The Bad Batch: Tech and Vel

21. Unveil

Vel woke up in a stark, grey room, on a plain bed surrounded by monitors and tubes. She blinked a few times, trying to remember the events leading up to that point, when she realized the strangest sensations. Her whole spine felt tingly, almost as if it were made of bacta gel. She flexed her fingers, then tried to wiggle her toes, and the total lack of sensation below her waist made her gasp aloud.

"Ah, you're awake," came the most soothing voice she could have imagined at that moment. Tech was seated next to her bed, a couple old books and a datapad on the table next to him, as well as an assortment of ration bars, wrappers, and food scraps. He looked slightly disheveled, though much more like his usual self in his standard armor.

"You probably want an update. We completed the mission while you were passed out. I was able to install the program in the lab's central system and we left without a trace. We left some rumors with a few locals about Terrik's dishonest dealings with the wrong sort of people, and apparently his bad luck had caught up to him. At least that is what they all believed. Wrecker considered the mission a success, and I suppose we did complete our primary objective, but --"

"Tech," Vel interrupted, confused and feeling a panic begin to rise, "Why can't I feel my legs? I feel like my whole back is on fire, or ice, or something."

"Oh, that," Tech said, lowering his eyes to her prone form under the covers, "Your lumbar vertebrae were hit by Terrik's shot, resulting in paralysis from the point of trauma downward. However, we were able to get you to the medical bay of the Tantive IV as it was on a nearby diplomatic mission. The surgeons on board are proficient bone fusers and were able to reconstruct your spinal column with a couple small cybernetic implants, but the nerve damage will take some time to heal."

"So I'm stuck like this? For how long?" Vel asked, eyes glistening. The exhaustion, stress, and confusion were overwhelming, and she fought back tears with rapid blinks.

"I am not certain," Tech responded evenly, noticing her distress. He racked his brain for the most likely sources of comfort, opting for one that seemed the most natural. "It is most likely that you will be able to walk again in the near future. The timeline is impossible to estimate at this point."

Vel closed her eyes, wishing she could escape the sensation of electricity running up and down her body. She even thought she felt it in her legs, but that seemed impossible. Sleep felt tantalizingly inviting, even though she'd just woken up. Maybe just a short rest, to process it all... She felt a warm, gentle hand take hers and looked up to see Tech standing over her with as much of an empathetic expression as he could muster.

"Does this make you feel better?" he asked earnestly. "I am sorry for the incredibly unfortunate events you have endured. Broken bones are never ideal, and when the spinal cord is involved..." He trailed off, caught by the intensity of her gaze. "Would you like me to stop?"

"No," she said softly, bringing her other hand over to rest on top of his. "I'm glad you're here." Without her permission, her eyes lowered slowly, and she drifted off. Tech remained for a moment, watching her thoughtfully, before releasing her hand and returning to his seat.

***