RISE OF SKYWALKER | FIXED

part ii | together

Her senses came back to her rather slow.

First, it was just feeling. She could feel the tubes and the probes at her body. The ones the kept her fluids up, and the ones the fed her nutrients. She could even feel the waste disposal. Rey could feel the cool sheet on her body, and she could feel when they got too hot. The way she was positioned on her pillow was less than ideal, but she couldn't move. She began to feel when the droids would come in every morning, afternoon, and evening to check and record her vitals. She felt every itch and every gust of air. The best discovery of her finally being able to feel was with the feeling of Ben.

Though she was unable to move—and she assumed the same for him, since he hadn't moved—their hands were interlocked. She could feel his heartbeat in hand and it was something she had found to be soothing to her, for it was beating in sync with her own. His had was on top, so she felt the weight of his rather large arm press down on hers, but she didn't mind. Their bodies barely touched at the waist, and at the foot. Rey longed to scoot in closer. He was so warm and the air was so cold. At night he would grow too hot and she wanted to move away. She could not do anything. At one point, her arm fell asleep, and it was pins and needles until a droid picked his arm up for another blood sample. Rey tried to use the Force to improve her situation, but she was too weak. She could not even sense the things around her.

The next senses that came to her were taste and, unfortunately, her mouth had the taste of when one slept with their mouth open. Droids would regularly brush her teeth, but the taste of the paste was not much better. The room smelled like rubbing alcohol and saline. Like a medical center. She guessed that the droids noticed her smell and taste return. Her body started to react naturally to things. Her mouth would water and her nostrils would flare. The medic droids began to poke at her taste buds and test it with flavors pastes. They seemed to be happy with this development, for, within the hour, people had come into the room. A person touched her face and someone place and kiss on her forehead. It made Rey happy to feel them there, but she hated not to know who. Or what they thought of Ben.

Finally, hearing returned to her. She could hear the IV drips and the whirring of the medical machines. She could hear the soft beeps of the medic droids. It was all like music to her ears after not hearing for so long. She could hear her soft breath and Ben's. His breathing gave away his deep voice. For so long, it was his bear thing that she focused on. In. Out. In. Out. Over and over again, for so long. Rey didn't know how long they had been here, but it felt like forever. She wished them that the process of end one way or another.

It was yet another forever before her eyes perceived light again. Rey could sense the light passed her lids. She could see when it turned on and off. She could see the blue lights on the Med Droids.

For another forever, she started at the light above her, listening to Ben's breathing, syncing it with her own.

Every few hours or so, she would drift off to sleep. She didn't know how long they lasted. They were dreamless and void of any comfort. She would awaken to the sound of the med droids or the rhythmic breathing of Ben. She would listen for a few hours and fall back to sleep. Every so often, pains from her body would jolt her awake. Her body ached and groaned, especially in her chest. Over and over this would happen until the next time she awoke, her eyes opened.

Ben squeezed her hand. He was awake too. The light was bright, but her eyes adjusted quickly.

✺

A droid outside alerted Poe to their awakening. It had been ordered not to enter the room so their reactions could be observed. The room was bolted and no one was allowed access without proper precautions. They were not sure of Ben's state. They were taking his transition to light with extra caution. Poe hurried to the Coruscant Medical Center as soon as he could get his speeder across the planet. He touched down on the landing pad and hurried out into the sunny atmosphere. He was flanked by Finn and his girlfriend, the former Resistance mechanic, Rose Tico.