It's a full moon, tonight, the sky a glittering swell of pinks and purples fading into a dark dusky sky littered with stars. The city is a maddening rush of sounds and voices, the lights and noise pollution reverberating through its core. The city proper never stops, it's a live wire of activity and movement. Tall towering buildings standing over open pedways which skirt busy streets. People come and people go, they move and dance around one another with indifference and carelessness that makes them blind to their fellow human. Heads in their phones, minds in their social media presence. Pictures and half-truths of the lives they wish they were leading plastered in front of the one they actually are. It's easy to hide your truth when the filters make everything look so much better.

When you're so tied up in thinking about what you want sometimes you forget to go after it and sit stagnantly. It's hard to hold yourself up against those around you who seem to have it all but the reality is, everyone is struggling and everyone needs help.

It's why Rey enjoys medicine so much. People are often brought down to the truest form of themselves when they have to ask for help. She doesn't tie into a lot of this social media foolishness a fact which drives her friends utterly bonkers. She likes to experience people for who they are not who they think they want to be, or what the world thinks they should be. Illness and injury strip people down in a way that makes it harder to hide. She loves the purity of it, the presence of mind that comes with simply being in a moment for someone who needs a hand to hold or someone to listen. There's the fun stuff too, the taking of blood and assisting the doctors but it's the interaction with patients that made Rey want to get into nursing in the first place. The desire to be a presence for people who need a kind face and someone to care for them.

Then there are the nights of the full moon. The nights when chaos erupts and you have to hustle as you've never hustled before. The Emergency room at Aldera Royal-Memorial hospital is always busy but on nights like tonight the ER becomes a chaotic mess. The room vibrates with the need of the masses as people fill the space desperate for someone to care.

Fluorescent lights buzz, voices chime in a myriad of sounds. Low hushed conversations, sobs of agony, moaning complaints about wait times and pain. The waiting room is full to bursting with people flooding down the harrow hallways that spiderweb from the main waiting area. Everyone is waiting for something, a doctor, a nurse, a file, blood work. There is a raw need that shudders like an open wound and only so many bodies to treat it. Already she has helped extract a knife from a man's leg after he was stabbed by his neighbor for drunkenly urinating on said neighbors prized rose bushes (for the fifth time). She was present when the man came in with the toy car stuck in his rectum. She held the hand of a woman who was hit by a car while she was visiting, (stalking) her ex-boyfriend. She has rushed and hurried drawing blood from patients, delivering lab reports, and helping administer drugs when prescribed by doctors. She helped restrain a patient for Doctor Holdo who had fallen through a plate glass window. The patient was peppered with shards of broken glass all through her face and shoulder which required a slow finesse that was mesmerizing to witness. She tried to chart when she could but was often called away by Doctor Holdo or Doctor D'Acy the physicians on staff in the Emergency Department that night. Rey was good with people which made her a go-to for most doctors when it came to difficult patients.

She's oddly ok with being the golden girl. When she's busy the evening goes by quickly and she likes it when that happens. More often then not she finds herself working through her breaks as a means of not interrupting her stride. The need for the patient always outweighs her need for a sit-down, there's plenty of time for that later She's also admittedly a bit of an adrenaline junky, she's fascinated by the trauma and insane things the human body can be put through. She loves being able to be a part of the process, having answers to give to patients after everything is said and done with a smile and reassurance that they will be ok.

That's why she's content to skip off, an apple in her hand when she's paged to the nurse's station around ten-o-clock that evening. She's only three hours into her shift when she finds herself summoned by the charge nurse on staff that night. Jyn doesn't like Rey much but she doesn't need to, Rey's a hard worker and she gets the job done. The older woman needs more workers like her, maybe with a little less attitude but you can't have it all. It's not that Rey is rude or sassy, she's simply unyielding and fierce, a defense mechanism built up from years in the foster system. She has a particular love for difficult cases too, rising to the challenge when patients get inpatient or sassy and need a strong hand.

