A week had now pass and Smoulder's team was on the move again. This time they were to destroy a factory on Teth. It would be dangerous, since it was controlled by the Hutts and riddled with bounty hunters. This mission required the utmost precision if it were to succeed. Smoulder knew that and made sure Pulse had come along with his team again, it was like his confidence was dependant on him coming. In reality, it wasn't all a lie, the prestigious commander didn't feel up to par but would never admit he was feeling ill. His Troops needed him to lead them, he couldn't afford to be sick.
His medic; on the other hand, was helping a few shinies get over a bout of the jitters. Pulse understood their nervousness and told them to stay close to him during the battle so he could help them sooner. He remembered his first battle clearly and wanted to help the rookies through their first one.
"Sir, why do you constantly look at Commander Smoulder?" One of them asked.
"Well, I admire him greatly. I have yet to meet a commander quite like him." Pulse meerly replied vaguely. He knew it wasn't the whole truth but it wasn't a lie either. Even so the troopers dropped the topic since Pule did answer them.
A few nights later; on the eve of battle, Smoulder had gotten worse. He couldn't hide it any longer as his normal remedy no longer had any effect. The commander knew he needed a doctor.
After yet another fit of violnt vomitting, Smoulder stumbled into Pulse's tent. He crossed to where the medic lay sleeping medic lay and whispered his name in his ear. At this point he could barely stand on his own two feet.
Pulse woke up and yawned. "Something wrong, Smoulder?" he asked sitting up.
The commander nodded "Feel sick." he admits.
Pulse turned on a lamp to find a very pale and somewhat sweaty Smoulder. Placing the back of his hand on the commander's forehead, he confirmed the he had a very high fever.
"Could you tell me your other symptoms?" he asked patting the cot to invite Smoulder to sit down.
The sick commanders legs literally buckled under him , causing him to crash into into Pulse. "Sorry.." He moaned trying in vain to stand back up again.
The medic meerly helped to sit on the cot beside him. Smoulder was leaning on him for support, even breathing was like a chore to him. "So weakness is another one, any others Smoulder?"
Smoulder nodded "Head aches, nausia, dizziness, aches and pains, vomiting, blood in the vomit, coughing.."
Pulse tried not to cringe at the symptoms. "Have been smoking while drinking?"
Smoulder shook his head.
"Ok have you done either since you first noticed the symptoms?"
"Just a few drinks to dull the headaches and other pains."
"So it's not another hangover?'
"No."
Pulse sighed "I can honestly say that I'm not sure what's wrong with you. I will however, advise you to rest. If none of the symptoms improve, I don't want you on the feild tomorrow."
"I must refuse that request, Pulse." he said quietly "The others need me."
"I know, but you can't lead in your condition. Please, what would happen to them if you died here and now?" Pulse pleaded lying the commander down on the cot. "Please at least rest here."
"Sorry, but I have a metting to go to," Smoulder replies coldly getting off the cot "you bett worry about yourself more than me, Pulse. You have the highest chances of dying out of the two of us." he said leaving the tent leaving Pulse alone and hurt.
"Did he really mean that?" he asks himself quietly. He wished he could've helped his commander. But saddly, he just didn't know what to do. Flooping back onto the cot, Pulse looked up at the ceiling of his tent. It had been a standard week and five standard days since he was first taken by his commander. It felt like a life time ago. He hoped that Smoulder wouldn't leave him.
Sleep soon claimed the emotionaly frustrated medic and he did not dream.
Smoulder had lied about the meeting he had to go to and had confined himself to hes tent. He was audiably vomiting into a garbage bin. He egan to regret not accepting the medic's advice and resting him close by. He felt like a complete jackass when he remembered how poorly he had treated his poor medic. "Why did I even say that to him? I love him right?" he thought before vomiting again. "I have to talk to him."
Once his vomiting fits had calmed down, Smoulder whobbled back into the medic's tent to find Pulse; once again, alseep. He looked so peaceful and Smoulder didn't have it in him to wake the medic. Thinking that going back to his own tent was too much of an effort, he lay down beside the cot and eventually drifted off into a restless sleep.
Pulse awoke a good ten minutes after the commander had fallen asleep, to the sound of someone coughing. When he looked at the entrence to his tent while still lying down he didn't see anyone. Confused he sat up and out of the corner of his eye, spotted Smoulder asleep on the ground. He smiled slightly and watched his commander sleep a while.
Smoulder barely moved while he slept; excluding the occasional ragged cough that escaped him, though he was dreaming. "...no... wWildfire...Pulse...Don't leave me...' he mumbled in his sleep.
Pulse blinked in surprise. Smoulder was dreaming about both Wildfire and himself? And what was this about leaving him? Cautiously as he dared, Pulse lowered himself down beside the ailing commander he whipsered close to Smoulder's ear 'I'll never leave you my love." bringing his blanket down off the cot to cover the commander.
