QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
by ardavenport
- - Part 6
"Master?" Obi-Wan's voice said, close to his ear.
Something tugged on his tunic.
Qui-Gon lifted his head. He saw that the interior lights of the ship were dark, the only light coming in through the forward ports from the command ship's docking bay outside.
Qui-Gon fumbled with the restraint straps, but Obi-Wan unbuckled them. Nodding his thanks, he pushed himself out of his seat. He still felt as if the ship was in motion, but he inhaled the Force deeply into himself and he became steadier. Obi-Wan followed him closely as they left the ship and passed the pilot, amiably chatting with the deck crew.
Neither of them knew exactly where the ship's medical bay was, but most republic cruisers had a standard layout. That knowledge and a little intuition from the Force led them to the right level and section.
Another medical droid, nearly identical to the one on the planet, introduced itself as EsEs-8-6 and told them that Qui-Gon was expected. They entered a smaller medical bay of shiny equipment with many spindly, long-armed attachments, blinking lights, scanners and a minimal examination table. Ship-board medical bays tended to emphasize the practical realities of being injured that encouraged patients to recover as quickly as possible.
Qui-Gon asked for a change of clothes, a wash and to visit the fresher first. The droid offered him a folded white, sterile syth-cloth suitable for all species and politely requested that he leave samples in the indicated depositories. Qui-Gon obliged and when he was finished with the medical requests, he stepped into the ablution stall and used enough water and body cleanser to deaden his sense of smell again.
Reeking of herbal, germ-killing fruit, he turned around under the blowers to dry himself. He bent down to the nozzles, the damp strands of his hair flying about his head, drying. When he stepped out of the stall, he tugged the medical drape over himself and left the fresher.
The droid waited by its equipment. Obi-Wan walked with Qui-Gon to it. After sliding onto the thinly cushioned medical table, he lay down and the droid raised the table up to its torso level, attached sensors to him and began scanning.
"You are seriously dehydrated," the droid said in its programmed calm feminine voice. It elevated the front end of the medical table, so Qui-Gon was sitting up and then applied a fluid replacement pack to his arm. The needle of it automatically found the right spot before going in.
"And from my analysis, you have been exposed to an intoxicant with serious addictive properties," EsEs-8-6 noted.
"I am already aware of that." Qui-Gon stared up at the ceiling; there was no pattern on it and he felt relieved.
The droid's red eye sensors blinked, off-on, and it continued. "You will require medication for several days to reverse any lasting effects."
Qui-Gon had been hoping to avoid this since he had not directly inhaled anything from Togi's pipe. But in a wide galaxy full of recreational substances, the producers of most spices added extra potency to their products to ensure good business with quick dependence in its users.
"Have you experienced nausea, dizziness, blackouts, convulsions, trembling, hallucinations, lethargy, burning sensations, sore extremities, headache, hot or cold flashes, twitching, painful urination, itching, sore throat, loss of vision, hearing or memory loss, excessive sweating, abdominal pain, chest pain or ear ache?"
Qui-Gon sifted through the list of possible symptoms.
"Yes to dizziness, lethargy and hallucinations, blackouts and convulsions only after I was exposed to the spice."
The droid clicked and tilted its head, processing the information. Behind it, Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan stick a finger in his ear.
"My Padawan was also exposed to the spice, but only for a brief time."
The droid's head swivelled all the way around to look down at Obi-Wan whose blue-gray eyes had gone wide with surprise.
"Short exposure should not cause any ill effects, but I will need a blood sample to be sure." The droid extended a small cylindrical device with a short, protruding needle. Obi-Wan scowled back at his Master as the droid extracted a small red sample. Then the droid left them to do its analysis and prepare its treatments.
"Were you very disappointed when you and the others found me?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan had not said much since the warlord's compound had been taken; their walk from the hangar bay to the med center had been silent. At first it seemed to be in deference to Master Ki-Adi Mundi, who led the assault. Then it was in deference to Qui-Gon's condition (including being unconscious for the most of the trip back to the ship). But now, their mission complete, Qui-Gon sensed a lingering unease.
"Disappointed?" Obi-Wan looked confused.
"In my. . . condition."
Pressing his lips together, Obi-Wan chose his words carefully, confirming the source of his discomfort.
"We were. . . . . not expecting to find what we did. You did not answer your com, so we were concerned, but we knew you were alive."
Qui-Gon could not recall hearing a com signal. But his senses and judgement had been impaired and he kept his com in a back pouch, so he supposed that he had been lying on it, when he was on the floor.
"The pilot on the landing ship was joking about it with some people on the com," Obi-Wan finished, looking embarrassed. "I don't understand why you needed to coerce the warlord's technician the way you did. But I accept that it was necessary," he concluded with more determination than faith. Qui-Gon gave him a sad smile.
"It was," he reassured. "I was quite unsuccessful with any mind influence on Togi. It was as if he had no thoughts at all to be influenced, which is perhaps true. And all the control systems were replicated in a backup site on the other side of the compound. Any damage I would have done would have been immediately rendered ineffective while the backup was still active. I needed to influence Togi to disable it to take down the shields. And when I found out about his vice it seemed to be a quick and obvious means of doing so. Though I did not imbibe any spice directly, I could not avoid the smoke. I did not become completely disabled until after I had destroyed the power controls."
Obi-Wan smiled, now reassured for real.
Qui-Gon shook his head sadly. "It is regrettable. When performing his duties, Togi was nearly as quick and focused as a Jedi. But his preferred vice will destroy his talent eventually and then he himself with be destroyed by its loss."
A door to another room in the medical bay slid open. The droid returned with a tray that it clipped to a stand next to Qui-Gon's medical table. There was a cup of water and a plate of food, a stacked round of protein and fibrous slices and chunky pastes between baked starchy slabs. And a pressed, glossy fruit mound. The standard ship fare that they had been eating for the past few days.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi only has traces of the drug in his system, not enough to produce any noticeable effects," EsEs-8-6 announced calmly, but Obi-Wan still looked a bit alarmed.
"You must consume sustenance, but first," the droid instructed and held up a small white cup with two large pink capsules in it, "you must take these before eating any meal for the next four days. And you will need to be examined daily to evaluate your progress, so your treatment can be adjusted, if necessary."
Qui-Gon wearily took the pills and downed them quickly with the water. He then picked up the food deck and cautiously took a bite. His body did not react to it until he swallowed. His stomach contracted as if it had been unexpectedly struck, but the tightening subsided quickly. The droid stayed attentive to its scanners, but did not react. Qui-Gon felt only a twinge when he swallowed the second bite.
As he chewed his third bite, Qui-Gon caught Obi-Wan eyeing his fruit mold.
"You should go to the galley and get something to eat, Obi-Wan," he instructed. Qui-Gon liked the fruit mold and did not plan on sharing. "I am well cared for here."
"Do you need anything else?" Obi-Wan asked, looking embarrassed to be caught coveting his Master's meal.
"No," Qui-Gon replied, shaking his head. "But after you have eaten I want you to go to the ship's command center and observe the operations on the planet. I would like to hear how things have concluded on the planet after Master Mundi returns."
"I will," Obi-Wan answered, bowing his head. Qui-Gon watched him leave and then returned to his meal. He sampled the fruit mold. It was very good.
- - End Part 6