"Could this be Abeloth trying to get her revenge on me?" Vestara asked. Ben shook his head, and smoothed out her soft, light brown hair. "No, sweetheart. I highly doubt it. I'd probably be attacked too." He assured.
Vestara nodded. She tensed a little as the pain returned. Ben immediately went to get the painkillers prescribed by Cilghal. Luke walked into the living room with his Jedi robes on. "Master Skywalker, where are you going?" Vestara asked.
"Well, I have to run the Jedi Order. That unfortunately means I can't always help care for you, but I've already excused Ben from his training."
Vestara nodded. Luke left the penthouse. Shortly afterward, Ben returned with a pen. "You know where to inject?" He asked. Vestara nodded, and extended her hand. Ben gave her the needle, and looked away while Vestara pulled her sand colored dress up. She winced, and moaned in pain as the needle point penetrated her thigh. She took deep breaths. Once she was done, she removed the needle, and reset her dress. "It's alright. You can look now."
Ben turned his head, then sat next to his girlfriend. Her head went straight to his ear, her breath tickling him. "You didn't have to look away, you know." She said softly.
"I'd prefer to. I don't want to objectify you." He affirmed.
Vestara couldn't help but smile. She leaned against her boyfriend, and she brought her hand over, and traced his chest. Ben smirked. "Why do you do that? I have a runner's body."
"I just like the feeling of your chest." Vestara innocently replied.
Ben didn't openly admit it, but he liked the shivers down his spine that Vestara's touch gave him. Vestara looked up at him, and gave a knowing glance. Ben smirked. "Stay out of my head, Khai." He playfully remarked.
After a few hours, Jedi Knight Tahiri Veila knocked on the door of the Skywalker Penthouse. Ben opened it up, and was surprised. "Tahiri? What're you doing here?"
"I came as soon as I heard that Vestara was sick."
Ben stepped aside, and gestured towards his girlfriend–who was still on the couch. "Thank you. Come on in!" He said.
Tahiri sat beside Vestara. The 2 had developed a very close friendship. "How are you doing?" Tahiri asked.
"I'm good for the most part, thanks. So far, Master Cilghal doesn't think it's anything severe."
Tahiri nodded and smiled warmly. "Good, good. How has everything been?"
Vestara thought for a little bit. "It's been nice!. Ben took me to build a snowman a while back." Ben felt Vestara's glee and giddiness through the Force. He knew that another outing like that would be wonderful for her. "That sounds fun!" Tahiri remarked.
Vestara nodded eagerly. "So was the pain before or after?" Tahiri asked.
"After. But Cilghal said that it's likely not anything known since nothing came up on the lab results." Vestara explained.
Tahiri sighed, then nodded. "Well, I hope you get better."
Vestara smiled. "Thanks."
Tahiri then remembered something. "Oh yeah, Seha and Javon wanted me to give you this." She handed her friend a nicely decorated locket. Vestara opened it up. The cap read, Get well soon, on it. The middle segment was blank on both sides. The bottom of it was a chronometer. "Why is the middle part blank?" Vestara asked.
"It's a mini holoprojector. It was Javon's idea. You put the file of a holophoto in it, and it'll display it." Tahiri explained.
Vestara's eyes lit up. Ben read her mind, and dashed to get the holorecorder. He returned with it. They hooked it up to the locket, and Vestara selected the picture of both her and Ben and their snowman to show up in the locket. "Tell them I said thanks!" Vestara gleefully said.
"You seem distant today, Dahney." Nas Choka remarked.
Danni Quee looked up at him. She had been on the planet, Zonama Sekot, for nearly 9 years. The 2 had developed a close bond. She didn't openly admit it, but she liked him. "A little bit ago, I felt a great suffering, which was then suddenly muffled."
Nas noticed how disturbed she sounded, and awkwardly set his hand on Danni's shoulder in an attempt at reassuring her. She couldn't help but lean in to his touch. Despite all of the horrors the Yuuzhan Vong had inflicted upon the Galaxy all those years ago, she was glad that they were returning to their old, peaceful ways of the Ur-Yuuzhan Vong. Nas Choka was once a violent warmaster who'd do anything to kill the opposition. Now, he was a kind-hearted gentlebeing. Though Danni noticed that it was mostly directed towards her.
