CHAPTER XII
Han walked into the ‘fresher, eager to get rid of this heavy stormtrooper armor. Stepping out of the last of it, he stood up too fast and felt the world starting to spin around him. He caught his balance by resting his hands against the sink in front of him, barely preventing himself from falling over. His vision became foggy and he squinted in the hopes that would help clear it.
He brought his eyes back up and saw his reflection in the mirror, still unable to make out exactly what he was seeing. Slowly, everything came back into focus and he saw himself for the first time. His tangled hair had grown a fair amount, now covering his ears. Long stubble helped conceal the hollow, sunken cheeks underneath. He brought a hand up to rub against the coarse hair, wishing he had time to shave it off. While he had always enjoyed Leia’s teasing about him being scruffy-looking, he vastly preferred the feel of a clean shave.
With no time for that now, he took a moment to look at the rest of his body. Han had been a scrawny kid growing up, and this certainly rivaled that. The belt that held his pants up was loose at its last notch. He was grateful to see a slight hint of muscle remaining between his chest and arms, but mostly he was distracted by how prominently he could see his ribs through his dirty, bruised skin.
If I’d known Leia was actually going to come get me, I might’ve made an effort to be in better shape when she found me…
Looking at his belly he felt his stomach lurch, and he tried to recall the last time he had eaten anything. Turning on the faucet, he cupped his hands and drank a bit of the cool water. Even that, it appeared, was too much, for almost immediately he found himself doubled over, emptying the small bit of contents of his stomach in the sink in front of him.
Leia must’ve heard, because she was at the door in an instant. “Are you all right?”
He felt more embarrassed than anything. Splashing some water on his face, he replied, “I’ll be okay.”
She came and rested a hand against his back, gently rubbing up and down. “It’s all right, Han. When I got out, I threw up more times than I can count. One time even on Hobbie’s shoes.”
Leia smiled, and he knew that she was trying to make him feel better, but it only served to remind him that she had suffered similarly. And he hadn’t been there to rescue her. He brought his head back up out of the sink and saw the two of them in the mirror. They looked a far cry from the attractive young couple they’d been not that long ago. War did horrible things to one’s appearance.
“Who are those people, and what have they done with Han and Leia?” Han quipped.
Leia smiled. He had almost forgotten how much he loved that smile. “We’ll get them back. I promise.”
Han looked at his grime-covered hands, wishing that he had time to take a thorough shower. Instead he glanced up at a shelf on the wall and noticed a few sets of clothes. Reaching up, he grabbed a pair of tan lounge pants and a simple, button-down white shirt. Quickly stripping out of what he had been wearing for gods-knew how long, he relished the feel of a clean set of clothes against his skin.
Shaking his head to fight the dizziness once again, he leaned against the counter, feeling Leia’s steadying hand come to rest against his shoulder. “Han, this isn’t going to work very well if you can’t stand up straight. I know you’ve lost a lot of weight, but I can’t hold you up.”
He looked at her, still finding her gorgeous even through the evidence of her suffering these past few months. “I’ll do whatever it takes. You know me.”
She smiled again, “Good. Now let’s see…”
Through the open ‘fresher door they heard the noise of someone entering the outer room. The heavy footsteps came first, and then there was a low growl. No, it couldn’t be…
“Chewie?” Han exclaimed questioningly.
Stepping into view, the large, furry Wookiee was a welcoming sight. He walked straight up to the haggard humans and wrapped one under each arm, practically crushing their ribs in the process. “Chewie! We weren’t sure....” Leia started, but then there was another being from the next room that interrupted.
“You two look awful!” The familiar voice exclaimed.
“Luke!” Leia shouted, rushing forward to hug him. Han was grateful to have Chewie there to support his weight once Leia left his side. While Luke looked tired, he did not look like he had spent the past few months enduring what he and Leia had.
“How did you find us?” She asked.
“We’ll get to that later. Right now, we have to get out of here.” Luke looked up to the Corellian leaning heavily on the Wookiee. “You gonna be okay, Han?”
Han was getting s little tired of being the weak link in this situation. “Why does everyone keep asking me that? I’m fine. Let’s get outta here.”
Luke nodded reluctantly. “All right. The Falcon is nearby.”
Han’s eyes went wide at the mention of his beloved ship. But two steps toward the door and his knees buckled underneath him, Chewie catching him before he could hit the ground. Damn it, why would his body not cooperate with him?
Leia looked over to the Wookiee. “Chewie?”
Understanding what she wanted, Chewie reached down and hoisted Han up into his arms. [You’re a lot lighter than you used to be, cub,] Chewie said.
“Shut up and just help get us outta here, huh? This is already embarrassing enough.”
