Private Blind Fixing the Lame

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

Aboard the Dawn Breaker

Braze had come to the Dawn Breaker to track down Jalen. Making his way to Jalen's room, he let himself in, finding the room darker than a black hole. He tripped over something in the darkness but eventually managed to turn on the lights.

His first move was to raid Jalen's fridge for a cup of ice. With a single ice cube in hand, Braze returned to Jalen's room and gently pressed the cold cube against Jalen's cheek.

"Hey, Jalen, wake up," he said softly.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

With a single ice cube in hand, Braze returned to Jalen's room and gently pressed the cold cube against Jalen's cheek.

The ice wouldn't reach Jalen's cheek, as his hand moved to intercept the ice before it could make contact with his skin. When the chill of the ice reached his hand, however, his eyes shot open. Lifeless as ever. He hadn't been awake before hand, his instincts at a point where they were past his waking mind.

"I'm up," Jalen insisted. "You can just shake me awake next time."

 

[Braze]

"What would be the fun in that?" Braze asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he moved to tip a cup of ice over Jalen's chest and neck. He didn't struggle or pull away from Jalen's grasp, stubbornly determined to get the ice on him one way or another.

"You're not up until you're out of bed," Braze declared, his voice carrying the whine of a younger sibling who wouldn't take no for an answer. "Come on, get up! I want to spend some time with you doing fun stuff before I leave." Braze's tone was insistent, almost pleading, as he plopped himself down on the edge of Jalen's bed, bouncing slightly to jostle him awake.

Jalen Kai'el

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

"Fine," Jalen sighed, rolling out of bed.

He could not match this energy. Had he been like this with Jasper when he was a kid? Jalen didn't know, but he didn't want to brush Braze off. Especially since he was going to be heading to the Outer Rim soon. He could feel the presence of the ice still in his hands, letting out a sigh. He was probably determined to still place it somewhere on his older peer.

Jalen removed the piece of ice from his hand, dropping it down the back of his own robes. His nerves didn't feel the same as they used to, so it wasn't too much of a bother.

"There," he continued. "Now, what are we doing?"

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

Braze practically pouted at the older boy who got up. "It's not fun if you comply...."

"Well I can make you breakfast if you like. I wanted to ask if you could maybe... help me? I know it might be insensitive to say it but could you take a look at my arm? I don't like the hospital setting; it makes me nervous... and then maybe we can go bowling or to an opera or something you might enjoy. Maybe get ice cream?"

Braze suggested, not really sure what blind people might do for fun. Seeing was a big part of enjoyment for him, and he didn't know how to adapt to the darkness of it all in a way that seemed fulfilling.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

"Let me take care of your arm first," Jalen remarked.

Jalen was better at the medical stuff anyways. Some time would be needed to answer the other stuff. He knew that Braze had been having trouble using his arm for a while now. The young man sighed, feeling through the young Echani's aura. Trace the veins to the nerves, then...

There it was.

"Pinched nerves," he frowned, grimacing a little. "How'd you manage that?"

He let out a sigh before continuing.

"Lumbar radiculopathy," the padawan stated. "Extreme pressure on the nerves caused by unnatural movements of joints, herniated discs... That sort of thing. Thankfully it's relegated to your arm, so there's no additional worry for side effects more than paralysis. I just gotta relieve the pressure on the nerve, pull it back into place. It will hurt a lot."

Well, maybe not that bad, but he'd rather Braze be prepared for some pain. It definitely wasn't going to feel great.

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

Braze frowned at that. "Like on a scale from 1 to 10, how bad?" he asked, concern etching his features. "I was in the vacuum of space with my arm caught in landing gear for several hours," Braze offered lightly, trying to downplay the severity of his past ordeal.

"What's your favorite breakfast food? I can make a lot of things... I can even make crepe suzettes," Braze offered, his tone brightening. He settled down on Jalen's bed and kicked off his boots, sighing in contentment. "Your bed's warm," he chirped happily. "Do you even like opera, or do you prefer different kinds of music?" Braze asked, his curiosity genuine as he tried to connect on a deeper level. "I just want to make sure we do something you'll enjoy too."

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

"A seven, I think."

That was probably fair. He let out a sigh as Braze flopped down on his bed, taking a moment to mentally prepare himself for working the kink out of that nerve in his arm. A flood of questions of course followed.

"My bed is warm because I was just in it," he noted. "It's my body heat. Breakfast isn't a meal I tend to have, but I like fried batter things, so I wouldn't say I'm too picky. A pancake would do. Opera isn't really my kind of thing, I like something more remote. Underground. It feels a lot more organic that way. Now, take a deep breath and hold still."

Jalen hovered his hand above Braze's arm, concentrating on the nerve. Clear as day in his aura. Slowly, the young medic began to tug on the point of pressure, pulling it towards him slowly to relieve it. His focus was intense, not once breaking his train of thought.

