riverviewlogs | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"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."

An aching in my head

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