Rainbow Connection Chapter 5: Scrubs, a dark angel fanfic

RAINBOW CONNECTION

by Newly Human

Synopsis: Kaia knows how to treat wounds, but Logan must learn how to heal his own. Friendship, intrigue, action, and most importantly… hope.

Timeline: The following takes place in between seasons 1 and 2.

Disclaimer: Remember, everything medical has been absolutely made up so PLEASE, don't try it at home… that would be stupid. Dark Angel the series and all it's characters belong to Fox, Cameron/Eglee Productions and other respective owners. I don't mean to infringe so please don't sue. Kaia Kilbourne and the plot are mine.

Authors Note: Apologies in advance for the obviously BAD medical drama. I'm not a doctor so basically everything remotely related has been pulled from my imagination and ER. If you'd like to help me write something more believable, please let me know. As always, thanks for the reviews. -- Newly Human

CHAPTER 5
Scrubs

"LOGAN!"

Krit and Syl burst the doors open and stumbled into Logan's apartment.

"Logan!" Syl called again.

Syl was trying to carry Krit across the room. He had one arm around her neck and the other clutching his stomach. Blood seeped through his clothes and ran down his leg.

"Syl what happened?" Logan exclaimed, helping them to the couch. At the first sight of blood Kaia disappeared into the bathroom.

"We went back to Manticore." Syl explained, "I wanted to look for Zack and maybe find Max."

At her name, Logan reacted, but only for a moment. He motioned for Syl to continue while he removed Krit's jacket to get a better look at his wound.

"We knew they would've upped the perimeter security, but it was much more than we expected. Before we could get to the main compound we were spotted. We were lucky to even get back over the fence."

"I told her we shouldn't have gone back in there, but she wouldn't listen." Krit gasped. Somehow, he managed to smile at Syl, trying to assure her that he would be alright. "Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"I'm so sorry, Krit." Tears started to form in her eyes. How could he joke around at a time like this?

He reached out and Syl took his hand. "It's okay, Little Sister. You didn't know."

Kaia appeared behind them, her hands clad in latex gloves and carrying various medical supplies. She quickly pushed her way through and kneeled beside Krit.

"How did he get hurt?"

"He got hit from behind while we were running. Sniper from a tower." Syl sniffed.

Logan ripped the last layer of clothing and peeled it away. Immediately, more blood flowed from the wound, soaking deep into the couch. The couch was getting a lot of abuse these last few days.

"It looks like it went right through his appendix," Kaia diagnosed. "And missed anything important." They rolled him on to his side so that she could get a view of the entry wound. Krit cried in pain at the movement. "Sorry, Krit." They rolled him back.

"It went right through, but that appendix is going to have to come out as soon as possible." Kaia sat back and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. It left a small trail of blood. "He needs to go to the hospital."

"We can't" Krit breathed, almost passed out.

"Renfro will be looking for them." Logan agreed. He looked at Kaia. "Can you do it?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I don't have the right equipment here. Nothing's sterile. Anything can go wrong!"

"It'll have to do." Syl suddenly stood up and took off her jacket. Her tears were gone and the soldier in her took over. "What can I do to help?"

Kaia nodded. "I'll need a sharp knife. Heat it over a flame." She turned to Logan. "We need to clean this wound."

They all set off to work just as Krit finally passed out.

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Some hours later Krit lay sleeping in the guest bedroom with Syl by his side. She had stayed with him the entire time. All transgenics have an excellent immune system and even if Krit acquired an infection he'd still be able to get through it, no sweat. Still, you can't help but worry about your family. Syl thought about Zack and Max, and that only made her grip on Krit's hand tighten. She wouldn't be able to handle losing Krit as well.

In the bathroom, Kaia stood at the sink furiously scrubbing her hands. Half way through the operation she had abandoned the latex gloves. They were too big for her and only got in the way. She somewhat regretted that decision now because the blood had gotten under her fingernails, not to mention all over Logan's borrowed clothes.

Through her intense scouring she didn't notice Logan entering the bathroom behind her.

"Kaia?"

She jumped. "Logan, you scared me." Kaia recovered quickly and smiled at his reflection in the mirror.

"Sorry." He apologised. Logan leaned against the blue tiled wall and watched as Kaia continued her scrubbing. After a few minutes, when she had finally gotten the last remnant of blood from under her nails, she held them up to inspect in the light one last time.

"You're shaking" Logan noticed, suddenly concerned.

"I know, I can't seem to stop." She said, rubbing her hands together. Kaia turned to face him.

"Logan, I've never done that before." She started to explain. "It's one thing to dress a knife wound. It's something else when you're removing an organ." She continued. "I don't even have a legal license to practice medicine. I shouldn't be performing surgical operations."

"I was watching you. You knew what you were doing." Logan moved to put his arm around her shoulder. "Krit's going to be fine. Syl tells me that he's breathing better already."

"I know." Kaia took deep breaths to try to calm herself down. "I'm just feeling insecure. The whole time I was working I was feeling scared. I felt angry and abandoned. I didn't want to lose him. If he were gone it would feel like I was the last person in the world."

"You were feeling Syl." Logan realised.

She nodded. "Even so... Those feeling may have come from Syl, but as soon as I felt them, they became my own."

Logan held her for a while. Kaia was a beautiful young woman. She treated injuries with command, yet held a certain grace and modesty about it. She knew the most obscure words to beat him at Scrabble. Kaia understood today more than a lot of people learn in a lifetime. But inside she was still an innocent little girl trying to shield herself from the world that could constantly hurt her.

She reminded him a little of Max.

Max would put on her tough girl attitude, but most of the time she just wanted to be a normal girl. She wanted to live an innocent life, detached from the pains that her Manticore memories brought her.

"You keep telling me to let him go," Kaia spoke suddenly, breaking Logan out of his reflection. "But you won't let go of her."

Logan removed his arm from around her. Not roughly, but with a swiftness that she noticed.

"I've never mentioned her, but you keep talking about it."

Kaia shook her head at him as if she had said something important and he hadn't been listening. "You don't have to. It comes from you in waves. Every time you think of her. Every time anything reminds you of her. I feel it too."

She stepped toward him, but he instinctively backed away.

"What I feel is hurt, Logan." She said gently, "That, and a whole bunch of denial."

Kaia watched Logan contemplate this, and then said, "You don't believe that she's dead."

"No." He replied without a moment's hesitation.

"But you watched her die." Kaia reasoned.

Logan shook his head, his eyes beginning to blur. "She's not gone."

"She'll never be gone completely." Kaia whispered to him. "And somewhere inside you know that."

Logan kept his mouth shut. If he opened it at that moment he would definitely break down.

"Accepting her death, does not mean you're forgetting her." Kaia's tone now almost inaudible. "You could never forget her."

Logan gasped as the first tears formed in his eyes, ready to be released.

Kaia stepped towards him, her arms out to give him a hug. At that instant her face changed. Her expression contorted into one of pain and anguish. She tried to steady herself against the wall for a brief second before collapsing heavily to the ground.