The first sign anything was wrong was when Ezra was uncharacteristically silent while they debated the job offer back on ship. Kanan was arguing that it was easy credits, Sabine was listing off all the easy credit jobs that had been anything but easy, and Zeb backing her up with creative ways this one could go unpredictable wrong. Normally it was even odds on if Ezra would back his Master or go against him, but he seemed distracted. No one had paid it too much mind though, the planet they were visiting had entirely different day-night cycles and everyone was a little short on sleep and off their game.
The real reason became clear enough when he suddenly lurched up from the table, looking uncharacteristically pale, and rushed to the 'fresher. Kanan winced in sympathy, the walls were thin enough everyone could hear the sounds of him getting sick up. The food at the bar hadn't been great, but it was better than nothing and at least different from what they'd been eating on ship. No one said anything when Ezra did come back, muttering an excuse.
"I'm just saying, unless we find out more details you can't say for sure…"
"Zeb, they're not going to pack an entire troupe of dancers into three crates. I already told them no drugs, no sentients, no banned weapons. If the cargo's not what it seems, we bail and keep the deposit."
"Mining equipment turned out to be a puffer pig. 'Course if Ezra hadn't let it out…" Zeb paused, glancing almost hopefully at the young padawan.
"Wait, now we're saying I let it out? You let it out, and then you scared it." It took Ezra a second to realize the opening, but he sounded normal enough.
"Yeah, well if you'd grabbed it when I told you to…"
Kanan smiled, relaxing some when Ezra seemed better. His relief was short lived when it wasn't even ten minutes later that Ezra lurched back towards the 'fresher, and didn't quite make it. His face was flushed as he leaned against the wall, one arm propping him up and the other wrapped around his middle.
"S-sorry, I'll clean it up." Ezra looked like he wanted to crawl into the vents and hide for a solid week, Zeb was the first one to move, putting a hand on his back.
"Nah kid, I got it. You sit back down."
Ezra took a shaky breath, straightening back up. "I think… I'm going to lay down instead. Sorry guys."
"Don't be sorry" Hera tried not to crowd him, walking with him down the hall to make sure he made it, not happy with how unsteady he looked.
"It was probably just whatever I ate, I'm feeling a little better."
"Good. We have medicine for nausea on board, but if it is what you ate, better to get it out."
Ezra nodded, not really meeting her gaze as he climbed carefully up to his bunk, not wanting to make any sudden movements.
"And no one blames you for this." Hera didn't want to embarrass him any further, but she found a bucket, handing it up. "It's not your fault."
"Then why am I the only one sick like this?" He took the bucket, shoving it against the back wall.
"I don't know, but with luck you'll be feeling fine again after some sleep."
"I'll try."
Hera woke up to her door beeping at her, sleepily sitting up and unlocking it before glancing at the clock, she'd only been asleep a few hours. They'd decided to take the job, they couldn't really afford not to.
"Sorry to wake you, Hera. Need the medkit." Zeb stepped in, going right to where she kept the supplies and opening it up, picking up bottles to read the contents.
"Ezra? Isn't it better to let him get everything out?"
"Nothing's come out the last seven or eight times he's tried. I should know, I've been cleaning up after him."
"Seven or… The bottle on the far right, yes, that one." She started to swing out of bed before Zeb held up a hand.
"I've got it, go back to sleep. I'll let you know if anything changes, but no news is good news."
Zeb carried the bottle out with him, going back to his room. Ezra didn't even fight him, swallowing the dose of medication without any backtalk and closing his eyes again. Zeb knew he should try and doze while he could, but he waited until the tense miserable look finally eased from Ezra's face and the kid finally slept for real before he laid down to sleep.
Ezra wasn't much better the next morning, the nausea had passed but he was feverish. Fever reducers helped, but only for a little while before his temperature crept back up. Kanan ended up taking him to his own room, so Zeb could finally sleep.
Kanan wrung out the cloth, wiping it over Ezra's flushed cheeks before putting it back on his forehead. He glanced at the chronometer, but it was still far too early to give him another dose of medicine. Everyone was dealing with their worry in their own way, Hera had reluctantly set course for the cargo pickup, but he knew she'd plotted out the fastest ways to all possible medcenters that they might be able to safely use without alerting the Empire who they were. Sabine had pulled up entire libraries of medical info, and was using Chopper's help to sift through them for anything that might be useful. They didn't even know what they were dealing with, if it was an illness Ezra was the only one who'd caught it, at least so far. A toxin seemed less likely, and for poisoning they'd all been together and eaten the same thing. There was no way to guess what would happen without having any idea of what was wrong in the first place.
Ezra muttered, shifting restlessly on the bunk. Kanan flipped the cloth to the cooler side and combed his fingers through his hair, making soft shushing sounds. Ezra had been slipping in and out of delirium and fever dreams, sometimes saying things that nearly made sense, and sometimes trying to call out for people. He recognized some of the names, others he had no idea of.
Ezra opened his eyes slightly, unfocused gaze darting around the room and he tried to sit up. Kanan had already dealt with a few of his struggles and it was far too easy to push him back down. "Easy, you don't need to go anywhere."
Ezra didn't fight the pushing too hard, but he kept looking around. "Caleb?"
The name startled him and it was only long practice at not reacting that kept him steady as he retrieved the damp cloth to soak it again. "Everything's fine, just relax."
"But where's Caleb? He should be here. I want him here." Ezra sounded far younger like this, scared.
