Zeb rolls out of his bed. He stretches, mentally preparing himself for the day. Hera had said the night before that it was going to be a long day filled with round trips around the planet of Lothal. They were going to be delivering supplies to Tarkintown and wherever else needed.
He glances at the bed above his. Still passed out, Ezra lays on his stomach. Zeb chuckles to himself, watching the annoying boy's hair blow with each breath. He leans forward, poking the kid's shoulder. "Hey, Ezra. Better wake up before Hera catches you sleeping in."
Ezra stirs, his eyes opening for a brief second then shutting. He falls back into a state of rest within a second.
"Kid, didn't you hear me?" Zeb asks, talking louder now.
"I heard you." Ezra groans, taking his pillow to cover it over his head. "Tell Hera I'll be out there in five minutes."
Not wanting to have Hera mad at him, Zeb leaves. He heads to the main room, seeing everyone wide awake and chatting. Sabine is adjusting her blasters as Chopper is arguing with Kanan about something. Hera is looking over a map but quickly brightens as she sees Zeb enter. "Good morning, Zeb."
"Mornin'." Zeb greets back.
"Where's Ezra?" Kanan asks, crossing his arms over his chest. Chopper grumbles something about Kanan changing the subject, but the Jedi ignores him. Maybe he is changing the subject, but he won't admit that to the cranky droid. The last thing he needs is to lose against Chopper.
"Ezra said he needed another five minutes," Zeb answers, gesturing towards their room. "But I don't think he'll be coming out anytime soon."
"Sabine, will you go check on him?" Hera asks, looking to the Mandalorian. Sabine groans, tossing her head back. She doesn't want to go check on him. Ezra should be able to get himself out of bed. Sure, he's only been with the team for a short time, but he can fend for himself. "Now, please," Hera adds, meaning that she won't ask again.
"Fine. Can I wake him by throwing something at him?" She devilishly grins. Zeb laughs and nods his head with Chopper. Kanan shrugs and looks to Hera, who purses her lips.
"I don't think it's smart to wake him that way, but it's your call. Just know he probably will want revenge for it." Hera answers. "That's the way it works with you kids." She grumbles under her breath as she looks back at the map.
Chopper groans, calling Hera a downer and a few other names. Sabine shrugs, exiting the room. "He'll have to wake up earlier if he wants to get revenge." She says.
She enters the room, seeing Ezra still asleep on the top bunk. She's just about to throw something at him when she looks at him closer. She's no doctor, but something is off. "Ezra." She says, slightly shoving him.
He groans, his eyes fluttering for a moment then closing again. "I'll be out there in five minutes." He says, sounding groggy. He rolls back over, softly coughing as he adjusts back under his covers.
"Okay." Sabine nods as she slowly backs away from him. She heads back to the main room, pointing back towards Ezra and Zeb's room. "Spectre-6 is stagnant." She says nonchalantly.
"What do you mean 'stagnant'?" Kanan asks, rising from the table. Chopper grunts at Kanan, continuing to talk but is kicked by him to shut up.
"I don't know. I figured the adults could find out what's wrong with him." Sabine says, looking at Hera and Kanan. They share a glance, thinking the same thing. Hera nods and Kanan goes back to the room. When he enters, he sees Ezra beginning to sit up.
"Hey, you feeling alright, kid?" Kanan says, walking towards him.
"Yupp. Just great." Ezra says, holding his head. Nope. He's not feeling great. He feels like TIE fighters are zooming in his head nonstop. His legs remind him of what it feels like to be like without gravity. His chest feels like it has ten crates placed onto it and he is just going to ignore the scratchy feeling on the back of his throat.
He hops off the bunk and tries to walk past Kanan with grace. But Kanan grabs him by the back of the collar, stopping him. Ezra groans being tugged back. He rubs at his neck as Kanan places his hands on his hips and looks down at him. "Alright, spill." He commands.
"What's to spill? I'm fine. Just a little tired." Ezra argues, furrowing his eyebrows. Just because he's feeling a little under the weather doesn't mean that they need to make a big fuss. It's just a cold or something like it. There's no need to put the whole day on pause for him.
