Chapter 5

Late that night, Luke finally came to. He felt as though he were in a thick fog. He knew he wasn't in his bedroom…the surface he was lying on was much too stiff. It was dark, so he could barely see past the end of his nose. Which, at the moment, was completely stuffed up.

He sneezed after a moment, groaning as his chest screamed in protest. Eventually, his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and he realized he lay in the hospital ward. And not only that, but they had placed him on a cot surrounded by plastic walls. Leia. He tried to reach his sister through mind speech. Leia, help me. He broke into coughing, and, just as he finished, he heard the door to the med center open.

"Master Skywalker?" a droid voice broke the silence, and soon, the door to his cubicle opened. "Sir, how are you?"

Luke was about to respond when he sneezed again, rubbing his nose with the back of his wrist. "I think I have a bad cold," he grumbled.

"Yes," the droid replied. "You have contracted a viral infection. However, a recent scan of your insides have revealed a rather startling bit of information, sir."

Luke struggled to sit, but soon gave up the effort. "What do you mean?" he coughed, massaging his sore chest.

"Your file, sir, reports that you have suffered a cough for the past several seasons now. When we did a scan of your chest, sir…" he turned on the light inside the cubicle using his sensors, and revealed an x-ray to Luke. "As you can see, these are your lungs, sir. One of them appears to be horribly burnt."

Burnt. Luke felt sick to his stomach. Sure enough, when he got a closer look, the x-rays revelaed one horribly deformed lung, clearly blackened by intense heat. The Emperor. He closed his eyes, coughing again into his fist.

"What…" he croaked, swallowing, "what can we do?"

The droid looked at him through his optical sensors. "You are in great danger, sir. If you will allow us, I would strongly recommend that we undergo an operation."

Luke felt faint. "What kind of an operation?" he asked, his voice trembling a little.

"We would need to replace the damaged lung with a mechanical lung, sir. It appears as though the virus in your body is eaing away at the damaged lung."

Luke didn't know how to respond. How could he? The fact that he was possibly dying had him speechless.

"Sir, are you quite all right?" the droid asked, and Luke lowered his head.

"I must speak with my family before I make any decisions," he practically whispered.

"The wait would not be wise, sir," the droid insisted, but Luke glared at it.

"Allow me to decide what I wish to do with my life," he snapped.

The droid was quiet for a moment. "As you wish, sir. I will allow you to be released back to your quarters tomorrow morning, if you feel strong enough." He rolled away, leaving Luke alone again. When a few moments of silence had passed, Luke covered his face with his hand, taking a deep, trembling breath.

He knew exactly what Han and Leia would say…they would insist he go ahead wth the operation. If he had his lung replaced, there was the possible bright hope that the cough would be gone forever, that he would not have to worry about feeling so ill all the time. However, there was also the fear that the operation could go horribly wrong, that he may not wake up from the anesthesia. He reached into the pocket of his cloak and found a spare handkerchief, blowing his still stuffy nose. Sighing, he lay back against the pillows, gazing up at the ceiling. He would have to inform Han, Leia and the children first thing in the morning.

After a little while, Luke eventually drifted off to sleep, taking in the sounds of buzzing medical instruments and the electric generators.

"One step at a time, Luke." Leia spoke, as she and Han aided the Jedi master out of the medical ward the next morning. Luke still felt horribly exhausted, and had a slight fever, but the worst of the illness had passed. He hadn't told them of the droid's news yet, but figured it would be best to wait until they reached his room.

"Where are the children?" he asked in a very weak voice, allowing them to turn his body in order to turn a corner.

"They're eating breakfast," Han replied. "They'll come and see you afterwards. But I'm glad you're doing a little better, kid."

Luke managed a small laugh, and leaned against Han, while Leia activated the security code to his quarters. After they helped him into bed and under the covers, Leia sat beside him, squeezing his hand. "What's wrong, Luke?" she asked, noticing the sadness in his eyes.

Luke opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again. He wasn't sure how he was going to do this, and felt his heart racing. "I'm…" he managed to whisper, and Leia stared at him. "Leia," he added, "I'm dying."

Both Han and Leia were silent after he'd spoken the words. They glanced at one another, and then back at Luke. Leia reached over to brush her brother's bangs away from his forehead, trying to hold back the flood of tears creeping up from inside her.

"Who told you that?" Han asked, trying to keep his own voice steady. He wasn't one who broke down very often, and never in front of anyone.

"The medical droid," Luke whispered. "They showed me an x-ray of my chest, and a virus is eating away at one of my lungs. It was really badly burnt after the Emperor electrocuted me."

Leia collapsed beside her brother, burying her face against his shoulder. "Oh Luke," she sobbed, "there has to be something we can do. Is there anything we can do that will save you?" she asked. "I won't loose you…" Han sat down on the opposite side of the bed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Luke turned his head towards his sister, kissing her forehead.

