Two Sides

Stranded

I wake and carefully extract myself from beneath Rey. Her breathing is slow and steady, and she is deep in sleep. Her leg is hitched up over my hips. Karking nightmare, pulling myself away from her. I hold her for a bit longer than I should, but I can't seem to pry myself away. Her skin is so smooth and warm and not clothed. I leave her under my cape, tucked in tight. I pull on my own breaches and wash my shirt in the lake, struggling to remove the gooey blackness that came out of Rey.

I add more fuel to the burned down fire, and head into the forest to find some fresh water. The lake was an option, but it smelled rank, and I wasn't overly eager to risk more vomiting. About a kilometer from our little camp I find a shallow stream and drink my fill, and bathe. There's sand along the bottom which I use to scrub my skin clean. I don't have anything to carry water back with, and Rey is going to be mighty thirsty when she wakes up. I hunt around and eventually locate a turtle sunning itself in on a rock. It doesn't stand a chance as my lightsaber ends its existence. 

I carefully slice the underbelly away from the shell and clean out the top, placing the meat back on the rock. I don't want to eat it, but there might not be much of a choice. I scrub out the shell until it's smooth and as clean as can get it, scoop up some water, and return to camp. I make my approach obvious, not wanting to startle Rey if she's awake. She's standing on the beach, dressed, staring out at the lake. She doesn't turn when I approach. 

"I hate sand," she rasps. 

I join her and hand over the shell full of water. She takes it gratefully and drinks every drop. I expected surprise or anger. Her lack of shock worries me. 

"You didn't drink the lake water, did you?" I ask.

She looks at me like I'm an idiot. "No. It smells bad enough on me." 

"There's a fresh stream a short walk west of here. I'll take you if you like. You can bathe there."

Her eyes flit over me, snagging on the white scars that crisscross my naked chest and arms. She makes eye contact, and I work hard to keep my expression blank. I can almost see her mind working, sorting, weighing. She must still not have her memories. What she does know is that she woke up naked, in a strange place, with me. I don't dare attempt to press back into her mind to see what she's thinking. I can't risk waking that monster back up, and it's risky under the best circumstances. Her lips press into a thin line as she looks back into the forest and nods. 

"How deep is the stream?" she asks as I lead her into the forest. 

"The part I was at came up to my knees at the deepest point," I reply. It's not an odd question to ask, but given the million others she probably has, it surprises me. 

When we arrive, she kneels by the edge and cups her hands, drinking greedily. I follow suit. 

"I'm going to scout out a bit and see if I can find something to eat," I say. 

She nods, rubbing her temples. "Fine. I'll clean up." 

"Rey," I say, handing her my weapon. 

She's surprised. She reaches for it hesitantly, and turns it over in her hand, testing the weight. Then she activates it and holds it up to inspect the blade. 

"You don't need it?" 

"I can't detect any danger for as far as I can sense. If you'd rather not keep it, you don't have to." 

The blade retracts and she hands it back. "I don't feel right using it." 

I shrug and return it back to my belt. "I'll find some food. See you soon." 

I spend the entire afternoon hunting. I finally manage to lure a few fat rabbits out of their den under the roots of a tall pine tree and make quick work of killing them. There are wild onions everywhere, and some greens that aren't too bitter and don't poison me. I return by way of the stream, but Rey isn't there. I arrive back at camp and find her sitting by the fire, her clothing laid out on the pine needles nearby drying, and my cape doubled over and wrapped under her arms, tucked in like a towel. 

"I borrowed this again," she says, motioning to the rigged attire. 

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. I work on field dressing the rabbits, locate some flat stones, and arrange the meat to roast. Rey watches me work. Her silence is unsettling, but I don't dare look at her for more than a passing glance. Maybe she remembered everything and she's just biding her time until she can kill me when I least expect it. 

The meat sizzles and pops, leaking fat and juices into the fire. My shirt is finally dry, and I offer it to her. She smells it and frowns, but tugs it over her head, dropping my cape. 

"Where is the ship?"

Finally. "It exploded. We barely made it off." 

Her gaze is steady. "Where is the ship we came here on?" 

I stand and look out into the lake, and point. "Somewhere out there, maybe two or three kilometers from here. I'm not sure." 

"So it's under the water." 

"Oh yes. It's gone." 

"Did anyone else make it off alive?" 

"I don't think so." 

Three blinks. "How many people were on the ship?" 

"We were running on a fairly small crew. There were about 23,000 on board, give or take a thousand. Census was something Hux took care of." 

The little bit of color that had returned to her cheeks drains away, leaving her looking sick. 

"No more puking," I say. 

We eat in silence. I continue to fight the urge to skim along the edge of her mind, if only to determine what she's feeling. I can't tell a thing. Our bond is closed tight. Between that and the rather long length of her exposed legs, I think I'm going to lose my mind.