When Kanan had said grounded, he'd meant grounded.
Ezra had spent almost a week in a bacta tank, unconscious as his crew mates visited to see him. They'd talk to him or just sit and watch as the teenager looked better for every passing day inside it, getting closer to a recovery they all wanted him to have.
Kanan would usually sit quietly, reaching out and soothing with his side of the Force. First time he'd done it Ezra had jerked inside the tank then settled again, seeming calmer then before as Kanan stayed for a hour or two.
Hera would sit with Chopper beside her and talk about the on goings of the ship, telling Ezra what he was missing out on. Chopper messing with the fresher so Zeb got a cold shower, Sabine accidentally exploding a egg in the kitchen. Kanan smacking so hard into the Lasat that both fell on their asses. Those kinds of things with the occasional binary thrown in by Chopper to elaborate his side of the story, often to the affront of some of the medical droids who understood Chopper perfectly well.
Sabine talked about her arts, the supplies she had been picking up and what she was considering making with it. She didn't go into details about any acts of rebellion, never knowing who was listening but she hinted to it, how her art was going to help them on their next few runs.
Zeb would sit as quietly as Kanan sometimes, other times he'd gruffly offer up that he missed Ezra and speculate how long until Ezra came out of the tank because Zeb would really like to get of the planet as it had awful humidity and it was making his fur stand on floofy ends and made him reek even more then usual.
They kept the ship fully stocked since they had the chance being on a Outer Rim planet for Ezra sake though they were ready to make their escape just in case at all times. And then Ezra could leave the tube, on shaky legs, clinging to the offered shoulder of Sabine, giving his puppy dog smile though shaky as it was.
But he was back on the Ghost, back safe among them.
And so not allowed to take any mission despite insisting he was fine.
"No Ezra. You will stay here with Hera on board. You've barely been out of the bacta tank for a day. You need time to retrain all your limbs and test them." Kanan's tone of voice brokered no arguments as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Come on its not like there's a mission TODAY." Ezra tried only for Kanan to shake his head. "Unless its nesscary you are of any mission roosters for the month out."
"What!"
"You NEED time Ezra. This is not up for debate." The Jedi turned and headed for the galley, leaving Ezra in the cockpit with Hera.
Ezra flopped down in the seat beside Hera, crossing his arms over his chest while sulking. "Can you believe this?!"
"You don't need to shout Ezra." Hera hummed while taking of. "And yes, I can. We all agree that you need time." She glanced at him.
"Oh not you too!" Ezra groaned, running his hands through his hair.
"Ezra..." Hera hesitated before sighing and setting the auto-pilot on, turning to him. "Do you have any idea how it felt like to us when we couldn't adequately care for you? You were pale, your breath was shallow and you wouldn't wake." She said seriously. "We raced to this planet for you, because our medbay is not equipped for the level of trauma you went through. We thought we were going to lose you."
The teen shifted, squeezing his arms around himself a bit tighter. "I'm fine though... I just don't want to hold any of you back. I earned my place here." He muttered rebelliously.
The pilot reached out and carefully drew his hands out, squeezing them between her own as she stared at him with her kind eyes. "You have, many times over Ezra. We're not giving your place away to anyone."
Ezra flinched a bit and looked away at Hera rightly identifying his fear.
"I know that you've done a lot of things to survive. I know some of those haven't been good to you. I know some of them have been downright terrifying." She squeezed his hands again, not letting him pull them away. "But you don't need that here. You are part of this crew, this family. Regardless if you are hurt, sick or just being stubborn." She lifted one hand and used it to cup Ezra's chin, making him look at her as she smiled softly.
"You don't need to prove anything to us. We already know your worth."
Ezra swallowed heavily.
"I just..." His shoulders slumped. "I just..."
"I know Ezra. But please listen to us when we say we can manage if you take the rest of this month to recover. We want you back in fit form." The Twi'lek slowly let go.
