Luke and Leia were in Leia's office. They shared their affectionate hello, and now they had a lot to catch up on. They sat alone in Leia's small office, chatting quietly.
"I know about Han," Luke started. "I'm so sorry, Leia." Luke said sincerely, reaching out and putting a hand on his sister's. Leia sighed.
"So am I," Leia said. "Han deserved better," she started, tearing up.
"It's alright, Leia," Luke comforted.
"I know," she began, sniffling. "I got over Han along time ago, when he first left. He's been gone for me for a while."
Leia got quiet all of a sudden.
"But it's not Han I'm sorry for anymore," she stated. "It's Ben I'm worried about." She whispered, incase someone might have been listening.
"Yes, I know," Luke said. "Rey told me that he did it."
"Someone needs to stop him, Luke," Leia pleaded. "Someone needs to stop Snoke."
Luke nodded solemnly. "I never thought Snoke would get so powerful."
"Well," Leia began. "We both thought wrong on that." She cleared her throat subtly. "Let's change the subject."
"Yes," Luke mumbled. "What shall we talk about?"
Leia leaned in closer to her brother. She looked him straight in the eye, suspicion written all over her face.
"Who is Rey?" She asked. "Is she who I think she is?"
"That depends on who you think she is." Luke said.
"She's that girl you brought to the base on Endor, isn't she?" Leia questioned. "The day after Ben- Uh, the day you left."
Luke turned away from his sister's penetrating glare. He fixed his eyes on a root growing out of the wall of her office. He tried to avoid the question, but Leia was determined.
"Luke," she asked again, gentler this time. "She's Kira Kenobi, isn't she?"
Luke nodded silently, eyes now cast upon the floor. Just then, an officer burst into Leia's office.
"Excuse me ma'am," the officer began, standing at attention.
"At ease," Leia commanded calmly. The officer stood easily now, quickly handing Leia a piece of paper before leaving as quick as she'd appeared.
Luke watched Leia as she read the message, her facial expressions telling him all he needed to know. Something was wrong.
"What is it?" Luke asked, looking worried.
"It's Rey," Leia started. She looked up to meet her brother's stare. "She collapsed."
General Hux came in every day to see Kylo Ren. Not in an affectionate way. Their arguments were those of two children fighting over their favourite toy, and they had the same one every day.
"Have you gotten out of bed today?" General Hux would ask.
"Yes, like I told you yesterday, I can now get out of bed and walk down the hall," Kylo Ren would answer back, sneering.
"So no improvement from yesterday?" Hux snickered.
"Why do you come so early? It's two in the morning!" Kylo began. "Do you think I've had time to get up and see how far I can walk today...?!" He questioned, snarling.
"I'm just relaying what Supreme Leader asked me to!" Hux answered, "Don't give me your attitude! Here I have to come, everyday, to your hospital room to check up on you, when really you should be able to get up, by yourself, without motivation from myself or Snoke!" Hux hissed, loud and frightening enough that even the storm troopers walking out in the hallway, froze in fear.
"Maybe if you didn't treat me like a child I would have been to Snoke already," Kylo Ren stated blatantly.
"I'll stop treating me like a child when you stop acting like one!" Hux retorted. An awkward silence feel upon the two of them. Kylo breathed heavily and angrily. General Hux swiftly reached down to where Kylo Ren's health chart sat hooked on the base board of his bed. He picked up and nonchalantly tossed it into Kylo Ren's lap.
"Idiot," Hux snapped. "Why must I do everything for you?" He asked, walking out of Kylo Ren's room, clearly itrritated. "Remember to stretch! Snoke doesn't want you injured because of your own stupidity, again!" He added once more, poking his head through the doorway before finally leaving for good.
Kylo Ren sighed deeply in annoyance. He didn't have anything to lash out on, but that was probably a good thing. He reached down and picked up the data pad, looking at it hesitantly. He read it over, and over. Nothing was written there that he didn't already know, himself. Hux made him so mad, how secretive he was about everything. Kylo Ren ripped the piece of paper from the chart and crumpled it into a right ball, proceeding to biff it at the wall.
Kylo Ren lay in his bed, thinking. Should he get up and work on his walking, or should he go back to sleep and get his much needed rest, considering how early it was?
He chose the former.
