"EZRA BRIDGER, you get out here right now!" Kanan shouted as he pounded his fist next to the vent of the cockpit.
"NO! I'm not coming out and you can't make me" Shouted the boy back, sounding determined to stay in there for as long as he could.
"Oh Ezra, you seem to underestimate what we can do." Hera argued
Sabine with some tea in her hand saw Hera trying to maintain her cool.
"Ezra, we need you to come out, we're going to be late." Hera tried to reason.
"Then you go, you don't need me." Ezra argued.
"Ezra this appointment is for you. You're the patient, I don't think we can go to this without the patent." Hera again debated.
It was silent for a bit before Ezra argued, "I didn't ask to be a patient, and I'm not coming out to do something I didn't volunteer for."
Sabine couldn't help but giggle at the scenario. While she hated seeing Kanan and Hera so frustrated, it was cute to see Ezra acting like normal kid with issues.
Zeb then came into the cockpit. He was about to greet everyone after he did some solo target practicing. But Zeb then decided against it when he saw Kanan and Hera talking to the vent.
Zeb merely sat in the seat next to Sabine and asked simply, "The kid?"
Sabine nodded before she pointed out, "Hera was able to find a medical professional that Fulcrums knows to give him his vaccines. But Ezra is more than adamant to stay in the vent."
Zeb just laughed at the scene.
"Zeb, it isn't funny." Hera argued.
"It's a little funny," Sabine objected.
Hera just rolled her eyes as Kanan became even more agitated, "Ezra, if you don't come out there right now, no holovids for a month."
"I dealt with no holovids for a year," Ezra argued, "I can handle it."
Kanan just face palmed him, "How did he even know about this?" Kanan asked himself.
In truth, the plan was for Kanan and Hera to talk to him as they got to the Doctors office, but Ezra somehow caught wind of their scheme and decided to hold himself in the vent.
Kanan and Hera had spent the better part of an hour trying to find Ezra, and once they found him in the vent, they discovered that Ezra was not going to the Doctors without a fight.
"How the heck did he even know about the appointment?" Hera asked this time, eyeing the room as she asked
The room was silent until Sabine's told them, "I told him."
Sabine then felt the angered heated stares aimed at her.
"Why did you tell him?" asked the frustrated Hera.
Sabine shrugged her shoulders and explained, "After Ezra caught Hoth Throat, he wanted to learn some human anatomy and when he heard you talking about vaccinating him, I thought it would be a good idea to explain it to him."
Sabine could tell that despite her best intentions, it lead to trouble.
"What exactly did you tell him?" Kanan asked.
Sabine told them, "I explained him that a vaccination is an inert virus that is administered inside one's system through a needle injection…" Sabine then understood where her lecture on the topic might have caused panic for the child, "Okay, looking back now I can understand why he might be scared."
As Kanan face palmed himself, Hera just rolled her whole head around.
"Sabine, your grounded." Hera ordered
"For what, being honest?" Sabine asked in shock.
"For telling Ezra about the appointment without going it over with us." Hera indicated.
"I guess now is a bad time to ask if I should give him 'the talk'?" Sabine jokingly asked, only to get two angered stares from the two parent figures in the room.
Kanan, trying to focus on the current problem at hand he turned his attention back to Ezra,
"Ezra, it really isn't that bad. It will be a small prick and-,"
"I am not going to get stabbed, so leave me alone please." Ezra asked politely while still rebelling.
Hera kept her cool and spoke in to the vent, "Ezra, we need you to come out, you cannot stay in the vent forever." Hera reasoned.
"Way ahead of you guys," Ezra told them, "I have enough snacks and juice in here to last me a while."
Zeb just crossed his arms and smiled, "Good luck you two, Ezra can probably last a whole month on a bag of chips."
Hera was really trying to keep her cool, "Ezra if you don't come out, then I'll just have to come in there and get you."
"You can't come in." Ezra stated timidly.
Hera smiled, believing she has won, "I can and will."
It was silent for a moment before Ezra spoke, "No, you really can't, your too big."
The room was silent in shock. Zeb blocked Sabine from Hera's soon to be outburst while Kanan just stood there in shock.
"THAT'S IT!" Hera hollered as she took off her goggles to give to Kanan to hold as she crawled into the vent.
"Um Hera." Kanan tried to warn, but alas fell on deaf ears from anger.
As Hera tried to crawl into the vent, she soon found herself trapped; her lower extremities becoming wedged between the small space.
As Hera began to squirm, she saw Ezra sitting in the vent, a safe distance from Hera.
"I tried to warn you," Ezra stated, "Sabine got stuck twice, so…"
Hera face palmed herself. Ezra was not trying to be a smart ass he was trying to warn her.
Before the crew could say anything Hera shouted to them, "If any of you say a word, so help me I will kick you all when I get out."
