Ultraviolent [Kylo Ren X Reader]

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sunrises bled into sunsets, hours forever dredging forward with little to no progress.

You leaned over Leia's bed, assisting in holding her forward to listen to her lung bases, closing your eyes as you focused on the sounds, or lack thereof, as the former attorney general tried to take a deep breath without triggering a coughing fit. With a sigh, you helped Leia lean back, standing with your back ramrod straight, trying to find the nerve to face not only your patient, but her son, who was studying your every move carefully, his large fingers steepled in front of his lips.

"Leia, I think we need to start back at square one..." you said, your eyes flitting briefly to where Kylo sat, ankle crossed over knee, as if plotting his next steps.

"What do you suggest, dear?" she whispered, inhaling deep and long as the nasal cannula pushed oxygen into her airway. You bit the inside of your cheek as you leaned against the window sill, looking through the nurses' notes, as well as the results from the previous chest x-ray.

"I'm going to keep you on the IV antibiotic and steroids, but I want to send a sputum culture to the lab, maybe see what might kick this before it gets worse...Maybe even another chest x-ray to see how this has progressed..." you looked back to Leia, watching as she nodded her head, taking careful breaths.

You noted the slight wrinkle between her brows, the flash of a wince eddying her expression as she breathed deeply.

"Are you having chest pain that you're not telling me about, Leia?" you asked, both her and Kylo's eyes widened, flashing from you to each other.

"Mom?" Kylo asked, sitting up straighter in his chair.

Leia seemed to hesitate for a moment before meeting your eyes.

"It comes and goes, it's really not that big of a deal..." she whispered, bowing her head, finding a loose thread in her blanket much more appealing than your gaze.

"Dammit, Mom..." Kylo said, standing up abruptly, pressing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, his other hand on his hip as he turned his back on his mother to take a calming breath.

"Well, Leia, it actually is a big deal. I'm going to order an EKG, chest x-ray, and lab work." you said, walking briskly out of the room to the nurses' station, entering STAT orders and logging your assessment for the day.

Kylo and Leia's hushed argument fluttered into the hallway, though you could barely decipher anything in particular. In that particular moment, you wanted nothing more than to hand this case back over to Pryde, knowing wholeheartedly that it was a conflict of interest, but you knew you would never hear the end of it from him.

You massaged your temples, hoping if your pressed hard enough, the answers would be knocked loose from the confines of your brain, presenting themselves proudly.

Zorii had presented you with the EKG in moments, showing nothing out of the ordinary, adding to your increasing anger. You signed it briskly and set it right back on Zorii's keyboard, watching as the x-ray technician grabbed the portable x-ray machine from its little alcove in the hallway.

"I'm going to go grab something from the cafeteria...Would you like something, Zor?" you asked, facing your call room. Zorii simply shook her head, returning to her computer, pecking at her keyboard.

You slipped into the call room, pilfering through your bag, hoping your wallet would just appear in your hands, but apparently, you had buried in under a countless amount of things you had stuffed in it. Right as you were about to give up, a knock on your door pulled you out of your thoughts.

"Come back with a warrant..." you sighed, returning to your search.

"Now, Princess...I doubt you actually mean that..." The sound of Kylo's voice almost immediately dissolved the stability of your knees, having been without him for so long.