"Shall we be going? It is getting late." Nas asked.
Danni thought for a moment, then nodded. She was about to stand up, when she saw Nas' arm extended towards her. It was slightly shaky from his nervousness. Danni couldn't help but smile warmly. She accepted his hand, and he pulled her up to her feet. The bags beneath his eyes seemed to twitch, signifying his glee that she accepted.
Tahiri had left a while back. Vestara was still gazing at the locket made by Seha and Javon. Her finger traced the indentations upon it. Ben put his arm around her. She leaned into his touch. "I haven't had anyone–who wasn't family–be that nice to me in a long time."
"That's the benefits of being amongst friends," Ben remarked as he put on a smug grin, "and dating the most handsome man in the Order."
Vestara smirked a little at her boyfriend's comment. She then decided to play with his ego. "Actually, you look very gross."
Ben's expression said it all. Despite knowing through the Force that she was only joking, he was still shocked that deep down, she was kind of telling the truth. Vestara caressed his cheek, and ran her index finger over his freckled face. "I think it's all the freckles. I guess if I don't look at your face too much, it's not so bad." Vestara added, tapping some of them. Ben's face heated up as his blush deepened. His expression was absolutely priceless. But this just added to Vestara's arsenal of weaponry. "Have you been messing with my make-up again? Oh wait, it actually looks good on you. I love the shade of red! Perhaps I'll buy some specifically for you."
Ben just covered his face with his hands. Nonetheless, he couldn't help but laugh. Vestara leaned up against him. She pulled his hands from his face. Her eyes darted towards his lips. A look of eagerness came across her. Ben immediately sensed her desire, and brought her face to his. She closed her eyes, awaiting for the taste of his lips. Ben closed his as well, and their lips began to find each other.
Through the Force, Ben sensed his girlfriend's pain in her legs slowly returning. Not wanting to lose this moment, he began imparting some of his Force energies into her to help dull her pain. He sensed her gratitude.
After about 2 minutes, they broke the kiss. Ben rushed to get a needle, then handed it to Vestara. Looking away once again as she lifted her dress, he waited for her to finish up. Once she was done, he faced her again. She still seemed out of breath. "I've never had this level of care… ever." She remarked, "Tahiri coming over to express concern and talk about things. Seha and Javon giving me a get well gift. It feels… it feels…"
"It feels great to have people who care about you?" Ben asked, hoping that was what Vestara was referring to. His girlfriend nodded. "Yes. Exactly!"
It was in the evening when Luke returned to the penthouse. He saw his son playing with Vestara's hair. For a moment, he almost forgot that they were both Jedi. For a moment, he saw them as just an average couple. He couldn't help but feel a pang of pain over his late wife, Mara Jade. But he knew that she was one with the Force now, and that one day they'd be together again. "Hey dad!" Ben called.
"Evening." Luke responded.
Vestara got up from the ground, much to Ben's dismay. "I heard that Seha and Javon made you something." Luke said.
The cold smell of the outside emanated from Luke. Vestara began wishing that Ben had gone outside, so she could have an excuse to pin him down. "Yeah. They gave me a locket." She caressed the device lovingly.
Luke smiled briefly. "Well why don't you two lovebirds get to sleep? Maybe that'll help the pain in your legs, Vestara."
A week went by. Vestara woke up in the middle of the night. Her legs felt like they were actually on fire! It was worse than ever before! She groaned in pain, biting back a scream. At first, she thought about waking Luke and her boyfriend, but realized that she had some pain killers in her room. She grabbed a needle, and jammed it into her, administering the medicine. However, it only made the pain worse. That's not right. She thought, concerned.
Desperate, she grabbed another needle, and did the same. Still, the pain increased after the medicine went in. This can't be happening! She panicked.
Tears began streaming from her eyes as the pain worsened! Biting back another scream, she grabbed another needle. Desperate for relief, she injected it as well. Immediately, she didn't feel so good. She felt heat throughout her body rising. She felt blood rushing to her head. She felt dizzy, and her vision began to blur. She felt like someone was tying a noose around her neck. Her breaths only came in and out as brief coughs and chokes. Her stomach felt like it was inverting. The world began to spin around her. "Ben…" She uttered before falling unconscious.
