A/N: The promt I used was 'concussion', so I researched about it online. Sorry if i got some details or facts wrong. Not a doctor or have a medical degree. Also, ever so slight one-sided mentioned Rexsoka in one or two sentences-nothing big at all.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
That's what Ahsoka kept telling herself.
Just breathe in, and breathe out.
Her heart had finally come back down to its semi-normal rate, though understandingly she was still very shook up after that crash landing. She barely had time to react the way she did, and still manage to get the craft to safety...well, not exactly safety, but at least out of the line of heavy separatist laser fire, and descend into this unknown planet's atmosphere. If she recalled correctly (her body was still a little light-headed and woozy), every part of the vessel was damaged and that impact shattered it completely. Ahsoka was still strapped in the pilot's seat (as she was the one flying), but her senses indicated that this ship was well beyond operational, and if she didn't get out soon, she would likely end up having the same fate, since the engines, hyperdrive and fuel tank were bound to blow up with the amount of fire burning...it was only a matter of time.
As far as she could tell, she wasn't seriously hurt. There were shallow gashes in her skin from glass cuts, minor burns across her flesh and she felt an aching headache behind her eyes, but nothing seemed to be critical. Her wounds were simply cuts bleeding slightly from her arms, shoulders, chest and that slit in her head, but it looked a lot worse then it actually was. She was able to stand and climb out, so Ahsoka was relieved for that.
Finding her way out through the wreckage was another issue. Most of the ship was in pieces and nothing resembled the way it looked before, so she couldn't tell the difference between a hallway and a ventilation shaft—everything was too destroyed, damaged or singed to tell them apart.
She tried to remember which way was which, but only remembered the events that transpired beforehand. Ahsoka was flying, trying to escape the separatists, the vessel was just trying to drop of supplies for war refugees, a laser bolt hit the hyperdrive, the ship plummeted into a planet...and then with a sickening thought she remembered that she wasn't the only person on this supply mission. Her Master was onboard, too. He went to the rear of the ship to fix the hyperdrive...
Her paces became faster and now she was no longer searching for a way out, but traveling further into the ship.
"Master," Ahsoka called, her voice hoarse and not that audible. She was truly worried when she couldn't sense his presence vividly as before, though from what she could tell, he seemed to feel overpowering worry, anxiety and distress. This really affected her, too, because if Anakin was concerned about the situation, she would be as well. He was always the bravado type, and Ahsoka hardly ever felt him like this. She didn't like it.
Jumping down to the lower level, Ahsoka followed the faint presence to the source. She found herself in the large main control room (or what's left of it). Yellow-white sparks flew from the wrecked panels—the only light illuminating the scene, alongside warning alarm lights and one of her green lightsabers. It added an emerald tint to the dark area.
At first glance, Ahsoka thought the thick liquid pooled at her feet was fuel—she assumed that oil or some other substance had leaked out (like it had in other places)—but felt a nauseating churn inside her stomach when she realised fuel wasn't scarlet red...but blood was.
"Anakin," she said into the darkness, the worry not failing to seep into her voice. A second later the Togruta saw the scorched fabric of her Master's Jedi-issue tunic, the dark blond hair covered in dust particles and Anakin's severely pale features behind chunks of shrapnel.
"Anakin, hey, can you hear me?" she deactivated her sabre and used the Force to lift the rubble away. Kneeling beside him, she noticed that he wasn't awake—the puncture wound under his hairline with an excessive amount of bleeding was probably to blame for that.
He mumbled in his unconscious state, and Ahsoka furrowed her eye-markings as the same distressed emotions coursed through their bond.
"Anakin," she said again. This time cracks of blue showing through his slitted eyes appeared.
Still dazed or not fully coherent, the young man said something like: "Padme." It was so soft and quiet, Ahsoka didn't think she heard him right.
His eyes opened more and he took in the surrounding setting. Ahsoka knew where she was when she had awoken, but apparently her Master did not. Slight waves of panic ripped through the Force, as Ahsoka lowered her mental-shields to allow him to sense her near-by presence.