"Easy... let me know when you start to feel more clearly in your arm..."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

Braze rolled his eyes dramatically. "Well, of course it's warm because you were in it," he stated with a teasing smirk. "So, bacon, eggs, pancakes, and hash browns. Got it. All fried, all the time," he chirped, kicking back and luxuriating in the residual warmth of the bed. "We can go see them play trash cans or something if you like that kind of stuff," he added with a dismissive wave.

As Jalen started to tug at his arm, Braze went still, stiffening up instantly. "Ow... ow... ow... OW," he squeaked loudly, clutching a pillow with exaggerated drama. "Okay, that hurts... I dunno, I still feel painnnnnn," he whined, drawing out the last word for effect. He sat still, watching Jalen with wide eyes, clearly milking the moment. Jalen could see exactly where the arm needed to go and knew he could fix it with a swift motion, but any movement seemed to send Braze into a flurry of exaggerated complaints.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

"Yeah, I said it was gonna hurt," Jalen exhaled, "Just hold still a little longer."

Certainly it couldn't be that bad. Well, then again, Jalen had sustained nerve damage of his own. Maybe he was just numb to most things. He would continue on, pulling a little more until he felt something new. Energy, moving through the Force. Information had begun flowing from the rest of Braze's body into his arm. Was that the proper spot?

"Hey, Braze, how is it now," he asked. "Motor functions, feeling receptors..."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

Braze sat still and moved to pull off his brace, setting it aside with deliberate care. To his surprise, he could move his fingers. He blinked, almost mystified, caught in a moment of bewildered wordlessness. Though he felt weak, his fingers could move again. The spot was sore and in pain, and he felt an electric jolt shoot up his arm, causing him to jerk involuntarily due to the shooting nerves. He curled up over his arm, drawing it close to his stomach, and made a squeaky, upset sound."Ow... It... uh... I can move it..." he mewled .​

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

"That's good."

He let out a sigh, flexing his fingers for a moment. No, it did probably hurt a little more for Braze then he was recognizing. This was nerve damage after all, even if Braze was a little dramatic. He gave the young Echani a pat on the back, trying his best to be reassuring.

"Just make sure you ease it back into use," he stated. "Start with simple stretches, work your arm back into regular use, yeah?"

Right then.

"So, breakfast..."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

Braze recoiled in pain, snuffling a little as he fought back tears. "You didn't say it'd hurt that much," he squeaked in a tight voice. "By the Force... that was like a 12!" he groused at Jalen before taking a few steadying breaths and slowly letting the air out.

He could move his arm again, and the next thing Jalen knew, Braze was draped around him, the small boy hugging him enthusiastically. "Ow," he squeaked, putting his arm to use. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said between sniffling tears before suddenly bursting into open bawling.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

"You didn't say it'd hurt that much," he squeaked in a tight voice. "By the Force... that was like a 12!"

"Sorry," Jalen offered, giving as best of an apologetic expression as he could muster. "My nerves really-"

And then he paused. It was... strange. Being here in this moment, that is. Why did he feel like he had been here before? As Jalen stood in a light-less void, the feeling of Braze's embrace was overwhelming, even with how much shorter he was. In that moment, even for a split second, the young man could feel himself. A little, recently blinded young boy, gripping desperately onto his only source of comfort as tears streamed down his face...

A mechanical arm draped around him.

"Don't mention it..." he muttered, almost in a daze before shaking his head to clear it. "Uh, you good? If you wanna just wait on the plans I don't mind..."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

Braze nuzzled his tear-stained cheeks into Jalen's side, rubbing his face against him as he hugged tightly. "Mmmhmnn... I'm good. No, I'm better than good. I'm great! I'm going to make you the best breakfastess you've ever had. Just relax, and I'll bring it to you, okay?" Braze said with determination.

He practically scampered off, tripping over something as the sounds of furniture being moved echoed briefly. Undeterred, he scuttled into the kitchen and got to work. Soon, the sweet, savory scents of frying eggs, melting cheddar, crisping bacon, and fluffy pancakes filled the air. Despite an array of concerning noises emanating from the kitchen, Braze pressed on, his newly working limb not hindering him in the slightest. He made sure to cook the bacon first so he could fry everything else in its grease, determined to make this breakfast perfect.

Braze carefully placed the plate on the dining room table in front of Jalen, a proud smile on his face. The plate was a delightful display of breakfast indulgence:

Golden, fluffy pancakes stacked high, glistening with a pat of melting butter that trickled down the sides. Syrup and jellies laid out too. Beside them, perfectly crisped bacon strips lay in a neat row, their smoky aroma mingling with the sweet scent of the pancakes. Next to the bacon were scrambled cheesy eggs, soft and fluffy, with melted cheddar cheese oozing throughout. A generous portion of golden hash browns, crispy on the outside and tender inside, completed the meal.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

"Oh, o...kay."

