Chapter 4 "A New Normal and Adjusting"

Angela walked into the room hearing the soft sniffling from her patient. She stood far enough away to give Zeb some privacy thinking he would not like her to see him crying. Finally she had enough after listening for nearly an hour.

"Garazeb?" she asked walking over to see if he was all right.

Zeb had his head bowed, eyes closed. The tears had stopped and he heard her come up behind him.

"Go away," he whispered his voice shaky with emotion.

"No, Garazeb, I will not go away. You are very upset and I don't want you to be alone."

"I don't care!" he called out turning his head to see that she was now standing in front of him. She knelt down and placed a hand on his knee.

"Garazeb," she said her voice soothing, "I know you are upset at your family leaving but it will be all right. You have been through alot and it will take time for you to adjust to living here. Your family didn't abandon you, they just don't have the means to take care of you in the way you need. Your life has changed in ways that you have to adjust to. I want you to know that I won't let you go through this alone. I'll be by your side for as long as you need me."

Zeb looked at her and felt a lump form in his throat.

"Promise?" he asked blinking his eyes.

"I promise, kiddo," she said patting his face, "Let's wipe those eyes of yours and take a walk. There are three others here in the same situation that you are in."

She took her hand and wiped the tears away from the Lasat's face. With Zeb calmed down, they left the room and went to the recreation room where two of the other patients were watching a holovid. One of them was an elderly dark-skinned human woman with long silver hair in a braid that went over one shoulder. She had big brown eyes that reflected warmth and affection. She was tall and heavy set.

When Angela brought Zeb in, the woman turned her head at the sound and the brown eyes widened.

"Well hello, green eyes," she said in a throaty but pleasant voice.

"Estrella, this is Garazeb Orrelios, he's new here," Angela said positioning Zeb's repulsor chair next to the eighty-two year old woman's chair, "Garazeb, meet Estrella Raze, the oldest resident here at the rehab center."

Estrella reached a withered hand over to Zeb and discovered that he had no use of either hand. She gave him a smile that was maternal in nature.

"My you are a big one, aren't you? Never seen anybody like you before, Garazeb."

"I'm a Lasat, ma'am," Zeb said in an almost shy voice.

"A Lasat? Never seen one of your kind before at least not here. You are an interesting looking individual, Garazeb, but rather cute, especially your big green eyes."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Cut the 'ma'am', green eyes, call me Estrella."

"Okay...Estrella..." Zeb said taking an instant like to her. She reminded him of his dead grandmother.

"Hey, Estrella," said a fifty-five year old man moving his repulsor chair with a flick of the only three fingers he could use, on his left hand, "Care to introduce me to your Lasat friend?"

"Sure, Jesby, come on over."

"Hi," the older man said to Zeb, "I'm Jesby Wohman, former shuttle pilot now quadriplegic."

Zeb smiled at the human who was older than him and also liked him right off.

"I'm Garazeb Orrelios, former member of the Lasan High Honor Guard."

"That's quite an impressive title," Jesby said giving the Lasat a warm smile, "How did you get hurt, if it's okay to ask?"

Zeb swallowed hard but told him, "I was injured in an explosion a few weeks ago. A piece of shrapnel was stuck in my back and damaged my spinal cord. What happened to you?"

Jesby looked Zeb in the eyes seeing the familiar pain of being a quadriplegic, "I was in a shuttle crash and broke my spine. Some bone fragments damaged my spinal cord."

"Estrella?" Zeb asked seeing her put a withered hand on his arm.

"Well, green eyes, I fell off a cliff when I was even younger than you. I was showing off to some guys who were telling me that a woman couldn't go rock climbing. Ended up breaking my neck in five places."

Angela was relieved to see Zeb interacting with these two. They had been at the rehab center for the longest time. Estrella the longest at 30 years, Jesby for ten years. They had a way of making a new resident feel welcome and could help overcome the fear and sadness at being left behind when the family couldn't give them the proper care to survive day to day.

The last resident came into the room and stopped her repulsor chair as she caught sight of Zeb. After her initial shock, she made her way over to Estrella and Jesby.

"Hello," she said smiling at the Lasat, "I'm Missy Phame, you are?"

"Garazeb Orrelios," Zeb said noticing that she had her left arm in a brace and had limited use of it by the way she moved her hand to give him a small wave. That was the hand she used to move her repulsor chair.

"You're a Lasat, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"I've never seen one of your kind in person before. Only in a holo newscast about the fall of your homeworld."

She saw a sad look appear in Zeb's eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Is that when you got hurt?"

"No...I was hurt in an explosion a few weeks ago. Shrapnel in the back damaged my spinal cord. Can't move my arms or legs."

