The dialogue between Kix, Briggs and 9462 in the Med Bay is based on a scene from Band of Brothers.
I hope you enjoy and as always feedback is appreciated.
Shy.
Chapter 4
Celt
Rex hadn't seen his bunk for two rotations and had decided that now was the perfect time to reacquaint himself. Truth be told, workload aside, he'd been deliberately avoiding spending time in his quarters due to the presence of their 'guest' but with the battalion due to go into action within the next rotation he had to recharge his admittedly highly efficient batteries. Torin had been the only one so far to share the space with their new arrival and the two twelfth Captain had since been chained to his desk like his blue painted equivalent. The only comment he'd passed about Briggs was that she was a quiet room mate. So, with the two ARCs still off causing chaos somewhere, the red headed firefighter had had the room mostly to herself. Bliant had been giving him regular updates and so far Briggs seemed to be both coping and performing well, complying with regulations and uncomplainingly working through Bliant's training drills. He hoped that she would be somewhat ready when the unit went into action the next day. He'd also heard about the 'fresher incident' the day she'd arrived. A faint smiled curled the Captain's lips as he meandered down the near deserted corridor. Calix deserved everything he got and had been a minor thorn in Rex's side since he'd be assigned to the five oh first. He was another item on Rex's 'to sort out when I have time' list. As well as providing the top topic of gossip for the past few days, the incident had highlighted another issue. The only rooms that had private freshers were assigned to high rankers and the general staff bathrooms were at the other end of the ship. It didn't seem fair to make Briggs walk the length of the Venator every time she wanted to take a shower. A hasty compromise had been reached by sectioning off a small area of the unit freshers with temporary screens to allow Briggs…and the boys…some degree of privacy and the firefighter seemed happy enough with the set up.
Rex glanced at his chrono. It was so late at night it was early in the morning, and he navigated the last few corridors between the Ops rooms and his quarters alone. The door slid open, and he stepped silently into the darkened room and tapped his wrist until to remotely operate the small reading light above his bunk, making sure to keep it as dim as practicable. He noted the occupied bunk above his own and hesitated for a second. The just discernible lump under the blanket didn't move and he gave himself a mental shake. He wouldn't let some unfounded feelings of awkwardness keep him from his own bed. He quickly and quietly stripped his armour and changed into his standard issue sleep wear before padding over to his bunk and climbing in, deliberately keeping his eyes cast down as the top bunk was on his eye level. He killed the light and settled with his back to the wall. Like all of his brothers, he had the ability to 'flip the switch' and fall into almost immediate sleep but this morning he lay lost in thought for a while until the sound of movement above him drew his attention. He lay still, his vision adjusting to the dark enough to allow him to make out the bare feet that appeared over the side of the bunk then the shape that climbed down and dropped softly to the floor. There was a rustling by the lockers before the main door hissed open and a silhouetted figure slipped out into the corridor. Rex wondered if it was his presence that had made Briggs vacate her bunk this early or if this was her habit. Shrugging the thought off, he curled up, flipped the switch and fell asleep.
###
Cody strode along the corridor, towel slung around his neck. He'd deliberately left his comm in his quarters and relished the peace of the ridiculously early morning. Running around like a headless nuna during the day and his rank meaning that at times he was more of a politician than a soldier, meant that he often struggled to get his PT in. Hence the painfully early starts that, more often than not, saw him as the only occupant of the training room. But this morning was different.
He heard the other occupant before he saw them, the sharp thwack and smack of fists connecting with a heavy bag meeting him as he walked through the door. A red-haired woman was enthusiastically pummelling one of the bags. Gloved hands held in guard, she jabbed, hooked and crossed, muscles moving in her arms and shoulders, the power behind each strike obvious in the swing of the bag. As he watched she stepped in and caught the bag, stopping it's back and forth movement before she paused, catching her breath and shaking out her shoulders. Her gym gear was modest, loose navy blue jogging bottoms and baggy navy t-shirt with the sleeves rolled to her shoulders. Even without the CFRS crest emblazoned on her chest, he would have recognised the female firefighter from the file Rex had shown him. So, this was the new Medic? Lurking in the dim light by the door she obviously hadn't seen him as she returned to hitting the bag, face set in grim determination with the occasional flash or gritted teeth punctuating a particularly powerful swing. Cody couldn't help but analyse her technique. Plenty of power but little finesse…a brawler, not a trained fighter. Dumping his towel at the edge of the training mat, he walked over to her. Briggs spotted him and stepped back, eyeing him carefully, obviously trying to figure out who he was. Out of uniform, his scar made him recognisable amongst the men but here, dressed in his PT kit and her having no knowledge of him other than a name with no face to associate it with, he was for all intents and purposes anonymous.