Slowly, but quicker than the previous time, he pushed himself over to the side of his bed, turning his body until his feet sat flat on the floor. Slowly but surely, he steadily stood up, his head no longer pounding from a head rush. That had dissipated a few days ago.
Kylo Ren sighed, looking down at his bare chest and baggy hospital garb- aside from the bandages that were wrapped around his abdomen. He reached over to the chair beside his bed where a black t-shirt lay, slowly and gently slipping it over his head. Feeling concealed enough, he headed out of his room, cautiously putting one foot in front of the other.
He stood in the doorway of his room, looking menacingly out into the hallway at the storm troopers and doctors who marched by. Some quickened their pace, eager to get away from the person that they had gotten to know as the easily-angered Kylo Ren. He had gotten used to the stares of the doctors and nurses and troopers, because for most of them, it was their first time seeing Kylo Ren without the infamous mask.
He made the decision to turn right this time, away from the nurses station and towards the hospital exit. He followed the flow of the storm troopers, but came to the realization that the hall only branched off into other halls, all identical. Sighing, he contemplated whether or not he should go back to his room or continue ambling through the maze of halls.
He chose to further gain some stamina, and continued his venture through the hallways. He looked in every room that he passed, given that the door was open. He was trying to clear his head if Han Solo. Again. If only Hux hadn't woken him up. For the first time in a long time, he was finally asleep without his plaguing thoughts and dreams, whom Han Solo was usually featured in.
But it was still conquering his thoughts, overruling the empowering anger that had embedded its self inside Kylo Ren's head.
I killed my father. I killed Han Solo. He couldn't get it out of his head.
This dark, clouded mess of thoughts got the better of him. Kylo Ren turned around at the end of the vast hall and returned to his room, winding through the many halls that he hadn't realized he'd walked down. He finally got to his room, satisfied with his walk and his progression, but not with his mind- with his prior actions.
He plopped down on his bed, which much to his surprise, had been remade, and there were new clothes sitting on the chair. Was he gone for that long? He checked the clock. It was now three in the morning. He had been gone for almost an hour. Leaning back on his freshly-made bed, he closed his eyes and forced all thoughts of his father out of his head, and went to sleep again.
Finn still sat in that same chair, stationed beside Rey's bed. She still hadn't woken up. Really, it had only been a few hours, but to Finn, it felt longer. It felt like days. Weeks. Months, even.
Rey still breathed heavily. The machines still beeped rhythmically. Finn still stared at her like she was the last person in the galaxy, longing for her to wake up. He had no idea what time it was, for Rey's room contained no clock. He only got an idea of the hour when a nurse walked in, a different one from last night.
"Good morning," she said cheerfully, carrying a tray of food and setting it down on the table that sat next to Finn.
"Oh, uh, she can't eat," Finn said, looking at Rey sadly.
"Oh, it's not for her," the nurse stated. "It's for you. Commander Dameron requested it," she said.
Finn was delighted at Poe's kindness. No one had ever cared that much about him, but he knew not to take advantage of it. Finn looked over at the food on the plate. He didn't know what at was, but it looked good.
He kept an eye on the nurse, following her actions as she walked over to the far wall that was covered by a thick curtain that Finn hadn't really noticed before. She drew it back, flooding the room with sunlight and revealing a large window.
As Finn's eyes adjusted, he looked out the window. He hadn't known it before, but this part of the medical ward was dug out of a cliff, and Rey's room had an excellent view of the rolling fields and vast forests that sat in awe of its own beauty below. He looked in amazement, as he knew Rey would love the view.
The nurse ambled around Rey's machines, looking at the monitors and writing stuff on her clipboard. Finn cocked his head and cleared his throat.
"How is she?" He asked.
"She's progressing fine," the nurse said. "Her heart rate is normal, her fluid intake is being increased, and her body is reacting fine to the medication she's on. At this rate, she should wake up at any time."
Finn's tense body relaxed a bit. He couldn't wait for the moment that Rey wakes up.
Finishing up her notes, the nurse left the room. Finn looked at Rey, and then to his breakfast, which was only getting cold so long as it sat on the table, untouched. He began to eat, finding that the food both looked good and tasted good. He didn't realize how hungry he was though, devouring his food in record time, and was again sitting in his own thoughts and uncomfortable silence. But instead of focusing on the inevitable, he decided to do his regular exercise regiment.
