"I'm losing her!" Vaughn yelled as he frantically worked to stem the bleeding. Countless wounds of varying sizes littered Vera's body, all oozing blood and shrapnel. Beside him lay the protruding pieces of metal he'd already removed, but the smaller bits were still firmly lodged deep in her flesh.
Nixon rapidly relayed the information on to Command, pushing the Resistance shuttle beyond its limits as they raced back to D'Qar. In the back of the ship, Vaughn wound bandage after bandage around Vera's battered body, his usual medical calm escaping him as his friend, no, sister, lay bleeding to death before him. He felt for her pulse, his hands bathed in her blood, and nearly choked as he felt it slow to nothing.
Vaughn cursed to himself and sucked in a huge breath to calm his nerves. He needed his smarts, not the jumbled mess of useless thoughts currently dominating his brain.
His blaster. That was it! It had an electrical stun setting, one he knew Vera could take, thanks to Elias accidentally shooting her with it several months earlier. He just hoped it would be enough.
"What's going on back there?" Nixon called as they emerged from hyperspace, entering D'Qar's atmosphere.
Vaughn twirled the dial on his weapon and held it to Vera's chest, steeling his nerves and wishing upon the Force as he pulled the trigger. Her heart beat to life, her pulse and breath returning and he laughed in relief.
"She's back! I've got her!" He yelled, immediately opening up her airways as oxygen flowed into her lungs.
"We need a medical team on the ground. She won't make it without one," Nixon spoke into the comm, his voice firm and calm, yet his hands trembled as he gripped the yoke.
"They'll be waiting," Leia confirmed, her voice echoing through the cockpit as she sent an informant to the medics. "Bring her home Alpha Three."
"Will do General. We're four minutes out," and with that, Nixon disconnected the line.
Walking the halls of the rebel base, Poe was blissfully unaware of the incident on Balmorra, or that Vera was merely clinging to life. It wasn't until the informant bowled him over as he careened towards the infirmary that Poe learnt of the emergency.
He took off down the hall, sprinting as fast as he could towards the hangar and out onto the tarmac. Poe's heart raced as he ran, not from exertion, but from sheer panic, the news regarding Vera's condition shaking him to the very core.
He could see the shuttle land up ahead and skid to a halt as the doors rattled open. His dark eyes landed on Vera, limply cradled in Nixon's arms as he carried her from the ship.
Time seemed to slow as his mind struggled to comprehend what it saw, and a strangled cry threatened to claw its way up Poe's throat.
Vera was drenched in her own blood, her usually pale skin stained a brilliant red. She was slumped against Nixon's chest, unresponsive, and Poe's stomach lurched. His eyes fell on the large bloodied container of twisted metal Vaughn carried, each piece bathed in blood. The two men were covered also, their faces stoic, yet Poe could sense they all shared the same degree of unyielding panic.
The medical team raced passed, spurring him into action and out of his frozen stupor. As Nixon placed Vera's seemingly lifeless body onto the stretcher, Poe called out her name, receiving no response. Vaughn quickly shoved the container of metal into Nixon's now free hands and raced alongside the medics, spewing medical terms as they rushed her to the infirmary.
"What happened?" Poe demanded, turning his attention to the older man beside him, horror clearly written all over his face. Nixon seemed startled to find the young pilot standing to his right, as if he'd been locked up in his own little world, untouched by everything but Vera.
"She saved a child," he whispered, his voice hoarse as he stared after his commander.
Poe set his jaw as he ran his hands through his tangled hair, a frustrated hopelessness settling over him. He was angry at Vera for being so reckless, then angry at himself for being so selfish. If their situations had been reversed, Poe knew he would've done the same thing, their likeness both a blessing and sometimes a curse.
The pair walked to the medical wing in silence, too weighed down by emotions to talk. BB-8 joined them on their way and sad little beeps escaped the small droid as he worried for his friend. Unsurprisingly, Han, Leia and Chewie were already in the waiting room, clearly tense as they awaited news.
Minutes quickly turned to hours, the time dragging on insanely slow. Nixon had sent a transmission earlier to his team, updating them on Vera's condition. And now, he sat alone in the corner, his head hung low as he rang his bloodied hands.
Poe resorted to nervously pacing the narrow room, his mind and body disallowing him to sit still; his nerves were just too frayed. Sensing his distress, Leia walked up to the young commander and without hesitation, brought him into a motherly embrace. She had always been fond of Poe, ever since he first came to the Resistance. Like Vera, he had a fire in him that could not be extinguished, and in many ways, he reminded her of Luke.
"She's a fighter," Leia whispered as she pulled away, placing her hands gently on his shoulders. Poe kept his head low for a moment, before looking up to meet Leia's eyes, his own shining with unshed tears as he struggled to remain in control.
He was scared. No, terrified, more than he'd ever been. The not knowing was killing him, restricting his chest and causing his stomach to churn.
"I know," he whispered, clearing his throat as he swallowed roughly. If nothing else, Vera was strong, and she had proven it on countless occasions. But she was so much more than just raw strength. She was the fiercest, most compassionate being Poe had ever met, her spirit so intricately comprised of everything good the galaxy had to offer.
And greatest of all, she was his best friend, his rock. Poe needed her to survive.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the infirmary doors as Vaughn stepped through, his face and once blonde hair glistening with sweat and dried blood. The air was so thick with tension, a knife could easily slice through it, and no one dared to breathe.
Vaughn took a deep breath and a relieved smile spread across his face.
"She's stable."
With those two simple words, the world seemed to start spinning again. Poe laughed in relief, his nervous energy quickly becoming elation. BB-8 rolled about as he beeped happily and Chewie barked in relief, clapping Han on the back as the old smuggler cracked a smile. Both Leia and Nixon closed their eyes, allowing the stress to seep from their bodies, thankful beyond words.
"She's not out of the woods just yet," Vaughn continued after a short pause, his eyes shining with exhaustion and no small amount of relief. "But she's looking good."
- - - - -
AN: Thanks for reading and phew, looks like Vera's going to be okay! Also, I found this short film starring Oscar Isaac (Poe Dameron) and it's absolutely insane from start to finish 😂 He does such an amazing job though, so I suggest checking it out if you feel like a bit of a laugh! It's called 'Ticky Tacky' and only goes for 15 minutes. The link is attached below, enjoy! 😜
[all rights belong to the creators of 'Ticky Tacky']
https://www.shortoftheweek.com/2015/12/03/ticky-tacky/
YOU ARE READING
Cosmic || Poe Dameron
Hayran Kurgu-- Originally titled Serendipity -- -- Currently under major editing before writing restarts! --