"Not bad at all" he said, stepping around the bag and stopping it from swinging with a firm hand, "But you could do with refining your technique a little"
Briggs brushed her forearm over her face, her hair falling in sweaty curls over her eyes.
"Erm…ok?"
Cody's lips curled in a small smile, and he hugged the bag to him, planting his feet and bracing himself,
"Pull the power a bit. Go for speed and accuracy"
The new Corporal kept her gloved hands down, still unsure of this clone who had appeared and invited himself into her training session at this un-Godly hour.
"I do this for the fitness element and to blow off steam, not to fight. I don't need technique"
Cody shrugged,
"Might as well learn how. You never know when it might come in handy" he made an all-encompassing gesture, "Particularly working on this thing"
"I'd like to think I'm safe enough on board"
"You are but it never harms to improve on a skill" Cody braced himself again, "Now, jab, cross, jab. Less power, nice and snappy. Go"
Briggs gave an incredulous huff but with a small shake of her head, she settled into a fighting stance, lifting her hands to guard. She snapped out her gloved fists in the requested sequence.
"Faster"
Briggs glanced at the clone through her raised hands, keeping her head lowered then repeated the sequence.
"Better. Again"
Cody felt the vibration of each impact rattle through his chest as he held the bag close to him, stopping the weighted leather sack from swinging.
"Nice. Step in close, upper cut, step back, jab, hook"
She did as ordered then repeated the sequence, changing each strike as Cody directed, moving her feet, ducking and weaving, swapping speed for power then changing back again until she was blinking the sweat from her eyes, her t-shirt dark with moisture.
"C'mon, last one. Knock me on my shebs"
Briggs stepped in a snapped out a vicious jab followed by a powerful cross that impacted hard enough to make Cody step back. He gave a mildly impressed tilt of his head as Briggs stepped back with her hands on her knees, breathing heavily, the muscles in her arms and shoulders pumped with use and exertion.
"Good effort, well done"
Briggs ripped the fastener of one glove with her teeth before dumping it on the floor and pulling the other one free. Straightening up she pushed her sweat slicked hair back from her face.
"Thank you" she said, scooping up a water bottle, "So what brings you here at stupid o'clock?"
Cody retrieved his towel, flicking it over his shoulder,
"Admin" he said, then "You're the new medic, right?" before her confused look could turn into a further question.
"Correct. Briggs…or Medic Corporal Leigh if we're being formal"
"I'd ask if you were settling in ok but as you're here rather than your bunk and morning duties in the bay don't start until oh seven thirty, I'm assuming you're not?"
He managed to phrase it as a question as opposed to a statement. He'd heard things third hand from Rex and it seemed the Fire Officer had a belligerent streak to her when needed but here and now, she seemed unsure, the unfamiliar environment bringing the part of her personality that was a natural observer to the floor. Even when she'd been hitting the bag, he'd noticed her eyes continually lifting to him and he could practically see the cogs turning behind the green irises, trying to figure him out. Briggs rubbed the back of her neck,
"No, it's just…" she sighed, "Taking a little getting used to and-"
"And we go to battle stations today"
"That too"
Cody tried for a reassuring smile,
"First battle nerves are normal. Get this one out of the way and it'll get easier"
He was right. She remembered her first call. An inferno that had engulfed the basement level and ground floor or a domestic sky tower. Six people were missing, access was horrendous, and she had shaken all the way there, despite the assurances of the experienced crew with her, nerves boiling in her stomach to the point she felt sick. But when they'd arrived to a scene of sheer chaos, a strange feeling had settled over her, an odd sort of calm that she realised now was heavily suppressed panic, her training giving her focus, her colleagues giving her confidence and as time passed and she gained experience the nerves had lessened, the adrenaline taking less time to clear from her system but those feelings has never gone away completely and in many ways she hoped they never would. Those feelings kept her sharp and in a fast moving, dynamic situation that sharpness kept her and her people safe. She imagined that this experience would be somewhat similar. The man in front of her was one of the 'standard issue' clones, the scar around his left eye distinguishing him from hundreds of others. There was something about his demeanour as well, his mannerisms similar to Rex in the way that he held himself and the natural authority and confidence in his tone. Probably an Officer.