Braze was off to cook before he even had a chance to respond. Did... he feel good? Yeah, Jalen did feel good. In fact, he even felt a bit of pride swelling within him. For a moment, if only fleeting, he was proud of the fact that the Echani boy seemed to look up to him. Maybe this was what it was like to be an older brother, the pride that Jalen had felt for his finally being received the other way around. He liked that.

Of course, as Jalen made his way to the dining table, his demeanor had returned to normal. Proper and composed, if not a little tired. He sat down, taking in the scent of everything that had been laid out. It was... good. Really good. His nose was much better with no eyes to lead him, so the smell was far more powerful then the other stimuli present. He took a seat, sure to keep his elbows off the table as he began to cut into the pancakes with the fork that Braze had provided for him.

"Thank you," he stated before eating. "It all smells really good. I... appreciate the effort."

And the first bite was just that. Really good. The auras in the Force all slipped away for a moment, leaving Jalen lost in a swirl of sensations that danced on his palette for a moment before slipping away.

"When did you start cooking?" Jalen asked. "It's rather well composed. It's really easy for people to miss the little textures in a dish..."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

"My mom and dad would cook when I was little," Braze stated simply. "When I was small and really sick, my dad made me soup, and my mom stayed by my side. Cooking is how you show your family you love them," he offered lightly as he brewed the tea and set a cup down for Jalen. "The tea should help wake you up. I brought it with me," Braze explained.

"Sometimes I like to take everything bagels and make them the base of a sandwich with fried eggs, melted cheddar, and cream cheese. It's sooooo good," he added, trailing off lightly. He sighed, sitting back and thinking about his parents as he rubbed his sore arm.

"I'm not sure what happened," he mused softly. "My mom used to be so sweet..."

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

Jalen listened as Braze spoke, taking a sip of the tea. For a moment, the young man's nostrils flared up. It was spicy? Jalen was used to spicy food, given Jasper's affinity for cheep fried confections that melted off the face, but it was still a bit of a surprise. He recovered quickly, however, taking another sip of the tea.

"I'm not sure what happened," he mused softly. "My mom used to be so sweet..."

"That's... tough," Jalen frowned. "I'm sorry. I don't really know what it's like to have a mother... but I have seen parents grow cold before. Perhaps its just... a switch flipping in the mind. Psychological disconnect from reality? Sorry, I feel like that's too academic of an angle..."

Probably. Hopefully that didn't make things worse.

"I... guess you could always focus on the present," he stated. "There's good connections in the present."

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Jalen Kai'el

"Here, I'll show you..." Braze got up and moved over to Jalen's side, gently slipping his fingertips into Jalen's blonde hair and gliding them through with tender care. He began to softly, soothingly pet Jalen's head, his touch slow and gentle. "She would do this and pull me close... sometimes she would rub circles on my shoulders or back if I was upset," Braze said, his voice soft and comforting, as if channeling his mother's gentle presence.

"And she would always praise me for small accomplishments," he continued, a hint of a smile on his lips. "Even the little things, like drawing a picture or tying my shoes, she'd make me feel so proud. She'd kiss my injuries to make them 'all better,' no matter how small the scrape."

Braze paused for a moment, then added, "My dad was just as special in his own way. He used to tuck me in at night and tell me these amazing stories. He'd make up tales of grand adventures and brave heroes, and sometimes, he'd pretend to be a dragon guarding a treasure, and I was the knight who had to sneak past him to get it. It made bedtime so much fun."

He thought about it thinking as he offered Jalen's head a few more pets.

"He also had this special way of making soup when I was sick. It wasn't just the taste; it was the care he put into it. He'd sit by my bed and feed me, making sure I was comfortable. I remember him saying, 'This soup has a secret ingredient: a father's love.' It always made me feel better." he trailed...

"I dunno... they just seem like a completely different person now," Braze continued with a shrug. "Or maybe I just don't remember things correctly," he added softly, his eyes reflecting a longing for the comforting embrace and cherished memories he was trying to recreate.

 

[Jalen Kai'el]

Dawnbreaker
Tags: Braze

Delta-7​

"That's... interesting," Jalen remarked.

It was interesting. Not his method of showing affection, but Jalen wasn't exactly gonna knock him down for it. He just let it happen, listening as he spoke. It was... alien. He couldn't wrap his head around it all. Jasper had been there, of course, but he was always so distinctly his brother. Not his complete caregiver. They had both been children after all. His thoughts wandered to the creator he never met, the one who waited to die on Dantooine, hiding from his failure.

Did that man have a real son? One he treated like Braze's parents had treated him before they changed?

Maybe he'd rather not know.

"Memory is complicated," he stated. "It can warp with time, even without memory loss. It's easy to trick the mind into thinking that something was real when it never occurred. But... it's still important. Perhaps it's best to keep a good memory of your parents alive while you carry on. It gives you something to work towards... and what to avoid."

Maybe that was the best way forward.