Fragments of the Dark

Chapter Twenty Two

Din paced the small length of the barn.

It was dark outside and Celene had still not returned.  Night had fallen over the village, each of the small huts bundled up and quiet.  Only the stirring of the tall grasses by the river could be heard. 

Grogu was sound asleep on the blanket Din had placed in the small cradle.  It was so late that Din had removed his armor and was clothed only in the black undershirt and pants he wore plus his helmet.  He'd just crossed the floor of the hut for the hundredth time when he heard shuffling footsteps.

Din spun around as Celene all but collapsed across the threshold of the hut.  He caught her before she could hit the hard wooden floor.  "Celene?  Celene, what the hell?"

But she was barely conscious and in the dim light of the lantern he saw what he'd missed before. 

Blood.  She was nearly coated in it, dripping onto the floor.  

"Shit."  He looped his arm  carefully around her, helping her to the bed but she shook her head.
"No," she panted.  "Back- my back.  And side.  Chair."

He understood.  She couldn't lay down, he wouldn't be able to see the wounds.  There was so much blood he had no idea how she was alive but she pulled herself into a sitting position on one of the chairs, straddling it.  Blood was leaking from under her shirt.

"I'll have to take it off," he said.  "To see the wound."

For a split second she looked like she would refuse but finally she nodded.  Her lip was bleeding, heavy bruising already starting across her cheek.  "Just cut it off."

Din flipped open a small blade, the thin fabric tearing easily up the side so he could see the gaping gash across her flesh.  "Fuck."

She hissed as he probed it.  "There's no cauterizer- I didn't grab it from the ship.  I'll have to use a bacta patch to stop the bleeding and then stitch it.  Let me see your back."

This time she shook her head.  "That one's not as bad-" she broke off letting out a slight groan.  "I can- do it on my own."

"Celene,  it's on your back- don't be fucking stupid."

She shook her head.

He reached forward and grabbed her wrist, surprising them both.  "You're going to bleed out.  Do you want to die?"

She let out an uneven breath, dark eyes bright with pain.  Finally she whispered, "Not a word.  Don't say anything."

He wasn't even sure what that meant but he said, "Okay."  He moved around to her back and she leaned forward as he gently tugged away the rest of her shirt.  The gash was deep, sliding across her lower back nearly touching the elastic bands she wore around her chest.  But it wasn't the wound that stopped him cold.

Her back.

Brutalized.  It was the only word he could think of has he took in the mess of scars that ran across her skin.  Identical to the one on her face, they were etched deep into her flesh, some huge and some small but all equally horrifying.  There was barely any unmarred patch of skin left.  The new wound on her already ran across old scars.

"Din," Celene rasped, blood leaking from the cuts.

He blinked, snapping back into it even as his blood heated, the question coating his tongue. 

Who?  Who the fuck did this to you?

But he already knew the answer.  Nausea roiled through him.  But she'd asked him to say nothing.  And he'd agreed.