Of Love and War Book 2: The Oncoming Storm

Chapter 13: Treatment

It was well into the morning whenever they returned to the Lars homestead.

Zelina was dizzy and lightheaded by the time she brought the speeder bike to a pause. Driving hard through the night with a shoulder injury through the night had not been good for her, but they needed to get back from the camp. They needed as far away from the Force-forsaken place as possible.

Anakin had sat behind Zelina for the entire trip, holding his mother's body close to him. Zelina hadn't said a word on the flurry of emotions that she could feel rolling off of him, ranging from pain and regret to fury and hate.

The others raced out of the homestead as Anakin got off of the bike, holding his mother's wrapped body close to him. Zelina put a gentle hand on his arm as he walked by her, letting it drop away as he pressed on. His stony glare caused the others to stop in tracks as he walked by, looking each one of them in the eyes for several hard moments. They all watched him disappear inside of the homestead without a word.

Zelina leaned forward on the bike, her fatigue and injury catching up to her as she buried her face in her hands. Her shoulder repeatedly flashed in pain and her breathing was shallow. Wearily, she glanced at her shoulder, taking in the blossom of blood that had stained through her black and grey clothes with little interest. She had known she was bleeding; the exact amount of blood loss was what was unknown to her. With a sigh, she angled her body so no one could see her wound yet.

She felt Padme's soft hand on her shoulder, but did not raiser her head. "What happened?"

Zelina shook her head ever so slightly. "We got there, she was alive. Before we could even leave...she died in his arms," she said shortly and tiredly. "She couldn't even finish telling him she loved him."

She heard Padme sigh, feeling her sympathy through the Force. "Do you think we should..?"

Zelina shook her head a little more noticeably. "No...not now. Right now he needs time alone...but then we most definitely should. I've never seen him like he was back there. He'll...he'll need us."

In her hands, Zelina grimaced, feeling nauseous as the world tilted around her. She only kept herself steady by staying firmly on the swoop bike. Padme seemed to realize that something was wrong.

"Zelina, are you okay?" Padme asked, putting her hands on both of Zelina's shoulders. Zelina moaned, shifting her left shoulder away from Padme as the pain suddenly intensified.

"Zelina!" Padme gasped, realizing that Zelina's clothes were stained with blood. "Oh my...Zelina, what happened? Can you stand?"

Zelina shook her head. "If I stand...I think I'm going to pass out..."

"We have to get you to stand...were you stabbed? Was it a blaster? What is it?"

"Bullet wound. I got shot...by a Tusken...An...Anakin doesn't know," Zelina groaned as Padme started to move her from the bike. "I...had to get us back..."

Padme turned to the Lars. "Help me with her, she's injured and she needs help," Padme plead.

Zelina kept her eyes closed as one of them—she guessed Owen—came and helped Padme lift her off of the swoop bike.

"I think I'm going to be sick..." Zelina murmured. "Careful, please..." Zelina mumbled. She knew Owen was doing his best, but he kept agitating her arm. She tried to walk with them, but her steps were drunken and she feared she might just be making it worse.

"Why didn't you tell Anakin you were hurt? Why didn't you treat this?" Padme asked her sharply.

"It...wasn't important at the time...and...didn't have...the stuff to...treat it right..." Zelina murmured.