The People You Meet

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

"That won't be necessary." Nikolas said as he placed his hand over Farah's and gently guided her to place the syringe down onto the small metal table next to the bed.

Nikolas, like the other Thawne children, didn't partake in the use of drugs. Whether it was local anesthetics or hardcore spice, none of them dabbled. It was a lesson that their mother and father had taught them. Drugs dulled the senses, slowed once thoughts, and generally wreaked havoc on even the healthiest of bodies. It was better not to use them. Besides, it wasn't like he was afraid of a little bit of pain. This would be nothing compared to the actual stab wound.

"I like to keep my body clean." He said with a smile. "Healthy lifestyle."

Of course that had nothing to do with local anesthetics, but he wasn't out to win a logical debate. "You understand."

He doubted that she would, but he was the patient and he was pretty sure that allowed him a wide range of rights.

 

[Farah]

Farah watched, perhaps incredulously as the patient guided her hand with the needle back down onto the instrument tray. A flash of anger blossomed in her chest and part of her wished that he’d actually need surgery. She was much more content with a scalpel in an operating room, less so with people when they were…awake and screaming in pain.

Hell, she would have preferred him to be screaming in pain because then at least she’d have an excuse to deliver anesthesia.

“I’m sure.” She grunted, depositing the unused needle into a sharps container attached to the wall. “I’d suggest trying to get your vegetables a different way rather than transabdominally.”

After giving the wound a quick once over, Farah prepared the sutures and leaned over the man to begin working. She poked the edge of the cut with the needle and started to thread it through each side of his flesh, glancing up every so often to gage his reaction.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

Nikolas' face didn't even twitch as she jabbed the needle into his skin.

Pain tolerance was a factor that had been addressed early on in his augmentation. When he'd reached the age of eleven, he and Teslyn had chosen to undergo a surgery and various genetic treatments in order to become something...else. The offer had been made by their parents, but the decision had been theirs. Of course both he and his sister had jumped at the chance, and the treatments had made them something entirely different than just normal humans.

"Well, perhaps you'd like to oversee that process." Nikolas offered with a smile.

He continued to stay put as she slowly closed the wound with the needle, his eyes fixed on her, his lips never turning away from that small smile. There was something to the way he watched her however, like a predator staring at prey.

"Dinner." He said again. "Your choice of restaurant."

 

[Farah]

Farah glanced back down, fixing the open flesh with a hard stare as she sutured along the severed edges of flesh with a surgeon’s precision. Which was good, all things considered.

To say that this man was strange would have been the understatement of her lifetime. He prompted her again just as she finished stitching and Farah leaned back, instruments still in hand.

“Do you ever shut up?”

All she wanted was to fix him up then boot him out for the next patient. Preferably someone quieter.

Setting the implements on the table to her side, she motioned for the nurse.

“Amelia will go over your discharge instructions. Maybe she’ll go out to dinner with you.”

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

"Oh but I don't like her half as much as I do you." He glanced over towards the nurse.

She was pretty in her own way he supposed, though rather frumpy. It would have been mildly entertaining to see how the nurse would have reacted to his advances, but in the end she really wasn't his type of girl. No, he liked something a little bit more...refined.

His smile lingered on the other woman for a moment, then turned back to the good doctor.

"Aren't you a little curious?" He asked with that same amusement. "The odd stranger who walked into your Hospital..."

Nikolas trailed off as he leaned in closer. "Stab wound in his side, smile on his face..."

His back straightened. "There's bound to be an interesting story lurking there."

 

[Farah]

“You’ll get to love her once you know her. She’s grown on me.” Farah responded without a hint of bite, ignoring the nurse’s incredulous stare at her sarcastic remark.

Though it sounded mean, it was actually closer to the truth. Farah was an empathetic creature and was capable of developing normal bonds. Though a bitter perfectionist who had daddy (clone?) issues, she like Amelia. The young woman was a good nurse and had learned Farah’s quirks rather well.

“I’m sure there is a good story somewhere in there.” Farah removed her disposable gloves and tossed them into a biohazard bin before turning back to the now healed patient.

“But I’m not interested in spending any more time with you than I already have.” She glanced down toward his abdomen.

“Take care of that wound.” The last thing she needed was him ripping the stitches open so he’d have an excuse to show back up in the ER.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

He gave her an amused smile.

"If I don't?" The stab wound wasn't really all that bad in the end, didn't even really hurt. Pain wasn't something he often experienced, it was a rare thing, and even now ripping off the stitches would probably only cause him to wince. The treatment that he'd undergone alongside Teslyn had truly been a gift, something he would have to thank his parents for once again the next time he saw them.

Slowly Nikolas stood, drawing himself up directly in front of the doctor.

"The Kitchen can get pretty crazy." He told her. "A knife could slip, I could get stuck in some horrid machine..."