Jyn is leaning against the desk at the nurse's station overseeing a staffing issue on the computer when Rey approaches. She's munching away happily on her apple when the older woman lifts her head. "Shouldn't you save that for your break," she says with an annoyed sort of poignance.

Rey shrugs her shoulders as she chews on the crisp, sweet fruit, "You know I'll work through it," she says over a mouthful of apple pieces. She swallows, smiles and then adds, "Figured it would be better to walk and eat quickly."

The charge nurse rolls her eyes at Rey, both women know there is no point arguing the fact. Rey may be a powerhouse of a worker but she has the appetite of a horse and is constantly snacking to keep up her energy. You can't be perpetually chipper if you're starving. Jyn simply lifts a brow as she slides her thick-rimmed glasses back off her face, working her thumb and index finger against the bridge of her nose.

"Something I can help with?" Rey asks as she leans in to take a quick peek at the screen. As she expects rooms are full and there's a bottlenecking of patience in triage that screams disaster, "Let me guess, Jess called in sick again?"

"Jess and Tori, this is Jess' third in two weeks though," Jyn confirms ruefully.

Rey licks the essence of apple off her upper lip as she says, "Think she's knocked up?"

The two women share a knowing look, "Hungover is more like it." Jyn's words are sharp and annoyed as she sighs at her own foolish mistake. Rey knows she's frustrated and didn't mean to let a personal opinion slip and so pretends she doesn't hear her, "forget I said that."

Giving her superior a look of incredulity Rey offers the woman a happy, "Said what?" as she takes another crispy bite. "Seriously, what do you need? Where do you need me?"

Sliding her glasses back down over the bridge of her nose Jyn moves away from the computer grabbing a handful of charts as she walks, "Honestly, three more of you," she huffs, placing the charts with a group of others on a stack that is well known as the 'to be filed later' orphans. "We're short-staffed, it's a full moon and Doctor Kanata has requested your assistance."

Rey makes a face, her nose scrunching slightly. Doctor Kanata is the hospital's cardiothoracic genius. She's a bit eccentric but utterly brilliant. Rey has worked with her a handful of times when she's picked up shifts for other nurses in the other departments but her job has always been in an emergency. "But, we're swamped?" Rey makes to argue, "We just had two OD's roll in and there's a man in triage holding his thumb and pinky finger in a plastic bag!" It's an argument for how busy they are but Jyn can see it for what it is. A trauma junkies candy store. Of course Rey hasn't mentioned the litany of chest pains, head colds and other minor cases that could be dismissed quickly, she went with the big ones.

"You should have been a doctor kid," Jyn says with a shake of her head, her dark ponytail swinging behind her. "I know how busy we are, the doctors are going to have to send the wittle interns into the trenches because I don't have the staff and Kanata asked for you specifically." Jyn's annoyance with the interns is legendary. She's spiteful and cruel to them when you catch her on a bad day but most of the time she just ignores their presence.

"Any idea why?" Rey says as she tosses her leftover apple core into a nearby garbage. Jyn gives her a look that cries 'really?' as Doctor Holdo sweeps passed, a tall beautiful woman with greying purple hair swept up in an elegant oriental looking banana clip. Jyn is moving towards the doctor ignoring Rey when Rey bites out, "And where is Doctor Kanata?"

Both Jyn and Amilyn Holdo look at Rey suddenly, "Cardio wing?" Jyn offers sarcastically.

Holdo on the other hand gives Rey a sad sort of smile, "She was down in the main hall last I saw, she has a patient coming in she's all fired up about. That's why she was able to snag you so easily. If you can get away a bit later come and find me k?" and Rey watches as Doctor Holdo and Jyn disappear through a set of swinging doors heading back towards the mass of needy patients. She can't help the feel a twinge of jealousy as she turns on her heel and stalks off towards the elevator.

