"My dad and I used to do gravitational slingshots around neighboring planets for fun. I never thought it'd come in handy to save our lives, but... I'm really glad it did." I took a deep breath and looked over to General Organa who gave me a reassuring nod from across the table, encouraging me to continue.
I was explaining the success on Devaron and our escape from the TIE fighters to a room full of people. It isn't like I had a problem with speaking in front of a crowd, I just hadn't even had a chance to process what had happened just a few hours prior. I looked down at my hands, fidgeting with the hem of my shirt and taking a deep breath. Under the table, Poe reached over and grabbed one of my hands, giving it a gentle squeeze before placing both of his forearms on the table and clasping his hands together.. He continued where I left off, recounting how the slingshot works and how jumping into lightspeed when they lost sight of us made us impossible to track.
"When it comes down to it, Dr. Dreis saved more than just the lives on Devaron today. Her quick thinking and confidence allowed us to return unharmed." Poe concluded with a sweeping look across the room. Tash slung her arm over my shoulder, smiling like a fool as the rest of the room broke out in applause and cheer. I just knew my face was tinged pink with embarrassment, but I smiled gratefully at those around me.
The room began to slowly clear out, everyone going back to their respective quarters. Tash, Poe and I stayed seated at the table with Kaydel. I recognized her from around the base. I believe she was one out Leia's Lieutenants. Leia and Admiral Statura were huddled closer to the General's desk near the back of the room.
"I literally had no idea that Commander Dreis was your uncle! No wonder you could fly like that- it basically runs in your blood." Kaydel was on the edge of her seat, looking at me in amazement.
"Trust me, there were plenty of lessons that got me there. I'd say they definitely paid off. My father treated me like one of his piloting students, so I was expected to fly just as good as they did."
"So why not become a pilot then?" she asked, tilting her head.
"My mother was a nurse. I guess I felt like I owed something to her since she passed away giving me life. I was always the one other kids came to when they fell and cut themselves or twisted an ankle- it just came natural to me to nurture and help heal. My father picked up on this pretty early on, so I think he knew that I was going to follow in her footsteps." I finished with a shrug.
"Well I'm sure glad you did, Si." Tash said grabbing my hand with her right hand and stifling a yawn with the left. "I need to go make some last rounds before heading to bed. You and I have a friend date tomorrow night, and don't think you're getting out of it. We have things to discuss."
I rolled my eyes playfully at my friend, knowing good and well there was no escaping the onslaught of questions I would be getting from her tomorrow. "I'm looking forward to it, love. Have a good evening." Tash blew me a kiss before waving to the other two and heading towards the med wing.
"I should probably go too." Kaydel stood up from her chair and gave us a bright smile. "I'm really happy you all got back safely."
"Thanks, Lieutenant." Poe replied with an appreciative look and a small nod.
Once we were alone at the table, Poe turned towards me with an unreadable look. "How are you feeling, doc?"
I sat back in the chair, closing my eyes for a moment before answering. "I'm alright. Exhausted. In the mood for a glass of wine."
"Ha! I think we both deserve one after today."
"Are you implying I should invite you to join me, Commander?" I raised my brow at the man.
"That depends- would you?" He met my gaze almost in a challenge. Before I could reply, movement from the other side of the room caught my attention. Leia and Vice Admiral Holdo made their way over to us. Poe and I stood and walked around the table, meeting them half-way.
"Dr. Dreis, Commander Dameron," the Admiral began. "I want to personally thank you for all that you've done in your days away. Having the Devaronions as an ally to the Resistance has been extremely important, and the two of you solidified that relationship with your dedication."
"Of course, Admiral. We'd happily do it again." I told her. He gave a tight smile in return.
"I'm sure you are both tired after your travels and... eventful day. We may need to speak with you in more detail later about the attack, however."
"Yes, Admiral."
We turned to leave when General Organa cleared her throat, "Commander Dameron," Poe paused and turned towards her. "I would like to meet with you in the morning." Her voice sounded tense, like it was not a meeting she was looking forward to having. With a curt nod, Poe turned and took a hold of my elbow, guiding us out of the room.
"I don't envy you. She didn't sound too thrilled." I took a sideways glance at the pilot, taking a second to admire his side profile. I could tell he was thinking about what she wanted to discuss; his jaw was set in a hard line and brow furrowed.
"Probably just another mission. So much for a day off."
"Oh please, you love being the go-to man." I bumped his hip with mine as we walked causing him to chuckle quietly. We got to a split in the hall, each way leading to our respective rooms. Suddenly, I was overcome with the feeling of not wanting to be alone. The weight of the last few days felt heavy on my chest, and I wanted to keep it at bay for as long as possible. "Poe?" I asked, feeling a little selfish and out of my own head. I looked up, catching him staring at me. "I would like to invite you for some wine..."
