Chapter Twelve

For the next standard day and a half, Lisa and Artoo made sure Luke limited his movement, stayed hydrated, and ate food with the nutrients he required to help with the healing process. The moment Lisa sensed Luke getting tired, she immediately suggested he at the very least close his eyes if he couldn’t manage actual sleep.

They spoke at length about the visions while Luke was awake, he trying not to get excited about the prospect of the future Academy again. He’d seen lessons, recreation, leisure; the figures remained blurred and faceless, but he’d seen young children, adults, teenagers, couples, parents, and guardians – exactly what he hoped they would build together.

She was bringing him his tray of protein-rich food when she saw him trying to sit up. Gingerly propping himself up onto his elbows, he winced a little, and she could sense a twinge of dizziness. Sighing, defeated, he lay back down.

“No use in making yourself nauseous before you eat,” she said, placing the tray onto the rolling table and bringing it over to Luke’s bedside. “And no use afterward, either, otherwise you might lose it.”

Luke cringed, not liking the idea of his lunch evacuating his stomach because he tried to push himself again. He rolled over onto his side so he could eat without risk of choking. The mess hall had taken 2-1B’s message about the kind of food Luke needed to heal seriously. They prepared meals packed with the required nutrients and found vitamin-laden mineral packets they could add to the water. They all wanted their Commander back on his feet as soon as possible.

Could you bring over the screen? he asked telepathically, mouth full.

“Don’t push yourself,” she reminded him, grabbing the requested item.

He swallowed. “I don’t intend to. Could you pull up the Alliance database?”

Tapping at the screen, she brought up the search function. Mouth full again, he made a noise and held out his hands, asking for her to pass the screen to him.

As he chewed, he poked at the screen. I had a feeling, he said. I felt it was time to do a search.

“As long as you’re not – ”

“I’m not,” he insisted after swallowing his next mouthful. “I promise.” Sipping from the water container, he continued to tap at the screen.

After a few minutes, Lisa could feel the pain building behind Luke’s eyes. Before she could open her mouth to warn him, he handed her the screen and lay still with his eyes closed for several more minutes, breathing deeply.

I’m okay, he told her, inhaling and exhaling a few times. The pain faded a little – enough for him to open his eyes. Still breathing deeply, he took another sip from the water container and another, smaller, bite of food. He chewed, swallowed, then said, “Will you look through that while I finish lunch and take a nap?”

“Of course,” she said, turning the screen to face her. “Do you think this is it?”

He wanted to shrug but wouldn’t risk it. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “If I’m wrong, well… then we’ll know where it’s not.”

Lisa nodded. “Okay. If I find anything, I’ll let you know after you wake up.”

Luke avoided nodding and instead passed an agreeing sense through the link, tucking into his food. Privately, she felt a sense of pride that he was finally making the effort to recognize his limits and ask for help the moment he knew he needed it.

Even if she didn’t find anything on the screen, she felt as if things were finally looking up.

Back *~*~* Chapter Eleven *~*~* Chapter Thirteen