She walks without her usual hustle, the wind taken from her sails as she meanders away from trauma and back into the heart of the hospital. Her sneakers squeak against the clean floor as she shoulders open a set of doors. She's on the third floor and she needs to go down to the main level if she's to find Doctor Kanata. As her steps carry her forwards her phone vibrates against her hip. She has the small device tucked into the waistband of her pants. It's against hospital rules and regulations but tonight she's made a personal acceptance.

Looking up and down the hallway carefully Rey extracts her phone to check the message. It's from Finn.

-Fever of 102.3 this is the third night now, getting worried-

As Rey slips onto the empty elevator she fires off a hasty response. Her fingers hammering against the screen in a desperate attempt at communicating before the doors open again and she gets caught. She's on her second night of overtime and she's utterly exhausted. She wants nothing more than to be at home in bed with her fluffiest, comfiest pajamas on curled up reading a trashy novel. The thought makes her smile. She's stuffing her phone back into the waistband of her black scrub pants just the elevator doors open revealing a very flustered looking Doctor Kanata. The cardiothoracic surgeon is muttering something about a pacemaker, her small beady eyes wide as she pushes her large circular lensed glasses up and on top of her head.

She's a short woman with honeyed caramel skin and curly dark brown hair that seems to have a life of its own. She's wearing the wavy mass tied back in a headband of orange her glasses now sitting on top of it. Maz is notoriously as blind as a bat, but will never admit it to a soul. She's hard-working, very demanding, incredibly funny and utterly unpredictable. Rey loves her. Doctor Kanata respects the nurses more than most doctors in the hospital and will often give them preference over her interns. It's a habit that's gotten her into heaps of trouble for in the past. She never seems to care though.

"Rey!" she cries as she steps onto the elevator. She's alone Rey notes, no sign of this mystery patient that Doctor Holdo had mentioned, "Thank goodness." Her hand is at Rey's elbow as she presses the button to the sixth floor and mutters something under her breath that sounds like 'stubborn old goat'.

Maz is a force to be reckoned with, she never stops thinking and rarely stops moving. Even now as the numbers overhead tick away counting the floors as they ascend she's shifting her weight from foot to foot. "You were looking for me?" Rey asks curiously. Her irritation at missing out on the emergency action is dissipating as she watches Maz. Her brain is a mess with thoughts and half-formed theories as she continues muttering to herself.

"What's that? Oh, yes, yes yes." Doctor Kanata nods as she works her tongue against her bottom lip, "I need your help dear," she tells Rey quickly, "We had a patient come in, issues breathing, pain in the chest, elevated heart rate, lightheadedness," then she pauses before adding with a strange look on her face, "Hiccups…"

"Heart attack?" Rey asks.

Maz presses her lips together, "No…" she says drawing out the sound of the 'o' as she thinks a moment, "I assumed that at first but it's the hiccuping that's got me thinking."

As the doors open and Maz steps off, Rey follows quickly behind. Doctor Kanata may be a small woman with short legs but she's quick as they come and Rey has a hard time keeping up. "Hiccups?" she calls after the doctor as she tries to match her speed, coming up short when Maz turns to face her.
"It has to be his pacemaker," she says assuredly. Rey is confused, but excited until her phone vibrates against her hip again. It makes her jump which draws Doctor Kanata's attention away from her racing thoughts. "Problem dear?" she says knowingly.

"Sorry Doctor, family thing," she explains cryptically, placing her hand over her phone a moment to stop it from sliding down her pant leg.

"Unless someone is sick and dying Ms. Niima…" Maz's voice brokers no excuses as she raises a questioning brow. Rey can see that the Doctor is starting to question her decision to ask for her. It's a matter of professional pride when she says in a soft voice.

"Someone's sick, sorry. I picked up the overtime weeks ago but Luke's been sick the past few days and I couldn't call in sick myself." she's explaining quickly, her cheeks heating with embarrassment for divulging that much personal information. Doctor Kanata however doesn't seem phased in the least.

