I Know Who I Am Now

Medical emergency

Rey stayed sat where she had been dropped near the doorway, a troopers gun trained at her head.

From within the ship she could hear the medical droids working on Ben, their robotic voices echoing down the hallways.  "Blood loss is significant, blood transfusion necessary".  Rey's eyes swivelled just in time to see a medical droid pass her with an armful of blood soaked cloths. She sucked in her breath and closed her eyes.

Kylos eyes slowly opened and he looked around.  Where was he?  He had been on Chandrilla.  On Chandrilla looking for Rey.  He found her.  She touched his face.  He definitely remembered that.  But after that?  He moved and a blinding pain shot through his body.  He gasped and lay still, willing the pain away, closing his eyes from the effort.  Suddenly his eyes opened.  He had been shot! Gritting his teeth he tried to sit up before falling back onto the bed groaning. For a moment he lay there panting. Who had shot him? Not Rey. He remembered her cradling his head before everything went black. He lifted the sheet and looked down at the line of black stitches that ran across his stomach. He reached down and ran his fingers across the raised edges. Suddenly he gasped. Rey. Where was she? Had she been shot too? A panic so strong that it urged him, groaning in pain, to get to his feet. Kylo stumbled across the room, clutching at his stomach, sweating from the pain. He made it to the com-link and with a shaking hand he lifted the receiver to his mouth, taking a deep breath before he spoke. "Come in, this is Kylo Ren" he said as he leant heavily on the side, the pain radiating through his body in waves. His head lowered onto his arm and he grunted, feeling the sweat from his forehead on his bare skin. Static and then a voice, "Supreme Leader. Would you like me to send a medical droid in to you?". Kylo gritted his teeth again and raised his head, "No, no I want to speak with General Hux. Send him down immediately" a pause, static and then a voice "Yes Supreme Leader, right away".

Kylo was sat on the edge of the bed, his heart thumping furiously.  Was she dead? He couldn't sense her presence.  His stomach flipped at the thought and panic rushed through him.  A knock at the door.  "Supreme Leader, it is General Hux, you requested my presence?".  Wincing in pain Kylo stood, "Yes, come in General".  Hux came in, pausing before closing the door, his eyes taking in Kylos state of undress, one eyebrow raised.  "How are you feeling?" Hux asked but Kylo cut him off, "I was shot.  What happened? Who was it?" Kylo asked.  Hux leant his back against the door and studied Kylo.  "The scavenger shot you" Hux replied, a small smile tugging at his lips.  For a moment Kylo didn't speak.  She wouldn't have.  Would she?  He turned away from Hux and creased his brow, trying to remember the last thing she had said to him before everything went black but he couldn't remember.  He turned back to Hux, careful to hide his emotions.  "Was she apprehended?".  Hux smirked, "Yes Supreme Leader.  She is currently in one of our force blocking cells, awaiting execution I believe".  Kylos eyes shot up to meet Hux's.  A mixture of relief and panic rushed through him.  Relief that she was alive but blind panic at the mention of her intended fate.  He had no idea why but he knew he had to get to her, he had to save her.

Rey shifted on the hard floor where she lay.  She had tried to use the force firstly to break free of the cell and then, when that didn't work, to try and contact Ben.  Did he even know she was here? And what of her friends in the resistance? Did they think she was dead?

The sound of footsteps approaching and Rey stumbled to her feet, her legs feeling shaky. A stormtrooper unlocked her cell and stepped aside, allowing the tall figure behind him into the cell. "Ben!" Rey gasped, unable to hide her relief at the sight of him. He turned to the stormtrooper and waved his hand dismissively, "Leave us". The stormtrooper hesitated, clearly confused by the interaction which was taking place between his Supreme Leader and this young woman. Kylo turned to him and that was enough, he mumbled his apologies and left.

Once the troopers footsteps had faded Kylo turned to Rey, pressing buttons on her handcuffs which fell to the floor with a hiss. Rey took in his appearance. He looked more casual than she was used to seeing him, just a long sleeved black cotton top and no gloves. "Did you shoot me?" Kylo asked suddenly. Rey's brow creased, hurt clear in her eyes. She squared her shoulders and looked up at him, her sweet features hard, "No". Kylo nodded. He hadn't believed it was her for a single moment but he had wanted to make sure, to see her reaction. "Was it one of your people?" He asked looking down into her eyes. Rey's face grew colder still and she shook her head violently, "No. It was one of your people". Kylos brow creased and he bit the inside of his mouth, he hadn't expected her to say that. "How can you be sure?" He asked. Rey held his gaze, her irritation evident "They were wearing a first order uniform". Kylo narrowed his eyes, "A stormtrooper?". Rey shook her head again, "No, he wasn't wearing a helmet, I didn't see his face but I saw his hair, it was red". For a moment Kylo didn't speak as he absorbed the information he had just received. Hux, it had to be.

Rey watched his eyes drift off hers and journey around the room. She admired him in that moment, she couldn't help it, she found his face to be captivating in a way she'd never felt before. Suddenly Kylo coughed and as he did so he groaned, his hand shooting down to grip his stomach, his eyes closing momentarily.  Rey stepped forwards and tentatively touched his hand that was still clasped to his stomach.

Kylo felt her touch and his eyes shot open, meeting hers, a feeling similar to electricity flowing through them both at the contact.  Rey's hand dropped and she self consciously dropped her eyes, her face colouring.  "Are you ok?" She asked quietly.  Kylo studied her face for a moment.

He was confused by her level of compassion for him after everything that had happened on Crait, it was wholly unexpected.  He straightened then, dropping his hand from his stomach and regaining his composure, "I'm fine.  I need to get you out of here" he said, his voice lowering slightly, afraid of being overheard.  If Hux had been the one to shoot him then he knew that he was on borrowed time and so was Rey. 

Rey too was confused by Kylos words and actions.  He needed to get her out of here?   Why was he helping her?  Did he still feel their connection as she did?  Sensing that now was not the right time to question him Rey nodded.  "Follow me" Kylo said as he left the cell.