Chapter 8: Panic

Ezra woke up the next morning. His throat hurt a little, but other than that he felt fine. He would have moved to sit up, but the IV in his arm would complicate things.

"I guess I'll just wait till the nurse comes." Ezra murmured to himself.

It took about five minutes for the nurse to arrive for her rounds.

"Oh, it's nice to see you are awake." the nurse smiled.

Ezra returned the smile.

"How are you feeling?" the nurse asked.

"Better," Ezra responded. "My throat hurts a bit."

"To be expected." the nurse replied. "Other than that?"

"Do I still need the IV?" Ezra asked. "It's a bit annoying."

"Let me run a few tests," the nurse answered. "But if you a well healed yes it come out."

"What's your name?" Ezra asked.

"Donna." the nurse smiled. She checked Ezra's pulse on the monitor, than his blood pressure. "Pulse and blood pressure are good. Now let's check your breathing."

She put the stethoscope on Ezra's back and told him to take deep breaths, which he did.

"Sounds good." Donna said. "The IV can come out. You might not want to look. It can bother some people."

Ezra turned his head as the needle was pulled gently out.

"Would you like to sit up?" Donna asked.

"Yes please," Ezra asked.

She adjusted the tilt on the bed so it was reclined, but for the most part Ezra was sitting up. "Do you need anything else?"

"Can I have my book from my bag?" Ezra asked, pointing to the bag Hera and Kanan had left.

Donna smiled and grabbed the book from the bag handing it to him. "I'll be back with your breakfast soon. What would you like?"

"Whatever is fine with me." Ezra shrugged.

Donna smiled and checked the chart on the foot of his bed, "Seafood allergy, okay how about some bacon and eggs?

"Sounds good." Ezra replied.

"I'll see you in about half an hour." Donna said. "If you need anything press the red button on the side of the bed. The blue buttons adjust the angle."

"Thanks." Ezra said, before diving into his book. The heart monitor was a bit annoying with the persistent beeps, but he figured it would be ill-advised to take of the pulse meter on his wrapped around his left wrist. Luckily it didn't get in the way

True to her word, Donna came back shortly with his breakfast.

"Here you are dear."

"Thank you." Ezra replied, setting his book aside. "I will be released later today right?"

"Of course." Donna said. "Your guarding will be by later."

"Thanks," Ezra said. "Any idea when?"

"He told the front near the end of his patrol, so possibly around 2:30 or so." Donna promised. "Don't worry, he won't forget. He was in such a frazzle when they were working on you last night."

Ezra smiled down at his plate.

"Well, if you are set, I have other patients that need attending to." Donna smiled. "Call the nurse's station with that button when you are done with your plate."

"Okay," Ezra replied. He started to eat, it wasn't as good as Kanan's cooking, but he hadn't eaten since lunch the previous day, considering supper almost killed him. That and added to the fact that he would probably still eat it if it was half rotten.

The day went by slow for Ezra. He finished breakfast and a student nurse came by and collected his plate. He finished his book, and Donna came by with lunch.

"Are you bored sweetie?" Donna asked as she collected Ezra's lunch dishes.

"A bit." Ezra admitted.

"How about we put a movie on the T.V." Donna suggested, motioning towards the T.V. on the wall.

"Alright." Ezra said.

"Okay, I'll send Grace over with the movie soon." Donna replied as she left.

A few minutes later Grace, the student nurse from before, came in with a DVD. "Do you like The Lion King?"

"Never seen it." Ezra admitted.

"Alright then." Grace said putting the movie in, before heading back out.

Ezra watched the movie. It was kind of cool. But then it happened.

There was a stampede of wilder-beast and the villain, Scar, pushed Simba's dad into it.

"Dad please, wake up, we've got to go home." the character on the T.V. begged.

But suddenly it wasn't the movie, it was Ezra, sitting in his old house, in between their dead bodies. "Please, wake up. I need you."

The nurses were alerted that a patient had a sudden spike in heart rate. Two of them ran into the room, and found Ezra, curled up in fetal position at the head of the bed, screaming and sobbing.

