Ghosts

Chapter Twelve: Marks of the Past

Ezra sat with his back pressed against the hallway's cool metal wall, his knees drawn up against his chest and his eyes glued to the door in front of him. His joints were stiff, as he hadn't moved in hours, but he refused to get up and leave until he knew Kara would be okay. His stomach knotted as his mind drifted back to hours earlier, after he'd stumbled to her side while the Inquisitor escaped.

Ezra had knelt by her side, trying to keep her awake, but every passing second Kara's breathing slowed until her eyes closed and her arms had relaxed as she slipped into unconsciousness. It was then Ezra's eyes went to her wound, sending a chill through his body. Sautered by the Inquisitor's blade, it didn't bleed, and the exposed tissues glistened in the light that trickled through the thick leaves above. There was something more to the injury, something Ezra couldn't see that was draining Kara's strength, but he couldn't dwell on it. instead, he screamed for help until his throat was raw, cradling Kara's body in his arms.

Eventually, help came. A group of soldiers with a gurney appeared out of the trees, followed by Kanan, who Ezra ignored as he gripped Kara's hand as the marched her back towards the compound. They made their way to the medical building, a high-tech facility built by the Empire prior to their loss of the outpost, and it was only then Ezra was forced to let go of Kara as she was rushed through a large door marked Medical Staff Only, the same door his eyes bored into now.

The crew had come and gone, sometimes all together, and other times individually, though none of them could convince Ezra to do anything but wait. He'd waved off Hera, who insisted he needed to see a medical droid to rule out any injuries. Sabine and Zeb and even Chopper had offered him food, but he had no appetite left. Kanan had tried to talk to him, but Ezra had promptly ignored him, knowing that only one of them was truly concerned for Kara's well-being. Ahsoka had even made an appearance, but she knew better than to try and make him hlt his vigil, instead sitting with him for half an hour in silence, offering only her comforting presence.

Right now, he was alone, but he preffered it. He was the only one who really cared about Kara, and if that meant he'd wait for her alone, then that was that. She would do the same for him.

Kanan appeared beside him. "Ezra, I think it's time for you to—"

The door in front of him slid open, and Ezra scrambled to his feet as a medic approached. "Excuse me, are you the one who came in with Miss Stone?"

"Yeah, that's me." Ezra responded quickly. "Is she okay?"

"She's recovering slowly." She motioned for them to follow her through the doors as she continued her spiel. "The wound on her side is deep, but nothing major."

"But she was so weak." Ezra stated, bewildered. "I could barely sense her life force."

"We were confused as well, I'll admit." The medic conceded. "However, after a blood panel, we discovered that a poision had been injected into her bloodstream, which explains her rapid decline in strength. She's being treated accordingly."

"If she's recovering, I don't understand why you're bringing us back here." Kanan spoke from behind Ezra, who felt a flicker of irritation. "Unless, of course, there's something else."

The medic stopped before another door. "There was another discovery upon closer examination." Her voice was more delicate now, as if she was trying to form the right sentence before speaking. "We wondered if you might know anything about it."

"What is it?" Ezra asked.

"It's easier if I show you." The medic pressed a button, and the door slid open, revealing the contents of the room before them that made Ezra halt in his tracks.