AN: Hope this chapter finds you well.
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The pain was the first thing she noticed. Thankfully it wasn't as bad as it had been but still, it was clear that her body was damaged and beaten. Bleary eyes slowly opened to take in the surroundings. Distantly one could hear shouts and running feet, but the young woman paid no mind to them. She let out a groan as the voices grew louder, clanging in her skull. She let out a groan and winced, closing her eyes. "Rey! Thank the stars!"
Opening her eyes again she found herself encased in a white case. She tried to move her arm to remove the breathing apparatus and yet she couldn't move. Her heart rate skyrocketed at that, being unable to move along with being swallowed alive by some sticky substance only helped to increase her panic. Her hoarse voice let loose a primal cry, she was ready to tear apart this coffin. It took two dark hands slamming on the small window to her coffin to shake her from her fear.
Finally, she focused "Hey its okay you're okay!" It took her a moment as she fought through the panicked haze in her mind, but she recognized that voice. It was that same voice that had called out to her so many times before. 'Finn' She thought to herself and almost smiled as his expressive face finally came into focus.
The last she had seen him he was off with Leia on their important diplomatic mission, and while she would never tell him it had pained her to watch him go. So much had happened and they'd been apart, she worried if they would be able to get back to those days before the snowy forest and his injury. "Welcome back." She spoke in a soft voice along with a small smile.
A chuckle came from the ex-storm trooper with a shake of his head. "That's my line." He eyes seemed glued to her own eyes as if reassuring himself she was there, but only when another voice beckoned him did he look away. He gave a brief nod before turning back to his friend. "The Doc's going to get you out of the Bacta pod. You need to lie still while he does some quick tests. Okay?"
Rey rolled her eyes at his worried tone. But admittedly it felt nice to be worried about, something she wouldn't tell him of course. When the lid of her coffin lifted she could finally see the doctor come into view. "I won't eat him if that's what you're worried about Finn." Her eyes shifted to her friend who scoffed and crossed his arms as he watched over her. Carefully the medic removed the breathing apparatus from her face, which Rey was rather glad to have gone. She was easily moved from the pod to an examination table.
Her brown eyes moved to the medic and waited patiently as he began checking on her. It was a strange thing to watch someone check on her, something she wasn't used to yet. But when he pressed a little too harshly on her chest she let out a growl and snarled at him.
In an instant, the medic was flown back from Rey and only halted when he crashed into the wall. Gasping she tried to reign her senses, her head pounded. Everything hurt, everything. For several moments she could only hear her heart and the medics. Taking in several calming breaths she focused instead on calmer spaces. Memories of a deep soft voice and blades of grass swaying in the breeze pulled her mind into calmer waters. And she finally released the medic, as he slumped to the floor.
Pulling back she noticed Finn holding on to her hand urging her to calm down. She let her hand squeeze Finn's and she gave a subtle nod. Her eyes went to the medic worried that she had hurt the man. Her brow knitted as she reflected on how harshly she had reacted. Carefully she turned her head to look at Finn's face. "Water?" She asked with a quiet voice, clearly ashamed of her actions. The young man gave a nod and quickly moved from her side to bring a small cup of water.
Gently he raised her to a seated position - after the medic tacitly agreed - and helped her take a few sips of water. "Slow got to go slow," Finn ordered and eventually let Rey lay back down. Pulling up a chair he took a seat beside her and took her hand back into his own.
Rey wet her lips before giving a slight smirk. "Why do you keep holding my hand?" Her eyes shifted over to him and saw a smile light up his face.
"Funny. But right now, the medic needs to do an examination. And without being thrown into a wall." He spoke to her in a tone that demanded to be obeyed and waited only until she nodded to signal the medic to begin the exam. "He's just making sure you're healing properly."
Rey decided to close her eyes to the exam. Instead, she focused on Finn as he prattled on and on, explaining what the medic was doing, but soon the words droned on and instead she was remembering the peaceful dream she'd shared with Ben. She should be concerned at how the Bond was changing, growing even, but instead, she was content with remembering how pleasant and calming his dream had been. 'For a man filled with conflict his dreams are more peaceful than mine.' She thought to herself, as she pondered the irony in that.
"You should be good to go. Take it easy for the next few days." The doctor's unfamiliar voice pulled her from her thoughts and slowly she nodded and carefully pulled herself into a seated position, with Finn's help.
Moving her limbs carefully she noticed the pain was like a distant memory in her bones. "I guess I wasn't that bad." She whispered to herself as she checked where she knew a blaster shot had found its mark on the high left side of her abdomen.
"You were on death's door numbskull." Finn admonished in a sharp voice that had Rey jumping slightly at the sudden sharpness in his tone. Looking up she noticed that his face was clouded with worry but covered with an angry scowl.
