imthepilot | (no subject)

Entry tags:

galen,
milliways

(no subject)

{From here}

Bodhi's still sitting on the grass when Galen comes out; thick, angry tears drying on his cheeks. There's a core of rage in his gut but it's impudent rage. Too much he can't control, can't fix. Too much he can't undo.

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"We should," Galen says. "I'll just tell the infirmary staff where I am -- they are very helpful, so I'd rather not have them worry. Where will we be?"

"We can go back to the day room?" He knows it well, having spent a while there himself. "If you're not ready to come upstairs to mi- our room."

"Upstairs sounds like a bit of a bad idea," Galen says. "On account of stairs. But I'd love to be alone for a little bit..."

"There's a turbo lift? Or we could sit by the fire for a while?"

"Then let us take that lift," Galen says. "And curl up in that room, with the cats, and think what we need to change to start making a life in there."

Beat, then he smiles.

"And kiss and things. Not everything, because I don't think I can yet..."

"I won't- I don't want to hurt you. I just... I don't want to let go of you." He says honestly, his voice a little shaky.

He scoops up Kyber and puts him in the basket, easiest way to keep him out of trouble. Myrrh gets the hint and jumps on top of the basket to keep him quiet.

He offers Galen his arm.

Galen leans on it. "I feel ancient," he says. "But that will get better, and then we can climb rocks again."

"When you're healed." Bodhi promises, taking his time as they walk back towards the bar.

"Look at all these gardens," Galen remarks. "So much green!"

Bodhi nods, stopping to pick a spray of flowers. "Our room overlooks the gardens and the lake. Teja arranged it for me. I think... I think he understood how healing such a view would be. I hope to fill the balcony with plants. Grow my own herbs."

"Can they get you seeds from Jedhean plants here?" Galen says, leaning in awkwardly to smell at the flowers.

"I hope so. The bar has been very kind with my requests so far. I'm told there's a greenhouse somewhere here. Maybe I'll find seedlings there to plant."

"They told me you can't get living things from the bar, but we might ask her for seeds to see if they fall under that definition, too," Galen says.

We. Because it will be their plants, and their balcony.

Their room, and their cats.

Suddenly, he smiles at Bodhi again.

"Bodhi!"

As if seeing him for the first time.

There a fleeting look of panic on Bodhi's face. Worries that Galen's injuries might include a knock to the head. "I'm here, Galen."

"Yes, I know," Galen says. "I'm still so happy and overcome by it."

Not to mention high on painkillers. Bodhi nods, "I know how you feel. Mixed up with a whole lot of fear this isn't real." He bites his lip, not meaning to say all of that out loud.

"Yes," Galen admits. "And that I might wake up in an Imperial prison facility med bay after all."

"Still afraid they'll find out?" Bodhi asks sadly. "I saw an officer's shuttle arrive. On Eadu. Just before I went to find a ship to get us out."

"That must have been Orson Krennic's, confronting me about leaking the plans," Galen says. "And shooting my entire team of scientists. But I suspect he was done with them anyway, what with all our project components shipping. I knew he would be eventually, which is why I had only picked old men mostly done with their lives, in the first place, and praised every younger team member up the stairs and away from Eadu."

"He was always going to kill them." Bodhi echoes, caught between terror and revulsion. "Would he have killed you?"

"I think not," Galen says, "as I feel he was taking me personally -- but he very well might have, if he thought it would serve his ambition better."

"Instead the rebels killed you. Because I told them where to find you." Bodhi lowers his head, shame colouring his cheeks.

Galen, still leaning on Bodhi's arm as they make their way towards the bar building, stops briefly.

"They betrayed you," he says. "You came to get me. So did Jyn. Don't blame yourself."

Beat.

"We have both new levels of guilt and pain to work through, and will have to do so, slowly and together, in the next weeks and months. I had barely realised about NiJedha when I was already dead, and the Guardians were beating me up for it. Or rather, bantha fur was beating me up, and kyber eyes put his foot on me to save his friend the bother with Security if he had killed me over."

There's a ripple of anger that rips through Bodhi at that. He can't imagine being able to forgive Chirrut and Baze for that. The thought that Galen might have arrived, only to die at their hands, before Bodhi could see him, could hold him. Learning that, there would have been no way Bodhi could have suffered this half life a moment longer.

He tries to suppress all of that as he helps Galen to the door.

"Bodhi," Galen says, stopping for a moment once more. "I know it's hard to forgive them, even if I do. If they had beaten you, I wouldn't forgive them, either. But they are your friends from battle, and all that's left of Jedha."