You Promised (Rexsoka)

Chapter Twenty-Three

Anakin checked in on Rex for the fifth time in the last two hours and as usual Ahsoka was sitting there right beside him with the same worried and depressed expression plastered on her face.

" I brought you some food." He placed a tray on the small table next to her.

Ahsoka looked at it for a split second before turning her gaze back to a stationary Rex.

Anakin sighed, " You should really eat something."

" I will once Rex does," she stated firmly.

Anakin stared at Rex laying on the med bed. He hadn't woken since they had brought him back to Coruscant. That was three days ago. Anakin thought he would have woken up by now.

" What if he doesn't wake up?" Ahsoka asked, reading his thoughts.

" Don't talk like that Ahsoka," Anakin scolded, quickly realizing that he had sounded a bit too harsh. " I just think that after everything we've done to get him back, we can't lose hope now," he told her softly.

" I know, you're right, Master." Ahsoka smiled a tiny bit and started to reach for the tray that he had brought her.

" So-k-a?" a raspy voice called.

Ahsoka whipped her head around and saw Rex trying to sit up.

" Rex!" She wrapped her arms around his neck. She had almost forgotten what it felt like. A pair of muscular hands held her close. She buried her head between his shoulder and neck. " I missed you," she whispered, letting a tear slip out.

Rex made eye contact with Anakin who seemed happy and also a bit uncomfortable. He nodded to his General who returned the gesture before leaving them alone.

" Ahsoka," he said to her face since he had been taken. " You look tired. You should rest."

" You're the last person who should be telling others to rest." She helped his back down on the bed slightly propping him up on the back of it.

" So, when can I leave?" he asked, desperate to go back to his normal life. His time spent with Krell was a living hell. In some ways he felt that there was more to what happened than he could remember. He could recall being tortured, but something was missing. Something happened that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was fuzzy.

" Hey, are you okay?" Ahsoka stared into her boyfriend's brown honey eyes.

Rex decided to shake the thought away for the meantime.

" Yeah, I just-"

" Hey Cap, I see you're finally up."

Ahsoka jumped back and stood next to Rex. Luckily Kix was looking down at his holopad and didn't see the commander and the captain embracing each other.

" How ya feelin Captain?"

" Better, Kix. When can I go?" he eagerly asked. He already hated med bays, but after being in one for what felt like a lifetime, he just needed to get out.

" You can go as soon as you give me a quick, uh debrief on what General...Krell did to you." he hesitated on saying Krell's name. They had lost so many men and it was all Krell's fault.

Rex's change in posture when Krell was mentioned made Ahsoka wonder what exactly happened during the time he spent on Kashyyyk, however she knew he needed time and might not have been ready to share his experience with her.

" I'll wait outside." She hastily left.

Kix put down his data pad and sat in the empty chair beside his brother. " What did he do to you?"

Rex took a deep breath and explained the order of events from the time he was captured until his memory got clouded.

" What about that cut on your head?" Kix gestured to the side of his head which was now in better condition after he had tended to it.

" He...he...uh...I can't, I can't...remember." The second Kix pointed to the cut, memories flooded his mind. Images of the room, the chair, and even the droid came back.

The chip! The droid said something about a chip!

Nothing. Rex felt physically incapable of speaking against that information.

" Sir?"

" I don't know," was all he could respond with.

" It's alright Sir. Well, as far as I can tell there's no reason that you have to stay anymore. All your wounds have been taken care of for the most part. I do advise you take it easy for about a week on the account that you will be sore. The minute you start to feel any intense or abnormal physical pain I want you to report right back here." Kix used his status as a medic to order him.

" Of course. Thanks Kix." Rex was glad to finally leave, but was also reluctant to. Something was whispering to him. It was words he had heard before, but not in that specific context.

Good soldiers follow orders.