Saga In Sickness and In Health--A Vader/Padme AU--Nommed for Best AU, drama, angst

Welcome to the third clue!

For the next clue, you must find the fic where a mod says "EWWW!" three times.

"First, see that you do no harm."

It was the first thing she had learned when embarking on medical training and they had all laughed nervously at the charge.

They were going to be doctors, after all. Which one of them would want to do harm to a patient?

Her first brush with a harsher reality than what was presented in those sterile, unbiased settings of lecture halls was during her field training.

The early days of the Empire had been marked by a series of violent uprisings. The more idealistic and ambitious of Palpatine's opponents had made the often fatal assumption that if they struck while he was organizing his Empire, they would be able to make it crumble in the same way that he had arranged the demise of the Republic.

They hadn't taken into account the fact that he had been organizing his Empire for nearly two decades.

As a result, her first assignment on the surgical rotation had been to a field hospital in the aftermath of a particularly gory assumption. As she had been cleaning a wound to prepare for amputation, the patient had thrown himself forward, remaining hand latching onto her neck as she screamed for help.

She hadn't realized until he collapsed five seconds later that she had helped herself with a scalpel incision to the throat. All the efforts of the help that had arrived could not save his life, but the instinct to do harm before others did harm unto you had saved hers.

He had died for no better reason than the fact that, in his pain-induced delirium, he mistakenly thought she was the enemy.

Her trainer, a compassionate man from Alderaan, had led her away to the nearest mess hall for something hot and strongly brewed to drink while her tremors subsided.

"First, see that you do no harm doesn't mean you're wrong to defend yourself. There are few things worth dying for and preceding your patient into the afterlife isn't one of them."

The bruises on her throat faded quickly, but the advice didn't. She had faced that choice many times since that first terrifying encounter, but for the most part, she was able to use something less permanent to subdue her attackers. Of the thirty-four who had attacked her, only nine had died for that mistake. Ten thousand more patients had never presented her with a choice.

Selimma Rath had chosen Rudur IX for the precise reason that the villages were small and the wars few and far between. In a village such as Karak, she had never had to make that choice to date.

The difficulty arose when the Empire decided to take over the mining facilities and a large group of the natives decided to take exception. For a Mid Rim world with few allies, they had acquitted themselves well, if you could call the number of corpses strewn across the valley in the morning success.

The difficulty, however, was not in the death toll, but in the survival rate. All told, there were seventy-four wounded in her designated area, ranging from minor grazes to critical conditions.

She was regarded as a neutral, so the new Imperial garrison had ordered her to save their people first and look after the prisoners of war afterwards.

She had ignored this order, simply dealing with the critical cases first as her aide, Medic Hunel, tended to the more minor injuries.

Two died upon her arrival. One died after a frantic effort and emergency surgery in abominable conditions could not save him. Two more were stabilized when the bleeding was stopped, even if she had to cauterize on occasion to expedite the process.

Critical case number six was the one that reminded her of the field hospital.

He was obviously unconscious, so he could not have attacked her, but her hands trembled as she fumbled for a strong sedative.

You can't do that. He's in respiratory distress and if you give him that, it will kill him.

Better him than me.

Stop that now, Padme!

She hadn't thought of that name in so long tha

 

Oh, now here you've got an intriguing one, sweetie. An attention grabber from the first line. I love it!

 

For the record, the original title of this was "In Sithness and in health", provided by Ophelia. After laughing way too much, we decided to change it. Thanks to her for the suggestion.

 

Thanks. Do you call everyone hon or sweetie?

 

*laughs* That's cute. I can see why you didn't use it, but its great

 

::Se rie tambien.:: Ophelia me hace reir, por supuesto, pero las dos no escribimos cosas chistosas en las historias. A lo menos, no lo intentamos a veces.

3PO: ::Laughs, too:: Ophelia makes me laugh, of course, but both of us don't write funny things in stories. At least, we don't try sometimes.

 

*laughs* Sorry, its a habit when talking to females. Its a southern thing. I'm a Tennessee guy

 

Ah, pues, todos mis parientes del sur de los Estados Unidos han muerto.

3PO: Oh, well, all my southern US relatives are dead.

 

Very interesting! I am looking forward to more.

 

Gracias, Dally. Estoy emocionada escribir esta historia porque es algo que me ha perseguido por algunas semanas.

3PO: Thanks, Dally. I'm excited to write this story because it's something that has persecuted me for some weeks.

 

An original and mind-teasing plot bunny

(Will you offer us the next post in Spanish with 3PO's translation below ? ^^ )

 

Si se hace el 5 de mayo, por supuesto.

3PO: If it's done on May 5th, of course.

 

No quedo tiempo para pensar.

El respirador del Senor Oscuro se habia danado en el curso de la batalla y si ella no le ayudara, la muerte llegaria a el con la misma entusiasmo con que el habia hecho esta lucha.

"Hulen!"

Se sorprendio con la fuerza de su voz, puesto que casi no pudo respirar desde el momento en que vio la mascara familiar que engendro tantas de sus pesadillas diarias.

Hulen llego con una boqueada, pero no commento sino para preguntar lo que se necesitaba.

Por eso confio en ella, aunque no puedo confiar que sabre la cosa debida hacer.

"Le tenemos que intubar," ella grito, tendiendo la mano para recibir la primera herremienta. "No tenemos tiempo para un sedativo, pero no creo que le importara mucho."

