riverviewlogs | An aching in my head

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An aching in my head

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.

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"Oh? What kind of aircraft?" Now that piqued her interest. It was easier to talk about ships and machines than it was to talk about her own feelings. Rey had always been fascinated by them. There was a sense of freedom whenever one was flying through the air or through space.

"On Jakku? No, for the rest of the Galaxy...kind of." Did she say galaxy? Yes, yes she did. "Planetary travel is very possible from where I come from." Best to get that out of the way now so he can ask his questions and she can answer them to the best of her abilities. And no use in bringing up the First Order or the Resistance...that would make her stress out a little.

Another soft laugh, appreciating some of his humor. No one could ever guarantee they wouldn't be shot at, but he was trying at least.

"Thank you...for understanding that." Most people wouldn't and simply tell her that she didn't owe anything which made her feel so weird.

She reached out and took the water from him, peering down at it again.

"No, I don't want anymore hospital food if I can help it." Translation, water was the only good thing here. Rey took a few sips, thinking she could only do that, but her body craved more of it and simply downed the cup. When she was finished, she attempted to try and put the cup back where it was...damn table, it was too far.

"Small crop-dusters mostly, though my family owns a few Cessnas, which are small prop-propeller planes," he said jovially. "Nothing like what anything with intergalactic travel can do, of course." It wasn't the first time that he had heard of such travel after all, and humanity wasn't quite at that kind of technology, though they were learning from the invasion of New York. "Helicopters were also a good choice, though not nearly as much of a pleasure to fly in my opinion."

He had no doubt that she could talk around him when it came to the mechanics of flight and the technology that would allow it to go through the cosmos itself. Her enthusiasm on the subject was obvious. "Do tell me what it's like to travel through whole galaxies and on different planets. I am most curious, even though those are the things of the best science fiction novels where I'm from."

Being shot at seemed to be a fact of life for most people, so he wasn't about to discount the possibility, especially here in this place. The fact he hadn't been shot yet was telling in his opinion. It would be so easy to nip a problem in the bud with a bullet after all.

Ah yes, hospital food, one of the best reasons to feel better and leave. He reached out when she tried to put the empty glass back and took it from her to set down. He was in a better position to do so after all. "I still recommend the Jell-O. No one manages to screw that up too badly."

Rey was trying to make sense of the different ships Alexander was talking about. She imagined something small, but even small aircraft could vary in terms of technology. It was hard to imagine, maybe she could look for something similar here, just to get an idea. Maybe in a holonovel or a actual text.

"It's...." How can one describe it? The feeling of taking off, of going at lightspeed? The sound of the engines as they roared to life, or the adrenaline that flows through you when you're trying to fix a problem on a ship?

"Freeing. There's no other feeling like it. You can feel like you could go anywhere. I've only been to two other planets, one of them was Takodana. It was beautiful, so much green and life."

As for the Jell-O part, it took Rey a moment to figure out what he meant.

"You mean the colorful, wiggly thing?" She asked, just to make sure she understood correctly. There were so many differences between her world and this one.

"It's still bland. It doesn't have much of a taste to it."

He could see that she didn't entirely understand his description, so he pulled down his paper from his arm and began to draw a simple picture of a single-prop plane and then of a helicopter. There was no doubt in his mind that their technology was vastly different, that his own world's happened to be further behind than many places. The idea of whole world travel was very interesting for him. Humanity was quickly ruining their planet after all; he wanted to know what others were like. He held out his pictures for her to look at.

Of course, he was taken with her description, though he felt much the same way with simple flight. "I imagine that the stakes are a bit higher when having to make repairs when traveling at lightspeed? And where would you like to go if you could go anywhere?"

Well, it was supposed to be bland as it was easy on the stomach. "It's mostly gelatin and water, so bland is par for the course. They don't want to upset your stomach, but I find that it's always entertaining and always edible."

Rey sat up a little bit more, watching Alexander draw the different ships he was used to using. How...strange. It was so simple, basic. Just wings and an engine, though for the helicopter, it was several blades that caused lift. She was clearly taken with the drawings, her mind as fuzzy as it was, tried to piece together how those ships would work. They probably had a simple computer, no droid or anything with AI. Briefly, she thought to ask Tony when she was out of here, if these were the same types of ships he had back in his world.

"They are a bit high, yes. Imagine going at lightspeed and then finding that one of the engines to your ship can't handle the stress. One of the other parts, the compressor can't handle the strain either, and if you don't fix it, you and your friends could be killed and pieces of you would be scattered to different start systems." That was one of the more stressful situations Rey had ever been placed in, but she learned to bypass the compressor and she and Han kept them from being killed in the middle of hyper space.

