This story is still dedicated to laloga and I still don't own anything. *Waves hands frantically in the air* And I swear it was meant as a OneShot!
Divide and Conquer
If you were a medic in the Grand Army of the Republic, rank became a more fluid concept because you were a specialist. A medic had training most troopers did not. A medic knew more about how to treat injuries, then simply applying pressure and warding off the cold. A medic was a specialist and as such, his knowledge and experience outpaced that of even most ranking officers. So when a medic gave an order concerning a trooper's health, then that order was obeyed whether by a private or a captain. On the field and treating his brothers Kix knew he outranked even a Jedi General.
And as surely as Kix knew this, the civilians he was trying to treat did not. They argued with him. They complained. They questioned his competence, asked him where he had gotten his degree. A degree for kriff's sake. Kamino didn't hand out any degrees. On Kamino, you were taught the necessary skills and then sent out to combat. What did he need a piece of flimsi for, any way? He had experience.
But trying to explain that to his patience was like trying to explain Mon Cal opera to a battle droid. His current patient, an old Wroonian of perhaps seventy standard years, was a perfect example.
"Experience?" The old man scoffed. "What kinda experience could you possible have? You so young, you'da better be off plowed and planted in the field."
Kix rubbed a hand over his face and tried very hard to hold onto his patience. He was, after all, a medic and had talked down plenty a nervous trooper before. Getting a blaster-wielding brother on an adrenaline high to sit still long enough to administer some bacta could not be more difficult than changing some old man's bandages. Oh, but he had so much too learn.
"Sir," he tried again. "I can assure you I have seen plenty of combat and I have changed more bandages than I care to remember. If you'd just let me take a look, I'd be done in under a minute." He strove for a peaceful, even tone; the same tone that had managed to convince Suu to lower her blaster and to let the clones shelter their injured captain in her barn. It had worked on a tough Twi'lek woman. Didn't that mean the same tactic could be applied to an aged Wroonian?
The old Wroonian drew back, his face a scowling mask of outrage. "A minute! A minute he says. You youngens got no respect for time, I tell ya. Always on the go, when the true value of a work lies in taking your time for it and…" Apparently not.
Korinna came out of nowhere, her cat-like face alight in the joy of being able to pounce on some unsuspecting victim.
"Darlos, what'cha be talking about. You're holding up the traffic. Stop nattering and let Kix do his work."
Cowed, Darlos quickly lay back in his bed and let Kix change the bandages on his leg. Kix may have known that he outranked everyone when it came to the clones' health, but Korinna knew she outranked everyone, period.
Kix did his work quickly, keeping one eye on the task and the other on Korinna. She had kept her position by Darlos' bed, but was avidly watching the crowds around them, her blue eyes missing nothing. If she had a tail, Kix thought, it would be twitching.
The mental image made him smile, though he ducked his head to keep Korinna from seeing. He had to admire her though. In the space of an hour she had turned a chaotic provisionary assembly hall into a well-organized and smoothly run first aid station. By now, almost five hours later, this could have been the med unit on the Resolute, with patients relegated to beds or chairs and volunteers walking quickly down the aisles with food, drink and other supplies. And looking down on it all like a queen was Korinna, barking orders and bossing everyone around like a drill sergeant.
There was a light tug on his ear and Kix turned around to come face to face with Korinna.
"What are you grinning about, boyo?"
Apparently, he hadn't done too good of a job hiding his smile after all. "I…ah…nothing, nothing at all." He grimaced at how inane he sounded.
She narrowed her blue eyes at him and Kix wondered whether it was his turn to be pounced on. It was not a too unpleasant concept.
"Nothing, eh? Well maybe I should find ya some work engaging enough to put some real facial expression on you…" she trailed off, suddenly cocking her head in curiosity. Bringing up one hand, she trailed her fingers lightly over the left side of his head, over the short stubble of hair and his tattoo. Kix felt a shiver run through him at the contact, but did not pull away. Korinna's touch was surprisingly light and gentle.
