"So... How are we doing this?" Sabine asks, staring through the ramp and at the plains of Lothal before turning to the speeder.

"I don't care. You should probably drive or you'll be crushed by me." Zeb jokes lightly, only pulling a slight smile from Sabine.

"Okay," Sabine says, moving forwards to take a seat on the speeder, "Let's get this over with," She mumbles almost to quietly for Zeb to hear. 

"Do you have the credits?" Zeb asks.

Sabine's reply is her holding up the bag of credits before she starts the speeder.

"Hop on or you're walking."

Zeb doesn't need to be told twice. He barely sits down as Sabine launches them down the ramp and into Lothal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not five minutes have passed since Zeb and Sabine left to get the antidote and things are already going from bad to worse.

Ezra, who has been relatively silent up till this point, began screaming in pain. His voice hoarse as tears stream down his face.

"Hera, can't we do anything?" Kanan practically pleas.

Hera turns to him, sorrow in her eyes and concern clearly displayed on her face, "We can sedate him..."

Kanan wants to tell her to do it, but he knows he needs to ask, "But...?"

Hera turns to him, tears brimming in her eyes, "But if we do, there's a chance he won't wake back up."

Kanan's breath catches in his throat as he eyes his Padawan closely.

Hera purses her lips, waiting for his decision before voicing her own opinion.

After a tense minute, Kanan shakes his head once, "No. I promised him he'd wake back up. I'm not risking it... not even if it'll put him out of his misery." 

Hera let's out an inaudible sigh of relief.

As much as she doesn't want Ezra in pain, she wants him to live more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sabine and Zeb pull into a nearby town, barely parking the speeder before jumping off and rushing to the nearest medical store.

"What do you mean you don't have it?!" Sabine shouts at the clerk, outraged beyond belief.

"I-I'm sorry. We sold the last of our shipment to Imperials going off world." The store clerk says, hands raised above his head.

Sabine slams her hand on the counter before storming out of the store.

"Gee, what's her problem?" Zeb turns towards the back of the store where some trooper cadets lounge around as one collects different medicines.

"What did you say?" Zeb growled almost to low for anyone to hear.

Clearly not low enough seeing as everyone in the store (the clerk and cadets) turn and stare at him.

"What did you say?!" Zeb demands.

The cadet's eyes widen in fear before he straightens, forcing himself to look tough, "I said, what's her problem."

The kid points out the window to where Sabine is pacing before she presses her back against the wall and slides down.

If looks could kill, the cadet would be dead ten times over, "How dare you! You know nothing about her!"

The boy scoffs, clearly not noticing that all his other friends, except for the one gather the medicine, had ran off, "Like you do."

Zeb's glare intensifies, "Yes, I do, actually. And for your information, she's upset because her brother is dying and the only hope for his survival was the elixir we were looking for. Which Imperials bought."

"And that's my fault?" The boy accuses.

Zeb's about to snap back when the other cadet steps forwards, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder and whispering something lowly in his ear.

The boy nods before running off.

The other cadet pays for the medicine before motioning for Zeb to follow him outside.

The cadet leads Zeb to an alleyway before pulling off his helmet and turning to face him properly for the first time.

Zeb's shoulders sag in relief, glad the cadet was who he assumed.

"The elixir, the one your looking for, do you have it written down?" The cadet asks.

Zeb nods hesitantly, pulling out the datapad and showing the boy.

The boy takes it before smiling, "Good, it's that one. There's a herb shop in a town about two clicks south from here. I can send a message for you and they'll get the elixir ready for you."

Zeb nod to the boy once before turning to leave only to stop mid-step and turn back.

"Why are you helping me?"

"It's the right thing to do." The cadet states with a knowing smile Zeb returns.

"Tell Dev I say 'hi'." The boy yells back as he runs off.

Zeb, with a good natured grin, shakes his head fondly, "Will do, Zare. Will do."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's been thirty minutes. Thirty freakin' minutes.

What do those two not understand about a time sensitive mission?

Ezra is clearly running out of time and as much as Kanan hates to admit it, he's starting to think it might be better just to put his Padawan out of his misery.

What? Like some glorified Loth-cat? This is Ezra were talking about! One side of Kanan's mind argues.

But he's in so much pain. He doesn't deserve that, he deserves what's best for him. Even if it's the hard decision. The other side argues.

Enough! No way, he's Ezra! He'll fight all the way. Feeling like he still needs confirmation, Kanan adds, I promised.

And with that, Kanan braces himself for the long run undoubtedly ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Zeb goes to find Sabine, he can honestly say he's surprised by what he finds.

Sabine sits on the ground, hands over her ears, head lowered to her knees as she sits with her back to the wall of the shop.

What surprises Zeb is the cadets surrounding her, throwing insults and the occasional piece of trash. Sabine could easily take them, that he's sure of. But instead she just sits there, enduring it all in a silence so untypical for her vibrant personality.

Even through the insults, Zeb picks up the sound of Sabine's quick gasps of breathe.

A piece of trash hitting to close for comfort snaps Zeb out of his stupor. Stepping forward, Zeb blocks Sabine with a Lasat barrier between her and the cadets.

"Hey! I thought I told you to leave her alone!" Zeb roared.

"I thought I told you that we don't care!" The snarky cadet replied only to get supported by the sound of his fellow cadet's laughter.

Having more than enough of it, Zeb charges. Knocking two cadets back with one blow, Zeb barely has to tackle the boys before they're off running.

"That'll teach 'em." Zeb huffs before turning back to Sabine.

