Private From Bad, to Worse, to Sick

[Jasper Kai'el]

From Bad, to Worse, to Sick
Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

​

It had only been a day since Jasper had been to the halls of healing to get all the dark Sith stuff out of his system. He had hoped that after all he had been through that he may have been able to relax, if only for a week. That night, he had woken up in a cold sweat. Head pounding, chest tightened, limbs aching like he had run a trans-planetary marathon. Come morning he was running a fever and was hardly well enough to go anywhere. Needless to say, the padawan was mislabel. Just when it seemed that his week couldn't get any worse, even his body decided to rebel against him. With little more to do, Jasper cleaned himself up, sent a notice of illness to the council, and promptly laid down on the sofa in his ship's lounge. He hadn't bothered to dress much, just the baggy flight suit he wore as pants. Once on the sofa, Jasper pulled a weighted blanket over himself. If he was going to do anything in this state, he may as well make it sleep, he reasoned.

"Pyf," he called out rather exhaustedly to his droid companion.

"Yeah?" the little spark whirred.

"Go watch Jalen for me," he ordered his companion. "Tell him I'm not feeling well."

"You got it," Pyf responded. "Do try to get some rest."

With that, the droid flew off, leaving Jasper alone. The silence may have been peaceful had it not been for the pounding migraine sporadically thumping behind his temple. He was tired, but the truth of the matter was that he likely wasn't getting to sleep any time soon. Jasper would have plenty of time to think about what the had seen. He very much didn't want that. Trying to sleep would have to do. The padawan curled up beneath his blanket, lying on left side as to not lay on his mechanical arm. If he simply focused on sleeping he could pass out. Probably.

As Jasper struggled to drift off into sleep, he forgot that the entry ramp to the Lonestar 1 was still lowered. Or perhaps he remembered and simply didn't care. He was sick and tired. There was very little straight thinking going on at the moment.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

A loud pop echoed through the entire kitchen with a very nervous Zabrak staring at what used to be a microwave in front lf her. Only thing still whole about the whole device was the lightsaber hilt inside it. "... I dunno what I was expecting." She grumbled to herself before clipping her lightsaber to her belt and picking up the microwave.

If she was lucky, she could replace it with a different one from the hangar's lunch area without anyone noticing. At least a burst microwave was easy to cover up with.

But as she reached the hangar, her attention was stolen by a very familiar freighter and an equally familiar presence from within. But something was different. Something felt different around Jasper's presence.

Ara looked around then tossed the microwave aside as she made her way to his freighter. The closer she got, the more horrid he felt in the Force. He wasn't in a good place. "Yo, Jas?" She called out as she walked up the ramp. Like any good friend would do, Ara simply waltzed into his ship and looked around in search for her fellow padawan. "You awake? You won't believe what stupid idea I just tried..." Her snickering died down almost immediately when she saw him tucked in on the sofa in his mess room. He looked like a wreck. "Yo, what the kriff? You alright?" She knelt down beside him with a hand resting on his forehead. "Jas, you're a wreck. You're burning up like crazy, what did you-" Her eye found the scars on his chest. It certainly wasn't there the last time they spoke.

"What happened to you?" She muttered, studying him before she tucked him in underneath his blanket.

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

Ara had invited herself in, which didn't exactly surprise the padawan. It was very much in the Zabrak's nature to do so, along with being brash and impulsive. Jasper was just glad that she seemed to have good intentions. Unfortunately, he now had to answer the one question he didn't want to...

"What happened to you?"

"Oh," he frowned, still trying to gather his scattered thoughts, which the migraine wasn't helping with. "Hey, Ara. That's a... long story..."

Where did he even begin with this? So much had happened this week that it was kind of hard to tell where what was important for the context of it all. Jasper didn't want to hide anything, after all. He hated lying.

"Well," he began, somewhat exhaustedly, "I had a... Sith encounter of sorts. He wasn't physically there, so he settled with... Well, you get the idea. Amani looked at them the other day and gave me the all clear, but the rest of my body had other plans..."

Ara's assessment had been very accurate. Jasper was a wreck. He may have been clean now, but his hair was still unkept and the bags under his eyes had grown even more pronounced. He couldn't help but feel slightly embarrassed that she had to see him like this. Only slightly. The padawan was still very tired.

"Sorry for the downer," he coughed. "I've had a rough week... What am I smelling that's burnt?"