This silenced the others immediately
"Kanan," Hera hollered to the man on the other side, "Turn up the heat, the vent will expand and I will be able to shimmy out.
"Um okay," Kanan said as he went to do just that when he asked concerned, "Ezra, are you still alive?"
Ezra giggled weakly, "Hera would never hurt me, no matter how mad she is."
Hera, while still upset with the kid, smiled at Ezra trusting her.
"No, but you're still in trouble young man." Hera pointed out.
Ezra then grabbed a box and offered it to Hera, "Cookie?"
Hera, a little hungry, took the cookie as they waited for the vent to expand.
Hera then noticed the little set up Ezra had places in the vent. Despite the vent being small for the grownups, it was the perfect size for tiny Ezra to sit in. Ezra had a pillow and spare blanket neatly folded on one side of the wall next to his food stash, while Ezra had some coloring supplies and the holorcron on the other side."
"You got a little set up in your hide out here." Hera commended a little impressed.
Ezra though was not going to be easily swayed, "I'm still mad," Ezra pouted as he crossed his arms.
"Ezra, why are you so mad? You have to of gone to the doctors before." Hera asked concerned.
"But I don't like needles, they hurt." Ezra told the twi'lek.
Hera was a little confused, but Sabine hollered to the two from the other side of Hera, "Ezra, you've never had a vaccination, how could you know what getting a shot is like.
Ezra then shook a bit as he hugged his knees; Hera knew this was what he did when he was scared. Some gears began to turn in Hera's mind.
"You can tell us sweetheart. We want to understand so we can help you, please" Hera appealed to the boy.
Ezra gazed at her a bit before he took a deep breath and told her fearfully, "When I got grabbed the muttonchops man when I was looking for Tseboo, someone jammed a needle in me and it made me black out and the next thing I was at that base. I don't want the same thing to happen again." By the end Ezra was holding back his tears.
Hera now understood, and because she did she was able to understand Ezra's behavior from earlier.
"Ezra, that isn't going to happen this time; Yes, it is going to pinch a bit, and your arm might be sore for a while, but you won't black and won't ever wake up in that base again." Hera assured him.
Ezra though was still scared because he soon asked. "Why do I need it anyways.
Hera then felt the vent loosen up around her, so she crawled back as she told Ezra, "Remember how you got sick a few weeks ago, and how you felt awful and cold."
Ezra began to crawl towards Hera as he answered, "Yeah."
Hera smiled calmly as she squirmed her way out of the vent, "Well this vaccination will make sure you won't get so ill again. Does that make sense?" Hera was now completely out of the vent while Ezra still was in there.
"It does, but I still don't want to go alone." Ezra stated
Sabine smiled, "Hey, we're all going, so we'll be right by your side."
Ezra just looked to the side nervous
"I don't know?" Ezra admitted.
Kanan then smiled thought of an incentive.
"Tell you what, you get this vaccination and we'll get doughnuts."
Ezra smiled, "Can it be chocolate?"
"Of course," Kanan promised.
"With sprinkles," the boy asked hopefully.
"If you go to the doctors yes." Kanan offered as he held out his hand for Ezra to get down.
Before Ezra took it though he asked, "You'll be there by my side right?"
Kanan smiled, "I always am."
Ezra, smiling back, took Kanan's hand as he helped the boy out of the vent.
The rest of the crew smiled.
"Let's get going, we're going to be late." Hera voiced her concern.
The Med center that Fulcrum had send them too was nothing too fancy. In the country side of Garel, the Med center was located near an old farming community. The center was older than most on the outside, but the equipment inside was high tech.
Once they got inside, they were greeted by a med-droid (which caused Ezra to cling to Kanan tightly) when a doctor came in.
"C-143, please get the instruments ready," ordered the elderly silver haired women. Ezra looked at her, and could tell she was nice.
"Sorry about that. Fulcrum warned me to keep him at a certain distance. I'm Dr. Jones" the women offered he hand which Kanan took and shook.
"I'm Kanan and this here his Ezra."
Dr. Jones then smiled and knelt down in front of Ezra, "My patient today."
Ezra, while a little shy, nodded his head with a smile on his face.
"I know going to the doctors can be a little scary, but don't worry we'll be quick about this."
The med droid came back in and told them the items are ready.
"Are you ready?" Dr. Jones asked kindly to the kid.
Ezra, a little timid to answer, was relieved when Kanan picked him up and answered for him.
"Yeah he is, I hope it's alright I stay with him."
The doctor smiled, "Of, course. Follow me into the med room.
Kanan with Ezra in his arms followed the doctor into the room. As Ezra got down and sat on the examination table, Hera also entered the room.
"Zeb and Sabine will wait outside." Hera indicated with her thumb.
