Ask A Distant Call

[Atris Tharen]

The planet of Bothawui was a major trade world, not only within the Mid Rim but throughout the entire galaxy. Apart from being home world to the native Bothans, the planet was situated at the center of four major hyperplanes and was a hub of commerce and industry. The planet's low operating taxes and general lack of government interference from the Bothan Council were attractive incentives for mega corporations to move in and set up shop. There was a reason the planet was considered the capital of the Bothan sector.

Away from its technological advancements and outside of its crowded major cities such as Blee'starn or the capital of Drev'starn, the planet itself was beautiful. Sprawling plains covered most of the surface, bordered by snowcapped mountains and dense forests.

Bothawui was among the ever growing number of planets to join the Independent Systems Consortium. A lot of planets were considering aligning themselves with the ISC, and if rumors were to be believed, Coruscant was among them. The ISC, along with the New Republic, were among the first to address the outbreak of AMS and to formulate a plan to combat the dreaded disease, and that resonated with the public.

Atris was here for a small outbreak, but not for an outbreak of AMS. Thankfully. Bothawui had been effected by the AMS virus, but not as badly as planets such as Utapau or Nar Shaddaa. Atris considered herself fortunate to have yet to come into contact with AMS personally. The sight of a mindless zombie, a person who used to have a life and people that cared about them, trying to bite you was not something anyone wanted to have to witness.

The Jedi Knight was here to assist with a small outbreak of Bybbec fever in one of Bothawui's smaller cities that dotted its plains, Ru'dok. Bybbec fever, though annoying to anyone unlucky enough to catch it, was not fatal for most species. It did, however, pose a threat for Twi'leks if not properly treated in time and could be fatal. The city of Ru'dok, with its large population of Twi'leks, have contained the outbreak immediately, and it had not spread any further. The doctors of Ru'dok had already begun treating their patients and had the situation well under control but had requested a couple of Jedi healers to be present to help speed the process along and to help ensure that it did not spread outside of the city.

Atris descended the boarding ramp of the public transport ship she had taken and stepped onto the paved sidewalks of the city of Rhan'starn.

Impressive, she thought to herself as she took in her surroundings. This was Atris' first visit to Bothawui, and she enjoyed traveling to new and unusual places. She would have liked to wander around the city for a while, but she needed to get to Ru'dok as soon as possible. The other Jedi, known only to her as a Devaronian by the name of Jarell DiVoz, had already arrived, and she was to meet him there.

Although both Jedi Knights were here at the behest of the clinic in Ru’dok, they would need to keep a low profile and not let their identity slip to anyone outside of Ru’dok. Emryc Thorne, President of ISC, had pushed the agenda that Jedi were to blame for the war, so it was unlikely that Jedi would be too popular here.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Jarrell DiVos]

Jarrell had long been a proponent of Jedi medical diplomacy. During his tenure as a Padawan, he had written several treatises on the topic; Bothawui would be an excellent chance to put the theory into practice. He had not led a mission on his own, yet. He was freshly knighted, and this was his first solo mission, especially where he had to keep a low profile. He had arrived at the clinic a few days prior, eager to impress on this occasion. When he got there, the outbreak was worse than he had expected: with both galactic and planetary resources devoted to halting AMS, Ru'dok had little in the ways of professional medical assistance. For the same reason, Jarrell thought that containing the outbreak here was essential; the risk of two pandemics was too great for the planet to hold.

He had just finished a training on the Bybbec fever and how to identify it in non-Twileks when the other Jedi entered the clinic. While it was a disease that affected Twileks the most harshly, non-Twileks could be carriers, and it could go by virtually unidentified in some species. To that end, the city was establishing regular testing, checkpoints, and increasing medicine production. He had never met Atris in person, and thought she was among the other medical professionals entering the building before he felt the unmistakable ripple in Light Side energy that the Jedi emitted.

