Hold Me
Summary: What if Thrawn's blaster hadn't been set to stun when he shot Ezra in Hera's home. All Hera can do is try to comfort the too small young adult as he is in pain while they wait to be rescued.
Y'all can thank Rebel-Blueberry for this. It was her idea on Tumblr.
"May I introduce, Hera Syndulla, daughter of your nemesis Cham Syndulla." Thrawn slyly spoke.
Hera watched in horror as the next few seconds seemingly took place in slow motion. Ezra reached for his blaster that was holstered on his leg, but Thrawn was faster. He drew his blaster and shot Ezra in the stomach, and much to Hera's horror the blaster wasn't sent to stun like she assumed it would be.
Ezra fell to the ground with a yelp of pain.
"Ezra," Hera screamed, as she jumped out of her seat to the boy's side.
The youngest member of her crew, of her family, laid there on the ground. Hera could hear him gasping for breath out of pain under his helmet.
"How did you know?" Captain Slavic asked.
"Because rebels have friends, always rushing to the rescue." Thrawn answered. "Take them to the basement. Make sure they are well watched."
A couple of storm troopers approached. "Come on."
"Oh, and make sure she carries her friend there." Thrawn smirked.
Hera slowly lifted Ezra so his arm was over her shoulder. She took the brunt of his weight, even after three years of being part of her crew the teen still weighed considerably less than he should. "Come on, I need you to help me."
Ezra groaned, but started to walk with Hera's help.
"It's going to be okay," she whispered soothingly, trying to make sure the troopers who kept poking her in the back with their blasters couldn't hear. "Just hang on."
The stormtroopers finally brought them to the right room, and once they opened the door, roughly shoved the two rebels inside.
Ezra cried out in pain as he stumbled and landed on the ground. After they left Hera sat next to his side. She slowly removed the teen's helmet and placed his head in her lap.
"It's going to be okay." Hera soothed.
"Hera," Ezra gasped. "It hurts."
"I know," Hera comforted. "But don't worry. Kanan and the others will come for us soon; then we can get you patched up."
Ezra was holding his stomach tightly where the blast had hit him.
"Let me see," Hera gently spoke, trying to keep Ezra calm. She gently moved his hands out of the way. She slowly removed the blackened piece of armor. "Shh" she soothed as Ezra started gasping from pain.
"It hurts," Ezra groaned.
She used one hand to slowly lift the shirt as she used the other to gently run through his short hair to offer some comfort.
"The armor took the worse of the impact. You wound is shallow." Hera informed gently, hoping the good news would give Ezra some comfort. "Should heal up with some bacta and some bed rest, and in a few days you'll be back on your feet."
She slowly replaced the shirt and ran her hand along the side of his face.
"Hera," Ezra said, holding back tears of pain.
"You can cry if you need to Ezra," Hera soothed, "I won't think any less of you."
Tears started running down the teens face.
"It hurts." Ezra sobbed.
"I know," Hera answered. "But you're going to be okay."
"Don't let go." Ezra begged.
"I'm never letting you go." Hera soothed, holding him as tight as she could without hurting him. "It was selfish of me to drag you on a personal mission."
"Don't be." Ezra gasped. He moved his hand up to hold on to her wrist, his face contorting with pain. "You guys helped me with my parents, a year ago."
Hera gently smiled and moved her hand so he could grip her hand rather than her wrist.
Ezra groaned with pain, closing his eyes and leaning his head further into her hold.
She lowered their arms so it could a slightly more comfortable position for the hurt teen. "Squeeze my hand all you need." Her hand was soon grasped in a death grip. She figured that was a good sign, even if it caused her minor pain it obviously meant that Ezra wasn't going to lose consciousness anytime soon. She didn't let Ezra see that he was hurting her hand.
She bent down and gave a small kiss on his forehead.
"One time, when I was younger, I broke my leg," Ezra spoke softly through the pain. "My mom held me like this while we waited for the healer. It took a while, but she just sat there comforting me the whole time. Holding me the whole time."
"And I'll do just the same." Hera whispered in reply. She started singing softly in her native tongue.
When she finished the song she gave Ezra, her youngest crew member, her son, another light kiss on the forehead. "Don't worry Ezra, Kanan will be here soon."
The door slid open and Chopper rolled in.
"What's wrong with Ezra?" Chopper beeped.
"Thrawn blasted him." Hera explained.
"That blue scum. I'm going to stun him." Chopper beeped angrily.
"Oh trust me I would let you." Hera replied, her voice dangerously cold. "That is if I don't kill that sleemo first."
"You're father is going to surrender himself in exchange for you." Chopper informed.
"My father is actually surrendering?" Hera asked.
"They can't do a prisoner exchange without prisoners." Ezra groaned.
"You're in no condition to make an escape." Hera slightly scolded. "We definitely wouldn't make it out with you injured and all the guards."
