Enough To Care
Chapter Two
By: Song
A/U: I had hoped for a triple post of all my WiPS- but alas, that didn't work out as my computer crashed and with it went the files for the next chapter. This one was actually a rewrite from the version lost in the vast expanse of my hard drive. Consider yourselves' lucky.
A/U2: Chapter is rated "M". Heed this as my content warning.
A/U3: Minor edits as of 2/12/12 Toned down slightly for greater build up- minor spelling mistakes fixed.
When he landed on the platform there was little fanfare. He might have though his little escapade had gone unnoticed, were it not for Grand Master Yoda and council member Mace Windu waiting at the entrance.
Putting the thoughts aside he took a spare cloak to wrap his master's prone body in. He may have gone through hell but he deserved at least some dignity.
It took all of his strength to take his master from the safety of the ship. Realistically, he knew that if anything Coroscant meant safety. The illogical part of him wanted to hold his master close and never let go.
The walk from the landing pad to the entry was long and painful. Though his master had never regained consciousness, he ventured for protection from his larger frame. ObiWan had shied away from the painful light, burrowing his face into Anakin's chest when they emerged from the ship.
"Masters," he greeted bowing his head respectively. With one arm around ObiWan's shoulders, and the other below his knees the traditional bow from the waist was near impossible.
Mace's eyes searched the form in his arms saying nothing.
"To the healers we must get, if to survive ObiWan is." Yoda's gravely voice was soft. He turned, gimmer stick tapping a steady beat on the tile.
"Yes master," the padawan replied, following the little green troll.
In comparison to the long walk from the ship to the temple, the walk to the healers took little time. Mace more than once offered to take his master from his arms, but he refused. Likewise, he refused to leave his mater's side as the healers worked on him.
He shouldn't have been surprised when the healers unwrapped his naked body- but he was. With his master draped in immaculate jedi robes he could almost pretend that everything was alright. But being able to see every broken rib, every festering wound, the hard angles of his pelvis bony and bruised rather than lithe or muscular as he knew a jedi should be. Something within him stirred as the council members' eye raked his master's nudity. It was wrong! He had no right to see his master like that! They weren't the one to save the man's life! In fact, the council had refused to allow Anakin to even search for him! They weren't the ones who had carried, cleaned and treated him! ObiWan was his master!
Anakin's internal rant was cut short by a twinge of pain from the bond. His mid was brought back to the present and his master, where pieces of infection were carefully removed while force knows what else was washed away. The sting of disinfectant and illness bit at his nose. Despite his master's state of unconsciousness he could see the weak protests to the pain- even if the was too weak to do little more than shy away from the healer's hands. Mace had left, some time ago whilst Anakin watched unawares.
"Saved ObiWan's life you did. Little more you can do for him now. Speak, we must."
"Yes master," he answered without really hearing.
"Amazing it is, ObiWan's resiliency."
Anakin couldn't meet the grand master's eyes.
"Pains you it does, seeing him like this." Yoda affirmed, displaying his usual insight.
"Yes master." His voice was soft as he replied.
"Strong he is. Worry not, you should."
"Yes master." He replied, though doubt welled up inside him.
Anakin did not sleep soundly that night. His relief at ObiWan being back quickly turned to dread as another vision enveloped him. Instead of the future- it was one of the past. The time that his master has spent at the hands of a monster.
After what seemed like an eternity the vision ended and he cried. He cried good and hard. He cried like he had never cried before. He cried for his master and what he had lost. And it wasn't even to someone he loved. If it were it would have been cause to celebrate.
But it wasn't... it wasn't.
He found himself in the rooms of the Grand Master of the Jedi Order- Yoda.
"Dreams you've had, hmm?" Suddenly Anakin didn't know what he was doing here. He didn't want to tell Yoda about the vision.
"Saw, you did, of ObiWan's imprisonment."
"I-" he paused "yes."
"Tell me you will."
He hesitated, unsure if it was conducive to his master's career as a jedi to speak of his imprisonment.
"Familiar I am, with your species and their anatomy. Nothing to fear for ObiWan's sake, you have."
Anakin's face colored, though it was impossible to see in the dim light. Yoda already knew.
He swallowed, and began.
"It was... in the beginning... it wasn't... it was normal torture. Vibro blades and stuff... electro whips. Normal things. But then..." He grimaced, remembering the brutal scenes. "... but then she realized that that wouldn't work- and she... she started doing things to him..."
Yoda waited as the padawan regained his composure.
"He kept insisting that he wouldn't react. But she knew what she was doing- she began touching him, feeling him in certain areas. And he started gasping... and she began licking was trying so hard not to let it affect him; but it did. He was begging her to stop. She- she used his body to pleasure herself. He was so disgusted with himself. That he couldn't control it... and began to cry." Anakin paused. "He's never... been with anyone before, has he?"
Yoda bowed his head. "Interpret the code to the extreme, ObiWan does. Untouched he was, before this."
Anakin kept his eyes on the on the floor. His master had lost a part of himself during the imprisonment. A piece that he valued greatly. A piece that he would never get back. It was odd, to think of his master as innocent. As a victim. It was even odder to think of himself as more 'experienced' than his master.
Another thing that ObiWan would never have; the pleasure of loosing that piece of himself to someone he cared for. To trust that piece of himself to someone he loved.
"Need you, he will. Trust you, I do, with healing him. Hard time for ObiWan, this will be."
The room was left silent as thought consumed the two jedi.
To be continued...