Please be aware that parts of this chapter may be deemed M rated
Thirteen
0230 hours
Jakline left ICU and walked straight to the on-call room. There she opened her locker and removed her scrubs and re dressed. It was 0230 and she had approximately 5.5 hours before she was required to report in for her next shift. She was aware of the door opening behind her and turned to see the emergency room chief prepare to do exactly the same.
"Hear you had a tough day?"
"Not great. Two outta three." He looked at her pale skin and smiled. He knew what it was like to prove yourself once you'd made it to consultant.
"I don't want to see you in here before 1200 tomorrow. You hear me?"
An extra four hours.
"I might just take you up on that," she replied as she slammed the locker shut.
Jakline smiled and he couldn't help but reciprocate. She had definitely made a name for herself over the past sixteen hours.
He had made sure she had been given the tougher of the incoming cases. As a registrar she had proven herself time and again with her quick thinking and pragmatic approach to emergency medicine.
Her first case as a qualified emergency physician was something new, but not taxing; by Republic standards. Burns due to an unlucky light sabre slash across the face.
She sedated the soldier and then removed the helmet and then more delicately, the fragments implanted in the underlying fascia.
There was no denying it – it was horrific. Jakline was initially surprised by the extent of damage. But after three hours of debriding and calling in the plastics team, they managed to make something of CT-31-5932's face.
He would fight again, albeit disfigured for life.
Nothing a helmet couldn't disguise.
Then the commando with the spinal injury, which required nothing more than stabilisation and bacta. That one was a waiting game, a ticking time bomb, but one she was sure would eventually work out.
He had shook her slightly, jogging a memory she had kept neatly tucked away for just on a year. The quietly spoken commando, worried about his ROM and modesty in the presence of a woman.
'Jakline?"
"Hmmm?"
"Jak, listen to me would ya. Watch your back ok? This business with the Jedi, something's just not sitting right. Look," the Chief said as he sat down on the bench, "the Republic wanted civvie doctors in right from the beginning. Said it was important to have non-clone and non-droid medics to treat the men; keep the playing field even. But things have changed. Ever since that clone had a go at the Chancellor, they haven't been renewing contracts. I was surprised that they even appointed you in the new ER consult position."
She knew what he was saying was right. There were more new medics pouring into army med and they seemed different from the ones she was used to working alongside.
Quiet and more compliant, they were meticulous and without reproach, but were devoid of the more quirky personalities she had come to expect, and appreciate from clone medics.
"Just keep your eyes open, and expect anything." He then stood and pulled a coat over his blue scrubs. "1200, no earlier and no later."
Jakline nodded her head and removed her bag from its hook, stalling for time as he left. Then she allowed herself the small luxury she often did at the end of a shift.
She indulged herself in a memory.
.
Thirteen months earlier
"We have a head injury inbound. ETA 3 minutes."
"I got it," Jakline stated, jumping out of her chair and making her way to the ER entrance. Pulling on a gown and surgical gloves she stood, hands clasped together and waited, not knowing her life was about to change forever.
A soldier was wheeled in; concussion from a fall from an AT-AP back firing. She played it by the book, ordering the appropriate work up and waited for the results to come in.
Checking his pupillary light reflex, she continued, "your brain scan is clear. You'll be placed in bacta for 6 hours, then we'll rescan you afterwards to make sure there is no bleeding into the brain."
Panic must have set in as the soldier began to thrash about on the bed at the mention of the tank.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Stop! I need some help in here," she yelled back over her shoulder as the clone on the stretcher struggled to be kept under control.
Jakline pushed him down with all her strength and stared into his fear-laden eyes when she became aware of the curtain being pushed back and someone stepping through.
Copaani mirshmure'cye vod?" Then in Basic, "she's trying to help you!"
The soldier slumped back before he threw his head over the side of the gurney and vomited.
"Gar serim, that's it, you're in good hands brother," he said more gently as he held a bed pan under his chin.
"Thank you. I can take it from here," she said as she took in his appearance.
The black bodysuit peeled down to expose his muscular torso and unlike the clone she was treating, his chest was covered in dark hair. He also appeared thicker than the norm. He held his left arm into him for protection. The lower part of his armour was clean, but heavily dented and scratched.
This soldier had seen some action.
He quickly lowered his eyes before quietly nodding and disappearing to the other side of the curtain, as silently as he appeared.
Jakline's thoughts were brought back to the present with another lurch of the wounded man's shoulders and the sound of dry retching.
"OK, let's get you cleaned up. Orderly!"
She then sat at the centre consul and typed up the report on her concussed AT-AP driver, tapping down the medication regime and the order for him to head into bacta as soon as a tank freed up.
"Next case," she heard as a data pad was unceremoniously dumped in front of her.
"I don't appreciate being spoken to in that manner Jon."
