The Bad Batch ONESHOTS (Plus Other Star Wars Stories)

Chapter Three: Omega Falls Ill

FERN'S POV

We had just returned from a mission for Cid from a highly-densed forest planet when I noticed Omega's face was a little flushed. No one played any mind, though, as we collected our money.

"Got another one for us?" I raised a brow as I leaned on Cid's desk with a hand on my hip. "Or do we finally get a break? We're exhausted, okay?" I gazed over at the boys. Hunter and Echo were the only ones with their helmets off, and both were drenched with sweat. Wrecker was hunched over, his arms hanging in dead-weight. Tech leaned against the wall with Omega next to him, her head hung to where her chin touched her neck.

Cid glanced at each of them and then back at me. Rolling her eyes and waving her hand, she chided, "Get out of here. I'll call you when I have another one."

"Wow, thanks for your consideration." I said, and then nodded to everyone else. "Come on, let's go back to the ship and eat some dinner. We all deserve some rest." The boys and Omega agreed and we began the long walk back to the Marauder. I didn't notice the young clone falling behind the pack until...

THUD.

"Huh?" I screeched in my tracks and turned. I gasped. "Omega!"

"Omega!" Hunter sank to his knees and lifted the collasped girl in his arms. "Omega! What's wrong?" Omega was not responding. Her wheezy breath made me incredibly worried. Sweat was pouring down her face. He swept her soaked bangs and gasped. "She's burning up!"

"What's happened?" Echo hovered over Hunter's shoulder, flinching at Omega's feverish state.

Tech touched her forehead and frowned. "Let's get her to the ship." With Hunter cradling the young clone, we all rushed in full sprint to the Marauder. Once we were on board, Hunter laid Omega down on the fold-out cot and Tech took over the examination. I knelt down at his side, and when I placed a hand on her forehead, I knew this wasn't some state of exhaustion...Omega was very ill.

"What is it, Tech?" Hunter asked, worriedly. He tried not to hover, even with Echo in between us and him. "Is she going to be okay?"

"Fern, bring some water over and try cooling her down, while I run some tests." Tech ignored Hunter's questions, focusing solely on caring for Omega. I nodded and retrieved a cannister, soaked a rag, and proceeded to dab off the sweat around Omega's face and ears. Her unregulated breathing was beginning to scare me. After a few minutes, Tech sighed and read off his datapad. "It seems like Omega has attracted some sort of virus."

"Virus?" I repeated and pondered over it. "Do you think, she may have caught it on that jungle planet we were just on? There were a lot of vegetation and who knows how much bacteria."

"I am thinking the same thing." Tech agreed.

"How can we help her?"

"Well, that's the thing..." Tech lowered his datapad, which was never a good sign. "Unfortunately, Omega's state, due to her small size, is already reaching the peak of the virus' attack inside her body, spreading at a rapid velocity. Even if we were to find a cure, we wouldn't make it back in time to deliver it..."

"So, what you're saying is..." My eyes widened at the realization.

"What?" Hunter exclaimed from behind, panic in his voice. "What's going to happen to her?"

"I'm afraid, Omega is on her own." Tech said. "If she can survive the virus' peak of attack, she will make a full recovery. If not..."

"Don't say it." I closed my eyes as I began to stroke the young girl's blonde hair.

"But—" Hunter started, but his voice choked up.

"There has to be something we can do." Echo insisted to Tech, but the intellectual clone shook his head. "All we can do, is keep her comfortable. And be with her."

"We can do that." I said, resoaking the rag with water and pressing it against Omega's burning skin. Her face contorted in pain and her breathing grew worse, in through her nose and out through her mouth at no normal pace. "Yes, we can do that." I repeated, a little quieter.

Tech insisted we all take shifts watching over Omega, for he predicted the whole ordeal would last the night. He and I took the first shifts, and then Echo and Wrecker came in a few hours later. I walked over to Hunter, who was closing himself into the co-pilot's seat. A deep frown seemed frozen on his face while his arms were crossed aggressively against his chest.

"How is she?" he asked in a mumble.

"Nothing's changed so far." I sighed. Then, I nudged his knee with mine, signalling him to make room for me. He obligied, and I settled between him and the armrest. I swung my legs over his lap and rested my temple on his chestplate. "She's going to make it. I know she is."

"To not have any control though...how can you know for sure?" Hunter's voice cracked. "Why did it have to be her to catch a deadly virus on that planet? Why couldn't it been one of us? Why did it have to happen to any of us?"

"Hunter, Hunter!" I cupped his stubbled jawline with my hand and turned his face towards me. I kissed him to make him stop talking. It worked, as Hunter let out a long sigh after I released him. Still holding his face, I locked eyes with him. "She's strong and stubborn, like someone I know. I know, she'll make it through."

"FERN! HUNTER!" Without warning, Echo screamed for us. "It's Omega!"

Hunter and I didn't hesitate, jumping to our feet and sprinting to the back where Tech was already there. I gasped, covering my mouth in horror, as I watched Omega's small body wriggle in pain. Soft groans and whimpers escaped through her trembling lips. Sweat had soaked through her clothes and hair. Her skin was very pale, almost white.

"The virus has reached its peak! If her body can fight it off, she'll be okay!" Tech said. I dropped to my knees and clung onto Omega's shaking shoulders. "Omega! It's me, Fern! You're not alone, do you hear me? We're all here! Hunter is here. Tech, Echo, and Wrecker, we're all here for you. Don't give up, okay? You can do this!" Halfway through, tears began to well up in my eyes.

"Omega, I'm here." Hunter reached out from behind me and grasped Omega's hand, squeezing her little fingers for reassurance. "I'm here."

Tech continued pressing a wet cloth to her face, his frown quivered. Echo and Wrecker viewed from above the rest of us. "Come on, kid." The big guy urged. "You can pull through."

It would be the longest hour of our lives.....

Then, miraculously...Omega's breathing regulated. Her fever broke. And hed body ceased its trembling. A wave of relief washed over the five of us—my face buried itself in Hunter's shoulder as I allowed a few built-up tears roll down my cheeks.

Tech never left Omega's side, monitoring her progress for the next few more hours. And then, her round eyes fluttered open, like she just woke up from a long nap.

"Oh, thank the Force!" I gasped, holding her cheeks in my hands, smiling so wide. "It's good to see you, Half-Pint."

"Hi..." she smiled back weakly and then tried to raise her upper body, but both Tech and I stopped her. "No, rest. You need to build up your strength after the battle you just endure." I said, then poured a cup of water and guided it to her lips so she could sip from it.

"Battle?"

"Don't worry about it, Half-Pint." I laughed for the first time in days. "You're here, with us."

"Just, don't scare us like that ever again." Echo added, wiping the nervous sweat from his brow.

"Yeah, kid! You almost died!"

"Wrecker!"

"What? She did!"

"I did?" Omega's eyes widened.

"Like I said, don't worry about it anymore." I shot a look at the big oaf before resuming my comfort session with the young clone. "You're okay now, and that's all that matters."

"We're very happy you're still with us." Hunter breathed, kneeling down between me and Tech, so he was closest to Omega's line of sight. His gloved hand cupped the side of her face as a genuine smile spread across his own. "You're strong, and stubborn, just like someone I know." I caught his glance over at me, and my cheeks burned.

"Really?" Omega let out a faint giggle. "I'm glad to hear that. And I'm glad, I'm still here with all of you..."

"So are we, Half-Pint, so are we."