"You don't look well. You feeling okay?" Kanan asks, grabbing him. Ezra struggles to be freed as Kanan presses the back of his hand on the boy's forehead. He hums, nodding his head as Ezra wiggles in his grasp. "Yupp, you've got a fever. You're sick."
"I feel just fine." He grumbles, trying to move his head away from his hand.
"You're pale too," Kanan adds, letting him. Ezra straightens his clothes and huffs. He glares up at Kanan, pouting. Was holding him like that really necessary? "You better go talk to Hera. She'll know how to take care of you." Kanan says, pointing towards the door.
"I don't need to be taken care of. I've been sick before, Kanan. Not that I'm sick now!" He quickly corrects, stumbling over his words. Kanan smirks, watching the boy shake his head, getting back to his argument. "I was on my own for eight years. I'm fine." He grumbles, exiting the room. Don't they understand that yet? He's been with them for a while now. They should know that he can fend for himself, even when it comes to sickness.
"Fine, if you won't tell Hera, then I will," Kanan says, following close behind him.
"Hera doesn't have to know because I'm not sick."
"She does because you are," Kanan argues, poking Ezra's forehead. He groans, closing his eyes as they enter the main room. "I don't want you getting everyone else sick so Hera is going to take care of you. She'll get you what you need."
"Ezra's sick?" Sabine asks, jumping away from him.
"Calm down. It's not like he has the Blue Shadow Virus." Kanan says, rolling his eyes.
"I'm not sick." Ezra scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. Chopper rolls over to him, poking at him. Droids can't get sick, so he can pester the boy as much as he likes. Ezra flinches as the droid attempts to zap his side. "Chopper." He growls, looking down at him.
"Chopper, leave Ezra alone," Hera says, making the droid chuckle and roll away. She puts her attention back on Ezra, shaking her head. "Sorry, Ezra, but I think Kanan is right. You look sick. We should find some medicine so we can get you healed as fast as possible."
"I don't need medicine! It's just cold." Ezra argues, throwing up his arms in frustration. Not even moments after, he begins to loudly cough. He covers his mouth, but it still makes Sabine and Zeb cry out in disgust. They don't want whatever he has.
"I think you caught something on our last mission," Hera says, sympathetically smiling at him. She walks over to him, tucking him under her arm. He pouts, but he does have to admit that it does feel nice to have her comfort him. It's been a while since someone did that for him while he was sick.
"How come we didn't catch something then?" Zeb asks, keeping his distance from Ezra.
"Because the rest of us have been in space before. Ezra has been on Lothal his whole life. He hasn't built up his immunity to other germs in the galaxy like we have." Kanan answers. Chopper grunts at him, making Kanan nod his head. "And Chopper didn't because he's a droid and they can't get sick."
"Wait until I fry a few of your wires. Then you'll be sick." Ezra snaps. Hera gently presses a hand on his shoulder, attempting to calm him as Chopper rapid fires insults at Ezra.
"Because you're feeling ill, I'll let that slide." She says to Ezra. She sends a warning glare to Chopper, getting him to stop. She looks around at the rest of the group. "We can't let Ezra feeling ill ruin our mission for the day. Since Sabine and Zeb are scared to get sick, I want you two to begin delivering the supplies to Tarkintown."
"Suddenly, I'm not so scared," Sabine mumbles under her breath.
Chopper laughs at them, sticking close to Hera. "Oh, no." She says, looking down at the droid. He stops, watching her. "What are you laughing at? You are joining them. I think Ezra made it clear that he doesn't want to be near you right now. You've attempted to zap him while he's feeling sick and insulted him. You are being put to work too."
"What are you and Kanan going to do with Ezra?" Sabine asks, pointing at the coughing boy under her arm.
"We are going to go and try to find Ezra some medicine. I'm betting this is more than a cold. If I had to guess, I would say it's close to a sickness common on Garel. In order to get rid of it, you need the antibiotics." She explains, gently rubbing his shoulder.
"Good luck," Zeb says. "Oh, and try not to catch whatever he has. We would hate to be down two more people." He adds.
