Chapter 36
Padmé stood as thought frozen. No, this can't be, she thought. I just spoke to him...he can't be in trouble...Qui-Gon must be mistaken...
"Padmé!" Ruwee said, running into the room in his pajamas, his hair all askew. "Did you hear that?"
Padmé looked at her father. "Hear what, Daddy? What are you talking about?"
"An explosion," Ruwee said. Jobal appeared too, tying the belt of her robe as she rushed into the room.
"Explosion? Where?" Padmé said.
"From up the mountain," Jobal said. "Our room is at the back of the house, and we both heard it," she said.
"Oh my God!" Padmé cried. She ran to the terrace and looked towards the mountains behind the house. From the area where the house's landing platform was located she saw a column of black smoke. "Anakin!" she cried.
Ruwee and Jobal joined her. "Did you say Anakin?" Jobal asked her daughter.
Padmé nodded as the tears rolled down her face. "Obi-Wan knew he was in trouble," she said. "He...he said he was dying!"
Jobal and Ruwee exchanged an alarmed looked. "I'm going to call for an ambulance," Ruwee said.
Jobal put her arms around Padmé in an attempt to comfort her. "Let's not jump to any conclusions, honey," she said.
Padmé knew that her mother didn't understand the nature of the Force, the way that the Jedi could sense when one of their brothers was in trouble. She herself had no doubt that Obi-Wan was right, for he and Anakin had always had a very close bond.
"Ambulance is on the way," Ruwee said.
"I'm going up there," Padmé said.
"Padmé it's dangerous," Jobal said. "If there's been an explosion, it's not a safe place for you, think about it."
"Anakin needs me!" Padmé cried. "I have to be there for him!"
Jobal knew her daughter well enough to know that she would not be dissuaded.
"I'm coming with you," Ruwee said.
Padmé nodded. "Thanks Daddy," she said. Jobal frowned as they departed, and then returned to the kitchen to watch the twins.
As Padmé and her father climbed the long stairway that lead to the landing platform, she contacted Obi-Wan to tell him what had happened. As they drew closer, the acrid smell of fire assaulted them.
"The ambulance," Ruwee said as the craft flew over them.
"Thank God," Padmé said, and continued up the stairs. By the time they reached the top, the ambulance had already landed, and a medical team armed with a medical capsule was attending to someone lying prone on the platform. In the distance they saw the remains of a small craft, crumbled and smouldering against the rocks.
"Anakin!" Padmé cried when she reached the spot where the paramedics were. They looked at her briefly before returning to their unconscious patient.
"Do you know this man?" a female member of the team asked her.
Padmé nodded. "He's my husband," she said.
The woman exchanged a look with one of her comrades. "We just pulled him from the ship," she said, as they put an oxygen mask over Anakin's face. "Looks like he lost control of the craft."
Padmé frowned. "I don't know how that could be," she said. "He's an excellent pilot."
"Perhaps there was a malfunction," Ruwee said.
Padmé said nothing, and simply watched as the medics prepared Anakin for transport. "He's going to be fine, isn't he?"
"We can't make any prognosis, Ma'am," said one of the men. "Let's go," he said to one of his companion. Together they brought the capsule to the waiting ambulance.
"We'll follow you to the hospital," Ruwee told the paramedics. "Come on, love," he said to his daughter. "Let's go get dressed."
Padmé nodded as he watched the ambulance take off and fly away. Don't take him from me again, she prayed. Please don't take him from me...
On board the Devastator
Obi-Wan stood at the large window on the bridge as the ship made its final approach to Naboo. He was relieved that Anakin had been found, but unable to get Qui-Gon's words out of his mind. He's dying, Obi-Wan... What if the medical team had been too late to save him? What if his injuries were too severe for him to survive? What if...
"We've entered orbit, General Kenobi," announced one of the bridge officers.
"The bridge is yours, lieutenant," responded Obi-Wan as he ran for the lift.
Once he'd left the ship, Obi-Wan directed the shuttle to the hospital in Theed, which is where he figured Anakin would be. He was tempted to contact Padmé to see if she'd learned anything more about Anakin's condition, but did not want to trouble her. No doubt she was in her own living hell right now, and he didn't want to burden her any more.
"I'm here about Anakin Skywalker," Obi-Wan told the nurse in the emergency room.