"They did give me an option," he croaked. "But I'm not so sure I want to go through with it. I wanted to speak to you and Han first."

Han blinked. "You want to ask our permission?" he asked. "Whether or not we'll let you get an operation that could save your life? Are you crazy, kid? What kind of people do you think we are?"

Luke managed a faint smile. "There are risks with the surgery, and a possibility that I might die during it," he told them. "The droid didn't say how long I had if I didn't have it done. I could have few days or a few years."

Leia sat up, resting against Han, her hand still grasping her brother's. "I think you should get it done, Luke, despite the risk."

Luke reached up to touch her cheek. "Could you bring the children to see me?" he asked. "but I would like to see them individually. I don't think I could handle the three of them crying at once."

Han chuckled, blowing out his breath. "I'll get them. Leia, you're going to stay here, I guess?" he asked, and she nodded.

"Go on, Han," she encouraged, and watched as her husband disappeared through the double sliding doors. When he was gone, she leaned against the headboard of Luke's bed. "Oh Luke," she breathed. "Why does this have to happen to you?"

Luke coughed, shrugging. "It's the will of the Force I guess," he replied. "but if this operation does work, then I may not have to worry about the cough anymore."

Leia laughed through her tears, and wrapped her arms around herself. "That would be a relief," she kissed the top of his head. "I love you," she told him.

"I love you too," he told her. "I love you so much, Leia."

She felt his forehead and cheeks, frowning. "You still have a fever," she told him.

He shrugged. "It's not bad," he told her, shivering slightly.

Leia pulled the blankets closer to her brother's neck as he lay back down against the pillows, and she ran her fingers gently through his dirty blonde hair.

"Do you remember," she began, "the first day we met, Luke?" she closed her eyes, her memory taking her back to when Luke had burst into her prison cell dressed in a storm trooper uniform. She hadn't been fooled a bit, and Luke managed a weak laugh.

"Yes," he replied. "The first words you ever said to me was: 'Aren't you a little short for a storm trooper?'"

Leia shook her head with a smirk. "Well, you were! Storm troopers that I'd seen were generally six foot or taller."

Luke smiled. "It wasn't the most well-planned rescue on our part," he admitted, and she bent down to kiss his cheek.

"But you did it. Oh stars…remember the trash compactor!" she exclaimed. "We were nearly crushed flat!"

Luke nodded, coughing. "Han's changed the most of all of us, I think," he whispered.

Leia's eyes were twinkling. "Who would have thought he'd soften up and be a family man?" she rubbed Luke's back. "I'm so glad we found each other after all of these years. I always felt like there was a part of me that was missing, but I couldn't quite explain it. I never would have dreamed I had a twin brother hidden somewhere."

"Me too," he replied softly, just as the door to the room opened. Little Anakin dashed in, leaping onto the bed.

"Hey," Luke greeted, holding his arms outstretched. Anakin embraced his Uncle, receiving a kiss on the forehead. Leia smoothed her youngest son's dark hair, and glanced over her shoulder at Han.

"I'll let you two be," she said, standing. She wentto Han, took his arm, and allowed him to lead her out into the hallway. When they were gone, Anakin cuddled up beside Luke.

"Daddy says you're very sick," he said, and Luke nodded.

"That is true." He took a deep breath. "But the healer is going to make me all better."

Anakin's icy blue eyes widened. "How?" he asked, and Luke placed a hand on his chest.

"They are going to put a robot lung in me."

Anakin gasped, and covered his mouth with his hands as he burst into giggles. "That's silly, Uncle Luke! A robot can't live inside of you! Will it talk? Like Three?" he asked, and for a moment, Luke wondered who he meant. Then he laughed, realizing Anakin meant See Threepio. He was about to respond when he covered his own mouth, sneezing loudly. Anakin jumped.

"Bess you!" he called, and Luke glanced at him.

"Thanks. I have a bad cold," he explained.

"You're supposed to blow your nose," Anakin ordered, and Luke began to tickle his sides.

"Oh, am I?" he laughed, pulling the child into his arms. For a moment he held the boy, pressing his lips against the child's hair. "Anakin," he whispered into his ear. "Do you remember who you were named after? Did Mommy and Daddy ever tell you?"

Anakin gazed into his Uncle's eyes. "Yes," he replied. "They named me after Grandpa Ani."

Luke thought about telling Anakin that his father had actually been the famous villain Darth Vader, but he wasn't sure Leia or Han would appreciate that. Maybe some day, he thought, clearing his throat painfully.

"Anakin, I want you to know I love you," he told the boy, trying to keep his voice as steady as he could. "I always will."

Anakin's lips turned into a frown, and he chewed on his fingertip. "Mommy says you're dying," she replied, and it was Luke's turn to frown.

