When the Time Comes

Chapter Six

Rey could have sworn she felt him squeeze, ever so lightly. She studied his face and his hand for a few minutes, then she decided it was just her mind playing tricks. She was exhausted and terrified, and wanting nothing more than for him to wake up.

She remained in the infirmary almost constantly, aside from eating, bathing, and retrieving books to occupy herself. She often talked to him, wishing he would wake up. She tried everything.

The third day after he was shot, they were making an effort to evade the First Order, but there was no sign at all that they were still being hunted. Perhaps they were recuperating after losing another Supreme Leader within months.

Rey was eating lunch, listening to Finn and Poe take little jabs at each other about how Poe named his friend when he was rescued. It put her in a better mood, she was smiling today, it was nice after days of misery.

That was when she felt a tap on her shoulder, she turned to see General Organa gesturing for her to follow. Once they were out of earshot of everyone, the General began to talk.

"He woke up, he responded to a doctor talking to him. Not verbally, but he could hear and process it. They said he looked around the room once and simply fell back asleep." She explained.

Rey breathed, he could be okay. Hopefully he was trying to wake up for good and he was healing.

"I had them remove the restraints. I don't think he presents a danger, if he did, he would have shown it when he woke up."

"Thank you, I know this is difficult for you as well. He'll wake up again soon." Rey insisted.

Organa nodded and smiled before wandering off to make her rounds.

Rey finished her meal, walked to her room for a new book of texts to study, and started on the path to the infirmary.

Upon arrival, she was greeted by the nurse she had grown fond of, Rita. The young woman was adamant about doing her job and not letting any personal feelings effect it. Sure, Ben was taken care of well, but it was only because of Organa's orders. No one was happy about having a former First Order leader in their charge.

"Did the General tell you what happened?" Rita asked cheerfully.

"Yes, I was glad to hear it." Rey answered.

"He's improving, every time we check the wound it's better. He's remained completely stable, almost as if he's going back and forth on whether he wants to wake up." The young girl observed.

Maybe that's what it was, he wasn't sure what he would wake up to, so he remained dormant by sheer will.

"Can he hear me?" Rey inquired.

"It's hard to say, his brain activity fluctuates. Sometimes it's like he could be more responsive or register what goes on around him, others it's like he's completely tuning everything out."

"So at any time he could be listening?" Rey dared to hope that Ben had heard some of what she had been talking about when she spoke to him.

"I wouldn't completely rule it out." Rita smiled kindly and touched Rey's arm once before leaving to tend to the other patients in her care.

Rey sat in her chair she had set up next to the bed.

"Ben, they say you might be able to hear me sometimes. You can wake up, no one here will hurt you. I'm here, so is your mother, everything's going to be fine." She hoped he could hear her.

Nothing, he didn't even twitch. Rey sighed and kept talking in a hushed tone, about everything that happened. She talked to him some before, but now that she knew he could hear her, she told him everything.