He glances up from a datapad upon that feeling, looking towards the general direction of the door. Another Jedi! Another Jedi meant significantly more help on this mission. While it was relatively straightforward, it was an immense amount of work, and he felt rather isolated and burdened by the increasing caseload. Another Jedi also meant safety-in-numbers - he had only just been briefed about local distrust towards the Jedi and sought the counsel of another Knight on the matter.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

A two room facility with a single wing for patients, the medical center was small but practical. No doubt it served the citizens of the small town of Ru'dok well, but it was ill equipped to deal with any large scale outbreak. It had neither the space nor the funding to handle any medical emergency larger than the emergency it was now faced with. It was fortunate that the Bybbec fever had not spread and that the AMS virus had not yet reached the small city. Hopefully it never would.

The clinic was overrun with patients. Hospital beds sat side by side and had been pushed up against the walls to allow for more space, but any space it had created had already been filled. There were no empty beds.

An FX-series medical assistant droid sat in one corner of the room, the majority of its arms limp and its wiring exposed. It was an older model, probably left over from the Galactic Civil War. Judging by the dust that had gathered atop it, the droid had been inoperable for years.

Atris had watched her uncle fix a thousand droids just like it in his shop back on Tatooine, and if the young Jedi Knight had ever shown the slightest propensity for technology, she would have attempted to repair the abandoned droid herself.

As under staffed as they were, Ru'dok's medical professionals were making the most of the situation. Two Bothans in white medical coats hurried around the room, flitting from one patient and then to another. The Twi'lek patients faired the worst, visibly sweating from their high fevers and a few of them letting out soft moans.

Atris' eyes sought out the Devaronian standing at the other end of the room, a datapad in his hand. Since he had already been here a few days, he would be able to give her more information on the situation here at the clinic and tell her where she could be most helpful. She was eager to get to work.

Weaving through the maze of hospital beds, Atris crossed the crowded room and reached the Devaronian. Sensing that he already knew she was a Jedi Knight, she decided to drop that part from her introduction. She extended a hand and introduced herself with a friendly smile. "Hello. I'm Atris Tharen."

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[Jarrell DiVos]

She would sense his stress, tooh, but that was also written on his face. His mood considerably changes upon her appearance, though, and he offers a bright smile in return. He gives a ceremonial bow after their handshake. "Knight Tharen. I am Knight Jarrell DiVos," he says almost-too-loudly for the room. He brings his voice down to a whisper for a moment. "My apologies, there have been some considerable hiccups here. I forgot that we are to be a little more...furtive." He still wore his black tunic and gloves, of course, but he could pass as an offworld doctor here.

He glanced around the clinician's room for a moment. It was nearly empty: doctors and nurses of many species were busy at work outside, and the odd mouse droid would stumble in, bleet out an apology, and return to roaming the facility. The drab, khaki-colored walls held aged posters that showed diagrams of Bothan anatomy, considerably out-of-date calendars, and the even more outdated Dietary Octagan, showing healthy children the eight "proper" food types to eat.

He passes her the datapad. "I hope you're ready to work; we don't have a lot time available before the real rush starts. This, this is light; the disease comes and goes like the tide, and the later in the day in gets, the more fragile I've seen our patients get. One of our first tasks is helping the skilled doctors here stabilize these patients. The city has a small supply of Gattis-root, but we need to find a way to get a shipment of it here so we can help mass produce medicine for it." He taps on the datapad now in her hands. A holographic map of Ru'Dok appears, with a number of dot points scattered throughout different locations in the city. "In between doing that, I've been trying to isolate the origin of this outbreak. We're starting to map the homes of affected Twi'lek, so we can do some targeted Bybbec Fever testing in the most affected neighborhoods so far."

