Chapter 21 – What Gaping Hole? 'Tis Merely a Flesh Wound

The battle was over; the rebels, limping away on damaged speeders, had taken a beating, but they had also left destruction in their wake. As Amelia assessed the damage they had left behind, she was disheartened to realize that once again she was left with the proverbial short end of the stick. Although the rebels had sustained damage as well, their ability to rebound from the relatively minor damage – in comparison to that sustained by the Legacy – was much quicker than Amelia's. She was almost certain extensive repair would be required on the forecastle. Blasted rebels.

And if that wasn't enough, she herself had suffered during this last round of traded blows. The blast to her abdomen was sending fiery licks up and down the left portion of her torso, and the ankle she had so ungraciously dropped upon was now a swollen mess in which a persistent dull throb now resided. She let out a long breath and made her way to her private quarters, heading directly for the bathroom. Turning the faucets on, she dropped a splash of dark green oil in to the mix and watched as the warm water slowly filled the tub below. This mission was definitely more than she had originally bargained for. She could only hope that it would soon be at end. She didn't know how much more of this she, her ship and crew would be able to take.

'You're getting soft in your old age,' she thought with a rueful smile. With a reticent laugh, she agreed with herself, to a point. She was getting soft – in the sense that drawn-out firefights no longer held the same appeal as they once had in her younger days. She probably had Delbert to thank for that. Having someone to come home to decidedly curbed her appetite for reckless adventure. While she had never and would never put her crew at risk – that was something entirely inconceivable to her – there had been times in the past when she had willingly put her own self at risk for causes that didn't warrant such a sacrifice. But not anymore. As she gingerly removed her topcoat and painstakingly worked off the form-fitting shirt beneath it – blast, why precisely did she insist on wearing that shirt! – her eyes closed as the fragrant smell of eucalyptus wafted from the hot bath filling beside her. No, not anymore. Delbert definitely had had a calming effect on her life – in most ways.

XXX

She had been holed up in her room for more than an hour. Delbert had purposely given her that time to be alone. He knew she would need the solitude to process what had happened, reevaluate her plan and formulate her next course of action. Also, it would give her time to hopefully disregard his earlier slip during the thick of the fight.

It was with much concern and more than a little trepidation that he gently nudged the door to her stateroom open and poked his head inside, scanning the dimly-lit room for his more-aggressive half. Finding no one, he moved inside the room and secured the door behind him. He could smell the faint scent of eucalyptus and upon listening closer, he heard the soft sounds of water as it lapped against a tub. So she had given in and taken a bath. She must've been worse off than he'd originally suspected. To give in so easily to a tub full of water – that was certainly an indication of her weakened state. Delbert frowned as his thoughts warred against one another. He didn't want to intrude in to her bath, but he also had a driving desire to make certain she was all right. After all, she had taken a blaster shot and whether she knew he knew, he had seen her rough landing on her bad ankle. That certainly had to have hurt. Concern finally won out over reticence, and he pushed the door open softly.

Her eyes were closed in contentment, and he couldn't help but smile at the picture before him. As his eyes traveled across her features, she breathed in deeply and then winced, her hand reflexively moving to her injured torso. Delbert was at her side in an instant, concern dancing in his eyes.

"Amelia, are you all right?"

Her eyes shot open at his question and she started a little as she realized Doppler was right beside her.

"Delbert!" She exhaled sharply. "Must you insist on frightening every time I turn around on this voyage?"

"I'm sorry," he quickly apologized. "But I was concerned. The blaster shot and then your landing on your bad ankle, and the rebels surprising us like that … well I just thought it best if I check on you." He suddenly grew still. "I hope that's not overstepping my boundaries. I realize that you value your privacy, darling, and I would never presume to –"

Amelia placed a damp finger against his mouth to silence him. "Oh do hush, Delbert. You're ruining the moment with your mindless prattle." She gave him a soft smile and then leaned back into the warm water, letting her body sink lower beneath the foam.

Delbert, content to simply sit there and watch her, did precisely that, as his mind recapped the day's events and worked through possibilities for tomorrow. Finally though, and with much reluctance, he roused the drowsy feline, knowing that if she stayed in there much longer, she'd get a chill from the water which had long ago turned cool.

Bundling her in a large fluffy towel – one of her few concessions to luxury when underway – he carried her to the bed in the center of the room and deposited her gently on the sheets which had already been turned back. Allowing her a moment of privacy to slip in to her favorite nightshirt, he turned back around at the sound of her gently clearing her throat.

"Better?"

She nodded. "Much. Although I think my ankle has seen better days." She winced as a dull throb moved through the injured area.

"I noticed you landed on it earlier when you joined us," he remarked, bringing a hand down to her foot.

"I was certain you would. Nothing seems to escape your notice when it comes to me," she noted. "You can misplace 14 star charts, but I can break a fingernail and you take note."

Delbert frowned. "Would you have it any other way?"

"Of course not. What woman doesn't want to be the sole focus of a man's existence?"

Doppler raised a confused eyebrow, which earned him a hearty chuckle from Amelia.

"Perhaps not the sole focus of your life."

"Oh I don't know," Delbert looked at her thoughtfully. "It's a difficult call to make. But right now, I have a more important matter to focus on." He placed his hands around her ankle, grasping it gently. A dark blue tint was slowly suffusing the area. It looked as if she had twisted it rather badly. "This is a nasty twist, Amelia."

