Capture

Chapter Nine

Sorry for the long wait!
I didn't really know where to go with the story, but here's the update!

"Ezra, this is all your fault!" Ezra moaned, and tossed on the bed. Kanan's voice came again. "You were a coward! You could have saved us, could have broken free!"

Hera's voice cut through Kanan's. "It's too bad, because he had skills that were useful to our mission."

Then came Sabine's. "He's just a little kid. You were always just a little kid who couldn't do anything on your own."

Fact and fable whisked into a whirlpool of pain and accusation, the visions of pointing fingers filling him alternately with anger, hate, and shame.

Ezra wanted to escape the people all calling his name, mocking him, ridiculing him, accusing him, but he couldn't. He felt as if something was tying him down, and a hand seemed to be pushing him down into the hard ground of Lothal. He struggled as much as he could, but he was no match for whatever was pushing him down. "No! No, stop!"

The words tore themselves from his burning throat, and he started shaking from the cold. Why was it so cold on Lothal? He looked around as best he could. No...he wasn't on Lothal. Of course not. He was on Hoth. Of course! Why had he thought he was on Lothal?

"Ezra! Look at me!"

A voice cut through his musings, and he blinked, seeing his master, leaning over him with a furious expression on his face. "You were a failure of a padawan. I never wanted you. That's why I wanted to find Luminara. And because of your lack of focus, I am dead!"

~//~

Hera placed her hand on Ezra's forehead, and that seemed to frighten him worse than the straps. He writhed and moaned harder. She turned to Kanan. "He's still burning up. There really aren't any signs of improvement, even though we gave him that antibiotic."

Kanan sighed and looked down. "I can't help feeling like this is all my fault. Like I could have--"

"No, Kanan!" Hera put her hand on his arm, stopping him. "You couldn't have known, and we have him back now. It'll all be okay."

She looked back towards Ezra, and despite her words, Kanan could see how worried she was. He looked at the unconscious boy as well, and frowned, concerned. "He better make it," he mumbled, but was interrupted by Ezra yelling out something almost unintelligible. It sounded like, "No! Just stop!"

Hera and Kanan were at his side in an instant.

"Ezra? Look at me!"

The boy blinked and looked at him through clouded eyes. "Stay with us, kid! Just hold on!"

Ezra's eyes closed again, and he moaned, louder than the other times, before abruptly going still.

Kanan stepped back slightly, and Hera's hand came to her mouth. "Ezra?"