Hesken Fever is a real pain

[for_everyone]

The problem with doing maintenance work on a space ship is that sometimes, there are stowaways. This particular one is bacterial, and Hera got a faceful of its little colony before realizing it had hidden away inside the hatch's locking mechanism.

It's almost painful to tuck herself away in her bunk, because there's so much repair work to be done, but --

Well.

The fastest way to cure something like this -- congestion, sore throat, chills, and all -- is to rest. The fastest way to rest is to nap, and Hera is trying very hard, blanket pulled up to her chin and eyes held determinedly closed. Unfortunately she aches, and her brain won't stop fuzzily running back and forth, so --

Mostly she's just waiting. It will probably be lunchtime soon. Or maybe dinner.

Comments

[notallofus]

Trying not to move too much, given that she's still leaning on him, Kanan reaches out to pull the blanket up over her again.

"I can get another blanket," he offers, quickly. "If you need it."

[for_everyone]

"B'fore you go."

She takes another swallow of tea, letting the heat warm her up from inside.

"'s comfortable now."

[notallofus]

"All right."

He tucks the blanket around her shoulder, then slowly leans in closer to her, hoping it's at least keeping her a little warm.

"I'd get more of that sinus medicine, but uh - Chop's decided he's in charge of that."

And he's being a stickler about the directions.

[for_everyone]

"Y'r too nice about it, " Hera mumbles tiredly. The tea -- and Kanan -- are helping keep the chills away. It's nice. She wishes she didn't need it, because being this sick is incredibly vexing, but --

"He worries."

[notallofus]

"Maybe." Probably. He's not great at being patient, when Hera's like this.

But he can imagine it's even harder for her to be patient, so he adds, "Everything's running okay. Enough to get us through the next few days. Lucky we just got paid."

[for_everyone]

She huffs out a laugh that turns into a hacking, wheezy cough, and trying to hold it in to prevent spilling the tea isn't working as well as she'd like.

"D'finitely lucky. Kids aren't restless?"

[notallofus]

"Maybe a little," he admits, lifting one hand to place over hers, helping steady the cup.

"But mostly asking about you."

[for_everyone]

"Tell' em not to worry. 'm fine."

She manages to bite this out in between sharp coughs.

"More tea?"

[notallofus]

He moves his hand to take her cup, but asks -

"Do you feel like eating something first?"

[for_everyone]

"I can probably swallow," Hera says, after a long moment of quiet.

"A little."

If she sounds reluctant, it's because swallowing is going to make her throat scream, but -- she really would like her hands to stop shaking.

[notallofus]

"You don't have to."

Except that -

"Well - you'll have to pretty soon."

[for_everyone]

"May as well now," she says lowly, shifting to try to sit up again.

"There's no crumbs, right?"

[notallofus]

"Nothing like that."

He leans into her again, gently shifting her up against the wall of the bunk, so that he's reasonably confident she'll stay up in place when he moves away, stepping across the cabin to retrieve the tray from the table. Slowly, he slides the tray onto the bunk next to her - it's soup, still warm and tinted red, with what look like flecks of spices swirling in it. About as substantial as Kanan risked making.

"I uh, tried to make it something you'd like -" But he doesn't entirely trust himself with her spices.

[for_everyone]

Hera over to smell it, then thinks better of that when she wobbles precariously.

"Thanks."

She musters a faint smile up at Kanan's, reaching out for the bowl, her fingers only shaking a little.

"'m not sure I'll be able to taste much, but. Thanks."

[notallofus]

Unsure if there's much more he can do, Kanan leans in enough to be a shoulder of support Hera can use, if she needs it.

"I didn't use anything too special on this one."

Not much point in risking anything.

[for_everyone]

Oh, she'll definitely make use of his shoulder, if only to support her arm a little as she lifts the bowl to her mouth and takes a sip.

It seems safer than trying to use a spoon.

"'s warm."

The consistency is pretty good, too.

"Good job, love."

[notallofus]

"I'm glad you like it."

And though he knows it's not something he should be thinking about, he's also slightly relieved at not feeling entirely useless.

[for_everyone]

"Bet you are," she mumbles, wincing at the slight pain in her throat.

Another swallow or two of soup, and then --

"'nks. You're pretty good at this."

[notallofus]

"I'm gonna remember you said that," he says, trying to keep himself from wincing when she does.

[for_everyone]

"'m not that mean," Hera says, taking another careful swallow of soup. It makes it a little easier to talk immediately after, right up until it doesn't.

"To you. Or anybody."

[notallofus]

"No," he says quietly, leaning his head gently against hers. "'Course you're not."

[for_everyone]

"I'm tough," she says, all current evidence to the physical contrary. "We're all tough."

Chopper, Zeb . . . Kanan, too.

"But we're not mean."

And, of course, this is where Hera starts coughing again.

"Ow."

[notallofus]

"We've got to be."

Sometimes. But for now, he slowly moves away from her again. "I can get some water. And - more tea?"

[for_everyone]

She's almost done with the soup, now, and takes a minute or so to finish it before flailing around with the empty bowl, careful not to fling the remnants on Kanan. Or the bed.

"Yes, please. Maybe I'll be able to sleep. Finally."

[notallofus]

He tries to grab the bowl, so as to help with the flailing. "Okay, I'll be right back."

As he moves to put the bowl back on the tray and stand, "And I'll see if Chop'll finally let me give you more medicine."

[for_everyone]

Hera lets go of the bowl after a momentary tug, as if she doesn't quite trust both of them to have a grip on it, and worried about letting go.

Then, as she leans back against the pillows again, making a face at the sweat-dampness of the sheet --

"When 's been four hours. Or six? I forget."

[notallofus]

"I think it's been almost four."

But he's not really sure if the directions are four-or-six hours, either. He's going to bug Chopper about it either way.

[for_everyone]

She yawns, tucking herself down a little more in the blankets.

"Make the tea first. 'n you won't get shocked."

[notallofus]

"Good thinking."

He gathers up the tray, and - well, he should head straight for the door. But he can't keep himself from stopping by her long enough to briefly touch her shoulder again.

[for_everyone]

Hera leans back into the touch for a moment before settling more heavily onto her bunk.

Maybe it really will be easier to sleep now.

That'd be nice.

"Do my best," she says, in a fading mumble, eyes drifting closed.