(A/N)- So this chapter just sort of... happened. I knew I wanted Ezra and Leslynn to talk again (after the whole totally-ignoring-her-medical-recommendations thing) and I really wanted some kind of little scene where Ezra has to hold himself together for some bloodwork being drawn or something (because Ezra and I share a pronounced dislike of needles). So I just started writing it and it got longer and longer and then all of a sudden it was its own chapter.

Ah well. Not like y'all are gonna complain. XD

As mentioned, some needle-poking. Squeamish be warned.

Disclaimer: Oh my gosh you guys, Galaxy's Edge looks so gorgeous and exciting mmhkjhakfhas why do I have to be an adult with responsibilities and monetary commitments. *cries*

Insulated

Ezra fidgeted on the examination table, hearing the med droids shuffle around behind him, as Leslynn poked and prodded at his shoulders and arms, glancing down every so often at her scanner.

Apparently he'd strained himself a little too much cleaning off the Ghost. There was a soreness in his shoulders that refused to go away. Leslynn was checking him for pulled muscles now.

She examined him silently, eyes focused on her work, and Ezra's fidgeting grew more and more agitated the longer she refused to follow the script that had been playing persistently in his head, didn't speak the words that he'd been waiting for and dreading ever since Hera had noticed him wincing in pain and ordered him to go see the medic.

Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Aren't you going to say it?" he asked, blurting out the words.

Absently, she replied, "Say what, Ezra?"

"'I told you so.'"

She pinched along his left bicep. "What would be the point in that?" she said. "I'm sure you're already beating yourself up for it plenty."

Ezra sighed, even as a quiet relief trickled down through his throat. "Well... you're not wrong about that," he told her.

Leslynn stepped back, rubbing a hand across her face. "Right, well, good news is that it doesn't look like you've pulled anything, but you have overstrained both deltoids and trapeziuses. You'll be fine in a day or two but you're going to need—"

"Let me guess..." Ezra interrupted, a groan in his voice. "Rest."

The doctor smiled faintly. "Just avoiding strenuous labor should do." She handed her scanner off to one of the med droids. "Can't do anything about your massive guilt-complex though, I'm afraid," she added as a joke.

That made Ezra chuckle. "Let me worry about that, Doc. I don't think that's exactly your area of expertise," he teased back.

"That's the Ezra Bridger I know," smiled Leslynn, demeanor brightening.

Ezra swung his feet, hopping down off the table. "Am I done?" he asked.

"Not quite." Leslynn hesitated, looking suddenly uncomfortable. She coughed into her fist. "There's been an infection going around in the ranks. I'm sure you've heard."

Ezra nodded. "Yeah. Wedge caught it yesterday, was a snot-covered bundle of blankets last I saw him." He squinted, staring off, trying to recall what Wedge had called it. "Balma-something flu?"

"Balmorra flu," Leslynn corrected. "I don't suppose you've ever been inoculated against it? Or had it previously?" she asked, tone slightly hopeful.

He shook his head. "Not likely."

Leslynn's expression dimmed. "Rebel Command wants me to immunize anyone who hasn't caught it yet," she explained. "To keep the spread down."

That hung in the air a moment.

"...Oh," Ezra said, realizing the implications. He tried to ignore the winch tightening in his throat, the nervous way his pulse pricked up. "Are—are you sure you have to—? I can't—" He reorganized his thoughts. "Can I just catch it and suffer through it and get it over with that way?" he asked.

She narrowed her eyes skeptically. "Do you really want to?"

Ezra thought back to Wedge's greenish, sweat-covered face and slumped his shoulders.

"No," he admitted, dropping his eyes to the floor.

A silence stretched out. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, uncomfortably loud.

He felt Leslynn stepping closer.

"Would you... like someone else to be here in the room with you?" she offered.

He inhaled slowly, his breath shaking, vibrating like his hands were now. "No," he started to say. "I—I think I'm—I can handle—"

He stopped, squeezing his eyes closed.

Don't be stubborn, you idiot, he chided himself.

He opened his eyes again, looking up at Dr. Leslynn. "Can... can you call Kanan?" he said timidly.

She nodded, stepping back and looking for her comlink.

Ezra moved back towards the examination table, taking deep breaths to try and calm himself while he waited.

-SWR-

Kanan walked through the door only a few minutes later, soft smile on his face.

