"So I raise my glass of orange juice again in honor of Rey, who gives us the great pleasure of coming back to work with us!"
Amilyn wore a radiant smile. The conference room had been decorated with multicolored balloons, and the entire medical staff were gathered around a bountiful breakfast spread. Everyone was delighted to see the young physical therapist.
"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Rey replied, while her nursing colleague Peter Chewbacca, a two-meter colossus, put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her.
She really loved everyone here and she was greatly touched by the applause and cheers that followed Dr. Holdo's toast.
After putting down her cup, Holdo had to raise her voice to be heard over the din:
"However, I'm sorry to have to end this little welcome party, but it's already 8:30 and we have a lot of patients to see this morning in the PT department ! Take all the pastries you want, and have a good day everyone ! "
"I'm so glad you're here," said Poe, kissing his friend on the cheek before going out with the rest of the staff.
Those who remained settled around the large meeting table, and the new schedules were distributed. Amilyn then took a seat at the end of the table and said:
"So, after several departures within the team, and given the fact that Rose and Charlie here volunteered to go to work at the New York clinic during the coming weeks, I had to reassign some patients and review the schedules. Everything is written on the document I just gave you, and here are the medical records as well."
Snap Wexley passed Rey her stack of manila folders and she began to read the names on the labels:
Harriet Harper.
Lewis O'Hara.
Ethan Fallon.
Ben Solo.
Carol Doug...
Huh? What ! But ...
As Amilyn continued her explanations, the young therapist looked up to cast a look of distress at Rose, sitting on the other side of the table. The latter mouthed a silent "what?" and Rey realized that her friend was not aware that she had just inherited Solo as a patient.
Dr. Holdo finally finished her little speech and wished everyone a good day again. As the room emptied, Rey, list still in hand, stood up and walked over to her.
"Uh, excuse me Amilyn, but I see that I have the name of Ben Solo written on my sheet."
Rose was waiting for her near the door and, Rey saw her bite her lip and frown.
"Yes... Is there a problem?" replied Amilyn, concern evident in her tone.
Rey suddenly felt very stupid. Surely she wasn't going to start making trouble about the distribution of patients on her first day, even if her meeting with Ben Solo the day before had not been the most friendly.
"No, no, everything's fine, I ... I ran into him yesterday in the park. He seems charming," she lied shamelessly.
Dr. Holdo's face relaxed and Rey forced herself to smile.
"You know, I'm really close to the Organa-Solo family. Leia and her brother Luke Skywalker are very, very dear friends," explained the psychologist. "Ben's accident left us all in shock. Rose has already done a remarkable job with him and I am delighted that you're taking over."
"No problem," replied Rey, resigned, retrieving her files from the table. "I'm going to go study these."
"Good luck, my dear. And I told you. Don't hesitate to come see me if you have any problem, okay?"
The young woman nodded and went to join Rose, who was waiting in the corridor.
"Bad luck," muttered the little brunette as they both walked away from the conference room. "I didn't know you were the one who'd get stuck with him."
"It's fine, Rose. I'll manage."
"I have no doubt about it. I'm sure that with you, Solo will be as gentle as a lamb!"
OoooooO
Rey was quite satisfied. She'd found a small studio for rent in Greenwich, and her previous day's work had gone pretty well. She had met Harriet Harper, a somewhat wacky grandmother who'd had her hip replaced by Poe, and Lewis O'Hara, a snowboard champion, who had suffered a double tibia-fibula fracture while backcountry skiing in Aspen. The young therapist had above all been reassured to find that she was quickly finding her footing once again.
This morning she'd seen little Ethan Fallon again, and she was now enjoying lasagna while seated at one of the tables in the cafeteria. Ben Solo's file was open before her and she was browsing the information about him.
--------------
Admission: December 5, 2019
Status: Vertebral fracture in D7 and D8 with compression of the spinal cord. Facial laceration without bone involvement of the right profile.
Interventions performed at St Thomas Hospital in London on November 20, 2020.
Vertebroplasty performed by Dr. Wellington,
Emergency restorative cosmetic surgery performed by Dr. Hames on November 20, 2020.
Recommendation for care: Wearing a brace for a period of two months. Physiotherapy, balneotherapy and kinesiotherapy / Weaning off the brace and muscle reconditioning.
------------------
She was looking at Rose's footnotes when the young woman and Poe came to sit next to her with their meal trays.
"Hey, hi guys!" Rey exclaimed, closing and pushing the files to the side.
"So how's your first day back on the job going ? Everything okay?"
"Couldn't be better. What about you, Poe? Not too sad that Kaydel is gone?"
"Are you kidding me? I was constantly telling her to take it easy! And now she's going around in circles at home, desperately looking for something to have me fix, or a wall that needs repainting in the babies' room."
"Can you believe that you'll be a father of twins in a few weeks?" said Rose, attacking the contents of her plate.
"As if I'm not freaking out enough, Rose, thank you for reminding me," said Poe, running his hand through his hair. "I can't think about it without laughing, girls, I swear. I'm so stressed out. I feel like I'm going to be a disaster as a father."
