Chapter 10: Saviour
The next morning everyone was up, but there was no sign of Riley. They thought he would be watching Anne so Hera went to check on the two.
When Hera arrived, she was shocked. The med bay had bandages, both bloody and clean everywhere, equipment left lying around and the monitor was reading optimal levels. Anne would live but she found Riley at the side of the room, asleep on a chair with his feet on a desk, covered in blood, he probably didn't stop. She checked the monitor a few times and Anne's heart had stopped about 3 times. Hera wanted to check if Riley was ok but he was asleep.
"Hi, what's your name?" Hera turned violently only to see Anne awake and well.
"I'm Hera, the piolet. How long has he been sleeping?" Hera hoping he had enough sleep to wake him.
"He fell asleep about 3 hours ago" Anne propped herself up showing a lot of bandages. "We talked for about 2 hours when I woke, he didn't leave me once and we talked about family"
"He's never been that open to any of us" Hera was going to leave. "I'm going to get the others"
"Ok, I'll wait here, got nowhere else to go" Anne giggled a bit.
Hera returned 5 minutes later, she made everyone wait outside only allowing one person to enter at a time and to keep quite since Riley was still sleeping. Jack went first since he was the brother and only family aboard.
"Anne, how do you feel? What did he do to you?" Jack looked at Riley sleeping in the corner getting some thoughts about how easy it would be to end it.
"Calm down, I'm fine only a little cold since this room has no heating. He didn't harm me, he kept working all night so leave him sleep." Anne looked at the man who never gave up on her.
"It's his fault, if he didn't take so long then you would be fine" Jack saw Riley twitch a bit.
"Don't say that, he wanted to get us out alive and he did" Anne moving her hand over her wound. "Look, when he wakes just thank him"
"Ok, but only for you" Jack got up and glanced at Riley who twitched more.
Jack entered and Sabine walked in. She saw Riley twitch while he was sleeping.
"Sabine!" Anne and Sabine hugged each other.
"Anne!" Sabine tried not to cry. "I thought I would lose you"
"Didn't you believe in your brother?" Anne thought Sabine would put more faith into Riley.
"I thought no-one could survive that wound" Sabine let go and pulled a chair over to the bed.
"Well I did, so that's another thing that didn't kill me" Both Anne and Sabine laughed a bit.
"So we're both too stubborn to die" Sabine placed a piece of metal on the bed.
As soon as they heard a clink sound, Riley fell out of his chair and started screaming while clutching the upper right part of his chest.
"Riley!" both girls shouted I unison.
Sabine ran over to Riley trying to calm him, then Anne jumped out of the bed, stumbling a bit but reached Riley. Anne kneeled down and hugged Riley whispering words which Sabine wouldn't hear. The screaming stopped and everyone flooded through the doors to see who was screaming.
"Anne, step away from him" Jack walked over to his sister.
"But he's in pain" Anne protested.
"Good, he deserves to be after what he did to his parents" Jack snapped.
"You don't mean that!" Anne clutched Riley tighter.
"I know I just…" Jack sighed heavily. "I'm trying to protect you and after what he did, I'm just concerned"
"You have to try and be nicer, you don't know the whole story and besides he'd risk his life for any of us" Sabine stood up.
Anne put Riley back in the chair, after Riley seemed peaceful, Sabine helped Anne back into the bed. Everyone left and continued talking to Anne when it was their turn.
After everyone was done Hera woke Riley.
"Riley?" Hera shook him.
"Yeah, I'm awake" Riley stood up. "How do you feel Anne?"
"I'm fine after that shock you gave me" Anne looked deeply worried.
"Damn it! Not again, I'm sorry Anne" Riley sat next to Anne. "How did it happen?"
"Not sure, but it happened after Sabine put this on the bed" Anne held up the piece of metal she gave Sabine when Sabine left the academy.
"I'm sorry Hera" Riley frowned as he was about to leave but stopped when Anne grabbed his arm.
"Don't leave, I haven't thanked you properly for last night" Anne smiled brightly and hugged Riley. "What did you mean by 'You won't die on me' last night?"
"I was worried, a friend of Sabine's isn't going to die" Riley looked at Hera. "She needs a light meal, the shot will affect her eating, drinking and breathing. Watch over her please"
"I can't, but what about Sabine?" Hera asked.
"Sure, I'll get her then the meal" Riley left.
"I looked at the results from last night" Hera stopped and was about to speak but Anne cut in.
"My heart stopped 3 times, I stopped breathing twice and Riley stopped a stroke. He's a miracle"
"But we had so little supplies, how did he do so much with so little?" Hera wondered about it but then Sabine walked in.
"Thanks Sabine, watch her"
"I will" Sabine smiled and sat down next to Anne as Hera left.
"Do you think he likes me?" Anne blurted.
"Who?"
"Riley" Anne blushed.
"He's certainly taken a liking to you" Sabine giggled at the thought of it.
"Don't laugh!" Anne was annoyed with Sabine starting to tease her.
"Why? Do you like him?" Sabine leaned forward to try and get an answer.
