A Medcenter on Coruscant, Sunday

Jul 24, 2016 11:02

It had taken five days for Farani to recover enough that she'd been allowed out of the kolto tank. The center they were at was military-funded; Atton had to give his clearing several times as they helped Farani walk out of there. Didn't matter. Sure, he'd started this trip fully planning to throw himself into all kinds of scummy poodoo to make himself feel like Atton Rand again - but life had thought otherwise and tripped him up back into a different Atton Rand's life.

It was just as well. This one - the version born during an intense two months one summer a few years ago - was a better Atton Rand anyway. And the kids needed him.

"Hey, hey, Farani," he called. "You slow down, all right? Kolto-good doesn't mean all-good. You're going to trip all over yourself."

"Thanks for the worry, but I'll be fine." Farani wasn't fine, not really; he could see her gritting her teeth with every other step. But he wasn't going to tread on her pride like that, so he shut up about it.

"Big tough girl," Thont muttered, giving Farani a slap over the back of the head. She was holding back, Atton could tell, but it didn't matter.

"Like a wannabe Krayt dragon," Damar said. He'd been speaking up a lot more than Atton remembered him doing. He had a feeling the guy was making up for Parish, who'd spent most of the past few days being either absent or eerily quiet. Either way, Farani didn't seem impressed. She made a slow, careful, rude gesture with the fingers attached to the arm she'd almost lost.

Atton repressed a sigh. He slowed his gait just enough that he dropped back, until he oh-so-coincidentally found himself falling in step with Parish. "You and me need to talk," he said softly.

"Why?"

"Because something happened back there you're not talking about," he said.

Parish let out a quiet snort. "You're one to talk," he said. "You've always been up to your eyeballs in secrets."

Atton shrugged. "Doesn't matter," he said. "You're the one who's screwed up about this, and if you think you're doing a good job hiding it, let me help you out of the illusion: you're not."

"It doesn't matter," Parish hissed. "Okay? It doesn't matter. I got her hurt, I shouldn't--" He cut himself off violently.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Atton said. Stupid self-hating, self-sacrificial kids: they were the same in every generations. "You and I are hitting the cantina tonight, after Farani gets settled back in. No excuses." He gave Parish a little nudge in the back. "Now move. Go be with your squad."

Parish bit down on his bottom lip, then visibly gritted his teeth. He didn't answer Atton, but he skipped on ahead, catching up with Damar a few moments later. Good. Maybe then they'd get some healing going. They needed it, after what happened, more than Atton needed any details about what and when. They were military. Battles didn't change.

He used his moment of quiet to lift his comlink out of his pocket. Check for messages. Maybe send out another still here, still alive, nothing going on to the people who'd care.

[[ open for messages, etc. ]]

who: atton's bb soldier squad, where: coruscant

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