"True, although that's not the case with you guys, right?"
Cody raised an eyebrow, but his expression became somewhat closed,
"Fighting is what we're engineered for. It's in our nature and unacceptable for a clone to be fearful. A clone that shows fear does not make a suitable soldier"
Briggs blinked at him, the sudden change from attempts at approachable friendliness to cold formality unnerving and taking her by surprise. Those words felt rehearsed, parroted from someone that had drilled them into the clone's memory. Cody could see the discomfort on the young woman's face as she shuffled her feet, fingering the edge of her t-shirt.
"I just meant that, you're all experienced…used to this…not that you don't…" she suddenly stopped stammering and looked him dead in the eye, her own features sliding into a careful expression,
"Feeling fear doesn't make a person a failure, it makes you human…normal. Having the ability to carry on without acting on those fears, by ignoring every instinct that's telling you run away or hide…that's bravery and that's what makes a person exceptional" she bent to retrieve her gloves, "I'll leave you to your work out. Thanks for the coaching"
With that she made for the door, feeling the eyes of the clone on her as she stepped into the corridor. Standing in the shower a few minutes later she reflected on this strange seesaw of an encounter, and it was only then that she realised that she hadn't gotten the man's name.
###
Kix flexed his fingers to make sure his gauntlet was sitting right then began to check the Med packs that were laid out on the bench before him. He counted each object; hypodermics, tourniquets, IVs, analgesics, stims, laser cutters, dressings, cauteriser and so on, committing each item to memory and comparing it against the inventory he knew by heart. This was the third time he'd checked them, but triple checking never hurt anyone. The Med Bay door hissed open behind him and he glanced over his shoulder to see Briggs walk in. As requested, she had reported in full working rig, armoured with her helmet clipped to her belt. Her navy and orange uniform stood out in stark contrast to the various versions of painted white that buzzed around her.
"Morning Corp"
Briggs smiled at him and walked over to see what he was doing, her expression becoming concerned as she spotted the packs.
"Everything ok? I didn't pack them wrong, did I?"
"No, they're fine. It's just my habit to check the packs, that's all"
Briggs scanned the bench then gestured over her shoulder,
"Want me to grab you an inventory?"
"Don't need one" Kix said, tapping his temple, "Got it all up here"
"Ah yeah…silly me"
Kix observed her for a moment. Briggs looked tired, the tension she was feeling obvious in her expression and the set of her shoulders. The firefighter had been thrown in at the deep end since her arrival on board and had had little time to herself. Hale and Bliant had obviously seen something in her and Bliant in particular was determined to make sure she wouldn't fail at the first hurdle and become a burden rather than an asset to the medic team. She had been put through three rotations of drill after drill, lectures and sims and had admirably taken it all in her stride without complaint. He'd been roped in to assist on numerous occasions with one session seeing him don an old set of armour and lie, sit and stand in various positions whilst Briggs learned how to remove it from him, both via the magnets, clasps and clips then eventually with a laser cutter to simulate the instances when the plates were too damaged to remove in the normal way. Coric and Faust had been on the periphery, watching the action whilst going about their own duties until Faust had questioned whether Briggs could physically move a downed trooper on her own.
Bliant had looked at the darker eyed medic then turned his attention back to Kix who was sprawled on the floor,
"Go loose Kix"
He did as asked, going completely boneless.
"Shift him" Bliant said shortly, gesturing for Briggs to take action. Brigg's expression was set in one of both annoyance and determination as she grabbed him by the shoulder fasteners of his cuirass and hauled him into a sitting position. He'd expected her to drag him across the floor, so when she dropped to one knee between his legs, crouching low and draped him across her shoulders before pushing only a little shakily to her feet, he was slightly taken aback. Finding her balance and adjusting his positioning slightly she further proved the point by walking the length of the Med Bay and back before depositing him back on his feet with apparent ease.