"Don't worry. We'll keep our distance," Kanan says. As he walks past Hera and Ezra, he flicks Ezra's forehead. Ezra frowns but doesn't say anything. It doesn't hurt and he knows that's Kanan's funny way of showing affection. He just wishes that his pounding headache would go away and that they could participate in delivering supplies rather than go on some side mission to find him medicine.
"Let's take the Phantom," Hera says. "This way if the others need something, they can come back to the Ghost."
"Good idea," Kanan says, climbing up into the shuttle fighter. He takes the pilot seat as Hera and Ezra sit in the back.
"You guys don't have to all of this for me," Ezra says as they begin to take off. Hera places a hand on his shoulder as he continues. "If I ever got sick when I was on my own, I didn't get medicine. I would just wait until I felt better."
"I'm sure that used to work on Lothal, but we're thinking you caught something that isn't native here," Kanan answers as they make the jump to hyperspace. He turns around, facing the passengers in the back. "If we don't get the antibiotics for this, it'll turn out much worse. The last thing we want is for you to end up dead just because you refused our help."
"I'm not refusing your help. I'm grateful for it." Ezra argues. He coughs into his elbow, the rising of his voice setting it off. "I just don't see why you would go through all of this trouble for me when there are hundreds on Lothal who need supplies."
"Sabine, Chopper, and Zeb can handle it all on their own," Hera says. "Plus, you're a part of this team now, Ezra. We know that you can take care of yourself. But it's time to start seeing that you don't have to. If taking a short trip to Garel is all it takes to get you back on your feet, that's what we'll do. We're a family."
Ezra smiles, looking down at his hands. The whole idea of being part of a family again is new and scary. To have people rely on him just like he's doing now is a big responsibility. But if it means having moments like this, it's all worth it. To know that they won't let him suffer, even when he lies about it, feels good. "Thanks." He quietly says.
Kanan and Hera nod their heads then face back out at the window. "We'll be landing in Garel shortly," Kanan says, looking down at the controls. "I'll go find what we need. You two can stay here. There's no need for all of us to go."
xxx
When Kanan finally returns, Ezra is already looking worse. He is coughing more and harder. His voice is hoarse and he can barely keep his eyes open. He wants to sleep more than ever in hopes that he can forget the pain building in his chest for a moment.
"Kanan's back, Ezra. You need to wake up." Hera gently encourages, shaking his shoulders.
Kanan kneels down in front of him. "Don't worry, kid. You'll be feeling better once I give you this." He says. He opens a box, quickly reading through the instructions then placing them aside. "Hera, you need to roll up his sleeve."
"Wait. What?" Ezra groggily asks, starting to become more alert.
"It's just a shot, Ezra. It'll be done in a moment. You won't feel a thing." Hera quickly reassures as she pulls up the sleeve on his right arm.
Ezra's eyes widen as he watches Kanan pull out the syringe with a very large needle. He begins to try to move away, suddenly feeling very jumpy. "Nope! There's no way that I'm letting that anywhere near me!"
"Ezra, come sit back down," Kanan demands, glaring at the fidgety boy. Ezra shakes his head, trying to get as far away from them as he can. Do they seriously think he is going to let that go into his arm? If so, suddenly he's feeling so much better.
"Ezra, it'll be a quick second. Haven't you ever had a shot before?" Hera asks, trying to grab him and pull him back towards her. Unfortunately for her, he knows how to twist his arms out of her grasp.
"No! I lived on the streets. I didn't just go up and ask for people to stick me with needles!" Ezra cries out as he stands up on the seats.
"Sit back down, Ezra. You look crazy!" Kanan shouts, pointing down at the seat.
"If you think I'm letting you put that in my arm then you're crazy!" Ezra fires back, shaking his head.
"Ezra, I'm not asking anymore," Kanan says, hardening his voice.
Ezra refuses, moving away from him. "You're not a doctor. How do I even know if you'll do it right?"
Kanan rolls his eyes. He doesn't have an answer that would make Ezra feel better. "Either sit down now or stay sick. I don't care." Kanan grumbles, crossing his arms over his chest, fed up with him hopping around the shuttle.
"Kanan." Hera scolds as Ezra wiggles out of her grasp again.
"What? Those are his options."
This makes Ezra stop. He takes a deep breath, quietly sitting back down. "You're right. If this is what I have to do, then I guess I have no other choice." He says, his voice slightly wavering.