"Do you have a sweater? Maybe at the nurse's station?" Rey nods, "Go get it and put that damn device in your pocket before it slides out your pant leg but whatever you do don't let anyone else see you have it or we'll both be in trouble."

Rey breaks out into a grin as she nods, "Yes Doctor, thank you."

"Go now, meet me in my office in ten minutes. I'll fill you in there. The patient is down getting tests run, I have two of my interns with him. That should be fun," with a cheeky sort of grin she adds, "Want to make a bet on whether or not they screw up?" Maz's eyes glitter with mischievous intent as she waves her hand dismissively and wanders off without waiting for an answer, "Ten minutes!" she calls and she's gone.

Unsure how to respond Rey takes off in a brisk walk down the hallway. Her feet clamber along back to the elevator as she goes off in search of her cardigan. The hospital can be cold at night and it's always a good idea to keep a sweater on hand just in case. Even in the summer months it's not wise to be caught without a warmer layer. The air-conditioning can be a persnickety thing on the best of days.

The nurse's station is empty when she arrives. Rey flits around throwing her sweater on before grabbing a handful of cashews she keeps in a bottom drawer and a protein bar for later just in case. She's back to the sixth floor and in Doctor Kanata's office before her allotted ten minutes, panting slightly after running the last stretch of hallway.

Maz looks up from her desk, a piece of jerky hanging from her lip. "Good hustle," she says around the piece of dried meat, leaning back in her chair as she gestures for Rey to take a seat. "Do you know why I asked for you?"

The truth is Rey has no idea why she's been summoned. She's not sure if she's being praised or punished or maybe even punked. All she knows is she was told to report to a department head and so she did. Nervousness aside she's deeply curious, her insides flutter with possibility. Whatever it is with Maz Kanata at the helm it can't be boring.

"No idea," she answers softly, ignoring as her phone vibrates again from within her pocket.

The Doctors brow arches again, "You're good with people Ms. Niima, you take no shit but you can talk them down which is a skill I am desperately in need of tonight." Another buzz and Doctor Kanata says, "Answer it Rey but make it quick, I need your full attention here."

Fumbling to draw out her phone Rey drops it on the floor, scrambling to pick it up. The screen protector is already cracked across the middle with pieces shattered at the top. This impact does nothing more to harm the phone but it rattles Rey's nerves. She has several more text messages from Finn explaining that he's administered ibuprofen and is going to wait to see how the next few hours pan out. If the fever doesn't break he's taking Luke to the hospital. He also asks if she ate his leftover Pad Thai to which Rey groans and rolls her eyes. She responds quickly and then stuffs her phone back into her pocket. "All yours," she says resolutely as Maz sets to explaining their evening task.

Han Solo is an old friend and a patient of Maz's. He's had a series of minor heart attacks in the past which weakened his heart. A year or two ago she put in a pacemaker and Han was back to being a scoundrel in no time. Now he's back in with his wife in toe complaining of chest pain, dizziness, trouble breathing and most curiously consistent hiccups. Maz is pretty sure there's an issue with his pacemaker but she wants to make sure that there hasn't been further damage done to the heart. Han is a wildcard who doesn't like to believe he's getting older and that's where Rey comes in. She's the buffer. Her job is to keep him settled and keep him under control while the interns do their work and Maz figures out what exactly Han needs. She warns Rey the job may sound easy but she promises a challenge.

So she's babysitting. Rey's heart drops a moment as she realizes she's been pulled off the floor to watch an old man with an attitude problem. She doesn't want to admit she's disappointed but she's sure the brief look of it crosses her face before she can hide it from Maz.

"This is a big deal kid, do you know who Han Solo is?"

She's not from the area so local celebrities and politicians mean nothing to her. Han could be the next King of Alderaan and Rey would be none the wiser. When she show's no indication of comprehending the gravity of the situation Maz pushes, "Han Solo and Leia Organa?"

