Han hated entering the prison to run towards a child's screams. But he knew he would hate it even more to enter and not respond. So he moved towards his crying friend.
When he reached the cell, Luke was on his hands and knees, vomiting while the officer stood over him and laughed.
Han had sorted out that he would be allowed to keep Luke safe as long as he never tried to free the child. So, when he noticed Luke's protector, the man gave the child a final kick and walked away.
Han moved in to comfort the child, carefully lifting the boy out of his vomit. In his arms, Luke cried softly, pressing close against Han.
"Shh, Kid. Shh." Han soothed gently.
Luke didn't answer. He just lay against Han's chest and continued to cry. Han started to rock gently, trying to push away the child's pain and fear. Immediately the boy twisted away and vomited again. Han felt a twinge as he saw the boy's vomit was comprised almost completely of blood. Previous puddles had contents that looked like they had once been food, but the child's stomach was still in spasms, trying to force out something the boy hadn't eaten.
"Kid?" Han asked in concern.
Luke merely vomited again, needing to get everything out. Han sat beside him, rubbing his back until his body seemed to finally decide that he had vomited up enough of his insides.
Han moved the weak child away from the vomit. Cleaning Luke's cell was also against the rules.
Luke lay close against Han, whimpering.
"What made you throw up?" Han asked.
Luke took a couple of gasps of air, and they seemed to hurt him. But he seemed calmed as well, and when Han addressed him again he looked up and answered. "He did."
"I know. What did he do to make you vomit? Is that food in some of it?"
Luke gave a sniff, "Yeah. He fed me, and I thought he'd changed his mind about me, but then he just kept telling me to eat more, and it made me throw up. That was the first time. Then he just kept doing it. It hurt. I- I-" Luke gave another helpless gasp and buried his face against Han's chest. "I can't believe this is happening. This can't be real! And every time I wake up, I'm scared and hurt and disappointed to still be here! I keep thinking I'll wake up back on the farm. I wanna go home."
Han nodded gently, "I know you do."
"I-you're-I mean, you're the closest thing I have to a friend, and I don't even know your name!"
Han began to rock the child again, "I'm your friend, Luke. My name is Han."
Luke sniffed again and nodded, "Thank you."
Han didn't know how to respond. All he could think to do was continue to rock the kid, but it didn't feel like enough.
"Would you like something to eat?" he offered at last, taking a pack of fruit off his belt.
"I don't wanna throw up again," Luke answered.
"I'm not going to make you throw up. I promise. As long as you don't eat too much, it'll make you feel better."
"They'll make me throw it up again as soon as you leave. It's no use." Luke told the floor.
"Sure there's use. Even if it'll only make you feel better a bit, it's better than nothing."
"He won't even look at me." Luke mumbled.
"What's that?"
"He won't even look at me, Han."
"What do you mean?"
"My father. He won't even look at me. When he comes, I always reach for him. But as soon as he notices, he just turns away!"
"Shh, Kid. I know it's hard for you."
Luke looked up at Han with tear-filled eyes. "He means the galaxy to me."
Never having known, or cared about, his own parents, Han didn't know how to respond. So he just lifted the boy closer to himself.
"He's always been the one I looked up to. Always the one I cried for. It's never been my mother I cry for. I feel terrible now, but, Han, what if she doesn't care about me either? What if all either one of them ever wanted was to get rid of me? What if I'm just a mistake?"
"Kid, if you're 'just' a mistake, you're the best mistake your parents ever made. I'll bet you anything."
Luke closed his eyes and buried his face against Han again.
Han took a few berries out of his pouch and pressed one against the child's lips. Luke hesitantly took it, chewing it tentatively. Han felt a terrible crushing sensation on his heart as the boy took the remaining berries. The boy hesitantly ate them as Han sat beside him, rubbing his shoulders and back.
"Maybe you'll be able to digest those a bit before I leave. It'll make you a bit stronger for a while."
Luke sniffed again, nodding. "Thank you."
"No problem. If it's making you feel better, it's more than worth it."
Luke nodded slightly.
"Listen, Kid. If there's anything, anything at all I can do to make this easier for you, I will. How long can the sentence you to, anyway?"
"Death," Luke said so quietly, Han almost missed it.
"What?"
"I've been sentenced to death, Han."
"Death?" Han asked unsteadily.
"They're gonna keep me here until I die."
"No, they can't do that," Han said, incensed, "They can't do that to you. How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
Han sighed in relief, "There you go. They can't sentence you to death until you're at least eighteen."
Tears were filling Luke's eyes again. "Unless you're a rebel. Read the fine print, Han. They can kill me."
"But-but," Han stuttered, "You're still just a kid. You've got so much left to see and learn."
"And it's going to stay that way forever." Luke said.
"You haven't even finished your education!"
"As far as they're concerned, I have."
"There must be something against this. This cannot be legal!"
Luke looked up into Han's eyes, tears starting to flow from his own. "Please, Han. This is hard enough for me already. Don't remind me. Don't think about it. Just promise me you won't stop coming. Promise me you'll keep coming to give me something to live for!"
Han gathered the kid up again, rocking the child, stunned. A kid's life. Like it wasn't bad enough the child was jailed and tortured. Luke was never going to get a chance at life. The Empire would snuff him before he ever got the chance to be-to do- anything!
"I want my father, Han."
"Yeah, I know."
"I just want him to care for me."
"I know."