Private Unfinished Business

[Na Ri]

Thread Continuation from The Spoils
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The shuttle lifted before the last of the structure gave way.

Na Ri felt it more than she saw it; the sudden shift beneath her feet, the weightlessness that came for a brief second as the ship broke free from the collapsing world below. The roar outside faded, replaced by the steady, enclosed hum of engines. Whatever was happening to Lianna now… it was already behind them. Inside, the air was different, not clean but at least clearer. Her lungs reacted to this instantly, taking in easier breaths. She turned away as the cough forced its way through her, pressing the cloth to her lips as her shoulders tightened with it. It came in uneven bursts, deeper than before, pulling at something that refused to settle. When it finally eased, her breathing didn’t recover properly. It stayed shallow, measured, like she was forcing each inhale to stay controlled.

She lowered the cloth slowly, didn't look at it. Na Ri moved toward the far side of the shuttle, easing herself down against the wall where the metal could take some of her weight. For a moment, her eyes closed; not fully, just enough to steady the uneven rhythm of her breathing before it slipped again. She opened her eyes. The interior of the shuttle came back into focus slowly, people scattered, movement minimal, the quiet aftermath of survival settling into the space. Her gaze drifted without intent at first, passing over the med crate secured near the center, over the dim lighting, over the stillness that followed something too loud to continue. And then it rested on him, even if only for a brief moment.

Her gaze dropped instead, settling on the cloth still in her hand. Her fingers tightened faintly around it before loosening again, like she was deciding something without wanting to name it. She wasn’t someone who stayed, wasn’t someone who reached back once a moment had passed.

But this… hadn’t passed cleanly.

She pushed herself upright. The motion wasn’t smooth. It took effort, more than she wanted to show, and for a brief second her balance wavered before she steadied herself against the wall. She didn’t rush it, didn’t force it faster than her body allowed. Na Ri made her way rather clumsily towards him, each step as though she was leaving an opportunity for her to turn around. And yet, she pushed forward, the compelling sensation from deep within her taking control again. She stopped a short distance away; not close enough to intrude, not far enough to ignore.

For a second, she said nothing. the hum of the shuttle filled the space between them. “…Your leg,” she said quietly. Her voice was decidedly softer now, restrained in a way that suggested she was choosing her words more carefully than before. “It should be cleaned properly. If you leave it like that… it will get worse.” she added after a moment, her gaze not quite meeting his, instead settling somewhere near the injury she had seen earlier. Just stood there, steady despite the subtle strain in her breathing, offering something simple without pushing it further. A paused followed before she spoke again, “…I can help, if you like...” Her voice trailing.

Prisoner #36929​

 

[Prisoner #36929]

Tags: Na Ri
Equipment: X​

The Prisoner heard her approach before he saw her. Even with his eyes closed, the specific, ragged cadence of her breathing was unmistakable. He had hoped for a few minutes of silence on the shuttle cot to let his mind go blank and block out the throbbing in his thigh. Instead, she was there, persistent as the cough that plagued her. He didn't move at first, clinging to those last seconds of rest before reality forced its way back in.

"My leg," he repeated flatly after she spoke. "I am aware." He kept his eyes shut, his voice tight with exhaustion. "These Mandalorians are excellent combat medics. I'm sure there will be plenty of help once we reach the cruiser." He wanted to dismiss her, to push away the reminder of everything that had gone wrong in the basement, but her presence was something he couldn't ignore.

He finally let out a long, jagged sigh and forced himself to sit up. The movement sent a fresh wave of heat through his wound, and he couldn't suppress a low groan. He opened his eyes and looked at her, seeing the pale strain on her face. "Fine," he said, gesturing vaguely at the blood-soaked rag he'd tied earlier. "Do it."

He watched her for a moment as she stood there, swaying slightly with the motion of the ship. The irritation he felt was starting to give way to a grim curiosity. "Are you following me now?" he asked, his tone less sharp than before but still guarded. "Or did you just realize you need a medic as badly as I do?"

 

[Na Ri]

Na Ri didn't answer him right away. She stepped closer when he relented, lowering herself carefully beside him. The movement took more effort than it should have, her balance wavering slightly before she steadied herself; but she didn't draw attention to it. Her focus stayed on his leg, on the blood-soaked cloth he had tied there, on something she could fix....something simple. Her fingers paused just for a second before she began to undo the bandage, like she was grounding herself in the motion before committing to it. The fabric peeled away slowly, revealing the burn beneath. The smell lingered faintly in the air; metallic, scorched; but she didn't react to it.

Her breathing did.

Still shallow, still uneven. There was a quiet strain beneath each inhale now, something that hadn't fully settled since they left the surface. She turned her head slightly as a cough threatened, holding it back just long enough to keep her hands steady. It slipped through anyway. She pressed the cloth to her lips for a moment, shoulders tightening faintly as she waited for it to pass. When it did, she exhaled slowly and returned to what she was doing, like nothing had happened. "I'm not following you," she said softly. Her voice wasn't defensive, nor sharp. just tired. She kept her eyes on his injury as she worked, cleaning what she could with careful precision. Her touch was gentle, but not hesitant; there was familiarity in it, a quiet confidence that didn't need to be announced. "I don't tend to follow anyone," she added after a moment.

Her fingers adjusted the new bandage, wrapping it more securely this time, making sure it would hold when he put weight on it again. "…and I don't stay," she continued, quieter now. There was something different in the way she said it this time. Less like a statement, more like something she had repeated to herself enough times that it had become truth. For a moment, the only sound between them was the low hum of the shuttle and the faint, uneven rhythm of her breathing. "You needed help."

Her hands slowed near the end of the bandage, fingers lingering slightly as she secured it in place. There was a brief hesitation there; so small it could have been missed; before she tied it off with quiet certainty. Only then did her gaze lift, not to fully meet his. There was something softer there now. There was something softer there now, something...open...in a way she usually avoided. "As for me…" she started, her voice thinning slightly as her breath caught mid-sentence. Na RI paused slightly before trying again. "…I've needed one for a while." It wasn't said lightly. There was no attempt to soften it, no effort to turn it into something less than what it was. Just a quiet admission that seemed to settle heavier than anything else she had said.

Another cough followed, deeper than before. It pulled through her chest slowly, leaving her breath uneven when it passed. She turned her head, pressing the cloth to her lips, giving herself a moment before continuing. Her hands fell away from his leg, though she didn't move immediately. "…You'll be able to walk on it," she said after a moment, her voice steadier now, even if her breathing wasn't. "…for now." she added in a softer tone. She let that sit between them, the weight of it unspoken but understood. Only then did she shift slightly, like she might pull away...but not quite yet.

Prisoner #36929​