"That's why they pay you the big bucks isn't it? You know the saying, 'can't take the heat - '"
"Fek off," she said with a glamorous smile and continued to read the triage report. "This is just a simple shoulder reduction! You can do this!"
"I could, but it's my break."
Jon was in direct competition with Jakline for the new senior position. Both had begun their registrar training at the same time, however he was convinced that she must have been sleeping with one of the consultants to have lasted as long and to be such a threat to his career.
She was simply, in his way.
The truth be told, it was of his own doing. Jon was never available for the weekend or graveyard shifts, thinking those hours beneath a senior registrar.
And that belligerent attitude would in the long run, come back to haunt him.
Jakline sighed and stood making her way to cubicle 4, sliding the curtain open she was startled to see the same quiet man, who had helped her two hours earlier.
"You're still here?" she questioned.
"Yes ma'am."
"You know your shoulder is dislocated right?"
"Yes ma'am."
"How's your pain?"
"Tolerable ma'am."
"Well, I'm going to reduce it and put you into a tank for three hours. You're status will be reinstated to active after 24."
"Understood ma'am."
He watched as she pulled a chair over to the bed.
"Can you sit up straight in this chair for me?"
He winced as he moved off the bed and sat gingerly holding his arm and straightened as best he could.
Jakline knelt down and stretched her neck. He was aware of her ponytail moving and then the scent that annoyed him slightly.
Fragrance. Why do women wear fragrance?
She gently took hold of his arm and held the elbow, "I want you to rest your arm against mine, and relax your shoulders."
"Easier said than done ma'am."
Jakline chuckled lightly, "I know, it'll be over in less than a minute. Sit up straight again for me, that's it."
He did as he was ordered, and with her left thumb depressed hard into the crook of his arm, she began massaging his trapezius with her right.
"Ma'am?"
"Keep sitting up straight, I know it's uncomfortable, and take a few deep breaths, we have to relax these muscles. Trust me."
Her hand then moved down to his deltoid and then she began working on his bicep, deep tissue massaging the area until she was satisfied that the joint had been replaced.
"There, all done."
"Wh – what?"
"All done." Jakline began moving his arm around while continuing to check that the joint was realigned, "perfect," she breathed out. "OK, hold your arm while I sling it and you can head straight into bacta.
"That's amazing. Thank you."
"Ba'gedet'ye."
"And you know Mando'a as well?"
She lent across him and threaded the sling over his head, manoeuvring the strap into place and over his left hand.
"You pick it up quickly around here! Right, you're good to go." She looked up and stared at him directly.
"All the best soldier, and thanks for your help earlier," but before he could answer, she was gone and an orderly appeared.
"Sir, I'm here to transport you to the tank room."
"My armour?"
"It'll be sent across to you for when you emerge."
He sighed; the most pleasant thing about ripping his shoulder definitely wasn't time out bobbing around in a tank for the rest of the afternoon.
It was meeting her.
.
She left that shift at 1800, marching out of the hospital feeling satisfied at a decent days work. Crossing the street she turned a corner, humming to herself when she heard a voice.
"Good evening ma'am."
She swung around to see him leaning up against her building. Even dressed in crimson fatigues, she knew who he was.
"Your shoulder better?" she asked as she walked slowly over to him.
"Yes ma'am," he replied as he pushed himself off the wall and turned to face her.
He had sought her out independently. It had been easy considering his position as a commando meant he had access to Republic records.
Jakline couldn't help but smile as she stood in front of him. They had both felt it, the attraction, the impossibility of their situation making it all the more important to act on a hunch.
And she was glad he did.
He was gentle in his approach right up to the point where he cupped her face with his large hands and without a word crushed his lips down on hers. The scratchy stubble of his beard rasped against her skin and Jakline knew she would have a mark there in the morning.
Right then, she didn't care.
Pressed up against the wall of her apartment block she longed for him to continue. A low moan from somewhere dark escaped him as his hand moved down to seductively stroke one of her thighs.
"Wait. Not here," she breathed into his mouth as they touched foreheads to regain composure. A couple of people looked on as they passed the pair and she giggled like a teenager before pushing him towards the security entrance of her building.
Inside the elevator ride to the fifteenth floor he continued the rampage on her mouth, running a hand up the inside of her leg to seek out the fine material that was already, damp with passion.
Jakline threw her head back against the mirrored wall.
"Arrhhh," she breathed through the desire that was coursing through her, desperate to contain it for when they were completely undressed.
She fumbled through her handbag, cursing lightly as he held her from behind and swiped the card over the sensor, and together they stumbled into the darkened space. Too anxious to find the bedroom, he flung her hard up against the closed door, her bag dropping unceremoniously to the ground.
There she ran her hands underneath the crimson tunic to reveal the perfect musculature she treated that afternoon. He continued to kiss her neck, holding her perfectly in place with his hips. There they moved in unison, if they had done this a thousand times before.
As if they belonged together.
She felt dwarfed, trapped, thrilled.
