Though medically, no one could explain how, Amira continued to hang on. When Sentaor Organa arrived a day later Anakin brought him directly to his sister's side. Bail Organa was not prepared for what he saw. He stood almost motionless and silent. It was several moments before he spoke. "How is she?"
"She is fighting." General Kenobi stood in the doorway and moved into the room to greet the Senator. "I trust your journey was uneventful?"
He took Kenobi's outstretched hand shaking it slowly. "It was very fast. I was afraid I'd arrive too late."
Anakin excused himself. "Senator; I will see to the security of your ship."
"Thank you Commander, and thank you for the escort."
Bail approached Amira and gently covered her hand with his. He glanced briefly at Kenobi. "Is my sister going to die?"
There was never a more painful question to answer. "The medical staff have have exhausted all possibilities." He sighed deeply. "With every hour she grows weaker."
"There is no antoidote?"
Kenobi replied. "The antidote had no effect."
Bail lowered his head and slowly shook it from side to side. "I can't believe this."
"Forgive me Senator; I should have…I could not keep her safe."
Bail turned toward him. "You are not responsible for this; for her. Amira chose to be here. She knew the risks."
Maeann hesitated before entering Amira's room; she had seen the Senator arrive and had nothing encouraging to tell him. "Senator; General, good morning."
Kenobi quickly introduced her. "Senator Organa this is Lieutenant Pharen. She has been caring for Lady Organa."
The senator shook her hand. "Lieutenant, I appreciate all you have done."
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I wish there was more we could do." She smiled sadly. "She has defied the odds so far; she wants to live."
"But she can't beat this?" Desperation crept into his voice.
"No, not without a working antidote."
"Do you know why it failed?"
"No Senator; we've exhausted every test we can think of; it should have worked."
He turned back toward his sister. "I'd like to stay with her for awhile."
Wanting to give him some privacy, the General gently led Maeann toward the door. "Of course Senator."
Outside the room Maeann's shoulders slumped and she dropped her head into her hands. "I feel so helpless. I feel like I have let her down." Her frustration spilled forth and she pointed into Amira's room. "If our places were reversed; she'd have found a way."
Kenobi had very little comfort he could offer, but he understood the feeling of helplessness and frustration. "Lieutenant, if you know you have done everything; then there is no regret; no failure. There is nothing to do but hope."
She looked up at him. "Do you still have hope?"
He thought carefully for a moment before answering; without hope there was nothing. Amira would die and he was not ready to accept that. "Yes" he said. "I still have hope."
Maeann could see the pain in his eyes and she stated simply. "You love her."
He did not answer right away and she continued. "It's alright, you don't need to answer, I know." She quickly added. "I think it's wonderful that she can be surrounded by those who love her. I've seen so many die without anyone to love them; to mourn them."
Maeann turned and disappeared down the corridor leaving the General alone in the hallway. He glanced briefly at the Senator and Amira before also leaving.
As she walked, something the General said kept replaying in her mind 'If you know you have done everything' She was almost offended by it, thinking he was questioning whether she had done everything.
Bail Organa kept vigil over his sister. He pushed stray strands of hair back from her face; smoothed the wrinkles out of her bedding and held her hand; all the while telling her news of Alderaan. He talked as if they were at home in his office sharing one of their many conversations.
"Brea's been very busy. She likes to devote her time to orphans of those killed during the battle of Alderaan. I bet if I just said the word she'd adopt them all into our home. She should be a mother; she has so much to give." He continued. "The work you started for the veterans is going strong. Two new facilities were opened in the last few weeks. I can't wait for you to see them."
Maeann found herself passing the lab; she stopped and stood outside the door. Now she was questioning herself. She heaved a deep sigh and pushed open the door. Having one more look might be fruitless, but part of hoping is not giving up.
After retrieving the samples of the Ohma-D'un toxin and Amira's blood she sat down at a molecular scanner. She compared the older toxin to the new one infecting Amira and at the molecular level they were absolutely identical; the current antidote should have made some impact.
Maeann leaned back in the chair dejected, not sure why she thought taking another look would matter. Then, a tiny glimmer of inspiration struck her and she once more peered into the scanner, switching the setting to view the virus at a sub molecular level.
What she saw made her heart begin racing; her mind raced too, trying grasp the meaning of what she was seeing under the scanner. The toxin infecting Amira was slightly altered at the sub molecular level; an imperceptible mutation from the original toxin.
Maeann raced to the medicine storage and retrieved another dose of the antidote and enlisted the help of a med droid to begin making the sub molecular adjustment to the antidote. It had to be exactly right and she did not have the luxury of time.
The Senator, tired of sitting, was pacing the room but he kept talking to Amira, not wanting to let the silence creep in; not wanting to hear the ominous whoosh and hiss of the machine helping her breathe. "Things in the Senate are tense. There is a definite rift betwen those who feel the Chancellor has more power thn he should and those who would vote to give him absolute power."
After what seemed like an agonizing amount of time the antidote was ready. Maeann hurried back to Amria and with a definite air of excitement she burst into the room and stood before the Senator holding a syringe in her hand. "I found a slight mutation in the toxin at the sub molecular level. I have adjusted the Antidote."
She hesitated before giving it to Amira, wanting the Senator to give his blessing. He nodded his approval and Maeann gave Amira the new antidote.
He stood absolutely silent, holding his breath, as if waiting for something to happen instantly. Maeann smiled. "Senator we won't know anything for a few hours. If you need to rest or get something to eat…"
Bail let out the breath he was holding. "Thank you Lieutenant; but if it is alright, I will stay with her."
"Of course." Filled with excitement she quickly excused herself. "Senator; I am going to inform General Kenobi of this development."
It did not take her long to track down the General at the Command Post and she delivered the news in person.
His mood changed immediately and for the first time in days his eyes shone brightly. "How did you find a sub molecular mutation? What made you look for that?"
She shook her head. "I don't know; I guess I questioned whether I had really done everything I could." She continued. "Normally we don't test at the sub molecular level; toxins like this one are usually very straight forward and diagnosed easily at the molecular level. Whoever engineered this one did so knowing it would be mistaken for the original."
"So now we wait again" He stated simply but positively.
"Yes sir."
He nodded. "Thank you Lieutenant."
She smiled. "If you don't mind sir, I'd rather you thank me when it works."
