Rex didn't see Kaleera again after she stormed through, not for another three days. Instead, Kix was caring for him. Rex had understood that things come up and she was a busy doctor, but he was curious. When Kix entered yet another morning, he felt like it was appropriate to ask.
"Is Kaleera alright?"
Kix smirked, pulling down one of the tubes from the ceiling that was attached to his hand. "Am I not good enough for you?"
Rex opened his mouth to protest, but Kix shook his head. "I'm kidding, Captain. She'll be returning today. She went to Coruscant to meet with the Jedi Council."
Rex's eyes widened. Coruscant? Jedi? "Why?"
Kix looked at him, "she's working with them on something."
Rex knew a lying face anywhere. "Come on, Kix, I'm not gonna tell everyone. I'm just curious."
Kix pursed his lips, "She's trying to get the clones more rights."
Rex's eyes widened. "Rights?"
"Yeah, right now the Kaminoans just… terminate 'defective' clones," he said, whispering, "She's trying to get us more rights, but they don't like it. They say its inefficient."
"Defective? Defective how?"
"Like, if you got blinded in battle, or, if you were born with one arm."
"Ahh." Rex knew this, of course, the kaminoans weren't ashamed of their methods. He was, however, hoping Kix had a little more information. Just what rights were they aiming for?
"Is that why that jedi ran through here? The zabrak?"
"Rin? Nah he's…" Kix shook his head.
"He's what?"
"He's… he's here for Kaleera. You know," he tilted his head.
Rex wanted it crystal clear. "They're a couple?"
Kix shrugged, "I don't really know, I just know they're together a little more than simple friends."
Rex bobbed his head, and Kix looked down at Rex's hand. "Want to surprise her when she comes in?"
Rex's eyebrow twitched. "How?"
"Lets take these IVs out and get you moving."
Rex had walked a bit the last few days, but he hadn't quite left his room. "Sure."
Kix removed the IVs, Rex stroking his hand, and Kix left, pushing in some kind of walker.
"Ready?"
Rex nodded, and Kix pulled him up onto his feet with surprising strength. "Hold onto it. When you get tired…" he folded down a small seat. "You can rest without having to worry about coming back to the room."
Rex smiled, "thank you."
"You're welcome. I have to stick with you for a bit but in the next few days you should have full reign of the medbay, free to tear it apart."
Rex took the walker in his hands, testing his weight on his bad knee. Kix followed him from the room, patiently walking behind him. A few of the other men looked over from the gurneys in the main bay. Most of them probably hadn't seen anyone leave any of the long term rooms.
"When is she coming in?" Rex asked, but the opening door answered his question. Kaleera entered the medbay, a cup of caff in her hand.
"Rex?"
He looked up at her with a smile, tottering slowly toward her. She was smiling, her free hand on her cheek. "Rex! I can't believe it!"
He chuckled, reddening, "its not much but-"
"Its wonderful!"
She put her hand gently on his shoulder, "Kix really motivated you while I was gone."
Rex thought back to how boring the medbay was without her. No.
"I used you as an incentive," Kix said, and Rex wanted to turn around and punch him.
"Me?" She laughed, "I think that's the first and last time anyone ever looks forward to seeing me in this place!"
Rex wanted to crawl underneath the bacta-cart and never come out. He'd get Kix for this.
"Well I think this is good reason to celebrate, don't you?"
Rex looked over at her, "Celebrate, Ma'am?"
"Are you up for a little more walking?" She asked, setting her caff down.
He was. He was sore, but it felt incredible to do something on his own. He nodded.
"Let's go." She dismissed Kix, and she and Rex walked from the medbay out into the hall.
"How are we celebrating?" he asked, looking at the droid scooting along beside her.
"There's dessert in the Cafeteria today, I figured we could go snag some."
Rex swallowed. The cafeteria was quite far. She walked patiently behind him. "How was the last couple of days?"
Boring. Lonely. Long.
"Alright," he said, and stopped, trying to catch his breath.
"Take a break," she insisted, and he sat on the little attached stool. "Anything exciting happen? Besides you walking, of course."
He shook his head, "just the usual stuff."
