Injuries

[for_everyone]

It's never good when one of the crew takes an injury on a job, but close-range blaster-fire leaves some of the worst marks.

Which is why Hera's currently carrying a tray into Kanan's bunk, loaded up with food that's a little tastier than nutrient paste, as well as replacement bacta and bandages.

"Are you awake?"

Her voice is soft, which means that if Kanan is asleep, the question won't startle him awake (unlike knocking).

Comments

[for_everyone]

She cups his cheek in her hand for a moment, gently shaking his head back and forth.

"That's why I keep doing it."

(His griping about it ineffectually is definitely not comforting, either.)

[notallofus]

That takes him off-guard, and without thinking, Kanan catches her hand when she pulls it away.

And then, well -

Say something clever, idiot!

He takes a deep breath, and releases her hand. "As long as you don't hand me off to Chopper."

[for_everyone]

Hera takes a deep breath, quelling the sudden flutter in her stomach, smile gone slightly overbright.

She makes it a smirk a second later, because --

"I promise I'll wait to do that at least until you don't need any more bacta treatments."

[notallofus]

"I don't think he'll be any better at wrapping bandages."

Then again, Chopper's bedside manner is about as good as some medical droids he's known.

[for_everyone]

"He's good at holding them in place?"

Which is almost as good.

[notallofus]

"He could do that."

Though the things Chopper can do and is willing to do don't always overlap.

[for_everyone]

"I'd have to supervise, though."

Kanan is not wrong about the lack of overlap between 'can' and 'will'.

"Which sort of defeats the purpose."

[notallofus]

Kanan grins at her, briefly, before he glances down, and -

"Maybe I should, um -"

Not thinking, he lifts his hand toward his head, then winces and remembers not to do that.

"- get my - shirt back on."

[for_everyone]

"Oh. Right."

The view's nice, and --

Now is not the time.

"Stop with the banter and maybe we can get this done."

Yeah, Kanan. Stop being funny. That'll help.

Hera moves to slide the shirt over his bad arm, careful to keep her hands away from Kanan's skin. Now that it's really registered with her that he's currently shirtless.

[notallofus]

"I knew this would be my fault somehow," Kanan says, not exactly stopping with the banter.

But he does move with her, trying not to react to much as he has to shift his shoulder.

[for_everyone]

She braces his shoulder with her free hand, once she gets the loop of the sleeve tucked past his wrist.

"I like to stay on-message."

[notallofus]

"Well, maybe it's true -"

He has to pause, as they manage to get the shirt over shoulder and then his head, but -

"- I know I can be distracting."

[for_everyone]

Kanan has no idea how true that is. Hera keeps her face turned downward, very carefully studying the movement of Kanan's sleeve over his shoulder.

Nothing to see here, definitely no flush along her cheekbones.

"It's when you start electrocuting people to get their attention that I'll start worrying. We only need one Chopper on this ship."

[notallofus]

With another grin, "It looks like I could always try getting injured."

[for_everyone]

Hera looks up at him, caught somewhere between a smile and a growl.

"Next time I will leave you to Chopper's nonexistent mercy."

[notallofus]

Kanan tries to raise his hands in surrender...

... and then again remembers that he shouldn't do that. Ow.

[for_everyone]

Hera snorts, trying to muffle it in her shoulder and failing.

"Here, if you move yourself this way a little -- "

Right. Getting the shirt all the way to 'on' will count as a triumph in a second here.

[notallofus]

Kanan moves with her, and eventually his arm gets through the right sleeve, so that he can finally pull the shirt down.

He doesn't bask in this success for very long. "How many more times do you think we'll have to do that?"

[for_everyone]

Hera just looks at him.

"Maybe three or four? Unless you want whatever's under there to get really gross, and I don't think you do."

She doesn't, anyway, and since she's the captain, that's what counts.

[notallofus]

"Fair enough."

Pause.

"How long do you think before you'll let me sit up on my own again?"

[for_everyone]

"When you stop wincing when you're not paying attention."

[notallofus]

"That could be a while, Hera."

He could stop forgetting that he's injured, but.

[for_everyone]

"We'll just have to cope with that, Kanan."

Though maybe she really will ask Chopper to help.

Or . . . maybe not.

[notallofus]

Kanan takes a slow, deep breath, lets it out.

"I guess that means I'm eating now, Captain."

[for_everyone]

"Please, before your stomach starts growling. You know I hate that sound."

She's already lifting the tray to set it on his lap.