He spent the following few days letting the pain killer wear off, watching programs and reading whatever he could get his hands on. His datapad was brought up, and he tried to keep himself busy. He read info on his new General, their plans, and his incoming men. When he was out, if he got out, he wanted to be useful, be useful and not a hindrance to his squadron, his General. He wanted to prove that he was capable, even while he was wounded.
From his open door he could see Kaleera walking around, greeting the men with a child on her hip. He quirked his head. Who?
He didn't wonder for long, as she entered his room with a knock. "Captain?"
He looked up.
"We came to check on you."
The boy hid his face in her neck, and she smirked. "Rex this is Ash. He's hanging out with me today, wants to see if being a medic might be his thing."
She sat down in the chair beside the bed, and ash looked sheepishly over her shoulder as she adjusted him on her leg.
"Ash," Rex repeated. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
He looked up at Rex, blushing. "You too, sir."
He smiled, and she set ash down on the end of the bed.
"Alright, sweetheart, do you remember what I said about fluids?"
"Umm… that 16 liters is the default?" She nodded.
"Very good. Why don't you take the fluid and attach it to the pump?"
Ash grabbed the bag with a shaking hands, and Kaleera pulled the holder down. He put it in the holder, and she turned on the pump to Rex's IV in his shoulder.
"Good job!" She smiled, and he looked sheepishly at Rex.
"Thank you," Rex smiled. It was strange to him, seeing brothers so young helping him.
She pointed to the center cart in the medical wing. "Can you count the bacta patches for me, honey?"
Ash nodded nervously, trotting off toward the cart. She turned back to Rex. "Bandage change."
He nodded, and she rolled his shirt up. She peeled the bandage from his chest wound and poured a disinfectant over it, catching it with a clean towel.
"How's it look?" He asked.
"It's looking good," she smiled.
"Good enough to put me back on the field?"
She nodded, "I think so. Well know for sure when we get you up."
He frowned, and she squeezed his arm. "Rex, it's going to be ok. I promise."
"How can you promise when you don't know if I'll be field ready?" he asked, trying to hide the irritability from his tone.
She pursed her lips. "Because I'm going to do everything in my power to see that it happens. If it's not possible, I'm still going to ensure that you get a position worthy of you, Rex. I'm yet to lose a patient to termination or support staff. You're going to get your time, Rex. You're going to be alright."
He felt like crying. Why didn't he ask her sooner? "Thank you, Ma'am."
"No need to thank me. Just keep your head up and do what you're told." She smirked.
"Yes, of course, Ma'am."
She smiled and pulled up his pant leg gently. "Let's get this patched and you moving."
Bly swept around the corner, and Rex's eyes widened.
"I'm so sorry," he stuttered, and backtracked.
"No!" Rex called. "It's ok!"
Bly walked back around and peeked cautiously.
"We're just changing bandages." Kaleera laughed, opening the bacta patch. Bly entered and set his helmet down on the table.
"You're looking better" Bly smiled.
"So are you, now that you know there's no blood." Rex winked and Bly laughed.
"I'm a little squeamish with blood, Ma'am," Bly explained.
She shook her head, "I'll be sure to remember that for your next visit." She said as she applied the patch to his knee, wrapping a stretchy bandage around it to hold it in place.
"We're getting Rex up today," she said, offering him her hand. "So you got here just in time."
For Rex to say he was nervous would be an obscene understatement. This was his moment of truth. He could work with pain, that was no problem, but what if his knee couldn't support his weight? What if something didn't heal right?
"You ready, Captain?"
He bobbed his head, and she offered him her hands. He took them, and she pulled him to the side of the bed. She smelled of some sort of fruity, floral shampoo he couldn't quite place, and the smell of the clean sheets of the med bay. He took a deep breath, enjoying the comforting scent.
She broke his reverie. "You're going to feel dizzy and strange, that's normal, you haven't stood in quite a while. Put your weight on your good leg, and test the other, ok?"
"Yes, Ma'am," he said, letting her help him up onto his good leg. It did feel strange, he felt weirdly tall, and the bottom of his foot had pins and needles. He swayed a bit, and Bly caught his elbow.
"When you're ready, you can try the other."
He gently set his other foot down, pain shooting up his leg. He winced, and she adjusted her hold on him.
"Kaleera-" he grit nervously from between his clenched teeth.
"Try again," she cooed.
He set the foot down again, and this time he wasn't met with immediate pain. It was sore, but doable. He lowered his weight onto it, and it wasn't until it was nearly his full weight that it began to really hurt him.
"Can I try to take a few steps?"
She nodded, and Bly watched, ready to help catch him.
Rex took the step, pain in his knee, but nothing he couldn't handle. He grit his teeth and limped toward the door. His next step was off to the side a bit too much, and he lost his balance, Bly catching his shoulder.
"Are you getting tired?" She asked.
He nodded defeated. Two steps! How pathetic.
She helped him back to the bed, Bly carrying more of his weight than he was. He sat, and she smiled. "That was wonderful. You're far better than I anticipated."
His eyes widened. "With all due respect, Ma'am, I only took two steps."
She laughed, "yes, but that was two more than I expected. I didn't think the joint was healed well enough just yet but I was wrong."
He smiled despite his embarrassment, and she put her hands on her hips. "I'll let you two have some time."
"Actually, Ma'am I have to be going. I'm leaving on a mission with General Secura, I came to say goodbye."
Disappointment bloomed in Rex's chest. Another brother off to fight while he… sat. Ruminating.
"Ahh, well, good luck, brother. Come back in one piece," Rex said with a feigned smile.
"Thanks. I'm looking forward to having you on the field with us."
Bly said his goodbyes to Kaleera and Ash returned with a box of Bacta patches. She took the box from him, and Kix came running in.
"Doc, Outside, the council, they're talking to the Kaminoans and-"
She handed the box back to Ash. "I'll be right back."
Ash stood there awkwardly, watching Kaleera go through the doors to the conference room.
Rex scratched his neck, not sure what to say.
"So you wanna be a medic, huh kid?"
Ash spun around, "Yes, sir."
Rex bobbed his head. "I hope one day you and I will be in the same company. I can tell you're smart."
Ash smiled, and Rex busied himself with his datapad, hoping to appear busy. He didn't know what to say, nor did he want to. He'd done enough talking for the day and simply wanted some rest.
Before long Kaleera stormed through the door, making ash flinch.
"Who the fuck do they think they are?" She yelled at no one in particular, and Kix trailed after her.
"What makes them think they have the right to decide-" and the door to her office slammed behind them.
A jedi entered just then, and Rex watched intently. He was a zabrak, his skin a light orange decorated with ornate black tattoos. Horns peaked through his black hair, held high in a messy knot on the back of his head. His long gray robes and shoulder armor did nothing to hide his lightsaber, a bent platinum hilt at his waist. He looked over at Rex and Ash, being the bed closest to the door.
"Do you know where Kaleera went?" His deep voice asked, his red eyes cruel and impatient.
"Her office." Rex said, not looking away.
He started in that direction, not another word uttered, and Rex nodded to Ash. "Who's that?"
"Doctor Kaleera's friend. He's always here looking for her."
A rock settled in Rex's stomach, and his curiosity with the jedi soured.

Thanks so much for reading! Please review.

Thanks so much for your review, Reader. I'm so glad that you're enjoying the story and I hope you continue reading! There's a lot of action planned! The Jango hanging around the clones derives from me reading somewhere that he trained the original few batches of clones, so I figured that they probably would've seen him at least a few times since they were older, but hey, I don't know! :) thanks so much!