A Galaxy Quite Close to Home

Chapter 32: Healing Touch

The funeral seemed to drag on forever, Poe's quiet sniffles and then pained sobs broke Rey's attempts to keep a level head. He was propped up and strapped into a wheelchair so that he could go to the service. He was still sore all over but he would let Rey gently run her fingers through his loosely curly hair- she assumed it reminded him of Amy.

"You ready to head back to the hospital?" Finn asked quietly, shoulders dropped and head hung, trying to hide his face. They all looked as the final scoop of dirt was dropped on top of her grave.

"Yeah.. let's go..." He said quietly and Rey started to push the chair across the snow to the wheelchair-accessible shuttle that had brought them their, the driver sitting in the car the whole time.

"A bit chilly ain't it?" The driver joked but nobody laughed or gave him any response at all. It was chilly- freezing in fact- but it wasn't because of the weather.

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Hobbling on crutches, Poe made his way to the front door and waited for Finn to close the car so that he could unlocked the door. The snow had melted for the most part but it didn't change Poe's demeanor in the slightest.

"Excuse me.." Finn walked around Poe and unlocked the front door, holding it open for this friend who hadn't been home in months.

"Hey, Flyboy." Rey's voice was cheery but Poe took it as a front that was meant to cheer him up. The young woman kissed his cheeks softly and saw the small, sad grin that he would always respond with. It was the closest thing to a smile that anybody had seen from him since the accident.

"Hello, Sunshine." He sighed and felt the air in the room change as Finn closed the door.

"The bed is ready and waiting." Finn smiled and put his wallet and keys down on the coffee table, the top half of his photo on his ID peeking out of the new leather. Poe lowered himself onto the couch.

"I'm not sure if I want to sleep in the bed..." He mumbled to himself, Finn and Rey exchanging knowing looks.

"We understand why but you aren't in good enough shape just yet to sleep on the air mattress or the couch." Rey said softly and Poe sighed in a knowing response. Finn looked sadly at the emptiness behind his friend's eyes and wanted desperately to help. He didn't know the pain of losing somebody so close, however. He had never been close to his parents, never had any siblings, he had been alone and losing an imprisoned father and his mother who never even tucked him to bed didn't really make him an expert on losing a loved one. Finn shoved his hands into his pockets and furrowed his brow.

"Poe, what can we do to help?" He asked softly, watching as his friend turned his head and looked up at him. Poe's eyes searched before he answered.

"A real shower would be really nice." Rey and Finn couldn't help but chuckle and nod, feeling their shoulders lift as a gentle smile spread across Poe's face.

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"How's Poe holdin' up?" Shawn stepped up net to Rey as she was just finishing replacing nearly every part of an engine- they should have just bought a new damn car, would have cost them less- Rey wiped her palms on her coveralls and sighed.

"He's alright, watches too much daytime television. He's a really really clingy sleeper." Rey chuckled and shook her head. Rey's mind wandered to the multiple times when Poe had woken her up in the night to pull her out of Finn's arms and into his because he had a hard time sleeping without somebody next to him. Sometimes he crawled into their bed and ended up between them, the scratchy material of his cast rubbing against their skin and making them itch.