 

[Ara Sheridan]

As Jasper explained his predicament, Ara brushed his hair out of his face and checked the scars on his chest for a moment. They were obviously healed, though they still looked grotesque. Hearing that a Sith managed to do this without even being there in person was something to wrap her head around. "Jeez, every time I see you and leave you alone, you end up in a worse state than before. How the hell do you manage that, huh?" She teased with a light laugh as she looked at him.

"Sorry for the downer,"

"I've had a rough week... What am I smelling that's burnt?"

Ara's eyes widened and looked away for a moment as she tried to figure out a cover story. No such luck. Lying to him, especially in a state like this, didn't really sit well with her. "No need to be sorry. I, uhh... I got this idea the other day that the power cell and crystal in a lightsaber could be agitated with microwaves to be stronger or something... didn't think far enough to realize I was putting a metal pipe in a microwave oven." She admitted with a guilty laugh.

Rising from her crouched position beside him, she motioned for him to sit up. "Come on, you ain't gonna get comfortable on the couch, let's get you to bed." She commented as she ushered him up and wrapped an arm around his waist to help him to his bed. Once there, she dispensed him and got to work on stripping him down and dressing him up in some shorts she found in his closet. "You ain't gonna get better wearin' that. Stay put, I'll get you sorted." She instructed as she tucked him in, tossed his flight suit aside and walked off to find anything and everything she could for some backyard doctor tricks for a fever.

The results weren't going to be pleasant...

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

When Ara mentioned that she had stuck her lightsaber in the microwave, Jasper couldn't help but snicker. Firstly, microwaves enhancing kyber crystals was a prank younglings would pull on each other. It was funny to think that a much older padawan would try a similar thing. The fact that she hadn't considered the fact that her lightsaber was metal made it even funnier. The amusement was a double edged sword, however, as he was caught completely off guard by what followed.

"Come on, you ain't gonna get comfortable on the couch, let's get you to bed."

"That isn't-" he began, but there was little time for him to protest.

Jasper would himself pulled up by the waist, escorted to his room, changed into a loose pair of shorts, and promptly tucked into his bed. There were a few things that had him flustered after this. The first thing on his mind was that she had, in order to give him the shorts, completely removed his flight suit. As far as embarrassing things happening to him at Ara's hands, this was right up with when they first met. Had he have not already been red from the sickness, he most certainly was now. The second was how strangely compassionate it was, almost motherlike. At least, Jasper assumed that it was motherlike. He didn't have a mother to verify this. Still, it was an amount of care he had not been expecting. Now that he was tucked into bed, Jasper was far to flustered to protest this care.

"You ain't gonna get better wearin' that. Stay put, I'll get you sorted."

"O-okay," Jasper stammered in response, almost in a daze.

He was too dazed, in fact, to even consider the fact that Ara wasn't at all skilled in any form of medical aid. Jasper had other things on his mind.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

When Ara finally returned, she had a backpack full of various items that woul, in theory, help Jasper feel and get better. From a booster shot swiped from someone's starfighter, to salt, to even a bottle of whiskey. All manner of sketchy recipes and tips that theoretically worked for her in Underworld.

"Okay, got a bunch of stuff here. First things first, get your shot." She quipped as she pulled the booster from her backpack and injected it into the side of his neck without a hint of hesitation or remorse. Next was a variety of pills and finally she mixed up a couple spoonfuls of salt into a glass of water. "If your throat's hurting, just gargle this glass of saltwater, it'll work itself out." She instructed as she set it down beside his bed.

Only after pouring a shot of whiskey for him and one for herself, did the Zabrak relax a bit and sit down on the edge of his bed. "Stuff should work like a charm. Though I think you should suck it up and go see Amani or someone if it don't clear up after a few days. In the meantime though, just relax." She pulled his blanket up a little more to tuck him in as she flashed him a warm smile. "Honestly, Jasper, you got some seriously terrible luck." She snickered as she leaned back.

"You need anything? You hungry, thirsty, anything like that?" She asked him with a hand on his as she studied him with a concerned gaze.

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

Jasper didn't have much time to process everything that had transpired before he was receiving treatment. First was the booster shot, which wasn't actually that bad. It stung, but the padawan was so tired that it numbed the pain. From there it was onto an assortment of over the counter medication. Ara even provided salt water for a sore throat should he need it. And, as no remedy was complete without it, a shot of whiskey. Jasper took the shot, not even recoiling from the potency of the drink. He had, after all, spent time as a bartender. Just because he didn't drink often didn't mean he couldn't. As Ara sat down next to him, she advised that he should still go back to Amani of symptoms persisted.

