Obi Wan watched his Padawan. Anakin was trembling, and had walled off his signature. his force presence entirely. Anakin was fixing droids again. he only ever did that when he was upset. his shoulders were tense. if it was anyone other than Obi Wan, they might think the trembling and tense shoulders was due to the exposure to force lighting. that him fixing droids was just to get used to the new prosthetic limb. Obi Wan knew better. he saw how Anakin was shaking, and it wasnt tremors. it was raw emotion. saw the slight shine to his eyes and they way he blonked it away constantly. saw how he used the prosthetic smoothly.
"Anakin, are you alright?" the reaction was imminent. His shoulders tensed knowing up further, his jaw clenched, and his knees locked.
"I'm fine." he gritted out.
"Anakin, what's wrong?"
his hand balled into a fist, turning white, "I. said. I'm. fine."
"Anakin-"
"CAN YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!"
Obi Wan stared, shocked at Anakins sudden outburst. he heard the slam of a door. Obi Wan sighed and Walked over to Anakin's room.
"Anakin, what's wrong? I just want to help you."
"go away."
"Anakin-"
"I said go away."
"Anakin, please just tell me what's bothering you."
"Whats bothering me," said Anakin, voice dangerously low, "is that you won't leave, and I have very little restraint right now. if you know what's good for you, you'll leave me and won't talk to me for the rest of today."
"Anakin! that is not how you talk to your-" the lock clicked "- master!"
A chocked back sobb. a long shuddering breath. "Master. I cannot deal with this kind if thing right now. I will talk to you sometime in the next week, just not today."
"ok, padawan." Obi Wab left down the hall. a dry sobb sounded faintly from Anakins closed door.
over the next week Anakin hardly came out. he came out to give the council briefing, and he came out once only to disappear with his speeder, and he went once to the chancellor.
tonight was the first night Anakin had left his bedroom door open...
So Obi Wan cautiously entered. "Anakin?"
There was a shaking pile of blankets on the bed. "Anakin, what wrong? Padawan..."
The pile of blankets sniffed. "Master?"
"Anakin, what is it?"
"I..." Anakin hesitated. "I miss my mom."
"Didn't you see her? you said in your report you saw her..."
"yeah. I did. for a minute or two... then she- she-" Anakin stopped talking, a fresh wave of sobbs coming over him. "She d-died..."
Oh. oh.oh no. if, Obi Wan had let him go sooner- his appetentice- his brother- his son wouldn't be-
"She was tortured to death by the sand people. my nightmares were real... And- I was too late..."
"What do you mean?"
"I could saved her if I had only gotten to- if I had gone a day earlier. one, stupid day." Anakin sat up abruptly. "I- I need to get out. I need to go- I can't- I- I just... I need to leave." Anakin got up, swaying, and went for his door.
"Anakin, wait, you're not well." Obi Wan said, catching Anakin as he swayed again and leading him back to his room
"I- Have- to- go!" Anakin weakly struggled Against Obi Wan.
"you are not leaving the house until you have eaten something-" Anakin pulled a face a bleached "-and have gotten some sleep" Anakin cringed. "Anakin-"
"fine. I won't leave."
"Not leaveing isn't good enough- eat something."
"I'm not hugry."
"Anakin-"
"no."
"do I have to drag you to the halls? or will you eat something?"
"I really dont-"
"it's one or the other."
"Fine!"
"Good." Obi Wan gently helped his padawan up.
it took several hours before Anakin kept the food in without it coming back up moments later.
the effect of the food was instant. Anakin seemed better, and could stand without being on the verge of collapse.
"now you sleep."
"maser-"
"I can wake you up if you have any nightmares. now sleep."
"o-ok..."
It took about fifteen minutes for Anakin to have a nightmare.
"Anakin! Anakin, wake up!" Anakin's eyes fluttered open. he gasped a few times and then suddenly, he was shaking, crying into Obi Wan's arms.
"shhh, Anakin, you're alright... you'll be ok... it was just a nightmare..."
Anakin pushed away, face contorted in anger. "but it wasn't! stop- stop- lying to me! it wasn't just a nightmare! that's what you told me before- before my- you can't say that! stop it! I- I can't control my emotions, and it- it scares me! I don't know what's going to happen when I- I lose contol! I might hurt someone! I might kill someone! I- I can't do this anymore!" Obi Wan didn't know when Anakin had been reduced to sobbs again.
"Anakin, its alright. you're alright! I won't let you do anything you regret! you're alright!"
"No! I'm not! I'm not ok! I'll never be ok!"
Obi Wan saw the panic attack coming. "Breathe, padawan breathe. you will be alright. it might take some time, but you will get over it." Obi Wan's jedi side nagged him to lecture his padawan on emotions, but he knew now wasn't the time. right now, his padawan need comfort. he could lecture later. "shhh, breathe. try to calm yourself. whatever works." Obi Wan said, continuing his gentle loving tone.
After a few moments Anakin wiped the tears up. "I... I'm alright now." Obi Wans comlink beeped. "You should probably answer that. it could be important."
"more important than you?"
"maybe."
"never."
"But you should answer that."
"will you be alright?"
Anakin nodded.
"ok." Obi Wan walked into the other room, and answered the transmission.
"this is kenobi"
"Hello, this is Mace. the council hope Skywalker is well. we are suggesting..."
"me. a kight?" Anakin said in disbelief.
"your ready, Anakin. I have trained you since you were young and you will become a far greater knight than I ever was. I am proud."
"Thank you, master."