"Anything else?" she'd asked, giving Faust a challenging look. In some ways the whole exercise had been pointless, the plan being that Briggs would never go beyond a Forward Aid Post if she ever went planet side at all. Faust had given a dismissive shrug,
"Not yet"
So far she'd taken everything they'd thrown at her in her stride but the edge of defiance he'd seen in her that day wasn't there now. It wasn't common amongst his brothers, but he knew nervousness when he saw it. Kix stopped what he was doing and leant against the bench, arms crossed over his chest,
"The Lieutenant briefed you yet?"
"I'm on receiving and triage"
Kix nodded,
"Bliant will be leading with you, Jayr and myself up here. Coric will be in charge planet side with Faust and Heka with the two twelfth boys scattered between the two teams. We'll stand by on the hangar deck for med lifters or troop carriers returning to receive any casualties and triage to the interim teams. Once that's done, we'll assist with treatment if required"
Kix reached behind him and picked up a data pad, fingers flitting over the screen before he handed it to her.
"This is the battle plan" he said as Briggs scanned the schematics on the screen.
"No FAP?" she asked. She had slipped fairly easily into their lingo, used to abbreviations and acronyms as part of everyday language.
"Not this time. This is essentially a path finding run. Should be fairly simple, we're not expecting high casualty numbers assuming everything goes to plan"
"You know what assume did" Briggs muttered, her attention still on the plans. Kix tilted his head,
"Excuse me?"
Briggs looked up at him, momentarily confused as her brain caught up with what her mouth had said then she smiled slightly,
"You know what assume did?"
Kix blinked at her,
"I'm afraid I don't"
"Made an ass of you and me"
For a moment Kix looked perplexed then a small smile curled his lips and he chuckled softly with a tilt of his head,
"Heh, good one. I've not heard that before"
"Connault, my CO back home. He trained me when I first joined the job and he taught me that. Still a favourite phrase of his and I've never forgotten it"
"It's a sensible mantra"
"One of many I try and live my life by"
A klaxon blared and Bliant and Coric strode from the Duty Medic Officer's room to the side of the bay. Kix handed Coric a pack, the Sergeant swinging it onto his shoulders. Bliant stopped beside Briggs who pulled herself straighter,
"You ready Corporal?"
"Yes Sir"
Bliant nodded,
"Good. Stick close to Kix for now. Let's go"
###
The noise that hit her as they strode onto the hangar deck was almost physical. The frenetic movements of Troopers in the corridors was nothing compared to the tightly controlled chaos of the huge space. Armoured figures flowed back and forth, checking weapons, dragging hover carts and receiving briefs as the Deck Masters and Marshalls prepared the trooper carriers for departure. Sticking close behind Kix as directed, Briggs tried to take in the activity around her only starting to get a good picture of the highly choregraphed movement once they'd reached the receiving area and she was able to step back and stand still. She'd begun to be able to identify legions and some individuals by the colours and patterns of their armour. Blue was five oh first and burnished yellow the two hundred and twelfth with the ships crew wearing various shades of grey and black. Captain Rex cut a distinctive figure as he strode amongst the ranks of his men and the respect the troops had for him was more than obvious. Three more figures caught her eye as the strode through the door she had not long entered through. One fully armoured clone and two other human males, both quite young with one sporting a beard and the other a shock of golden brown hair. It was then she noticed the metal cylinders attached to their belts. Jedi. She gave Kix a gentle nudge to get his attention,
"Who are they?" she asked, gesturing towards the men. The bearded one had split off with the clone whilst the other Jedi strode purposefully towards Rex. Kix followed her gaze,
"The clone is Marshall Commander Cody. Have you met him yet?"
"Not that I'm aware of"
"The Jedi with him is General Obi-Wan Kenobi and the other is General Anakin Skywalker, his former Padawan"
Briggs frowned, observing the young man talking animatedly to Rex.
'Good Gods, he's little more than a child!' she thought, then chastised herself, 'You weren't much older when you stepped up Briggsy'
So, this was Anakin Skywalker. The young Jedi's reputation proceeded him, but she wasn't one to judge on reputation alone.
Bliant appeared in front of her,
"Happy with the plan?" he said, handing her a pouch that she clipped to her belt. She knew what would be inside. Coloured stickers; red, yellow, green and black. Back at CFRS they used the same coloured snap bands but here stickers were more convenient for armour encased bodies.