The group made their way outside, Luke using the Force to distract anyone who gave them a second glance. They had a speeder waiting in front of the building, and the crew got in and sped off to where Han’s beloved ship was docked. Leia had told Luke that Artoo was back with the Y-wing she’d arrived on, but Luke explained that they were not going far, and they’d be able to contact Artoo who would be able to bring the ship to meet up with them later.
The motion of being carried by a Wookiee made Han’s stomach churn, and he had to force his eyes shut in order to keep from vomiting what was left in his digestive tract. He knew from experience how difficult it was to get that sort of smell out of Wookiee fur.
The next time he opened his eyes, he saw her; the Millennium Falcon was in front of him in all his glory. It was like seeing his home again for the first time in months. Chewie deposited Han in his pilot’s chair, and although Han wanted to be able to pilot his ship like he used to, he wasn’t sure if the blurred vision in front of his eyes made it such a good idea. Chewie seemed to sense that he needed the help, so the Wookiee took control and launched them into the atmosphere and toward freedom.
Han hadn’t thought this would be possible for him again. Not that long ago he’d given up on everything. Suddenly, there was hope.
He felt Leia’s hands come to rest on his shoulders from behind him. “Han, I think you might need to lie down.”
While part of him wanted to protest, another part of him didn’t think he’d be able to hold his head up much longer. That second part won out. Placing a hand on hers, “I think maybe you’re right. Luke?”
Han turned to the Jedi standing behind him. “Hey, thanks for coming to find us.”
Luke gave him a grin. “Don’t mention it, Han. You’d’ve done the same.”
“Let’s just hope I don’t have to, huh?”
Luke simply nodded. “It’s good to see you, Han. Both of you. Get some rest now. This isn’t going to be a very long trip.”
Leia gave her brother one more hug and Han leaned on her once again and headed back towards his cabin.
Han walked into the ‘fresher, eager to get rid of this heavy stormtrooper armor. Stepping out of the last of it, he stood up too fast and felt the world starting to spin around him. He caught his balance by resting his hands against the sink in front of him, barely preventing himself from falling over. His vision became foggy and he squinted in the hopes that would help clear it.
He brought his eyes back up and saw his reflection in the mirror, still unable to make out exactly what he was seeing. Slowly, everything came back into focus and he saw himself for the first time. His tangled hair had grown a fair amount, now covering his ears. Long stubble helped conceal the hollow, sunken cheeks underneath. He brought a hand up to rub against the coarse hair, wishing he had time to shave it off. While he had always enjoyed Leia’s teasing about him being scruffy-looking, he vastly preferred the feel of a clean shave.
With no time for that now, he took a moment to look at the rest of his body. Han had been a scrawny kid growing up, and this certainly rivaled that. The belt that held his pants up was loose at its last notch. He was grateful to see a slight hint of muscle remaining between his chest and arms, but mostly he was distracted by how prominently he could see his ribs through his dirty, bruised skin.
If I’d known Leia was actually going to come get me, I might’ve made an effort to be in better shape when she found me…
Looking at his belly he felt his stomach lurch, and he tried to recall the last time he had eaten anything. Turning on the faucet, he cupped his hands and drank a bit of the cool water. Even that, it appeared, was too much, for almost immediately he found himself doubled over, emptying the small bit of contents of his stomach in the sink in front of him.
Leia must’ve heard, because she was at the door in an instant. “Are you all right?”
He felt more embarrassed than anything. Splashing some water on his face, he replied, “I’ll be okay.”
She came and rested a hand against his back, gently rubbing up and down. “It’s all right, Han. When I got out, I threw up more times than I can count. One time even on Hobbie’s shoes.”
Leia smiled, and he knew that she was trying to make him feel better, but it only served to remind him that she had suffered similarly. And he hadn’t been there to rescue her. He brought his head back up out of the sink and saw the two of them in the mirror. They looked a far cry from the attractive young couple they’d been not that long ago. War did horrible things to one’s appearance.
“Who are those people, and what have they done with Han and Leia?” Han quipped.
Leia smiled. He had almost forgotten how much he loved that smile. “We’ll get them back. I promise.”
Han looked at his grime-covered hands, wishing that he had time to take a thorough shower. Instead he glanced up at a shelf on the wall and noticed a few sets of clothes. Reaching up, he grabbed a pair of tan lounge pants and a simple, button-down white shirt. Quickly stripping out of what he had been wearing for gods-knew how long, he relished the feel of a clean set of clothes against his skin.
Shaking his head to fight the dizziness once again, he leaned against the counter, feeling Leia’s steadying hand come to rest against his shoulder. “Han, this isn’t going to work very well if you can’t stand up straight. I know you’ve lost a lot of weight, but I can’t hold you up.”
