On the surface, there was nothing unusual to explain his troubles. His case was becoming one which held the interest of everyone on staff. Making matters worse, she was finding it hard to maintain her distance when her physical interest rose each time she was near him.
Knowing she should avoid getting any closer to him didn’t stop Dharma from saying, “I’ll go and check on him. It should be time for his rehab session.”
“I already escorted him there about thirty minutes ago.” Teyla’s gaze narrowed as she pursed her lips. “However, I’m not going to insist and remind you that it’s my turn to cover him today if you decide to do so.”
As the senior medic assistant, Dharma didn’t have to help with the day to day care of patients not on her schedule. She often did anyway, enjoying the sense of accomplishment from the task. Medic Tao trusted her because of her performance and the dedication she exhibited during her rotation.
Frowning, she mentally flipped through her agenda. A driving need pushed her to see Bane and not for the reasons she should.
Teyla clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture and fluttered her lids, causing the jeweled toned stones on them to glitter. “I can tell you’re considering. Take him. You’re the only one who even gets him to speak without growling anymore.”
The Jutak had grown sullen. The others often complained about getting Bane to and from his sessions. In the beginning, he’d been pleasant. As the chance for improvement declined so did his attitude.
Each staff member enumerated in detail his resistance during rehab, making it a point to mention his increased rigid and cold behavior. The few times she’d escorted him, he had been polite. Perhaps overly so. He no longer tugged on her hair or sent her teasing half-grins when she checked his charts. The shift in behavior shouldn’t have bothered her as much as it did considering her painful history dealing with males of mercurial and dangerous temperament.
But it did. If she was honest with herself, she’d admit the distance cut like a blade through her heart. She had to remind herself she had other plans and they didn’t include becoming involved with the handsome Jutak. She knew all too well how that would end for her.
“I know you want to,” Teyla added. “I think he likes you. When you’re around, he’s not as foreboding.”
Dharma’s face heated. “I’ll observe his session today and any follow up this evening. Consider him off your schedule.”
“Yes!” A bright smile split Teyla’s round face.
They conferred for a few more minutes, updated their data pads and synced the necessary reports to reflect the change over in care.
Thoughts humming with renewed vigor at the chance to justifiably be around Bane, she bypassed the automated shaft and swiped her identi-badge to enter the stairway. She didn’t care for the closed area of the automated shaft. It reminded her too closely of the time she’d been punished in that dark, small space.
Bane’s room was on the eighth level and the rehab center was on the second. Her shoes clicked on each step, the sound bouncing off the walls and echoing back. The lights placed at each landing flickered when she reached the sixth floor. A door above opened and closed. She waited as steps tapped an even beat downward, coming closer to her location.
Pulse pounding, Dharma gripped the handrail and tensed. Her harsh breathing seemed overloud. Another door directly overhead opened and closed, signaling the worker exiting on the seventh floor. She released a soft breath. It was unlikely that an intruder could get into the stairwell. Every door was keyed and required security clearance.
That didn’t mean the possibility of danger was eliminated. She shivered and hurried her pace. Lately, she couldn’t shake the eerie feeling someone watched her. Some dark force waiting for her to make a wrong move.
Spots danced in front of her vision, faint screams of agony teasing her mind. No, no, no. Not going back to the horrific event that had scarred her. Dharma shoved the memories far down where they belonged. Only the present mattered.
And doing her job. All she had to do was complete her job and her two year rotation stint at CV-8 would be over. Then freedom.
At the second floor, she hit the door at a jog and burst through into a bustling hall. Recycled air cooled her face. Several glances turned in her direction at her sudden appearance. Dharma forced a smile to her tight lips and nodded at those she recognized as she made her way to room 222, where Bane was assigned rehab.
Voices spilled from a door left slightly ajar. One male and one female. She checked the digital numbers and exhaled softly. 222. As she drew closer to the partially opened door, it was easy to discern Bane’s distinctive tone. From the sounds of things, the Jutak was not having a good session.
Dharma pulled out her data pad to confirm the rehab specialist on schedule. It was Reika. All of the patients loved Reika. She had the right blend of humor and professionalism, able to cajole the toughest who came through the facility. Considering Reika’s heritage as part Chamele, she was surprisingly good at what she did. Dharma pressed her face to the wall near the door jamb and listened.
“You can’t allow the lack of progress to get to you,” Reika stated. “Medic Tao is the best.”
Bane’s distinct voice rumbled in return. “The best isn’t enough.”
“You’ve missed a couple of sessions, Jutak Hardusho. I’m not sure—”
“No! I’m done with this! Done!” he roared.
Something crashed to the floor followed by a foul curse. Unwilling to wait and let things deteriorate further, Dharma shoved the door all the way open. A chair was tilted over on its side and Reika had her hands on Bane’s hips, bracing him up next to a four-foot-high brown table.
His head snapped up, gaze dark and glittering. No trace of the soldier who charmed. All of her senses went on alert as if cornered by a predator. An insanely dangerous one. “What are you doing here?”
Apparently, he was no longer saving the polite manners for her. Voice tart, she said, “I wanted to check in on you.”
“And you have. Now you can get out as well.” There was no mistaking his stiff snarl.
A quick glance revealed they’d been trying to get to the walking bars. Reika looked her way, eyes widened. Her skin turned a vivid shade of pink which stood out against the black top and drawstring uniform pants. A Chamele’s color change revealed their emotional state but she didn’t need Reika’s intense coloring to discern her embarrassment.
Tension rose in a steepening wave. Dharma swallowed and kept moving.
“Is everyone here unable to follow simple instruction?!” Bane roared as she continued to approach.
Indecision flickered across Reika’s face. Despite that, she didn’t lose her struggling hold to keep the Jutak upright.
This was Dharma’s first time being on the short end of Bane’s explosive temper. Her own sparked in response. “If you’re going to be a bastard about this, go ahead. Get it all out.”
When she reached them, Dharma looped an arm around his waist on the opposite side of Reika. He jolted at her touch, but with his limited mobility he couldn’t exactly pull away.
“I’m going to help Reika and place my hands above hers. Ready?” She wanted him aware of her actions as much as possible. Pride was a nasty beast in the best of circumstances.