For a moment Nikolas glanced at the Nurse. "I don't think she's smart enough to supervise."

The woman of course looked aghast as he insulted her, and in truth Nikolas knew that it wasn't the way to win over the the Doctor, but he couldn't help himself. He enjoyed poking, prodding, pushing things as far as he possibly could before they all exploded.

It was fun.,

 

[Farah]

Farah’s nose wrinkled in clear displeasure as her personal space was invaded.

“If that happens, make sure to finish the job at least.” She bit back. “I’d hate to see you again.”

An expression of shock wrote across Amelia’s face as the modicum of bedside manner Farah possessed went completely out the window. A few people in the surrounding trauma bays glanced over at them before returning to their own work. This was a hospital after all, and they were busy.

An announcement chimed over the intercome.

Dr. Navarro to OR 2, Dr. Navarro…

Farah sighed in relief.

“Looks like your own your own.” She glanced at the dark haired man one last time before walking away.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

"Shame." Nik said as he looked down at his ruined shirt.

The garment had been rather expensive, and without it there was little chance of him wearing anything else on his way home. Perhaps he could have picked something up in the gift shop of the hospital or something similar, but he'd rather his stab wound be fatal than wear something like that.

Dreadful.

Oddly enough he didn't even seem to hear The Doctors rejection, Nikolas only looking at her as she began to walk away. "Fantastic."

He began with a smile.

"I'll see you after your shift then." Amelia, the Nurse, looked completely abashed at his words, perhaps even a little fearful. He smiled at her, glancing for just a moment before he turned away and began to head towards where he knew the door would be.

He had to go home and change after all.

 

[Farah]

Farah was already walking away at a fast pace so that she wouldn’t have to hear anything else the strange man said.

Many hours later, the young doctor made her way out of the hospital in street clothes. The operation she’d been called in to assist had gone on longer than expected—the patient had nearly bled out but they managed to bring him back. She always enjoyed the rush of the operation room, but all of that working gave her an appetite.

Her stomach grumbled and she ran a hand through red waves, stopping for a moment to assess which direction she wanted to go in. Left for McYoda’s, right for Pizza Hutt.

Decisions, decisions.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

Perhaps she wouldn't notice him at first, the dark figure sitting on a bench not too far from the hospitals entrance.

Ordinarily the little spot was scattered with Orderlies, nurses, and even doctors, all of them smoking cigarettes or simply attempting to get some 'fresh' Coruscant air after some harrowing event or another. Nikolas had, of course, scared them off. One simple discussion, a few passing words, and the hospital employees had been sent scurrying away to another corner. It was better to just not deal with the crazy man in the dark suite after all, particular give his disposition.

Nik didn't blame them.

His sort of conversation wasn't for everyone, and so he had sat in silence. His evenings were usually far more engaging, but that didn't mean he had no patience. Both Slevin and Natalia had instilled their children with many virtues, all of them assisting in Nikolas' work. "Ah."

He finally spoke as she passed him by, apparently not even aware of his presence.

"There you are." Nikolas' voice was all amusement and honey. "Cutting it close. Our reservation is in ten minutes."

He made a 'tsk' sound. "We'll have to hurry."

 

[Farah]

In the midst of her decision making, Farah did not notice the man on the bench. Why would she? It was a common spot for doctors and nurses to hang out, take a smoke break or just gather themselves. She’d done the same thing a handful of times, and it wasn’t uncommon to see someone in business attire there. After all, hospitals had all types.

It was when the man spoke to her in an unsettlingly familiar voice that she suddenly turned, eyes flaring.

The man from earlier was sitting there, clad in a nice suit. Something about…reservations? Her stomach sunk as soon as she realized, then burned in irritation.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” She grimaced. “Get lost. I wouldn’t go to dinner with you if you put a gun to my head, psycho.”

Hangry Farah was unpleasant Farah.

What the kark was he doing here?

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

"Really?" Nikolas didn't seem one bit phased by her reaction, in fact he almost looked as amused as he had the first time she stuck the needle into him.

The bare light from one of the surrounding street lamps struck him just enough to illuminate his features, though there was an almost dangerous look in his eye. For a moment he lingered on the park bench before slowly he pulled himself up.

His movements were lithe, liquid almost, as though he were being pulled by a stream from his sitting position. He moved over to her in just a few steps, his eyes never leaving hers. The way he moved was like a Nexu stalking a young nerf, everything about it smooth yet tense at the same time. As though he could strike at any moment. "It's a good thing I don't have a gun then."

The lie slipped from his lips as smooth as honey.

"Besides." He began again. "I'm not inviting you to just dinner."

Smugness dripped from his voice. "I'd never consider you such a cheap date."

 

[Farah]

It didn’t take a doctor to tell that there was something wrong with this man. Her cutting words bounced off of him like they were nothing and the way he was looking at her was downright predatory.

