An aching in my head

[talentedscavenger]

who: Rey, Finn, Poe, Kyle Ren, and whoever else wants parts of the drama of the wars in our stars. open!
what: Rey gets sick and finds herself taken to the hospital.
when: 12/26--12/29
where: Hospital
warnings: None for now--will update as needed

For a few weeks Rey hadn't been getting enough sleep. It started off with wild dreams that made it difficult to get a night's rest. The dreams gave way to nightmares; sometimes she dreamed she was still on Jakku, waiting for her parents with hunger gnawing at her stomach only to fall into the belly of an abandon ship, break her wrists and die a painful death. Sometimes, she dreamed of Poe and Finn, of being unable to help them as the First Order crushed the Resistance. Sometimes, she relived the very vision that told her to take her first steps. Whatever the dreams were, she woke up with a start and unable to go back to sleep.

Not sleeping was something she was used to. If she wore herself out enough, she could pass out from exhaustion and have a dreamless sleep--something she would prefer at this point. Like anything else in her life, she didn't complain, only pushed herself through the situation thinking she could handle it. Then her world started to change. First it was the weather, changing from a crisp coolness to icy cold. It had silly of Rey to go out without the proper attire in the beginning, but she learned to bundle up, but it wasn't enough. Kylo Ren then appeared and Rey found herself stressed over that--trying to find a way to protect her friends from a man she didn't believe was truly a monster...

The stress of that, combined with worrying over Poe being in the hospital didn't do well to help get any sleep.

Over the past few days she had developed a slight cough, believing it was maybe the coldness in the air that her lungs weren't used to. She didn't think much of it, continuing to go about her duties within the Perimeter Guard and other obligations. If she just pushed through it, she would be okay. Rey failed to realize how bad she was getting. When she had gone to bed the night before, she opted to sleep on the couch, curled up with a blanket. At least she made progress from sleeping on the floor to the couch.

When Poe went to go wake her up, her skin appeared clammy with a faint redness to her cheeks. She wasn't responding no matter how loud he called her name, or nudged her. Finn touched her forehead and felt how hot she was, and before the trio knew it, they were at the hospital. The doctors and nurses were quick to put Rey in a bed, and administer fluids. Different questions were asked: if either of them had noticed a change in her behavior, if she was eating and if so what.

In the end, it was the decision of the doctors that Rey stay in the hospital until she was better. Years of malnutrition had made it harder for her body to stay warm, making her more susceptible to the cold, and a weakened immune system. The hospital staff would have to keep her on a diet to help her body absorb the proper nutrients and help combat the influenza she had.

By the time Rey wakes up from the ordeal, she feels weak and feels a pricking sensation in her right arm. Now it's time for her to recover...and she won't be too thrilled about it.

Best of luck whoever decides to check in on her, she probably won't be in the best of moods and may or may not try to get out of bed.

Comments

[spellslots]

[He points at her IV line.]

Except a little snow, apparently. Take it from someone who's probably died more times than you've lived years, there's a lotta shit out there that can kill you.

[talentedscavenger]

[Okay now she's huffing at him and glaring a little.]

It was more than snow. A bit of ice didn't do this.

[No..it was something else...She calms down a little to tell him the truth.]

I hadn't been sleeping well until I passed out and woke up here.

[So lack of sleep, malnutrition, and cold..the perfect storm for the flu.]

[spellslots]

[A flu doing this isn't much better, but Taako knows that's not the point, and his expression softens when she tells him that she hasn't been sleeping.]

Has something been getting to you?

[talentedscavenger]

[There's a moment of silence as Rey debates about telling him.]

I've been having wild dreams or nightmares. I thought I could handle it...just keep working until I pass out and don't dream.

[spellslots]

Okay, well, that was a dumb plan.

[Just telling it like it is!!!]

You ever tried a sleeping draught? Alchemists make 'em so you can sleep peacefully.

[Taako has what Rin gave him, but as much as he likes Rey.... he's not sharing that particular gift.]

[talentedscavenger]

[There's a roll of her eyes.] It worked before in the past.

[And now she shakes her head.] Never heard of it, and doubtful it would help at this point. I'm starting to sleep a little bit more...but I think that's because of whatever they're giving me.

[spellslots]

[He's going to fight her on this 'it worked before' nonsense. But not while she's sick.]

Potions are another kind of magic, less uh, a little more gentle than drugs? [At least, in his experience.] If you're still have shit luck with your dreams after all this, let me know, yeah? We can hook you up.

[talentedscavenger]

[He could fight her on that old mentality, but then they have to get ice cream or something sweet afterwards.]

So you want to be my drug dealer then? [The words slipped out of her mouth faster than she could process it. Embarrassment colored her face and she was quick to give Taako an apology.]

I'm sorry, that's not what I meant.

[spellslots]

[Taako just laughs.]

Hey, listen, if you want me to hook you up with the good kush I can do that too.

[Does it count as dealing when weed is legal? Whatever. He still seems to supply like half his friends because he and Lup make amazing hash brownies.]

