Vah'nya stared at Eli, watching his chest struggle to rise and fall. He needed to have the fluid drained from his lungs. Now.
"I'm afraid you are correct, Vah'nya." Thrawn rubbed soothing circles on Eli's back. "Mr. and Mrs. Vanto, you needn't be present for the procedure, if you do not wish."
They looked at each other.
"We'll stay," Lydia said. "Tell us how we can help."
"I need Mr. Vanto to take my place."
Daniel blinked. "Are you sure?"
"Quiet sure." Thrawn gently released Eli. Daniel held Eli's shivering, gasping form, clutching him tightly.
"Do not hold him too tightly," Thrawn cautioned. "His breathing is already restricted." He removed a bottle of antiseptic wash from the medical box. "I must prepare the insertion sites. Mrs. Vanto, will you help me remove his sleeping tunic?"
Lydia's hands trembled as she did as Thrawn asked. He washed his hands and put on a pair of sterile gloves, then wiped a cloth with antiseptic anesthetic over Eli's chest. Vah'nya held her breath as Thrawn opened a sealed, sterile pouch and extracted a slender tube with a collection bag attached.
"I will do my utmost to cause him as little pain as possible, but we must proceed quickly." Thrawn pressed the gleaming end of the tube against the lower left side of Eli's ribcage. The tip burrowed through his skin, wiggling past his ribs in search of his lungs.
"Vah'nya, take deep breaths. Anxiety and tension are dangerous for you at this time."
Dangerous for the baby, he meant. Vah'nya breathed deeply, hoping that Lydia was still too absorbed in her son's condition to wonder about Thrawn's odd comments.
"Look, sir!" Lydia pointed a shaky finger at the collection bag.
"Yes." Thrawn nodded. "A successful insertion." He opened a pouch with a tube, held its tip against the right side of Eli's chest. It began questioning its way towards his right lung.
Another anguished minute and the fluid was draining into the second collection bag as well.
"Will he be all right now?" Daniel asked.
"The worst is past. When the rain clears, I will call Ar'alani and have her send the proper medication to speed his lungs' recovery."
"We have medicine on Lysatra, too, sir," Lydia said, a hint of indignation creeping into her voice. "What kind does he need?"
"I do not know its name in Basic. Only in Sy Bisti." He said the name slowly.
Daniel and Lydia burst into nervous, relieved laughter.
"You… know this medication?" Thrawn arched a blue-black eyebrow.
"Know it?" Lydia brushed away a tear of laughter. "We have a big bottle of it right here in the house. I used to give it to Eli all the time, when he was a little thing. It's just quinine, sir!"
"Quinine," Thrawn repeated. "Eli said he recognized the taste, but he was unable to recall its Basic name."
"I'll go get it." Lydia hurried out of the room, returning with the bottle. Thrawn poured a dose, which Eli dutifully accepted with only a slight grimace.
"Now he needs rest." Thrawn took Eli back from Daniel and Lydia promptly sent her husband in search of more pillows for Eil.
Propped up on half a dozen pillows and snuggled under as many quilts, Eli drifted to sleep. Exhausted but relieved, Vah'nya pulled the Double Planetary Ring quilt around both of them, nestled carefully against him and closed her eyes.
A strange prickling in his chest woke Eli. He tried to rub it away, but a strong hand caught his and held it fast.
"I'll remove them soon, Eli. I'm only leaving them in for now as a precaution."
Thrawn's voice.
Eli blinked his eyes open to see the Chiss bending over him. The memories of last night came flooding back.
"You saved my life, Thrawn."
"With the help of your parents. We make an efficient team when we work together."
"I reckon we do," Eli's father admitted. Eli's parents were sitting on the couch across from the bed.
"Some good old-fashioned quilts and quinine helped, too." Eli's mother grinned, her face glowing with relief in spite of the dark circles under her eyes.
"The quinine, certainly. The quilts, perhaps in a way I did not foresee. But they are an art form, after all."
" I felt like I was drowning, like there was so much water. I didn't know how else to tell you." Eli leaned back as Thrawn checked the tubes. Beside him, Vah'nya stirred and opened her eyes. Eli kissed her good morning.
"It's a good thing you had all those medical supplies." Eli's father came to stand near the bed.
