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Chapter Eight
"You Skywalkers sure know how to time things," Han Solo remarked jovially as he entered Mara's hospital room, late morning. "You couldn't have done this one better if you planned it."
"Trust me, we didn't," Mara assured him, shifting uncomfortably on the bed and giving the former smuggler a wry smile. "I think nature has more of a sense of irony than we realize."
"I think you're probably right," Solo murmured, taking a chair and grinning widely. "Well, you're now the mother of a beautiful baby girl. I stood outside of the nursery and they held her up for me to see. She's healthy, beautiful--you deserve congratulations."
Mara just smiled and shut her eyes. It had turned out to be a longer night than she had planned. "How does it feel to be an uncle?" she asked.
Solo grinned again. "Almost as fun as being a father."
Mara's serene smile faded. "Luke should have been here for the birth of his baby," she whispered, opening her eyes. "How is he doing?"
Han clasped his hands together in front of him. "They just brought him out of surgery about twenty minutes ago--got him in the ICU. He seems like he weathered it pretty well, but they're watching him close, you know?"
Mara nodded.
"Got all these machines and equipment. He's got one arm and both legs splinted up in casts, because they said they wanted to wait on the bacta and bone-knitters until he's stronger. The good news is that he should have no permanent damage to his spinal cord."
Mara nodded again. "That's good," she whispered.
"Now you've got me and Leia jumping from the birthing wing to the ICU and back again," Solo joked lightly. "I'm going to know this hospital pretty good by the time we're done here."
"I wish I could be with him," she murmured. "He'll need me when he wakes up."
"Hey, you need to get your rest," Solo pointed out. "And he needs to get his rest. They said it could be a little while before he woke up."
Mara only nodded again, too tired to really put up an argument.
"Besides," Han murmured. "Leia and I are watching on him. He'll be okay. And as soon as he wakes up, we'll get you down there to be with him."
Mara shut her eyes again. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I really appreciate everything."
"Hey, don't mention it," Solo waved her thanks away. "Luke can just be in debt to me for the rest of his life, right?"
Mara smiled faintly. "He'll be thrilled to hear that."
Han grinned again. "I knew he would be."
The door to Mara's room opened with an almost inaudible hiss and a too-one-bee droid entered, pushing a basinet.
Solo sat up in surprise. "Well, look who's here," he grinned again.
A smile spread across Mara's features as well. The droid gently set the sleeping baby in her arms. It was the first time Mara was able to get a good look at her. Han was right--she was beautiful. Tiny, perfectly proportioned features, peered out from the white hospital blanket, topped with a skullcap of soft, barely-visible hair. Mara held her, gently kissing the top of her daughter's head and memorizing the gentle smell and soft touch of the infant in her arms. She reflected silently that she could hold her baby for ever and never tire of it.
"Have you and Luke decided on a name yet?" Han's voice cut into her thoughts.
Mara looked up at the smuggler, shrugging slightly. "Luke and I discussed it a lot. But we haven't come up with anything definite yet. You'll have to let me know if you have any ideas."
Solo nodded with another half-smile. "I'll try to give it some thought." He got to his feet, still smiling at them.
"I'd better go, and let you two have a little time for yourselves. You'll let Leia and I know if you need anything, right?"
"My comlink's right here," Mara nodded toward the nightstand. "But I'm sure we'll both be fine. Just keep me posted on how Luke is doing."
"If anything happens, you'll be the first to know," Han promised.
"Thank you again," Mara told him.
"Hey-not a problem. That's what a family's for, right?"
"Right," Mara nodded.
"Catch you later," Solo grinned and then left the room.
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Chapter Eight
"You Skywalkers sure know how to time things," Han Solo remarked jovially as he entered Mara's hospital room, late morning. "You couldn't have done this one better if you planned it."
"Trust me, we didn't," Mara assured him, shifting uncomfortably on the bed and giving the former smuggler a wry smile. "I think nature has more of a sense of irony than we realize."
"I think you're probably right," Solo murmured, taking a chair and grinning widely. "Well, you're now the mother of a beautiful baby girl. I stood outside of the nursery and they held her up for me to see. She's healthy, beautiful--you deserve congratulations."
Mara just smiled and shut her eyes. It had turned out to be a longer night than she had planned. "How does it feel to be an uncle?" she asked.
Solo grinned again. "Almost as fun as being a father."
Mara's serene smile faded. "Luke should have been here for the birth of his baby," she whispered, opening her eyes. "How is he doing?"
Han clasped his hands together in front of him. "They just brought him out of surgery about twenty minutes ago--got him in the ICU. He seems like he weathered it pretty well, but they're watching him close, you know?"
Mara nodded.
"Got all these machines and equipment. He's got one arm and both legs splinted up in casts, because they said they wanted to wait on the bacta and bone-knitters until he's stronger. The good news is that he should have no permanent damage to his spinal cord."
Mara nodded again. "That's good," she whispered.
"Now you've got me and Leia jumping from the birthing wing to the ICU and back again," Solo joked lightly. "I'm going to know this hospital pretty good by the time we're done here."
"I wish I could be with him," she murmured. "He'll need me when he wakes up."
"Hey, you need to get your rest," Solo pointed out. "And he needs to get his rest. They said it could be a little while before he woke up."
Mara only nodded again, too tired to really put up an argument.
"Besides," Han murmured. "Leia and I are watching on him. He'll be okay. And as soon as he wakes up, we'll get you down there to be with him."
Mara shut her eyes again. "Thank you," she said quietly. "I really appreciate everything."
"Hey, don't mention it," Solo waved her thanks away. "Luke can just be in debt to me for the rest of his life, right?"
Mara smiled faintly. "He'll be thrilled to hear that."
Han grinned again. "I knew he would be."
The door to Mara's room opened with an almost inaudible hiss and a too-one-bee droid entered, pushing a basinet.
Solo sat up in surprise. "Well, look who's here," he grinned again.
A smile spread across Mara's features as well. The droid gently set the sleeping baby in her arms. It was the first time Mara was able to get a good look at her. Han was right--she was beautiful. Tiny, perfectly proportioned features, peered out from the white hospital blanket, topped with a skullcap of soft, barely-visible hair. Mara held her, gently kissing the top of her daughter's head and memorizing the gentle smell and soft touch of the infant in her arms. She reflected silently that she could hold her baby for ever and never tire of it.
"Have you and Luke decided on a name yet?" Han's voice cut into her thoughts.
Mara looked up at the smuggler, shrugging slightly. "Luke and I discussed it a lot. But we haven't come up with anything definite yet. You'll have to let me know if you have any ideas."
Solo nodded with another half-smile. "I'll try to give it some thought." He got to his feet, still smiling at them.
"I'd better go, and let you two have a little time for yourselves. You'll let Leia and I know if you need anything, right?"
"My comlink's right here," Mara nodded toward the nightstand. "But I'm sure we'll both be fine. Just keep me posted on how Luke is doing."
"If anything happens, you'll be the first to know," Han promised.
"Thank you again," Mara told him.
"Hey-not a problem. That's what a family's for, right?"
"Right," Mara nodded.
"Catch you later," Solo grinned and then left the room.
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