41 Shots (And We'll Take That Ride)

[Chaz de Coventina]

Chaz nodded and tried to stay her hand from snatching the stim like a half-starved inmate would a bowl of mealie. With deliberate ease she accepted the offering and shrugged.

"There are worse ways to go," Chaz said, twirling the stim between her slender fingers. "life's too short to waste feeling guilty over vices."

A beat, two, and then:

"I don't suppose you ever come across anything more serious, do you."

[Sanis Prent]

A gleam caught my eye.

"I might, Doc. Don't suppose the Alliance would be so high and mighty as to narc someone from the VRT, huh?"

Old habits died hard, and I gave a once-over to make sure no one was watching before I pulled an opaque vial from my pocket.

"Collafa. Don't use more than half a dram at once."

I held onto the vial, expecting compensation.

"Normally I'd go for 100 creds, but for you, I'll take 75."

[Chaz de Coventina]

This was a bad idea. It was one thing to have a little secret, a monster you kept back in the closet and away from the general public; it was another thing entirely to ask someone else to feed it. She'd always been cautious, going down to the most remote districts on Coruscant when she needed something a little rougher, a little less stable than the glossy vials and injectors at the hospital with their extensive dosing instructions and warnings. There had been others during residency who'd taken the odd trip, whispering about a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend who could get the good stuff. That particular avenue had never appealed to her, too public, too risky.

And yet, here she was fumbling in her pocket for payment. To give to a patient, for frell's sake.

Chaz flicked a glance at Cirr before she held out her hand, credchit resting on her open palm.

"That concussion, Mr. Prent, is going to give you headaches. I'd like to schedule a follow-up, make sure you're doing all right."

[Sanis Prent]

"I'm available for follow-ups."

I met her hand in a shake, pumping twice and taking the pre-loaded chit.

"Whenever you need to, you know, schedule me."

I looked to Cirr, who shrugged very slightly. We were both pretty familiar with this sort of thing. It sometimes wasn't honest, but we both knew it paid the bills.

[Chaz de Coventina]

The same easy confidence oozing from Sanis that vaguely irritated her was also what made it possible for de Coventina to nod and, with as much casual grace as she could rouse through her fatigue and the pounding needneedneed thrumming through her, slip the small vial into the pocket of her coat.

"I'm sure this hardly needs to be said but I'm the sort who likes to beat dead banthas," Chaz's gaze flicked from Sanis to Cirr and back again. "That doctor-patient confidentiality arrangement works both ways; may I assume that discretion is one of your stronger suits?"

[Sanis Prent]

I laughed a little.

"Relax, doc. It's the Navy, remember? What's that term? Loose lips sink ships."

I pocketed the chit effortlessly.

"Just don't forget the follow-ups. Maybe think about house calls while you're at it."

With a grimace, I eased off the exam table to my feet.