Perils of Peridea

Chapter 7 - A Lesson In Healing

Perils of Peridea
Chapter 7
A Lesson In Healing

Thrawn was unable to sleep that night. Rest eluded him like a taunt, as every time he closed his weary eyes he would be given visions of memories. None of them were pleasant. He would open his eyes and toss and turn with frustration, the thoughts gnawing at the back of his mind like a relentless starving mynock. Every memory ended the same, with Ezra and his defeat of the Chimera. Every time Thrawn would start to fall into slumber he would find himself attempting to kill the boy and failing or hesitating, then jolting back awake. Even his subconscious was mocking him and his failure. Rather than fight insomnia any further, he relented and decided to analyze his thoughts instead.

Why could he not kill this child? It was starting to haunt him. He was like a poisonous plague. There had to be a reason deep down he was failing to eliminate him. Eliminate. Eli.... minate. He smirked to himself, Eli would never have let him get away with such things. How long has it been since he last saw or even spoke to him? He could see the loyal but jovial accusatory gleam in his eyes. Eli never disobeyed, he might challenge, but Thrawn knew he never had to worry or doubt him or his ultimate intention. Eli was dedicated with unquestionable loyalty, a true soldier. He finally realized he was starting to miss him. He tensed for a moment. No, that was not the reason, was it? Replacing him? Ezra was nothing like Eli! Even on his absolute worst day, Eli was still marks above Ezra at his best. He could imagine the scoff of derision Eli would give him at such an outlandish comparison, how dare he! Thrawn smirked slightly to himself, imagining Eli's heated reaction at being compared to a rebel like Bridger. If anything they were both not shy about speaking their minds or succumbing to their emotions. Thrawn considered doing it just to toy with Eli and see said reaction for his own amusement. Eventually. Maybe, one day. But the thoughts hung back and didn't disappear. Was Thrawn looking for a new Eli while there being a void in his absence? Ridiculous. He accounted this poor hypothesis to the lack of sleep and tried once more to close his eyes, this time victoriously falling into a restless slumber.

"Wow, I'm up before you for once? May the cosmos come to an end." Ezra scoffed dryly as Thrawn walked into the room.

"You look horrible." Thrawn retorted, his air was not as staunch after his night of poor sleep, he was in no mood for Ezra's dripping sarcasm.

"So do you and you're not even sick."

"Be quiet Bridger, and put this in your mouth." Thrawn shoved him a thermometer. "We need to monitor your fever."

"You know, you're almost as annoying as a real doctor." Ezra gave a weak smirk, his face flush and exhausted, his voice muffled.

Thrawn inspected his shoulder while they waited, "This situation is ideal for the recovery of your shoulder, being bed ridden and not moving it or using it will allow it to heal quicker. You will need to drink plenty of fluids. If I make you food you will eat it, if not I will find other ways of forcing it into your body. Understood?"

"Mmhmmm." Ezra gave him an unamused grimace and removed and observed the thermometer after it beeped. "Man I know I'm hot, but this is not the kinda hot I meant."

"Did you bother poor Sabine with that kind of cheap cheesey line every day? I almost feel bad for the poor girl."

"Hey, you keep her name out of your filthy mouth." Ezra growled.

"Speaking of filthy mouths, open."

"Ugh." Ezra rolled his eyes tiredly and half heartedly opened his mouth unenthusiastically.

"It's actually pronounced ahh, but close enough."

"Yeah I know." Ezra shot him a playful smirk and folded his arms smugly, his ability to annoy Thrawn and toy with pushing his buttons being the only miniscule source of entertainment on the planet, and today he seemed to be winning.