She looked up at him from behind the glass partition. "Are you family?" she asked.
Obi-Wan frowned. "Not by blood, no, but..."
"Then I can't give you any information," she said, and returned to her work.
Obi-Wan stood there for a moment, quite shocked by the woman's abruptness. He turned to look around for Padmé, and saw her not far off, standing with an older man he didn't recognize. He went to her at once.
"Padmé!" Obi-Wan said, embracing her. "I'm so sorry! Has there been any word?"
Padmé shook her head. "No, not yet," she said. "Obi-Wan, this is my father, Ruwee Naberrie. Dad, this is Obi-Wan Kenobi, an old friend."
"A pleasure," Obi-Wan said, shaking Ruwee's hand.
"Same here," Ruwee said. "It looks like Anakin crashed his ship," he said. "The paramedics had to pull him from the burning wreck."
Obi-Wan frowned. "Anakin doesn't crash ships," he said. "Something must have gone wrong."
Padmé nodded. "That's what we think," she said. "I just wish they would give us some news," she said.
Ruwee put his arm around her. "They will, we just have to be patient," he said.
"I know," Padmé sighed. "It's just so hard not knowing if Anakin is alive or..." she stopped as she broke down again. Ruwee held her as she cried.
Obi-Wan noticed that a nurse was walking towards to them. Padmé noticed too, and waited for her to give them news.
"Mrs. Skywalker?" the nurse said.
"Yes, that's me," Padmé said. "How is my husband?"
"He's alive," the nurse reported. "But he's in rough shape. We are working to stabilize him now," she said.
Padmé listened to the nurse as everything around her moved in slow motion. This can't be happening...this is a dream, no, a nightmare...a hideous, horrible nightmare...
"Can I see him?" she blurted out.
Ruwee looked t her. "Padmé, they're still trying to save him," he said gently. "Now isn't the time."
"I'm afraid your friend is right," the nurse said. "I will keep you apprised of his progress."
With that she turned and left.
Obi-Wan turned to Padmé, wishing he had the right words. "Anakin is young, he is strong," he said. "He has made it through greater traumas than this, Padmé. He will pull through."
Padmé nodded, trying to take heart from his words. "He has to," she said quietly.
It was almost two hours later when the nurse returned to give Padmé more news. Padmé stood up with Obi-Wan and Ruwee, bracing herself for the news.
"Mrs. Skywalker?"
"Yes? What news do you have?" Padmé asked.
"The doctor would like to speak with you," she said. "Come with me please."
Padmé looked at her father, and then nodded and left with the nurse. The woman led her through the doors that lead to the emergency ward and down a corridor to the nurse's station. A doctor stood at the counter with a data pad in her hand. She looked up when Padmé approached with the nurse.
"Hello Mrs. Skywalker," the doctor said. "I'm Doctor Halpern," she said, extending a hand to Padmé.
"Hello," Padmé said. "How is my husband?"
Dr. Halpern smiled, but Padmé could tell that it was a tense smile. "He's alive," she said. "But I'm afraid he's in serious condition. He's suffered internal damage as well as head trauma," she went on. ''The prosthetic limbs he was equipped with have been severely damaged, and we've had to remove them," she said. "We've placed him in stasis for now to give his body a chance to recover."
"Oh my God," Padmé said, leaning on the counter for support. "Please tell him you can save him!"
"We've done everything we can," the doctor said. "He's stable. It's up to him now, Mrs. Skywalker," she explained. "While he is recovering, I was thinking that we could do something to replace his limbs, if that's okay," she said.
"You mean...new prosthetics?" Padmé said.
The doctor frowned. "Well there is a way to regenerate them, if you are interested," she said.
Padmé was shocked. "Really? I had no idea it could be done," she said.
"Yes, the cloners have been using the technology for some time, now," Dr. Halpern replied. "While he is recovering in stasis, his limbs could be regenerated."
Padmé nodded. "Yes, by all means do so," she said. "So long as the procedure doesn't impede his recovery in any way."
Dr. Halpern shook her head. "It won't," she said. "I'll get the surgeons to get started right away."
"Thank you Doctor," Padmé said. "Thank you for everything you're doing to save my husband's life."
The doctor smiled. "There's no need to thank me," she said, putting a hand on Padmé's shoulder. "I'll let you know when you can see him."
"I'll be waiting," Padmé said.