He takes a deep breath, looking again at the map he created. "It's odd. Bybbec Fever is usually seasonal, growing to its height around Twi'lek migration and pilgrimage months. We're in a slow period right now, and with the AMS quarantines around the galaxy, you would think it would be hard to get. My working theory is that some non-Twi'Lek trader brought it to their communities from offworld, but something feels...off about it. It's just a feeling, now, but be on the lookout. I know things are rarely as they seem in these situations." He brings his voice down to a whisper once more. "And may the Force be with us."

He steps towards a hydration station, filling a small cup with crystal clear water before he speaks again. "I'm sorry for the info dump, by the way. Just been busy, have not had a time to really clear my head yet. You've seen the briefing, same as me. What are you thinking so far - do you have any questions? Do you want to jump right in and meet the medical staff here? Do you have any concerns about my analysis?" Truthfully, he was very excited by her presence. The rush of the clinic had disturbed the peace of his own mind - he hoped that her presence could be a calming one.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Atris could sense that the Devaronian's mind was unsettled. He was anxious, most likely a combination of his surroundings and the workload he'd been given upon arriving. As he spoke and began to fill her in on the situation here at the clinic and Ru'dok as a whole, it became clear that he'd been working hard since the moment he'd stepped into the clinic three days ago.

The local doctors were eager to put him to work, and he was eager to work. She couldn't fault Ru'dok's medical staff for utilizing the Devaronian Jedi. They were understaffed and overworked themselves, and she probably would have done the same were she in their shoes. They were in the midst of a local medical emergency, likely the only emergency the small town of Ru'dok had faced in many, many years.

Despite being overwhelmed, Jarrell DiVos offered her a bright smile and shook her hand, eager to update her on the clinic's progress so she could begin to lend a hand. He handed her a datapad detailing the city's schematics. Dots were placed strategically across the city, evidently marking where the outbreak of Bybbec fever had spread.

"Don't apologize," Atris smiled softly when he had finished, her eyes still roaming the holographic map of Ru'dok. "An info dump is exactly what I was hoping for."

Jarrell had given her a lot of information, a lot to consider. As he said, there was a lot of work to be done. Patients to stabilize at the clinic, door to door visits to be made to continue to map the outbreak and give proper medical attention to those infected. Gattis-root, however, interested Atris the most. That was the cure, after all. Gattis-root extract was needed to end this outbreak, and the city was in short supply of it.

Atris looked up from the map to focus on Jarrell. He had been here longer than she, and he knew what needed their immediate and undivided focus at the moment. She would follow his lead for their next step, but she did have a question. Something she wanted to pursue later, if possible. "Gattis-root. Do you know if it grows anywhere here on Bothawui?"

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Jarrell DiVos]

As expected, her presence brought an immediate calm to his mood. And, she had come with ideas: he knew that Gattis-root would be critical to their operation here, but he had been unsure where and how to source it. "That's...a very good question." He brought his hand to his chin for a moment, murmuring a quick, unsteady chain of thoughts while he studied the map again. "I had assumed not, because the climate is far different here than Ryloth's jungles and because Twi'Leks aren't the majority on this world, but it's certainly possible that it's managed as an invasive species out in the wilderness, or is grown in a community garden somewhere. We could try to rapidly cultivate it, if that's the case, or take some to a local lab and develop an antidote from it..." It was certainly something to consider. "We could certainly canvass the city to learn - maybe one of the locals would know. We could check tomorrow afternoon, perhaps? Like I said, it's worse here at nights, so I try to be on-call all night." The stress was pressing wrinkles into his red skin.

An R5-model astromedic droid rolled up and bleated in Droidspeak about a new patient to meet. "Duty calls. Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to reschedule the tour on my end. You're free to explore this facility, if you'd like. You're also more than welcome to do the rounds with me - it could be nice to have another Jedi healer working alongside me." It would mean diving into his grueling schedule without having a chance to get acquainted with the clinic first, but perhaps it would be best to get right in. "I'm afraid I don't know much of your background, by the way. Perhaps we could get more acquainted while we work?" He assumed it would be helpful for their working relationship - knowing her experience and history could help divide their workload.