"Sort of" Anne looked away and changed the topic. "How did he get that scar?"
"Which one?"
"The one above his lip" Anne pointed to hers trying to make it clear.
"That was a good day" Sabine sat back and looked at the ceiling. "We went out to play and climbed a tree, he reached the top and claimed he was the best. He lost his balance and fell the whole way down hit a couple of branches"
"Were the injuries bad?" Anne looked concerned.
"No, just a cut and a bruise" Riley walked in with a small plate with food.
"You went to hospital" Sabine protested.
"I got straight back up, you were worried and called our parents to take me to hospital" Riley smirked as he handed the plate to Anne.
"You had a broken rib and a fractured leg" Sabine got a little angry.
"Wasn't that bad"
"It was bad!" Sabine laughed a bit then started to walk away. "You're never worried"
"Nope" Riley sat down as Sabine left.
"How do you feel?" Riley cut Anne's forearm.
"OW!" Anne flinched with the pain.
"Sorry, I just need a blood test" Riley grabbed a small device from the desk and inserted some blood.
"It's fine, I just didn't expect it" Anne sat up holding her forearm.
"Let's get that cleaned up" Riley walked over to a small sink and wet a cloth, grabbed some bandages and sat back down. "Hold the cloth against the wound for a second"
Riley checked the results and she was fine, he put down the small device and start to clean up Anne's arm.
"Thanks again" Anne wanted to ask the question but was afraid.
"It's fine, you should be able to walk in about twenty minutes" Riley wrapped Anne's arm and put the cloth on the table.
"Um, Riley?" Anne started to regret it.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever had a girlfriend?" Anne looked at her now bandaged arm.
"No, I never really thought about it" Riley sat back at looked at Anne. "Why?"
"Just a general question"
"Well, I don't know what to think"
"About what?" Anne tilted her head.
"I'll make friends, but I don't want to lose anyone close, I don't want to put them in trouble" Riley got up and filled a glass with water. "Here, your throat might be dry"
"Thanks" Anne finished her breakfast and just held the glass. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were uncomfortable"
"I'm not uncomfortable, I'm distressed" Riley sat back down with head in hands.
"Why?" Riley didn't answer but then Anne thought about it. "Wait, it's Sabine birthday next week"
"Yes, that has something to do with it" Riley sat up and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here"
"What's this?" Anne looked at it.
"Talk to Sabine about it, I need to check on the rest of the crew" Riley was about to stand up but he decided against it. "They can wait"
"Why are you staying?" Anne's heart pumped faster.
"Anne, I don't want to get serious with you" Riley placed a hand on her shoulder. "At least not now"
Anne faked a smile and just nodded. "I understand"
"No, you don't" Riley removed the hand form her shoulder and placed on the back of his head. "It's hard for me, to get close to someone again"
"I can wait" Anne hugged Riley without thought, then she realised her mistake. "Sorry I didn't think-"
"Don't worry, after the mission in two days. We'll talk" Riley started drifting asleep since he didn't get much last night.
"I can wait" Anne decided to sleep too.
Anne woke up to see herself alone, she got up and started looking around the ship for someone. She searched the Quarters, Cockpit, Cargo bay, Gun turrets, Fresher and the kitchen but no-one was there. She was scared, the Cargo bay door was open so she stepped outside into the night. She heard voices and listened.
"It's nice here"
"Yeah, now I see why Riley comes up here"
"Shush, he's asleep"
"He's been doing that a lot lately"
"He has a lot to worry about"
"What about my sister, he doesn't worry about her"
"Yesterday he seemed to worry the most"
"He blames himself"
"I don't see why"
"Maybe it's because he took too long"
"Shut it Jack!"
"Sorry, I just still don't trust him"
"We told you about what happened"
"I know but it still doesn't seem right"
"You're all loud you know"
"When did you wake?"
"When you started fighting, I'm going to see if Anne is awake"
Anne bolted for the med bay hoping that Riley wouldn't find out she was eavesdropping, but when she arrived she was beaten. Not by Riley but by Chopper who was trying to prank her.
"Shoo, bad droid" Anne chased chopper out then waited for Riley. She waited, and waited, and waited but he still never turned up. "Riley?"
No response.
She searched for the ladder leading up to the top of the Ghost but Riley was sitting there, staring at the cold metal.
"Riley?" Anne sat down next to him.
"I'm sorry" Riley didn't look at Anne.
"For what?"
"For getting you shot, for causing you to be chased and Sabine to run away when you were all fine as you were!" Riley started to cry.
"What happened on Sabine's birthday?" Anne hugged Riley.
"We ran into the storm trooper wife, Sabine found out what happened and I ran away" Riley still stared at the floor hugging his knees.
"It's ok, that's in the past" Anne hugged tighter.
"The past haunts people" Riley looked into Anne's eyes. "Promise me something"
"Sure"
"If things get too bad, run" Anne nodded and the two Mandalorians sat in silence.
A/N, I hope you enjoy the Chapters I write, I want to thank you guys for sticking this far. At first I wasn't confident, but guys changed that. Thank you and Goodbye.