Miriah sat on the sofa, relaxed and happy. They'd loved on all the grandchildren and, with the early day, she was ready for bed. Corso had walked out to the elevators with everyone, and now breezed into the apartment, pulling her up. "C'mon, darlin'. Let's snuggle in. I'm tired, and I know you are, too."
"I am," she admitted, and followed him into their bedroom. They were changed and in each others arms in short fashion, and Miriah could feel her eyes closing. It was a good day, she thought, and searched herself for any of the anxiety that she'd suffered with. When she found none, she let herself relax and was asleep quickly. Corso studied her face, saw that she was peaceful, and closed his own eyes.
Coleen put her hands over her face. "What the hell are you doing, Ty?" she demanded, and saw his face flush.
"I want you to be with me," he told her. "I want your family to know that I love you, Coleen."
"You're just afraid of what Dad thinks. It doesn't matter, Ty. We don't have to do anything we don't want to do. And you know how I feel about commitment, after Caitlin's father." She brushed past where he knelt and into the kitchen. "Let's just..."
"No, Coleen. I know how I feel. I told Torian, months ago, that I wanted to make you my riduur." He followed her into the kitchen and grabbed her hands, pulling her to the small dining table. "Just think about it. We can have a formal promise and then marry when you're ready." He could see her warring emotions on her face, but finally she shook her head.
"It's too soon. We have time, let's take it. Meanwhile, I'm starving." She went back to the counter and pulled the plates of food from the warmer. "Sit, let's take a breath and talk about things." Sighing, Ty did as she asked, even though his emotions were all over the place.
Lana was restless, her baby kicking and moving around, even though it was the wee hours of the morning. She turned on her side and felt Nico's arm circle her, his hand over where their son was tapping against her skin. "He's really something," he said softly, and she could hear his pleased smile.
"He's going to have to get his nights and days figured out," she said, but her tone was gentle. "I'm looking forward to seeing his face."
"Me, too," Nico said. He moved his hand to massage her neck, and she felt her restlessness fade under his loving touch. When she felt sleepy, she turned to put her head on his shoulder, and he kissed her forehead. "Love you."
"Love you, Nico." She felt herself drifting and heard Nico's voice as she faded into sleep.
"Love you, little one," he whispered.
Magdalane woke suddenly, and before she could even register what was happening, rushed into her mother's room. Sarai was thrashing about on the bed, and when Magdalane touched her, she could feel the fever. Mags reached out through the force for her sister.
Miriah sat up, and Corso startled awake. "What?"he asked, his hands already trying to soothe her.
"It's Mags. Mom's sick, and she needs us." Miriah rushed to the closet, pulling on clothes, Corso right behind her. Miriah almost fell trying to get around the bed, but Corso's large hands steadied her.
"Easy, darlin'. No need in having two of you in the med center," he told her, and then laced her fingers with his. They set out across the smuggler area, the two HK units clanging behind them. Once inside Sarai's apartment, Corso let Miriah lead him to her mother. There they saw Mags gently wiping Sarai's face with a cloth.
"Hurry, Cor. She's burning up," Mags pleaded, and Corso could feel the heat on his arms where he carried the tiny woman. They exited the elevator and Corso jogged, all the way across the war room. By the time Mags and Miriah had caught up, Sarai was on a trauma bed, the monitors blaring their alarms. Mags stepped up to the bed then, and her force aura flared out. Miriah sat on a nearby chair, Corso beside her, her head buried against his chest. He could feel her shaking, and asked a droid for a warm blanket. Once he'd wrapped her in it, she stopped shaking but continued to hide her face, waiting for Mag's aura to subside.
Aric heard his datapad, but in his haste to take Maura to bed, he'd left it in the other room. He had just put his feet on the floor when the chime stopped, and he almost just ignored it, but something was off, he could feel it. Grunting, he stood and made his way to the table where the device lay, and when he read the message, he hurried to his wife's side. "Hon, wake up," he said, gently shaking her shoulder.
"What is it? Caitlin?" she asked, her words slurred with sleep.
"No, baby. It's your mom. Corso just took her to the med center." Instantly, Maura was awake and dressing. Aric pulled on some casual clothes and shoved his feet into his boots, not bothering to lace them, and hurried out behind Maura. I knew she looked odd yesterday, he thought. He didn't want to go where his thoughts took him, but he had to acknowledge that she was older. Still, Sarai is a presence in all our lives, and she just has to get better.
Coleen paced in the baby's room, Caitlin on her shoulder. She had sent Ty to the barracks, since he had an early shift tomorrow. And, if she were honest with herself, she needed the space to think. She knew he was a good guy, and he had shown her nothing but affection. Unfortunately, her previous experience had her second guessing herself, and she knew she needed to gain a little perspective on things. It wasn't as if she didn't want Ty, but that she couldn't see why he would want her. Physically, she had lost all her pregnancy weight, and a little more, but her body had definitely changed. Ty had told her many times she was beautiful, inside and out, but she still had doubts. The only times she was intimate with him took place in a very dark room, and even then, when his hands had skimmed over her stretch marks, she'd winced. She wanted to believe him, she really did, when he declared his love for her. She gently placed Caitlin in her bed, and stood, stretching her back. They'd have a normal day tomorrow, and maybe talk then. Satisfied that the baby would now sleep, she made her way to her bed, and fell into it, exhausted.
Maura slid into the room, and turned her back on the bed. The light was blinding, and she felt for her sister, finding Corso's arm that was around her instead. "What happened?" she asked. Miriah told her what she'd seen, and Maura shook her head. "I had a feeling more was up on Dantooine than just being tired."