He gave me a knee-melting smile. "Thank the stars. I was debating chipping away my pride to invite myself, but figured that really would've made you deny me."
Letting out a laugh, I shook my head answering "You're probably right about that. Come on." I led the way to my room and let us in the door, kicking off my shoes and walking over to my makeshift bar cart. I grabbed two stemless red wine glasses and selected a bottle from my small collection. While I was preparing our glasses, I noticed Poe looking at all of the still prints I had up above my desk. I grabbed our glasses and walked over, handing his to him then looking at the pictures.
"I recognize a good bit of these people. This is your med team?" He was pointing to a picture of our team after a meeting a few months back. I was in the front with Ezra. Tash was giving me a giant kiss on the cheek, causing me to be in mid laugh when the droid took the picture. All the other nurses were huddled around, laughing or smiling straight ahead.
"It sure is. My clan of trouble-makers. This one," I pointed to a still of a little girl in a man's lap. He had raven hair, but deep green eyes, much like my own. "This is my father and I before my first flying lesson. He always said he knew after this day that I was going to end up rivaling his skills. Which of course was impossible." I smiled fondly at the memory.
"And I assume this woman was your mother?" She was a tan woman with short, blonde hair. Her eyes were the clearest blue I had ever seen. She was very pregnant, but posing with her arms outstretched and legs wide with a giant smile. I nodded, admiring the spirit of a woman I had never had the pleasure to meet. "You look just like her, besides your eyes... She was beautiful." He looked over at me thoughtfully, causing a slight heat to run through me.
"She certainly was." I said, turning away from the wall and sitting on my small couch. He joined me, making himself comfortable. "So, I want to know about Poe Dameron before he was some hotshot pilot for the Resistance."
"Where would you like me to start, doc?"
"The beginning is typically a good place."
"Ha, okay then. Well you already know that I was born to two rebel fighters and raised on Yavin 4. Much like your dad, my mom had me flying from a young age. We had an A-wing that she got when she left the Alliance, and she'd let me fly constantly. She got sick and passed away when I was eight." He reached up and fiddled with the chain around his neck, which I knew held a ring.
"Did your ring belong to your mother?" He gave me a surprised look, stilling his hand. "I saw it when we were in my office and just assumed."
"Yes, this was her wedding band. I've had it ever since she died. My dad said I'm supposed to give it to 'a woman deserving of such a thing' one day." He said the quote in a deep voice who I assume was supposed to imitate his father, causing me to laugh.
"No woman deserving yet, huh?"
"No doc, not yet. Though there almost was once." Poe recounted his day as a spice runner on Kijimi where he met Zorii Bliss. When offered a position as a pilot for the resistance, she wouldn't join him, so he left her for the sky.
"Wow... even before you got into the thick of it, the Resistance meant that much to you?" To be so young and drop everything you knew and loved for a cause like that was incredible to me.
"It sure did. Still does. What the Resistance stands for is worth fighting for- worth dying for really." Speaking about our goals brought a fire to the pilot's eyes that I rarely saw in anyone else. It was enchanting and alluring, and I'm sure the wine had a good bit to do with me feeling that way.
"Let's keep it to fighting, Commander. No dying on my watch." I tried to give him a threatening look, but a small yawn interrupted it.
Through his laugh, Poe suggested leaving so I could go to sleep, but I wasn't ready to be by myself.
"No, you can stay for a while longer. Tell me stories about being a spice runner. Which, by the way, I can't believe you were a spice runner..."
As he told me about his days on Kijimi, the low vibrations of his voice made me sink into the couch, and eventually I was lulled into a dark sleep.
"Dr. Dreis we need you immediately!" My feet led the way as I ran down the long med halls. Someone had been wheeled in on a stretcher and there was a trail of blood leading me where I needed to go.
"Please, please, please make it stop!" A familiar voice screamed, but I couldn't place where I had heard it. I turned the corner and saw the stretcher being guarded by people with blurred faces, and they were facing me, not the patient who was begging for help.
I made myself as tall as possible, anticipating a fight. "Let me through, now!" A man over a head taller than me stepped forward, as if daring me to try and get around him. "I said, NOW!" I yelled at him. My voice sounded foreign to my own ears as it echoed off the walls and returned back to me. I decided I'd run into the man and try to use my momentum to push him into his faceless companions, creating a gap in the chain.