"Yep" she said with a succinct nod, "Wait here for any med lifters or carriers. Those that haven't been triaged planet side give them a colour and move on. Red for P1 immediate, yellow for P2 urgent, green for P3 walking wounded and black for deceased"
Bliant nodded, satisfied with her answer.
"We try not to treat here if we can, get'em straight to the bay, but there's some supplies if you need them" he said, gesturing behind him to where three med packs were hung on the wall.
"Understood Sir"
"Keep your bucket on when on deck, it gets noisy in here so you may have to use your internal comms. If you have to declare then declare. Any problems grab one of us"
"Yes Sir"
He gave her a quick look then made a hand gesture to Kix which she assumed meant 'keep an eye on her' before striding away. Briggs tried not to bristle. Surely by now she'd shown she hadn't stepped off the last banana transport. She was an experienced firefighter and commander and was known for her skill and talent as a Medic. This was her comfort zone; she didn't need a babysitter. Suppressing her frustration, for now at least, she cast her gaze back around the hanger deck and spotted something that gave her pause.
"Is that LT?"
Kix looked up from fiddling with his wrist unit,
"Yes"
"Why is it being stored on an open hangar deck?"
"Is that a problem?" he said distractedly. Briggs blinked at him, irritation crossing her features.
"Er yeah. It's LT. You just have to look at that stuff funny and it goes bang!" she said, crossing her arms and looking around for Bliant as the most senior Officer other than Rex that she could identify, "It should be stored in a separate hangar away from anything that might upset it with blast doors and an airlock drop"
Kix looked around at her then his eyes lifted to something behind her,
"Problem?"
Briggs spun to find a helmeted Rex behind her. Already an imposing man the effect was turned up a notch when she couldn't see his face, but she held her ground, refusing to step back from him.
"Yes, actually Captain. That LT shouldn't be-"
Rex cut her off with a sharp hand gesture. He must have heard her previous comment.
"That is the Quarter Master's issue not yours"
"But-"
"Corporal, here you are a medic, not a firefighter. Your priority is assisting my medical team and associated duties. Nothing else. Is that clear?"
Briggs levelled him with a carefully neutral look, but Rex could see the annoyance simmering in her green eyes and didn't miss the way her fists clenched before she slid them behind her back.
"Yes Sir"
"Good. Lids on, we're on six" he said, turning away from her and nodding at Bliant who had reappeared and fell in beside his team. She could just make out Coric, Heka and Faust lingering by the nearest gun ship.
"The rest of you, let's load up!" Rex barked. Sliding her helmet on she watched as the waiting Troopers boarded their respective crafts and in co-ordinated waves each ship took off and made for the planet below until only the ship staff and Med Team were left standing on the deck with still, silent, surplus craft around them. After the noise of earlier it was eerily quiet.
"And now we wait" someone said in her earpiece.
###
Wait they did. It turned out channel six was an open channel in which they could monitor comms from the ground forces. Despite being one of many, Rex's voice was very clear, the gruff, authoritative tone easy to identify amongst the comm chatter. Bliant had pulled up a map and schematic on the hangar wall and Briggs found herself able to follow the progress of the men below her. The occasional pained cry or shout edged with distress made her wince but she kept the line open. Eventually they heard the call sign on an incoming Med Lifter.
"Here we go" Bliant said, striding forwards as the ship touched down. The rear door opened, and the ramp dropped preceding a steady flow of casualties, most of whom were still able to stand and move about on their own two feet albeit with some requiring a little assistance. Four stretchers left the craft and Bliant motioned for her and Kix to intercept. She barely needed any time with the first trooper. He was deeply unconscious with wavering vitals and slight bruising beginning to show around his eyes. The helmet between his feet was badly damaged.
"Head trauma" she said, slapping a glowing red sticker on the trooper's chest plate and directing the stretcher towards Jayr, "Pulse and resps slow, GCS eight. Right pupil fixed and dilated with formation of periorbital bruising"
Jayr took the stretcher and jogged away, a med droid buzzing along behind him. The next held a trooper whose hands were wrapped in a bloodied but neat mass of bandages. The medics on the ground had removed his upper shell and cut away the neck of his blacks revealing a skin that was pockmarked with burns and shrapnel injuries. This skin around his eyes was the same and judging from the failed visor on his helmet it was a miracle that both of his eyes were still present and intact. He was pale but conscious and watched her warily as she connected to his suit system and scanned his vitals.
