For Better Or Worse - A Sebezra Story

- CHAPTER 6 -

** Hera seeks advice from Kanan, and a miracle happens **

It's been 2 weeks, and still, Ezra's condition has only improved slightly. He was taken off the ventilator, yet he was still in a coma.  And every day, Sabine was by his side. She refused to leave even when Hera had ordered her to return to the Ghost. It got to the point where the medical teak tending to Ezra had given her a spare cot to sleep in the room where Ezra was. 

Hera tried countless times to get Sabine to take some time away and even suggested painting, but not even that would get her to leave Ezra's side. Hera knew Sabine still blamed herself for happened, and she knew it was tearing her apart from the inside. She was lucky to get Sabine to eat even once a day, and good luck trying to get her to sleep. 

The last time she asked Sabine to leave the room and take a step away for her own health she only responded with screaming. "Hera it's my fault he's like this! I put him here and I already told you! I am not leaving until he wakes up!" she yelled. It was that outburst that fully solidified Hera's theory of her feelings towards Ezra. 

When Hera first suspected how Sabine truly felt towards Ezra, she was conflicted whether or not she should talk to her about it. She feared that making Sabine talk about her feelings may prove to make the situation worse. But at the end of the day, she knew if Kanan was in Ezra's position, and Sabine was in her's, she would want to speak to someone about it. 

Hera decided she should speak to Kanan before speaking to Sabine to get his opinion on the situation. She knew where he was, because it's where he spent majority of his time since they arrived at the base, in his quarters meditating. As she boarded the ramp of the Ghost, she could hear the faint sound of sniffling, and originally she thought it was from Kanan's quarters. But as she got closer, she pinpointed the sound was coming from Zeb and Ezra's instead. 

As she leaned her head around the corner, she could see Zeb sitting on the edge of his bed, with Ezra's painted Imperial scout helmet in his hands. She could see the slight glint of tears on the visor of the helmet, which told her Zeb had been crying.  No matter how much he and Ezra fought and bickered, Zeb had grown to look at Ezra as a little brother. And seeing her tough as iron Lasat crying brought tears to her own eyes. 

As she quietly stepped away, she looked over to Kanan's quarters and found it closed, as per usual. When she got to the door, she hesitated to knock, not wanting to interrupt his meditation. "Come in, Hera" she heard faintly from the other side of the door. Slightly shocked, she pressed the control panel, and the doors slid open to reveal Kanan sitting on his knees, looking as relaxed as he could be. 

"How did you know I was outside your door? I didn't even make a sound?" she asked, and quickly regretted her question. Kanan looked up at her with a slight smile in the corner of his mouth. "You do remember I'm blind right? And I use the force to see? I can always sense your presence even when you're in the medical ward" he said, slightly amused. "Yeah, yeah it was a stupid question. I realize that now", she said as she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorway. 

Kanan's smile turned into a look of confusion and intrigue. "There's something on your mind. I can sense your uneasiness.  What's wrong?" he asked. Hera let out a quiet sigh as she stepped inside his quarters and sat in front of Kanan. "You know how we could tell Ezra was always fond of Sabine?" she asked. "Well yes.  From the moment we picked him up from Lothal, he's always had his eye on her. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I went to check on Ezra last week, and to no surprise, Sabine was by his side. In fact, she hasn't left his side for the last 4 days", she said, adjusting her legs so they were crossed in front of her. "Yes I noticed she hasn't been back on the Ghost in the last couple of days. I assumed she was staying with him. What does this have to do with Ezra's feelings for her?" he asked, now looking at Hera with even more confusion than before.

"It's not just that she's been staying with him. There's more to it than that I believe."  It was then Kanan's eyebrows raised as he started to put together the pieces of Hera's puzzle that she was laying out before him. "You think she reciprocates his feelings don't you?" he asked. Hera nodded her head, a chuckled slightly remembering once again that the man across from her can't see that. "You nodded again didn't you? How do you always forget that I can't see anymore?" he said, slightly chucking as he said the last sentence. 

Hera leaned her back against the door frame and sighed quite loudly this time. "Oh hush, love.  You know its something I'm still getting used to. But that's besides the point. Yes, I do believe she shares Ezra's feelings, at least to some degree. My only fear is that even if Ezra wakes up, she may never explore them or even acknowledge them."  Kanan winced when Hera said if, knowing that it was still only a possibility that his Padawan will come out of a coma. 

"Well have you talked to her about it yet? Her feelings, I mean?" he asked. "Not yet. I wanted to see what you think I should do. I want to talk to her, but I'm afraid it will only make it worse."  Kanan looked towards the floor for a moment thinking about the situation before looking back towards the Twi'lek. "I think you should. We both know Sabine well enough that her opening up on her own will very likely not happen. Hearing it from you, and you acknowledging that the feelings are there, might give her the push she needs to see it for herself. "

It was then Hera realized something herself. The slightly rash and judgmental man she originally fell in love with had become someone else. But it was for the better. He was still Kanan, but he was much more wise than before. She herself contemplated revealing her feelings for Kanan, but she knew now was not the best time. Instead, she got up and went to reach for the door. 

"Hera" he said from behind her, now standing to his feet as well. She turned around to face him and saw the smile on his face.  "We can have that conversation when Ezra wakes up. Deal?" he said. For a moment Hera was stunned and was about to ask how he knew, but remember once again, who exactly he was. She hit the door control and over her shoulder all she said was deal, as she headed for the cargo hold on the Ghost. 

Just as she reached the bottom of the ramp she saw one of the nurse's from the medical ward running towards her at full speed. When she first saw her, she almost dropped her knees. He's gone, she thought. By the time the nurse reached Hera, she was completely out of breath. As she bent over trying to catch her breath, Hera stood there wide eyed and could feel the dampness on her cheeks where the tears started to fall. 

"Gen-General Syndulla" the nurse managed say between breaths. "What happened?" Hera asked as her voice cracked.  The nurse stood there for a moment composing herself to try and get her breath back. When she finally regained her breath she look at Hera with a growing smile on her face. 

"General, Lieutenant Bridger is awake."