"I didn't notice before," she said in a voice that was low, as if she were talking more to herself than to him. "It's not just decoration, those are words." The tips of her fingers lightly slid over the Aurebesh letters. "'A good droid is a dead one.' Reeaallyy?" And her drawl drew the last word out, even as her lips quirked upwards into an amused smile. "That's quite the opinion for a medical man."
Kix relaxed, even as he felt his face heat up. He had noticed that Korinna's drawl became worse the more she was vexed with someone. From her last sentence, he could tell that she was actually rather pleased, though he wasn't quite sure by what. And he really hoped his blush wasn't as noticeable as he thought.
"Yes, well." And one arm came up to scratch the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Droids don't really need medics and the fewer there are to shoot at us, the fewer brothers I have to patch up afterwards."
Korinna's amusement dimmed slightly at his words and Kix almost wished he could take them back. He had actually enjoyed being able to make Korinna smile.
There was a short, sharp clearing of the throat and both of their attention was drawn back to Darlos. The old Wroonian's eyes kept shuffling back and forth between them, his expression clearly uncomfortable.
"Is there….ahm….anything else, doctor?"
Before either Kix or Korinna could say anything, someone else intruded on their group. It was a young woman in her late twenties. Kix had seen her around, patrolling between the beds and from what he had observed, she seemed more knowledgeable about medicine than most of the other volunteers. She gave the group a quick, apologetic smile, before turning to Korinna.
"I'm dreadfully sorry to bother you Korinna, but we need some extra help in the children's ward."
Korinna gave a scoffing snort. "Ya mean help in what used t'be that tight-pocketed, no-good, sleazy poli-thumpers office?"
The younger woman hid a quick smile behind one hand, before composing her face to a more professional cast. "That would be the one."
"A'right, a'right, now let me see." Korinna craned her neck to take in the hall, her eyes seizing up and dismissing various volunteers. Then she saw Coric at the other end of the hall, tending to some walking wounded and a devious smile lit her face.
"I think I got some help for ya, May m'dear." Then she put her fingers to her lips and let out another one of her glass-shattering whistles. Kix, Darlos and May clapped their hands to their ears even as the entire hall went deathly quiet and every head turned towards them.
"You!" And she pointed her commanding finger at Coric. "Get yerself over here and double-time. I got work for ya." Coric opened his mouth to protest, but Korinna cut him off before he could utter a word.
"I said," she enunciated very carefully, in a voice that carried through the entire hall and probably all the way to the orbiting Resolute. "Get yerself over here or else I'll show ya a whole new meaning to 'canned ass'."
A wise man, Coric shut his mouth and made his way towards them.
Grabbing him by the shoulder as soon as he was in grabbing distance, Korinna turned Coric around to face the other woman, May.
"This is May, my assistant and now you'll be her assistant and be assisting her in the children's ward." She gave Coric a push towards May.
The Sergeant caught himself, straightened and carefully and deliberately brushed some non-existent dirt off of his armor. Keeping a straight face and his voice deadpan, he told Korinna, "It'll be my pleasure, Doctor. Always happy to volunteer." And he followed an absolutely mortified May out of the hall and towards the children's ward.
Korinna watched them go, then turned her attention back to Kix.
"And now, boyo, I got you all to myself," she said, the devil's smile on her lips and his light in her eyes. She reached out and tapped her index finger against his nose.
"And don't you go thinking I didn't catch that blush earlier. I like a man I can get all flustered. Makes playing all that much more fun."
Kix swallowed, but found himself returning the smile. He might now be at her mercy without a brother to watch his back, but looking at her fine-boned face, Kix thought that might not be such a bad thing. It might even be fun.
Unnoticed by either trooper or doctor, Darlos pulled his blanket up under his nose, his eyes watching them nervously. Maybe it was time for a nap.