Burn || Poe Dameron

• Chapter Ten - The Calm Before The Storm

Once we got back to the Resistance Base, Finn was rushed to the Med Bay. There wasn't any time for me to reunite with Poe or General Organa. Finn's injuries were really severe. He was still alive, but there was so much damage done by the lightsaber, he was now in a coma. I wasn't sure when he would wake up, but I did everything I could do to keep him alive. All we have to do now is wait.

As I double checked all of Finn's vitals, I heard a small tap on his door. While typing all of Finn's data into my tablet, I turned towards the door. My heart nearly dropped when I saw Poe standing there. We have had no time to talk since we returned from Starkiller Base. I immediately walked over to him, and he pulled me into a hug. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe. In Poe's arms. I let out a sigh of relief and hugged him back.

"How are you?" He asked as we pulled away from our hug.

I gave him a look and asked, "Really? Finn is lying here unconscious and you're asking if I'm okay?"

"I know Finn's alright because you're the one who helped him," He said with a small smile, which caused me to look down so he wouldn't see the blush forming on my face. Then, he double checked, "He is okay, right?"

"Yeah, he'll be alright," I assured him as I looked back up. I turned back to look at Finn and continued, "His back is all stitched and wrapped. His vitals are perfect. The only thing I'm not sure about is when he's going to wake up. It could be a few hours, a few days. It all depends."

"But he's not going to die or anything, right?" Poe asked.

I shook my head and smiled, "Nope. This ex-stormtrooper is going to live another day."

Poe just smiled lightly before looking down at the ground, as if he was debating something. Then, he looked back up, crossed his arms, and asked, "Seriously, how are you?"

As I thought back to everything that has happened over the past few days, I tried to give him my best smile, "I'm okay."

"Are you sure?" He asked me concerned, "You've been through a lot lately."

The look on his face showed that he was worried about me. It made the inside of my stomach twist and turn. He had every reason to be worried, but to be honest, knowing that I had Poe made everything seem like it was going to be okay.

"I'm okay, really," I told him. Then, I looked down at Finn and continued, "I just never thought any of this was possible. I never thought I would see the things I've seen in the past few days. I don't know how you do it."

He merely shrugged and said, "You get used to it, but I'm not used to you being out there now."

"What do you mean?" I asked him. He didn't say anything for a moment, as if he was contemplating something. While taking a step towards him, I asked him, "Poe, what is it?"

Finally, he said quietly, "I just want you safe, but you know what I've learned, Doc? You can take care of yourself. You don't need me to protect you."

I felt my heart lurch up in my chest. I told him, "Maybe I don't need protection, but I'll always need you."

He looked up at me with an expression I had never seen before. It made my insides flutter. Instead of saying anything, he just grabbed my shoulders and pulled me into a hug. My eyes widened in surprise, but after a moment, I hugged him back.

Then, he whispered, "I'm always going to need you, Doc."

"You'll always have me."

Poe ended up spending the entire day with me down at the Med Bay. Despite people coming in and out all day, he never left. Even though he mainly just sat there and watched me while taking care of my patients, it was nice having him there. It just confirmed that these new feelings I thought I had for him were definitely there.