Organa, now that name Rey knows but she doesn't know from where. It feels funny as she says it over in her head a few times before it settles somewhere in the pit of her belly. "Sorry," she says slowly, she feels like she's failing here. First, she's at her phone, then she shows her hand and now she's utterly clueless as to who these people are and what they mean.

"The Princess of Alderaan?" now that name she knows.

"They're big donors here aren't they?"

Doctor Kanata points at her sharply as she says, "Bingo," climbing to her feet she checks her watch and nods for Rey to follow. They carry down along the hallway passed a series of rooms as Doctor Kanata continues to explain the situation. She draws the lines of relation between Aldera Royal and the Organa family, explaining where their money comes from and how they choose to use it. She skirts around the basics of the Princess herself, nicknamed such as a result of her family's immense fortune. Leia is a lawyer who still practices albeit limitedly. There's talk she may go into politics but it's all just talk. They have a son too, Ben. He's a lawyer like his mother but for the longest time they all thought he'd be a pilot like his father. He doesn't work for his mother's firm though. His firm are a bunch of up and comers who just became legal counsel for the hospital here.

It's all very convoluted but it paints a pretty picture. When they come to the end of the hallway, a room to the back which is rarely used Rey has a firm idea of how important these people actually are and the importance of the task she's being given. Maz turns to her as she slips her large lensed glasses back down and onto her nose. "Most importantly, don't let him walk over you. He's a sweet talker and knows how to manipulate." her small hand is pressed against the closed door as she inhales sharply, "And like I said, he's an old friend of mine, we served together and I outranked him so I'm giving you full permission, no matter where his money goes, you're allowed to give him hell and say its directly from me."

Her head is swimming with information as Doctor Kanata opens the door and forces her way in. Rey is on her heels just a few steps behind, her hands shoved in her pockets. Sitting in the bed surrounded by a pair of hapless interns is a gentleman who looks to be in about his early sixties. His grey-white hair is a little shaggy looking and disheveled as he pulls his arms away from one of the interns making it difficult for them to place the leads. Sticky tabs connecting to wires are hanging everywhere as a blonde intern with a pointed face and glasses fumbles and the gentleman grumbles about useless kids.

Maz is laughing as she looks to Rey, silently issuing her first challenge. It's fun if you look at it as a game. Han Solo is swatting at the interns like they're flies on a horse's rear end, pulling the heart monitor clip off his finger as he struggles in his johnny shirt. It was a good move removing him of his clothing, maybe modesty will keep him in check.

As Han moves to stand, his johnny shirt slips and Rey catches a glimpse of his paisley blue undershorts. That theory has now gone out the window. It's her turn to see what she can do. She steps up pushing one of the interns aside, "Mr. Solo," she says with a stern sweetness that gets his attention at once.

"Jesus where did you come from?" he startles, his arms no longer flailing as he leans away from her, "You another one of the pirate's minions?" he's glaring at her in accusation but she doesn't let it faze her.

"No sir," she says with a laugh keeping her tone light and her touch soft as she helps him ease back into his bed. He doesn't put up any fight as she uses her petite form to block him from further escape and gently nudges him down into a half seated position with his legs extended in front to him, "I'm a nurse here, my name's Rey. It's a pleasure." she says with a smile and she's adjusting his johnny shirt so that it adequately covers him again. "You seem a little frustrated, how can I help?"

