Pain.
That was the only thing that Poe could contemplate in his head. Pain clutched at his chest. Pain coursed through his veins like fire. Pain surged through his burns and scars. The pain was so intense that he felt his toes curling. At leas, he prayed that his toes were curling. He couldn't feel them very well.
His eyes finally opened as he let out a gaps of breath. Oxygen tried to flood into his lungs, but it was no use.
He couldn't breathe.
Poe suddenly darted upward, gasping for breath and clutching at his chest. He tried to yell for help, but it was no use. He just started coughing with blood spurting from his lips and filled the mask. He was dying. He knew that he was dying.
There was a sudden thunder of steps as someone darted to his side. He couldn't register what was happening in front of him or who was at his side. He imagined the Sith Lord, Kylo Ren, standing in front of him. Poe wretched himself away, twisting and still struggling to breathe as black dots clotted his vision.
"Easy, easy," chided a soothing voice.
Poe knew that he recognized the voice, he was sure that he could. He blinked his eyes as he tried to focus on who was in front of him, but the tears were clouding his vision.
The oxygen mask was pulled from him while another one was replaced over his face. There was a gasp from Poe as fresher oxygen flooded through him. Blood was still trickling from the corner of his lips as he squeezed his eyes shut, whimpering.
"Poe, it's me. It's Dr. Tas Yan, but you can call me Tas if you'd like, at least when you can speak," Tas offered as he used his pointed fingers to reset his IV since he had ripped it out in his struggle. "Don't make me put another sedative in you, at least one that you're not allergic to."
Poe blushed under the oxygen mask. He hated his allergy. It wasn't like pollen or cats or anything, but his was much more deadly. Luckily, he usually didn't have sedatives and whenever he did, Dr. Yan gave it to him.
Poe started to cough and Tas removed the mask. He pressed a few tissues against his face and rested a hand on Poe's back to brace him. "Cough up the blood now. Your lungs are still damaged."
Poe obeyed and once he was finished he wiped it against the corners of Poe's mouth, causing Poe to pull away in embarrassment. "I'm fine," Poe managed to rasp before he winced in pain.
"Uh huh. Well, you stop coughing up blood and can walk on your own," Tas compromised as he raised an eyebrow under his mask.
Poe looked down and sighed. "What happened? Where's BB-8?"
Poe tried to push himself out of bed, but Tas used his weight to push Poe back a bit. "You need to relax. Don't make me put you back to sleep." His face fell. "As for BB-8, I don't know. He wasn't found with you?"
Poe sat back on the bed, letting out a small cough in the process. His eyes turned troubled before realization showed in his gaze. "Wait. I sent him away. He has the map to Luke Skywalker. We have to get him back."
"Look, I know that you're fond of that droid, but it will be difficult and we might not get him back in one piece. We have everyone looking for him, though," reassured Tas as he set the oxygen mask back over Poe's face. Poe didn't fight it as he struggled to take in deep breaths.
Poe's eyes fluttered a bit. "I have to find him. I have to help."
Tas took a small light from his lab coat pocket and shown in in Poe's eyes. Poe tried to turn away, but Tas held him firmly so that he couldn't move. "Hmmm, a concussion too on top of that. You're going to be in here for awhile, my friend."
"I can't! I have to fight," exclaimed Poe loudly.
Tas narrowed his eyes at him. "You can be angry at me quieter! There are people in here much worse off than you and they need your rest, as do you."
"I've been sleeping for how long now," complained Poe as he puled the oxygen mask gingerly over his face so that it rested against his chin. He took in a partial breath with his mouth hung open, blinking tears from his eyes. "Can I please have a visitor?"
Tas smiled. "I think that I have just the person. The one who rescued you, actually."
Surprise glittered in Poe's eyes. Rescued? Him? "Who," he croaked.
Tas grabbed the oxygen mask and pushed it back over Poe's face. Poe narrowed his eyes at being treated like a child, but he didn't argue. He knew that Tas was just trying to help him and he had known Tas for a long time now. He trusted him with his life.
"Yes, Xander Mark," replied Tas as he patted Poe's shoulder and Poe winced. "Now keep that on your face. You're the most stubborn person that I've met, but trust me on this one. The longer that you rest and use that, the sooner that you'll be able to join the fleet."
That lit a spark in Poe's eyes that hadn't been there before. Tas would've said something about BB-8, but he felt like that might not be the best course of action. He knew how much he loved that droid, almost like a pet or a friend. Tas just hoped that they would find that droid for Poe's sake.
But, for now he had a different mission. He had to find Xander Mark.
