The Broken Ones | REYLO [Complete]

9. Until We Go Down

--REY--

When I wake up the next morning, the first thing I notice is the throbbing pain that shoots from my toes all the way up to my hip. A quick glance down confirms my suspicion: hard, white plaster covers my leg from ankle to the top of my thigh. The room spins slightly as I sit up. This time, no one is around to stop me from pulling the needle from my hand and tossing it aside. I know I'll regret it later when the pain returns full-force, but right now I just need to check on Finn.

A muffled groan in the corner of the room catches my attention and I stop to listen. It's coming from behind a curtain, one I didn't notice earlier. "Who's there?" I call out, my voice hoarse.

"Who's asking?" The gruff voice replies. I sigh in relief and limp across the room, tossing the curtain aside to reveal the battered, exhausted pilot. He squeezes his eyes shut at the sudden onslaught of bright light, letting out another pained moan.

I cross my arms and smile down at him. "If it isn't Poe Dameron, greatest pilot in the Resistance. Tell me, how'd you wind up here if you're as clever as they say?"

His irritation disappears when he sees me. "Rey, you're back! How did it go?"

"My training isn't complete, but Luke was needed here. What about you? How long have you been in here?"

"Before yesterday? A week, I think. Maybe a few days more? Nobody tells me how long I sleep." He lifts his shirt to reveal a large white bandage wrapped around his torso. There's a spot of blood on his side, and I know the wound underneath must be bad if it's still bleeding after several days. "Finn and I were out on orders of the General. Baiting the Order, trying to figure out what they know. I'm not sure if we screwed up or what but they attacked us. I was shot. Woke up here a few days later, and now here I am."

"But I saw you flying yesterday."

Poe laughs. "Yeah, I told Leia I was cleared for combat. I wasn't. When I landed after it was over, I had busted all my stitches. Leia put me on bed rest again until I'm all healed up." He pauses, deep in thought. "How is everyone?" He finally asks.

I sigh. "We're okay, but we lost a small number of people. It didn't last long. They left after we took Kylo Ren."

"He's here?!" Poe scrambles into a sitting position, then grimaces and clutches his side. "Why is he here? Is the General insane?"

"Maybe. Luke, too. They believe there is still good in him. They think he can be saved, that he can be Ben again."

"He's a psychopath and a murderer, he's way too far past the point of redemption."

"They blame it all on Snoke. They think if Ren and Snoke are separated, Ben will suddenly reappear as if nothing ever happened." Fatigue washes over me and I rest my elbows on my knees, letting out a heavy sigh.

"What about you? Are you okay?" His voice is softer now, and I detect a trace of concern. His caring for my well-being, especially without having known each other very long, is both unnerving and reassuring. It reminds me of when we first met, when we were caught up in the excitement following the destruction of Starkiller Base.

The room erupted in cheers and shouts of triumph as the General formally announced the destruction of the First Order's weaponized planet. Hopeful embraces were shared; Poe and I were not excluded, though the sudden, tight clinch of shared excitement led to a moment of apparent mutual awkwardness. "Uh, hi," the pilot mumbled. "I'm Poe."

I nodded slowly, searching his face and finding that I liked it. "I recognize the name. So you're Poe. Poe Dameron, the X-wing pilot. I'm Rey."