Sabine remains sitting, but Zeb notices that she seems to be... rocking back and forth? Small whimpers escape her lips.

Zeb stares on, concern furrowing his brow but not knowing what to do.

Crouching down, Zeb reaches out cautiously, gently lifting Sabine's eyes to match his.

"Hey. It's okay. They won't hurt you anymore."

A small sob escapes Sabine as she forces her head back onto her lap, this time with her chin on her knees. Her eyes staring ahead at a nothingness Zeb can't see.

"Come on Sabine..." Zeb sighs as he plops down next to her.

They sit in silence for a moment before Sabine softly speaks, "He's gonna die, isn't he."

The question was said so much like a statement that Zeb started.

Eyes growing why in disbelief, "No! Of course not!" Then in a lighter tone, "Come on Sabi. This is Ezra we're talking about! He's too stubborn to die."

Sabine gave a quiet chuckle at that and Zeb smiled.

Standing, Zeb lowers his hand down to help Sabine up, "Come on, our inside source informed me of a place we can get that elixir for Ezra."

Sabine immediately perks up, grabbing Zeb's hand and practically shooting up.

"Why didn't you say so?!" Sabine races ahead, only to turn back and shout, "Hurry up, slowpoke! We're on a schedule!" Before running the rest of the way.

Zeb shakes his head fondly, smiling, before making haste back to the speeder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The screams finally stop. Blissful silence is all Kanan can hear.

For all of two seconds.

Yes, Ezra is no longer screaming at the top of his lungs, instead pitiful whimpers of pain and soft moaning replace the silence as Ezra slips into unconsciousness.

His head rocks back and forth as nightmares caused by the fever cloud his mind.

Kanan scoots his chair closer, picking up a bowl of water and a cloth from a nearby table.

Soaking the cloth, Kanan sighs as he checks his Padawan's steadily rising temperature.

After ringing and repeating with a second cloth, Kanan gently cleans his Padawan's dance and neck before placing a second cloth on his forehead.

Carding his fingers gently through his Padawan's hair, Kanan only hopes his presence will somehow smooth his student.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back on the speeder and speeding to the next town, Sabine and Zeb brake every law know to man (and even some that aren't) as they try to shave time off their arrival time.

Choosing not to mention Sabine's temporary (time consuming) mental brake-down, they arrive shortly in anticipating silence.

Pulling into the town, Zeb follows coordinates to the location of the shop.

After asking Sabine (telling her to do something would make her do the opposite) to stay with the speeder and keep it running so they could leave immediately, Zeb makes his way into the shop.

The second Zeb enters the small hut-like shop, Zeb is blinded by green-lights and the overbearing smell of controlled nature.

Cautiously making his way to where he assumes the front of the shop is, Zeb can't help but wonder how a shop like this survived the rise of the Empire.

Reaching what he assumes is the credit-register, Zeb looks around hoping to spot someone in this low life town.

Zeb turns to leave when an older human lady, short in height and slightly wide enters with a small pouch carefully clutched in her hands.

Noticing Zeb with a start, the lady puts a hand on her chest, "Oh my! You almost gave me a heart attack! Let me guess, Zare sent you."

Zeb only nods in bemusement.

"That boy... A good boy, mind you. His heart is in the right place. But he's going to get himself killed! When I was his age, if I was to do something like this I would've been shot and killed! Of course, when I was his age I lived on a world in the cross-hairs of the Clone Wars. Then again-" The woman looks up, noticing Zeb shifting awkwardly, "Oh! But of course! Sill me! Pardon my rambling! I just get so excited when I get visitors!"

Zeb just nods slightly, unsure of what to do.

"Zare sent me the list of ingredients and let me tell you, that's not a concoction I've seen in a long while! I haven't had to make that since I was but a girl!" The woman hands Zeb the pouch, "Mind that, would you! The container is fragile and the contents are hard to find unless they're home grown like they are here. I brought them from my home planet, like I said. I was but a girl. Ah! But I'm getting ahead of myself! I've taken it upon myself to make the elixir. If it's for what I think it's for, you'll need all the extra time you can get."

"I'll let you go then!" The lady looks up, seeing Zeb stand their dumbfounded.

Brows furrowing in concern, the lady taps his arm once. Gumping slightly as Zeb starts.

Shaking his head to clear it, Zeb looks down at the lady, "Sorry, I just was not expecting that. Thank you, by the way. How much do I owe you."

The woman just smiles, "A good chat is on the house, now get!"

Zeb, though thoroughly confused as to what just happened, smiles before turning and racing to the speeder.

"Go." Zeb says as he sits, securing the pouch.

"What happened in there?" Sabine asks curiously, "I don't think I've seen you that shaken up in a while. And that says something!"

"Don't ask." Zeb groans, preparing for the rocky drive ahead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back on the Ghost, Kanan replaces the cloth for what feels like the million time when Ezra begins coughing.

Kanan gentoy props Ezra up with nearby pillows, hoping it'll help him breathe easier.

Ezra continues to cough, then wheeze and gasp. 

Seeing enough, Kanan contacts Hera via comm as Ezra begins gagging.

Hot bile spews from his mouth as he continues to cough, somehow still unconscious.

Kanan runs forwards, hoping to assist his Padawan in any way possible.

Kanan is leaning over Ezra when Hera rushes in.

Kanan looks up, pure terror shining clearly in his eyes, "He's not breathing!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gah, sorry then ending (last two) were rushed. I kinda got very annoyed. Sorry it took so long and everything. I'll try to update when I can! Until then....... HUG SOME PINEAPPLES!!!!!!