He stood, but swayed, his knee sore. "I'm getting tired." He said with a huff.
"Sit," she said as she pushed him back onto the seat.
"I can have the gh-7 bring a wheelchair." She said. "You've walked quite far."
Rex sighed.
She sent for the chair, and checked her datapad. When the droid returned she helped him into it and gave the walker to the droid to return to his room.
"You've done incredibly well the last few days. Don't get down on yourself."
They paused a moment, letting Rex have a moment to catch his breath, and she pushed the chair gently toward the cafeteria. Very few people were inside when they arrived, and Kaleera parked him at a table, before running off to grab dessert. He looked down at his hands, and before he knew it she was back, setting the dessert down before him.
"Since we are celebrating, I think it's a good time to talk about your reintegration plan."
He looked up at her, "Already?"
She smiled, "yes. You're up and walking, your tests and imaging look great, its just getting that knee moving now and loosening it up. While I was gone, I talked to your CO and talked about what you can do on the field for the last part of your healing. We don't have to hold you hostage here any longer."
He blinked. He was finally going onto the field.
"Who is my CO?"
"General Obi Wan Kenobi of the 501st, and Commander Cody."
Rex smiled. Cody. She returned it, squeezing his shoulder. "Congratulations, Rex."
"You met Kenobi?"
She nodded, "He seems very nice, understanding. He was more than happy to work through a plan with me to ensure you heal well while you're getting used to being on the field."
He nodded, and She took a bit of her cake, "You're in good hands, Rex."
He bobbed his head, worry clouding his excitement. What ifs were floating around his mind, taunting him.
"And you're staying here?" He asked, a small spark of hope that maybe she'd be on the field as well.
"I am. But Kix will be joining you now that he's completed his training."
He nodded, glad to have at least one person he knew by his side.

The following week Rex was up and ready to go, dressed in his blacks. He was shaking, pacing around the med bay. This would be his life now. Whatever walked through the door, that was it. There would be no more relaxing afternoons reading in his room, or a peaceful lunch with Kix or Kaleera. He'd be at the mercy of the war, now.
Kaleera was watching him from her desk, but he didn't care. He was scared.
"Rex, you're going to pace a bare spot on my floor, soldier."
He looked over at her, and she smirked. "Lighten up, they'll be impressed with you right off the bat I'm sure."
He sighed, and the door slid open. Cody.
He smiled, "Rex'ika," He smiled, embracing him. "You ready?"
Rex nodded, "My armor-"
"Cody gestured to the bag on his back, and set it on the bed, unzipping it. He handed Rex a helmet, blue jaig eyes freshly painted staring back at him.
"Cody…"
"You more than earned 'em."
Rex ran his finger over it, and Kenobi entered. Rex saluted him, and Kenobi smiled. He had stern eyes, but there was kindness in them. The jedi emblem gleamed in the artificial light of the med bay, and Rex's throat constricted. This was the real thing.
"Its a pleasure to meet you, Captain. I've heard nothing but praise about you and I'm delighted to have you on our team."
"Thank you, Sir," Rex nodded, and Kaleera came over. Rex pulled on his armor, and Kenobi talked to Kaleera about Rex's health.
"The structural damage to Rex's knee is all but entirely healed, but as we spoke about, he'll still need to ease into using it and getting the muscles flexible again," She explained, and General Kenobi nodded, his hand stroking his beard.
Clipping his helmet to his belt, Rex stood at attention, his heart pounding. This felt like his room, and he was leaving it, free floating again, sleeping wherever and whenever he could. Everything was about to change forever, and he suddenly wished he'd savored those quiet moments in the medbay.
"I'll let you say goodbye, Rex, we'll see you at the hangar." General Kenobi said.
"Yes, sir. Thank you."
Cody and Kenobi left the medbay, and he turned to Kaleera, red.
"I don't know how to thank you…"
"Don't. It was my absolute pleasure spending this time with you."
He smiled sadly, "I'm really going to miss you." He said, before redding further.
"I'm going to miss you. Stay safe out there, and remember you can always write or visit me when you're around."
He nodded, and he wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you."
He released her and hurried out the door, wiping the tears that gathered in his eyes.