"Are you kidding me? I have never seen anyone so comfortable with children. You'll be wonderful! Besides, look, Ethan adores you. You did a great job with his prosthesis. You're his hero."
"Ethan is my 'Galactic Wars' buddy. He's amazing. But I think it's you who he fell in love with, Rey. Last week, I had the misfortune of telling him that you were coming back, and then he hounded me every single day about when you'd get here! I think that kid is downright ready to marry you!" the orthopedic surgeon said with a smile.
Rey's face suddenly closed off. She looked down, and Poe realized a little too late that he had just blundered. The young therapist began to push her food around on her plate, and Rose took the opportunity to cast a glare at Poe while mimicking a furious gesture of decapitation. But Poe frowned and decided that he would continue to stick his foot in it.
"Have you heard anything from Finn?"
Rose rolled her eyes while Rey finally planted her fork in her lasagna, bringing it to her mouth.
"No news, which is for the best," she replied, swallowing her mouthful.
"Jesus, what an asshole!" cursed Poe.
"Dameron..." Rose chided angrily.
"What? It's true! Sorry Rey, but to leave you in the lurch like that when you needed him was really disgraceful."
Rey had no desire to go back over what had happened. She appreciated that Poe cared, but today she just needed to focus on her job. Period.
Rose seemed to read her thoughts and steered the topic of conversation to Ben Solo.
"So, you're seeing 'Mr. Grumpy' this afternoon?" she asked, pointing to the folder at the top of the pile in front of her friend.
"Yep," said Rey, pursing her lips.
The young woman then told them about her meeting with the actor in the park the day before.
"No, seriously?! What a jerk!" Rose was really getting worked up now. "That guy goes out of his way to be unfriendly! I tried to get him to relax all last week, but nothing worked! I'm convinced that the only solution is to remove the stick he's got stuck up his ass! That, or leave him for an hour in the cryotherapy chamber and let him freeze his balls off."
"Honestly, I think you're exaggerating, Rose, I had the opportunity to chat a little with him. He's not so bad," said Poe.
"You're just saying that because you're a fan of his character in 'Galactic Wars" and because he agreed to sign your collector's edition action figure."
"And it was very nice of him, too!" Dameron exclaimed. "Especially after what happened to him."
Rose rolled her eyes, sighing loudly.
"Listen, Poe, I have no doubt that it must be very difficult to go from being a rising movie star, walking the red carpet, to being Rose Tico's patient and trudging every day on a boring treadmill. But regaining mobility will take time. He will have to get used to this idea. Then he can start making movies again and be the darling of all Hollywood."
"You're forgetting the scar on his face. A scar like this is not really an asset," Poe pointed out.
"Gwen is the best, she'll fix it," Rey said.
"OK girls, it's fine, you don't like him. But putting his bad temper aside for two seconds, you still have to admit that he's quite a good actor. He is excellent in the new trilogy. As an early fan of 'Galactic Wars,' I was skeptical at first when I found out he was going to be one of the main characters, but this guy really has something special, a presence, a charisma... He's gifted."
"Does Kaydel know that you're batting for the other team now, Poe?" said Rose, laughing.
"Ha ha, very funny, Tico."
"You know, you're right! I really appreciated it yesterday when he yelled at me. He was perfect in his role as a charismatic 'big bad,'" mocked Rey.
"He really nails the role of Kylo Ren!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Poe, but I'm not really a fan of this kind of film. I've never watched the 'Galactic Wars' movies."
The orthopedic surgeon suddenly stared at Rey with wide eyes.
"You're kidding! You haven't seen any of them?" he exclaimed in a mock-tragic tone.
"None," she confirmed.
"What about you?" he asked, panicked, turning to Rose.
"I saw the last one, but frankly I didn't find it all that great. However, Solo isn't bad in it, it's true..."
"Well...." grumbled Poe. "Unlike you, I know someone who seems to really appreciate the talent and the company of Senator Organa's son."
"Are you talking about Amilyn?" asked Rose with a laugh.
"Amilyn is a great friend of Leia Organa, certainly, and I bet that she's known Solo since he was still in short pants, but no. I'm talking about Bazine Netal..."
"Solo's dating Bazine Netal?" Rose wondered.
"She accompanied him when he arrived at the clinic in December, and she's visited him several times since."
Rey, who was listening to her friends in silence, grabbed her glass and took a sip of water.
Bazine Netal. The bombshell, top model for Victoria's Secret and recently the new face of Dior, no less...
"Well, in any case, our dear Ben Solo will surely continue to sulk for a while," announced Rose. "Earlier, in the hall, he was on the phone with a certain Snoke. Far be it from me to spy, but I could hear that he had just lost his role in the next film by Scott Riley, and you'll never guess who will take his place ! The most fabulous actor on the planet ! My absolute fantasy ! The one, the only... Armitage Hux !"
"Armitage Hux? Red-headed, skinny guy, kind of pasty?" Poe said with gleeful vengeance.
"He does NOT look pasty!" Rose was indignant.
"So is that the type of guy you go for, Tico?"
Rey couldn't help laughing. She had almost forgotten how much fun Rose and Poe's bickering was. But it was already almost two o'clock and the young woman got up, grabbing her tray and putting her files under her arm.