The ship groan and creaked, the sound alerting Ahsoka that it wasn't long before this whole vessel collapses in on itself, and arousing Anakin to the point he gravely asked, "We crashed, didn't we?"
Ahsoka bit her lip, feeling responsible for this mess. She was flying, and she should've evaded all those seppie droid fighters. "Yeah... I'm sorry." Suddenly she felt like scoffing, recalling how Anakin was totally against this simple mission, stating it was boring.
He looked at her with a muddled expression. "Snips, what do you mean?"
Another jolt shook the ship and it cause both Jedi to snap their heads up, and listen for the eerie groan of more sections starting to give way.
They could talk about this later, preferably not at all, she decided. Right now, escaping this was more important. "We should move," Ahsoka stated, bracing her arm around Anakin's back, aiding the Human Jedi into a sitting position. His movements were slow and slurred, and she knew it was going to be really difficult getting him out of here in this kind of state. His eyes were constantly in a disorientated manner, like the rest of his body language.
"I...I was fixing the hyperdrive..." he murmured, looking around again.
Ahsoka nodded feebly, and only replied with a, "I know." She didn't want him thinking about the crash, only on getting out. It wasn't his fault the vessel was disabled before they could ascend into light speed... "Now lets find away out of here."
Anakin came to his feet shakily, and the second he was upright he nearly doubled over. Ahsoka still kept him from collapsing completely. She noticed that as soon as her hand slid over his tunic, scarlet red tainted her hand...A lot, too.
Not good.
It was dark with barely any light, so to assess and tend to her Master now wouldn't be very effective.
Finding a stable-enough place in the inner-wall, she used her lightsaber to carve a symmetrical circle. Once the disk was complete, she slashed an 'X' across the disk so it would easily manoeuvre and break when Force-pushed out. Some of her energy was draining, so she wouldn't simply just cut a hole and attempt to bash the remaining disk out.
The blinding light hit them first, both wincing as they're eyes met the new bright light.
The new hole in the ship caused it to creek again, this time more powerfully. Seeing the future, Ahsoka knew everything would collapse around them, trapping both Jedi further and making it near-impossible to get out. The Togruta didn't want that vision to become a reality. "Lets go!" She shouted over the groaning noises. The pair dove towards the dry grass just as shrapnel barely missed their heads. Another unidentified piece of metal work followed after, hitting Ahsoka slightly, and transferring momentum. The blow didn't hurt, but it sure knocked the air out of her lungs, and probably Anakin, too, when the duo smashed into the ground.
The girl groaned, forcing her eyelids to open. She rubbed a spot on her shoulder that was fomming an ugly purple bruise.
Well...that could have gone better. I've had smoother landings...both with that ship and that fall.
The brown, scorched grass shuffled roughly against her lower half as she sat up. It was something that reminded her of sandpaper or something—not comfortable in the slightest, yet it did soften her fall somewhat.
The orange sunset gloomed over the horizon and it looked so calming, though with the destroyed ship alongside it, it was beautiful in a way forest fires were beautiful—serene, yet chaotic; peaceful, yet wild; equanimity, yet flaming. The only noise was the crackling of fire and groaning of shrapnel.
"Anakin?" she called, snapping her attention back to her friend, who had fallen in a rather awkward position.
He moaned and arched away from her touch. Once again, blood stained her hand. His now dark red tunic was covered in his own blood. Ahsoka skimmed over his body, probing for the wound causing so much bleeding.
He gasped when her hand put pressure on his chest, and cautiously she inspected the area that apparently was causing pain. Ahsoka winced as she removed a layer of clothing. The blood had sept into his undershirt, due to some sort of extensive gash. It looked sharp and deep, though with the bleeding this heavy, it was impossible to tell.
"Kriff...the medpacks are still onboard with the rest of the supplies." she hissed, wishing she'd grab something useful in that escape. First-aid kits were supposed to be a necessity, though in the time she desperately needed one, she didn't have it. Just cotton gauzes and medical disinfectant would be enough...oh, and by the look on half-conscious Anakin's face, pain killers, too. "Hey," she started in a calming voice, more for her own sake then his. The optimistic part of her was searching for other ways they'd be able to get out of this mess. "The fleet must've known we got shot down, so they'll probably—definitely—send Rex and his squad to find us." She knew that was a fact, no false hope in that statement. The 501st men would do anything for their General, she just needed to hope Anakin would stay stable enough between now and whenever they were found.