"Hey kid," he called, coming forward. "I'm glad you called for me."

Ezra was staring down at the table, his teeth pressing together. "This is stupid," he muttered. "It's just a shot. Just a litle nee—needle," he said, his voice stumbling and hitching over the word. "I should be able to handle this." His hands crept up towards his head, fingers scratching through his hair.

"Easy," Kanan told him, reaching out and grabbing one of his hands, pulling it firmly away from digging into his scalp. "Let's just focus on what we need to do for now. Don't think about what you should be able to handle. Trust me," he said, squeezing Ezra's hand. "It doesn't help."

Kanan was right. Of course he was. But that nagging little negative voice in his head—sounded like Pryce most days—kept whispering to him.

He clenched his jaw tighter, forcing himself to tune it out.

Leslynn had her tray next to her, just out of Ezra's line of sight, and stepped in front of it as she turned to face the two Jedi.

Kanan alerted to her movement. "You're ready?" he guessed.

Leslynn nodded, then, remembering with a wince that Kanan couldn't see it, added verbally, "I am. Go ahead and do your..." She trailed off, making wide gestures with her hands. "...Force... thing..."

Kanan's other hand came around Ezra's, clasping the boy's palm tightly with both of his. "All right," he said. "Just like we did on the Ghost. Focus."

Ezra let his eyes fall closed, prying his jaws apart and taking in a slow breath.

He reached out, the Force coming into focus like a warm pocket of air around him.

Emotion, yet peace, he recited inside his head.

He felt Leslynn pushing up his sleeve, and his skin prickled with goosebumps.

Passion, yet serenity.

He wondered idly why the mantra Kanan had taught him was slightly different than the one he'd heard studying the Jedi holocron.

Maybe Kanan had learned a different version.

He risked peeking an eye open and regretted it when he saw the syringe. It was much thinner than the ones they'd used on him on the Chimaera, but that didn't stop the flickers of panic that started to creep through the warm edges of the Force.

Leslynn stepped over to the table, her face grimacing apologetically.

"It'll be quick," she promised.

Ezra nodded, closing his eyes again and bracing himself, his throat dry.

Echoes sounded dully outside the circle of calm surrounding him and Kanan. Ezra concentrated on his own breathing, keeping to a quiet corner of his mind. Nervous trickles pulsed through his veins.

There was a small pinprick.

Ezra gasped sharply, his hand mashing Kanan's. His face screwed tightly. Fragments of Pryce's voice pounded in his head.

"Ezra?" Kanan called, tone laced with worry.

Ezra let out the breath he was holding, letting his memories and emotions disappear into the Force. "I'm okay!" he wheezed. "I'm... I'm okay."

Leslynn was dabbing at his arm with an antiseptic swab. Ezra blinked. Was it already over?

His breathing steadied, the pings of anxiety in his head fading away.

"All done!" Leslynn chirped brightly. She sealed a bacta patch onto the injection site and stepped back with a smile. "You handled that very well, Ezra."

Ezra felt the corners of his mouth twitching up, mingled relief and pride vibrating through him.

"Not bad, kid," Kanan complimented warmly, patting his hand. He stood, pulling Ezra to his feet. "Come on," he said. "Let's go see if Hera's back from her mission."

He followed after Kanan, pulling down his sleeve, frowning slightly as he noticed the scars still left from all the other injections.

He put it out of mind.

(A/N)- The ever-customary Chapter Notes!

1. Still no therapists, but at least Kanan's around! And has calming Force techniques.

2. Leslynn is not quite over being dragged into Kanan and Ezra's Battle Meditation back in "Cracks In The Mirror" and would prefer they do their weird Jedi magic without her this time thank you very much.

3. A slightly altered version of the Jedi Code appears in the Kanan: The Last Padawan comic, as taught to him by Depa Bilaba. And I always found it fascinating in the way it was altered and how fitting it was for Depa-AKA Miss Trained By "I'll Just Invent A New Lightsaber Form That Lets Me Safely Channel Dark Side Energy Without Falling" Mace Windu-to have learned it that way. So the unconventional Jedi teachings continue to get passed down.

4. And now we see Ezra starting to make a bit of progress in his recovery, namely, not avoiding offered help and finding healthier coping mechanisms than being a workaholic. (For now at least.)

Next chapter's probably also gonna be a bit on the short side before I hit you with a couple longer ones. Thanks for sticking with me, readers!