"Le tenemos que quitar la mascara," Hulen observo. "Estas seguara que podemos intubar con este sistema ya puesto?"

"Lo tenemos que hacer," Padme respondio, rehinando sus dientes. "Prepare el laryngoscopo mientras que quito la mascara."

"Esta bien."

Su pulso estaba corriendo a .5 avanzada despues de velocidad de luz, pero no lo hizo caso al remover los pedacitos que escondieron la cara bien-amada de su esposo.

Amada hace mucho tiempo, pero recordada en cada sueno.

Ella casi no reconocio su faz, porque los cicatrices escondieron las características que conocio, pero cuando levanto un párpado para inspectar los ojos, reconocio sin duda que era el.

Al partir de esa hora, no obstante, no le importo porque solamente era otro paciente.

Ella no penso en los golpes que le dio al intubarle. No recordaba sus ninos perdidos al parar el flujo de sangre de sus heridas.

Aun no se hizo recordar la ultima noche que quedaron juntos al prepararle para transporte al hospital de capital.

Pero cuando el habia desaparecida con el transporte y Hulen se ocupo con otros pacientes, ella cayo a sus rodillas y dejo que su vomito y sus lacrimas se juntaran con el sangre de los caidos.
*****
"Le conocio," Hulen accuso.

"Quien no le conoce?" Padme contradijo. "Es el apoye en la orden del Imperador mismo. A lo menos, le hemos visto en el Holonet cada tres dias."

"Eso no es lo que intentaba decir y lo sabes," Hulen respondio. "Le conocio personalmente."

Ya anochecio y con los pacientes sedatados o en tratamiento, no pudieron hacer mucho mas que disfrutar su cena y ignorar lo que habian visto.

Hulen no quiso ignorarlo, sin embargo. Padme no se dejo mirar a sus ojos, asustada que ella viera algo mas que pudo revelar. No obstante, no habia comida su cena, ni tomo su caf.

"Y si le conozco," dijo suavamente, "a quien le importa?"

"A el," Hulen commento.

"Si sobrevive," Padme corrigio. "Es en las manos de los otros doctores y el no recordara que nos topamos otra vez."

Lo espero.

"Y que era?" su ayudente insisto al recoger mas comida con su tenedor. "Amiga, amante..."

"Esposa."

El tenedor cayo desapercibido de sus dedos. "Su esposa." Repitio incredulosamente.

"Y madre de sus hijos, pero el nunca lo puede saber."

Una sorpresa de la mujer que quedaba sola por los ultimos diez anos.

"Pero sus ninos estan muertos, entonces..."

"Escondidos, y asi se quedaran mientras que vivo."
*****

3PO:

There was no time left to think.

The Dark Lord's respirator had been damaged in the course of the battle and if she did not help him right now, death would come to him with the same enthusiasm with which Vader had conducted this struggle.

"Hulen!"

She surprized herself with the strength of her voice, since she had almost been unable to breathe since the moment since she saw the familiar mask that gave rise to so many of her daily nightmares.

Hulen arrived with a gasp, but didn't comment except to ask what was needed.

That's why I trust her, even if I can't trust that I'll know what the right thing to do is.

"We have to intubate," she shouted, extending a hand to receive the first tool. "We don't have time for a sedative, but I don't think he will care much."

"We have to take the mask off, first," Hulen observ

 

You actually did it Excellent

(Not that the story isn't )

 

I like this a lot! Very interesting! Can't wait for more.

 

Muy bien!

*laughs*

I feel terrible -- can't remember my Spanish. I could read the Spanish sections, but can't remember how to talk...

Nice job -- I look forward to more!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

 

Lordban--You actually did it Excellent

(Not that the story isn't )

REVA. Si, lo hice. Que locura era para buscar las palabras correctas y expresarme con mas dificultades.

Dally--I like this a lot! Very interesting! Can't wait for more.

Gracias. A lo menos, voy a poner otra escena este fin de semana.

3PO: LOL. Yup, I did it. It was crazy trying to find the right words and express myself with all those difficulties.

Thanks, at least, I'm going to post another scene this weekend.

 

oops, Whiteladyofrohan, le extrane. Gracias por leer, aunque no pudiste responder. Ojala que le agrado otra vez.

3PO:

Oops, Whiteladyofrohan, I missed you. Thanks for reading, even if you couldn't respond. Hopefully I'll please you again.

 

Delightful work, as always. Mi gusta la espanol, como sie ingles, asi. I love it, and can't wait for the next installment.

 

Gracias, miel.

 

You have my attention!

 

Oh, que bueno.

3PO: Oh, good!

 

Oooh, Ish!

J'adore ceci! C'est excellent!

(I love this. It's excellent)

Pardonez-moi, mais je veux parler en français aujourd'hui.

(Excuse me, but I want to talk in french today.)

Maybe because I'm surrounded by spanish and I can't speak it!

Great work!

 

Yo entendi todo lo que dijiste! Gracias!

3PO: I understood everything you said! Thanks!

 

Definitivamente un buen comienzo Gran historia, captaste mi atencion. (Tambien hablo espanol, por que vivo en Mexico hahaha)

Trans: Definately a good start. Great story, you caught my attention (I speak Spanish as well, cause I live in Mexico )