Chapter 2

Rex kept watch over Ahsoka all through the night and through her surgery the next day. She hadn't regained consciousness, but Rex liked to think that she knew he was there anyway.

After two more days of unresponsiveness, she finally opened those big, blue eyes. At first, she blinked rapidly at the bright light above her. As she became accustomed to it, she began to slowly take in her surroundings. Where am I, she thought. This isn't a battlefield. What about my troops?

She tried to push herself up out of the bed only to feel dizzy and weak at the slight effort. She had to give up and slump back to the pillow. Things started to make sense to her. All the white, the bed, the tubes embedded in her skin, and her weakness all said medbay.

Finally, her eyes rested on something familiar snoring lightly in a chair in the corner. At least the white on him was augmented by some blue: Rex. She calmed just at the sight of him. At least she knew he'd tell her what was going on. She studied his face for clues about their situation. Did Rex visit troopers when they were injured? It must be . . . bad?

He looked so relaxed. She rarely got to see him sleep. Ahsoka reached out through the Force. Rexy? she asked tentatively. Rex mumbled something, rolling his head to the opposite side. Then his eyes flew open. He had heard her.

"'Soka! I mean, Commander, you're awake," Rex snapped to attention. "How do you feel, sir?" She looked better but still not herself. Her beautiful colors were muted, like he was seeing her through a mist. Rex did not like it one bit.

Ahsoka smiled softly. "Sore," she croaked. Rex flinched at her voice and her answer. Ahsoka never complained about physical discomfort. That wasn't a good sign. "What happened?" she asked the foremost thing on her mind.

"Clankers. Bomb. You were injured. It's been three standard days," Rex decided to stick to the facts. "Um," then he stumbled, "You, uh, had surgery on your back. Damage to the vertebrae and nerves." Rex would leave the most important information to the doctor. They were used to that sort of thing. He was a soldier; he was out of his league here.

Luckily for Rex, the doctor appeared at that moment. "Well, I see we're awake," she said. "That's good. How do you feel, dear?"

Ahsoka gave her the same answer, "Sore. What's the damage, doctor?" Rex could tell she was trying not to look scared.

The doctor exchanged glances with Rex. He shrugged his helplessness. "Well," she began, "There was extensive damage. You're really lucky to have pulled through. Your field medics did an amazing job. But even after the surgery, you have a long road of rehab ahead of you if you want to regain use of your legs."

"What?" Ahsoka gasped. She had assumed she was on some powerful painkillers that were preventing her from moving or feeling below her waist. She never imagined that she was that hurt. She looked at Rex, vainly hoping that he would dispute the doctor's prognosis.

Rex was a mess. He had heard the doctor talk to the General about the Commander's condition, but witnessing her reaction to the news had just about undone him. Ahsoka not able to walk? Ahsoka not able to wield her lightsabers or perform her lithe acrobatics? It didn't seem possible. His lower lip trembled for a second before he got it under control. He needed to give her all the strength he could. So he frowned a bit and forced steel into his eyes.

"Doctor? Can you excuse us?" Rex asked.

"Sure. I'll be back around in a few hours, Ahsoka. Oh, and you are being transported back to Coruscant tomorrow to let the Temple healers help you more than we can here. From what I know of them, they can probably shorten that recovery period." She patted Ahsoka on a blanket-covered foot and left the room soundlessly.

Ahsoka could barely breathe. Temple? Coruscant? Legs? Bomb? It wasn't clicking in her brain. Rex stood up and approached the bed, not daring to reach out and touch her.

"Um, Commander Tano, the General will probably be back any minute now. He's been here most of the time. He just got called away to report to the Council. I'm sure he'll be here soon," he repeated himself. He was lost in trying to comfort this young woman who looked even younger in the large, sterile bed.

Ahsoka's eyes clouded up with tears. She reached out with a loose arm and placed her hand in Rex's gloved one. He squeezed the delicate appendage, hoping that it conveyed everything he couldn't say-he was sorry, he wanted to help, he didn't know what to do, he hoped she would be fine. All of it.

