Hux looked down at the unconscious Rebel with disdain. She'd slept for hours and hours thanks in part to her grievous wound, but mostly thanks to a sedative he administered personally. Ren was a monster while conscious, a nightmare when injured, and Hux didn't want to take a chance with this Force equal of his. The bacta suit insulated her and for now, he had nothing to worry about.

The woman was healing unnaturally fast. Hux simply wrote it off as the Force. She'd be scarred something terrible and never sell on a slave market, but he imagined that was never Ren's plan for her. Empress was a word he'd overheard once or twice regarding the Supreme Leader's plans for her.

Kylo Ren and this scavenger queen joined for a joint mission, Ren called it. Ren's trooper guard as well as several of the Rebels called a temporary ceasefire and united to rein in the rogue Knights of Ren who threatened the entire universe. Hux hadn't disagreed with the idea, but it annoyed him to high space that Ren let the Force users get out of his control and threaten the First Order's existence at all.

The fight was nearly won when Rey was slashed horizontally across the stomach by one of the knights. Ren dragged her back to the ship, somehow parrying blows and fighting off blaster shots while he did. The supreme leader thrust her, bleeding and smelling of singed skin, into Hux's arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead before scowling up to the general. His last words before running back to the fight were "Take care of her. If she dies, I'll recreate her wounds on you." Hux believed it with every fiber of his being.

Mildly surprised by Ren's obvious affection for this Rey, Hux took his orders solemnly. Sitting by her bedside as a permanent fixture, he monitored her vitals with the attentiveness of a hungry dog at a dinner table. The day dragged on slowly. The ventilator keeping Rey's lungs pumping hissed rhythmically and eventually lulled Hux to sleep as the clocks flipped to 2:30AM.

His dreams carried him onto a battlefield on a green planet.

He swung a light saber, cutting down enemies left and right. Ren appeared at his side and fought with him for some time before turning and thrusting a boot into Hux's ribs. The cracking was loud, but not painful. From the dirt Hux watched Ren rage off through the battle, leaving him crumpled and injured.

Then a goddess in silver appeared from nowhere, reached out to him, her face full of concern. "Wake up. Please," she pleaded. "Help me. Wake up!"

Gasping himself awake, Hux took a moment to realize what happened.

The patient was awake. Rey was staring at him desperately from her bed of tubes and IV lines, her lips moving under the tape holding her ventilator in place. If it wasn't for the bacta suit and heavy equipment holding her down, Hux was certain she'd be clawing at him for help.

"You did that?" he breathed. "You woke me from inside my dream?" Somehow the intrusion didn't feel repulsive like Ren's tricks always did. Instead, hers felt like a polite nudge.

She nodded briefly, then winced. Her eyes were wide and her chest heaved up and down rapidly, working against the breathing apparatus. Small squeaks escaped through her nose; the only communication she could muster. Terror was palpable and it was something Hux was no stranger to. Not along ago, he awoke in a med bay on a planet he didn't remember thanks to a head injury. Instead of loathing, empathy washed over him regarding the girl.

"Don't be frightened," Hux cooed, daring to reach over and touch her hand reassuringly. It seemed to work and she relaxed some. "You have serious injuries, but you're healing well. In time you'll be back to normal. Ren is fine, probably," he added hastily. "He's out finishing the fight."

Still, she struggled against the equipment keeping her alive.

"Relax, please. You were nearly gutted with a light saber. You need all this for the time being. You'll only be on the ventilator through tomorrow morning," he explained. "Would you like something to keep you sedated until then?"

Rey furrowed her brow and shook her head as much as she could muster.

"No. All right," Hux nodded. He sat back and crossed his legs casually. "We haven't been properly introduced, despite the havoc you've managed to wreak on my life. I'm General Hux." He raised an eyebrow. "If you couldn't tell, you are my charge for the time being, on Ren's orders."

Her expressive face was a blessing. The scowl fell away. Curiosity replaced it.

"Yes, those were my thoughts, as well," Hux agreed. "Why should a First Order officer keep a Rebel officer alive? Well, to keep myself from being gutted by your boyfriend."

Her eyes crinkled at the corners. She found him humorous.