"...My leg kind of hurts." Ezra muttered and Hera smiled at that as the medical droid had warned them about potential phantom pains. "I'll tell Chopper to get some of the painkillers and a heating bag." The pills were really placebo but Ezra didn't need to know that, as long as they did the job. If not they had real ones just in case. The doctor had suggested that eventual pains should first be treated with the placebos so not to make Ezra dependent on actual chemicals if it could be avoided.
Ezra looked out at the stars outside the windows, wrapping his arms back around himself now that Hera wasn't holding his hands.
Having her talk to him and touch him like that had been...it reminded him of his mother. He wasn't sure if he liked that comparison.
It felt like a betrayal towards her and yet he craved the contact again.
"...I didn't do those kind of jobs often you know." He surprised himself by saying that and Hera obviously hadn't expected it as she looked to him. "What?"
Ezra shifted and tightened his arms around himself, inwardly cursing that he had said anything at all.
"I...the survival thing you said. I didn't...I mean..." Ezra licked his lips, noting that Hera had yet to turn away from him, fully listening.
"...I didn't take jobs that...that involved sexual favors often." He squeezed his own arms harshly. "The locals didn't really...I think they had some respect left for my parents so they wouldn't touch me like that...it was...mostly of world traders or visitors." He bit down on his lips. "And I didn't need to do it a lot. Or the drug testing. I could usually get by with running packages or stealing except when times got desperate. Like with the kidney I sold."
He tensed as Hera placed a hand on each knee. "I'm glad Ezra. That you could get by. I'm even more glad you survived because you're remarkable to us." She smiled softly at him as Ezra gave her a hesitant look.
"You ran spices, you did things you'd rather forget and you stole. I get it Ezra." She reached in and drew the other into a hug. "I once again wish you hadn't needed it. But you did and that's fine by me." Slowly running his fingers through his hair, she held onto him.
Ezra blinked back tears and pushed his face into her shoulder, taking a shuddering breath.
"...Thank you Hera." He whispered into her shoulder.
On the other side of the cabin door Kanan stood quietly, his hand still hovering over the opener, two pills in his hands.
He wanted to go in there and offer the same kind of comfort Hera was giving him but something told him to wait, to stay right where he was. Ezra opening up and lowering his shoulders from their guard was not something that happened to often.
Him opening up to someone, anyone on board was something they had all been waiting for, hoping the kid would relax. Yet Kanan had hoped it would be him his padawan would have gone to. But Hera was a good choice too, he knew that.
He turned slowly and rested his back against the wall, listening to the quiet noises coming from the cockpit, imagining what was happening almost as if he could see inside through the door.
"And you know what Ezra?" He tilted his head towards Hera's voice, smiling a bit at Ezra's little questioning noise.
"I think your parents would be proud too." She said almost to softly for Kanan to hear.
There was a second silence and then a choked sob.
Kanan practically itched to be in that room but instead stepped back, letting Hera handle the teenager and his sorrow for now until Ezra was ready to talk to Kanan about it. He sat down heavily and watched Sabine and Zeb on the holochess.
"Thought you went to give Ezra the pills for Chopper?" Sabine asked curiously, not having expected the man back so soon.
"Ezra and Hera are talking...I'd rather they finish that conversation before I interrupt." Kanan said evenly, not about to tell them the teen was crying. He remembered being a teen back in the temple and crying and the last thing he wanted was for people to know except for the one he was seeking comfort from. Caleb had never liked having his privacy invaded without good reason even then he hadn't appreciated it.
Kanan didn't think Ezra would like it anymore then he had.
He pretended not to notice Zeb and Sabine exchanging looks before they continued their game.
"...He alright?" Sabine murmured.
"No. But he'll be eventually." Kanan settled. "He will be eventually."
Author note: So at this point I'm running a bit low. But if anyone has a suggestion or challange for this, please send me a review or pm with it. Happy reading people