Kalon - Han Solo [1]

Chapter 12 : Like I've Been Shot

"Hey Tash can I borrow-" the shrill voice of her roommate Stephanie trailed off as she saw her, big hair bouncing as she walked on her platforms, "you alright, you look like you've just run a marathon!"

Tasha turned, looking in the mirror: her black hair, pulled up into an enormous bouncy ponytail looked slightly dishevelled  the sheen of sweat covering her brow sticking tendrils to her face. Her face itself seemed younger than she remembered it looking last time she checked herself, a good ten years younger – she looked like an eighteen year old again. her clothes looked how she remembered she dressed at home: high waisted pink pants, tank top, her favourite black jacket with shoulder pads, big gold hoop earrings dangling through holes in her ears.

It was like she'd never –

"Yeah," she said to Steph's concerned expression, "yeah, I'm fine, just scared myself." Steph didn't look convinced, but nodded anyway.

"Okay, I'm off to work, I'll see you later?" Tasha nodded.

Surely everything couldn't have been a hallucination. It was like no time had passed since she'd –

A stabbing pain in her ribs. Tasha pulled up her tank top, not sure what she was looking for exactly, something to prove she wasn't crazy? And there, right where she'd been stabbed, was a scar, a faint silvery line of a scar. She couldn't help but smile, it had been real-

Another stab of pain-  

She bolted upright, whipping her head around, gasping for breath, her eyes still wide in horror. Leia watched her from a seat on the side of the bed, her expression unreadable.

"Han, she's awake," Leia said into the COM link, standing up and walking away from Tasha.

"Leia, please don't go," Tasha called after her. Leia glanced back, looking down at Tasha's slightly pleading face. She seemed torn. Han walked in past her, sitting down in the chair recently vacated by Leia. Neither of the girls even acknowledged his presence.

He looked at Tasha, then to Leia, then back to Tasha again, taking in the look in her eyes with intrigue and slight confusion. He had never seen her look as vulnerable as she did right now. Leia turned around, leaving Tasha still staring after her as she left. Tasha felt . . . empty. As though her insides had just disappeared. And she hated it. It made her feel weak, and that was something she couldn't cope with.

"Hey, princess." Han said, snapping his fingers in front of her face. Tasha blinked, pulling herself out of it; only then did she realise she was still breathing faster than usual. She turned to him, and was surprised by how concerned he looked.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" he asked, flashing his marvellous smile. She shuffled slightly, trying to sit more comfortably.

"Like I've been shot," she said, and he chuckled slightly, "how long have I been out?"

"A few hours, that's all." he said, "you're a tough little thing, aren't ya, sweetheart?"

"Who are you calling little?" she said incredulously. He laughed again, and so did she. Well as much as she could manage. She made a small sound of pain, gritting her teeth. He smiled at her, but it was an apologetic smile, a sympathetic one.

"Don't look at me like that." she snapped irritably.

"Like what?" he said, obviously confused.

"Like I'm a kicked puppy, or something." Tasha replied, still irritable. He raised his eyebrows at her.

"Believe me, your highness, that's the last thing I was thinking of." There was an awkward pause for a second, as though Han wanted to ask her something but didn't quite know how to phrase it. Even though the silence wasn't uncomfortable, in fact for both of them it was a welcome relief; Tasha still felt the need to break it.

"Is everyone else alright?" she asked, her eyes instantly filling with concern. Han nodded, his eyes a little unfocussed, as though deep in thought.

"Luke's a little shaken up, and he's hurting but he'll be alright, eventually." Tasha gave him a quizzical look, then she remembered, the memory hitting her like a train on a track.

"Oh," she said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Ben." She slid back down onto the pillow behind her, feeling numb. Han stood up, not knowing how to comfort the girl. He had never been very good with showing any sort of emotion or comfort, and this was the first girl who had made him wish he was.

"You should rest," he said to her. Tasha immediately sat up again, pushing herself out of the pile of sheets.

"no." she replied harshly, "no. I'm fine." Stumbling slightly she got herself to her feet. She looked down at her top, and noticed about 15 centimetres of it had been cut off, and it now stretched down to just cover her chest.

"Sorry about your shirt, sweetheart, but I had to cut most of it off to just dress the wound." Tasha nodded in reply.

"Its fine," she looked over the pink marks that showed where the wound had once been, "how long until we reach the base?"

"An hour, maybe." He said, shrugging. She nodded once more and walked past him out the door.

"Let's get this show on the road then, shall we?"