"I would..." where would she go? She only had the Resistance...and family she didn't know what happened to them. "I don't know."

A simple answer. For someone who had the capability to go anywhere they wanted to, she didn't have a clue to which world she would want to explore or make a home on.

There was a faint roll of her eyes. "My stomach is fine. I was brought in because of a...cold." Never mind the malnutrition part, and that her body needed the proper nutrients in order to help her get better.

She seemed to know her way around an intergalactic traveling ship, so that was a useful skill. It meant she was also probably good at repairing machinery, also a very useful skill, especially around these parts. He definitely would find the time to query her about such travel in more depth, if only for interests sake to know more about it. It also might be a good subject to keep her talking.

"I suppose at that point, as your ship comes apart at lightspeed, one probably dies rather quickly and thus doesn't suffer to consider the implications of it all," he remarked a tad dryly. It sounded like quite the way to go, quick and fancy and by that point, one wouldn't care much of their fate anyway. Dead was dead, nothing more than a memory at most.

"Is that part of the reason you're here then?" In Riverview he meant. "I must admit that this place is quite the adventure and has plenty of opportunities to endeavor upon."

He raised an eyebrow at the clear showing of youthful antics. It had been quite some time since someone had rolled their eyes at him. "Yes, I don't suppose that your immune system was at all compromised by the clear signs of malnutrition that you suffer from."

"I was able to fix it, by passed the compressor and everything was back on track. No threats of dying in space because the junkyard of a ship wasn't working. We were safe for the moment." No, they didn't die out in space, but that was always the risk. If the Falcon would hold together, or if they were being followed. At least they didn't have to worry about flying into Hut space and dealing with them.

"No? I don't think it is. I think it's a mistake to why I was brought here." Again, she nearly says, but keeps that part to herself. She doesn't know Alexander, and would play things close to the chest. He didn't need to know the finer details of her life...

Or at least she thought he didn't until he pointed out that she was malnourished. Rey wasn't embarrassed by her background, the life she lead on Jakku. But to have something like that, a weakness, be broadcast like that..it made her feel embarrassed. One wasn't supposed to let those things get to them, but she slumped a little in her bed.

"I am suffering, I am eating and eating far more than when I was on Jakku." She was getting on the defensive, wanting to make it clear that she was eating. She had been eating...just not the right things she should be eating.

"Its like you're quite adept at fixing problems under pressure. That's a very valuable skill," he murmured. It was also a skill that he made a mental note of. With him being so new to this place, he was certainly looking for people of value all over the place and there was no point in discounting age. She also had entertaining stories beyond the notion that she was useful.

He considered the idea that being brought to this place was a mistake, and yet here she was, which meant that something was off about the statement. He watched her for a moment, simply nodding his head as if accepting everything that she was saying as fact. "Why would you consider it a mistake?"

Pierce offered a sympathetic look. "Malnutrition like yours - if I'm seeing the signs correctly - were life-long while on this planet you speak of. It's going to take time, but the effects will likely follow you through life. You're doing your part now, which is good."

"Have to be," Rey murmured softly. She had to be adept at fixing things under pressure, if she wanted to eat. From what Alexander has seen of Rey, and what she's told him, it's more than clear that she hasn't had an easy life. It made her who she was today. Though, her past did haunt her in a way. Not being able to eat properly has harmed her, and she failed to see it until she was sick.

"Because I need to be elsewhere. My friends and I are needed back home." No need to talk about a war, or how it's lasted for dozens of years.

"It wasn't always like that. I was..taken care of prior to being on Jakku." So that had to count for something right? She didn't know what hunger was until being dropped off on Jakku. Or at least that's what she remembers, but memories were funny things. They could be viewed differently depending on how bad or good they were. Not to mention, the passage of time does tend to make memories seem different than they were before.

"I won't let anything like this happen again. I can't afford for it to happen again." She'l bundle up next time. Take better care of herself, do anything else that was required of her.

"And you believe your cause back home is more important than the cause here," he asked, folding one leg over the other comfortably as he settled more into his chair. Her difficult life was a story of millions, not unheard but certainly one to be sympathetic to. It also made many of them useful and ingenious, also very valuable aspects to them. "Or is the cause here just one you aren't familiar enough to invest yourself in?"

He raised an eyebrow, as if to ask 'well, which is it'. A difficult life or a not-so difficult one. He thought that she was bringing this up as a cover for the fact that she had lived much of her developing life malnourished and likely fighting for every scrap of food that she ate. How much of her life had been learning to fix things and how much had been in possible serve of vile males where she lived?

