Not How Your Stories End

Chapter 14

"It appears to be a case of bacterial meningitis caused by the strain of bacteria known as Toli-X."

The droid said it so casually, as if the words he spoke were something even an infant could understand. As if the implications spoke for themselves.

Hera considered herself a fairly patient person, but she swore that if she had to deal with this droid even one more time, she would personally track down it's creator and put a blaster bolt through their foot.

"And...?" she shortly prompted, her cordialness stretched about as thin as it would go. "How does that affect things going forwards?"

The droid made a sound she could have sworn came from a place of indignancy. "Well, now that we know the exact kind of microbe we are dealing with, we can administer a more specific and more potent form of antibiotics to combat the infection. However, this will not happen until the patient is out of surgery, the status of which I have currently not been updated on."

Sabine seemed to contemplate this for a moment. "Wait, so how was Ezra infected in the first place? Are any of us in danger of getting sick too?"

It was a good question, one Hera hadn't even considered yet. They had all been in direct contact with Ezra for hours, sharing close quarters with him for an extended period of time. If what Ezra had was contagious, they were pretty much all screwed.

"The Toli-X bacteria is commonly transmitted to sentients through asteroid mold," the droid replied, perking up. "A standard vaccine has been in use for many years, so most are safe from possible infection. But it would appear that the patient does not have any childhood vaccination records. As a medical assistant, I would be remiss not to inquire as to why your child has not been inoculated?".

Hera felt heat rush to her face, a rapid stream of emotions hitting her all at once. At first all she felt was pure anger that this droid would have the audacity to criticize her abilities as a guardian, but soon that anger was drowned out with shame and sadness, as she considered the validity of his question. How could it have not crossed her mind before? Of course Ezra wouldn't have been caught up on his vaccinations. He'd been alone from the ages of seven to fourteen. That's seven full years without access to medical care. Seven years without vaccs. He may have been issued some of the Rebellion-standard inoculations here and there, as was standard procedure, but there was no way the Rebellion had access to his previous medical information. They wouldn't have had any idea of what Ezra was missing in terms of preventative care, and even if they did, their resources were spread thin as it was. The occasional standard adult vaccinations were hard enough to come by, and it wasn't as though children were common enough in the rebel forces to have a need to keep children's med supplies them on hand.

"I'm so stupid..." Hera muttered under her breath. "I never even considered that he wouldn't have been up to date on his vaccinations. He was always so resourceful, I just figured-"

"You couldn't have known, Hera," Kanan interjected, undoubtedly sensing her distress. "Either way, dwelling on it won't make a difference now. What's done is done, and we need to be here, in the present, to support Ezra right now". He took her lightly by the shoulder, and looked her straight in the eyes. It never ceased to amaze her how he was able to do that so effortlessly, even after losing his sight.

Hera softly sighed, taking hold of the hand placed on her shoulder and practically bathed in the warmth and support it offered.

"You're right," she muttered, satisfied for the time being, even if she wasn't quite ready to forgive herself.

The med droid took the moment of silence to add even more.

"If the patient recovers, we will administer any missing inoculations, but I must confess that the situation is still quite grim."

All Hera could do was nod. Her words and her tears had entirely ran out, leaving her feeling hollow and drained. She latched onto the support of her crew like a lifeline. It was the only thing keeping her steady as the fear of the possible loomed over her like an impending storm.

The medical droid shifted slightly, almost as is it felt awkward being present in their grief.

"My records show that patient Bridger's birthplace is Lothal. Are there any additional family members located there that you would like me to contact?" they offered, their tone surprisingly soft.

"No," Sabine piped up, her voice carrying its typical authority at first before dissolving into a quiet melancholy. "We're - we're all he has left."

A small beat of silence passed. "I see," the droid buzzed, their. Although it may appear otherwise, I am truly sorry for your situation"

Hera was... surprised. She did not expect that from this droid.

"Thank you," she said honestly.

The droid gave a short bowing gesture and took his leave, leaving the crew behind to contemplate this new information in silence.  

A/N: Me: Yay! I'm on Holiday break! Finally I can write!

*Three commissions, a conference in a different state, and two Holidays later*

Me: ...Oh...

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