the one with the enhanced senses, so you don't need to speak as loudly. Always dim the lights by 20%. You'll be able to see what you are doing and it will make him more comfortable. What ever you do, don't ask about the tattoo on his face. It's not nice to point out obvious differences on beings."
Lenny nodded his head as he recorded her instructions.
"Tech is the one who is the most knowledgeable, so whenever you give him an answer or explanation make sure to include as much detail as possible that is relevant to the injury. He knows a lot of medical knowledge, but I still outrank him as team medic. He will still have to follow orders from you that were given by me. Got it?"
"What if he powers me down?" Lenny asked.
"He won't. He'll need your help and will respect you as an AI."
"Echo is...," Emelia had to choose her words carefully in order to not create a bias towards him. "He has been through a lot. He doesn't like needles or confined spaces. You must always ask for his consent for a procedure, unless I am there with you and he is not conscious . He is very patient but the trauma he went through makes him a little... "
"Grouchy? Fussy? Prickly?" Lenny interrupted.
Emelia smiled. "He needs to be handled with genuine care."
Lenny nodded his head again as he somewhat understood.
"Crosshair. Hmm...he will refuse medical care and you are allowed to disregard all protocol manners. You are allowed to threaten him if he refuses treatment or threatens bodily harm to your unit."
"What? That's unheard of for a medical droid!" Lenny gasped.
"Yes, well there are always exceptions to the rule, and he is one big exception. Don't be afraid to tell him you'll sedate him and treat him with a pigment alteration."
If Lenny had eyebrows, he would have raised them.
"Wrecker doesn't like needles at all and is very strong. If you have to perform a procedure on him it is best to distract him and tell a joke or funny story. He likes candy too, so it's best to have a treat for him at the end of the examination. He'll like it. You must still ask for consent and you can threaten to inform me of his noncompliance with medical protocols."
"And what about the child?"
"Omega? I don't think you will need to treat her. You can tutor her on any medical subject and she will happily learn from you. Do you have any questions for me?"
"What about your treatment?"
"If I am unconscious, then you are authorized to administer whatever treatment is readily available, as long as it does not require resources already in use by the team, or if they have to travel to obtain said resources."
The droid blinked at her, processing what she was saying.
"You are putting your life last. Why would you do this?" Lenny asked.
Emelia sighed and placed her hands in her lap. "If it comes down to this scenario, we are all in a lot of trouble. I would want the rest of the team to live."
Lenny placed his hand on Emelia's thinking about what she was saying.
They both turned as they heard a knock on the open door. Wrecker's bright smile filled the room. "You done in here? We're ready to go to Cid's."
"I was just finishing up," Emelia said as she patted Lenny's head. "You can watch some holovid's in my room until we get back."
Lenny waddled off and Wrecker offered Emelia his arm to escort her to Cid's. "What were you talking about with Lenny?" Wrecker asked.
"Oh, just some medical training."
Wrecker would never know how much Emelia loved him and how selfless she could be.