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

It was worth looking into it, even if it did turn out that no Gattis-root grew on the planet of Bothawui. Atris held out hope, however, that somewhere, someone had had the foresight to plant a Gattis seedling. With any luck, the foreign plant would have taken sprout amidst the temperate surroundings of Bothawui.

Only time would tell if that was the case. Either way, the two Jedi were determined to quell this outbreak and bring relief to the suffering Twi'leks. Atris could sense that Jarrell was just as resolute as she was. It was a relief to know that they were of the same mind.

In the meantime, the Devaronian and the R5 astromedic droid were right: there were patients that needed their attention. The search for a cure would have to wait until tomorrow. It was late in the evening anyway, and there was no sense in setting off in search of Gattis-root when neither Jedi had a clue where to find it.

Atris passed the datapad back to Jarrell, offering him an appreciative smile. He'd been nothing but friendly and helpful since the moment she'd walked in, and she was grateful to him for that. They would need to work together if they wanted the best results in the shortest amount of time.

"I'll make the rounds with you, if you're sure that's alright," Atris replied, taking him up on his second suggestion but searching his eyes to make sure the offer was genuine. He had been working in the med center tirelessly for three days now and, presumably, had developed a routine of his own. The dark haired Jedi did not want to step on his toes or crowd his space, but it was clear that he meant what he said, so she smiled again and followed him out of the cramped, dingy office.

The Bothan doctors were busy, and there was no sense in interrupting their work now with introductions. They had more important things to do than to meet her. That could wait until later. She was anxious to get to work, to put her hands to something. After all, that was the reason for the Jedi Knight's presence on Bothawui.

It was only natural for Jarrell to express interest in her background. Atris was curious about his, too, and had her own questions she wanted to ask him. She was always eager to meet a fellow Jedi, even more eager to make friends wherever possible.

"There isn't much to tell, but what would you like to know?" she asked the Devaronian for clarification.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Jarrell DiVos]

"I'll make the rounds with you, if you're sure that's alright,"

Jarrell nodded in response. It would be good for her to see the state of the clinic. With the galactic outbreak of AMS, and the relative insignificance of a town like Ru'Dok on the galactic scale, the building was horribly understaffed. The broken-down medical droid was not the first that the pair would see that day, as aging droids pushed past their limits routinely broke down in the clinic halls. The few organic staff members - the handful of Bothan doctors and Twi'lek supporting staff - rushed from room to room regularly. Once they left the aging room they were in, they entered the chaos of a rapidly-filling medical center.

Their first patient of the day was an aging Twi'lek man who had a thankfully minor case of Bybbec Fever. His wrinkled, orange skin was wracked with pain even while he slept. DiVos checked the man's chart silently, looking for any specific notes or recommendations from the nursing staff, before he passed it to his new Jedi companion.

He whispered to her while they were in this crowded room. "Zorn Le'Fiue, an immigrant from Ryloth. I've recommended we keep him on light sedatives for the time being - I think he's going to be alright if we can get him rest and fluids." It's started again - Jarrel's mind races to the next patient so quickly, he's forgotten his original question. He leads Atris to an intensive care room, lined wall-to-wall with patients in large Bacta Tank suites. He reviews the vital signs on each carefully, using intuition and his connection to his patients through the Force to complement the medical system's readings. With a start, he turns back to Atris. "I'm sorry, I never answered your question. I'm curious to know your medical background. I've met a few Jedi who were doctors before they developed their Force powers, and some Padawans who took instantly to the mystical healing arts. Have you been working in the field for long? Who did you train with at the Temple?" His work continues as he asks this. "And, are you familiar with working with Bacta? We've been putting in patients in worst condition in the tanks - it's a great help, but we need to stay on these older machines. The patient list keeps growing, and I'm worried these tanks could get overused and end up like the droids in this clinic."

