(Untitled)

[organicmeatbag]

He's helpless with not knowing what to do. Everything - surgical removal, kolto, herbal medicines - they've tried only makes it worse or does nothing good. All he can do is watch on as the parasites grow in strength and size to encase his son's arm

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[jedi_exile]

In the time it had taken Kira to get to Wayland from Alderaan, she had near wore a hole in the ship she'd borrowed. She paced for nearly two days with only breaks to eat and to check the navigation. And sleep, a little.

When she gets there, she lands the ship and is down the ramp as quickly as she can, pressing through people, in search of Ranthus' familiar face.

[organicmeatbag]

"Kira."

Ranthus waves her over from where he stands near the reception doors, waiting. She looks like her husband is on the brink of death, sullen yet determined, and he has no words of comfort to share.

He doesn't embrace her when they meet up, such is the hesitancy in their relationship, simply leads her through the doors and down the stalk white halls where her husband rests.

He talks as they walk, catching her up. " - They're basically releasing a toxin into his system. It's what killed the others but for some reason he's hanging on longer than the rest of them. They're not multiplying as fast. It seems like they're almost...confused."

[jedi_exile]

"And you still don't know what they are?" Kira glances over at her father-in-law, her hand hesitantly resting on her stomach. "And...and they're just staying on Revan, right?"

She's scared her husband might be dying, but she's even more scared of exposing their unborn child.

They turn the corner and stop outside where Revan is, Kira's hesitating showing again. She feels almost sick with the worry of it all.

[organicmeatbag]

"There's nothing in the databases. We were hoping you could help identify them." Ranthus's gaze drops to her protruding belly with a brief frown. He'd almost forgot Revan had told him about the expectant child. "There's no danger of contamination. We're certain of that. Revan would have to..."

He trails off. It's not something he needs to finish saying. They both know. He holds off on opening the door to Revan's hall. He feels the need to warn her:

"It's...bad, Kira. His hand, forearm, biceps - they've covered the entirety of the left arm, moving onto the shoulder and chest. We try to keep him as comfortable as we can, but he's in pain."

[jedi_exile]

She shuts her eyes and presses a hand to her forehead, feeling a little dizzy. She knows it's bad...but just hearing about it scares her more. "Yeah. I'll...try my best."

And if she doesn't know what they are, then she knows a few people with great library skills that might be able to figure it out. Mical has to have an encyclopedia of creepy crawlies somewhere.

"Let...just let me see him."

[organicmeatbag]

After another moment of hesitation, Ranthus pushes open the door for and directs her to the observation window. She can judge better after seeing him if she wants to go in there or not.

From their view, Revan withers in pain, the fever causing him to sweat and mumble in his sleep. His chest rises and falls in an uneven pattern, each breath harder than the next. He looks horrible, far too pale with his handsome features contorted in agony, and the ugly creatures cling on like armor to his skin.

"Do you want to go in?"

[jedi_exile]

No. She does not want to go in...but she needs to so she can see what he's got all over him.

It sickens her to see him like this. To see him so gone. It's not the way he's supposed to be. She takes a hesitant step in, pressing her hand against her mouth as she gets closer.

Her hand ghosts over his face before looking closely at the creatures, not recognizing them. When he mumbles or groans, she stops moving, afraid to touch anything, to make it worse.

"Gods."

[organicmeatbag]

At her exclamation, his freed arm reaches out, catching her about the wrist with a surprising burst of strength.

He's not awake or asleep. Maybe caught somewhere in between, helped by the Force, because his eyes remain clenched closed yet he draws in a shaky breath as if to speak.

Only no words pass his lips and he drops her hand, weakened, almost as soon as he grabbed hold. Yet it's enough to tell her that he's aware she's here.

[jedi_exile]

She gasps, her free hand flying back to her mouth, her other hand stiff above where he's gripping her. Her breaths come in little hitched gasps and it takes her a moment to calm before dropping her hand from her mouth. Her fingers curl over his and she leans close, pressing her lips against his forehead.

Kira doesn't speak, just stays close for a long moment, eyes closed, lip pulled between her teeth. She's afraid to speak, to open her mouth, terrified she'll just burst into tears.

It's easier to stay still and try to figure out how to find out what those creatures are.

[organicmeatbag]

Ranthus moves into the room quietly to stand behind Kira, his hand on her shoulder in the only comfort he can offer. He knew it was difficult on Kira, remembering how it was from when his own wife went, even much more so than it pained him to see the son he barely knew anymore like this.

Yet, she was the one hope they had at figuring this out and he squeezes her shoulder to catch her attention.

"Do you recognize it?"

[jedi_exile]

"No," She whispers, opening her eyes to stare down at her husband's face again, her fingers uncurling Revan's from her wrist so she can turn around to face Ranthus.

"But...I might know someone who does." She runs her tongue over her teeth, wincing. "But if they don't know..." Kira's eyes drift closed for a moment right before asking a question she truly does not want an answer to.

"How long do you think he has?"

[organicmeatbag]

Ranthus frowns as he glances over her shoulder to Revan who jerks in pain as another creature joins the fold. It makes him grimace to see, and glad that Kira has her back to him when it happens. He clears his throat.

"A week, maybe more," he says softly as he directs her out of the room. They don't need to talk in there. "Like I said, they seem to be confused. All the tests we tried were inconclusive, but he's fighting them off somehow. Slowing them down. I thought, I don't know, that he's using the Force."

He stops her in the hall on the way to his quarters where she can contact her friend, his expression serious. "Kira, if he dies... We might not be able to contain these things."

[jedi_exile]

She feels it and shuts her eyes against Revan's pain, rubbing at her cheek as she follows Ranthus out.

"He is." She whispers, glancing over her shoulder as they walk into the hall. "He's using the Force."

And then Ranthus says that and her face crumples, her fingers fly to her eyes and she presses hard to keep from crying. "I--That won't h-happen."

She'll fix this. She'll fix Revan before it comes to that.

[organicmeatbag]

She may be crying, but Ranthus has to know that she'll leave before it was too late. Has to hear her promise that she wouldn't stay to hold her husband's hand as he passed. "He wouldn't want you to stay. Especially not with A - the baby on the way. Their host dies and these things move onto the next."

[jedi_exile]

She doesn't answer him. She's not going to answer him. Instead she looks up, tears pooling in her eyes and glares at him, her teeth grinding together.

"Get me a picture of the parasite. I need to send it off."

[organicmeatbag]

Ranthus raises an eyebrow - so very much like his son - and remains unfazed by her glare. She must clearly see where Revan gets it from now. He does, however, gesture for her to keep walking onward to his quarters.

"I think you remember the way? I'll get you your holo." And everything else they've managed to collect on the parasite, the tests they've run and failed on. "Just remember what I said."