Han's looking at her utterly bewildered. She's managed to subdue him, stopping his tantrum with quick efficiency. "My wife dragged me in here," he's complaining. When he's calm Rey can notice the slight intakes hitching at the back of his throat, the persistent hiccups Doctor Kanata had mentioned. "I feel fine really, I just got a little light-headed." he leans in close indicating should Rey to do the same, "I was going to take a viagra," he whispers conspiratorially, "I don't actually need them but it's our anniversary and…"

"And he's a damn fool," comes a voice from the doorway as a woman a little shorter then Rey enters the room. She has a handsome face and Rey can tell that in her youth she was a show stopper. Her lips are full, brown eyes shadowed by glasses with tinted frames. her hair is swept off her shoulders, the front clipped back behind her head while the rest is allowed to hang loose. She's wearing a black dress with opal embellishments and a pair of sneakers that don't quite fit the ensemble. "I should have never listened to you, telling me you were ok. This has been going on for days Maz, can you believe it?"

Maz rolls her eyes as the woman comes to stand on the other side of the bed leveling Han with a direct gaze. "You better listen or you'll never have use for those little blue pills again." she threatens. Han's brows raise into his hairline and he holds his hand out for Rey allowing her to place the heart monitor back onto his fingers.

"No more trouble from you?" she asks kindly as he crosses his arm adopting a child-like posture. His wife, Leia swats at him and he relaxes against the bed. Rey is beginning to think her presence wasn't necessary after all, Leia is a force to be reckoned with but she can see where Han may get her wound up. She's the buffer and the professional in this situation. She places the leads for the frightened intern, her hands slipping beneath the neck of the johny shirt with smooth deft fingers. Rey has always prided herself on her efficiency and before they know it Han's vitals are dancing to life on a screen located on a monitor above his head.

"The beeping is annoying," he grumbles as Leia smooths out his hair.

Her rings glint in the half-light of the room, the florescent monstrosities have been turned off leaving the room washed in the low light of the table lamps. The rings are old but pristine and Rey admires them fondly as Leia lets her fingers play against Han's scalp. His hiccupping is much more pronounced when he's relaxed and Maz is watching with a mute curiosity, her eyes flickering between Han and the monitor. He and Leia are talking in hushed tones now, entertaining a private conversation as Doctor Kanata ushers Rey and the interns towards the door.

"Cade and… what's your name again?" She asks larger of the two. A tall ginger with a wide face, green eyes and freckles.

"Harper, Doctor Kanata, Dahlas Harper,"

"Right, Cade and Harper, did you get the echo I asked for?"

The two interns looked sheepish and Maz's eyes bulge, magnified by the roundness of her glasses. She's got her thumb and forefinger against the bridge of her nose as she sighs and then turns to Rey, "Ok, These two need to get that done, you'll stay with them? Page me if I'm needed I have a few other patients to check in on. If his pressure fluctuates too much page me. Me, not Doctor Durst or Chisholm you got that? Me. Those suck-ups aren't to get anywhere near Solo."

Once everyone is given their task, the interns bustling off in a bumbling mass Rey turns and joins Leia at Han's bedside. "Do either of you need anything?" She asks pleasantly,

Han makes a childish face, "I'd kill for a cheeseburger." he grumbles his arms still folded as he looks away from both Rey and his wife in a petulant act of defiance. He knows he's not getting a cheeseburger just like Rey knows this is all an act.

"No, thank you, dear, our son will be here soon, he's bringing me a change of clothes and a coffee."

That got Han's attention, he turns quickly to Leia hazel eyes wide and affronted, "You called the boy?" he cries, shifting so that he's sitting up a little more now. Rey is careful to watch the leads and monitor as the leads strain against his movements but stay resolutely stuck to his body. Good.

Leia gives Han a look as if to say, 'don't be stupid' as she shakes her head at her fool of a husband. "I suppose you've been instructed to stay with us have you?" she calls to Rey who is moving around the room now tidying up the already immaculate space. She has never done well with idle time and when given nothing to do, she often cleans. It's an annoying habit that bothers her family but Rey hates to be still. She feels restless and uneasy as her phone bounces against her hip from within her pocket vibrating once, then again. She ignores it for fear of being rude wondering idly about her patients and their story as she turns to them with a smile.