"Honestly, Jasper, you got some seriously terrible luck." She snickered as she leaned back.

"I wouldn't call it that," Jasper said with a weak grin. "If I had bad luck I'd probably be dead. I'd like to think I'm very lucky."

Was this true? Probably not. Jasper was probably just as unlucky as he seemed to be, but it was always good to be optimistic. Ara looked back at him with a concerned stare, placing a hand on his. Again, a wave of embarrassment came over him.

"You need anything? You hungry, thirsty, anything like that?"

"N-no," he assured, slightly flustered. "I'm not very hungry right now..."

Jasper had been giving what Ara had told him the last time they spoke a bit of thought, about missing a hundred percent of the shots you don't take. Everything in this moment seemed perfectly staged to take such a shot, but a wave of doubt came over him. Maybe he simply wasn't cut out for it. But... how could he know that for sure? After all, he'd miss a hundred percent of his shots if he didn't take them.

"Ara," he began, "There's... something else I want to talk with you about..."

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara laughed at his outlook on his bad luck, he was definitely onto something. "Can definitely go either way with it, huh?" She joked. He brushed off her offer of food, though she didn't give him a choice in drink as she handed him another shot of whiskey and downed one herself.

"Ara,"

"There's... something else I want to talk with you about..."

The Zabrak blinked as she looked back at him. He looked... nervous? She shifted to face him as she took a swig from the bottle and set it down beside him. "Yeah? Fire away." She quipped with a shrug. There was a suspicion on what it was about, but she brushed it off very quickly. She messed him up and was the final straw for an existential crisis. They only recently got on good footing with one another. Odds of him asking her out were pretty damn slim.

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

"Well," he began, "I-I've been thinking a lot about what you said the last time we spoke. So, I thought that maybe I'd..."

Where was he even going with this? Everything he was attempting to say seemed to fall apart the moment he tried. He was only trying to ask a single question. How could it be this difficult?

"A-and maybe this is weird given how we met and all, but I..." he continued, but ultimately trailed off again.

This wasn't working at all. Jasper was just going to have to suck it up and skip past the dialogue.

"I was wondering if... maybe... a-at some point... you'd want to go out with me. Somewhere. Possibly."

That sounded awful. The padawan became redder than he already had been, practically sinking into his bed in embarrassment. Jasper had completely screwed up. He could see it coming from a mile away. As he sat there in complete silence for a moment, his heart sank a little.

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara remained quiet as she listened to him, trying to figure out where he was going with it all. When the realization dawned on her, Ara's cheeks turned red enough to make her look like a Dathomiri for a moment.

Her shock gave way to a guilty laugh as she looked away for a moment. "Jas... as much as I want to say yes... I can't." She muttered as her smile faltered. She looked back at him and gave his hand a squeeze. "I don't... want a repeat... of what happened last time. Don't wanna risk it." She looked down for a moment before taking another hard swig of the whiskey bottle for some courage. It felt like the Gala all over again. Guilt filled her heart as she looked back at him. "I don't wanna go out with another Jedi again, not after what happened." She continued as she held the bottle out for him.

"I'm really sorry, Jas. You're solid, for real. I ain't sayin' you'll cause something like what happened at the Gala, I just..." She took a deep breath. "I don't wanna risk it." She sat back as she looked away. "I... also wanna come clean... I kinda got asked out by someone else as well." She concluded.

How the hell could she salvage this? She told him to take his shots and he did just that. To think that he decided to take his shot with her was also something that had her cheeks redden some more.

She couldn't just shoot him down like this and not even have the courtesy to help pick him up again. That's what friends were for. Even if he tried to take it one step further, she couldn't string him along and still call herself a good person.

She needed to make things right.

"I... know... it ain't the same... but I'll try and help ya out. You mean a lot to me, I'm genuinely happy that we could sort our issues out and be friends... and I wanna see you happy too. I don't wanna see you down and out like this after you got the courage to take your shot." She looked back at him with guilty eyes and a heavy heart.

"I... know a girl. Denon chick, but she's a good friend. If you want... I can organise something for you two to meet... if you want..." She offered, but her awkward tone wasn't helping. With a heavy sigh she got up and turned to face him fully.

"I'm really sorry, Jas. I really am. I... I hope we can still be solid? I don't wanna hurt you like this and then just kark off, that ain't what friends do. So... are we cool?" She practically pleaded as she looked at him with sagging shoulders and outstretched hands.

