A New Chance, A New Start (SWR)

Chapter 23: Warm Beds Always

"Ok, seeing as you've gained almost 10 pounds and all of your other symptoms have mostly disappeared, you are now a free man Ezra-kun."

Three days after the incident with Kanan, or Dad, as he sometimes finds himself called, Dr. Nara claimed if he rested at home for a few days and took it easy he should be fine. Ezra sighed exasperated and threw his hands up in the air, "Finally! This depressing, bleached white place is getting on my nerves. I just want to take a paint can and throw it at the wall."
The doctor looked at him with narrowed eyes, "Oh really? Then maybe I should keep you longer for anger issues."
Ezra looked back her with the same challenging expression, "That's not anger, it's well found annoyance."
A moment passed as everyone tried to hold in their laughs before Dr Nara gave in and sighed tirelessly.
"Get out of my hospital, Ezra-kun. I don't want to see your face for awhile."
Ezra gave her a cheeky smile before winking, "Right back at you, Ishi-sama."
She squinted at him briefly before swiftly turning on her heel and walking through the door.
Hera crosses her arms and gave a light pointed look, "Ezra, you shouldn't challenge her."
All she received in response was an innocent grin, making a grin spread across her face.

"So, who wants to help me magically grow a foot?" Ezra asked with his hands out in front of him.
Zeb shook his head before retrieving it once again from a cabinet. Slipping the rubber leg on with familiar ease, he slid off the bed clad in his black baggy sweatpants and white t shirt. They stared in happiness as the colors showed off his regained skin tone, most wincing as memories of a pale child on the same bed. The teen stood up and stretched his arms above his head, a satisfying pop cracked the air. He whispered a few words on how good it felt to stand as he started to grab stuff they brought to entertain him, stuffing them into the duffel sitting in a chair. He looked around for his suit he wore coming to the hospital but figured they had already brought it home and instead slipped on the sandals from the same bag. With his back to the door, he sighed as he heard the door creak open. Without turning around, he called over his shoulder, "I'm walking out so if that evil contraption is with you, kindly roll yourself out."
A sigh was heard before Dr. Nara answered, "Ezra-kun, you know it's the rules and your going to take the three minute ride."
Ezra sighed before laying back into the bed and wrapped himself in the residing fluffy blanket. Once he was secure in the material, he lifted his legs over himself into a backwards roll off the bed and promptly stood up with the enormous blanket. Looking over his shoulder, he gave her a pleading look but was shut down at the shake a her head. As he was about to step towards, he realized he forgot the bag but Zeb had already grabbed it by the straps. Sighing and groaning, he dragged his feet to the wheelchair before sitting in the big contraption and brought his legs as well as the remaining blanket to his chest.
The family watched the hooded sulking child be rolled out with amused looks before following silently, not wanting to disrupt other patients. Dr. Nara kept casually glancing at her passenger before softly reaching over and roughly gave Ezra a noogie through the blanket.
"Aw, cheer up Ezra-kun. Your going home and I get to keep my job."
Silence was his response so she leaned forward slightly and said nervously, "Ezra-kun?"
"Shush, I'm imagining my warm bed."
She chuckled before allowing him his silence and continued the walk to the entrance of the hospital.

As the automatic doors parted, she stopped the wheelchair and said happily, "Ok Ezra-kun, this is your stop. I hope you have a nice day and to never see you on my patient charts again."
The teen opened his eyes to see the parking lot and replied, "So this is why I put on shoes. I was thinking I wouldn't have to use them." Chuckles we're passed around as he stood up and looked back at her, "I'll see you later Ishi-sama. My name is going to show up sometime so don't go missing me too much."
"Bye Ezra-kun."

"Hey, can we stop by Nabbo Studies really quick? I got to pick up something." Ezra asked from the backseat, still wrapped up in the blanket.
Kanan glanced in the mirror before answering sure. Taking a detour, they pulled up within minutes outside the old bricked store. Ezra swiftly hopped out, without the blanket thankfully and skipped into the store. The family shared looks before patiently waiting for the kid to come back out.
Ezra, not one to disappoint, came out 10 minutes later with a smile. Hopping back in and immediately cuddling into the blanket, he skillfully ignored the others.
"So, wha' did ya pick up?" Zeb as his brother in all but blood.
"Remember those two people I helped? Well they were constantly late and I decided to record one of my songs while waiting. I would of have it sooner but Hans could putting it off to the side and then finally did it but we had to banquet that night. So I had to pick it up."
Zeb glances back with a smirk, "Can I hear it when we get home?"
A shrug barely seen through the covered teen, "Depends on if Kanan got far enough in his research."
A long held out groan was heard from the front.

"Well I got and read all the files you suggested and I still don't understand."
And what is it you don't understand, Corporal?"
"Stupid nickname. All I know is that the Empire is a gang and that if anyone speaks out against them it's bad but why is my question."
A sigh came from the teen as he shifted to put his feet up in the unoccupied seats next to him. "Well first off they've been upgraded to an organization and they don't really have a reason except to rule the city with the same techniques your squad used, if you know what I mean. And if people speak out against them it's pretty self explanatory. We don't know why they want to control the city but I guess some people just want control. Anyway, I think you got enough information so I guess you can listen to the song but it's going to be in my room where my Chopper warmed bed is."
Zeb smiled at Ezra before hopping out of the now parked car.

Wrapped securely in the warm sheets, Ezra leaned against Chopper who was curled up on the pillows. Zeb was sitting in front of him with his computer. His new song was blasting in his brothers ears as he nodded along to the beat. Moving his fingers, he clicked the downloaded file again to restart it and tugged the earphone cord of its slot. His song played aloud for both to hear. Chopper reacted to hearing the familiar voice and nudged his friends arm to pet him. Chuckling at the wolf's actions, he ran his fingers over his head.

"I wish you could upload this or something. I would download this as soon as I heard."
"Go ahead and put it on your phone if you like it that much."
"Ezra, if you had to chose between music and let's say your bed what would you chose?"
Ezra looked at Zeb with eyes that could only be described as beyond their age, "Ke kaikua'ana, when you have never had the comfort of having something warm be yours only, you would give up anything to have it again. I could learn piano through lessons but I'll never have this comfort again."
Zeb looked thoughtful for a moment as the music ended and silence surround them. A confused looked passed through his expression though as he replayed the response, "Ez, what does the thing you keep calling me mean?"
"Ke kaikua'ana means big brother in Hawaiian."