"Oh, okay..." he seemed so different, distracted and distance. Ahsoka wasn't sure he was taking in the information she just told him. "Should we use the comms?"
She doubted a signal through ordinary commlinks would send light years away, and didn't think he knew that either.
"It's alright," now at this point she was definitely reassuring herself. "Rex'll come. I know it." There was a pause, as the Padawan knelt down again, the edges of her full lips curving into a forced smiled. "Lets focus on your mess right now."
"I'm alright. I'm...I'm fine." Anakin said softly, not sounding at all convincing.
"I would believe that if you could manage to keep upright, Skyguy."
He was too busy trying not to sway while sitting, or fall unconscious to even retaliate with a witty remark or a 'Snips'...this was a little concerning. For Once, she really wanted him to tease her.
She felt around with the Force to get a sense of what he was feeling both physically and mentally. Physically, most pain was being numbed by the little fading adrenalin running through his veins and Ahsoka's attempts to block it out. Mentally he was mostly dazed, a little confused. He must've hit his head harder than she thought.
She knew it wasn't a good idea to have him sleep, but his quiet and dazed behaviour was troubling.
He slugged over again, this time leaning against Ahsoka before he could drop entirely. It was times like these where the pair were more friends or even siblings, rather than Master and Apprentice. Now, they were just two equals, one supporting the other while they were injured. It may have been unnatural for other Master/Padawan duos to act so dependant—so attached—with one another, but for the Human and Togruta, it was completely fine, wether it was Anakin in Ahsoka's place or Ahsoka in Anakin's—it didn't matter.
She'd ask the rhetorical question of 'are you alright?', but the answer was obvious, and she wasn't going to accept 'I'm fine,' as a response again.
Instead, it was actually Anakin to be the one to speak. His eyes started flickering back and forth, and Ahsoka caught bits and pieces of what was going through his mind. They were incoherent thoughts, hardly understandable. Though what he said was the same thing he said when he'd first awoken on the supply ship. "Padmé," and then a lot of distress ran through the Force. She didn't know if it was because he was delusional from the blood loss, or acting weird from the concussion, but one thing was for sure: This time she knew what she heard. He wasn't very clear and his voice was slurred, but Ahsoka heard him say 'Padmé'. It only took her a moment to theorise why of all people he said her name...an 'attachment' crossed her mind at first, and it didn't exactly fade away. It kind of made sense now. All those stolen looks between him and the Senator...'alone' time back on Coruscant. "I need to see her, Ahsoka. I have to tell her...please...I...lo-"
Her throat started to close up and she found it momentarily difficult to speak. She forced her voice to stay steady and spoke gently calmingly. "Don't worry, you can see her when we're back home."
More perplexed emotions through their bond, as if he didn't understand what she just said. "Home?"
Now his disorientation was really starting to worry her. "The Temple on Coruscant."
Dismissively, he shook his head as much as he could without getting dizzy (which was very few times). "I...I don't want... " He trailed off softly, finally sleep about to take over. "The Temple isn't my home...Padmé... just want to go home...I'm sorry..."
For a few minutes Ahsoka just stayed silent, listening to Anakin's shallow breathing, though despite the breathing and the blood, he still looked tranquil. His last words exchanged before drifting into unconscious kind of made her feel downhearted. She didn't know what the hell he was saying, but whatever it was, it seemed genuine. Did he really think he wouldn't see the Senator again?
I mean, he's out-of-it, but he said it with so much weight.
She looked down to him, scowling as even in his sleep she sensed him feel haunted by whatever.
It was long before a familiar presence blazed, only to be followed by a squadron of gun ships splitting up. The GAR ships soared through the air, roaring. Exhilaration burned inside of Ahsoka, knowing the 501st where here for there evac—Rex included.