Surprised to understand precisely what she was emoting, he chuckled darkly. "I can't say I'm his friend, my lady. We've merely worked alongside each other under Snoke. Though I suppose it says something of our work relationship that he trusts me with you." Hux looked down at her and found Rey listening raptly. Sheepishly clearing his throat, he wondered why he divulged those feelings. She was very obviously in cahoots with Ren and therefore couldn't be trusted.

And yet there was no malice in her expression, only genuine interest. She raised her eyebrows in a way that urged him on.

"You should rest," he said, looking at a datapad with her vital stream. "You need it."

Only then did she look down in horror to realize she was nude under the clear fluid-filled suit. She shrieked hoarsely into the ventilator and thrashed.

"Enough," Hux replied boredly. "I've preserved your modesty, I assure you. Only authorized medical personnel are allowed in. There was a blanket over you, but your temperature began to trend upward. Once I removed it, you stabilized nicely." He scowled at her. "I don't know how they do things on Jakku, but I'm a gentleman, not a miscreant. I'd never assault a woman, let alone an injured, unconscious one."

A glare. A moment later, it softened somewhat.

Hux sighed and stood. "I'm not here to make you uncomfortable or gawk at you. Ren ordered that I not let you out of my sight, but if you'd like, I will do so. There are already guards in the hallway but I'd be pleased to do so myself."

Her brows threaded together. Why?

"Well," Hux replied easily, "you didn't seem thrilled a moment ago. Make up your mind."

She nodded slightly and blinked a few times.

"Stay? Thank you, my lady. I'm certain you could talk Ren out of murdering me for abandoning you, but I prefer to avoid the situation all together."

Another small smile and this time, a shrug.

The smallest hint of a grin ignited on his lips. At least we've moved past the nudity. Hux felt a pang of kinship with the girl. "Forgive me. I suppose my bedside manner is rusty. It's been some time since I've cared for a patient." After a moment, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, unusually casual while in uniform. "May I ask you a question of your powers?"

A nod.

"You spoke to me in my dream. Can you speak to me telepathically now?"

Rey stared intensely at him for a moment, then sank back into her pillow and sighed.

"Not right now?" Hux determined. "But usually? Interesting. Rest, for now. Use that strength to heal well before Ren returns."

Smiling, Rey nodded and closed her eyes.

It wasn't a voice, but a feeling of gratitude settled in his mind from nowhere, again with the polite sensation of someone knocking at his mind's door.

"You're very welcome," Hux mumbled.

At noon on the second day, Hux was finishing his third cup of coffee and chatting about whatever came to mind to keep the scavenger girl calm and entertained. By now the wounds visible through her suit were only half their original size and nearly ready to be stitched shut. The medical team assured him they must wait until the normal protocol time passed, completely disregarding his argument that she was a force user like Ren and should be treated as such.

He watched her struggle against the ventilator and apologized, knowing she was strong enough to breathe on her own, but afraid to intervene with no medical training. She was antsy and fighting panic, but Hux was doing his damnedest to distract her.

"Dispatches say Ren is personally chasing down the last of his knights," he muttered in surprise. "I'm shocked it took this long, but not entirely in disbelief that he'd see to it himself."

Rey shrugged.

"If you want something done right," Hux suggested.

She looked at him with disdain.

"No, I believe that," he replied. "Why trust a subordinate to do something when I'd just have to correct it once they've ruined it all?"

An arched eyebrow.

"You're right. Better subordinates."

The door slid open and the chief medical officer entered the room with a nurse at his side.

"You could knock," Hux barked, glaring at the pair before looking down to Rey. She nodded briefly and the doctor stepped over to her and began a routine examination, flipping through her datapad, checking monitors and looking at her wounds through her bacta suit.

"Don't harm her," Hux breathed down his neck. The doctor was being a little rough for his liking, and discomfort was apparent on Rey's face. "She's a guest, not a prisoner."

"General," the doctor suggested in thinly-veiled annoyance. "Perhaps you could allow us to go ahead and do our work?" He turned back to Rey. "We're going to pop out this breathing tube and some of these IV's and see how you do on your own. First you'll be sedated."

"Nnnnnn!" she disagreed frantically.