He had the faint smell of bacta and chlorine on him, the sterile scent fuelling her lust further.
"Just relax," he growled into her ear, the vibration of his voice making her dizzy.
Jakline relinquished all power and stood silent as he deftly began to undo each button on her blouse. Under the veil of heavy eyelashes she watched as he smiled and pulled the material from her shoulders seductively slow.
Jakline reached around and unzipped her skirt followed by unfastening her brassiere while he stood back to remove his tunic.
Then he looked up coyly, his boyish charm making her smile openly as he dropped his trousers.
Then that moment.
That moment when skin on skin touches for the first time.
The overwhelming passion caught them both unaware as they held one another for what seemed an eternity. He ran a hand up her side stopping to cup a breast, reigniting the passion that she could feel hard against her belly.
He lifted her up effortlessly, "which way?"
"First on the left."
In the darkness of the room, Jakline relaxed back on the bed and let her knees fall apart naturally. Delicately, he positioned himself inside her, lingering in her all-encompassing warmth.
Silently and slowly they began the rhythm of union, Jakline noticed his jaw set tight in concentration. The pressure of him moving inside her began to build until there was nothing holding either of them back.
"I want to come," she whispered.
He grabbed her thick hair like it was a rope and continued to push until she cried out in pain and ecstasy. Blowing hard into her ear he rolled off and they both were still, looking up at the ceiling waiting for their breath to return.
"And to think I tried to push your case onto someone else."
"I'd rip the other shoulder just to see you again," he said as he propped himself up on an elbow to look at her.
She took in a deep breath and stretched.
"I suppose you're hungry?"
"Starving."
The room filled with their laughter as he pulled her into him and she rested on his right shoulder, glad that for one reason or another, he had hurt the left and found his way.
To her.
.
0245
Jakline wiped away the errant tear and placed her satchel over her shoulder, and as she then emerged from behind the doors, another trooper, one in the same armour as patient number two stood, looking anxious and tired she approached.
"Ma'am?"
"Hasn't anyone spoken to you yet?"
Darman felt his heart literally stop beating in his chest.
He steadied himself and waited for the response. Jakline saw it and spoke.
"Your friend will be alright. He has a fractured spine, but it's stable. There is only minor swelling of the spinal cord at that point but I expect he will make a full recovery."
Darman continued to stare at her face.
He was in shock.
Quickly Jakline moved forward and grabbed his forearm, startled, Darman flung his arm up, inadvertently pushing her back two steps.
"Do you understand what I said?"
He didn't speak, he couldn't.
The emotion had finally caught up with him.
Darman sat back into the small chair and she watched as the man in the impenetrable suit crumpled.
Jakline sighed and sat heavily next to him and waited. She waited for him to finish whatever it was she had started. Darman held his head in his hands, his elbows resting on his knees and sobbed like he had never done before.
Little did Jakline know it wasn't just over the man she had treated, but for someone more important; someone he wasn't allowed to acknowledge.
Someone he wasn't allowed to mourn.
A Jedi.
His life partner.
As he regained control, Darman took three deep breaths and Jakline took this as his cue that the emotional outpouring was coming to an end.
Patiently she waited until he nodded recognition of her previous question.
"Can I see him?"
"He's in ICU for another 40 hours, I'm not sure hospital protocol allows - "
"I need to be with him!" He stood and made his way to the door. "You don't understand what they'll do." He knew then he had said the wrong thing.
She is one of them, isn't she?
He was confused.
Everything that had happened had left him unsure of himself.
What's she doing in army med?
Darman took a step towards her, his DC17 clutched to his chest for fortitude and intimidation.
But it wouldn't work on her.
She knew what type of men these were
She knew about this bond the clones shared. It was a well documented phenomenon in the Republic Cloning Manual. She had read up on it.
They were loyal to the end.
"Follow me," she said as she stepped past him, "this isn't regulation but if you don't cause any trouble I'll get you clearance to sit with Niner."
With the mention of his name, Darman stopped.
"What do they call you?"
"Darman, ma'am."
"Have you eaten anything?"
"No ma'am."
She sighed again. For an army of such importance, the Republic didn't seem to care about their physical well being.
She depressed a few numbers and the massive doors hissed open quickly and he followed her through to the ICU unit. There Darman felt deflated once again at the sight of Niner in the tank.
"What's these tanks?" he asked confused.
"Intensive care. Means we can keep him in traction and stable while the injury heals. Here," she pulled out a chair, "You can place your gun under the tank, they aren't allowed in here and I'll organise someone to get you some food."
Darman stood dumbfounded, looking at Niner asleep.
"Weapon."
"Pardon?"
"It's called a weapon, not a gun."
"Oh, ok. Well place it here or you'll loose it. I'll be back in the morning, in the meantime, try and get some rest. You look as though you need it."
You have no idea Darman thought.
You have no idea.
But she did.
.