"I'm all yours," she tells them happily, her phone vibrates again and panic starts to set in. She opts to ignore the bubbling heat welling up inside of her when the vibrations set to a steady rate indicating phone call and not text message. Guilt pools deep within her chest as she glances at the door.

"Are you ok?" Leia asks.

Han quips, "You're looking a little squirrelly there kid…"

When the vibrating doesn't stop Rey excuses herself and steps into the hallway quickly. There's a small alcove in the corner that overlooks the hospital gardens and Rey slips into it, hiding from sight. When she pulls her phone out she has several text messages and two missed calls. Sweat breaks out across her back as her mind tumbles into a state of worry. Soon Finn's name lights up her screen again, he's calling for the third time and this time Rey answers.

"Finn, is everything ok?"

"I don't know Rey, this fever isn't coming down. I've tried the ibuprofen, and I'd already given him acetaminophen before that so he's double dosed. I'm getting really worried."

"Fuck, ok." Rey's mind reels running through the possible causes, things they came into contact with over the last week, things they'd eaten lately. It had to be a bug there was no other explanation. She was beginning to feel helplessly stuck at work with no way to provide any sort of relief. "Is he conscious?"

"And miserable," Finn responds, "look Peanut, I'm giving it until Poe gets home from work and if this hasn't gotten any better then I'm taking him in."

Rey is agreeing quickly as she checks her watch, Poe will be home in another twenty minutes, not too long but long enough to allow the meds to kick in. "Ok, I'm in cardio tonight but Holdo is on in Emergency, bring him in there. Tell them who you are and that they need to get Holdo, she'll get a hold of me."

They share a moment of quiet before Finn agrees, tells Rey he loves her and they both hang up. Rey's mind is in a tailspin. She hates herself for having picked up these extra shifts. She should be home with her family instead she's picking up shifts she doesn't need.

Shaking herself off Rey scrubs her hands against her cheeks, wiping away the glistening unshed tears that are threatening her quiet resolve. She squares herself up and pushes into the room again a sweet smile fixed to her face, "So sorry about that."

Her apology is accepted with a sweet smile and the next hour or more is passed by in polite conversation. Leia asks Rey about herself while Han grumbles about how hungry he is and asks when 'Ding and Dong' are going to return. It's a good question, Rey was sure they were supposed to come back to do an echo but Cade and Harper appeared to have gotten lost on their way. Rey's ok with it though. She finds herself sitting on the end of Han's bed while he and Leia sit side by side, Leia stretched out next to him, her sneakers discarded on the floor

She likes them, they're a sweet couple, funny and down to earth. When Han is more relaxed he has a way of telling stories that have you hanging off of his every word. He talks about his time as a pilot and how he flew in both the public and private sectors. That was how he met Leia. She and a friend were going away for spring break and they met Han at a bar in Naboo. What was intended to be a one night stand ended up with Han extending his stay so that they could get better acquainted?

They love each other in the way that the people in Rey's romance novels do. They're completely enamored with one another like two people who have just fallen in love. According to them though they've been together over thirty years and Rey can't help but hope she finds even a quarter of that affection in another human being.

Doctor Kanata comes back periodically to check in inquiring after her interns only to storm off in annoyance. There is a strong likelihood they were stolen away by another Doctor for more grunt work. Rey says a silent prayer for whatever Doctor stole Maz's interns because there's bound to be hell to pay. Finally Kaydel Connix shows up, her hair pulled back in a pair of matching buns. She's eager and bright-eyed and ready to take Han for more scans. Rey agrees to stay with Leia at Han's insistence but she'll be down to get him in a little bit.

It's passed twelve when Rey's phone goes off and without thinking she pulls it from her pocket. Her cheeks flush pink when she realizes her error and she apologizes profusely to Leia. It's strange to feel so comfortable with someone like this but a text message at twelve is more than likely from Poe or Finn.

"Boyfriend?" Leia asks curiously as she peeks down at the phone.