"Private Rain is it?"
"Yes Ma'am" Rain croaked. Briggs lifted his bandaged hands in her own,
"All digits present and correct under here?"
"I think so"
She took a pen torch and examined his eyes, noting the tension in his jaw. She took a pain killing sharp from her belt and jabbed it into his shoulder, noting her dosage beside the other that was scrawled on his cuisse.
"Might not seem like it Rain but it seems you've gotten off lightly" she said, placing a green sticker on his chest and motioning for him to be moved to the Med Bay, "Someone will meet you in Medical. Get him straight on fluids his BP is low" she called after the retreating stretcher team.
She turned back to the waiting casualties just as a second transport landed. With a steadying breath she stepped forward.
###
The hangar deck finally cleared of anyone who needed her attention, Briggs jogged back to the Med Bay. The majority of the casualties had been walking wounded and could wait for the administrations of a Medic and she assumed she would be on 'mop up' duty, gluing, bandaging and setting whilst the senior Medics dealt with the more seriously injured men. She didn't expect to be given much more responsibility than that on her first outing. Rounding the corner, she was pleased to see there wasn't much over spill from the Bay with four troopers, three in blue and one in yellow, and one yellow bedecked pilot loitering in the corridor. She pulled her helmet off and clipped it to her belt, giving the waiting men a wide smile. They watched her carefully as she approached, the troopers carbon copies of each other whilst the pilot sported a short length mohawk that had been mussed by his helmet.
"Someone will be with you asap gents, take it easy"
They all nodded at her but remained silent, continuing to watch her as she stepped through the door. The Bay was a hive of activity with Bliant front and centre conducting the activity around him with professional calmness. Jayr was bent over the trooper with head trauma, laryngoscope inserted into his airway as a two twelfth medic hovered beside his shoulder with an endotracheal tube in hand whilst another studied the monitors by the bed. Kix was trying the replace a dislocated hip, his sedated blue clad patient groaning quietly with each tug and twist. The activity was frenetic but controlled with each patient under the care of a medic. All except one. The clone with the vitiligo from the 'fresher incident' sat alone in the end cubicle, propped up against the back of the bed with his legs tucked up to his chest, staring at the patch of sheet in front of his feet, the material dirtied by his boots. He seemed uninjured but his gaze was distant. She approached Bliant,
"Sir? Where do you want me?"
Bliant glanced at her then went back to methodically scanning the scene in front of him,
"Check in with the others, see if they need a hand then start on the P3s. I've got fifteen so far with-"
"Five overspill in the corridor. I passed them on the way in"
She saw Bliant's lip curl, but he didn't look at her,
"Carry on Corporal"
"Yes Sir"
Briggs made for Kix but her attention was drawn back to the clone in the next bed. What was his name again? Ah yes, he was one of the ones without a name, just his designation number.
"You need a hand at all?" she said as she reached Kix's side. Kix had stopped fighting with the trooper's twisted leg and leant on the bed, glaring at the sedated trooper's limb like it had offended him.
"I'm going to dose him with a little local muscle relaxant and try again. His quads locked tight, and joint is completely misaligned but once the meds kick in I should be fine"
Briggs nodded,
"Ok" she hesitated before moving on, "What's up with him?" she said motioning to the clone in the next bed. Kix glanced over then moved to draw up a syringe,
"Absolutely nothing, except that he can't see"
"Can't see?"
"That's right"
A strange expression hovered over Kix's features, an odd mix of sympathy, disappointment and…disgust? Choosing not to probe further, Briggs approached the next bed,
"9462?"
The clone immediately lifted his head, eyes turning towards her voice, but his gaze went right through her.
"It's Corporal Leigh"
"I know Ma'am. Your voice is pretty unique around here"
She smiled.
"What happened?"
9462 shuffled uncomfortably on the bed, the paler patches of his skin pinkening slightly,
"I don't know Ma'am. Things just…kind of went black on me"
"You can't see?"
"Not a thing Ma'am. I can't see a thing"
The young trooper suddenly looked terrified then his expression closed as he tried to hide his emotions.
