Star Wars The Clone Wars: Cuy'Val Dar#Wattys2016

Twenty-Seven

Aboard the Vengeance, One week later

"Sir, you awake?" asked the familiar voice of the medic who had been treating Sarge's eyes after the attack on Ktil. Sarge nodded. 

"I'm awake," he said, shifting his head to look in the direction of the medic. He hadn't seen anything in three weeks since his eyes had been bandaged almost 24/7 with the exception of when the medic removed the bandages to apply whatever medicine. He heard the medic move over and grab something. Sarge pushed himself into a sitting position, moving to the edge of the bed. He'd gotten as familiar as he could with his room in the medical facility, but he was still patiently waiting for the day he could leave and go back to serving on the front lines.

"How much longer till I can get this kriffing bandage off my eyes?" he asked the medic sourly, feeling a bit of impatience rise in his chest as he listened to the other man move about the room doing who knew what.

"Two minutes," the medic replied. Sarge straightened up some. He could get them off today and go back to seeing again? He smiled internally and felt excitement rise in his chest.

"What're you doing then?" he asked, tapping one finger on the edge of the bed.

"I'm getting the medicine you're going to need to put on your eyes for a couple of days after I take those bandages off to ensure you don't get another infection," the medic said.

Sarge nodded and sat there, trying to keep still. He wanted to pull the bandages off himself, but that was probably against medical procedure. Finally, he heard the footsteps near him and he again straightened up some. The medic carefully cut through the bandages and Sarge felt them pulled away from his face. He felt a bit lighter inside at that moment, knowing it was almost over.

"Alright, you can open you eyes," the medic began, "but don't be shocked if everything is black at first. Your eyes may need a few minute to adjust to the light."

Sarge nodded and cracked his eyes open, just then realizing how much it hurt to move his eyelids which hadn't been used in a week. He squinted at first, still seeing nothing but blackness, but he did as the medic said and that there for a few minutes, shifting his sore eyes around the room to try and help them adjust. The darkness didn't fade however, only continued to block his sight. Sarge shut his eyes and opened them again, again looking around. Nothing happened.

"I still can't see," he stated bluntly, worry overcoming his former excitement as he continued to look around desperately wanting to see something, anything.

"Hold on," the medic said and shuffled across the room again, returning and grabbing Sarge's jaw. "Look towards the sound of my voice," he ordered. Sarge did so, his eyes turning front again. The medic had a light in hand and he shone in in each of Sarge's eyes, looking for any reaction from the pupil's. There was no reaction. The medic let go of Sarge and put the light away, cursing under his breath.

"What is it? Why can't I see?" Sarge asked. Annoyance was overtaking worry now. Annoyance towards the medic. Why wasn't the kriffing medic fixing his eyes? Surely he knew how to.

"I'm really sorry to break this to you, sir, but your eyes aren't receiving any light which means--"

Sarge cut the medic off in a short outburst of annoyance. "Explain in terms I can understand!" he snapped. The medic fell quiet for a moment, then Sarge heard him shift back a bit.

"Sir, you're blind."

"What?" Sarge asked, his voice suddenly a faint whisper as his eyes widened; Eyes that would never see again. The eyes of a blind man.

A useless soldier more like it, Sarge thought bitterly. His shoulders slumped as did his expression. He heard the medic get up.

"I'm sorry, sir," the medic said. Sarge shook his head.

"No...I-I understand," he whispered, tilting his head down and staring at the blackness that should've been the floor.

Silence ensued for several long minutes and all Sarge heard was the shifting of the medic from one foot to another. Then the man finally walked over and probably started cleaning up. He set a small cold plastic bottle in Sarge's hands.

"You're still gonna need to use that," he said and walked off. Sarge felt the cold bottle over and found the lid.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Disinfectant," the medic answered.

"I just...put it on my eyes?" Sarge asked, his tone dull.

"Yessir, twice a day."

Sarge nodded, "Okay," he said.

Again the medic stopped and put a hand on Sarge's shoulder. The sergeant wanted to haul off and hit the man. Demand for the medic to fix his blindness, but it wasn't the medic's fault and he refrained, sitting still and staring vacantly at the floor.

"I'm really sorry, sir," the medic repeated then moved off. Sarge nodded again. He knew what this meant, though; he'd never again be able to lead his squadron into battle. This was his dismissal from service, effective immediately.

"Can I make one request?" Sarge suddenly asked, looking up, hoping his sightless eyes had found the medic as he followed the shuffling of feet across the room.

"Yessir, what is it?" the medic asked.

"Tell the General I want to refer SC-02 as my replacement in Command."

The medic looked back at Sarge, watching the man for just a second before turning back to his work.

"Yessir, I'll make sure she gets that."

////

Aboard the Vengeance, Two days later

"How do you like the title?" Sarge asked Null as they walked down the halls. Null carefully guided Sarge as they walked, watching the former Sergeant as he stared at the floor in front of them while they talked.

"It's a little more than I had expected after having burst aboard the ship, insulted the general, then defied about half the Republic Military law," he admitted.

Sarge chucked lightly. "What about the men, they're not giving you any trouble, are they? If they do, remind them, just cause I'm blind doesn't mean I can't still smack them into line."

Null laughed and shook his head. "No, they're all fine. You're not, though," he said.

Sarge cocked one eyebrow, looking up at where he heard Null's voice. "How so?" he asked suspiciously.

"All this laying around not doing anything, you're starting to sound like an old man," Null joked. Sarge rolled his eyes, one of the few things he could still do with them. He was far from being an old man, but he had to admit he's gotten a little lazy not having to jump every time someone called for the Sergeant.

"Funny," he told Null with a deadpan look. Null clapped him on the back, then he hooked his thumb back into his belt.

"So, where are you going now?" he asked. Sarge shrugged.

"I have no clue," he admitted. Null nodded.

"Do they have anywhere onboard you could work?" he questioned. Sarge shook his head.

"Not unless its maintenance, and I think I can live without working there," he said.

Null pulled a sarcastic face, forgetting Sarge couldn't see it. "Too bad," he teased. Sarge just rolled his eyes again, then Null stopped him.

"Are we already to the hangar?" Sarge asked.

"Yessir," Null said. Sarge almost corrected him, but didn't. Instead, he turned to Null, looking up at him, hoping he wasn't staring over the top of the man's head.

"Well, I'm off on my first mission," Null said.

Sarge nodded and smiled slightly. "Good luck, Sergeant."