"I know it is. I'm the one who's been walking on it, remember?"

"Yes, well, I think we need to put it back right, don't you?" He gave her a sympathetic look and then reached down to grasp her ankle. "This is going to hurt a bit," he apologized and then tugged sharply turning the ankle back in place.

Pain coursed through the injured ligaments and Amelia bit her tongue to keep from howling. It could never be anything as simple as a scrape or superficial flesh wound. It always had to be a gaping wound of some kind, a broken bone, laser shot through the shoulder. She heard a soft sigh of sympathy echo above her and looked up again, breathing still heavy, as Delbert drew a gentle hand across her tired brow and wiped the fallen tendrils of hair back from her eyes.

"You need to rest," he admonished gently.

"I'm not tired."

The drooping eyes and frequent yawns dictate otherwise, Amelia."

"I don't need medical advice, Doctor."

The right corner of Delbert's mouth lifted in a grin at her inadvertent pun and predictable stubborn nature. She'd never give in without a fight. Not his Amelia. The question would be how to convince her to give in to the fatigue that was threatening to consume her without her feeling like she'd been pushed around.

He let his fingers slide through the smooth strands of fiery red that hung loosely around her face and sighed. "And I'm in no condition to dispense medical advice, Captain, but I am in the unique position to offer up a partner's concern," he informed her. "I've seen you when you're tired, and I've seen you when you're exhausted. This, my dear, is exhaustion." He frowned. "You've been going like this for days, and if you don't stop and take a moment to rest, you're going to drop from sheer fatigue." He gave her a pointed look. "Not quite the image you want to present to your crew, I imagine."

The corners of Amelia's mouth curled up in the only concession to a smile that she was willing to offer. "No, I'd rather imagine not," she admitted with a rueful sigh. "I suppose I can see the validity of your statements. I don't have to like it, but I can understand it." She brought a hand to the side of the bed and slowly pushed herself up, gingerly testing her ankle. The pain that lanced through it was enough to make her quickly sit down on the soft bedding beneath her, all the while studiously avoiding Doppler's pointed glance.

"Do quit staring at me, Delbert. I can plainly see that my ankle is more serious than I had initially credited." She glanced at him with a frown. "No need to dwell on the matter. I do so hate admitting when I'm wrong, but it does look as if you are correct. Still, I have reports to make and I can't rest until they're done."

Knowing what a large concession it was for her to make, Delbert simply nodded and offered to help her over to her desk. The short walk was painful – he could see it in her eyes – but he wisely chose to refrain from commenting. As she settled in the chair, he placed a stack of reports needing her attention in front of her. He patiently waited as she painstakingly went through each report, noting what needed her immediate attention and what could be put aside until later.

As she shifted, a stray lock of hair obscured her vision. She moved to tuck it behind an ear, but Delbert stopped her, bringing a hand forward and brushing the offending curl from her eyes where it had fallen. But instead of letting is gently cascade against her skin, he caught it between his fingers gently and held the silky thread.

"Your hair is beautiful," he marveled. "It feels like silk against my fingers."

A faint blush colored her cheeks and her attention was drawn back to the man by her side. His devotion was still flattering, even after all of these months. Surely that had to be a good sign. Didn't it? Her brow furrowed in thought. She'd not ever felt this way before. It was odd. For a woman so in control of her life, it was more than a bit disconcerting to caught off kilter by a polar opposite's charms. Still, she smiled and reached up to take his hand, he was a dear.

"Thank you Delbert. You don't know how much that means to me. I always feel decidedly unfeminine after these firefights – covered in grime, the smell of blaster discharge lingering about my uniform." She tilted her head back. "Hearing that takes some of the sting away."

"That wasn't my intention," he admitted. "I was merely speaking the truth. But I'm glad to be able to help in any way I can."

"Ah, but that's why I keep you around, love."

"To shower you with compliments?"

"Among other things."

Delbert blushed. "Oh … um … yes, well … that's hardening … heartening to know."

Amelia smiled wickedly, if not tiredly. "Really Doctor? Hmmm. I'll have to keep that in mind when we return home."

"Yes," Delbert agreed with a weak smile.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some sleep to catch up on." She gave him a cheeky smile. "You wouldn't care to join me, would you?"

Delbert brightened considerably and Amelia had to cover her smile with a feigned cough.

"For sleep, Doctor. Only for sleep," she stressed.

"I know that," Delbert protested. "What do you take for me?"

"Oh now really, Delbert. I don't have time to delve in to that long of an explanation." She pointed to the empty space next to her. "Sleep. Yes or no?"

"As if I'd refuse an opportunity to be with you."

"I didn't think you would, darling," she admitted, reaching over to pull the light off as soon as he was settled in beside her.

Within moments, the cabin was silent save for the light cadence echoing across the room from the weary couple's breathing.

To be continued …

A/N

To those that have been kind enough to review, thanks so much! I hope you're enjoying reading this story still. Thank you for patience as I took some off to get settled in my life. As you can see, I'm back writing, and I'm enjoying it immensely. If you get a chance, please drop me a line and let me know what you like, what you don't like, what you think would be more realistic. I'm always open to suggestions! Reviews are like cookies after a long day at school. Everyone loves cookies!