"I didn't wanna let anyone down Ma'am…I'm sorry"
"Hey" she said soothingly, placing a hand on 9462's shoulder and making the clone flinch, "You didn't let anyone down. It's ok, we'll sort this out"
"I don't want to go back" he whispered, and he curled in tighter on himself, "Please don't let them send me back"
Briggs perched on the edge of the bed and placed an arm around his shoulders, taken aback by the trembling she felt from the soldier. He seemed on the verge of a full-blown panic attack but fighting it for all he was worth, his breathing becoming fast and shallow. He muttered something, so quietly it was just on the edge of her hearing. It sounded like 'defective'. Defective what?
"Hey, c'mon now. You're ok, you're ok…easy young'un" she crooned, rubbing her hand up and down his armoured arm then moving her hand to the only exposed skin he could feel, brushing her fingers gently through his hair, humming a low non sensical tune. 9462 tensed then slowly began to calm, relaxing into her embrace as she continued to stroke his dark head. Eventually he relaxed enough to be coaxed back against the pillows.
"Nobody is going to send you anywhere young'un. You'll be staying right here until we figure this out. Just try to relax, you're safe here 9462. I promise"
"You can't stop them" he said quietly.
Stop who?
"Watch me" she said, "You think you saw my ugly side in the freshers? Well you ain't seen nothing yet kid"
A ghost of a smile brushed over the clone's face.
"I do appreciate what you did Ma'am"
"Don't mention it"
She continued to twist her fingers absentmindedly through his hair, distracted by the possible implications of his words. A blind soldier couldn't be sent back to the front line, but she got the feeling he wasn't talking about that. Somewhere and possibly someone frightened this young man more than the prospect of a battalion of battle droids.
"Ma'am?"
"Mmm?"
"If your name is Leigh why do people call you Briggs?"
"Leigh is my surname. My first name is Brighid, Briggs for short"
"Brighid" 9462 said, turning the name over, "That's nice. Sounds…old. No offense"
Briggs chuckled, "Non taken. It's an ancient name, Celtic in origin. Brighid was the Goddess of Fire and Healing"
"Suits you"
"It's like my parents had already decided upon my future career path"
9462 smiled,
"Our Generals say everything is the will of the Force, perhaps your name is too"
"Perhaps…why don't you have a name?"
9462 shrugged, the movement settling him closer against her,
"Just never found one I liked. Has to feel right"
"I see"
"Where did you say your name came from?"
"It's Celtic…the Celts were an ancient people that populated my original home. They don't exist anymore but their influence has hung around"
"Celts…Celt. I like that"
There was a pained moan and a grunt from the next bed,
"Corp, I could actually do with a hand here"
Briggs went to get to her feet but 9462 grabbed her arm,
"Don't leave me…please"
She gently pushed him back against the pillows, brushing her fingers through his hair again then cupping his cheek,
"I'm just six feet away. I'll be right back, I promise"
He let her go and she stepped away. Kix was grimacing as he pulled at his patient's leg trying to get the ball joint to relocate into the socket. The clone had been stripped down to his black under suit and his head lolled in disorientation, eyes glassy with sedative. There was a harness wrapped under his arms to stop him sliding down the bed as Kix pulled. When Kix let go, she could see the shortening of the limb, his foot and knee turned in towards his other leg. This was a significant dislocation. Briggs frowned,
"This might need surgery" she said, gently probing the clone's thigh and up around his hip, "His quads and flexors are solid"
Kix drew the back of his gloved hand over his forehead to wipe the sweat beading his brow,
"One more try then I'll refer him to surgical"
"Ok" she said, examining the man on the bed, "Any fractures?"
"No"
"Posterior dislocation?"
"Correct"
"You tired the Bigelow manoeuvre?"
Kix tapped his chin thoughtfully,
"No…could work though now there's two of us"
"Ok" said Briggs, rolling her shoulders, "You've got a little more weight behind you and better hight, so you push on his pelvis, and I'll move his leg"
Kix unquestioningly stepped out of her way and repositioned himself. Briggs gestured to the man on the bed,
"Does he have a name?"
"Milo"
"Ok then Milo, this is going to be a little uncomfortable my friend. Just try to relax for me"
She nodded and Kix placed his hands on Milo's pelvis, bearing his weight down on the joint whilst Briggs grasped his ankle and bent his leg, pushing his knee up towards his chest. Milo groaned quietly in protest,
"Udessi Brother…easy"
Still holding Milo's ankle, Briggs reached over and placed her other hand against the inside of his knee before looking at Kix,
"Ready?"
