(no subject)

[imthepilot]

The medical team moved Bodhi into the room opposite Galen two days later. Still groggy from painkillers, Bodhi sprawls naked across the weirdly wide bed. Officer's quarters. Much bigger beds that the barracks.

Made Bodhi wonder if they were lonelier too.

Strange things like that occur to him at strange times. Probably something to do with the drugs.

At least his back didn't hurt so much any more. And he only needed the oxy if he moved around too much.

But he was here, so near to Galen. And Galen would come see him soon enough. In the mean time, maybe some more sleep was a good idea.

Comments

[galen_erso]

"So we dropped the big orange guy we were trying to save," Galen says. "I'm sorry we couldn't get him away with us, but actually, I'm glad you did what you did. If you hadn't, we'd be dead alongside him."

Pause.

"You were immensely brave to run towards the accident, not away from it. You feel out of the darkness, suddenly, and minutes later, shielded me from the fireball."

[imthepilot]

"Teric." Bodhi pulls back a little, his eyes darkening. "His name was Teric. I asked the doctor to find out for me."

[galen_erso]

"I'm sorry," Galen says. "Did you know him?"

[imthepilot]

He shakes his head. "He was new to the crew. I knew the captain. Shivara. She was in the year ahead of me at the academy. She was brilliant. A natural. The only reasons she didn't make fleet was because-" he cuts himself off, actively closing down where that thought was going before he finished it. "Because of something that happen before graduation."

He swallows, reaching for the oxy. "If she was flying and managed to land like that, it could have been a hundred times worse."

[galen_erso]

"We will honour her memory," Galen promises. "It must be obvious that her actions prevented worse. I'm sure we will soon get a complete explanation of what precisely happened there. And we can find out if any of her crew survived."

Something for Bodhi to take care of while he was getting better.

[imthepilot]

"I saw Tails and Ari in the infirmary. They got hit bad but they'll live. I didn't know the rest of her crew. I didn't know the other crew at all. They were new to the sector. Their first long haul run." Bodhi muses, his eyes distance.

"Has anyone brought my ship in?"

[galen_erso]

"Not yet," Galen says. "Not before the landing pad gets cleared and repaired. The tower is damaged."

[imthepilot]

"I should organise a crew to go up there and retrieve the cargo. I wasn't carrying medical supplies, mostly parts and equipment but there may something useful in there for the salvage effort."

"The ship is going to need work too. I snapped a few struts on the landing." He admits with chagrin.

[galen_erso]

"You have a month," Galen says. "For both you and your ship to get into working order again. And all the while, you will be coming home to me."

Said with a depth of both love and amazement.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi pulled him into a slow, deep kiss, equally amazed. "Does that mean... we can... you could stay the night. If you wanted to? Not-" he gestures helplessly. "I'm not sure I can yet but... just, you know, be together?"

[galen_erso]

"Every night," Galen says. "And towards the end of that month, we can see..."

His voice thickens a little -- sex is not important, not compared to what they already have, but it will be lovely when it happens.

[imthepilot]

"Will you... come lay down with me? I know I'm kind of awkward at the moment but... I want to hold you."

[galen_erso]

"Of course," Galen says. "You're not awkward, you're hurt, and I am tasked by the chief medic to give you any comfort you need. Can I help you to move a little to the other side?"

So there is room for Galen's broad shoulders on one side of the bed or another.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi nods and stifles a soft grunt as he shimmies over to make room, trying hard to ignore the worst of all the burns on his right hip.

The effort costs him and he reaches for the oxy again, needing it for longer this time.

[galen_erso]

Galen lies beside him and strokes his cheek while his pilot just breathes.

[imthepilot]

The touch helps and Bodhi steadies out his breathing, smiling softly as he sets the mask down. "I like this." He comments softly, draping one arm around Galen's waist. "I like that we can have this."

[galen_erso]

"So do I," Galen says, moving closer into the touch.

[imthepilot]

Bodhi tries to find the most comfortable spot, where he's putting the least pressure on the burns, content just to hold Galen close, fingers moving softly over the nape of Galen's neck. "How bad are things out there?" He knows how badly a crash like this can shake everyone involved.

[galen_erso]

"We are making do until the pad is repaired and we cancer ships back in," Galen says. "And one of the crashed ships was carrying medical supplies, which is why there still isn't enough bacta even for the badly wounded. Even if you were cleared to fly, there would be no way to actually get your ship off the ground just yet."

[imthepilot]

"It's going to need to be lifted. I'll need a T8 grapple hauler at least. I broke a wing too." Even in pain and heavily injured, Bodhi is still an imperial pilot. And nothing if not practical. "We should be able to float shift the cargo down grav-lifters."

Even if he is still gently carding Galen's hair.

[galen_erso]

"What is your cargo this time around?" Galen says, suddenly imaging sensitive equipment sitting out on a rock.

He is still the chief scientist of this place, even gently stroking Bodhi's cheek.

[imthepilot]

"The manifest was in the datapad in my gloves. I don't even know if they survived the blast." He blinks, trying to draw on the memories. "Parts, machinery. I can't remember anything particularly outstanding."

He sighs, nuzzling Galen's cheek. "Worst bit is I feel guilty for laying here while I should be doing my job."

[galen_erso]

"You should be lying here so you can get well enough to do your job again," Galen says. "Until then, you will have to make do with helping us recover from this."

Beat.

"The medic said something about your hands escaping worse damage because you were gripping me, so I guess the gloves were already gone by then, or it wouldn't have been an issue."

[imthepilot]

"Anything I can do." He manages a small smile. "I still have to earn my keep somehow."

He frowns, thinking back. "The palms were torn. On the rocks, coming down. I landed up in the hills, had to scramble down." He turns up his hand, looking at the faint scars of healed cuts. They must have gelled his hands too. "That's why my suit was compromised." He huffs a sour laugh. "Eadu seems to have two states - sharp and wet."

[galen_erso]

"Or sharp and wet," Galen agrees, leaning over to kiss Bodhi's cheek. "They sometimes happen both at once."