Title: Unknowns
author: Cindy Ryan
Notes and summary: See part one
The sharp squawk of an alarm jolted Din awake. He was momentarily disorientated then he remembered where he was. The medical staff rushed in. Din looked at the young one and was concerned to see his body shaking.
"What is it?"Din demanded of the Mon Calamari.
"Fever."The Mon Calamari female replied tersely. "You must leave."
Reluctantly Din stood and left. He returned to his vigil in the hall watching the activity through the window.
Hours later Din's worry was mixed with fear. The Child's fever had not gone down. Plus the medical staff could not keep any solid food in the kid. He was being fed liquid substance through tubes. Night was falling on Trask and Din sat in the visitor's chair near the Child's bed. He looked at the monitor's surrounding the bed. At the tubes and wires connected to his tiny friend. The Armorer's words echoed through Din's thoughts.
"By Creed until it is of age or reunited with it's own kind you are its father. You are a clan of two."
Father. Din thought grimly as he looked down at the foundling. His green skin a shade paler. His expression filled ears drooped. As a parental figure he was not succeeding. Din had been helping his passenger retrieve the eggs so they could get back to the ship. He hadn't even seen the threat of the ice spider until it was too late. The only reason they'd gotten away was the two x-wing pilots wanting a bounty of their own.
"You're going to get better."Din said to the quiet room.
The kid continued to sleep which Din hung onto as a good sign. Just like he was clinging to the hope that other Mandalorians had survived the Imperials on Nevarro. That he wasn't alone. Din remembered all too clearly how frightened he'd been in that makeshift bunker his mother had put him in. Not knowing what was happening on the other side of the door. Not knowing if the next face he saw would kill him or save him. The Mandalorian's had not only saved him they'd given him family and a purpose. Though at the moment Din felt like a huge failure.
Shifting Din pulled the blanket closer around The Child. Once more the Armorer's words resounded.
"You are a clan of two."
"You're not alone, kid."Din said softly. "I'm here and not going anywhere."
Din sat back down and settled in for what would be another long night.
Cara acknowledged the landing instructions and eased her small ship down to a near perfect landing. The wind was high whipping up whitecaps on the water. It'd been ten hours since her last communication with Din. His messages had gotten more frequent which worried Cara. Din hadn't said as much but if his talkativity was any indication the young one's condition wasn't improving.
After powering down the former shock trooper grabbed her gear and left the ship. Cara secured it and followed the directions the Mandalorian had given her earlier. She tried to prepare herself for what she'd find.
"How is he?"
The familiar voice drew Din from a light sleep. He hadn't had much the night before. Now he looked up to see Cara Dune standing in the doorway. Her brown gaze was fixed on the small creature in the bed. Din stood and walked to his friend.
"His fever's gone down a little but not enough for the doctors. Still not eating solid food."Din reported solemnly.
"We saw how he healed Karga."Cara pointed out quietly. "Why can't he do that for himself?"
"I don't know."Din replied with a sigh as he followed her gaze to The Child. "Maybe he's too young? You saw how much energy that took out of him to use his powers; both times."
"You think he's already used up his stash of healing power by making it this long?"Cara wondered as she moved to the bed.
"Yeah, one of my theories."Din said quietly as he joined her. "Doc said that if he'd been human he wouldn't have made it out of that cave."
Cara felt a shiver run up her spine at Din's words. She tried to mask her reaction and failed. Cara sensed Din step closer to her but was grateful when he didn't make any other attempts to comfort her. It amazed her that this small lifeform had affected so many lives for good and bad. Countless had been lost protecting it and trying to claim it for themselves.
"I didn't mean to upset you or interrupt your work for Karga."Din stated. "But I know you care about him and..."
Cara reached over and placed a hand on Din's left arm halting him.
"Thank you."Cara said softly. "I'm glad you contacted me. You and I have lost too many people we cared about. Some we didn't get to say goodbye to."
"I'm not giving up on him."Din commented firmly "Kid's made it this far."
"Yes he has and that's something we can hold onto."Cara replied.
Cara really wanted to believe the little one was going to pull through. She'd been around Din long enough to know him. Well know him as much as he let people know him. He was worried and if Cara had to guess not dealing well with helplessness. Cara would be here for him as long as he needed her and for the little one who had found a place in their lives.
