I swear to god, I'll do my best

And time will tell, We'll pass the test

But we'll cross that bridge when it comes

- Cross That Bridge by Home Free

It was Armitage Hux's worst nightmare thought Phasma. Or it would have been if he were anything close to conscious. Physically ill, helpless, and surrounded by Force users. And to make it worse, one of them was his enemy, and the others he barely tolerated.

Hux was lying on a bed in the Charterhouse guest house, going through something called Threshold Sickness. Circling the bed was a bevy of said Force users. They included Kylo Ren, his enemy from the First Order (though to be fair, he has been acting more like a frenemy of late), his girlfriend Rey, Phasma's girlfriend Kateria (aka Red), the lady doctor, and some old geezer in grey robes resembling the ones worn by Jedi. Phasma wasn't going to let Hux lay there unprotected, so she was standing next to Kateria, her hidden knives readily available if necessary.

The old geezer stretched his arm out to touch Hux's head. Phasma harrumphed loudly, her hand moving towards one of her weapons. Kateria put a hand on her arm and shook her head. The lady doctor looked up from examining Hux.

"Captain Phasma, I won't let anything happen to General Hux. Master Mac Dhomhnuill needs to touch him briefly to ascertain what treatment if any, he requires."

"It's a Force thing, Phas," commented Kylo.

"Kylo is watching out for him," added Rey. "We aren't his enemies."

"At least not anymore," muttered Kylo sotto voce.

"If you youngsters are quite done," snapped Master Mac Dhomhnuill, his steel-grey eyes hard with irritation, "I need to concentrate." His long, deft fingers brushed over Hux's forehead, then rested there for a few moments.

"It has the potential of being a rough transition," he said as he removed his hand. He looked at Aurelia. "Adept Galen, a word in private if you don't mind." She nodded and followed the Meimeal into the hallway.

Phasma watched them leave, and then rounded on Kylo. "I don't like this Ren," she hissed. "Armitage needs medical treatment, not hand waving Force mumbo jumbo."

Kylo glared at her. "The Force is not mumbo jumbo. Nor is it balderdash, claptrap, or gobbledegook. This is a Force-related situation."

"I still want to take Armitage to a medical doctor." insisted Phasma, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Blondie? We do have a medical doctor," interrupted Kateria. "She gave us that hangover remedy a couple of cycles ago. Remember?"

"I'll take your word for it, Red," answered Phasma. "In my defense, I was really, really, hungover."

***TaBa***

Master Mac Dhomhnuill led Aurelia into the hallway and stopped a few steps from the bedroom door. He looked at her speculatively.

"Well lass, it's a right pretty mess you've handed me," he said sternly.

"Yes Master," she replied meekly. He was right, of course. But that didn't change the fact that it was the correct thing to do.

"You've put me in a difficult position Adept Galen." he continued. She winced at his use of her formal title. "Armitage Hux's actions with regard to the destruction of the Hosnian system were egregious. The loss of sapient life, as well as sentient lifeforms and several ecosystems, caused a significant Force imbalance affecting the entire Core area. You could call it a wound in the Force."

"Master Mac Dhomhnuill …" she ventured. He cut her off.

"Not another word until I am finished, Adept Galen!" Irritation wound through his tone. "I can't in good conscience assign a senior adept to shepherd the Starkiller through Threshold Sickness. Moreover, I won't ask one to do so. Therefore, I assign you to the task."

"With respect Master." Aurelia protested, "I don't believe I have the training and the strength in the Force to support him properly."

"Balderdash." The Master's look offered no quarter. "Not only are you a fully trained adept, Aurelia, but you're also much stronger in the Force than you realize. The Grey Council let you stay on Coruscant far too long. You've forgotten your roots."

"Moreover," he added, "You brought him. He's your responsibility. I suspect he would prefer to have someone he knows in his head than a complete stranger."

"But what if I'm not strong enough, Master? I don't want him harmed by this experience."

Master Mac Dhomhnuill looked at her sympathetically. "You're not being abandoned lass. If you need help call out to me in the Force and I'll lend you support."

Aurelia sighed and bowed her head. "Yes, Master Mac Dhomhnuill." At least support was available if she needed it. And the Master had a good point. She had seen what a private person Hux was in the short time she had known him. He wouldn't be happy about having her in his head, but someone he didn't know would be worse.

They stood in the hallway a few minutes longer. The Meimeal knew that supporting Armitage Hux through Threshold Sickness would be a challenge for her, but one that he was confident she could meet.

He put a hand on her shoulder. "Ready, lass?"

"As ready as I can be, Master," she answered.

***TaBa***

Phasma was getting worried. Armitage, though still unconscious, was muttering and moving his head as if in pain. Occasionally she could distinguish a word or two. But hearing him say 'no, don't' and 'please' was not reassuring in the least. Just standing next to his bed was making her anxious. She felt like pacing around the room. No, she felt like hitting something.

"What are they doing out in the hall?" she demanded. "Why aren't they taking care of Armitage?"

"Calm down Blondie," said Kateria for the fifth time in as many minutes.

"If you tell me to calm down one more time I'll rip your heart out with my bare hands!"

"Phasma, you aren't helping Hux like this," interjected Kylo. "You need to calm down or leave."

"Are you going to make me, Kylo?"

"If necessary," Kylo replied.

They were still glaring at each other when Aurelia and the Meimeal walked back into the room.

Master Mac Dhomhnuill cleared his throat. "As the Master of the Grey Order, I have agreed that we will provide assistance to enable Armitage Hux to process through Threshold Sickness. Aurelia Galen is a fully trained adept and will support him through the process. Whether we will render further assistance will be determined after he has recovered."

The Master turned to address Kylo and Rey.

"Master Ren, Master Skywalker, I am going to table discussion of your situation until after the Starkiller has recovered."

"Wait!" interjected Phasma, "Someone needs to explain to me what's wrong with Armitage. I don't understand and it's making me angry."

"Don't get Phasma angry," Kylo told the Meimael. "You wouldn't like her when she's angry. She's like a force of nature - devastatingly destructive."

The Master looked at Aurelia quizzically. "You did explain the situation, didn't you Adept Galen?"

"Phasma was on a different ship," she muttered, embarrassed. She ordered her thoughts, composed her face, and continued, "I apologize for my oversight. Essentially, Force sensitivity normally emerges well before puberty. An Awakening in the Force is when a person with no prior indications exhibits a level of Force sensitivity. When an Awakening occurs in a person in their late 20's and beyond it is often accompanied by Threshold Sickness as the body, and particularly the brain adjusts to the changes that Force sensitivity can bring.

"What does that mean for Armitage?" asked Phasma. "He's in his late 30's."

"We don't know," admitted Aurelia, "According to the records of the Grey Council he is the oldest Awakening to date. We don't know how severe Threshold Sickness will be for him. It can include physical distress, such as headache, nausea, dizziness, and fever. It can also include hallucinations or uncontrollable precognition. I will be supporting him in the Force until he is past the danger point."

"Adept Galen will need to meditate without distractions as she supports your friend," Master Mac Dhomhnuill told the rest of the group. "I must ask you to adjourn to the great room downstairs for the duration."

As they were leaving Rey turned back to Aurelia for a moment. "Dr. Galen, if you need my or Kylo's support reach out in the Force to us."

Aurelia nodded and said "Thank you," before turning back to her patient.

Author's Notes: Nope, I couldn't resist the Incredible Hulk quote. I love Phasma. I think her character was horribly underutilized in the sequel movies.

The next chapter will be all Threshold Sickness. I have a good idea of how I want to handle it but it still needs refinement.