Finn slowly got up from his chair and, finding a spair sheet, layed it out on the floor in front of the gigantic window. Taking in the breathtaking view, he sat on the sheet, stretching out his wary muscles as he'd been instructed to do every morning, afternoon and night- the day before being an exception.
As he exercised, Finn thought of Poe. How kind he was, how thoughtful he was, how caring he was. He was like an overprotecting older brother, but in a good way. Finn never had anyone who cared about him until Poe came along, and it was refreshing- to know that there was someone who cared about whether or not you ate your meal, you got your sleep, had proper clothes to wear, or if you died in battle.
After finishing his exercise regime, Finn proceeded to sit on the sheet, soaking up the morning sun. He liked the feeling of the sun on his bare face, not covered by a mask or helmet. He was so immersed in the sunlight that he didn't notice Poe and BB-8 come in.
Out of the corner of his eye, Finn saw the droid come to a halt beside his sheet. He looked over to see Poe standing beside his sidekick, smiling down at Finn.
"Oh," Finn began. "Hey, Poe." He said quietly. Poe looked at where his friend was sitting on the floor. He chuckled.
"Having a picnic?" Poe asked. Finn looked at him, confused.
"What's a picnic?" Finn replied, answering Poe's question with another question.
"Never mind," Poe said, shaking his head. "Mind if I sit?"
Finn smiled, patting an empty spot on the sheet beside him. "Go ahead!" He shuffled over to make more room for the pilot. Poe sat down, sighing.
"How is she?" Poe asked, nodding towards Rey, who still lay asleep in the bed. Finn sighed, looking out the window.
"She still hasn't woken up, but the nurse said she's progressing fine," he answered. Poe nodded affirmingly. He followed Finn's gaze and looked out the window. "Great view," Poe stated.
"Yeah," Finn began, "Rey's gonna love it."
As he said her name, Finn turned to look at her. From that angle, sitting on the floor, he couldn't see her very well, but he caught a glimpse of her hand, which was twitching. Either voluntarily or involuntarily, her fingers were moving. You'd have to be staring at her hand in order to notice, which Finn was. He craned his neck to get a better look, but to no avail. He stood up, causing Poe to look at him suspuciously.
"What?" Poe asked curiously. "What's wrong?"
Finn barely acknowledged Poe. He mumbled something incoherently.
"Is it Rey?" Poe continued to ask.
Finn didn't answer. He studied Rey's hand, as it began to move more. He averted his gaze up to her face, only to find that her eyes were wide open, staring blankly off into space. Slowly, Rey turned her head until her and Finn made eye contact. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but could barely say anything.
"Finn," she managed to croak. She continued to open and close her mouth like a fish out of water, trying to speak. Finn was quick to get by her side. Poe shot up and quickly joined Finn at Rey's bedside too, closely followed by BB-8.
"Rey," Finn said back. He scurried over to his chair and sat down, taking Rey's hand in his. "You're alright," he assured her.
Rey couldn't see or hear very well. Though Finn and Poe had been sitting only a few feet away, she hadn't heard them at all, and now, even with Finn sitting right at her side, she could only hear a dull whisper. And even now, she could barely see Finn, even though he as sitting right next to her. It worried her. It terrified her. She had no idea where she was, what was going on, or what had happened to her. She clenched her free hand and pounded it on the bed in anger.
"Hey, hey," Finn tried to soothe her, reaching over and grabbing her other hand. "Poe, go get a nurse," Finn instructed. Poe wasted no time, flying out of the room and down the hall in two seconds.
Rey continued to try to speak, but her mouth was too dry. She could only whisper. Again, she whispered Finn's name.
"Yes?" Finn answered in a quiet tone. He looked at Rey, who was looking at him with large, wondrous eyes.
"I-" she began. "I can't see very well," she whispered.
"That's alright," Finn assured her. "That's normal."
"I'm thirsty," she gasped. She was used to being in short supply of water, and knew how to ration it properly, but she was parched. She was terribly tired, even though she'd been asleep for so long. Her heavy eyelids sagged and drooped.
"Yeah, I can get you some water," Finn said, getting up and going out into the hall to get her a glass of water. Though he only took a few seconds, Rey was fast asleep by the time he got back. Finn sighed. All he wanted to do was to spend some time with her, but with her current condition, she proved unpredictable. But that was nothing new.