He stopped on one of the tanks, where a pink-skinned Twi'lek girl sleeps peacefully within. Her face is obscured by the bubbling bacta and her own facial mask, but Atris would be able to feel the ease emanating off of her through the Force. Jarrell runs his hand down the glass of the bacta, letting the peace wash over him for a moment, before he steps to another. "The toughest part has been the emotional torment. The fever can develop so rapidly, and it's so painful for the Twi'Leks. It creates a lot of strong emotions." Working through this crisis is obviously taking a toll on the young Jedi. He sighed, leaning back against the wall of the room. "I'm...sorry. I'm rushing here. I shouldn't be this sloppy. So, right, your medical background?"

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

Their first patient was an orange, ageing Twi'lek man, sound asleep and sedated. According to the med chart Jarrell had handed her, the Twi'lek had a relatively minor case of Bybbec fever, and yet he was clearly in pain. If this was an example of a Twi'lek with only a minor case of Bybbec fever, the Jedi Knight did not look forward to witnessing the pain of a Twi'lek with a truly serious condition.

Jarrell hadn't been kidding either. The room was abuzz with sound and movement. Bothan doctors rushed from bed to bed; monitors beeped; and old, broken down droids wandered around the room, a few of them bumping into beds and disturbing patients trying to rest. As painstakingly as the doctors attempted to remain quiet, it would be hard to sleep in such an environment. The med center was overwhelming, both because of the natural five senses and through the Force. Atris could feel her Jedi companion's unease beginning to return, as much as he might have tried to fight it. The dark haired Jedi could not fault him for this. She was having a difficult time centering her mind as well, but she would attempt to be a calming presence, nonetheless.

"You mentioned Mr. Le'Fiue is from Ryloth... do you think he could be one of the Twi'leks that brought the fever to Bothawui?" Atris ventured to guess as Jarrel led her toward another room, the intensive care section of the medical center. Similar to the room they'd been in before, it was full of patients, and in the same fashion the entire space had been filled with patients, but instead of med beds pushed up against walls, it was bacta tanks.

It was an approach to the fever that she had not expected but when given second thought made sense. Though bacta tanks would not cure the fever, it would certainly ease the symptoms for those unfortunate enough to be burdened. Each tank was occupied, with patients floating in silence, asleep as the bacta surrounded them and eased their symptoms. Not even the thick glass that surrounded them could hide the feeling of comfort and peace that emanated from them through the Force. It pleased Atris to know that within the confines of the bacta they found some measure of peace.

"I have worked with bacta before," she answered her companion, her eyes wandering the room. "But not extensively."

Jarrel placed a hand against the glass of one of the bacta tanks, stopping briefly to observe the young Twi'lek girl behind the glass. It was obvious that the young Devaronian cared deeply about each patient within this facility, every case effecting him more deeply than the next. Atris couldn't help but smile softly to herself before following him to the next tank. It was in crises such as this that the good in people shone through.

Now, within the quiet of the intensive care room, seemed to be a good time to answer Jarrell's questions. Each patient slept peacefully, and there was no fear of disturbing them here.

"I spent a couple years working in med-centers in the Outer-Rim. Most of them were small and underfunded, much like this one," she replied, looking around as she thought back. She smiled with nostalgia. "Some of them were nothing more than a tent. Before that, I traveled to disaster zones and refugee camps left in the wake of wars. Usually with my Master, Jesslin Trimatt."

Chuckling, she shook her head fondly. "I don't expect you to recognize his name. He was loathe to ever spend more than a day or two at the temple on Ajan-Kloss, so it's doubtful you ever bumped into him. He passed away a few years ago."

Her voice faded into silence momentarily, but she recovered herself and her emotions, looking at Jarrell. "What about you?" she asked, eager to know more about his background.