"I broke my neck in a speeder bike accident two years ago. Have limited use of one arm."

Angela stood back and let her patient interact with the three humans. She was pleasantly surprised that they accepted the Lasat no matter his alien heritage. He was a fellow quadriplegic and that was the common element between them. A bell sounded over the center com.

"Time for dinner," Angela said going over to push Zeb's repulsor chair down to the dining area, "Tonight we're having nerf steak."

Down in the dining room, Zeb felt very self-conscious when Angela had to feed him the evening meal. It was all right to have her hold a cup for him but to feed him like he was a baby Lasat? His cheeks darkened with embarrassment.

"Garazeb, don't look so glum," she said, "This is something you will get used to. Give it time."

All she got was an almost pout that made her smile.

After eating, Angela took Zeb back to his room to get him settled in for his first night which she knew could be a rough one for him. It always was for a new patient. She saw that Kanan and Hera had brought a duffle bag in along with the wooden chest and bo-rifle. Zeb just looked out the window where a few hours earlier he had seen his family leave. A single tear streaked down his face.

"Looks like Hera and Kanan packed some clothes for you. Several uniforms of some kind. oh..."

She lifted out what looked like a datapad but it wasn't.

It was a photograph of Kanan, Hera, Ezra, Sabine, Zeb and Chopper. All of them were standing in front of what she recognized as a Life Day tree. Zeb being the tallest, was standing in the back, the smile that Angela loved on his face.

"Let's put this family picture on the bedstand so you can see it."

"What picture?" Zeb asked.

Angela brought it over to show him. Zeb took one look at the picture and bowed his head. He looked like he was about to cry but didn't. He swallowed hard and blinked his eyes.

"That was taken last year..." he whispered, "I remember Chopper wasn't too happy about being in the picture."

A smile formed on his face at the memory.

"Family memories are the best. Don't you forget them," Angela said reaching down to give his shoulder a pat, "They will help you when you get lonely or sad. Let me get the clothes put in the dresser, sound good?"

Zeb just nodded blinking his eyes again.

Angela got everything put in the drawer and she smiled when she saw what was at the bottom of the duffle bag.

Two stuffed Loth-cat toys with notes on them stared up at her with their black button eyes. The notes were from Ezra and Sabine.

"Here is something from both of us. When you look at these Loth-cats, remember the fun we had winning these at that carnival we went to on Lothal a few years back. Hopefully, they will bring you a sense of comfort and...love."

Angela blinked back tears at that sentiment. It showed how strong the sibling bond was between her patient and his family.

Zeb had heard her putting things away in the drawer and turned his head to see the Loth-cats. He swallowed hard and blinked back tears.

"Karabast..." he muttered.

Angela saw that he was still upset and looking tired. He had been through an emotional rollarcoaster in less than a day.

"Garazeb, let's get you ready for bed. You are exhausted both emotionally and physically. Just relax and I'll do all the work..."

Again, during the night Zeb had bad dreams about the accident and lay crying for hours. Angela resigned the fact that this could be a nightly occurance until he got used to being paralyzed.

The next morning Zeb started his physical therapy with Master Sabela and Cynda helping Angela. He lay on the mat staring up at the ceiling feeling totally humilated.

"Oh, Garazeb, don't look so glum. This has to be done to keep your muscles toned, and kiddo you've got alot of muscles! Are all Lasat's as muscular as you?"

"Yeah..." came the half-hearted reply.

She gestured to Master Sabela to help lift Zeb up to a sitting position so she could work on his arms. The Barrelian Master lifted the big Lasat as if he were a small child, leaning Zeb against his chest. Zeb shut his eyes and didn't open them until Angela said she was finished for the day.

"Let's get Garazeb onto the table over there so Cynda can work on his spine for awhile."

With little effort, Master Sabela picked up Zeb in his arms as if he weighed nothing. He carried the Lasat over and placed him face down on the massaging table. Angela opened the back of Zeb's jumpsuit to expose his back from neck to waist. The big scar showing through the purple fur made her shudder for a moment.

"Okay, Cynda, do your Jedi healing thing."

The Lasat Padawan placed her hands on Zeb's back and closed her eyes. The bluish glow appeared and enveloped his back. She stood for nearly a half hour running a hand from his neck down his spine. Zeb looked to be dozing off even though he couldn't feel her touch. Later on he was taken back to his room.