"Yes Ma'am"
In one coordinated manoeuvre Briggs pulled Milo's leg straight whilst pushing his knee outwards as Kix pushed down hard. Milo cried out, hands fisting in the bed sheets as their efforts were rewarded with a resounding crack as the joint snapped back into place. A 212th trooper in the next bed who had been watching the proceedings with interest winced,
"Oosh, I felt that"
Kix pulled his scanner from his belt as Briggs manipulated the joint before moving up the bed to comfort the whimpering Milo.
"There we go. All done my friend" she said, unfastening the harness and pulling it free. Milo turned his glassy gaze to her,
"Wha's dn?"
Briggs smiled. Ah, the dissociative joys of ketamine. She patted him on the shoulder,
"Nothing. You get some rest Trooper, good job today"
Milo's heavy eyes closed, and he relaxed fully into sleep. Kix replaced his scanner,
"Fully relocated but there's some tissue damage. I'll splint his pelvis to keep it stable, couple of hours in a tank and a little physio and he'll be fighting fit in no time" he said, smiling at her, "Thanks for the assist"
Briggs shrugged, "No problem. It's what I'm here for"
Movement behind the other Medic caught her eye,
"Hey, steady now 9462" she said, moving around Milo's bed. Kix spun to find 9462 sitting up on the edge of his bed. He grasped the young clone's shoulders, stopping him from getting to his feet.
"Stay put Trooper before you hurt yourself" he said firmly as Briggs appeared beside them. 9462's eyes moved between the two of them as he blinked a few times, then scrubbed at his eyes.
"I'm ok Doc…I think. Yeah, I'm ok"
Kix tilted his head,
"You can see?"
9462 nodded, a relived smile gracing his patched features,
"Yeah, I dunno what happened but…"
Briggs placed a hand on his shoulder,
"It's ok 9462, you don't need to explain"
The young trooped focused on her, "It's Celt now Ma'am"
Briggs's eyes widened in surprise then her features melted into a soft, indulgent smile,
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Celt"
Kix took Celt's chin and tilted his head, shining a pen torch in his eyes, frowning slightly before he stepped back,
"Everything clear?"
"Crystal and full colour Doc"
"Ok then…Celt. You're discharged but under my orders to take it easy for the next few hours" Kix jerked his head towards the door. Celt hopped off the bed, collected his helmet and rifle then paused before Briggs,
"Thank you Ma'am" he said, snapping off a salute.
"None of that" Briggs said giving him a gentle push, "Off you go young'un"
Celt trotted away, the two Medic's watching him go.
"I've never seen that before. Temporary blindness but all his scans were clear, no trauma, no masses…nothing" Kix pondered.
"I have" Briggs said quietly beside him, and he turned to her, eyebrows raised in silent question.
"It used to be called hysterical blindness, now they call it conversion disorder. It's the physical manifestation of psychological stress. There can be other symptoms, but blindness is one of them. One of the boys back home had it. He'd been to a horrendous multi casualty speeder accident. Multiple fatalities, horrific injuries…just a mess. Next time the bells went for a shout his sight just shut down. Happened a few times. His sight always came back but eventually he didn't. Left the job. It was a shame, he was a good firefighter but…" she sighed, "The brain is a complicated thing I suppose"
Kix folded his arms and looked thoughtfully at the floor. There was a flicker of that strange expression again.
"Shouldn't happen in clones" he said, hand beginning to creep towards the data pad on his belt. Briggs frowned,
"Why not?"
Before Kix could answer Bliant barked across the bay at them,
"Oi, if you two are quite finished your caff break, we have other patients that need seeing to"
They could feel the heat of his glare across the room and snapped into action. Before Kix could move away Briggs blocked him and prodded him in the chest,
"We have not finished this conversation. I'll catch up with you later"
Kix raised a dark brow at her,
"Is that an order Corp?"
"It can be" she said, and Kix smirked.
"And Corporal, the Captain wants to see you once you're done here" Bliant called. Briggs rolled her eyes as she turned away from the other Medic,
"Great" she muttered and behind her Kix grinned.