Her heart thudded in her chest as she realized that they were the only two around. Fancy that. He’d cornered her.

She knew he lied about the gun. Didn’t have anything to do with being a doctor or a Zeltron or a Force user.

“Did you expect me to react any other way? I don’t care what they say in the holofilms, when a girl says no it means that she’s not interested, not ‘convince me’.” She spat out, arms crossing over her chest as he drew closer. She fought the urge to step back.

“What else do you have planned, pray tell? Dinner and then dump my body into a river? Or lock me up in some dungeon?”

She really didn’t expect it to go any other way.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

He scoffed. "Please."

"If I wanted to kill you you'd already be dead." Nikolas certainly wasn't lying about that. "You and that frumpy little mouse of a nurse."

The thought of Amelia brought a brief frown to his face, but it was quickly wiped away and replaced with his almost trademark smile. The way he looked at her didn't change, and noticeable neither did his eyes even as his expression did. There was something simply...wrong about him.

Every sense of a normal person would scream about it.

"I don't want to harm you." There was no lie this time. "That would ruin any fun we could have."

He paused for a moment, then withdrew something from his inside jacket pocket. "If you don't believe me, you can always use this."

Nikolas offered her the the handle of a small knife, a weapon decorated with an odd rolling script down the fiercely curved blade.

 

[Farah]

“That’s attractive.” She rolled her eyes at the line straight from a holofilm. Lots of clichés tonight but Farah felt an…inkling of curiosity.

Sure, it was stupid. He was clearly wrong in the head and eerily pursuant of her. But this was the sort of thing that garnered her interest in a strange way. It all boiled down to the bad boy vibe, getting something she’d likely be better off without. Little did she know that her template had the same trait, a characteristic that put her in a decade long love affair with someone on the opposite side of the battlefield.

Disgustingly genetic.

Her eyes dropped down to the handle of the knife with some measure of amusement. “You seriously expect me to believe that you’d give me the upper hand?” She doubted that the knife would do much harm to him. Or rather, that he’d likely be able to disarm her long before she could do anything with it.

Still, she reached out and took it by the handle.

“I’m afraid I’m under dressed for wherever you’ve made reservations.” She waved the knife up and down, casually gesturing to his outfit.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

His smile grew a bit wider, the dangerous look in his eye grew a bit stronger. Nikolas knew that he was winning her over, slowly but surely. It was a matter of what he wanted, and right now that was her. It was a trait that had always been with him since childhood. Nikolas always got what he wanted, and he would work until he did. It was something his parents had exploited, something his siblings had teased him for, and something that would more than likely get him killed.

Right now though, it would just get him a little bit of fun. "Oh I'm sure they won't mind."

The words slipped from him with ease, as if he knew something that she didn't.

"Though." He glanced at his chrono. "I suppose we can go buy you something."

Clearly the 'reservation' he had was not at all due in ten minutes. If she thought about it for a while she would realize that of course, given that he'd had no idea when she was actually finished with work or how long he'd be waiting for her. Not that he would ever actually point that out.

Nikolas caught her eyes with his. "It'll have to be red though."

 

[Farah]

“In ten minutes?” Both brows quirked at that. “I like to take my time when I shop, you know.”

Farah wasn’t all test tubes and surgeries. Okay, she mostly was. But she did enjoy some good retail therapy every now and then.

Her instincts were screaming at her to just turn around and walk away, but they were also screaming at her to be wary of getting shot in the back or whatever it she turned around to walk away. Then there were those darker instincts that urged her to continue her interaction with the psychopath.

“Why does it have to be red? Cover up the blood stains?”

Yes, there was a lot off about this. He could have bulled Amelia into giving him her schedule.

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]

 

[Coratanni Cartel]

[member="Farah"]

"I can make it work." Nik said simply. "I have a way with time."

He smiled.

Any sane person would have walked away by now, or used the knife, Farah had done neither. There were a thousand different ways that this night could end. There were a thousand different things that could happen in the next few seconds. Yet she was still standing there.

For Nikolas it meant one simple thing; He had her already.

Her next question made his smirk grow a little wider, his lips twerking into what could have been the beginnings of a laugh as she made her comment. Red hardly covered blood, at least when it dried, something that she likely knew given her like of work. Still the joke was amusing, and Nik gave one simple answer. "I like red."

The words had an odd ring to them.

 

[Farah]

Farah snorted. “So he’s a time lord, too.” Her words were wry. "Creepy."

Her stomach grumbled and her lips pursed in thought. While she enjoyed shopping, something like that would put her in social debt to the psychopath with the knife and a gun and possibly something else.

“Oh second thought,” She shrugged. “I’m starving. Don’t really care about the dress. This place had better be close than McYoda’s.”

[member="Coratanni Cartel"]