"Sorry, I have to go. I have a hydrotherapy session with Ben Solo right now."
Poe wished her good luck, and Rose hastened to add as she walked away:
"Make sure you don't drown him if he causes too much trouble!"
Rey gave her a thumbs up before leaving the cafeteria.
OooooooO
No no no no...
She had just rummaged in her bag and all she'd managed to find was her very cute but very sexy red bikini. When her grandmother had offered to help her pack her bag three days earlier and Rey had asked her to retrieve one of her swimsuits from the dresser, she should have made it clear that she wanted the one-piece sports model.
Shit ... 2:05 p.m. Ben Solo was waiting for her.
Never mind. She had no choice. She put on the bottoms and adjusted the top before putting shorts and a T-shirt on over them. She grabbed a towel and put on her flip-flops before leaving the locker room.
She arrived at the swimming pool at 2:08 p.m., slightly out of breath.
Ben, wearing a white robe, was sitting in his wheelchair with his back to her. She was not surprised when, without even looking at her, he let out an annoyed "you're late."
"Good afternoon, I'm really sorry! We can start right away."
Not recognizing the voice of Rose Tico, Ben Solo finally deigned to give his attention to the young woman who was now standing in front of him, hands extended to help him get up.
It was her. The girl from the park. So she hadn't lied when she said she worked here.
"Well, well ..." he murmured, a little surprised.
"Yes, my name is Rey Kanata. I'm replacing Rose and I will be your new therapist until the end of your stay here."
"Was I so unbearable that poor Miss Tico decided to flee?"
Rey preferred not to answer and repeated his gesture.
"We're going to go into the water, okay?"
Ben Solo looked at the palms turned towards him, and then put his on the armrests of his chair.
"I'm fine, thank you," he breathed, pushing to stand up.
He had to grit his teeth and do his best not to wince, but he was now standing upright, hanging on to the security gate just in front of him.
So pig-headed...
He moved toward the small platform near the edge of the pool that allowed patients to descend into the water. Before getting on it, he took off his robe and hung it on the railing. The young woman's eyes immediately fell to the thin vertical surgical scar, about ten centimeters long, that ran along his spine. Then she noticed the profile of the actor in its entirety and realized just how massive he was. Her shoulders, chest and thighs were wide, and his ears were still cute as well, sticking out from between black locks.
This guy has something special, a presence, a charisma... Poe had said.
OK, one thing was certain: Ben Solo's physique did not leave her indifferent, and the navy blue swimming trunks that sat slightly low on his hips were really, really very form-fitting...
Oh my gosh, what the hell was wrong with her? Was she drooling over Solo like a fangirl now?
She took a deep breath, got rid of her T-shirt and her shorts, then went to join the actor on the platform. He stared at her with large round eyes.
"So we'll start warming up by walking slowly for one length of the pool, then we'll continue with-"
"What are you doing?" he cut her off bluntly.
Rey raised her chin to him.
"Well, I'm coming with you" she replied, swallowing.
Because of the narrowness of the platform, she now had her nose at his neck. She could feel the heat emanating from his body, and the smell of chlorine that reigned all around them could not completely mask the scent of his skin.
A rather pleasant fragrance... Bergamot, vetiver...
"I prefer to do the exercises alone. Miss Tico never came into the water with me."
"Well, I'm going into this pool with you to watch how you move, and maybe make some adjustments," she added.
She punctuated her sentence by activating the remote control of the platform, and the two went down slowly into the water. She didn't give him a choice and the actor seemed to think it over for a few seconds before staring at a straight point in front of him, his jaw clenched. As for Rey, she voluntarily displayed her most dazzling smile.
But just when she thought she was finally done with him, he added:
"Nice work outfit."
In a split second, Rey became as crimson as her bikini, but she didn't lose her cool.
"Yes, since you looked so upset yesterday morning in the park, I told myself that you'd feel better knowing that I wasn't hiding a camera in my one piece suit."
"Indeed, impossible to hide anything in this one."
The platform touched the bottom of the pool and Ben Solo stepped off.
Ok Rey, stay calm. He's provoking you on purpose. Don't get into his game.
"I remind you that you wrongly accused me of being a paparazzo" she retorted however.
"My apologies for the mistake, Miss Kanata" he said, starting to walk along the pool wall. "But you didn't have to go to such "sartorial ends" to shut me up good today."
He clearly didn't care about her. This guy was getting more and more exasperating and she had no desire to let him get away with this, even though she knew she might regret it.
Shut up, Rey . Shut up ....
"Look, I just want everything goes well between us for the rest of your rehabilitation program because just like my colleague Rose Tico, I lose a bit of my motivation when I get yelled at." she tackled him.
Solo turned and came back to loom over her from his full six-foot-three height. His coffee-colored eyes engulfed her, and Rey suddenly felt very small.
Small, wet, and wearing a bikini.
"I see," he retorted without batting an eyelid." So, for your information, I have already made amends with Miss Tico. I'm not an easy person and that day, I crossed a line, yes. So I deserve all the insults that you and your colleague can throw at me. Is that okay? Can we finally start, or do I still have to self-flagellate with barbed wire?"
