Chapter Ten

Lisa’s forehead wasn’t quite still pressed to his he realized when he again returned to consciousness. She’d fallen asleep hunched over him, one arm against his head and her hand on his, her wings hanging down and dragging the floor.

That can’t be comfortable, he thought. His pain had ebbed, but he wasn’t going to risk moving and ruining it; he also didn’t know the state of the fever – his insides were no longer on fire, but he didn’t feel as if it had broken yet.

Her wings twitched and she stirred. He brushed her with their link. Lisa?

“Mm…” she mumbled, trying to cuddle closer to him despite her awkward position.

Lisa, please sit up, he said, brushing her again.

She yawned and finally started to stir. Her wings shook and folded behind her back, and she sat up, stretching her arms, then realized Luke was awake.

“Hey,” she said, stroking his hair. He saw her look over to something he couldn’t see, and she made her “well, it’s not good, but it’s not bad” face – something very hard to describe that involved a twisting of her lips and a furrowing of her brow. “You still have a fever,” she said, looking down at him. “But it’s not as high as before.”

Well, that was one bright spot. He wondered how much longer he’d have to stay immobile.

“2-1B said if you continue healing as you are now, then you should be able to – with restrictions – once your fever breaks.”

He heard the emphasis in her words loud and clear. He definitely didn’t want another relapse like before.

You need to rest, too, he said, realizing he had no idea how much time had gone by since leaving Endor and thus didn’t know how long ago she’d slept properly.

Smiling, she said, “I have been, don’t worry. 2-1B brought out a cot I can curl up on. I sleep when you do.”

He had a flash of skepticism, remembering how he’d found her a few moments ago.

She chuckled lightly. “Special circumstance. You needed me beside you.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Did you see? he asked, thinking back to the vision he’d just left. I was hoping you were able to see.

She shut her eyes and continued to stroke his hair. He felt her in his mind right at the surface. He tried to bring the images to the forefront; the students, the grounding. No one was alone; no one was treated any differently than another.

That is you, he said, fixing his eyes on her so they locked once she opened hers. I told you.

“You’re right,” she said, and he could sense she really meant it rather than just saying it so he wouldn’t work himself up again. “Yeah, that’s definitely me. See what happens when you relax and just observe?” She gave him a playful but gentle tap on his nose.

His eyes being one of the few things he could move, he rolled them, getting her to smile and kiss the corner of his mouth.

“Time to get back to dreamland…or vision-land? I know,” she said at his sigh. “But if you have any hope of getting better, you have to at the very least break that fever.”

Fine, he said, but I want you to lie down and sleep, too.

“I will once you fall asleep.”

No, he insisted. I’m not going back to sleep until you do. He stared at her to show he was serious. No mind tricks, no use of the Force; just his love and concern for her.

“Okay, Luke,” she said, leaning over to kiss him gently. “I’ll be right over here.” She gestured to the floor beside his bed where the cot must be. “Artoo, monitor him, okay?”

The little droid beeped an affirmative. Odd he’d been so quiet up until then, but he probably felt Lisa would call on him if she needed him, as she did now.

With one last kiss, she left his line of sight, and he heard the creaking of the cot as she lay down and made herself as comfortable as she could. He could sense when she closed her eyes, and he waited as her breathing evened out and she finally fell asleep. True to his word, he followed not long after.

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