Coruscant- Friday

[notconflicted]

The longer Atton had been gone, the more Sia had worried. He was perfectly capable, he didn't need her worrying, so she'd been Sia about it and gone about things like everything was fine.

And then earlier this week she got a message that told her that her instinct was correct. She made sure there was a bed ready in the medical ward, she made sure she'd be notified the instant that he arrived, and then she just had to wait.

It'd been a tense few days for her.

When he actually arrived, Sia got word pretty quickly. A medical team was on the way already since they didn't know what state he'd be in, though when she got there she saw that he'd made it to one of the inner hallways before they got to him. Of course he did.


[For that guy!]

Comments

[suitably_heroic]

It was the blood loss, coupled with a dawning concussion. Could've been worse - could've been actual brain damage.

Atton woke up again some fifteen minutes later, on a bed in the medical ward. This time his eyes did open, blinking furiously to adjust to the light.

"Wha..."

[notconflicted]

Sia wasn't allowed to stay for everything; doctors trumped empresses sometimes. But she was able to come in once they'd gotten him settled, so she could be there when he did wake up.

"Hello again."

[suitably_heroic]

"Hey," Atton said. He still sounded weak, but at least a bit more with it than he'd been earlier. "Nice medical bay you got here."

[notconflicted]

"We have the best." The last time she'd been here had been when she'd been in the position he was right now. "How are you feeling?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Like I fell off a cliff, hit my head on a rock, and nearly blew myself up with the cave I was in," Atton muttered.

[notconflicted]

"That's specific and terrible," Sia said, leaning forward in her seat. "What happened?"

[suitably_heroic]

"I fell off a cliff, hit my head on a rock, and nearly blew myself up with the cave I was in," Atton said, because he had to be Atton about it. "Diplomatic assignment. Turned out... not so diplomatic."

[notconflicted]

It was actually a relief that he was Atton about it today.

"You do like making friends," she said evenly.!

[suitably_heroic]

Atton sucked in a breath. Weird how that went way more easily than before, and yet it still hurt like anything. "Not my fault this time," he said. "You know how some places just wind up-- tripping on the dark side?"

He'd been on Earth too long.

[notconflicted]

Sia frowned. "I've experienced it, yes."

She'd never been assigned there on purpose, but she remembered Korriban.

[suitably_heroic]

"Untrained Force sensitive lost someone close to her in the caves," Atton managed. "Screwed up the whole area."

[notconflicted]

"Was this the witch?" Sia wondered.

[suitably_heroic]

"No, the witch is Kreia," Atton muttered, "Who's decided to take up shop in my subconscious. Just won't listen when I tell her to get out of my head."

[notconflicted]

Sia watched him carefully. "You do have a head injury," she said. "Is this related?"

[suitably_heroic]

"I don't know," Atton said, squinting at her. "I have a head injury."

[notconflicted]

Her reaction would have involved more eye rolls if not for, you know, the head injury.

"When did this start?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Right after I got to that planet," Atton said. "Thought it had to be... whatever was going on there..."

[notconflicted]

"It would make sense," she said thoughtfully. "Are you still hearing her?"

[suitably_heroic]

"I was when I got here," Atton said, squinting at the ceiling. "Right now it's quiet."

[notconflicted]

"All right. Will you tell me if you hear her again?"

Not that she knew what to do about it if he did. But she was absolutely going to worry.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton sighed. "Sure," he said. "But I can, like. Handle her. Stupid Kreia..."

Stupid Kreia which was probably really stupid his subconscious torturing him about stupid everything.

[notconflicted]

"I know you can," she said, and mostly meant it, aside from not knowing what exactly it was.

But of course she had to ask, "What is she saying?"

[suitably_heroic]

"Just lecturing me all the time about literally everything I do, as per usual," Atton said.

Totally not evasively.

[notconflicted]

"Mm hm."

She'd known him a while.

[suitably_heroic]

Atton... would ignore that.

In favor of asking a question he didn't really want an answer to.

"Have you heard from Sparkle at all?"