"I promise, I'll do this as painlessly as possible," Kanan assures, his voice softening.
"I know." He says, nodding his head. "I'm just freaked out by that huge needle. Is there any reason for it to be that big?"
"Not really." Hera gently replies.
Kanan prepares the syringe as Hera helps Ezra roll up his sleeve. He gives her a worried smile, hoping to look strong. As Kanan wipes down the spot where he plans to inject the needle, Hera places a hand onto Ezra's lap.
It's an invitation to let her comfort him. It's not overwhelming to make him feel like a baby. But at the same time, it shows that she wants him to know that she's here for him. It's just the right level that he needs. He tightly grips her hand and before he knows it, the shot is over.
"Finished." Kanan happily sighs. "See? No need for freaking out." He adds as he nudges Ezra's chest.
"Nope." Ezra smiles. He lets out a yawn, slightly stretching. Gently, his eyes flutter shut and his head falls onto Hera's shoulder.
"What's happened to him?" She asks, looking at Kanan.
"It's one of the effects. He'll be out for the rest of the day. When he wakes, he should be as good as new." Kanan assures, standing up.
"Well, that's good. I was worried that he might have had a reaction to the drugs." She says, laying him down on his side so he can rest more comfortably.
"It could be that too." Kanan teases, shrugging his shoulders as he takes the pilot seat.
"Not funny, love."
"It was to me."
xxx
When they return to the Ghost, they find the rest of the crew waiting for them. Hera appears first, followed by Kanan carrying Ezra over his shoulder. Sabine hops to her feet, studying them. "He's not dead, is he?" She asks. "Because he looks dead."
"No, he's not dead," Kanan says, rolling his eyes. "Can't you hear him snoring?" He playfully asks, slightly lifting Ezra up for emphasis. There's no snoring, but Kanan's surprised that he isn't. Whatever was in that drug really knocked him out.
Sabine shakes her head. "Nope. I think you're hearing things." She replies. "But I'm glad to know that he isn't dead." She smiles. Chopper begins to chatter, shaking his head as he pokes at Ezra's boot.
SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.
"Chop." Hera scolds, narrowing her eyes at him. He innocently raises his hands, claiming that he was only kidding.
"If you went to get the kid better, why is he still knocked out?" Zeb asks.
"The drugs will make him sleep for the rest of the day. When he wakes up, he'll be back to his old, perky self." Hera answers, gently patting Ezra's shoulders. She begins to walk to the cockpit but stops. "You better put him back in his bed so he can actually get some well-deserved sleep." She says to Kanan.
"I'm on it." He replies.
Sabine bounds over to them. "Awe, Ezra's taking a little cat nap for the rest of the day." She teases. She gasps, her eyes widening. "He's taking a Loth-cat nap!"
"Better spray paint that somewhere so we can remember that forever." Zeb laughs. Sabine grins, nodding her head. Chopper and Zeb quickly follow her to her room to grab the supplies. Kanan rolls his eyes and follows them but instead of going to her room, he goes to Zeb and Ezra's shared room.
He places the boy into his bunk, pulling the covers over him. "Feel better soon, Ezra." He quietly says, rubbing Ezra's hair. A gentle smile appears on his face and he seems to fall into a deeper sleep. Kanan smiles and quietly exits the room then proceeds to yell at the rest of them to keep it down for his apprentice.
~~~~~~~~~~
I feel Rebels deserves so much more credit. Personally, I love the show a lot. (If I'm going to be honest, I think I even like it more than The Clone Wars. Oops!) They got great characters and they all have such a fun family vibe. People claim that Ezra is annoying but I mean, he's a 15-year-old boy. They are annoying!! And Kanan has such a great character arc. Hera is a literal badass and makes a great mother to her three (four if you count Chop) adoptive children. If you haven't given the show a try, seriously, do it. I know it isn't Clone Wars style animation, but I think it's one of the best things to come out of Star Wars and Disney.
(Side note: there's gotta be like thousands of different diseases in the galaxy, right? How come we never see any of them sick? Like you can't tell me that they have vaccine for every known sickness in their galaxy because there must be at least one that's unique to each planet, right?)