This time the young woman remained with her mouth ajar and short of repartee. She had to calm things down and just do her job.
"No, that's fine," she managed to articulate at last, pointing with her hand to the edge of the pool.
They both started warming up, Rey demonstrating the movements and Ben doing them without further protest. The next half hour passed without Ben Solo saying a single word. Rey gave instructions and corrected his posture while following him along the pool. She could see that the actor's gaze sometimes lingered on her body, still as intense and indecipherable as ever. She acted as if she hadn't noticed anything, and squatted down a little more so that the water covered her chest.
Damn bikini.
On the last set, Rey noticed that he was finding it harder to move his right leg and that he was starting to tire.
"That's great, Mr. Solo, we'll continue like this for another length and then take a short break."
"Ben."
"Sorry?" she asked, realizing that he had finally spoken to her again.
"Call me Ben, please. I prefer that."
Oh my god, did she just get a "please"?
"Very well, Ben. And I'm just Rey."
Solo nodded and he continued to walk. His features tightened more and more the closer he got to the platform.
"I think we're going to stop here, okay?" announced the young woman. "What you did was very good."
"No, it's fine, I can finish," retorted Ben, turning around to start again.
In a breaststroke, Rey was at his side. He startled when she put her hands on him, one hand raising his thigh to ninety degrees and the other slipping down his lower back. The pressure she exerted on the bone in his pelvis wrenched a groan of pain from the young man.
"That's what I thought. We're stopping here. I know that everything seems easier in the water, but it's just as much effort as in the gym."
Solo gave her a defiant look as she helped him place his foot back down gently.
"I'm telling you, I can keep going!
"And I'm telling you that we're done! You're obviously in pain, I can see it, and we've done enough work for today. You can get out of the water, take a nice shower, and go to rest in your room."
"I can do more ..."
He had lowered his head, but Rey could now feel frustration and anger in his voice.
"It's no use forcing too much in a session, Ben. It won't speed up the healing process. Next time, we could alternate the classic exercises with relaxation exercises. You know, they can help you relieve stress..."
"No, that's all nonsense! I already told Rose this and I'll tell you, too. I don't want to waste my time meditating and 'listening to my body' or whatever. I need to be able to walk normally as quickly as possible !
Here we go again
"Listen, I understand your impatience but-"
"It's taking too long," he cut her off again. "I had surgery three months ago, and it's been a month since I removed that damn brace. But still, I can barely walk properly and I feel like I'm not making any progress! I can't afford to put my career on standby any longer. I'm losing too many opportunities."
"Your spinal cord was compressed by the hematoma due to the fracture. The shock you suffered was not trivial. So it's normal that-"
Solo swatted his hand on the surface of the water.
"Come on, are you also going to tell me every day how lucky I am that I wasn't paralyzed? Because I think I've heard enough of that already!"
Rey saw him surrender and get back on the platform. Things had gone wrong in a matter of seconds, and now she was just as upset as he was. He activated the platform, climbed out of the pool by himself, and put on his robe before going to his wheelchair.
Rey had watched him do so, without moving, until she decided to react. It was out of the question for Ben Solo to get away with this. She pulled herself out of the water before going to block his path.
"Well it's true, so I'm going to tell you again! You're such a lucky guy, Ben!" she fumed, a finger pointed at him. "I know that it's been very difficult for you, and you have the right to be upset and worried but there are indeed patients here who've been much less fortunate than you, and who are also much less difficult and condescending! Do you think we're incompetent? That your healing is not fast enough? FINE! Go to a different clinic!"
Ben Solo's amber eyes returned to meet hers, and this time they slid slowly and conspicuously down her body. Rey's first reflex was to cross her arms in front of her chest but she held back. There was no way she'd play the frightened young girl in front of him. Her accusing index finger still pointed at him, her other hand wedged in a fist on her hip.
"It's your call," she added bluntly.
He took a step forward, and the young woman's finger came into contact with his splendid pectorals. Then he surprised her by bringing his face close to hers. Rey froze as his warm breath caressed her lips.
"Excellent idea, Miss Kanata," he said.
Their mouths were now only a few inches apart, and a curious thought crossed Rey's mind: she wondered if his female co-stars felt as worked up as she did right now, when he was about to kiss them on set.
Suddenly, the sound of a throat clearing could be heard from the entrance to the pool. It was Larma d'Acy coming to pick Ben up because it was almost 3 p.m.
"Is everything okay?" asked the caregiver.
Rey abruptly pulled away from Solo, and he was finally able to return to his wheelchair.
"Yes, we're done. You can take me back to my room," he announced, wheeling straight towards Larma without looking back.
The two then disappeared down the hall.
Rey ran her hands over her face before sitting on the edge and sliding back into the water again.
What the hell was she thinking? She had just screamed at Ben Solo, her famous patient, and told him to leave the clinic. And that was apparently what he intended to do. What was Amilyn going to say when she learned that Rey had already managed to alienate her best friend's son, and maybe even scare him away?
