Chapter 12 - Sometimes Surprises aren't Fun

For about the millionth time in her life, she awoke in a bright white medical room. As soon as the light hit her eyes, it stung. She tried to move but a hand came over her shoulder.
“ASH!” a voice said. She heard someone starting to cry. “Don’t try to move,” Kiro said. Ash knew that voice anywhere.
“What happened?” she asked. Her throat stung when she talked, but she didn’t care.
“You almost died. After you passed out on the ship, then things got really bad. The adrenaline from the gas was actually keeping you alive. Without that, you probably would’ve died before we even reached the ship. You’ve been out for about a month.”
Ash looked around. She then remembered that she didn’t have a left arm anymore. She looked over and saw a stub laying next to her wrapped in bacta patches. She threw her head back against her pillow.
How am I supposed to be a good Jedi now?
“Just relax,” Kiro said comfortingly. “It’ll be alright.”
He ran his hands through her hair.
“Kiro…don’t. We don’t want…to get caught.”
“Don’t worry. We’re not at the Temple. We took you and Echo to the nearest civilized system that had a Med Center. We’ve already told the Council about the situation and their letting us take a leapt of absence to watch over you guys. And don’t worry, nobody here knows we’re Jedi.”
“You always think of…everything,” she said, smiling and touching his cheeks with her other hand. She was surprised she could move it, but it didn’t hurt as much as everything else.
She then started to pull the blanket off her so she could look at her stomach wound. Kiro put his hand over hers to stop her.
“I don’t think you’re ready to see that,” he said slowly.
“Why?” Ash asked, getting a little scared.
“It’s pretty dramatic, but it was the only way to save you,” he said.
“I don’t care as…long as I’m alive. Just let me see it,” she said. Kiro lifted his hand up and let her look. She removed the blanket and gasped.
About 12 wires were sticking out of her stomach and when she followed the wires they went into a huge machine next to her bed. They were held down by patches and the patches were red from oozing blood.
Ash couldn’t find her words. She was shocked out of her mind. For a minute she couldn’t think of anything to say. Only one question could come to her mind.
“What…what have they done to me?” she asked, getting a little teary eyed.
“You haven’t even heard the other part. That’s just what you can see from the outside. I don’t know if you want to know what’s inside.”
Ash turned to him.
“There’s something else inside me!” she almost screamed.
“They had to give you mechanical implants to save your life. The lightsaber had hit a few major organs and burned out most of them. Right now most of your organs are mechanical. They have you hooked up to that machine because it is supposed to help you rebuild your organs. The doctors said that you might need to have the implants inside you for a couple years before your organs can completely rebuild themselves,” he said. “I’m sorry; I didn’t want to tell you that right away.”
Ash let out a sigh.
I’m a cyborg. I have cybernetic-implants. I never would have thought in a million years that it would come to this.
“I was really hurt that bad?” she asked.
“You almost died a couple times in the surgical room. They wouldn’t let me in, but I could feel your presence fading. I was freaked out of my mind.”
Ash smiled. “I’m glad someone cares about me,” she said.
Then she started to remember what happened…
Echo.
“Where’s Echo? What happening to her?” Ash asked, getting emotional.
“I don’t now if your ready for that either,” he said.
“TELL ME!” Ash demanded, getting teary eyed.
“She slipped into a coma before we even got to the hospital. The doctors say she’s barely even alive. We’ve already almost lost her multiple times, but she’s still holding on. Xiang was been at her side constantly. I don’t even know if he’s ate anything in a month. We really don’t know if she’s going to make it,” Kiro said slowly.
“No,” Ash mumbled. “No…no, no, no! Echo won’t die! She can’t! I’ve already lost her twice!! I can’t actually know I’m going to loose her this time!”
Ash was slowly regaining her voice now. She felt herself getting very angry.
“I’m sorry,” Kiro said softly.
Ash started balling. Her stomach tightened and it pained her to cry, but she could bear through the pain to cry for her sister. This time, it was real. More serious. Not like when they were kids.
Her sister was on the edge of death and losing her balance.
Kiro came in closer and held her tightly, comforting her. She wrapped her arms around him and cried her eyes out.

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