'POE' is illuminated against the dark screen in big letters, "Oh no, roommate," she says casually then realizes how it might look that she's so blasé about checking a text from a roommate, "Someone at home is sick, I should be there with them but I picked up an extra shift. They're keeping me updated." she explains.

Poe is telling Rey that Luke's been asleep for the past hour or so, not to worry. If anything changes they'll let her know. She smiles good news thank goodness.

"I'm surprised Ben isn't here yet," Leia says idly checking her watch as she shifts into the warmth of Han's position. She's curled up against his pillow when her eyes drift shut. The room falls into a hushed quiet as Rey adjusts the lighting and throws a spare blanket overtop of Leia's now sleeping form. Once she's sure Leia is out Rey slips from the room and ventures down to the imagining department to find Han. Kaydel is just finishing up with him as Rey arrives. He looks thoroughly annoyed and she's beginning to feel bad for sending the intern on her own.

"You behaving there Solo?" Rey chimes, her hand pressed against the door frame as she slips into the room. Han is just getting situated back into his wheelchair as Rey approaches.

"I thought that part as optional," he quips lightly, leaning forward so that his elbows rest against the arms of the rolling chair, "Where's my wife?"

"I left her asleep upstairs, thought you might have missed us so I came down to check on you." she says teasingly, "Can he have some apple juice or something? He really should keep his sugars up." she finds herself telling Kaydel.

The intern is looking nervous, eyeing the scans on the screen. She doesn't hear Rey as she approaches, startling as she comes around to look at the computer. Rey is by no means an expert at reading scans but she can certainly pick up on a few things. That with the fact that Kaydel looks utterly flummoxed has Rey thinking something is very wrong. After another quick glance she sees what the intern is looking at and a low-grade panic begins to well up from deep within her. "You should go get Maz now," Rey whispers quickly, "Right now, go." she nods to the scan and the intern agrees. She's out of the room quickly while Rey saunters over to Han, wheeling him away as if nothing has happened.

"Where's she going in a hurry?" asks a gruff and irritated Han.

"Frightened off by your animal magnetism," Rey replies lightly making Han laugh. It's a nice sound, kind, and earnest.

He turns his head as they make their way down the hallway, "I like you, you know that? you're a good kid," he tells her before changing the subject. "My good for nothing son show up yet?"

It's Rey's turn to laugh, she isn't sure if Han is joking or the animosity he has for his son is real but she's going to assume it's a joke. "No, not yet,"

As they return to his room Han is telling Rey about the night he had planned for him and Leia. He's pissed off that his bum ticker couldn't hold out for one more damn day but he knows how he'll make it up to her. He's a funny guy, charming in a way that's almost old fashion as he talks about wooing his wife.

"She's good and woo'd already don't get me wrong…" he's saying happily as they come around the corner that leads to his private little area of the hospital. He's the only one down here so the tall man in the suit hovering about causes Rey to pause. His back is turned to them and he looks like he's looking for something. He's wearing a grey button-down dress shirt, the cuffs rolled up exposing well-defined forearms, a black waistcoat, black slacks and she's willing to bet a black tie. His blazer, also black she notes is slung over one of his forearms as he glances down the hallway opposite.

Rey can't help but admire the way his shoulders look, cut beneath the fine fabric. He's lean and broad, his dark hair holding the slightest wave as it sits around his shoulders. When he finally turns to face them, his profile lit by the ungodly bright florescent lighting Rey picks up on the silhouette of a strong nose, full lips and a beauty mark gazing his cheek. This beautiful stranger causes her chest to flutter in a way that makes her mentally admonish her foolishness.

"Dad?" the stranger he calls, striding towards them now.

But after a moment of taking him in Rey realizes he's not a stranger at all, she knows him from before, a meeting once upon a time as his name ghosts passed her lips causing him to freeze in his tracks.

"Ben?"