The young woman then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and disappeared beneath the surface."So I raise my glass of orange juice again in honor of Rey, who gives us the great pleasure of coming back to work with us!"
Amilyn wore a radiant smile. The conference room had been decorated with multicolored balloons, and the entire medical staff were gathered around a bountiful breakfast spread. Everyone was delighted to see the young physical therapist.
"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Rey replied, while her nursing colleague Peter Chewbacca, a two-meter colossus, put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her.
She really loved everyone here and she was greatly touched by the applause and cheers that followed Dr. Holdo's toast.
After putting down her cup, Holdo had to raise her voice to be heard over the din:
"However, I'm sorry to have to end this little welcome party, but it's already 8:30 and we have a lot of patients to see this morning in the PT department ! Take all the pastries you want, and have a good day everyone ! "
"I'm so glad you're here," said Poe, kissing his friend on the cheek before going out with the rest of the staff.
Those who remained settled around the large meeting table, and the new schedules were distributed. Amilyn then took a seat at the end of the table and said:
"So, after several departures within the team, and given the fact that Rose and Charlie here volunteered to go to work at the New York clinic during the coming weeks, I had to reassign some patients and review the schedules. Everything is written on the document I just gave you, and here are the medical records as well."
Snap Wexley passed Rey her stack of manila folders and she began to read the names on the labels:
Harriet Harper.
Lewis O'Hara.
Ethan Fallon.
Ben Solo.
Carol Doug...
Huh? What ! But ...
As Amilyn continued her explanations, the young therapist looked up to cast a look of distress at Rose, sitting on the other side of the table. The latter mouthed a silent "what?" and Rey realized that her friend was not aware that she had just inherited Solo as a patient.
Dr. Holdo finally finished her little speech and wished everyone a good day again. As the room emptied, Rey, list still in hand, stood up and walked over to her.
"Uh, excuse me Amilyn, but I see that I have the name of Ben Solo written on my sheet."
Rose was waiting for her near the door and, Rey saw her bite her lip and frown.
"Yes... Is there a problem?" replied Amilyn, concern evident in her tone.
Rey suddenly felt very stupid. Surely she wasn't going to start making trouble about the distribution of patients on her first day, even if her meeting with Ben Solo the day before had not been the most friendly.
"No, no, everything's fine, I ... I ran into him yesterday in the park. He seems charming," she lied shamelessly.
Dr. Holdo's face relaxed and Rey forced herself to smile.
"You know, I'm really close to the Organa-Solo family. Leia and her brother Luke Skywalker are very, very dear friends," explained the psychologist. "Ben's accident left us all in shock. Rose has already done a remarkable job with him and I am delighted that you're taking over."
"No problem," replied Rey, resigned, retrieving her files from the table. "I'm going to go study these."
"Good luck, my dear. And I told you. Don't hesitate to come see me if you have any problem, okay?"
The young woman nodded and went to join Rose, who was waiting in the corridor.
"Bad luck," muttered the little brunette as they both walked away from the conference room. "I didn't know you were the one who'd get stuck with him."
"It's fine, Rose. I'll manage."
"I have no doubt about it. I'm sure that with you, Solo will be as gentle as a lamb!"
OoooooO
Rey was quite satisfied. She'd found a small studio for rent in Greenwich, and her previous day's work had gone pretty well. She had met Harriet Harper, a somewhat wacky grandmother who'd had her hip replaced by Poe, and Lewis O'Hara, a snowboard champion, who had suffered a double tibia-fibula fracture while backcountry skiing in Aspen. The young therapist had above all been reassured to find that she was quickly finding her footing once again.
This morning she'd seen little Ethan Fallon again, and she was now enjoying lasagna while seated at one of the tables in the cafeteria. Ben Solo's file was open before her and she was browsing the information about him.
--------------
Admission: December 5, 2019
Status: Vertebral fracture in D7 and D8 with compression of the spinal cord. Facial laceration without bone involvement of the right profile.
Interventions performed at St Thomas Hospital in London on November 20, 2020.
Vertebroplasty performed by Dr. Wellington,
Emergency restorative cosmetic surgery performed by Dr. Hames on November 20, 2020.
Recommendation for care: Wearing a brace for a period of two months. Physiotherapy, balneotherapy and kinesiotherapy / Weaning off the brace and muscle reconditioning.
------------------
She was looking at Rose's footnotes when the young woman and Poe came to sit next to her with their meal trays.
"Hey, hi guys!" Rey exclaimed, closing and pushing the files to the side.
"So how's your first day back on the job going ? Everything okay?"
"Couldn't be better. What about you, Poe? Not too sad that Kaydel is gone?"
"Are you kidding me? I was constantly telling her to take it easy! And now she's going around in circles at home, desperately looking for something to have me fix, or a wall that needs repainting in the babies' room."
"Can you believe that you'll be a father of twins in a few weeks?" said Rose, attacking the contents of her plate.
"As if I'm not freaking out enough, Rose, thank you for reminding me," said Poe, running his hand through his hair. "I can't think about it without laughing, girls, I swear. I'm so stressed out. I feel like I'm going to be a disaster as a father."
