As soon as Anakin woke up, he felt panic surge through his veins once he realized the position he was in. his Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he took deep, calming breaths. The room was small and dim, the post keeping him chained in the middle of the room. A cold draft blew on him, making him shiver and realize that someone had taken off his tunic and armor, leaving them bundled at his waist. He pulled weakly on the shackles, his hands shaking enough to make them rattle by themselves. He could feel his heart pumping out of his chest, he was sure that his heart was making the post he was kneeling against rattle with how hard it was pumping. His calming breaths failed and he stopped entirely, taking fast and shallow breaths as fear overwhelmed him.
"No, nononono," He has been tied against the post when he was a child, and he was one of the few people who could say that he survived the experience. he clenched his eyes tightly, trying to ignore the images of lost friends, struggling to breathe after their own master tied them to the post and went wild. He tried to ignore the aching of his back, old scars aching at the very thought of being opened again. The air dried out his mouth completely, his frantic breathing doing nothing to help. He yanked at the chains, panic completely overtaking him.
"I have to get out, get it, get off."
He had to get away, he had to get out, get out and escape before someone came into the room and let him have it. Just take off the shackles and he could go, just take them off, just take them off and that's all he has to do. He shook his hands frantically, his fingers stumbling over each other as he tried to figure out the mechanism of the cuff. He was only vaguely aware of his bonds lighting up in concern, both of them trying their best to figure out what happened.
Leaning his head against the grain of the wood, he tried to blink the black dots out of his vision, to try and expand his throat so he wouldn't be wheezing his breaths in and out. Something wet was on his face, and he could taste salt. He would have shaken his head to bring himself out of his thoughts, but his muscles were trembling too much. He needed to get out.
"Anakin!" Obi-wan practically tackled the door down, his concern going through the roof when his padawan's feelings of absolute fear traveled through their bond, making Ahsoka and himself nearly panic themselves at the intensity. He spotted his student in the middle of the room, his tunics bundled at the waist, revealing his back and chest. He was chained to a post, the chains connecting to the top of the post, keeping him on his knees and with his arms wrapped around the post. The next thing he noticed was the heart-breaking wheezes and frantic muttering.
"Get it off, get it off."
"Kix!" he nearly forgot that it was a secret rescue mission, but the clone medic running to his student as soon as he saw him chained to the post. Kix kneeled next to Anakin, Obi-wan right behind him, and pressed his fingers to the Jedi's neck while trying to figure out his general's breathing rate.
"he's having a panic attack," Anakin's breathes were short and fast, wheezing with each inhale and exhale. "I'm going to have to sedate him." Obi-wan nodded his head and set his hand onto Anakin's back. He flinched away, breaking into frantic huttenese.
"What is he saying sir?" Obi-wan ran his hands through Anakin's hair, trying his best to ignore the way his sweaty hair was sticking to his fingers. He glanced over at Kix for a second before focusing on his student again, sending calming and reassuring feelings over the bond. He knew what Anakin was saying, he had heard it many times at the beginning of their journey together. He had only heard it when Anakin was just freed and when Anakin had made what he thought was a detrimental mistake.
"he's apologizing." Kix almost blinked in surprise as he administered the sedative, the needle plunging into the Jedi's skin with a hiss.
"Before you ask, I'm sure you can tell that Anakin didn't have…the best childhood, before joining the order." Kix nodded in agreement, he had seen the scars on his general body, scars that he has only seen on slaves they free during certain missions. He decided to say nothing, only to continue monitoring how his general was doing. Just as he wanted, Anakin's heartbeat started to slow down, along with his breathing. Kix just watched silently as Anakin slumped against Obi-wan, revealing his tear-stained face. He let the two of them have their small moment, only helping when he started to pull on the Jedi's tunics, covering his scars.
"Come on, Rex, can you carry him?"
"Yes sir." Since it was just the three of them who, Rex was forced to carry Anakin on his back, Kix and Obi-wan taking positions on either side of them to cover them as they walked back. Thankfully, they were able to sneak in and out with no one noticing them. Ahsoka was the first one to meet them once they returned to The Resolute. She was the one who stayed by his side while he slept in the med bay.
"Anakin?" she closed the door behind her, bringing in one of his favorites blankets with her. Anakin just sat on the bed, staring blankly at his lap. He had lifted his head when she called his name and gave her the emptiest smile, his eyes being void of any happiness.
"Hey snips, told you I would be fine," Ahsoka said nothing, only walking forward to wrap her master in his blanket with a tenderness only a sister could have.
"you don't have to pretend around me Anakin." She tugged the blanket over his head, letting him hide his face as his pretense dropped.
"…Sorry."
"It's fine, do you want to talk about it?" Ahsoka sat down next to him on the bed, slightly leaning on him to give him some comfort.
"No, I'd rather not."
"hm, shame, I was looking forward to having a heart to heart where we could exchange our origin stories." Anakin snorted at that, a small smile gracing his lips at her words.
"Really? What would your origin story be?"
"I don't know, I would say the time you ate my slice of pie really shaped me into who I am." She finally got a chuckle out of him.
"I don't think a slice of pie would have that great of an impact on you snips."
"Hey, you have no idea how much I was looking forward to that pie, only to find out the treachery" she poked him in his side in between her words, stopping when she poked him and got a strangled squeak out of her master. They both froze, Ahsoka lifting her face to stare at Anakin, the blanket doing nothing to hide his increasing blush.
"Oh, my force- "
"Snips no- "
"You're ticklish!"
"Ahsoka! Wait no! wa-pftt!" Anakin broke down into laughter as Ahsoka started to tickle him, his laughs bounced off the walls in the small room, making Ahsoka laugh herself. Anakin only let her tickle him for a few more seconds before pushing her off the bed, leaving him breathless on the bed.
"You're a jerk."
"You love me."
"Yeah, I do."
"I thought Jedi weren't supposed to have attachments?"
"Eh, call me a rebel."
"I don't have to call you one, you already are one."
"Thanks…Snips," Anakin bent his head backward, leaning his head over the ledge of the bed to look at his student, "Thanks for cheering me up, I appreciate it." Ahsoka reached up and messed up her master's already messy hair.
"Don't mention it, Sky guy, it's not like I could just let you brood for the rest of the week."
"Hey! I wouldn't have brooded for the rest of the week."
"Ehhh, debatable." He pouted at her words, making Ahsoka snicker at his reaction. Although she could tell that he was still emotionally drained, she was happy that he still had the energy to laugh and mess around with her.
"So…wanna go another round on the skates?"
