A/N: For those who haven't read the others in this series, or who read so much they forget (which I do!), Sal is a 'tris,' a horse-like animal with horns that Rey befriended in my story 'Planet X.'
On that note, I apologize in advance for this next chapter. It's a personal one.
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He slept. At least, he thinks he slept. It felt different. The pain was lessened and his unconscious mind seemed to be in control, as if he was dreaming. When he was 'awake,' he could think what he wanted and he could focus on those around him. Rey's presence was getting stronger. He hoped that meant he would soon be able to 'talk' to her, even if only through their mental connection.
He woke from what he assumed was sleep and noticed something different almost immediately. The pain was still being controlled, but Rey was gone. He focused harder on the person he felt was controlling the pain, and he smiled inside.
Shaina.
His oldest child, and the one that took after him the most. Her strength in the Force was almost as strong as her mother's, and her ability to heal was also shockingly powerful, but her personality came directly from her father.
Her sister Shiloh had also inherited the ability to heal, and she had gone on to study medicine, becoming the first true Jedi Healer in decades. Their youngest child, Sebastian, was also showing signs of becoming a healer at age fifteen, but more than that, he was an almost carbon copy of his father, right down to the dark, curly hair and chocolate brown eyes. He once overheard Rey call Seb 'Poe Junior' and another time he heard her mumble, "I should have stopped at seven." She had given him a smirk and a wink after that, telling him she was joking. He often had to remind her that she had been in charge of the baby train; she had wanted her crew for the Falcon and she had gotten it.
He focused on his daughter, trying to reach her mind as they had developed their own form of telepathy over the years, but it was no use. He still couldn't reach that far past the venom. He felt a sharp stab of pain internally and knew his frustration and anxiety were trying to take over again. Shaina reacted immediately and he could feel the warmth of her energy flow through him to counter the pain. He tried to even out his breathing and slow it down, but he couldn't.
Wait. He could feel himself breathing. Only it wasn't him breathing, he realized. He must be on a ventilator. At least his being aware of that was another positive advancement toward normalcy.
He had relaxed back into a more serene state when he felt Rey come back. He hoped she had gotten some rest; this had to be almost as hard on her as it was on him. But even if he could communicate with her, he knew it would be no use trying to talk her out of staying with him the majority of the time. Stubborn was too mild a work when it came to Rey Skywalker. She would stay at the side of those she loved until the end. She had always been that way…
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Rey had slept hard for five hours before waking and finding herself staring at the ceiling. Why she couldn't sleep more than that, she didn't know. Actually, yes, she did know. Poe wasn't at her side. She sighed and closed her eyes. She and Poe had shared a bed for thirty-five years now. Sure, they had had their separations now and then, less so in recent years, but the majority of their nights were spent together, and she never slept well alone anymore. She had briefly thought about crawling into Poe's hospital bed with him to sleep, but she knew it wouldn't help either of them. Not yet. When he could feel her as more than a vague touch in the Force, then maybe that would be beneficial for them.
So, she got up, showered, ate, then headed back out into the muggy Yavin morning for her walk into the village and the infirmary. She saw Shaina note the time she got back, a frown on her face.
"I know, I know," Rey grumbled. "I'll sleep when he's awake."
"Did you at last get something to eat?" her daughter asked. She was a mother now, too, and her demeaner highlighted that fact.
"Yes," Rey said softly as she settled back in her chair, taking a hold of Poe's hand.
They were quiet for a long while, both focusing their energy on the man lying so still between them.
"I don't like that I can't feel him," Shaina finally whispered. "I mean, I 'feel' him in the Force, but not him."
Rey nodded. "I know. But believe it or not, he's getting stronger. His Force imprint is far brighter now than it was when he first got back to Yavin." She looked up at Shaina. "And I can sometimes feel emotion from him." She shrugged. "I don't know how, but I think we are sharing memories. I can't explain that when the venom is blocking so much else."
"I can," Shaina said. When Rey looked at her with her head tilted curiously, she continued. "Didn't you tell me that when you were stranded on Kolbe years ago that the two of you shared dreams? Light years apart, and you were still connected through the Force." She brought one shoulder up. "I know you don't like to believe that the Force had anything to do with you and Papa falling in love, but it sure bonded you together once you fell."
Rey gave a soft laugh. "Maybe," she said softly.
After Shaina left to find Jag, Rey once more put her head down on Poe's arm, closing her eyes and letting her mind roam. The memory that came to her was an unwelcome surprise.
Rey lay on the soft, damp ground, Sal's head in her lap. His breathing was getting heavier, a rattling sound emanating from his nose. Stroking his face slowly, she focused her energy and eased his discomfort some more. She couldn't heal him. What ailed him wasn't something that was meant to be healed. Sal was dying and there was nothing she could do about it.
She had known it was coming for a few weeks now. It had been twenty years since she and Sal had met and bonded on Kolbe, and he had been a mature adult then. She had no clue how old he really was, but she knew he was far older than his species normally got in the wild. While she had been able to help ease his arthritis pains with natural supplements and find food that was easier for him to eat with the few teeth he had left, there was no way she could stop the aging of his body. When she had found him down in the paddock this morning, she had realized why the Force had been telling her she needed to check on the tris that day.
As she sat there, softly crooning nonsense words to her friend, Poe arrived. She knew he had sensed her discomfiture and had come to check on her rather than try and contact her telepathically, something she appreciated as she really wanted him here. Without any words between them, he carefully lowered himself to the ground behind her, leaning against her back, resting his chin on her shoulder. She took a deep breath as she felt his strength flow into her.
Minutes later, Sal was gone. Rey felt his energy weaken and slowly disappear. His breathing stopped, and eventually so did his heart. When his body stilled completely, the tears came. Heavy, wrenching sobs wracked her body as Poe's arms came around her. She turned and buried her face in his neck, gasping for air, despair filling her entire being. Poe just continued to hold her tightly, whispering into her hair. "Let it out. It's okay. I've got you."
Eventually, Rey was able to catch her breath. She pulled back from Poe. "It's stupid," she mumbled.
"What's stupid?" Poe asked softly.
"I've been through wars, battles, seen people I knew and cared about die. And here I am crying over an animal." She shook her head, refusing to look at him. "It's stupid."
"It's not stupid!" Poe demanded firmly. "You loved him. Sentient or not. Even living or not. When you care that deeply for something, you mourn their loss." He waited until she looked up. "Sal was your friend and he loved you. You have every right to mourn his loss as you do any other being you cared for." He gently wiped the tears from her face. "It's not stupid," he repeated.
Rey bit her lip, then smiled softly. "How did you get to be so wise, Poe Dameron?"
Poe snorted softly. "Comes with marrying a Jedi and raising eight babies, Skywalker." He leaned forward and kissed her gently on the corner of her mouth. Then he shifted again so that he could hold her and touch Sal's face. Rey placed her hand on top of his, and together they sat, saying one last silent farewell.
Rey lifted her head and looked at Poe, wondering once more if he was having the same memory she was. She felt a tear slide down her cheek. Losing Sal had been terribly difficult, but losing this man would be ten times worse. She wasn't ready. She was not going to let him go. Closing her eyes, she pulled the Force around her like a shawl, then directed it around her husband.
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