"Are you kidding me? I have never seen anyone so comfortable with children. You'll be wonderful! Besides, look, Ethan adores you. You did a great job with his prosthesis. You're his hero."
"Ethan is my 'Galactic Wars' buddy. He's amazing. But I think it's you who he fell in love with, Rey. Last week, I had the misfortune of telling him that you were coming back, and then he hounded me every single day about when you'd get here! I think that kid is downright ready to marry you!" the orthopedic surgeon said with a smile.
Rey's face suddenly closed off. She looked down, and Poe realized a little too late that he had just blundered. The young therapist began to push her food around on her plate, and Rose took the opportunity to cast a glare at Poe while mimicking a furious gesture of decapitation. But Poe frowned and decided that he would continue to stick his foot in it.
"Have you heard anything from Finn?"
Rose rolled her eyes while Rey finally planted her fork in her lasagna, bringing it to her mouth.
"No news, which is for the best," she replied, swallowing her mouthful.
"Jesus, what an asshole!" cursed Poe.
"Dameron..." Rose chided angrily.
"What? It's true! Sorry Rey, but to leave you in the lurch like that when you needed him was really disgraceful."
Rey had no desire to go back over what had happened. She appreciated that Poe cared, but today she just needed to focus on her job. Period.
Rose seemed to read her thoughts and steered the topic of conversation to Ben Solo.
"So, you're seeing 'Mr. Grumpy' this afternoon?" she asked, pointing to the folder at the top of the pile in front of her friend.
"Yep," said Rey, pursing her lips.
The young woman then told them about her meeting with the actor in the park the day before.
"No, seriously?! What a jerk!" Rose was really getting worked up now. "That guy goes out of his way to be unfriendly! I tried to get him to relax all last week, but nothing worked! I'm convinced that the only solution is to remove the stick he's got stuck up his ass! That, or leave him for an hour in the cryotherapy chamber and let him freeze his balls off."
"Honestly, I think you're exaggerating, Rose, I had the opportunity to chat a little with him. He's not so bad," said Poe.
"You're just saying that because you're a fan of his character in 'Galactic Wars" and because he agreed to sign your collector's edition action figure."
"And it was very nice of him, too!" Dameron exclaimed. "Especially after what happened to him."
Rose rolled her eyes, sighing loudly.
"Listen, Poe, I have no doubt that it must be very difficult to go from being a rising movie star, walking the red carpet, to being Rose Tico's patient and trudging every day on a boring treadmill. But regaining mobility will take time. He will have to get used to this idea. Then he can start making movies again and be the darling of all Hollywood."
"You're forgetting the scar on his face. A scar like this is not really an asset," Poe pointed out.
"Gwen is the best, she'll fix it," Rey said.
"OK girls, it's fine, you don't like him. But putting his bad temper aside for two seconds, you still have to admit that he's quite a good actor. He is excellent in the new trilogy. As an early fan of 'Galactic Wars,' I was skeptical at first when I found out he was going to be one of the main characters, but this guy really has something special, a presence, a charisma... He's gifted."
"Does Kaydel know that you're batting for the other team now, Poe?" said Rose, laughing.
"Ha ha, very funny, Tico."
"You know, you're right! I really appreciated it yesterday when he yelled at me. He was perfect in his role as a charismatic 'big bad,'" mocked Rey.
"He really nails the role of Kylo Ren!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Poe, but I'm not really a fan of this kind of film. I've never watched the 'Galactic Wars' movies."
The orthopedic surgeon suddenly stared at Rey with wide eyes.
"You're kidding! You haven't seen any of them?" he exclaimed in a mock-tragic tone.
"None," she confirmed.
"What about you?" he asked, panicked, turning to Rose.
"I saw the last one, but frankly I didn't find it all that great. However, Solo isn't bad in it, it's true..."
"Well...." grumbled Poe. "Unlike you, I know someone who seems to really appreciate the talent and the company of Senator Organa's son."
"Are you talking about Amilyn?" asked Rose with a laugh.
"Amilyn is a great friend of Leia Organa, certainly, and I bet that she's known Solo since he was still in short pants, but no. I'm talking about Bazine Netal..."
"Solo's dating Bazine Netal?" Rose wondered.
"She accompanied him when he arrived at the clinic in December, and she's visited him several times since."
Rey, who was listening to her friends in silence, grabbed her glass and took a sip of water.
Bazine Netal. The bombshell, top model for Victoria's Secret and recently the new face of Dior, no less...
"Well, in any case, our dear Ben Solo will surely continue to sulk for a while," announced Rose. "Earlier, in the hall, he was on the phone with a certain Snoke. Far be it from me to spy, but I could hear that he had just lost his role in the next film by Scott Riley, and you'll never guess who will take his place ! The most fabulous actor on the planet ! My absolute fantasy ! The one, the only... Armitage Hux !"
"Armitage Hux? Red-headed, skinny guy, kind of pasty?" Poe said with gleeful vengeance.
"He does NOT look pasty!" Rose was indignant.
"So is that the type of guy you go for, Tico?"
Rey couldn't help laughing. She had almost forgotten how much fun Rose and Poe's bickering was. But it was already almost two o'clock and the young woman got up, grabbing her tray and putting her files under her arm.