Blood circulation machines were hooked up to Vestara. "1,200 milligrams. Not good, but not severe either." Cilghal muttered as the measurements came up. Ben had heard Vestara's cry through the Force, and rushed to her room, and had found her passed out on the floor with 3 empty needles on the ground next to her. He and his father had brought her to Cilghal immediately.
"Will she be okay?" Ben asked, hoping for the best.
Cilghal sighed. "The good news is that this is a mild overdose. The bad news is that there's still damage to her body."
"When will she wake up?" Ben asked.
Cilghal sucked through her teeth. "It's anyone's guess."
Luke rested his hand on his son's shoulder. "She'll make it. She's strong." He assured.
After 15 more minutes, Vestara's eyes fluttered open. She felt the IV drip pipes in her. Everyone noticed that she woke up. When she went to massage her brow, Cilghal stopped her, and lowered her hand. "You need to rest your body. You overdosed." She explained.
Vestara moaned in discomfort. "What happened?" She felt a pounding headache.
"I had a Force vision as I slept. You were in grievous pain." Ben explained.
Vestara's mind was very foggy. She couldn't remember well. "I don't remember anything. It hurts to think." Cilghal rested her webbed hand on Vestara's head, and focused through the Force. Almost immediately, the patient began feeling relief flooding into her.
Cilghal measured Vestara's blood again after 3 minutes. "The drugs are gone." She then sent an order to the circulation machines to cycle the clean blood back into Vestara's body, letting her natural circulatory system take over. Vestara began to remember some details. "No, I need those drugs…" She whimpered.
Ben immediately shook his head. "No! They're what caused us to get into the mess in the first place!" He didn't realize it–while his father and Cilghal did–that he was yelling.
Dread flooded into Vestara. "It wasn't my fault! The pain came back, and it wouldn't go away!" Her eyelids tickled, as though they were going to start overflowing with tears.
"You should've told us!" Ben snapped. Luke got up, and put his hands on his son. "Son, you need to calm down!" He warned.
Vestara began shedding tears. "I didn't… didn't want to… to wake you! I… I wanted the p… pain gone!" She cried. More hot tears flowed from her eyes.
Ben was about to yell again, but Luke stopped him. He used the Force to bind his son's tongue, so he couldn't form words. Unfortunately, it didn't stop his thoughts, which bombarded Vestara. That made her sob more. Luke let calm flow through him so he wouldn't make matters worse by adding to the yelling. He jerked his son's body to face him. "Son. I'm going to ask you a question. And I expect a straight answer." Ben felt his father's stern feelings.
Luke paused for a second to let more calm flow into him. Meanwhile, Cilghal worked on disconnecting the circulatory machine, and calming Vestara. Luke exhaled softly. "Ben, did you even hear yourself, let alone listen to yourself?"
In just 3 seconds, Ben realized his grave error. He allowed his anger and frustration to take over. He felt his girlfriend's sorrow and grief through the Force, and heard her quiet sobs and intermenial sniffles. His expression fell, and guilt took over. "I didn't." He said at last. Luke gently let go of his son.
Ben turned, and walked over to Vestara. He knelt down so they were at eye level. He opened his mouth. His jaw twitched a few times. Then, he spoke. "Ves, I'm sorry." He reached out, and gently cupped her hand. His girlfriend looked up at him. He saw the streaks her tears had left. Clear mucus was rolling out of her nostrils, and were dangling past her mouth. No doubt, some made it into her mouth. He opened himself up to the Force and immediately felt her pain. He hugged her as best as her could. "I'm sorry for yelling at you." He said in her ear.
He felt more of her pain through the Force, realizing how badly he had hurt her. "You weren't the stupid one… I was." Ben added.
Through the Force, Vestara sensed her boyfriend's sincerity. She returned the hug. Ben no longer cared that she overdosed. Now, he just wanted her forgiveness. He kissed her cheek. "I'm sorry." He whispered into her ear.
Tahiri woke up in her quarters in the Jedi Temple on Shedu Maad. Her sleep was interrupted by a sharp, aching pain in her left arm. Do I have what Vestara has? She wondered. Dread began to fill her mind as the aching pain took over all feeling in her left arm!