@Fine Dining Set

 

[Jarrell DiVos]

Jarrell chuckled along with her, inspired by her humility. Perhaps it was typical of a good Jedi, underplaying themselves as they speak of marvelous accomplishments. He stopped when he heard the unfortunate news about Master Trimatt. He had never known nor heard of her old Master, but the sting of losing a dear teacher was a familiar one. "I am so sorry to hear. I remember when I was a boy, on Ajan-Kloss, it felt like we were surrounded by these ancient masters. It felt like living in a museum sometimes!" He paused to chuckle again, fondly reminiscing on a youth spent with some of the greatest minds of the galaxy. "In these times, with the amount of combat we now face, it seems our master's leave us so quickly. At least we are one in the Force."

He shook his head. "This should be your area of expertise, then? Honestly, this is one of my first field assignments of this nature. I've typically done more spiritual counseling and healing through the Force than this. Or back at the Temple's hospital. This feels totally different; we face such severe shortages of everything here. It's taken all that I have just to keep it moving each day." His head turned up towards the ceiling. The soft, blue lights of the illuminated bacta tanks danced across the room, the lights bubbling and rolling like the waves of a calm sea. He rubbed the bags under his eyes with a gloved hand.

"I apologize, I do not mean to complain. It is simply a challenge, one that we must face. To answer your earlier question - it is certainly posible that Mr. Le'Fiue could have been our Patient Zero, but I haven't been able to canvass at all around his home district." He stroked his beard. "Perhaps that's a first start? We could bring a home-cooked meal to his family tomorrow, and try to speak with them about his travels." He stepped to another bacta tank to monitor its fluctuating readings, manipulating the machine to pause the flow of bacta.

"We could talk to the neighbors too. If we start working now, we could even build out a full list of people in the neighborhood and at his workplace to interview." This thought returned the life to his eyes. Since he had started here, he had been consistently on the defensive against the waves of illness. Now, they could start to really solve the puzzle. "What do you think?" He looked expectantly at her - it was obvious that he would put great stock in whatever she thought was the best next step.

@llamallove (OOC: I thought I sent this in weeks ago, so sorry!)

 

[Atris Tharen]

Jarrell's sympathy was appreciated. As a young child, Atris had believed that Master Trimatt would live forever, but his declining health and subsequent passing had proven that her childish assumptions couldn't have been further from the truth. The loss of her dear master had left a hole in her heart, but Jarrell was right.

Master Trimatt was now one with the Force, and in death perhaps he would find peace away from the aches and pain of this life. Atris suspected that Jarrell had also lost his master, but he didn't say anything about it, and she wasn't going to broach the subject. If the passing of his master was recent, it would still be a sensitive subject.

"I wouldn't say expertise, no," Atris replied honestly. "I've had some experience working in med clinics in the past, but all I know about byblos fever is what I read on the way over and what you've told me."

Jarrell raised a gloved hand to rub at his weary eyes. The stress was beginning to get to him, and Atris didn't blame him. She knew only too well the stress of an understaffed but overpopulated med clinic. This byblos fever was causing serious pain and suffering amongst the Twi'lek community here on Bothawui, and Atris could tell that Jarrell was that one in a million person that took each case to heart.

If only more people possessed a similar heart, the galaxy would be a much better place.

"Don't apologize." That was the second time he'd apologized to her since she had arrived, and yet he had done nothing wrong either time. "You have been under a considerable strain the last few days, and you should be proud of the work you've done here."

The Jedi's brown eyes settled on an orange toned Twi'lek floating in a bacta tank behind her. This Twi'lek was young, no older than twelve or thirteen years of age. A frown settled on Atris' face at the sight. This child's life had been put on hold, suspended indefinitely in bacta until she could be cured.

Atris turned to face Jarrell. "I think that's an excellent idea," she agreed, more determined than ever to bring healing to this community.

@Fine Dining Set (That's alright! No worries!)

