The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 57 - Road to Recovery

After a week of repeated treatment in the bacta tank and induced coma, Dash regained consciousness. The ventilator could finally be turned off.
Nomi was glad because the sound had reminded her of the imprisonment in Bast Castle and Darth Vader.
Smiling, she held her husband's hand, knowing Dash was on the road to recovery.
The young woman didn't get much sleep that week and had refused to leave her husband's bedside, even when Wedge offered to take turns keeping watch. Sometimes when she refused to leave, he sat next to her to keep her company.

Antilles just entered the room when Dash opened his eyes.
"There you are again. You scared your wife and me, old buddy," said the Rogue Squadron commander, heading to the bed. "To be honest, it looked bad."
Dash Rendar tried to smile.
"Hey, Wedge, bad weeds grow tall," came the pilot's almost inaudible reply.
Then he turned his head slightly to look at his wife who was still holding his hand.
"How are you and the children, Nomi?"
Nomi wiped away a tear of joy before answering Dash's question.
"We're fine, darling. Leebo takes care of the triplets. There is no need to worry. The most important thing is that you get healthy again. We need you, Dash."
She gently stroked her husband's cheek.
Still standing there, Wedge felt a little out of place as he witnessed the couple's tenderness. He was just thinking about leaving when 2-1B entered the room.

The medi droid walked over to the bed and checked the monitors showing Dash Rendar's vitals.
"I see our patient is no longer unconscious," he said in his mechanical voice as he ran a scanner over Dash's chest. "The injury is healing well, Lieutenant Rendar. Only a small scar will remain as a memory."
Then 2-1B turned his attention to Nomi. He noticed how pale she was and how worry for her husband was taking its toll on her.
"You don't look well, Captain Darklighter," he began. "You should rest now as your husband is feeling better. I don't want you to break down, Captain."
The young woman looked at her husband, who had fallen asleep again, and nodded her head.
"I think you're right and I should take a nap," she said, releasing Dash's hand.
She staggered slightly as she rose from the chair, and Wedge rushed over to support her.
"Thank you, Wedge," she said with a faint smile. "It seems I could use some help getting to my quarters."
"I'll go with you," Antilles replied, walking to the door and opening it.
Nomi bent down and kissed her husband's cheek before slowly walking towards the door. Wedge offered her the arm and she took it.
Together they left the med bay. Outside, Nomi and Wedge were greeted by the humid air of Dagobah. They heard the eerie sounds of the animals living there, but they didn't care, as they were used to it.

It didn't take long before they reached Nomi and Dash's quarters. Nomi let go of Antilles' arm and turned to face him.
"I have a request, Wedge," the young woman said, her expression tired.
"What request? You know that I can hardly refuse you a wish."
The commander of Rogue Squadron opened the door for her. Then he turned his attention back to his friend.
"Please take care of Dash," Nomi said, entering her quarters, followed by Wedge. "He shouldn't be alone when he wakes up. Explain to him why I'm not with him."
Wedge nodded his head.
"Yes I will do that. Your husband will surely understand. But now you should rest. You really need sleep."
Antilles turned and left Nomi alone.
The pregnant woman closed the door behind her friend and slowly walked into the bedroom. She glanced into the crib where the triplets were fast asleep, before flopping onto the bed. It didn't take long and she fell asleep.

Nomi woke up several hours later, showered and changed into a fresh coverall. She felt much better now and was ready to visit Dash and she wasn't going alone. The Rogue Squadron pilot went to the crib and got Dash Jr. and Biggs out while Leebo took Corran.
Together they made the short walk to the med bay.
When they entered, Wedge was sitting by Dash's bedside, as he had promised Nomi. The commander smiled when he saw his friend and her offspring. Then he stood up and left the room to give the family some privacy.
Biggs babbled and reached for his father, who just opened his eyes. Rendar tried to sit up but found it was still too painful.
"How are you, darling?" Nomi asked as she sat down in the chair Wedge had just vacated.
Her husband gave her a crooked smile.
"Honestly, there were days when I felt better, honey." He reached out and caressed Biggs' cheek before doing the same to Dash Jr. "Thank you for bringing the children."
Leebo stomped forward with the youngest of the triplets and Dash reached out to caress Corran as well.
"I am glad you are fully operational again, Dash," the droid said while holding Corran, who giggled.
"I wouldn't exactly call it operational, but I feel better now, you old bucket of bolts," Dash Rendar replied, finally managing to sit up. His voice was clear and strong again and breathing wasn't so difficult for him.
"I think I should tell you what happened back on Corellia, Nomi," he began hesitantly, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I was almost in the shuttle when I turned to fire back and was hit by a stormtrooper who wasn't as a bad shot as the others. Somehow I managed to get into the shuttle and into the cockpit, and then everything went dark. Wedge told me what happened after that. I thank you for what you have done for me. I wouldn't be alive without you and your willpower, Nomi. I don't know how to thank you, darling."
Nomi leaned in and kissed his forehead.
"I couldn't just let you die," she said and felt a tear run down her cheek. "Damn, I love and need you, Dash. Without you my life would be meaningless. I fought for your life with all the means at my disposal and won. You don't have to thank me."
Her husband smiled at her and wiped away the tear.
"You are my brave little fighter. With your love you defeated death, which already had me in its grip. You are truly a remarkable woman and I'm glad and grateful that you are my wife. If I didn't know it was impossible I would think you were a Jedi. But now give me our sons. I missed them so much."

Carefully, Nomi and Leebo gave him Dash Jr., Biggs, and Corran one by one. The three children squealed with delight as their father hugged them. When Dash had stroked Corran enough, he handed him back to Leebo and pointed to the edge of the bed.
"Come on darling, sit here. I want to try if I can feel our daughter."
Leebo took the triplets and Nomi sat on the bed. Rendar carefully placed his hand on Nomi's stomach and indeed Tasherit began to move at that moment. She might have felt her father's hand. And then Dash Rendar did something he never did with his unborn sons. He spoke to his unborn daughter.
"Hello, princess. I'm really looking forward to seeing you." he said tenderly. "Now it won't be long before I can finally hold you in my arms. You will certainly be very like your mother."
Then he fell asleep. His family's visit had been quite exhausting for him. Nomi took her husband's hand that was still resting on her stomach and carefully placed it back on the blanket so as not to wake him up.
Then she stood up, took two of the triplets from Leebo before they left the room together.
Outside, Wedge was waiting for them.
"What did you tell my husband about my role in saving him, Wedge? Dash almost thinks I'm a Jedi," she blurted out.
Antilles looked at his friend with a serious expression.
"Nothing special, just what 2-1B told me, Nomi. Dash couldn't have lasted 20 standard minutes with that injury, but by the time you brought him to Dagobah, the healing process had already begun. Our medi droid was completely amazed, because there is no explanation for this phenomenon. Healing is exceptionally fast. What did you do with Dash, Nomi?"
The young woman stared at the commander, having no idea what he was talking about.
"All I did was put Dash on artificial respiration, Wedge. Maybe it was Tasherit? Like her brothers, she is Force sensitive. Even the triplets were very strong in the Force when they were still unborn. Could it be that my daughter kept her father alive?"
Wedge looked at her in astonishment.
"I don't know, Nomi, because I don't understand such things," the commander said with a shrug. "If Luke were here I'm sure he could tell you if that's possible."
Then he turned and went to his quarters.

Back in her quarters after placing the triplets into the crib, Nomi pondered who or what had kept her husband alive. She came to no conclusion. So the young woman decided to wait for Luke's return, hoping that he could explain what happened.