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

"Jas... as much as I want to say yes... I can't."

And that was the end of that. Jasper deflated a little as Ara explained the complications of her going out with him, from the events of the Gala to someone already asking. It was upsetting to be sure, especially after he had worked himself up to it, but he understood what she was saying. There was no point in pressing on it any more.

"I... I understand," he assured her. "Y'know, I'm not gonna lie, I thought this was gonna end up being a lot more catastrophic... I dunno, something super dramatic like in those dumb holoflicks."

Ara at least seemed sort of guilty about the entire ordeal, as if she had somehow caused this. She even offered to introduce him to a friend of hers, which Jasper found to be somewhat amusing given everything that had happened.

"You don't need to worry about putting me up with anyone," Jasper insisted. "I'll... figure things out in time. I don't plan on dying any time soon..."

So what did he do next? Clearly this shouldn't effect how they interact going forward. Perhaps it was for the best he pretended this didn't happen...

"So... are we cool?"

Cool was a good thing to be. Jasper was okay with that.

"Yeah," he nodded. "We're cool. Jeez, sorry for making this so awkward."

 

[Ara Sheridan]

While the guilt persisted, relief washed over her as he accepted her apologies and even threw a joke into the mix. A laugh escaped her as she sat down again on the bed. "You didn't make it awkward, don't beat yourself up." She reassured with a lingering grin as she gave him a nudge against his leg. "Just relax, get better. I'll organise some more boosters and stuff for you later, there's more than enough medpacks to raid with all the stuff we've pulled from the ships." She continued with a sigh.

That guilt wasn't going to go away anytime soon. "The ship running fine at least? I can sort her out for you while you're decommissioned." She offered him in hopes of changing the subject. Anything to get both their minds off it. She wasn't going to let another friendship get ruined because of her actions. Though it needed to be said...

"I mean it, though. You're solid, Jasper. I screwed it up, but you deserve someone who will have your back. I'll send her your details. She's a cop too but she knows how to get into shenanigans. The least I can do is be your wingman." She muttered with more sincerity as she looked at him.

Jasper Kai'el

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

Coruscant, Jedi Temple Hangar
Tags: Ara Sheridan

"Hey, relax a little," Jasper said. Ara's mental state was beginning to scatter. He didn't want her to overthink it. "We're still friends, Ara. You didn't screw anything up."

He sighed, sitting up an leaning against the wall of his cabin. How the hell was he supposed to get across his thoughts in a way that made sense.

"Look, I know you're worried about making a mistake that ruins all the progress you made," he began, "But... you can't be perfect. That isn't realistic. I... used to think that once, you know. I thought that I was a failure, that people didn't take me seriously. I was terrified that one mistake would send everything I had worked up to careening. I pushed myself beyond more physical limits than I should have. I... I don't want you to push yourself too far. You're still my friend."

Jasper brushed the hair out of his face. He was really a mess. Booster shots would only get him so far. Perhaps he had aught to take his own advice and head back to see Amani...

"So don't do anything stupid to try to redeem yourself, okay?" Jasper asked of her. He paused, thinking about what she had said for a moment more. "I'll... think about meeting your friend. I-if time lines up, anyways..."

 

[Ara Sheridan]

Ara glanced away for a moment as a smile took hold, his words of encouragement giving her a much needed boost. Though she couldn't help but snicker at the encouraging speech. "I mean... the difference is you didn't bash a girl's head in, shoot your ex, make out with a stranger and alienate literally everyone around you. If that ain't thin ice I dunno what is." She quipped as she glanced back at him with a smirk.

A hand raised as he shifted back to sit up, wanting to assist in case he needed it. Luckily he wasn't that flat.

"Nah, I won't do something stupid like that... I got a feeling I'll be getting a durasteel slap over the head if I did." She gestured to his cybernetic arm with a chuckle as her gaze lingered for a moment. He was quick to recover, though it felt wring that he was the one giving her a pep talk rather than the other way around. He was the one needing a boost, after all. "I'm gonna make you some toast sandwich, just relax. If we're lucky, this fever will break by tomorrow. If not... well then, you're getting a visit from Amani." She stood up and took one last sip of whiskey before setting the bottle down. It didn't exactly help with anything, but if one believed hard enough, it will have some kind of effect.

True to her word, the Zabrak made her way to his kitchen and began to work on some toasted sandwiches for the two of them. She hoped that she could make it up to him. This situation was the last thing she expected when she tried to help a buddy out...

Jasper Kai'el