She shouted and waved her hands crazily, suddenly never feeling this relived in a long, long time. They circled around, most likely witnessing the crash site. Her throat shredded from the cries that left her mouth, though she didn't care, and even ignited her lightsaber as added effect. The gun ships almost went out of view, though they came back with booming sound waves. A cloud of dust and dry grass polluted the thick air, as one descended on the ground meters away. Ahsoka choked on the particles, but didn't stop waving for their attention, even though they saw her by now, since they landed right in front. Some gun ships in the air went back into formation, breaking their search, then staying in the air or heading back to the Jedi cruiser, Resolute, which was visibly orbiting this planet.
It had been over 38 hours since being stranded here, and Ahsoka could kiss him when the clone Captian came from out of the ship, though that would be so inappropriate. She just felt so reassured, that's all. There were a few moments between the crash and now where the Togruta felt quite pessimistic as hours turned into a day with no means of communication, no rations or water, and her Master's gradually dropping condition...
...Speaking of which, Anakin was in and out of consciousness the whole time, barely speaking in understandable words (she was quite convinced one or more of those words were Amidala's name again). He did however react when Rex's presence zipped through the atmosphere, and tried to stand, somewhat succeeding, now upright meters behind his Padawan.
"Rex!" she exclaimed, meeting him face-to-face. His helmet was covering his features, but Ahsoka knew he was also feeling relieved to see her and his General. "I knew you'd find us. You always seem to save our skins."
He straightened up respectfully while addressing the Commander, but it wasn't really necessary. "Just doing my duty, Commander."
She smiled at him—a pure, grateful smile, that hasn't been shown in days. "Thank you."
The moment her head hit the medbay's pillow, Ahsoka was already asleep. Darkness consumed all her senses and it was so pleasurable the med droid didn't even get to examine her before the girl passed out right there on the cot.
Her dreams however where not so nice, and kept replaying the past day and few hours. It was basically like reliving the crash and everything after, though time seemed to be very disoriented.
"We crashed, didn't we?"
"...I'm sorry."
"Snips..."
"...Hyperdrive..."
"...Rex and his Squad..."
"...I'm fine."
"I would believe that if you could manage to keep upright, Skyguy."
"Padmé...I need to see her, Ahsoka. I have to tell her...please... I...lo-"
"...Back home."
"Home?"
"I...I don't want...The Temple isn't my home...Padmé...just want to go home...I'm sorry..."
Her mind still swam faintly with those two voices even when she awoke. New sounds like beeping and vocalised talking replaced them. She moaned, not wanting to get up just get.
"Ahsoka," A non-mechanical person said, voice warm and familiar. She looked up and meet the Resolute's medbay, a few droids, and the origin of the voice.
"Master Kenobi?" She squinted with hazily sleep-clouded eyes. She wasn't sure why he was here. She remembered that he had leave, time to rest back at the Temple. Her and Anakin would've joined him, but the 'boring' supply mission intervened with that. "Where's Anakin?" She didn't want to sound rude or disappointed about Obi-Wan being here, but thinking about the horribly failed mission made her think of her Master.
Obi-Wan didn't take offence, and frankly thought that maybe their Master/Padawan bond was a little too strong if the first thought in her mind was Anakin. But then again, Ahsoka knew if Obi-Wan was in her place during all this, he would be acting much like her, too. Sometime you couldn't always see it, but he showed a more-than-desirable attachment to the younger man as well.
"He is still resting, recovering from that little ordeal," Obi-Wan gently pushed down Ahsoka's perked shoulder. "As you should be."
"But I'm fine. I was just tired after staying awake for most of the time on the surface." She sounded like a child not wanting to go to bed.
He gave a skeptical look, picking up a near-by datapad which her name displayed on it. "Multiple lacerations, minor head trauma, extensive bruising...There's about a list full of injuries here." he read out, Ahsoka not really caring about her minor wounds anyway.
She wouldn't argue though, maybe if it was with Anakin, but not with Master Kenobi. Instead of saying something like, 'It sounds a lot worse than it actually is, I'm fine.', she just sighed and flopped back. "Do you know when I can leave?"
