Ties
Mitth'eeo'nuruodo stood over the bed of the great Mitth'raw'nuruodo and sighed. Thirty years of desperately trying to keep secret his ties to the older Chiss were completely destroyed in as many seconds, his lifetime of trying to escape the man's overwhelming shadow proven pointless. Mitth'eeo'nuruodo sighed again and with an almost painful effort pulled himself from his melancholy thoughts. He was a brilliant doctor and could not, would not; let the weight of his regrets distract him from the delicate matter at hand.
With great care the Chiss doctor lifted the covers away from the Grand Admiral's upper body, pulling them down until his bandaged torso was revealed. Carefully peeling the bandages away he inspected the wound that had nearly ended Mitth'raw'nuruodo's life. The assassin's knife had barely made it all the way through its victim, leaving only a small wound on the chest but a far wider and more alarming wound on the back, where the blade had entered. Miraculously, the assassin had missed the victim's spine and heart, likely due to the victim shifting in his seat at the last moment. However, the jagged blade had severely damaged Mitth'raw'nuruodo's left lung, both when it was inserted and then again when it was removed. Worse still was the discoloration around the wound, a tell-tale sign that the weapon had been coated in poison. A strange surge of pride rippled through the doctor, that for all the assassin's skill and effort, Mitth'raw'nuruodo was still alive. Of course, the alien Imperial's condition was still critical and any other doctor would be far from confident that the man would pull through. Then again, few doctors had Mitth'eeo'nuruodo's genius and none knew their patients as well as he knew his.
The doctor did not raise his head from his work as he heard the door to the private med bay room open. The visitor did not dare to distract him until the Grand Admiral's wounds had been carefully re-wrapped and the covers had been pulled back up. The doctor finally turned his attention to the visitor, who used that as his cue to speak but before he could utter a sound the doctor held his hand up and gestured to the door. The visitor nodded and left the room, followed silently by the doctor. The door closed and both men were in the eerily silent hallway that led between the private rooms and the main med bay chamber. For a moment the two men regarded one another and then the visitor, Captain Pellaeon, broke the silence.
"How is the Grand Admiral, doctor? Have there been any signs of improvement?" Pellaeon was well aware of the doctor's connection to the admiral and hoped to see some sign in the younger alien's face. The doctor met Pellaeon's steady gaze but the captain could tell he was struggling to keep his stoic expression.
"As I told you before, Captain, it will take time to truly understand the extent of my…the Grand Admiral's injuries." The alien quickly corrected himself. "However, he regained consciousness, albeit momentarily, today-"
Pellaeon cut him off sharply. "Why did you not inform me earlier?"
"As I said, it was only a moment and he was not lucid. He lapsed back into unconsciousness before I even had a chance to contact you. Since there were no further signs that he might awaken again, I felt it best not to disturb you." There was something in the doctor's voice that made the captain regret his sharp tone. As though reading his mind the doctor continued. "I understand how much pressure is on your shoulders at the moment Captain Pellaeon. Believe me when I say that if there are any significant signs of improvement I will not hesitate to contact you. But I am also aware that you cannot afford to be constantly distracted by the admiral's condition. Trust that I will take care of him, so that you can focus on...everything else." The doctor gave him a small, but strangely reassuring smile and Pellaeon couldn't help but return it.
"Thank you doctor, if there's anything you need please let me know." Pellaeon turned to leave but noticed the doctor was returning to the Grand Admiral's room, his posture betraying his exhaustion. "I've been told you haven't been to your quarters since you arrived four days ago, perhaps you should get some rest."
The doctor turned in the doorway and immediately straightened his posture. "I get enough rest here." He paused and a sly smirk curled the edges of his lips. "However, Captain, as a medical professional I cannot refrain from pointing out that you have been working tremendously hard these last few days. I recommend you get some rest." The doctor then turned, with perfect posture, and went into the room. The door closed behind him and Pellaeon was left standing alone in the hall. With a shake of his head he decided to heed Mitth'eeo'nuruodo's advice.