Heh heh heh... You guys are totally going to hate me after this. :)
Over the next day, Ezra's condition only worsened. Hera and Kanan had to take turns holding him to both keep the hallucinations at bay and to keep Ezra from hurting himself. Sometimes it got so bad Hera had tears on her face. It pained her to see her Ezra in so much pain. Kanan was on the verge of screaming his lungs out. Why? Why did Ezra have to go through this? Hadn't this child suffered enough? Even Chopper was clearly unnerved by the pain Ezra was enduring.
The medical droid became concerned about Ezra's weight loss. Kanan and Hera, while they too were worried, had to admit that didn't see it coming. When chemicals are the only thing keeping you alive since eating isn't working out, weight loss is inevitable. If Ezra survived, no, when Ezra got better, he would have to be put on a special diet so he could regain his strength.
There were so many bruises on Ezra's body due to the progression of the disease, and Ezra's constant coughing left his teeth stained red. His fever continued to rise to an alarming level. His body slowly turned into one big bruise and Ezra's blood loss soon became a concern for the medical droid. It soon became apparent that the medication administered through the IV was the only thing that was keeping the disease from escalating faster.
One night, as Kanan was keeping an eye on him, Ezra woke up, eyes glassy. "Kanan?" he murmured.
"Yeah?" Kanan asked, listening carefully.
"Everything hurts... Why does...everything...hurt?"
Kanan's eyes burned slightly, his heart breaking at the tears that began to slide down the miserable child's face.
Kanan was warned this would happen. The damage that Red Fever did was extremely painful. It didn't make watching any less heart wrenching.
"Just go back to sleep," Kanan replied. "You won't hurt as much when the drugs kick in."
Ezra nodded and closed his eyes.
The shuttle arrived at Kirna right when Hera and Kanan thought they were going to lose their sanity. Hera immediately went to the pilot's chair and pulled up the code that would get them past the massive blockade.
"Wow..." Kanan breathed upon seeing all of the ships. "They really don't want people getting that cure..."
The comlink turned on and an officer's voice filtered through. "Shuttle Avenger. State your buisness."
Kanan cleared his throat and spoke. "This is Shuttle Avenger. We are here to drop off supplies at the Kirna Base."
"What is your operating number?"
"LC-09872," Kanan replied, staring at the screen Hera had pulled up.
"Transmit your security codes."
"Transmitting codes," Kanan replied. Hera pressed a few buttons, and a few heart-pounding seconds later, the officer spoke. "Codes check. You may proceed."
The Avenger landed in a small clearing. Hera stood up and entered the back room, where Kanan was watching diligently over his apprentice. Hera didn't bother to ask how Ezra was doing. She knew the answer she would get.
"We'll have to make this quick," Kanan said softly, brushing a loose strand of hair away from Ezra's sickly grey face. "It'll take both of us to get the Moonblossom and I don't want to leave him for longer than necessary."
Hera hummed in agreement. "You should probably tell him," she replied. "Last thing we need is for him to wake up and freak out."
Kanan gently patted Ezra's shoulder. Ezra moaned softly and opened his eyes.
"Hey," he said softly. "We're leaving. Just thought you should know."
Ezra blinked sleepily and let out a cough that shook his entire frame. "T-the med droid..." Ezra gasped, "told me I was dying... Is that true?"
Kanan looked down sadly, taking the boy's hand and squeezing it. "No. It's not. I'm getting the cure," Kanan replied. "You'll be just fine." Kanan placed his blaster next to Ezra. "Just in case," he explained.
"Just promise...me that you'll come back...before I die... Cure or not... Please..."
Kanan paused, trying to process what Ezra just asked. Reluctantly, he replied. "Alright, but don't give up on me. You're not getting out of Jedi training that easily."
Ezra chuckled weakly, which ended in a soft cough, his teeth red from coughing up blood. Kanan did his best to memorize that chuckle, as weak as it was, knowing that if something went wrong...
No. He was coming back with the cure. Ezra was going to live. He had to. Kanan wasn't about to let his last moment with his padawan to be holding him as he died.
Blue orbs fluttered shut and soon, Ezra's raspy breathing steadied. He had fallen asleep. Kanan smiled sadly and ruffled the boy's hair before standing up. "We'll be back before you know it."
Kanan and Hera walked for about fifteen minutes before they found the small pond where the Moonblossoms grew and baby blue patches. Across from the pond, about a quarter mile away, was the Kirna base. There were multiple Stormtroopers patrolling the pond, weapons at the ready.
Kanan and Hera looked at each other and nodded. They stayed within the trees to avoid detection. They pulled out two nectar extraction devices and began slowly extracting nectar from the flowers, not stopping until the large tubes were full.
When they were finished, Hera turned to Kanan. "Think we have enough?"
"Yeah..." Kanan replied, his voice distant.
"What is it?" Hera asked.
"I don't get it..." he muttered. "Why go to all this trouble to keep the flowers from being used as a cure. Why not destroy them all?"
The two looked at each other as the reality set in. The Force pulsed in warning as the sound of blasters filled the air.
"That's because its a trap." The vile voice of a female Imperial officer rang in Kanan's ears. "Don't move."
Did you seriously think you were free from the cliffhangers? Now, I understand I got a lot of people in the feels last chapter. So as compensation, I have virtual hot chocolate, blankets, tissues and cookies because I'm not finished. I apologize for getting this up later than I usually do. Had a pretty rough day...
If you liked this chapter, you know what to do, and as always, until next time!