Rude Awakening

by

John Medkeff

and

Rebecca Miller

Mikala lie motionless, suspended on a cushion of air a few centimeters above the sleep couch. A traction field hummed softly as it gently, but firmly held her torso and back providing the reverse tension need to ease the swelling in her back from the replaced vertebra.

She sighed softly, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled towards consciousness. Abruptly, the monitors beside her sleep couch blared in warning as her respiration, blood pressure, and heart rate skyrocketed.

Her eyes snapped open, stark terror reflecting in the dark orbs. Panic radiated off her in waves as she lashed out through the Force at whatever had her pinned down. Suddenly, the monitors beside her exploded in a shower of sparks.

All over the house her siblings dropped what they were doing and watched the Force. Then the whole family rushed to Mikala's room.

Mikala tried to focus on what had her trapped. She had to get free.

"Wake up," Sandy whispered in her mind. "Your all right."

"I'm trapped! I can't move! Let me go! I'll be good. Just let me go!" she cried back.

"Block her Force pulses from wreaking the room, "Taras ordered the other kids.

"Calm," Sandy whispered, you're not trapped. But your back needs to be motionless."

Mikala's face twisted in panic as the other minds brush against her and that only served to strengthen her panic. Her fists clenched as she struggled to fight it down. "Where am I?"

Sandy began reattaching the more important connections.

"You're in your room, dear," Taras answered. "You are safe in bed. It was only a dream."

Her eyes drifted shut a moment and then struggled open again. "My room?"

"Yes, your room, at home, you're safe."

"Relax," Sandy added. "You are driving your blood pressure to high."

She sighed and nodded, smiling a little. She blinked a few times and then looked around. "Oh," she said softly seeing them all surrounding her sleep couch. She looked over at ruined monitors and she blanched.

"I'm sorry. Oh, Sith, what did I do?"

"You broke every piece of glass in the room," Iri answered.

She closed her eyes. "Oh, Sith," she moaned.

"You drifted a bit far into your dreams." Her father added.

She opened her eyes again. "You were in my dream," she said softly.

"Yes, I followed you in." he answered. "You were in to deep for your condition. Fortunately, few places are safer than Keiren's garden."

She nodded and looked up at him. "Did we really talk or was I just dreaming that?"

"You were dreaming I think." her Father answered.

"Oh," she said softly, her expression falling a bit.

"I you could have made it to the astral plane. It lies just beyond our dreams," Sandy added. "But I doubt it."

Mikala nodded distractedly.

"Who were you talking to?" Taras asked.

"Does it matter if it was just a dream?" she asked.

"Probably not. But those we meet in dreams usually mean something."

She sighed. "He said he was Alidar D'med. Somebody my grandmother knew a long time ago."

"I remember that you said he was the one who drove her from the Jedi."

She nodded. "But he didn't look at all like Grandmother described. He looked like, well, like a man. A normal man."

"And what I told you was real. We were inside your dream but what I said was real."

She looked up at him, searching his face. "That was real?"

"Yes."

She nodded, tears filling her eyes, slipping silently from her eyes and into her hair.

"I think Alidar's presence is just random memories coming to the surface." Sandy interrupted. "Your subconscious probably hung his name on someone else's face."

She nodded, looking away. She tried to reached her left hand up to brush the tears away, but she couldn't coordinate her movements.

"Careful, some of your nerve connections are going to be erratic for a day or so." Sandy warned.

Mikala struggled push the panic down again, starting to hyperventilate. "I feel so helpless," she said softly, struggling to keep her breathing under control.

Sandy laughed. "Everyone is helpless after surgery. Don't let it get to you."

Fear surged through her and she struggled to quell it. "When will I be able to move?"

"It'll be a day or two. And even then it'll be better if you wait for a day or so beyond that."

She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I know it annoying to be trapped here for a couple of days." Sandy agreed, "but your body needs the rest."

"I heal fast," she said flatly.

"No one heals as fast as you, or anyone else in this family seem to believe."

"Can't I just sleep through it?"

"Not all of it. If I put you under too long, you might not come back."

"I don't like being trapped," she told her. "I panic and I break things."

"So I see." Taras answered. "Maybe its time to start teaching you some things about the Force."

"Lice what?" she asked.

"How to center your self."

"That we can do from here."

She nodded. "Okay."

"I don't like being trapped," she told her. "I panic and I break things."

"So I see." Taras answered. "Maybe its time to start teaching you some things about the Force."

"Like what?" she asked.

"How to center your self," he said. "That we can do from here."

She nodded. "Okay."

"Close your eyes and relax," he told her.

Mikala tried to comply. A least her eyes were closed. She felt him reaching out to her through the Force for her. She struggled to keep calm. He wouldn't hurt her. She forced herself to relax and she opened her mind to him.

*Relax and open your to the Force and let it take your fear.* he said in her mind.

Mikala could remember her grandmother teaching her something like a long time go, but she hadn't remember it until now. She followed his example and she felt her body relaxing, the tension easing.

He pulled back and she felt herself drifting off to sleep again.

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