Turning to the doctor she looked at him with a question, she wasn't sure if she wanted the answer to. With a sigh, the medic picked up a datapad and read through her injuries. Numbly Rey sat and listened as he listed the organs that had been damaged, the dangerous swelling of her brain, and the amount of blood she had lost, and the internal bleeding. Apparently, her lung had been punctured with that last blaster shot. But that was not all, the seizures she had before they could get her to the Bacta treatment. Her soft brown eyes looked over to Finn as he seemed to wince as the medic recounted just how injured she had been. "You are lucky to be alive, young Rey." The doctor finished pulling her gaze back to his clinical gaze. And yet he gave a brief smirk "But this is war and you won that fight. We owe that victory to you." The medic nodded towards Finn before moving to leave the room, he paused at the door and looked over to Rey. "I imagine you and your friend here will both be in need of my services before this war is over. Take care not to attack me again." And then he was gone
Rey looked down at her hands wringing them gently as she fretted over Finn's reaction, silent and glowering were not things she would associate with the ex-storm trooper. Finding her courage she pulled her gaze to meet his own. The two watched each other before Finn gave in first and the angry scowl fell.
His arms fell to his side as he let loose a puff of air. Crossing the small room he pulled out a change of clothes and placed them on the bed with Rey. "Here, you'll want to use the refresher. I know I did after I woke up in that pod."
Before he could withdraw from her bedside her hand snapped out and gripped onto his wrist halting his movements. "I'm sorry," she whispered and let out a small sigh before she dropped her eyes to stare at the simple clothes. "I wasn't there for you when you woke up." She wanted to continue to tell him how his worry made her happy and yet sad at the same time. But she couldn't find the words and it frustrated her to no end.
Finn watched her bowed head slightly shocked at how she had gripped him. But that was Rey when she finally decided to do something she threw herself into it, and it was something he admired her for. But he remembered the blood that was spattered on her temple. Not wanting to remember that fear or anger he pulled her close into a hug. "There's nothing to forgive. I'm just glad you're okay." He whispered to her and was happy when she reciprocated his hug. Gently, mindful of her sore body, he slightly tightened his hold. "You can make it up to me by not getting hurt like that again." As he said the words he knew that wasn't a promise she could keep, but the lighter tone had its intended effect as she gave him a breathy laugh.
"Back at you." She said as they released one another, with a smile on her face.
Finn straightened and fiddled with his jacket before nodding "Okay so you get freshened up and we'll get some food with Rose. I'll be right outside when you're ready." He spoke with his more standard jovial tone and left her in the cold medical room.
Looking around the room she found the refresher and carefully made her way to it, intent on her goal to rid herself of the sticky substance that stubbornly clung to her skin and hair. Taking her time she was careful with her body, letting out small groans as she moved. She was alive, but that didn't stop the soreness the pain that came along with healing.
Stepping into the refresher she sighed as the water rushed over her. For a moment she had the irrational thought to collect the water instead of washing. But a shake of her head easily dismissed the thought. There were times like this that she had to remind herself that she wasn't on Jakku, that she wasn't starving or dehydrated on some awful desert planet anymore. Raising her face to the spray she gave a smile, she was the scavenger the slave that got away. Washing the Bacta slime from her body her thoughts turned to those she knew were still on that planet...those who were children just like she was. Heaving a sigh she shut off the water and watched it disappear.
With a shake of her head, Rey forced herself to move to dry and change into the scratchy oversized clothes Finn had provided. She had slipped on the oversized shirt and was simply standing staring off into space as she thought about little Rey from Jakku.
This was how Kylo came to see Rey, hair still wet around her shoulders in a too large tunic that reached her mid-thigh. It was shocking to see her in such a state but her forlorn expression halted all other thoughts. Making sure he was alone he spoke "Rey" he whispered into the air, worry tainting his voice.
Slowly she turned to face him "Ben" so many thoughts swirled in her mind. How different her life was to how it had been, so much was strange. "I should be dead." She whispered and her brow furrowed at the thought. It was true, and she wondered if she had not been the resistance's little Jedi would she had been saved?
Kylo only gave a brief nod, tension forcing his posture ramrod straight. It pained him to consider that it had been even possible. Her frown worried him and he could feel the dangerous thoughts swirling in her mind. "But you're not." He interrupted and only continued when he knew she was focused on him. "For whatever reason, you're not, and that's the truth." His voice held steel as he grasped onto that truth with everything he could because to entertain the thought of the opposite would be dangerous.
The young woman gave a slow nod before looking down at the clothes before her and then back to her dark partner. After a moment she gave a small smile "I guess we're even." Carefully she made sure she was appropriately covered and a small blush tainted her cheeks.
Seeing her smile relaxed him. His dark eyes raked over her disheveled form, he noticed now how drops of water ran down her lithe legs. Slowly his eyes traced along her form to her damp hair and blushing cheeks. He remained silent as he watched her; he could feel his heart begin to race and the telltale signs of desire beginning to bloom inside him.
Rey watched his dark eyes roam over her body and she could feel her own heart race, along with a heat that seemed to find a home on her cheeks and ears. She watched him just as he watched her. She wasn't sure but it almost seemed like he wanted to come closer, and she found herself wishing he would. To hold her as he'd done before, but this time it wouldn't be for comfort. For what? She wasn't certain but she wanted it.
And then he was gone, just as suddenly as he had come he was gone. Rey released a breath she hadn't known she was holding as she tried to regain control of her racing heart. After a few moments, her stomach made its presence known, a rumble and the familiar hunger pain demanded attention. Shaking her head she quickly dressed determined to find some food.