"Sorry, I have to go. I have a hydrotherapy session with Ben Solo right now."
Poe wished her good luck, and Rose hastened to add as she walked away:
"Make sure you don't drown him if he causes too much trouble!"
Rey gave her a thumbs up before leaving the cafeteria.
OooooooO
No no no no...
She had just rummaged in her bag and all she'd managed to find was her very cute but very sexy red bikini. When her grandmother had offered to help her pack her bag three days earlier and Rey had asked her to retrieve one of her swimsuits from the dresser, she should have made it clear that she wanted the one-piece sports model.
Shit ... 2:05 p.m. Ben Solo was waiting for her.
Never mind. She had no choice. She put on the bottoms and adjusted the top before putting shorts and a T-shirt on over them. She grabbed a towel and put on her flip-flops before leaving the locker room.
She arrived at the swimming pool at 2:08 p.m., slightly out of breath.
Ben, wearing a white robe, was sitting in his wheelchair with his back to her. She was not surprised when, without even looking at her, he let out an annoyed "you're late."
"Good afternoon, I'm really sorry! We can start right away."
Not recognizing the voice of Rose Tico, Ben Solo finally deigned to give his attention to the young woman who was now standing in front of him, hands extended to help him get up.
It was her. The girl from the park. So she hadn't lied when she said she worked here.
"Well, well ..." he murmured, a little surprised.
"Yes, my name is Rey Kanata. I'm replacing Rose and I will be your new therapist until the end of your stay here."
"Was I so unbearable that poor Miss Tico decided to flee?"
Rey preferred not to answer and repeated his gesture.
"We're going to go into the water, okay?"
Ben Solo looked at the palms turned towards him, and then put his on the armrests of his chair.
"I'm fine, thank you," he breathed, pushing to stand up.
He had to grit his teeth and do his best not to wince, but he was now standing upright, hanging on to the security gate just in front of him.
So pig-headed...
He moved toward the small platform near the edge of the pool that allowed patients to descend into the water. Before getting on it, he took off his robe and hung it on the railing. The young woman's eyes immediately fell to the thin vertical surgical scar, about ten centimeters long, that ran along his spine. Then she noticed the profile of the actor in its entirety and realized just how massive he was. Her shoulders, chest and thighs were wide, and his ears were still cute as well, sticking out from between black locks.
This guy has something special, a presence, a charisma... Poe had said.
OK, one thing was certain: Ben Solo's physique did not leave her indifferent, and the navy blue swimming trunks that sat slightly low on his hips were really, really very form-fitting...
Oh my gosh, what the hell was wrong with her? Was she drooling over Solo like a fangirl now?
She took a deep breath, got rid of her T-shirt and her shorts, then went to join the actor on the platform. He stared at her with large round eyes.
"So we'll start warming up by walking slowly for one length of the pool, then we'll continue with-"
"What are you doing?" he cut her off bluntly.
Rey raised her chin to him.
"Well, I'm coming with you" she replied, swallowing.
Because of the narrowness of the platform, she now had her nose at his neck. She could feel the heat emanating from his body, and the smell of chlorine that reigned all around them could not completely mask the scent of his skin.
A rather pleasant fragrance... Bergamot, vetiver...
"I prefer to do the exercises alone. Miss Tico never came into the water with me."
"Well, I'm going into this pool with you to watch how you move, and maybe make some adjustments," she added.
She punctuated her sentence by activating the remote control of the platform, and the two went down slowly into the water. She didn't give him a choice and the actor seemed to think it over for a few seconds before staring at a straight point in front of him, his jaw clenched. As for Rey, she voluntarily displayed her most dazzling smile.
But just when she thought she was finally done with him, he added:
"Nice work outfit."
In a split second, Rey became as crimson as her bikini, but she didn't lose her cool.
"Yes, since you looked so upset yesterday morning in the park, I told myself that you'd feel better knowing that I wasn't hiding a camera in my one piece suit."
"Indeed, impossible to hide anything in this one."
The platform touched the bottom of the pool and Ben Solo stepped off.
Ok Rey, stay calm. He's provoking you on purpose. Don't get into his game.
"I remind you that you wrongly accused me of being a paparazzo" she retorted however.
"My apologies for the mistake, Miss Kanata" he said, starting to walk along the pool wall. "But you didn't have to go to such "sartorial ends" to shut me up good today."
He clearly didn't care about her. This guy was getting more and more exasperating and she had no desire to let him get away with this, even though she knew she might regret it.
Shut up, Rey . Shut up ....
"Look, I just want everything goes well between us for the rest of your rehabilitation program because just like my colleague Rose Tico, I lose a bit of my motivation when I get yelled at." she tackled him.
Solo turned and came back to loom over her from his full six-foot-three height. His coffee-colored eyes engulfed her, and Rey suddenly felt very small.
Small, wet, and wearing a bikini.
"I see," he retorted without batting an eyelid." So, for your information, I have already made amends with Miss Tico. I'm not an easy person and that day, I crossed a line, yes. So I deserve all the insults that you and your colleague can throw at me. Is that okay? Can we finally start, or do I still have to self-flagellate with barbed wire?"