Unaffected, the doctor prepped the needle on the tray next to him.

Rey looked to Hux, pleading.

Hux frowned back. "It don't have to be for long," he consoled her softly. "It's for your own comfort. I won't leave."

The doctor all but rolled his eyes. "Actually you will need to step out, General. Is there a reason you're in this guest's room? It's not protocol."

"Nnnn!" Her strength build back up, Rey thrashed against the restraints of the equipment. Monitors blinked and beeped in protest. The doctor stumbled backward in shock as his tools clattered on the tray. Hux put a hand on Rey's and the tools fell silent once more.

The doctor stared at him uneasily. After a moment, he stepped back again, shaking his head. "This is the woman who-"

"Yes, this is that woman," Hux cut him off. "You will treat her. No sedation. And I'm staying."

Motioning to the nurse to leave, the doctor moved back toward the door after her. "One false move and she'll-"

"One more step and I'll kill you myself," Hux snarled, blaster drawn and aimed at the man's forehead. "Treat this patient or I'll have an opening for a medical officer." Chancing a glance at Rey, his chest warmed to see her watching him in wonder. It was as if no one stood up for her before. Actual tears slipped from her eyes.

"General, she's dangero-"

"As am I," Hux barked. "Remove the breathing tube and get out. I'll see to the rest of her injuries myself. Believe you me, Supreme Leader Ren will hear about your insubordination and outright refusal to treat his personal guest."

The breath gone from him, the doctor nodded grimly and gingerly returned to Rey's side. Ignoring her gaze, he untaped and removed the tube as cautiously as he could. When he had gone, Hux locked the door and holstered his weapon.

Rey swallowed and attempted to clear her throat.

"Don't, don't," Hux ordered. "You need to hydrate. Focus on breathing. Don't speak yet. Just breathe and swallow." He looked at the datapad for instructions, suddenly feeling helplessly stupid for dismissing the doctor. He had no idea how to treat a saber wound. He summoned a medical droid and hoped it would know what to do. In the meantime, he moved over her and began disconnecting her numerous IV tubes.

"Thank-"

"Silence," Hux warned her, focusing on the top of her hand, carefully pulling out the needle and pressing a cotton swab over the hole. He tossed the ball into the garbage, joking, "I'm sure I could keep those and sell them to the Jedi fanatics to analyze the Midi-chlorian count. Yours must be astronomical."

"What?" Rey rasped.

"Stop talking!" Hux snapped good-naturedly. "And nothing. An old Jedi myth regarding the Force being determined by living things in your blood." He pressed a bandage over her hand and moved to the next IV in her forearm. "You think a few of these would be enough," he muttered. He gently removed the needle, blood pressure cuff, and sighed as he looked at the devices hooked to her other arm.

"What are you doing? Where are the doctors?" An angry voice growled from the doorway.

"Ben!" Rey rasped.

"Supreme Leader," Hux gasped, stepping away from Rey to face the man looming tall in the room.

"What are you doing?" Ren repeated, storming in and looking Rey over from head to toe. He reached for Hux and threw him against the wall with the Force. "How dare you touch her!"

"Ben," Rey struggled to speak, her voice a hoarse whisper.

"I'm here, Rey," Ren reassured her, dragging Hux against the wall and letting him fall to the floor in a crumpled heap. "Did he hurt you? Did he touch you?"

Rey looked to him in horror. They locked eyes briefly. Her expression was all sorrow and regret.

"Get out," Ren snarled, turning to Hux in a rage. Bags hung under his eyes and someone else's blood splattered his cloak. Clearly battle didn't satisfy his need to unleash his rage.

Hux debated telling him he shouldn't be anywhere near Rey in that filthy condition, but already felt the sting of a cracked rib screaming with each breath he took. He didn't dare risk any more. "Yes, Supreme Leader," he panted, struggling to his feet, saluting, and limping for the door. Rey was not his burden. She was Ren's student or lover, and he had been foolish to be so friendly with her in the first place.

"Hux?" Rey croaked.

He hesitated at the door and cringed at the pain as he turned.

Ren slammed the door shut in his face, but there it was: a warmth and the same grateful feeling. It was enough.