Helpless Conflict for a Skywalker: Empire Strikes Back Alternate Ending

Chapter 2: Medical Procedure

Third POV

The stormtroopers carried Luke to the medical operation room with Vader following. A female imperial doctor came with a male imperial nurse. Doctor Fawn and Nurse Cohort came and looked at the patient. "Isn't that the rebel that destroyed the Death Star," asked Cohort, pointing to Luke. "Yes," Vader replied. "And you will treat Skywalker with respect. He's not a prisoner. He is a guest. If any of you fail to treat Skywalker appropriately, I will make both of your deaths painful and slow." "Yes, my lord," saluted Fawn and Cohort; their faces were pale and bodies shook when Vader threatened them. Vader exited the operation room but still observed Luke's medical treatment from a window. 

Admiral Piett came to Vader's side. "Lord Vader," the admiral said. "Do you still want to continue the search of the Rebel's hidden coordinates?" Vader honestly didn't know what to do with the Rebel Alliance because all he was focused on was Luke, but jeopardizing the Rebels might help Vader convert Luke to the Dark Side. "You may continue your search, Admiral, and after Skywalker's medical treatment is done, send him to an enhanced private prison cell. I will deal with him by myself later," Vader demanded. "Very good, my lord."

Fawn cut open Luke's jacket and tank top and injected him with anesthetic and sedated him, put an oxygen mask on Luke's face. They also put leads and straps on his chest to measure his heart rate and blood pressure. Cohort took off the white tourniquet and saw blood dripping off of Luke's stump. Fawn cauterized Luke's bloody stump to stop the bleeding, did a blood transfusion, applied some bacta patches, stitched up some wounds, and took an X-ray on his brain. Vader later requested a droid called 2-1B to help the nurse and doctor but also to make a prosthetic hand for Luke. "I want the prosthetic to be the latest model with no malfunctions," Vader ordered.

Doctor Fawn came out of the operation room to talk to Vader. "What is it, Doctor Fawn?" interrogated Vader. "Skywalker lives, sir," she said hesitantly. "You're lucky. If, you had left him longer on the Millennium Falcon, there would not have been time to save him from bleeding to death. Still, Skywalker has a few cracked ribs, a few major chest wounds, and a concussion. I highly recommend a bacta tank to solve these problems." "Request accepted, Doctor Fawn."

The doctor and nurse stripped the rest of Luke's clothes off and clipped a harness to waistband of his boxer briefs. Fawn and Cohort lowered Luke into the bacta tank while 2-1B worked on the control panel of the tank.

When Vader first got into his suit, he had to go into the bacta tank several times to heal his burnt flesh, but he also used it for Sith meditations. "The bacta tank will help Luke's mind with the force," thought Vader as he observed Luke floating in it.

After ten minutes, Fawn and Cohort lifted Luke out of the Bacta tank and on the medical cot, drying him and checking if his wounds healed.

"Lord Vader," 2-1B said. "The prosthetic is completed. Do you want me to proceed with the calibration?" Vader nodded. 2-1B, Fawn, and Cohort started to attach the prosthetic to Luke's right wrist and adjusted the controls of the hand. 2-1B pulled out a needle and pricked the prosthetic's fingers to test the nerves which was successful since Luke's fingers flinched.
Vader looked down at his own mechanical right hand and flexed it. He remembered when he lost his first limbs and then lost his other three.   He cursed the force that he lost all of his limbs since that diminished his power and flames burning him also. Vader never wanted to harm Luke, but he had no choice but to sever his right hand off to end the duel.

Fawn and Cohort finally dressed Luke in a gray T-shirt and black yoga pants. Under his shirt were bandages wrapped around his torso to heal the broken ribs.

"The medical procedure is done sir," Fawn said with Cohort by her side. "The wounds are mostly healed, and the concussion is almost gone too. All he needs is rest. Also, Skywalker needs to be careful around his torso or he might worsen his ribs." Four stormtroopers came with Admiral Piett. "Both of you will be rewarded for your accomplishments, but say this to no one or I will kill you," Vader said to the doctor and nurse. "You are dismissed." Fawn and Cohort's faces were pale again and they left.

The four stormtroopers grabbed each corner of the medical cot and lifted Luke. Admiral Piett guided them towards a prison cell. The prison cell was quite large, a little bigger than an average prison cell for smugglers and criminals. There was a metal bed with a plain mattress and a black blanket. The stormtroopers set Luke down on the bed, grabbed the medical cot, exited the cell, and locked the cell door.

Luke was left in the cell, a prisoner of the Empire, and at the mercy of Darth Vader.