"Few hours maybe." He shot her a small sly smile. "Could be worse, Ahsoka. I'm used to Anakin complaining about this stuff, and I don't want to start listening to you."
She snickered lightly. "Sorry."
Obi-Wan may have told her to stay and rest, but she was her Master's Padawan, and following orders wasn't exactly her strong point (at least right now anyway). It couldn't have been more than an hour when the Togruta snuck off to the other part of the medbay, looking for a certain human male by the name of Skywalker.
It was her duty as the apprentice to watch over her Master, and if not that, then this was just checking on a comrade.
She plopped herself in the nearest chair next to the medical bed he lay in inside, his eyes flickering constantly with the sweet aroma of bacta filling the air. The liquidly substance still plastered to his hair and flesh, but that miracle substance managed to do its job, and wonderfully, too. The split of his head was completely gone, same with the bruising, and if Ahsoka saw his chest, the deep wound would be barely visible. She wondered briefly if he'd been in the 'tank for the entire time on the Resolute...probably, 'cause he looked ten times better than when he almost fainted aboard the gun ship.
Blue eyes opened wider, wincing at the light, which Ahsoka dimmed down. A medical droid came in, alerted by his awakening from the vital monitors, but its simple programming didn't seem to care or notice Ahsoka's presence right in front of it.
"Master?" She breathed, feeling eased, liking the fact that he actually recognised her and the place, unlike before...
"Hey, Snips." He mumbled, as she felt relief burn through the Force, before mental shields blocked out his emotions. Then a nice, relieved silence, followed by a short chuckle. "Glad to know we're both alive."
"Yeah." It was good to see him talk like usual. "Are you alright?"
A nod. "Yes...because of you." Now a genuine smile. "Thank you." It wasn't very necessary, but felt as if the right moment to utter those words. Their bond connected with equal content.
They shifted themselves into comfortable silence, Ahsoka just reflecting. "Do you remember anything?" she asked, a little out of the blue. She wondered if he remember the things that she would probably have nightmares over for weeks—Seeing her Master so hurt. And maybe the things spoken about the Senator?
"Mmm...Not really." he told her nonchalantly, but she suspected that he was thinking of something else—hiding something. "I knew my head hurt most of the time...and I remember you. You looked like just a blur of colour." Anakin added, slightly chuckling.
"Heh. You did act kind of weird."
Anakin raised an eyebrow. Almost sheepishly he nodded, but didn't say anything.
Ahsoka continued, but when she did, the vibe in the room that was once light changed to denseness. "You um...said Senator Amidala's name a few times."
Anakin didn't shrug it off, just scowled and mental shields where built even stronger. "Well I was delusional. I didn't know what I was saying." he said, tone dark, and appeared to be convincing himself, not Ahsoka.
"You were quite frantic before..." She didn't drop the subject even though he definitely wanted to.
"What are you trying to say?" he glared.
Ahsoka didn't know the answer, but she wanted answers from him. It wasn't just calling her name...it was needing to see her and saying he's sorry for whatever reason. Why was she pressing the matter though? Why didn't she believe him? "I don't know...But are you not telling me something?" because that's what it feels like.
"No, I'm not." It came out a little harsher than she expected. "There's nothing..." Anakin trailed off, looking away from his Padawan.
She sighed, knowing she was already treading on dangerous ground, so simply she just moving back into the chair.
There's something he's not telling me. I know it.
•••
A/N
Okay...This short story when for way longer than I expected and I was supposed to get this up by Wednesday, but failed. I spent nights past 12am trying to finish it, but always fell asleep with the Mac on my lap. I am not even joking.
I found it difficult and easy at the same time to write this from Ahsoka's perspective. Whenever she's thinking about Anakin saying 'Padmé', I wanted to write BECAUSE SHE'S HIS WIFE AND LOVES HER, but couldn't and had to go with a suspected attachment...You know what I mean?
I'm not entirely happy with this, but I tried so hard to get it done xD Feedback is always nice. I love reviews, anything to improve ;)
May the Force be with you
-CyanGalaxy