[talentedscavenger]

Kush?

[Clearly she isn't familiar with the term, but she is glad he's laughing. She didn't--wasn't trying to insult him in any way, but considering he was offering, it made it sound like he was ready to give her something else.]

I think..I should be fine for now, but if I can't sleep again, I'll let you know.

[Not exactly the whole truth...if she couldn't sleep again, she would find other alternatives before contacting him.]

[spellslots]

Oh, weed? Marijuana?

[It's entirely possible she doesn't have weed in her universe, a thought that occurs to Taako with mild horror.]

If you don't wanna do the magic or drugs route, I can teach you to meditate? Humans can't trance like elves can, but it's a good way to clear all the shit outta your head.

[talentedscavenger]

Not familiar with either one.

[There are other things to smoke, not that she would do it or participate in it, but nothing like that on Jakku.]

...That, I think I might take you up on. But..what exactly do you mean by trance?

[Cause other things have happened she's been still and trying to clear her head.]

[spellslots]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[His tone is light, as if he's joking, but honestly what a terrible life.]

Elves don't sleep? Not like you thugs do, we just go into a trance for four hours and that's all the rest we need.

[talentedscavenger]

[The purpose of the visit was to make her feel better, right? Or was it to confuse her?]

Okay...

[Never mind that.]

Really? Huh....so then do you...dream?

[spellslots]

[Taako is confusing by nature he can't help it.]

Kind of? I dunno if it's exactly the same as humans and like... everyone dreams differently anyway, you know? But I can have nightmares, so...

[Night terrors are more accurate, but same difference.]

[talentedscavenger]

It sounds like it's the same..I mean..if you see people and hear things, I would assume that's dreaming.

[And if he could dream, he could have nightmares...all interesting and confusing things, but she should be eating a bit more of her lemon cake.]

I take it..Rin would be the same too? Go into a trance rather than sleep?

[spellslots]

Yup, drow are just a variation on the general kinda elf, pretty sure the only major difference is that drow can see in the dark even better than the rest of us.

[And the aesthetic differences, skin color, hair color, that sort of thing, but there's a variation of that even amongst elves, so Taako doesn't really consider it that big of a deal.]

[talentedscavenger]

Ah, I didn't know there were other types of elves--aside from coloring that is. I didn't think they had names.

[Which made sense in a way. There couldn't be just one type, considering how different his world was with magic and all.]

[spellslots]

Technically me and Lup are high elves, but like, a lot of that shit is just kinda weird gatekeeping.

[Honestly, even Taako with his ego thinks it's ridiculous to call himself a high elf, as if he's somehow better than other elves.]

[talentedscavenger]

So they're just weird titles then...

[Okay...well, that's fine?]

Should I be calling you High Elf Taako or was there some other name I should give you to represent your status? [Teasing a little and she takes another bite of the yummy cake.

Of course, she'll share a little with Finn and Poe, so they don't go hungry from staying in the waiting room with her.]

[spellslots]

[Taako opens his mouth for a joke, decides it is Slightly Inappropriate and just laughs instead.]

I'm an orphan from a planet that got like, eaten. I dunno if there's any kinda status I've got.

[Fame and status are different, in his mind. He wants one but doesn't really care about the other.]

[talentedscavenger]

[Well...that's something Rey wasn't expecting. he's an orphan too--not many of those around, or at least she didn't think so. Considering the memory he saw of hers, it's not hard to guess she's an orphan too.]

Possibly...you never know. [Shrug, but she leans into her bed a little and looks down at the slice of cake in her hand.]

...It's...weird though..to know people care about you, when you're used to being on your own.

[Weird in a good way that is. Weird in that, she didn't realize people cared so much about her, or that she made Poe and Finn so worried. Weird in that she feels guilty for not doing more, and for letting other people down by getting sick.]

[spellslots]

[This is exactly the sort of thing he assumed she was thinking when he first showed up at the hospital, so it's reassuring to have confirmation that he was on the right track.]

Oh, I get that, for sure. It took us like, three decades to realize the rest of the crew were worth trusting, you know? Kinda sealed it when they could tell us apart no matter how hard we tried to trick 'em.

[It was a litmus test, for Lup and Taako, something that no one had ever really passed until the IPRE.

So he understands, how she's feeling now.]

It's uh, it's pretty great, though. Once you get used to it.

[talentedscavenger]

[Taako understood. He knew how hard it was to let go of things and simply accept and continue on.]

It is...pretty great, to have those connections. To feel like...you belong somewhere. [Because that was something she never had, or maybe did have and then it was taken away.

She's really lucky to be friends with him, and with so many other people.]

Didn't think people cared this much...and I'm sorry for making you worry.

[spellslots]

Worry? Pfft.

[He waves a hand to dismiss it and rolls his eyes, playing up the dramatics because he's bad at acknowledging emotions.]

I knew a stupid cold wasn't gonna get you down for long, it'd take a lot more than that.

[because she's tough(tm)]