She ran her free hand down Ezra's face to sooth him.
"We'll go through with the exchange. But on our terms." Hera continued. "Chopper, raid the armory, get as many explosives as you can."
"Are you serious?"Chopper exclaimed.
"You're going to blow up your own house?" Ezra asked.
"My home, is the Ghost, the crew, my family." Hera softly replied, kissing him gently on the forehead. "I've seen you as a son since the moment you told me you didn't have parents three years ago."
"I've seen you as a mother for a while too." Ezra admitted.
Hera smiled.
"Go Chopper." Hera ordered.
"On it." Chopper replied and rolled out to follow orders.
A few minutes later Captain Slavic came into the room.
"Time to say good bye to your father." he coldly said.
Ezra whimpered as Hera lifted him up, helping support him so they could walk out. "I know. I've got you." Perhaps if he was just a little younger, she could lift him better and just carry him out, but he was nearly as tall as her now.
They waited outside for the Ghost to come, Ezra leaning heavily on her. "Just a little longer," she whispered a promise.
Kanan and Cham walked out of the Ghost. Hera saw Kanan's face change as he suddenly realized how in pain Ezra was, most likely through the Force.
"Syndulla," Slavic said. "At last we meet face to face. Step forward alone as promised."
"Not until you release them." Cham replied.
"We will make a simultaneous exchange." Slavic announced. He turned to Hera, "Start walking."
Hera started heading towards the Ghost and her father, with her son's arm draped around her neck as he struggled to walk beside her.
"I am sorry father." Hera said as she came face to face with Cham.
"It's alright Hera, even I have been captured before." Cham comforted, placing a hand on the shoulder Ezra wasn't occupying.
"No, I'm sorry about the house." Hera replied with a nervous smile. Cham returned it with a confused look. "Chopper now!"
Chopper pressed the detonator and there were several explosions heard from inside the house.
"You were serious!" Cham exclaimed.
"Come on, help me with him." Hera replied. Cham took Ezra's other arm and they carried him onto the Ghost.
"Ghost take off!" Hera ordered.
The ramp closed and Kanan came over to Ezra and Hera.
"Ezra," he asked concerned.
"Thrawn shot him in the gut, but his armor took the worse of it. It's shallow, it will heal just fine with some bacta and rest." Hera explained. "I'll take care of it. Tell Sabine to find somewhere safe to set us down."
"Okay," Kanan replied, slightly reluctantly, not wanting to leave his injured Padawan.
"Father, can you help me bring him to the med-bay?" Hera asked.
"Of course." Cham answered.
Together they helped Ezra to the med-bay.
"Okay Ezra, up you go." Hera said gently as she helped Ezra up onto the bed, he groaned as they did so. "Thank you father, I can take it from here."
Cham respectfully left the med-bay.
"Okay first things first." Hera said gently. She carefully took off the rest of the armor, leaving Ezra in just the undershirt and pants. She slowly lifted the shirt to expect the wound more carefully.
"Yup, not deep at all, you should be alright by the end of the week." Hera promised.
She grabbed the disinfectant. "Now this is going to sting."
Ezra weakly reached out one hand. Hera got the message and gave him a hand to hang on to, she gently poured some disinfectant on the wound with the other.
Ezra gave a yell of pain as he tightly squeezed Hera's hand. She wouldn't be surprised if she got a bruise on her hand later from the tight grips it has been through today.
"Sorry," Hera soothed, "It's over now." She gently cleaned the wound with a cloth before placing some bacta over it. She then gently wrapped with bandages. "There you go,"
Ezra sighed with relief but Hera could still tell he was in a lot of pain. "Here," she offered him some painkillers which he gratefully took.
"Thank you," Ezra said, taking them before laying back in bed.
"Bed rest for you know young man." Hera explained, pulling the covers of the bed up. "You only get up to use the fresher, and for the first few days I still want you to get someone to help you with that."
"Okay," Ezra replied without debate, knowing Hera would ultimately win.
"Do you need anything else?"Hera asked gently.
"Do we have hot chocolate?" Ezra asked.
"I believe so." Hera answered. "One mug of hot chocolate coming up."
Hera headed to the galley to make it. As she headed back towards the med-bay she walked through the common room.
"Hera a word?" Kanan asked.
"In a minute." Hera replied. "Just let me get this to Ezra."
She walked into the med-bay and handed the warm drink to Ezra.
"Thank you." Ezra smiled and took a sip. "Did," he stopped himself.
"What?" Hera asked. "I put a little bit of caramel sauce in there as well. Is that okay?"
"It's, it's how my mom used to make it." Ezra reminisced.
Hera smiled. "I've got to go talk to Kanan and my father now." she gently informed. She kissed his forehead. "I'll come back and check on you later."
As she walked out the door, she barely heard Ezra's reply, but it made her smile just the same. "Okay mom."