This time the young woman remained with her mouth ajar and short of repartee. She had to calm things down and just do her job.
"No, that's fine," she managed to articulate at last, pointing with her hand to the edge of the pool.
They both started warming up, Rey demonstrating the movements and Ben doing them without further protest. The next half hour passed without Ben Solo saying a single word. Rey gave instructions and corrected his posture while following him along the pool. She could see that the actor's gaze sometimes lingered on her body, still as intense and indecipherable as ever. She acted as if she hadn't noticed anything, and squatted down a little more so that the water covered her chest.
Damn bikini.
On the last set, Rey noticed that he was finding it harder to move his right leg and that he was starting to tire.
"That's great, Mr. Solo, we'll continue like this for another length and then take a short break."
"Ben."
"Sorry?" she asked, realizing that he had finally spoken to her again.
"Call me Ben, please. I prefer that."
Oh my god, did she just get a "please"?
"Very well, Ben. And I'm just Rey."
Solo nodded and he continued to walk. His features tightened more and more the closer he got to the platform.
"I think we're going to stop here, okay?" announced the young woman. "What you did was very good."
"No, it's fine, I can finish," retorted Ben, turning around to start again.
In a breaststroke, Rey was at his side. He startled when she put her hands on him, one hand raising his thigh to ninety degrees and the other slipping down his lower back. The pressure she exerted on the bone in his pelvis wrenched a groan of pain from the young man.
"That's what I thought. We're stopping here. I know that everything seems easier in the water, but it's just as much effort as in the gym."
Solo gave her a defiant look as she helped him place his foot back down gently.
"I'm telling you, I can keep going!
"And I'm telling you that we're done! You're obviously in pain, I can see it, and we've done enough work for today. You can get out of the water, take a nice shower, and go to rest in your room."
"I can do more ..."
He had lowered his head, but Rey could now feel frustration and anger in his voice.
"It's no use forcing too much in a session, Ben. It won't speed up the healing process. Next time, we could alternate the classic exercises with relaxation exercises. You know, they can help you relieve stress..."
"No, that's all nonsense! I already told Rose this and I'll tell you, too. I don't want to waste my time meditating and 'listening to my body' or whatever. I need to be able to walk normally as quickly as possible !
Here we go again
"Listen, I understand your impatience but-"
"It's taking too long," he cut her off again. "I had surgery three months ago, and it's been a month since I removed that damn brace. But still, I can barely walk properly and I feel like I'm not making any progress! I can't afford to put my career on standby any longer. I'm losing too many opportunities."
"Your spinal cord was compressed by the hematoma due to the fracture. The shock you suffered was not trivial. So it's normal that-"
Solo swatted his hand on the surface of the water.
"Come on, are you also going to tell me every day how lucky I am that I wasn't paralyzed? Because I think I've heard enough of that already!"
Rey saw him surrender and get back on the platform. Things had gone wrong in a matter of seconds, and now she was just as upset as he was. He activated the platform, climbed out of the pool by himself, and put on his robe before going to his wheelchair.
Rey had watched him do so, without moving, until she decided to react. It was out of the question for Ben Solo to get away with this. She pulled herself out of the water before going to block his path.
"Well it's true, so I'm going to tell you again! You're such a lucky guy, Ben!" she fumed, a finger pointed at him. "I know that it's been very difficult for you, and you have the right to be upset and worried but there are indeed patients here who've been much less fortunate than you, and who are also much less difficult and condescending! Do you think we're incompetent? That your healing is not fast enough? FINE! Go to a different clinic!"
Ben Solo's amber eyes returned to meet hers, and this time they slid slowly and conspicuously down her body. Rey's first reflex was to cross her arms in front of her chest but she held back. There was no way she'd play the frightened young girl in front of him. Her accusing index finger still pointed at him, her other hand wedged in a fist on her hip.
"It's your call," she added bluntly.
He took a step forward, and the young woman's finger came into contact with his splendid pectorals. Then he surprised her by bringing his face close to hers. Rey froze as his warm breath caressed her lips.
"Excellent idea, Miss Kanata," he said.
Their mouths were now only a few inches apart, and a curious thought crossed Rey's mind: she wondered if his female co-stars felt as worked up as she did right now, when he was about to kiss them on set.
Suddenly, the sound of a throat clearing could be heard from the entrance to the pool. It was Larma d'Acy coming to pick Ben up because it was almost 3 p.m.
"Is everything okay?" asked the caregiver.
Rey abruptly pulled away from Solo, and he was finally able to return to his wheelchair.
"Yes, we're done. You can take me back to my room," he announced, wheeling straight towards Larma without looking back.
The two then disappeared down the hall.
Rey ran her hands over her face before sitting on the edge and sliding back into the water again.
What the hell was she thinking? She had just screamed at Ben Solo, her famous patient, and told him to leave the clinic. And that was apparently what he intended to do. What was Amilyn going to say when she learned that Rey had already managed to alienate her best friend's son, and maybe even scare him away?
The young woman then closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and disappeared beneath the surface.