He looked at her, still finding her gorgeous even through the evidence of her suffering these past few months. “I’ll do whatever it takes. You know me.”
She smiled again, “Good. Now let’s see…”
Through the open ‘fresher door they heard the noise of someone entering the outer room. The heavy footsteps came first, and then there was a low growl. No, it couldn’t be…
“Chewie?” Han exclaimed questioningly.
Stepping into view, the large, furry Wookiee was a welcoming sight. He walked straight up to the haggard humans and wrapped one under each arm, practically crushing their ribs in the process. “Chewie! We weren’t sure....” Leia started, but then there was another being from the next room that interrupted.
“You two look awful!” The familiar voice exclaimed.
“Luke!” Leia shouted, rushing forward to hug him. Han was grateful to have Chewie there to support his weight once Leia left his side. While Luke looked tired, he did not look like he had spent the past few months enduring what he and Leia had.
“How did you find us?” She asked.
“We’ll get to that later. Right now, we have to get out of here.” Luke looked up to the Corellian leaning heavily on the Wookiee. “You gonna be okay, Han?”
Han was getting s little tired of being the weak link in this situation. “Why does everyone keep asking me that? I’m fine. Let’s get outta here.”
Luke nodded reluctantly. “All right. The Falcon is nearby.”
Han’s eyes went wide at the mention of his beloved ship. But two steps toward the door and his knees buckled underneath him, Chewie catching him before he could hit the ground. Damn it, why would his body not cooperate with him?
Leia looked over to the Wookiee. “Chewie?”
Understanding what she wanted, Chewie reached down and hoisted Han up into his arms. [You’re a lot lighter than you used to be, cub,] Chewie said.
“Shut up and just help get us outta here, huh? This is already embarrassing enough.”
The group made their way outside, Luke using the Force to distract anyone who gave them a second glance. They had a speeder waiting in front of the building, and the crew got in and sped off to where Han’s beloved ship was docked. Leia had told Luke that Artoo was back with the Y-wing she’d arrived on, but Luke explained that they were not going far, and they’d be able to contact Artoo who would be able to bring the ship to meet up with them later.
The motion of being carried by a Wookiee made Han’s stomach churn, and he had to force his eyes shut in order to keep from vomiting what was left in his digestive tract. He knew from experience how difficult it was to get that sort of smell out of Wookiee fur.
The next time he opened his eyes, he saw her; the Millennium Falcon was in front of him in all his glory. It was like seeing his home again for the first time in months. Chewie deposited Han in his pilot’s chair, and although Han wanted to be able to pilot his ship like he used to, he wasn’t sure if the blurred vision in front of his eyes made it such a good idea. Chewie seemed to sense that he needed the help, so the Wookiee took control and launched them into the atmosphere and toward freedom.
Han hadn’t thought this would be possible for him again. Not that long ago he’d given up on everything. Suddenly, there was hope.
He felt Leia’s hands come to rest on his shoulders from behind him. “Han, I think you might need to lie down.”
While part of him wanted to protest, another part of him didn’t think he’d be able to hold his head up much longer. That second part won out. Placing a hand on hers, “I think maybe you’re right. Luke?”
Han turned to the Jedi standing behind him. “Hey, thanks for coming to find us.”
Luke gave him a grin. “Don’t mention it, Han. You’d’ve done the same.”
“Let’s just hope I don’t have to, huh?”
Luke simply nodded. “It’s good to see you, Han. Both of you. Get some rest now. This isn’t going to be a very long trip.”
Leia gave her brother one more hug and Han leaned on her once again and headed back towards his cabin.
***
Yay, now they're all back! I'm sorry, but once again I just couldn't resist. I was tired of the mystery and it seemed pretty clear that they needed some help getting out of there. Push's condition to me was that Han had to puke. And no, I'm not kidding. She realized she made Leia do an awful lot of puking, so it had to be Han's turn.
Han and Leia, the puking couple. I love it.
ReplyDeleteI liked the part where they were looking at themselves in the mirror. It's disturbing to picture them that way, but it leaves an impact. And yes, I'm glad they're all back together!
wait, did I miss something? where the heck did Luke and Chewie come from?
ReplyDeletePush you are really mean to make Zyra make poor Han puke after all he's been through already.
C'mon. It was just a little throw up. I could've done much worse...
ReplyDeleteOh, that's heartbreaking, them not recognising themselves in the mirror... although understandable considering what they have been through. I love Leia's defiance that they will get their old selves back. And poor Han, but it's only fair. Leia did a lot of puking.
ReplyDelete