Smoulder; while stilll asleep. Reached out and embraced pulse "Don't go..." he mumbled.
"Don't plan on leaving." Pulse answered before kissing Smoulder's forhead. "Promise."
By now it was morning, not that Smoulder and Pulse noticed. When they didn't show up for rolecall, General Kenobi thought he should check up on the commander's tent. When he found it empty, he became concerned. He ran all over camp ;not going to the medical station, looking for Smoulder, but couldn't seem to find him. Little did the general realize that he had completely skiped over Pulse's number during roll call. Returning to the ranks, he asked if anyone had seen the commander.
"Pulse hasn't shown up either." one of the shinies pointed out.
"That medic is always the last to get here." an enginere grumbled.
"Pulse?" Obiwan asked.
"CM-59-675, sir."
"Well were is he?" the general asked, thinking the medic knew where the comander was.
"Most likely still sleeping in his tent."
The Jedi general was not impressed. "he should be the first to rise, why is he so late?" he huffed walking off to find the medic's tent.
When he got there, he flung the flap aside to find not only Pulse but also Smoulder who had the medic in a very awkward posistion, but he soon wiggeled out of it. "Err... Morning Sir."
"What's this?" the general asked since he noticed that Smould hadn't moved and looked to be asleep.
"The commander came here last night to seek my help but left because of a meeting. I drifted off and when I awoke, he was here. What you saw happened in his sleep moment before you came in." Pulse reported.
"There wasn't a meeting last night, but what's the matter with him."
"Oh, well he's complained of headaches, aches and pains, vomiting, blood in the vomit, and weakness. He also has a dangerously high fever, sir."
Obiwan cringed after hearing the list of symptoms. "That bad?"
Pulse nodded saddly.
"I'll contact the command center and see if we can get Cody to fill in for Smoulder."
"Yes sir."
After the general had left, Smoulder finally came around. Groaning as he woke up.
"Easy Smoulder."
"Ssorryfer intudin..."
"I'm kind of used to you doing that." the medic joked.
Smoulder sat up "Have to lead the others..." he mumbled.
"You have been ordered to stay here."
The commander shook his head "I can't. Not even if the order came from you."
"This order isn't from me, it's from General Kenobi. He said he's looking into getting someone to fill in for you." Pulse correct holding Smoulder's shoulders.
"Who?"
"Cody."
Smoulder stared at Pulse dazed "Cody? But he's a pussy." He groand, holding his stomache.
"That may be so, but you're in no condition to command." Pulse replied, gently pushing the commender back down.
Smoulder went to sit up again but Pulse stopped him. "But out Bruthas..."
"They'll be fine. I promise." the medic said sharply.
Smoulder gave up arguing with Pulse. "Ok I'll stay put, but you have to look after our bruthas for me. Make sure Cody doesn't do something stupid."
"Me?"
Smoulder nodded "Keep em safe for me, please? I can only trust you to."
Pulse sighed "I'll do everything in my power to keep them safe, Smoulder. But you have to get better, I don't know how long I can get them to listen to me." he said, not really wanting to leave his commander's side.
"I knew I could count on you." The commander smiled weakly.
Pulse smiled lightly Huh? Sounds like Cody's arrived; hang on, I'm going to get you on the criuser. I won't be able to concentrated if I'm worried about you here alone.
Smoulder nooded "OK."
Within moments, Pulse had the ill commander on a stretcher and carefully manuvered it to the cruiser where Cody was just getting off. Smoulder refused to look at Cody as his medic brought him on board. He didn't like Cody's tactics at all. The whole time he said nothing. When Cody was well out of sight, Smoulder asked Pulse to stop.
"What is it Smoulder" The medic asked.
"Come closer, I want to tell you something."
Puse leaned closer to his commander, only to be caught in a lip lock.
"Good luck. And Pulse, don't die on me. If you fell weak, get your ass off the feild and rest. You'll do that for me, right baby?"
Pulse nodded "Of course love."
The medic left his commander with the crew ;reluctantly' and joined the others. When he spotted Cody alone, he approached him.
"Since you're only filling in, Sir, I should inform you that I have been placed in charge of the team's well being. If I deem an advance is too risky, you are to pull the troopers back."
"And why would I follow that order?"
"Because of the little known fact in this team that Smoulder trusts me to look after our team and his fellow commanders." he replied coldly, his eyes shifting to a hard edge. "The shinys are with me regardless, and many of our bruthas here know why Smoulder trusts me more than you. So you can just deal with it." he then left.
Cody thought it was best not to challange the medic further, something about his eyes frightened him. They seemed to shift from a soft steel grey colour, to a hard, sharpened shade. Then it hit him, the sharpness was that of an expert sniper.