"Why don't we go into the hall? I'll go get some caf, and we'll be able to see each other," Aric said softly, getting nods all around. Outside, they pulled chairs up to the door and Miriah was handed tea by one of the nurses. The hot liquid warmed her, and she rubbed tired eyes.
"Mags blames herself," Miriah said. "I'm sure Mom told her she was fine, but she still feels responsible."
"Sarai is good at seeming fine," Corso said, and they agreed. Corso had worked on a ranch most of his life, though, and he could feel that his mother in law's journey was almost done. He didn't want that, and hoped he was wrong, but he still felt it. Pulling Miriah close, he swore to himself to be whatever she needed.
Caly stirred as Torian sat up, reaching for the datapad that had woken them both. "Your Nana is in the med center," he said softly, and saw Caly's face pale. "I'm being sent to guard the Commander."
"I'll go, too," she said, scrambling for clothing. Torian was ready quickly, and Caly hurried behind him, pulling her long hair into a tie. Please, not Nana, she thought, but she had seen how the journey to Dantooine had taxed her grandmother. Torian stopped at the entrance, taking his guard stance, but within sight of the Commander. Caly rushed to hug her mom and aunt, and settled at her father's side. She could see her Aunt Magdalane's force aura still, and knew they were all just waiting. She saw Torian and someone she didn't recognize checking everyone in and out of the area, and wondered what time it was. She had just turned to ask when the brilliant light from the other room dimmed, and she held her breath.
Magdalane came out into the hall, and was embraced by her sisters. "Mom is stable," she said. "But we have to face the fact that she's getting older. Her organs are starting to show signs of age, and she'll need to be here for a while."
"I'm so glad we got her here when we did," Miriah said, and squeezed Corso's hand. "Can we see her?"
"For a minute," Mags agreed. "Then she's in the critical care unit. The fever was the result of an infection, but she's just so debilitated by it, that we need to watch her carefully."
"We'll just tell her we love her and let her rest," Maura said, and they all agreed. When they were close enough, Sarai reached out for Corso.
"Thank you, son, for getting me here," she said, her voice hoarse and weak. He gently hugged her, and could still feel the fever.
"I hope you're feeling yourself soon," he replied, and she nodded.
"Mom, we're here, whatever you need, okay?" Miriah had taken one hand in hers, and she felt her mother grip her fingers weakly.
"We'll try not to be a nuisance," Maura said, "but you'll let us know when you need rest?"
"I will," Sarai repsonded, and Maura kissed her cheek. "Aric, keep them safe. I'm so tired."
"Affirmative, Sarai. We'll check in on you soon." Aric hugged the frail women and as one, they moved out where Torian and his partner stood. Miriah tried not to sigh as the family surrounded her much as her detail would have, moving toward her apartment. Once inside, Aric and Maura took an oversized chair and stretched out, while Miriah and Corso snuggled on the sofa. Little was said, and the lack of sleep overcame them, giving them a temporary respite from their concerns.
Caly and Torian returned home and just climbed into the bed, fully clothed. "She looked so tiny, lying there," Caly whispered, her head on Torian's shoulder.
"She did, but I believe Magdalane. She will feel better soon." He had seen the haunted eyes and dry lips of the Chantalle matriarch, and didn't want to give false hope, but he knew losing Sarai would be devastating. He hoped with all that he had that she would recover and live on, and did his best to soothe his wife, eventually feeling her fall into sleep.
Miriah dreamed of her mother, back when she was a child. In hindsight, she could see how much Sarai had sacrificed to try and bring order to the world, even though it meant not being with her children. She wondered if the same would have been true for her, if she had been tapped to lead the Alliance before the children were grown. She woke, wondering if her mother was improved, and would have gotten up to go to her if Corso hadn't held her close. She examined his sleeping face, and thought again of her mother, left alone to raise three girls by herself. I would never have made it without Corso, she knew. She gently kissed his cheek and tried to relax, resisting the urge to reach out to Mags to check on her mom.
Magdalane helped transfer Sarai into the specialized unit, checking the monitoring equipment and giving quiet instructions to the nursing staff. Dr. Jorgan joined her, having been roused when Sarai had been brought in. Once the older woman was settled and sleeping, they went out into the hallway. "She looks rough," Calleigh observed.
"I know. I so hate myself that I took her word she was okay." Magdalane had manged to keep her self recriminations at bay while she was working, but now, she felt the weight of them.
"She had to have been sick for a bit, by the look of her labs," Calleigh said, and Mags followed her to the central desk. "Let's adjust the fever meds a bit, and increase her fluids. At least until she can tolerate oral intake."
"Agreed." Mags made the notations in the medical chart, and then leaned back in the chair. Calleigh saw her aunt's fatigue and turned to her.
"Go rest in the on call room," she encouraged. "Then you'll be close, and still get a little sleep."
"Good idea," Mags admitted, and stood. "I feel bad leaving her, though."
"You're not," Calleigh. "Besides, I'll be here. I promise I'll let you know if anything changes." With a weary nod, Mags made her way into the center of the med center and found a clean bunk. She pulled her shoes off and was asleep seconds later, her rest devoid of dreams.
Tali had awakened when Miriah's emotions had spiked in the force, and had gone to her mother in tears. Lana had comforted her, and now she lay sleeping between them. Lana, however, had not been able to go back to sleep, feeling the distress that Tali had. She had reached over for her datapad, and messaged the duty officer, who reported the med center activity. Poor Sarai, she thought, and arranged to have the nurses update her directly on the elder Jedi's condition. When that was done, she snuggled Tali to her, hoping the morning would bring some clarity. It was only when she woke again that she remembered the interview, and the approaching reporter.