Beyond - Legends Jedi-Flu (Luke/Mara vignette)

Title: Jedi-Flu
Author: Briannakin
Timeframe: Just after Union and long after Crucible
Characters: Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker
Categorization: Legends Canon
Summary: Jedi don’t get sick often, but when they do….
Notes: Just some of the randomness that pops into my brain when discussing things with Irish_Jedi_Jade
Those that read Journal of a Forgotten Child will get the references in the 2nd part.


When Mara Jade Skywalker landed the Jade Saber on the landing platform of the Jedi Academy on Yavin IV, she furrowed her brow. Something was wrong. It wasn’t the quiet or the darkness that unsettled her, after all, it was 2100 hours. Most of the students and teachers were probably in their chambers at this hour. The night was calm, a bit cold, but tolerable as Mara disembarked, then folded the ramp back up into the Saber. She looked around and reached out in the Force.

Luke was no where near.

“I get one night here on a stop-over and the son of a Sith isn’t even here to greet me,” she muttered, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “I could kill that man.”

Mara made her way efficiently through the hollow halls of the ancient temple before she reached her quarters. She keyed in her code to find a equally depressing welcome home as she got when she landed. The lights were off and the apartment looked unoccupied with the exception of a few errant pieces of laundry. She has been about to reach for her comm when she heard the sound of Luke’s snoring.

With a plan to match her wicked smile, she made her way across the apartment to the main bedroom. She palmed open the door with the stealth of an assassin, about to teach her husband a lesson about falling asleep instead of giving her a homecoming, but then she stopped when she saw him.

Buried under six mix-matched quilts Mara had only seen in their storage, was Luke. He took up nearly all the bed as he was propped up on all of their pillows. The contents of his bedside table told her all she needed to know: cough-suppressants, anti-inflammatory pills, a couple different cups - water in the only one that wasn’t empty, and a small humidifier puffing occasionally. The floor beside his side of the bed was littered with crumpled tissues, socks and datapads.

Luke Skywalker was sick.

He looked so very helpless with his mouth open, creating a patch of drool on their blue linens.

Mara then heard something behind her. R2-D2 tweeted sadly. “He’s been like this all day huh? Caught it from the students? Figures. Running a fever of 100? That isn’t too bad.”

The astromech bleeped again.

“Luke seems to think it is? He isn’t a baby about these things, is he?”

There was a sassy reply and Mara just rolled her eyes as the droid scooted off. She was considering leaving herself. Was risking getting sick really worth it for one night? She could just say that she ran late and had to cut out her stop-over. She could do the whole ‘concerned wife’ bit if Luke was actually in danger. But she was no ‘nursemaid’; she could not be sympathetic to a ‘Jedi-flu’.

“Mara?”

Kriff. There was no escape for her now.

The figure in the bed sat up. “Mara? My love? When did you get home?” She heard him gasp for breath before letting out a cough.

“Just a few minutes ago,” she said, hesitating to enter the bedroom further.

“On schedule?” He seemed to turn to look at his chrono. “Damn. Sorry I wasn’t up to welcome you. I swore I just meant to nap for a few minutes. Artoo was supposed to wake me.”

Mara honestly couldn’t blame the droid for not doing so. “Are you not feeling well?”

“No,” he said with a throaty snort. “A bug I caught from one of the kids. Cilghal says I’ll be fine. Come here and let me see you. I want a hug.” Oh, was he pathetic. “I don’t think I’m contagious anymore,” he added, weakly.

Mara had her doubts. “I’m sorry Farmboy. I am starving. I was going to make a late dinner. Do you want something?”

Luke began to get up. “Here. I’ll eat with you.”

“No!” she replied, too quickly. “How about I make you some soup while you rest some more.”

“Okay.” He resettled back onto the bed.

* * *

Mara stuffed her face with a cold sandwich while she stirred Luke’s soup. She occasionally heard him cough or sniffle. Carefully, she emptied two sleep capsules into the thick red liquid. Yes, she was drugging her husband. After the Emperor died, Mara often dreamt of this moment.

She then poured the soup into a bowl and placed it on a tray. With a deep breath, she entered the bedroom again. As she neared Luke, she saw just how feeble he looked. His arms fell limply at his sides and he hardly lifted his head. His eyes were watery and his nose was red and rubbed dry. “Thank you,” he said softly as she placed the tray between him and her.

“I’m going to have a sanisteam,” she said, patting his leg.

“Leave the door open? The steam might help me,” he requested as he dipped the spoon into the soup and began to slurp. The flu had evidently not affected his appetite.

“Of course.”

When Mara got out of a slow, relaxing sanisteam, Luke was sound asleep, snoring with his mouth open once again. She couldn’t help but smile to herself as she walked to the bed wearing her flight suit. She neatly tucked him in and began to gather his empty dishes. Right as she was leaving, she knew she had to.