"Did she?" he asked, and Anakin shrugged.

"Well, I heard her talking to Jacen and Jaina, and they were both crying. Are you dying?"

Luke raised an eyebrow. "Now what do you think?" he asked, his voice barely audible. Anakin shrugged his shoulders again.

"I dunno," he replied.

"That's why I have to have a robot put into me," Luke told Anakin.

"Didn't Darth Vader have a robot in him too?" Anakin asked. "Jacen and Jaina told me he had breathed like this…" he demonstrated, which made Luke laugh again. "Will that happen to you?"

Luke smirked. "I don't think so," he replied. "And to answer your other question, Anakin, the robot won't be like Three. It'll be in the shape of my lung, to help me breathe."

Anakin wrapped his arms around Luke. "You can't die, Uncle Luke!" he sobbed, and Luke pressed the back of his wrist against his mouth, to avoid sobbing out loud himself. For a few moments, he held the distressed child in his arms, rubbing his back comfortingly.

"Anakin?" he asked. "Can you do me a big favor?" he asked, and the little boy hiccoughed, his cheeks tearstained. Luke wiped the tears away as best as he could. "Could you go and fetch your older brother? I want to talk to all three of you, all right?"

Anakin nodded. "Okay," he whimpered, and Luke gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you," he replied, and Anakin scurried off, leaving Luke alone in the room.

He began coughing into his fist, feeling as though his chest were tearing apart. Tears stung his eyes when he finished, and he desparately needed a glass of water. However, the thought of getting out of bed at the moment seemed ludicrous. He sighed, trying to rest his eyes as he waited for the elder Solo son to arrive.

When Jacen did, Luke was still resting, and the boy awkwardly made his way across the bedroom. "Uncle Luke?" he asked the sleeping figure, and frowned. Luke looked terrible…deathly pale and sweaty. Leia peeped in at that moment, and whispered for Jacen to come back to her.

"Let him rest," she told him. "He's exhausted."

"Didn't he want to see me?" Jacen asked, and Leia folded her arms.

"I'm sure he'll want to see you later," she replied. "But if he's sleeping, I don't want to disturb him. All right?"

Jacen nodded, slightly relieved by this sudden change of events. He always felt a little odd when he spent time alone with his Uncle. Jaina seemed to have the strongest relationship with the Jedi Master—she could tell him anything and everything, whenever she felt the need to talk. Anakin adored Luke, naturally. Jacen felt a bit more stand-offish, and wasn't quite sure why. So with a small sigh, he followed his mother out of the room.

When he met Jaina in their room, she cocked her head to one side. "That was fast," she told him, and Jacen sat on her bed beside her.

"Uncle Luke's asleep," he told her. "Mom didn't want to wake him."

Jaina wet her lips. "I'm glad he's deciding to get the surgery done," she replied. "but I can't help but feel scared about it."

Jacen nodded. "I really hope it helps," he added.

"Me too." She glanced at Jacen. "What's wrong?" she asked softly, and Jacen shrugged.

"Oh, it's nothing, really."

Jaina snorted. "Oh, please. I can tell when something's bothering you. I'm not your twin sister for nothing."

"I don't know. I guess I feel weird, because you and Anakin got to spend time with Uncle Luke alone, and he fell asleep before I could." He looked at her. "Don't you find that a little weird?"

Jaina touched his shoulder. "Well, Uncle Luke has a reason to be tired. I'm surprised he was awake long enough to talk with Anakin. He just got back from the med center, so I wouldn't take it personally, Jacen." She frowned.

"I don't know, Jaina. I feel like…I don't know. That he might…"

"Like me better than he likes you?" Jaina laughed. "Don't be stupid, Jacen! He loves both of us! And he loves Anakin. He wouldn't choose favorites. I know Uncle Luke better than that."

Jacen shrugged. "He's just always more formal with me."

"Maybe you could talk to him about it when he's better?" she suggested. "I'm sure you two can work something out. He probably doesn't realize he's hurting you."

Jacen shook his head. "He's not hurting me," he insisted. "I don't know. I'm just being weird, I guess. I just feel like…I don't know."

Jaina hugged Jacen. "You're worried that he might not have much time left?" she asked. "And you feel like you haven't spent as much time with him as you could have?"

Jacen stared at her. "I have to be alone for a while," he told her, and Jaina sighed.

"Jacen," she began to protest. "I didn't mean that in an insulting way."

"I know," he told her. "I just…I have to think about things. I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Uncle Luke said I could go into his study if I wanted, as long as I didn't mess around with anything," he told her. "I think I might feel better if I were in there for a bit by myself." He got up from the bed and headed out of the room, leaving Jaina by herself. She lay down on the mattress, hugging her pillow. Oh Uncle Luke, she thought, a single tear rolling down her cheek. What's going to happen to us?