"If I may inquire, how old were you when you began living on this Jakku? I only ask because times of the most growth are childhood and teenage years, and if malnutrition is present in those years, they will have life-long effects," he said with a tone of sympathetic understanding. She didn't look older than very young twenties at most, which made him think she had been malnourished in those prime years.

He nodded, certain that she would be determined in this now. "And if you do fall ill, it is best to take care of it right away than allowing it to linger. Lots of rest, plenty of soup, and a good book is what my wife would say."

"My cause back home is more important." There was a biting edge to her words. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that her mission, the battle in her home world was more important than what was going on here in Riverview. If the First Order won out against the Resistance, then the galaxy was in danger...and if they could figure out how to travel between one dimension to another..not even this place would be safe.

Rey had to think for a moment, recalling those years when she was on Jakku. How she watched the shuttle craft fly off in the distance with her parents, without her.

"I was...six maybe seven." Possibly eight, but it didn't matter. She did have enough to eat on some days and that...that was going to haunt her for the rest of her life. Her hands clenched the covers, upset at the circumstance but silently vowing to overcome it. She would still fight. She would still push forward. This wouldn't hold her back.

"I didn't even realize I was ill. I thought I was just tired, and my lungs weren't used to the cold."

How arrogant, Pierce thought. He didn't say that nor allowed it to settle in his expression at all, but he found her words amusing and naive. Likely she thought that because it was a battle she was personally involved in and was one she happened to be more familiar with. There was value in wanting to return to that familiarity, but he thought she should be as concerned with the technology that literally dragged people out of their worlds, times and even death. Without them in their worlds, history would alter, which meant the technology that could function in such a capacity should be destroyed.

"So you were still growing when you began to become malnourished," he replied sympathetically. "However, it seems that you're set on overcoming that. That means a balanced diet, which I'm certain the nurses here have nagged you about."

She must be used to warm climates. "Well, now that you've fallen ill once, you'll be more diligence about future self-assessments. You seem like a fighter and a survivor." The highest of compliments in his books.

If Alexander wanted to call her arrogant to her face, it wouldn't be wise. She would tell him it was none of his damn business and that thin bridge of trust he was trying to establish between them would break and shatter into pieces. There was value in what and her friends were trying to do; to keep an evil at bay and from coming into other worlds.

So...the effects would be long lasting. Rey was still growing when she was dumped on Jakku. Portion packets, whole ones, would've been fine, but considering how hard she had to work for them. How she had to ration them just in case Plutt didn't deem her work valuable enough for a quarter portion, she still had to starve.

"I'm going to do all I can to not wind up here again.." So if it meant learning from those nurses, then so be it. She would do better. She couldn't afford to be weak or wind up here again.

There's a soft smile on her face, proud to be called that. "I don't see myself any other way." A fighter and a survivor. Someone who endured so much, and knew that all things came at a price.

Alexander nodded his head, pleased that she would make such an effort. It was such a shame to see someone as young and fit as she suffering from any kind of illness, though he was pleased hers would be short-lived. She seemed to be resolute enough to learn from this experience and do her best to avoid any future illnesses with good hygiene, food and enough rest.

The damage done by the malnutrition would simply be a fact of her life, one that she would likely struggle with forever. "It seems by the way you speak that you have good friends to help you stay out of here in future too."

It was good to know how she viewed herself. "Have you been told a release time and date yet?"

Rey nodded her head at Alexander. A fond smile danced across her lips.

"Yes, one of us has already been here, and we're trying to keep the other from coming in from stressing over me and the other friend." Heaven help them if Finn was in the hospital, then the circle would be completed and Poe and her could be out int he waiting room for any news. Rey had to get better to keep that future from happening.

"No, they haven't told me. They said a few days, but that could mean a week, possibly more.."

Alexander smiled and nodded, pleased that she had good people to keep an eye on her, but more than that, she had a will and want to do the same for them. Finding good people with the same goal in mind was difficult to come by, so he was assured that she would at least be entertaining to watch in future. He would look into these friends as well, if only to know them when he saw them.

"Well that's a few days to rest and feel better, even if it also likely amounts to boredom as well," he said and shifted in his seat, pulling out an old slightly damaged pocket watch and checking the time. "It seems time for me to leave you. Work calls," he said jovially and stood from his seat.

He held out his hand for her to shake if she wanted to. "A pleasure. I hope you are back on your feet sooner than later, Rey."

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An aching in my head

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