She placed a kiss on his soft cheek. “Feel better. I love you.” She then left.

* * *

51 years later

Something was wrong. Everything about this unsettled Mara. It was dark, cold and all too quiet. It was times like this that she regretted so much. She regretted not staying that night she had first stumbled upon her husband with a ‘Jedi-flu’ - a cold exaggerated by Luke simply because he rarely got sick.

But now, Luke was actually sick. Damned old fool went on some mission he was too old for. He had rescued the Princess of Onderon, but had gotten caught in a rainstorm and had exposed himself to the elements protecting the young child.

Mara was at his bedside, yet there was nothing she could do to help him feel better. She watched helpless as he struggled to breathe, yet she could not help him slip on the oxygen mask. His aged face was pale and shining with sweat, but she could not pick up the dry towelette placed on the bedside. She heard his dry mouth crack, yet she couldn’t raise the cup of water to his lips.

It broke her. “Where the kriff is Ben!” she shouted in rage.

“There is no need to be upset, my love,” he whispered, looking up at the ceiling. “Lukia had a bad dream - flashbacks of the crash of the Brauronia. I sent him to make sure she was okay.”

“Then call a nurse. I can’t see you like this!”

“There was a time when you could drug me and leave me like this.” A wry smile played at his lips behind a beard.

“Don’t bring that up. I already feel like shavit as it is.”

“You feel like shavit? I’m the one in the medcenter fighting pneumonia.”

“Yeah, and I’m the one who has been dead for thirty years,” she said coldly, folding her arms over her flowing white robes.

“Sorry about that,” he said grimly.

“No need,” she said, softer now. “I went out the only way I could; protecting Ben. Who I am going to kill.”

Luke chucked. “I’ve heard that one before.”

A easy silence fell in the room - the only sound was his breathing. Finally he spoke again. “Mara?”

“Yes, Farmboy.”

“Are you here for me?” he asked, finally looking at her. His soft blue eyes were full of tears; hope and sadness, longing and fear.

She shook her head sadly. Her red curls moved slowly. “Not yet. A few more years. You have much to do still.”

He nodded, returning his gaze to the ceiling. “Then you should go. You, being here, just makes me want to be with you.” His tears then began to fall.

Mara felt Ben near, so she nodded. She approached his bedside and mimicked a soft kiss to his weathered cheek.

“Feel better. I love you.” She then left.

 

Oh, my heart.
I love that you've brought back your OCs. They're terrific!
But the parallel between Luke being a baby over a mild virus that he picked up from the kids, to him not complaining about a serious illness that could kill him and worrying over his kids - that's beautiful. And no matter what, Mara still takes care of him.

“Are you here for me?” he asked, finally looking at her. His soft blue eyes were full of tears; hope and sadness, longing and fear.

She shook her head sadly. Her red curls moved slowly. “Not yet. A few more years. You have much to do still.”

oh, sniff. Really a beautiful little story!

 

Ouch, that got me right in the feels. "Not yet" - sob!

 

*dreams come crashing down* Here I thought this was just going to be adorable-ness and a L/M cute-fest. HA! Not from you!

BUT I LOVE IT!!!!! Is it horrible that it seriously made me laugh my butt off thinking of Mara drugging him?! That is SUCH a Mara thing to do, but also something that is totally...well, heck. I've seriously considered it with my husband too Plus I'm with Mara--when I see someone's sick, I run--throwing holy water, tissues, Dayquill, garlic, and silver bullets at them as I go!!!!

AND THEN YOU BROKE MY HEART. I was so confused as I was reading it like...why can't she help him? At first I thought she was like...in a wheelchair or something, maybe paralyzed? BUT THEN....

I HATE YOU IN THE MOST LOVING, ADORING, YOU'RE-AMAZING-AT-RIPPING-MY-HEART-OUT-AND-I-WANT-MORE WAY POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


You seriously kill me at how good you are at punching me in the gut, and making me LOVE IT!

 

That is sweet, but sad.

 

I'm a little teary now *sobs*

 

I LOVE this!
I love how it starts with a mild issue and I could just see Mara rolling her eyes. But then ends with something so much worse and Mara is upset she can't really be there this time. Lovely symmetry!

Yes, she was drugging her husband. After the Emperor died, Mara often dreamt of this moment.
This made me giggle! So very Mara!

Then for him to be seeing Mara when he was sick... I love it! I don't care if she was a hallucination or was an actual Force ghost, it was perfect.

“Are you here for me?” he asked, finally looking at her. His soft blue eyes were full of tears; hope and sadness, longing and fear.
She shook her head sadly. Her red curls moved slowly. “Not yet. A few more years. You have much to do still.”
This killed me. KILLED ME.

Fantastic job!

 

I was doing okay until I got here. Then...

Fantastic story.

 

Oh, Briannakin - you know I loved that! The first scene and the second one - touching. They are. So. Them.