 

[Jarrell DiVos]

He took a deep breath, finally feeling at ease. His eyes watered at her comments; they were a culmination of what had been an incredibly emotional period. He didn't realize that he had been running on empty all week, and her kind words finally brought him down to the ground. With his guard down, he realized how much this had taken from him. This was a prospect that gave him fear. This was a relatively minor assignment for the new knight - it was nowhere near as difficult as the path ahead in his career. No doubt he would have to face the Sith or the cartels at some point, organizations whose great crimes made Bybbec Fever look like a git.

But now was not the time to dwell on that - the future is ever in motion, the past is always gone. There is only here, only now, to act. He noted to himself to remember his teachings. And, right now, he followed Atris' eyes and frown: She was as upset by the morbid display this room showed as he. He was relieved to see this - some Jedi, the most world-weary ones, possessed a placidness that could not be disturbed by even the most heinous of acts. That Atris still had this much empathy for these patients spoke volumes of her, in his mind. "I'm glad we're seeing eye to eye." No more time for chatter, he figured, as he made his final rounds across the room.

Throughout the rest of the day, the pair would continue to work all across the clinic together. Meeting patients and staff was only half of the job: in between patient visits, Jarrell would seek Atris' help in creating a map of domiciles to visit the following day. It was a long day, to be sure, but Jarrell felt a greater sense of purpose working alongside Atris and the medical staff of the clinic.

Day rolled into night quickly, though. As expected, the fever patients symptoms became worse during the evening - minor coughs became hacking, wheezing. Boils erupted all over patients. Fevers reached critically high temperatures. Luckily, this what they had spent the day preparing for; it also helped that the bulk of the clinic's medical staff arrived right at the peak of the hump.

As the nighttime rush settled down, Jarrell returned to the clinic's office room. He sank into a seat, turning to Atris before speaking. "Do you have anywhere to stay tonight? After we decontaminate, I need to get back to my hotel. Could I give you a ride anywhere?"

@llamallove

 

[Atris Tharen]

When Jarrel said that the patients became worse at night, he hadn't been exaggerating. Atris had forgotten how long and grueling the days could be in a med-clinic packed wall to wall with patients. She had never dealt with byblos fever before, and in the Twi'lek patients the fever was so much worse than she had expected.

The data file she'd read regarding the fever had made it sound like it wasn't very serious, but when it had taken ahold of a Twi'lek, that couldn't have been further from the truth.

Atris followed Jarrel's lead throughout the day, assisting him and following his requests. Once a few days had passed and she'd familiarized herself with the process and the workings of the clinic, she would be able to work separately from him. Perhaps then they would be able to accomplish twice the work.

The brunette Jedi Knight had a lot of experience working in med-clinics, but that did not mean she yet felt comfortable enough to treat a disease she'd only come into contact with that very day. Not when there was another Jedi Knight nearby, one who had more experience with this disease and could teach her the best ways to treat it.

The hours were long, the work emotionally draining, and by the end of the night Atris was exhausted. She couldn't wait to take a hot shower and collapse into her bed. No wonder Jarrel had appeared to be so exhausted and overworked this morning. Perhaps now that Atris had arrived, his load would be lightened. At least she hoped that would be the case. Tomorrow morning they would start the process all over again, and she wanted to be as prepared as possible.

"Thank you," Atris replied, resting against a table. "I took a taxi here from the transport ship, so if you could give me a lift to the closest hotel, I'd really appreciate it."

Jarrel looked as worn out as Atris felt—perhaps even more so—so she was grateful that he was willing to give her a ride. She'd seen nothing of the city but the inside of this med-clinic, so she didn't know her way around yet. Perhaps tomorrow, in the light of day when they were canvassing parts of the city, she could remedy that.

Once they'd both been decontaminated, Atris followed Jarrel outside. It had grown dark hours ago, but the cool night air was more refreshing than Atris could put into words.

"It's nice to breathe fresh air again," Atris sighed contentedly, making light conversation as they made their way to Jarrel's mode of transportation.

@Fine Dining Set