Eli's mother slowly joined him. "Yes, it was. But, I've been wondering, sir. How come you didn't want Vah'nya exposed to the respiratory medicine? And you were awfully concerned about her being anxious and fretful." She narrowed her eyes, reminding Eli of Thrawn. "Eli, Honey, is there something you and Vah'nya need to tell us?"
Eli reached for Vah'nya's hand and they shared a squeeze. "Vah'nya's having a baby. Y'all are going to be grandparents."
Vah'nya kissed his cheek, then looked at Eli's parents. "We're sorry, Mother and Father Vanto. We didn't mean for Thrawn to find out before you did."
"Oh, Honey." Eli's mother walked around the bed to hug Vah'nya. "I doubt there's any way you could have kept him from finding out. I'm just so glad I guessed right."
"I hope you'll bring the little rascal to see us as much as you can." Eli's father gently clapped him on the shoulder.
"Y'all can come see us, too," Eli ventured.
"We'd like that." Eli's mother patted his knee.
"I'm sure it could be arranged." Thrawn examined the tubes again. "Vah'nya will, of course, give birth in my Household Medical Center. It would doubtless please them both to have you present."
Eli's mother opened her mouth to speak, then looked at his father. Finally, she said, "Of course we'll be there."
"Excellent. And now I have ascertained that it is safe to remove the draining tubes."
Eli closed his eyes and held tightly to Vah;nya's hand, imagining their roles reversed in a few months. It would be nice to have his parents to help him take care of Vah'nya and the baby. He felt a tugging in his chest, followed by a brief needle of pain.
Thrawn carefully placed the tubes in a bag for disposal. Eli smiled. Of course, Thrawn would be there to care for all three of them. They had nothing to worry about.
Abruptly, he realized Thrawn was speaking. "I do not anticipate a relapse, but should he show signs of respiratory distress, take him immediately to the nearest medical center. The rains have stopped and the roads should be clear."
Eli bolted upright, fighting against light-headedness. "Are you leaving?"
"You are in good hands, my Eli. And I must return to my duties," Thrawn soothed, easing Eli back down on the pillows.
"Please don't go yet." As much as he wanted to spend time with his parents, Eli wasn't ready for his best friend to leave yet.
Eli's mother whispered something to his father. His father nodded.
"We'd be honored if you'd stay a while longer," Eli's mother said. "Surely the Hand will be all right without you for a few more days."
"It could be arranged." Thrawn rose. "I must contact Ar'alani, to tell her of my change in plans."
"She…" Eli's mother hesitated. His father gave her an encouraging nod. "She could join us, too. I expect it's been a while since either of you has had any kind of vacation."
"It has indeed. That is most kind of you, Mrs. Vanto. If you'll excuse me, I will call her and make arrangements."
As Thrawn left, Eli's mother hugged Vah'nya again and ruffled Eli's hair.
"You two stay right here while I make some breakfast. Do y'all think you could eat a biscuit?"
"I sure could," Eli said. "What about you, Vah'nya? Any morning sickness?"
"None at the moment. A biscuit sounds lovely."
Eli's father followed his mother to the door. "I'd best check on the shipping schedules. Y'all holler if you need anything."
Alone with his wife at last, Eli pulled Vah'nya into his arms, nestling her into his chest and gently rubbing her middle. "Just you and me and the baby."
He pressed his lips to hers, savoring the moment. When she was thoroughly kissed, he leaned back with a contented sigh.
"Just think, we'll have all our parents in one house," he murmured.
"At least we'll be very well taken care of." She laughed suddenly. "I just thought of something. Thrawn and Ar'alani will get the bunk beds."
Eli laughed, too. "I'm sure they'll manage just fine. After all, they'll probably be hovering in our room for most of the night, anyway."
And Eli wouldn't have had it any other way.
Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this little story! I'm thinking of writing a follow-up at some point, with Eli's parents coming to Nirauan when Vah'nya has the baby. The Empire of the Hand is a fun concept, especially with Thrawn in charge and doing things his way. Of course, his way is not necessarily right, but it's definitely very interesting.
For now we will leave Eli and Vah'nya to get cozy. Thrawn being Thrawn, I'm sure he and Ar'alani will find a way to make or bunk beds work- or, as Eli said, they'll move into his and Vah'nya's room. Hopefully, we will rejoin them soon back on Niruaun and meet the new baby!
Thank you so much for reading! God bless you!
