Paging Dr. Henning

[Mu Satach]

[Continued from <a href="http://www.sw-fans.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16381">here</a>.]

Mu cradled her side and stared blankly at her face in the mirror of the public refresher. Leaning in she could see specks of asphalt, rocks and dirt ground into her forehead where she had hit the pavement. Pulling her hair back she could see where her ear would need to be sutured up a bit and she knew her jaw was cracked. The discoloration of where the stranger's fist had hit her was starting to turn a deep purple. <i>hmpf</i>

Breathing was difficult. Her left shoulder had become dislocated during the struggle and somewhere along her way down amid the falling debris, it felt like a few of her ribs were broken as well. She pulled open her torn and bloodied jacket a bit and pulled a soaked wad of disposable towels away from the stab wound. The bleeding was slowing, but not stopping. <i>So much for a nice pleasant walk in the sunshine.</i>

Lightly gripping the finger tips of her glove with the edge of her teeth, she pulled her right hand out of the form fitting soft black leather. After placing the glove in her jacket pocket she slowly started working her hand into her left breast pocket. It took some effort, but eventually she managed to fish out her personal datapad.

Sweat broke out on her forehead from the exertion. She set the datapad on the counter and punched in her code to access the Holonet. She searched the directory, quickly scanning through the listings until she finally found what she was looking for.

She turned off the datapad and slipped it in the same pocket as her glove. Glancing at her face in the mirror she took clean towel, wet it and carefully wiped away as much of the dried blood as she could. She cupped her hand under the stream of water and brought a bit to her mouth, swished, then spit. The sink was coated in a soft crimson hue for a moment. She glanced at herself again, "<i>That will have to do.</i>"

She turned away from the mirror, grabbed several more towels from the dispenser, wedged them against the wounds on her side and limped back out into the fading sunlight of the city streets. Careful to not come close enough for someone to accidentally bump her, Mu headed towards the public lifts.

She stepped into the glass lift and barely noticed several other passengers slide out after catching a good look at her. Out of the side of her mouth she managed to lisp, "Level 115." Inwardly she sighed, it was too painful to physically express herself.

If this Dr. Henning fella was unable to assist her, the next closest medical unit was manned by the Imperials. Mu really didn't care to explain to them why she looked the way she did and was too rummy in the head to try and come up with something believable on the spot. "<i>I hope he takes walk-in appointments.</i>"

[Barton Henning]

It was mercifully quiet in the clinic. There had been no cloud-car crashes, no scuffles in the streets, only a young woman with a baby to deliver. She'd waddled through the front door in the early hours of the morning, followed by the protesting calls of her husband. Barton gathered that the soon-to-be-father had tried to have his wife taken to the Imperial hospital a few levels up, but she wasn't having any of it.

So adamant in her convictions, she had walked some of the distance even after her water had broken, stopping now and then to steady herself. Barton had chided her on the matter, but quietly admired her dedication. Had the child be born under the care of Imperial doctors, it would have been quickly marked down as an Imperial citizen. In her one act of defiance, she had given the child a little more hope in life.

It was this somewhat rose-tinted thought that had carried Barton through the rest of the day. Even with a scalpel in hand, he had managed to remain buoyant. It was a welcome change from the norm. He surprised even himself by engaging in a little light conversation with one of the clinic nurses, and was almost able to fool himself into thinking that it would be a good day – until she arrived.

The familiar sound of shuffling, staggered footsteps caught his ear. Barton looked up and felt a sudden icy grip on his body. His heart thump-thumped loudly in his ears. But how...

“Doctor Henning?” One of the nurses looked at Barton inquisitively. Another two moved quickly to help the obviously seriously injured woman. The usual procedures necessary for treating a patient such as this ran through Barton's mind, but he couldn't find the words to direct his staff. Fortunately, they seemed to be on auto-pilot and carefully began to guide Mu away into one of the operating rooms. Barton followed, in cold silence.

[Mu Satach]

The nurses helped remove the jacket, but the under shirt was another matter. "We're going to have to cut it off." Mu nodded and stared at the wall across from her. The scissors were cold, but the nurses were quick. After the undershirt was gone the nurse paused for a moment and looked at the variety of scars running along Mu's arms and back, the oldest resembled burns. The others reminded the nurse of several of clinics repeat clients who worked as bounty hunters. "Rough life?"

Mu half snorted in laughter then grimaced in pain then nodded. "Somewhat." the word mumbled out. She turned her head to the nurse and the side of her mouth that still worked pulled slightly up in half smile. Behind the nurse she spotted the Dr. Her eyes said hello for her.

The nurses were fast and efficient. Before too long one was cleaning out slashes to her side while the other was setting up the scanners.

[Barton Henning]

For a moment, the Doctor's eyes met with that of his patient, as the nurses worked at cleaning her wounds. Barton wondered if he hadn't managed to mistake who she was. Though many years had past, she had barely changed. She was more mature now, of course, but even beneath all those cuts, scars and bruises her smile was the same.

“What's your name, hon?” asked one of the nurses, as she stepped into place behind the x-ray control console. It was the usual routine of polite conversation, intended to take the patients mind away from the more distressing matters at hand.

[Mu Satach]

Mu's eyebrows came together a bit. <i>What the frell was that look about?</i> The doctor was acting a bit to weird even for her tastes. <i>Man acts like he's never seen a patient before. Maybe I should have limped to another level.</i>

Mu suddenly became aware the nurse had asked her what her name was. "Mmuu."

"Moo?"

She shook her head slightly, "No." She gestured towards her jacket, one of the nurses handed it to her and she pulled out her data ident chip and handed it back. It contained everything they needed to know about her. Well, not everything, but enough to ensure she would receive the proper medical attention without complications.

The nurse accessed the chip. "Oh, thank you..." the nurse looked at the data again "Mu Satach."

[Barton Henning]

Barton felt faint. Though he had never guessed, not once, that he would ever see her again, this was not the reaction he would have predicted. There would have been open arms and tear-stained cheeks, a monumental relief at realizing that the grief and guilt he had shouldered for so long had been needless – but there was none of that. He wanted to... vomit. It felt like his insides had been whisked, thrown in a blender. Lifting one hand to his brow, the Doctor turned away and took a deep breath.

“Sorry... I, I'm feeling a little dizzy. I think my stomach might be disagreeing with something I had at Cloud Nine.”

[Mu Satach]

"Whath didth you order?" Genuine concern flicked across Mu's eyes.

<i>Oh great, my first case of food poisoning and it happens to be the doctor I need help from. This day just keeps getting better and better. This,</i> Mu lost herself in thought, <i>this is why smart people have lackeys they can put the fear of God into to go pick up and deliver merchandise.</i> She sighed, <i>Oy, but then the whining and the complaining and the "I need..." this or that.</i> Mu groaned.

"Someday's it justh doesthn't pay to wake up."