I took off, and right as I went to shove my arms into the figure, he faded away into a thick fog that invaded my senses. I smelled and tasted the copper of blood and reached up to my face where I felt a warm liquid dripping off my upper lip. I drew my hand away to reveal fresh blood- a nose bleed.
"Please, please, please, please..." the voice continued, snapping me out of the shock of my own blood. I made it to the patient, who was covered in a white garment. It wasn't a sheet, but a jacket much like what I had on. I quickly pulled it away, but stumbled back in immediate tears when I realized who it was.
Keesahn was staring at me with wide, dark eyes. Blood ran out of his mouth as he continued, "please, please, please..."
"Please, Sienna, come on!" I heard as I was jerked awake. My eyes snapped open, revealing two pools of deep brown filled with concern. "Hey, you're okay doc."
My face was wet with tears. A deep sob broke out of my chest as I remembered Keesahn's nightmarish face; the complete opposite of the sweet boy I had come to know. Poe immediately took me into his arms, tucking my head under his chin as he wrapped his arms tight around me. I started to calm down as he traced delicate circles on my back and whispered reassurances that I was going to be okay and it was just a dream. We stayed like this until my crying stopped, and as I went to wipe my nose on the back of my hand, a red streak was left behind. Leaning back, I saw that Poe's grey shirt had two dark spots: one from my tears and the other from my bleeding nose.
"Oh no, I'm so sorry Poe." I brought the attention to the stain, but as I stood to get a towel, his gentle hand wrapped around my shoulders and held me in place.
"That doesn't matter right now- here." He removed his shirt and folded it so the stained part was tucked away. He guided me so I was leaning forward and held the shirt out to me. "Hold it against your nose. I'm more worried about you than a damn shirt, Sienna." I reluctantly took it, pinching the soft part of my nose, but still holding his shirt up to catch any more falling blood.
It took a few minutes, but eventually the bleeding stopped and I was able to take a deep breath. Poe's warm hand on my back moved away as he took away the shirt. "I'll get it-" I said as I went to pull the shirt back, only to be given a stern look that I hadn't seen since being reprimanded by my father.
"No, you won't. Stay here, I'll be right back." He demanded as he stood from the couch and made his way to my ensuite. He came back with a cold, wet towel and gave it to me so I could clean myself up.
The more seconds that passed, the more mortified I was becoming. Not only did I fall asleep while he was talking, I then had to have a nightmare causing tears and a bloody nose. Topping it all off was the sobbing mess I made on his shirt. I refused to make eye contact with him, not wanting to increase the burning flush in my face.
"Sienna, look at me." He said in a demanding tone. I kept my face straight ahead, swollen eyes shut. I felt a gentle tug at my chin, pulling my head to the side. "Doc, please." Something in his voice made me open my eyes, holding his gaze. "Are you okay now?"
I nodded, clearing my throat and speaking quietly. "What are you still doing here?"
He sat back and ran a hand over his face. It was then that I noticed his tousled curls going in different directions like he had slept on them. My eyes were also drawn to his toned chest, now on full display since he removed his shirt. The skin there matched the olive tone I had become so familiar with. A deep sigh brought me out of my thoughts.
"You fell asleep earlier and I was going to wake you, but I ended up falling asleep too. You ended up leaning on my shoulder, and I felt you shaking so I woke up. You were crying and I noticed the nose bleed so I tried to wake you, but I couldn't get you to for a few minutes... fuck, Sienna. You scared the shit out of me. Don't try to brush it off like you did on the ship either."
I knew what he was talking about, but I wasn't ready to share these nightmares I had been having. Shaking my head, I took a deep breath in before meeting his eyes again.
"I'm sorry... I have these dreams that seem so real. I'm... I don't want to share what they are. I'm not ready to." I could tell he was about to interrupt, so I held my hand up. "I'm okay now. Thank you for helping me, and for letting me ruin your shirt." He looked frustrated, keeping his eyes locked on me even as I looked away from him.
"Fine, don't tell me, but have you at least told Tash about these dreams?" I didn't answer, giving him all of the answers he needed. "You are the most stubborn person I've ever met, and I have to look at myself in the mirror every day," he said incredulously. "but I get it. Just promise me you'll come to me if you want to talk about them, okay?"
The genuine concern in his voice almost brought me to tears again, but I stood up and quickly walked over to the foot of my bed to get some space. "I promise." I turned back around and he had a small smile on his face, lifting my spirits just a bit.
"Good," he said as he made his way over to me. "I'm going to go. Thank you for the wine and the company. Even though I did bore you to sleep." This received a quick laugh from me, which made him smile more.
"I owe you, Dameron." I said as he made his way to the door. He half turned towards me, the familiar glint in his eye.
"I'll add it to your tab, doc."