Ahsoka's tears began to fall in a torrent. Her frame was racked with the sobs. General Skywalker walked in on this tableau and frowned at Rex. What had he done?

"Rex, I've got her. You can go," Anakin dismissed Rex as if he had posted him as a guard and was relieving him. Rex wouldn't have budged for anything other than a direct order. He stood his ground.

"I'm all right staying, General," he replied. "I'm not on duty for a few more hours." He hoped the General would take the hint that he didn't want to be shown the door now that Ahsoka was awake. He tightened his grip on Ahsoka's hand briefly to reassure her that he was still there.

Anakin's scowl deepened, but he let it drop. He leaned over Ahsoka and put his hands on her shoulders, rubbing gently. "Ahsoka," he said gently. "Ahsoka, don't worry. You'll be fine. You're a Jedi Padawan. The Healers will fix everything in no time. You'll be fine," he finished lamely. Rex was smugly glad to see that the General was unnerved by a crying female too. Perhaps Rex wasn't as awkward as he had thought. But that didn't solve the problem of the distraught patient.

Ahsoka reached her other hand up toward her Master, seeking contact and comfort. She understood through her pain and sadness and fear that these two were doing their best to comfort her. They were better on a battlefield leading men to victory than they were in a medbay with an injured person. She doubted whether either of them had ever actually visited someone in recovery.

When Anakin grasped onto her hand, he realized that he could be helping her more through their training bond. He slowed his breathing and sent her comfort and reassurance through the Force. This sort of help actually helped, he was relieved to note.

Ahsoka's crying slowed as she calmed, but it had been intense enough to induce hiccups. After a few that echoed around the room, she couldn't help giggling a little. Rex and Anakin exchanged a look of confusion. Rex lifted his shoulders slightly in an "I don't get it" gesture.

"Snips?" Anakin asked softly. "Are you feeling any better?"

Through her hiccups, she answered as best she could, "Yes, (hic) Master. I'm sorry (hic). Everything just came (hic) crashing down on (hic) me at once. (hic) I'm sure the Healers will help (hic) me. I'm looking forward (hic) to seeing Barriss (hic) at least." She squeezed her hands in both of their larger ones. It figured that she would be the one in the hospital bed and reassuring the two of them.

"Well," Rex began, "I'll go then. I'll check back in on you before you're transferred." He gently placed her hand back onto the bed.

"Bye, Rex. And thanks," Ahsoka said weakly.

"General," he nodded to Skywalker. He exited the room without a glance backwards.

Ahsoka looked over at her Master. "How long was he in here? He looked stiff when he was walking."

"I sent him back here with you from the planet. As far as I know, he hasn't left your side. Rex is nothing if not loyal," Anakin replied.

Ahsoka looked thoughtful for a moment. Then she sighed and began wiping at the tears on her face. I probably look terrible after lying in a bed for days and then crying so much, she thought. Then all she felt was tired. Overwhelmingly tired. She tugged lightly at the hand her Master still held and placed it back on the bed herself.

"I'm really tired, Master. Do you think that you could call someone to help me roll over onto my side?" she asked. She didn't ask Anakin to touch her when she was in this condition. He looked skittish enough as it was.

"Sure thing, Snips. I'll go ask the nurse. And I'll be back to see you before you leave too." Anakin didn't know what else to do, so he just turned and walked out the door. But he did pause to look back at her. She was his responsibility, and this had happened on his watch. Maybe he wasn't ready for a Padawan.

Two days later, Rex came to see her off to Coruscant. "Feel better, Commander," he told her with a crisp salute.

"Rex, have you seen my Master? Is he coming?" she asked him hopefully.

"The General has been very busy, Commander. He couldn't get away, but he asked me to tell you 'May the Force be with you'," Rex answered. That might have been partially true, but Rex could tell that the General just couldn't bear to see her again. He was wallowing in guilt over her accident. As if he could control every Seppie bomb out there.

"Oh. Thanks, Rex," she said softly. She had had a feeling that Anakin wouldn't be there.