Ch 4: Dreams

Anakin's POV

WC: 1003

They got me on a stretcher and took me straight to the medical center. They cut through what remains of my shirt with surgical scissors and placed a heart monitor on my chest. Then a hand is placed on my shoulder as a mask comes down around me. I scream and try to get away as they place it over my face. Pure oxygen comes into my nose and the pain in my chest slowly starts to dissipate.

The beeping on the monitor slows down, and I realize that I can breathe again. A nurse comes in with an IV bag and hooks it up to the IV stand beside me.

"We are going to get you ready for emergency surgery now. We are starting your anesthesia, and it will take a minute to kick in."

I breathe deep and close my eyes, and slowly drift away.

I wake up in our bed in Coruscant. My eyes flitter open to see the ceiling of our apartment. I sit up and feel the moist air hit my body. I smile as I recognize Naboo climate control that Padme put on. I grab a tunic and pull it over my head. For some reason, I always have both of my arms in these dreams so I run my fingers through my hair and shake my head. Standing quickly, I walk to the living room with no pain, thanks to the anestesista, and stand at parade rest waiting patiently for my wife.

"Ani," she says softly behind me.

"Hello, my love."

She comes and stands before me. She is wearing her hair down, and a long green dress. I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into me. We share our secret kiss and I feel tingles down my spine.

"How long has it been?" she asks when we finally break away.

"23 years, 290 days, and 19 hours, but whos counting."

She laughs, and I kiss her lips. It's a soft tender kiss that reminds me of our wedding day.

"How have you been?"

"I am in agony, Padme."

"Why?"

"I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

"We have children?" I asked.

"Yes. Luke and Leia."

"Luke has your eyes."

"Leia has your spirit," she said laughing.

"There beautiful. Perfect."

We just stood there holding each other. It was a perfect dream. She felt the same way, smelled the same way, and sounded the same way. But like all of my dreams, the nightmare started.

"You killed me," she said pulling away.

"I lost control," I said reaching for her.

She stepped back farther, then started to pace back and forth in front of me. "Yes, You got angry and lost control like you did on Tatooine. Like with the Tusken Raiders. I am another Tusken Raider, Anakin."

"No! I love you!" I begged.

Her clothing morphed into her ruined wedding dress, her stomach swelled to a sickly version of her pregnancy, blood dripped from her mouth and eyes in a demonic version of sweat and tears.

"You did this to me, Anakin."

"Padme!" I cried falling to my knees.

"You did this."

"Padme!" I screamed and jerked myself awake. The machine beside me was beeping like crazy, and I tried to turn it off with the force.

"Your a jedi?" came a small voice by the door way.

I turned my head to see a small togruta boy standing there. He was holding a plush stormtrooper toy in his hands.

"Mom," he cried and ran out of the room. "Mom, he is a Jedi."

"Palo, be quiet. He is resting." A young togruta who looked painfully like Ashoka came into the room. "I am so sorry. Single mom problems."

I smiled.

"Huh. Palo, Did you turn this machine off?" She asked looking at her son.

"I did," I said.

"Oh do you know anything about medicine?""

"I know a lot about surgery machines. I feel fine. I would rather just have the noise off."

"Let me listen to your heart. Can you sit up?"

I sat up as she pulled out the stethoscope and placed the eartips in her ears. Then she put her hand on my naked, scared back and placed the ball on my chest..

"Breathe," she instructed.

I took a deep breath and shuddered.

She moved the stethoscope to the other side and did the same thing. Then she moved it to my back and told me to breathe normally for a moment.

"Okay you seem to be in the clear. Your lungs are clear. You seem to heal fast. Most people take weeks. You must be very strong with the force."

"I don't need an oxygen mask?"

"Well we will try a cannula just in case. Let me take your temperature."

She put the thermometer in my mouth and I moaned. I don't know why, but I hated my temperature being taken. The thermometer always felt weird in my mouth. Also, my mind flashed back to my mom taking care of me when I was sick on Tatooine. It made my chest ache from missing her. The thermometer beeped finally and the nurse didn't comment, so I must be okay.

"You seem fine, and you said you feel better. We can let you go now if you like. Do you have any family in the force we can contact?"

I took a deep breath and thought about all of my family, the Jedi, I have killed. "None that I am speaking too," I said.

"None at all?" she asked.

Then my mind went back to the early days of the empire when I was hunting the Jedi and I stumbled across my padawan Ashoka. "I won't leave you not this time," she said to me. I was quiet for a little while. I was so evil. Ashoka would never forgive me, but she was my only hope.

"Tano, Ahsoka Tano. If she is one with the force."

"And who are you so I can tell her who sent for her."

I took a moment. "Skyguy."