"Ezra, what's wrong?" Donna asked.

They couldn't get a reply out of him, no matter what.

"What time is it?" Donna asked.

"2 o'clock." Grace replied.

"See if you can get a hold of his guardian while I try to calm him down." Donna said. Nothing worked.

Kanan was patrolling through the streets, just anxious for it to end so he could pick up Ezra. His cell phone started to buzz on the seat next to him. He picked it up and looked at the Caller ID which displayed an unknown number.

"Hello?" Kanan answered.

"Kanan Jarrus?" the voice on the other line asked.

"Yeah," Kanan replied.

"This is Grace from the hospital." she started. It was here that Kanan could hear the frazzle in her voice.

"What's wrong?"Kanan asked, not even caring if he would get in trouble, he turned around and started heading the hospital.

"It's Ezra." Grace said.

Kanan just about turned on his sirens. "What's wrong?"

"He seems to be in some sort of panic. We can't get him to calm down." Grace replied.

"I'm on my way." Kanan said.

Kanan might have sped, on his way over, but who was going to give him a ticket? Not himself, and Hera was on the other side of town. He pulled into the hospital parking lot and ran inside and up to his fosterson's room.

He was met with the sight of Ezra, curled up as small as possible in the top corner of the bed. Sobbing and breathing incredibly fast. The heart-rate monitor read 125.

"He was totally fine ten minutes ago." Grace explained to Kanan. Donna was still trying to calm Ezra down.

Kanan heard a movie playing, just over Ezra's sobs. He glanced at the screen and took only a moment to recognize the movie, and the problem.

"Here, let me try."Kanan said, gently moving Donna out of the way. He sat on the bed and pulled Ezra onto his lap, and easy feat given how small the teen was.

He wrapped one arm around him and used the other to press his head gently into his chest.

"Hey, bud, it's okay." Kanan whispered. "I'm right here. Just focus on my voice and on my heart."

Ezra's breathing seemed to start evening out.

"Can you turn the movie off?" Kanan asked the nurses.

They did so.

"You're not there bud. You're right here with me, in my arms." Kanan soothed. "I'll never let go, and I'll never leave you.

Ezra opened his eyes, and looked up at Kanan. "Kanan?"

"I'm right here bud," Kanan reassured.

Ezra turned, wrapping his arms around Kanan and burring his face into the man's chest.

"I don't want to watch it." Ezra sobbed, slightly muffled by Kanan's police uniform.

"You don't have to." Kanan promised. "Just calm down. Match your breathing with mine. Deep breaths." he instructed. "In, and out. In and out."

A few minutes later, and Ezra's breathing and pulse were back to normal.

Kanan rubbed Ezra's back.

"So," Donna said. "Um, Grace will run some final tests. Mr. Jarrus if I could have a work with you?"

"It'll be alright bud. I'll be right back." Kanan promised. He knew that whenever Ezra had an experience like this, his mind momentarily reverted back to around the age of seven, so he needed a lot of reassurance.

"Okay," Ezra relented and let go of Kanan sitting back onto the bed and allowed Grace to give him one last check over.

Kanan went out into the hall with Donna.

"Um, about that." Donna said.

"It's not your fault. In hindsight I should have told someone." Kanan reassured. "Ezra saw his parents' killed in front of him when he was young. And sometimes seeing something similar, especially in films it seems, can send him into a panic."

Grace joined them. "He's fine. He can go home now if you want."

"It'll probably be for the best." Kanan said.

"Well go get him ready. We'll get the discharged papers ready." Donna said.

Kanan re-entered the room. Ezra smiled when he met his gaze.

"You can come home now." Kanan said.

Ezra got out of the bed and grabbed the bag of clothes.

"I can change right?" Ezra asked.

"Yeah," Kanan confirmed.

Ezra headed into the bathroom and quickly changed. Kanan was waiting for him. He held onto his back pack and handed over Tobi.

"Thanks," Ezra smiled.

"No problem kid." Kanan replied. "Now let's get you out of here."

I named the nurse Donna in honor of my grandmother who was a nurse for like 50 years or something. She just recently died.