Sixty Two

Kix stood in his quarters.

It had been an eventful three days. He had spent most of those in the infirmary assisting men in his unit recover from the atrocity that was Umbara.

The scars however, ran deeper than ever before.

There were the usual laser burns and associated soft tissue damage from the shattered armour, but this time they were different.

This time, they were from Republic weapons.

"Sorry trooper, can you lift your arm again so we can repack the wound? Gently, that's it. Great. OK, now slowly rest your arm back down. Good, good." His voice a softer and more patient version of their own.

There was an area of the med bay though, where the men injured by Krell were kept. The med droids were out of their depth with the sheer number of these injuries, leaving the recovery and nursing to the medics and the human doctors.

The damage from the immediate quarterisation of the tissue resulted in instant cellular death. More often than not, the men had to undergo surgery to remove the skin that had been in contact with the raw power source. The more unfortunate were the ones that survived internal contact with the blade. Organs that had to be resected or replaced. Kix swallowed hard, the more serious cases, he knew would be sent back to Kamino. The carnage of Krell would continue well into the weeks to come, with some men, wishing they had perished on Umbara along with their brothers, other than in the lonely, sterile environment of Kamino.

The one he didn't see coming though, was the Captain.

He watched as Rex would march through the med bay three times a day getting updates on all his men. Waiting for those to wake from surgery, feed ones with bandaged hands, even help dress those fortunate enough to be leaving and heading back to their own quarters. In between times, he knew his Captain would be in meetings with HQ regarding the Umbaran campaign.

"Sir, you need this," he said handing his commanding officer a container of hydrolyte.

"Thanks." Rex took a long drink and kept his eyes closed a little too long.

"With all due respect Sir, when was the last time you slept?"

Rex's eyes sprung open and he stared at the unit medic before he shook his head briefly.

"I'll sleep when all this is over," he said, indicating the men in the hospital beds. "The light sabre injured troopers, how they getting on?" The conversation cut short by his wrist comm beeping.

Rex read the message scrolled across the tiny screen and sighed.

"Kriff. Jedi Temple in five. Kix, help me out? I need a stim."

"Sir, you're dehydrated and exhausted. I wouldn't suggest - ," he started before the Captain turned and cut him off.

"Sergeant!"

Coric turned from treating a man with a head wound and stood to attention, aware of the other medic watching intently.

"Get me a stim Coric would you?"

"Sir," he replied as he walked over to the durasteel cabinet and pulled out a hypo of artificial adrenaline.

"Here Sir," he said handing it over.

Kix turned away when the Rex lowered the neck of his body suit.

When he turned back around, his Captain was gone

.

Jesse wasn't coping well. The injuries that couldn't be healed in Bacta were the ones that Kix worried about the most.

His friend had gone back to his old behaviour, leaving the barracks late in the evening and returning in the wee hours of the morning. Kix would hear his foot locker open and the familiar clinking of credits as he tossed them carelessly in; the smell of expensive alcohol and cologne would linger well into the morning.

Hardcase wasn't there to bring him in line, to question Jesse, and remind him he was worth more than that.

They were the only two in their quarters now. With a heavy gunner in the room, there were only three beds; one bunk and a single cot. The rotary weapon took pride of place on brackets above the single bed.

Kix looked at where it used to hang. Small marks on the wall the only reminder of the gun colloquially known throughout the unit as 'big Bertha.'

He slowly walked over to the foot locker and sat on the bed and opened it. Kix let out a chuckle when he saw the state of the contents inside.

"Ah Hardcase," he smiled.

Bending down he pulled out a small piece of fabric and ran it through his fingers. It was pale blue in colour and he closed his eyes as he called upon his flash training to remind him of what it was.

'Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed giving it a distinctive, soft feel.'

"What are you doing?"

Jesse was standing at the door.

Kix wasn't startled, he remained seated and answered.

"Tup's transferring to heavy gunner. We need to make room available for him."

"That was Elin's," Jesse said, intonating to the ribbon and ignoring the medic's previous comment. Kix looked down and nodded as Jesse moved over and sat down next to him.

"Jess," Kix was thoughtful with his words, "I know I'm not Hardcase, but if you ever need to talk, you know I'm here."

Jess looked down into the locker and picked out a drink coaster, and laughed to himself.

"We got this the night I tried to get him laid down on the lower levels. Man," he smiled to Kix, "did we cop a ribbing from the Cap that night."

"You were both pretty banged up as I recall?"

"Yeah, it was all my fault, but Hardcase, he never - ," Jesse faltered, "he just went along with whatever I said." Jesse wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

"Here," Kix grabbed his arm and tied the ribbon around Jesse's wrist, "for luck."

Jesse looked up into his brother's eyes and moved forward until he brushed the medic's mouth in a light kiss.

Kix responded gently, knowing full well that rejection at this point would be a major setback for his friend. Jesse stopped and lowered his head, "I'm sorry," he whispered.

Kix didn't say anything. He waited a minute before he slapped his hand against his brother's thigh, and stood, closing Hardcase's footlocker as he did.

"Fek Umbara."

"Yeah, fek Umbara."

"Want to get some food?"

Jesse shook his head, "you know, I think I might just get some sleep."

Kix walked out into the corridor and saw the Captain heading in his general direction. The familiar kama swaying as he strode forward.

That's when he realised something was wrong.

Rex's gait was irregular, he stumbled and moved back off against the wall.

"Sir?" Kix raised his voice and Jess came out to see who he was talking to, "Captain?"

"I need, Skywalker, get me Command - " he stammered before he toppled forward into the medics arms unconscious.

"Medic!" Kix yelled as he folded under the weight of his captain, "medic!"

...