It was easier for Kanan to lie than to try and argue with him. "He's fine, he'll be here later. You need to rest." He washed Ezra's face again. Even if he knew who he was talking about it wouldn't do much good. He'd gotten worked up about wanting to see Hera the last time his fever got bad and she'd come right away, but as soon as she was there Ezra had gotten confused again, not sure why she was there or what had been so important, and it had obviously upset her to see him like that and be unable to help. The only person he hadn't asked for was Kanan himself, and he wasn't sure if that was a good sign. He liked to think Ezra still recognized him like this.
Ezra finally settled down and closed his eyes again and Kanan sighed, arching and trying to crack his back. Finally the chronometer beeped and he gratefully started getting out another dose of medication just as the door opened.
"I think I've got it." Sabine waved a datapad, as Chopper beeped behind her, sounding triumphant.
Kanan winced as the sudden sounds startled Ezra, making him twist and struggle, reaching to brace him and try to keep him from flailing right out of bed.
"Sorry. But I think I found a lead" Sabine spoke quieter, shushing Chopper. "The dish we all ate, back at the bar. Some kind of fungus, right?"
"I think so."Kanan held him down a little longer after he stopped struggling, then went back to slowly petting through his hair.
"There's a fungus that grows all through that system, the locals call it Mynkah, it's perfectly edible and safe, unless you happen to be one of the 8% of humanoids who's violently allergic to it. Then you get all sorts of nasty symptoms, vomiting, confusion, and fever are three of the big ones. It's not exported because of the risk."
"And if that's not it?" Kanan didn't want to sound too skeptical, but they could make things worse if they mixed too many medications.
"Allergy medication's very safe, it would even explain why the anti-nausea meds helped, they're in the same class of drugs." Sabine held up the bottle, offering it to him.
"It's worth a shot then." Kanan took the bottle, taking out two of the pills and coaxing Ezra into sitting up. The first pill he didn't quite manage, biting down and then looking at Kanan like he'd betrayed him when he didn't let him spit it out. It took some doing but they both finally convinced him to swallow the second with some more water.
"Tastes horrible, Caleb." Ezra muttered, managing a glare at Kanan, but he laid back down without a fuss.
"Caleb?" Sabine looked at him curiously. Kanan shrugged as nonchalantly as he could manage.
"I've been dad, mom, Tseebo, Hera, and even you a few times. Maybe he won't remember any of this?" Kanan rolled his eyes, and Sabine managed a small smile.
"Better not have had me say anything stupid."
"So I shouldn't have told him you two were married with sixteen kids?" It was a little easier to joke than to watch Ezra for signs the medicine was working, and even if he was fairly sure Ezra wasn't following the conversation, the tone made him relax.
"That better be a joke, for your sake." Sabine smiled though.
"You'll never know. I think I can handle it now, if you want to go."
Sabine took it as the hint it was, nodding and heading towards the door. "We'll be coming out of hyperspace soon, keep your com on, but we should be fine just picking up a few crates. You don't have to leave, but if you want a break someone else can take over for a while. "
"Lets hope that's all it is. I'll be fine here." Kanan reached to turn on his com, setting it nearby, then looking back to Ezra. He had fallen back asleep and he reached for the cloth again, hoping it was a good sign.
"Kanan?" The voice was a little drowsy sounding, but more aware than it had been all day and Kanan couldn't help a grin as he reached to feel Ezra's cheek.
"You're awake, how are you feeling?"
"Tired, sleepy. But… better? Yeah." Blue eyes focused on his face, then glanced around the room as he tried to sit up, then settled right back down without needing to be nudged.
"Good. It looks like Sabine was right, if we ever go back to that system you're staying away from the food. You're allergic to it."
"Allergic?" Ezra sounded more offended than confused. "I'm not allergic to anything."
"Apparently you are. The medicine might make you drowsy, but let me know if you start feeling bad again."
"I will." Ezra reached up a hand, to rub over his face. "Have you been here this whole time?" He remembered some weird dreams, not sure if anything was real. He thought Hera coming in might be real, but somehow didn't think they'd spent any time back on Lothal at his tower.
"Most of it." Kanan knew he should probably leave it alone, but curiosity nagged at him. "Who's Caleb?"
Ezra startled at that, staring at him a little too wide-eyed. "What.. was I saying things?"
"Mostly trying to talk to people. If you don't want to say, it's fine. I shouldn't have brought it up."
"Caleb's… Caleb was my friend, my best friend, growing up. He was older and kind of looked out for me, tried to keep me out of trouble. I haven't heard from him in a while, probably if he was smart he left planet a while ago." Ezra shrugged a little, looking away.
"I'm sorry." Kanan reached to squeeze his shoulder gently.
"Don't be, maybe we'll run into him again. Small universe right?" Ezra smiled, and then yawned.
"Maybe. I'll tell everyone you're doing better. If you start feeling bad again, medicine's right where you can reach it. Just take one to start." Kanan patted his shoulder, standing up so he could step outside and talk over the com, to let everyone know the good news about Specter 6. By the time he came back in, Ezra was already fast asleep. He took up his seat, unwilling to trust that he'd be fine this time, not until he was entirely sure he was out of danger. It was just coincidence, Caleb wasn't that unusual a name, but something about the way Ezra had looked so defensive at being asked about it nagged at the back of his mind. He'd have time to think on it, and if Ezra was keeping secrets he hoped he'd trust him enough to talk about it eventually.