Ezra then asked, "Is it going to hurt?"
"No, I won't feel a thing," Jones joked at before smiling and honestly telling him, "It will be like a couple of pinches. Just three though and it will over with. I got the vaccinations already in the syringe guns."
"Kanan!" Ezra screeched as he clung to the man sitting next to him!
"Oh, no not that kind honey," Hera assured Ezra, "It has the vaccine and injects into you. It makes it quicker."
"Oh, okay," Ezra said reassured, "So-,"
Just then the doors burst open followed by a panic stricken Lasat and Mandalorian with their hands hovering over their weapons. But once they saw that all was well in the room, Sabine reasoned, "We heard screaming."
Kanan and Hera just eyed them sternly.
Zeb got the message, "We'll be in the waiting room." Zeb told them as he pushed Sabine out of the exam room.
As the two left, Hera was about to apologize when the doctor held up her hand with a gentle face.
"Trust me, I have dealt with a lot more awkward situations before." Jones explained gently as she got the supplies ready, "I had one matter where one boy bit me."
Ezra giggled, "Really?"
"Yes. I was vaccinating a little girl when her sister and brother came up to me when she started crying, one on my left leg kicking me and the other shouting at me to 'not hurt his sissy'."
Ezra laughed at this, barely noticing the prick from the first injection.
"That must have been a nightmare." Hera offered her sympathy.
"I have been in the medical field long before the Empire, I have seen a handful of messy situations."
"So, how do you know Fulcrum?" Kanan asked as the second injection went in Ezra, again unnoticed by the boy as he was listening to the adult's story.
"Let's just say I have a past with Fulcrum. In fact, I gave Fulcrum's vaccines many years ago."
"Really?" Ezra asked surprised,
"Yup," Dr. Jones answered as she administered the last of the vaccinations.
Ezra flinched a bit at the contact, "That's not too bad. Will the others be like that?"
The grown-ups chuckled.
"Ezra, that was the last one." Kanan revealed.
Ezra looked at the empty syringe guns surprised and smiled at the adults in the room, "Hey that really wasn't so bad."
Dr. Jones smiled as she finished putting the ban-aids on the injection spots,
"See, just like I said. Why don't you go see the other two while I talk to Kanan and Hera?
Ezra smiled and left the office to see Zeb and Sabine.
Dr. Jones then told them "His arm may be sore for a few days, that is common with vaccinations. He also may experience nausea, a little fever, and may be a little lethargic; but those should pass in a day or two. But other than that he should be fine."
Hera smiled relieved as Kanan shook the doctor's hair again, "Thank you again. We're just happy we got this over with." Kanan told them.
Dr. Jones smiled, "Fulcrum told me how desperate you were to get him vaccinated. I must admit, many people these days would not even consider it. They argue that with the prices being so high and then they hear the horror stories of the vaccinations being dangerous. But those stories were back from a time where even doctors knew very little about vaccines. I'm glad you guys made the right decision."
Kanan and Hera turned to on another embarassed. Hera told Jones, "Well we were not aware of the vaccination laws changing, so when Ezra developed Hoth Throat, we knew we couldn't risk him getting that sick again."
Dr. Jones smiled gently at them, "Well he is very lucky to have people like you guys to care for him."
Dr. Jones then grabbed a communication code, and gave it to them, "If any of you all need to come back here, do not hesitate to communicate me. Fulcrum already paid for the vaccinations visit, and I have to clean up. You two have a great day and, thank you for what you do."
Kanan and Hera were a little shocked by the doctor's words, but smiled as they left.
"Did Fulcrum tell you?" Kanan asked Hera.
"No, I had the credits ready to pay her. I'll contact Fulcrum once were back on the Ghost.
Once the two got to the waiting room, they saw Ezra telling Zeb and Sabine about the story Dr. Jones told him. Both laughing at the tale.
"Okay," Kanan greeted, "Now that is out of the way, let's go get you that doughnut."
"Chocolate right?" Ezra asked as he took Kanan's hand.
"Of course,"
"See kid, it wasn't so bad," Sabine assured Ezra.
"Yeah, you and Zeb were the only ones who freaked." Ezra made fun as he reminded the two of how they were ready to attack when they heard Ezra scream.
They all laughed as they headed to the nearest bakery, happy that they got that doctors visit out of the way without any broken bones.
A/N: First out shout out to Midnight Luna for the doughnut idea I know it was a joke but I loved it. So obviously I had to do a vaccine one after the sick chapters. I actually a real experience from when I was a kid when my sister was getting her shots and being three and my older brother being five, decided to attack the doctor who was making her cry. Even the nurse said that was not the worst thing to happen to her when my mom apologized.
In all seriousness I should point out, Vaccinations are important! Sorry but I'm in the medical field and I cannot stress this enough.
But I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.
