Silence is evil.

It really is.

And why?

Because silence makes you think.

I don't like thinking all too much. Well, I do like to think just not when I'm in a bad mood. You know what I mean, right? Anyway, one thought leads to another and before you know it, you're caught in a loop of negative thoughts and what-if's and oh-God-what-am-I-going-to-do?!

I was grateful for all the help given to me but I was still edgy. Understandably so, I believe. My main cause of concern was the lack of answers to my questions. For that matter, the lack of people I could ask. This Master Durron person wasn't very talkative and by the way he sat with his eyes closed, I doubted he was very interested in conversing in the first place.

So I lay back and hoped I could sleep or at least drift off into my own personal world inside this chaotic brain of mine. But as stated, silence is evil.

I found myself thinking of home, of all the little things that I took for granted. A smile here, a warm hug there, laughter all around me, happy faces, even the grouchy neighbors next door – all these things made me feel miserable. Because – and this was a great big mind altering surprise for me – I missed these little things. I missed being around that which I knew, that which I recognized. I missed listening to chatter while on the train ride home from work, or my colleagues gossiping and drooling over the new guy at the company. Everything that I had considered annoying – well, now I missed every waking moment of normality.

I wanted to be at home and I wanted the phone to ring every ten minutes. I wanted to scrounge through the kitchen and realize there was only a drop of milk left. I wanted to head to the store ten minutes before they closed. I wanted all these tiny, stupid, irritating things back.

So I squeezed my eyes shut, balled my hands into fists and wished to be back home. I repeated the words "There's no place like home" over and over in my mind, I gripped at each syllable with the last threads of hope I possessed.

Common sense can be such a drag, though. Of course, when I opened my eyes I was still laying on the same hospital bed, I was still caged up in the white hospital room and Mr. I-don't-like-to-talk was still sitting in his little white chair with his eyes closed.

It's been said that I have a fighting personality. I don't know if the people who claimed this were on drugs or not – maybe they're even crazier than I am – but I decided to believe them. I sat up and pushed the thick, comfortable blanket away and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

My movement seemed to trigger something in the Jedi it seemed because he opened his eyes and arched a dark brow in my direction. I didn't much care for that expression on his face.

"The Healer Cilghal said that if I needed anything you would get it for me, right?" I asked softly, folding my hands in front of me.

"Do I look like a servant boy to you?"

Yep.

In the book of Arrogant Idiots To Be Avoided For Eternity this guy hit the jackpot.

I cleared my throat and faked a little smile. "That sort of depends on the view, I suppose. I mean, you are sitting here babysitting me so you have to be someone's servant boy, right?" Before he could even reply – and I'm fairly certain it would have been something I didn't want to hear – I babbled on. "Besides the fact that I don't know how anything around here works, you're the only person here who does. And I'm hungry. So if you wouldn't mind, I'd appreciate a little help."

I'm not quite certain but I think he actually cracked a smile before he got up and headed to an intercom-whatever that was installed in the wall next to the door. He spoke in a low tone, I couldn't understand the words but only a few minutes later the door opened and a young, beautiful blond girl came in holding a small tray in her hands.

I could have trampled her and kissed her silly because the food smelled delicious.

She placed the tray on a small counter, waved good-bye and left me alone with Mr. Grouch.

I didn't want to seem like some predator going after its prey so I did my best to act civilized as I moved over to the tray and carried it back to the bed. I sat down cross-legged, balancing the tray on my knees. I felt all giddy and happy because of food!

I would have loved to take a big fat bite out of an oily burger with fries and a big fat coke along with it but this here – whatever it was – would do just fine. Going by the smell, it had to be something fantastic, something that would blow my mind and finally make me smile because I would feel good for the first time since arriving in this strange new world!

I took off the lid to the tray.

The first thing I noticed was the glass of juice. The juice was green. A disgusting green, like mucus. I picked up the glass and sniffed at the thick liquid contents. Suffice it to say, it didn't smell good. Like grass mixed with herbs with a touch of soil.

Ew.

I cleared my throat and dismissed it. I could get a glass of water later on, right?

It was the food I was after anyway.

Only, what I had hoped to be something at least similar to what I was used to, turned out to be brown gunk.

I don't even want to try and explain what this looked like; my mind couldn't quite fathom that something this icky looking could smell like grilled steak with potatoes and fresh vegetables.

It was brown gunk. Did I forget to mention that it wobbled like slime, too?

Mr. Grouchy Jedi Master chuckled from where he sat. "Not to your liking?"

I took a spoon into my hand and slowly prodded the stuff they called food. Hello Jell-o!

"What is this stuff?" I asked, my face scrunched up into a mask of mortal disgust.

"It's a Toydarian delicacy. It's quite nutritious for humans."

I raised my brows, prodding away at the "food". "You actually eat this stuff?"

"Of course. Were you expecting a five course five star meal?"

I really didn't care for his attitude or his stupid amused tone.

"Try it. You might actually like it." He continued and I didn't miss the mischievous glint in his eyes or the slight lift of his lips into a stupid grin. You know the kind of grin you want to smack out of someone's face.

I placed the lid back onto the tray and set it aside on the bed. "Can I just have a glass of water instead?"

I had completely lost my appetite.