Several months passed and Zeb showed no sign of his spinal cord injury healing. The Lasat tolerated the therapy sessions even though he thought they were a lost cause and didn't mind Cynda helping him. He felt a bond forming between the two of them like they were real siblings despite the age difference. Kanan and Hera had contacted him by tranceiver several times but weren't able to visit. Zeb became homesick and depressed refusing to eat for Angela. She figured Dr. Triplet would have to insert a feeling tube into him eventually. As time passed the calls stopped. Missy, Estrella and Jesby got calls from family all the time and occassionaly visits. Zeb felt abandoned. He became pouty, surly and was constantly in tears. Master Sabela knew he had to contact Kanan and Hera before it was too late. He knew that they were busy with rebel missions and couldn't reveal where Zeb was being cared for. The Empire would love to get their hands on a Lasat that was as weak as a newborn baby.

Finally six months later, Zeb got a big surprise. Kanan and Hera were coming for a visit but Ezra and Sabine were away on a supply run with Chopper. He was sitting in the repulsor chair looking out the window and his eyes grew wide seeing the GHOST land near the rehab center.

"Garazeb, let's get you down to the recreation room," Angela said making sure his jumpsuit was fastened properly.

Zeb smiled at the thought of seeing his friends again.

"Zeb!" Hera cried out seeing the Lasat sitting in his repulsor chair near a window.

"Hera! Kanan!" he said his voice heavy with emotion. Tears sprang to his eyes.

The Twi'lek pilot ran over and enveloped him in the biggest hug. Zeb didn't want her to let go of him. He layed his head against her shoulder.

"I missed you," he whispered, "I thought I'd never see you again."

"We're sorry we couldn't visit you," Kanan said as he walked over to hug the Lasat, "We've been busy with alot of missions. I'm sorry that Ezra, Sabine and Chopper couldn't visit. They are on a supply run. Rex and the boys are on a training mission."

Zeb didn't move his head from Hera's shoulder and she didn't care. She just embraced him more and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Angela was relieved to see Zeb in a better mood. The Lasat was slipping more and more into a depression and she was ready to consult Dr. Triplet about getting a therapist that specialized in post traumatic stress disorder. Now that didn't need to be done, hopefully.

Kanan and Hera spent the day with Zeb and then had to say goodbye. Zeb handled the leaving alot better even though he was a bit sad.

Angela was relieved that he was calmer and hoped he would stay like that for awhile. Tomorrow, Zeb and his three other fellow quadriplegics were being taken to a animal sanctuary for a day out from the rehab center. Zeb still didn't eat much at dinner and was very quiet. Estrella couldn't even get him to talk.

"He seemed so happy when his family came for a visit," the older woman said to Angela after she got the Lasat settled in for the night. The two women were sitting in the recreation room enjoying a cup of caf.

"I think Garazeb is having a hard time excepting the fact that he'll never walk again. I've learned alot about Lasats and they are a stubborn but noble species. Being a quadriplegic and having to rely on the help of others for his everyday existence, is difficult for him."

"Give him time, honey," Estrella said smiling, "That child will accept his condition and I will help him. In the few months he's been here, I feel myself growing fond of him in a way if he were my own grandson. He's young enough to be. I don't care that he's an alien being. He is a youngster that needs a little TLC."

"Estrella," Angela said, "You are a rare gift."

The next morning, the three residents of the rehab center were loaded into a special shuttle for paralyzed patients. Everyone was dressed in warmer clothes as it was getting towards the rainy season on Naboo. Zeb, being a Lasat didn't need as thick as clothes as the others due to his thick but sleek fur. Since he was numb from the neck down, the only thing that got cold was his head. Angela had put a woven hat on his head.

"Looking good, baby," Estrella said giving the Lasat a maternal smile, "Those ears of yours won't get cold will they?"

"No, Gran Estrella," he answered, "They're covered enough." Zeb had started calling the elderly woman "Gran" after he told her about his dead Lasat grandmother who she reminded him of. He had loved her very much.

"You can call me 'Gran' if you want, green eyes, I don't mind." she had said.

The shuttle arrived at the sanctuary and the patients were unloaded and guided to the entrance gate by their caregivers. Angela wheeled Zeb over to sit near Estrella.

"You're gonna love this, green eyes," she said to the Lasat, "They have alot of different animals to see here, and you get to interact with them too, like feeding, petting and holding the smaller ones."

"Uh...I can't hold or pet any animal," Zeb said his eyes taking on a sad look.

"Baby, don't worry," Estrella said smiling, "Angela will hold one up for you to see."

Zeb gave her one of his toothy grins.

"That's better, baby, nice to see one of those cute smiles of yours."

"Okay, everyone," came the sanctuary's curator's voice, "Let's go inside and see some of the animals..."

Angela looked over at Zeb and breathed a sigh of relief seeing his happy face. Maybe the Lasat was over the hump of being depressed...